MBJ_Sept29_2017

INSIDE — Keesler Federal Credit Union celebrating 70th anniversary — Page 6 TOURISM

www.msbusiness.com

September 29, 2017 • Vo. 39. No. 39 • 16 pages

FONDREN HOTEL

Graduate Hotel developer turns attention to Memphis project — Page 2

MBJ FOCUS

Insurance & Employee Benefits {Section begins P7}

» More trucks, inexperienced drivers, poor roads, increase insurances costs for drivers » Teladoc services give employees access to round-the-clock health care

{The List P10} » Independent Insurance Agents

TECHNOLOGY {P2}

» C Spire rolls out major program to extend high-speed Internet

DEMOLITION MOVES FORWARD Page 3

JACK WEATHERLY/MBJ

Demolition underway to make way for Hampton Inn Suites.

http://msbusiness.com/ceo-awards-of-mississippi/

2 Q Mississippi Business Journal Q September 29, 2017 TOURISM

Graduate Hotel developer turns attention to Memphis project

By JACK WEATHERLY jack.weatherly@msbusiness.com

Luke Chamblee’s company built the Graduate Hotel in Oxford, which was designed to reflect the unique culture of the town.

Now LRC2 Properties has partnered with Loeb Properties to build a 100room hotel to serve a burgeoning theater district in Memphis.

Loeb has rejuvenated Overton Square, which had fallen on hard times Chamblee since it sprang up following the passage of a mixeddrink ordinance in Memphis in 1970 and revolutionized night life there.

With the legendary T.G.I. Friday’s closing its doors in 2003, the party was over.

Loeb Properties saw the potential for a rebirth.

Over a five-year period, the investors put $31 million into the district, according to the Memphis Daily News in 2016.

Now Loeb is wanting to invest $24 million in the hotel. A key part of the financing was advanced recently as a city board approved a 15-year fee in lieu of taxes agreement that will save $6.1 million for the developers.

Loeb wants a theater-theme hotel to reflect the venerable Playhouse on the Square, a professional-resident theater; Hattiloo Theatre, which produces African-American plays, and Ballet Memphis, which opened a $21 million facility last month where the French Quarter hotel

used to be.

Enter Chamblee on the next stage of development, with MMI Hotel Group of Flowood as the managing partner.

Chamblee is co-owner of the Graduate with Chicago-based AJ Capital Partners, which has developed a chain of local-theme hotels.

“I think they like the energy of the Graduate,” Chamblee said of Loeb Properties.

“We are going through the steps with [architects and designers] to make sure they understand this location.”

An Ole Miss alum, Luke Chamblee understands Oxford, and so The Graduate thesis reflects university and town.

Chamblee, who moved from Flowood with the building of The Graduate, will open his second hotel there next month, a 93-room Hilton Home2 Suites.

It will be part of the $24.5 million South Lamar Court that will also feature a 37,000-square-foot office and retail building, all of which is leased and will open by March, Chamblee said.

Tenants include restaurants Soul Fish, First Watch and Uno Mas Tacos as well as Shed Fitness Group, Nextgear Solutions and Kendall Poole Event Planning.

The LRC2 portfolio also includes a Holiday Inn Express and Suites, Candlewood Suites, Stone Creek Place and Table 100, all in Flowood, and a Hotel Indigo to open in Hattiesburg.

And he said he has plans for a luxury hotel in the Delta but wouldn’t reveal the details.

xxx/MBJ

Luke Chamblee is adding to the LRC2 portfolio with South Lamar Court, which will have a Hilton Home2 Suites hotel in Oxford (top) and office space and retail (above).

TECHNOLOGY

C Spire rolls out major program to extend high-speed Internet

By JACK WEATHERLY jack.weatherly@msbusiness.com C Spire is launching a major high-speed Internet service initiative to underserved parts of Mississippi as well as to small businesses.

The Ridgeland-based company announced the plan Monday that will offer its service to 250,000 small businesses and individuals, with speeds typically 25 megabits per second (Mbps) in underserved areas, 100 Mbps in other communities and 1 Gigabit per second for small businesses. A gigabit is 1,000 times faster than a megabit.

The launch of 25 Mbps service to the underserved in the Delta and northeast Mississippi includes the following towns: Greenville, Greenwood, Indianola, Belzoni, Vicksburg, Louisville, Columbus and West Point, C Spire spokesman Dave Miller. More markets will be added later in the year, he said.

Chief Executive Hu Meena said in a release: “As the state’s leading technology company and one that gets its inspiration from our loyal

customers, we have a responsibility to. . .equip our communities to effectively compete in the technology revolution and help close the gap on the digital divide,” Miller said in an interview that a 2016 report from the Federal Communications Commission put Mississippi at or near the bottom in terms of broadband access.

“If Mississippi expects to be successful, we’re going to need robust Internet access,” Miller said.

The service offered in what C Spire calls its Tech Movement plan can be “transformative” to 52,000 small businesses, which, according to the federal Small Business Administration, is about 20 percent of all the small businesses in the state, Miller said.

Additionally, “wireless fiber” technology – a hybrid of wireless and fiber – will be rolled out initially to 70,000 individuals and businesses with up to 100 megabits of speed. That rollout gets service to users much sooner, rather than the strictly fiber-based, Miller said. Plans call for offering it to another 130,000 consumers and businesses.

September 29, 2017

Q

Mississippi Business Journal

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3

JACKSON

Demolition moves forward to make way for Fondren hotel

By JACK WEATHERLY jack.weatherly@msbusiness.com The dust is rising with on the demolition of property on the twoacre site for a 125-guestroom Homewood Suites.

Of particular interest was the so-called Fondren House, which dated to the early 20th century.

While “contributing” to the history of the Fondren Downtown Business District, it was not protected by historical status from being moved or razed.

Alan Lange, a partner with Ridgeland-based Heritage said in an earlier article that “no final decisions have been made at this point.”

But the decision became evident as demolition of the eight structures on the properties began last week. The house was no more.

Jim Wilkirson, executive director of the Fondren Renaissance Foundation, said that “being the owner and caretaker of Jackson’s oldest residential home [The Cedars], Fondren Renaissance would of course like to see that all contributing historical structures in the area be used as a part of any new development but we also recognize that the decision on how a property is dealt with ultimately lies within the rights of the property owner.”

Ana Torres, a member of the family that operated the Green Ghost Tacos restaurant starting in November and whose building is on the demolition list, said that “we’re looking for a place that is right for us.”

The Torres family owns and operates a Green Ghost Tacos at 1290 E. County Line Rd. in Ridgeland.

The Homewood Suites is the third and latest hotel project announced for downtown Fondren.

Green Ghost Tacos has been closed.

JACK WEATHERLY/MBJ

Big benefits for small businesses.

When you put your business finances in the hands of Keesler Federal Credit Union, you’re already working smart.

Lower interest rates. Fewer fees. Exceptional service.

The hallmarks of Keesler Federal’s reputation in the private sector are now at work for you and your business.

We understand your commitment to success, and we look forward to working with you to reach your business goals. ` Deposit accounts that are easy and convenient ` Business loans to cover the costs along the way ` Merchant services that help build your business ` Benefits that reach beyond the business world

“There is no financial institution I would trust more than Keesler Federal for my business.”

David Holman, Ranchland Tractor & ATV

Explore the Keesler Federal business difference at kfcu.org/business.

Federally insured by NCUA. Membership eligibility required.

Checking accounts subject to credit approval.

A member of the Mississippi Press Association www.mspress.org

200 North Congress, Suite 400 Jackson, MS 39201-1902 Main: (601) 364-1000 Faxes: Advertising (601) 364-1007; Circulation (601) 364-1035 E-mails: mbj@msbusiness.com, ads@msbusiness.com, photos@msbusiness.com, research@msbusiness.com, events@msbusiness.com

MBJPERSPECTIVE September 29, 2017 • www.msbusiness.com • Page 4

OTHER VIEWS

#THE OUTSIDE WORLD

Successful process deserves recognition

Website: www.msbusiness.com September 29, 2017 Volume 39, Number 39

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» INSIDE MISSISSIPPI

Rights, entitlements, public interest and health care

T

he U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service lists the following as the rights of American citizenship: freedom of expression; freedom to worship as you wish; right to a prompt, fair trial by jury; right to vote in elections for public officials; right to apply for federal employment requiring U.S. citizenship; right to run for elected office; and freedom to pursue “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.”

Actually, the Bill of Rights and other amendments to U.S. Constitution provide many more individual rights, including: freedom of assembly and petition; freedom from unreasonable search and seizure; right to own property and freedom from government seizure without cause; right to keep and bear arms; right to “no-quartering” of troops in peacetime; rights to due process and equal protection under the law and freedom from self-incrimination and double jeopardy; freedom from excessive bail and fines and from cruel and unusual punishment; right to citizenship; freedom from slavery, poll taxes, and involuntary servitude; and voting rights for women and 18-yearolds.

U.S. Supreme Court rulings and Congress have established rights to privacy; freedom from racial segregation, discrimination, and sexual harass-

Bill Crawford

ment; rights to same-sex conduct and marriage and inter-racial marriage; contract, property, and abortion rights; and freedom from discrimination based on disabilities.

Not included are any rights to government benefits like those provided by Social Security, Medicaid, Medicare, Unemployment and various welfare programs. Since Congress can change or end these programs at any time, they are impermanent entitlements, not vested rights.

What, then, of the popular concept that U.S. citizens should have a right to health care?

Because of Medicaid, Medicare, and Obamacare, health care is well on its way to becoming an entitlement, but not a right.

Given the growing financial burden of existing entitlements, should health care for all become a national entitlement?

The fiscal answer is “no,” entitlements should be trimmed to reduce budget deficits. The emotional answer is often “yes” due to mounting and extravagant costs for drugs and extraordinary care.

These days there seems to be only frenzy in discussions about health care.

However, some dispassionate discourse See CRAWFORD, Page 5

fficials with the Mississippi Department of Health deserve kudos for completing an intensive national public health accreditation process even in the midst of statewide budget cuts.

State Health Officer Mary Currier announced the news in front of the media and a roomful of Department of Health staff on Monday saying the accreditation was the culmination of three years of research, data gathering and planning by the agency.

Currier said the effort will have a positive impact on the health of all Mississippians.

“All Mississippians will benefit because accreditation affects the entire range of the services that we provide 24 hours a day, seven days a week,” Currier said. “It means the highest standards for operations that contribute to the quality of life each and every day – from the water you drink, to the restaurant where you eat, to the daycare or nursing home where your loved ones may be.”

Mississippi earned the accreditation from the Public Health Accreditation Board and is the 28th state public health department to complete the accreditation process. The ultimate goal is that the information gathered through the accreditation process can be used to improve the overall health of Mississippians, who are routinely found to be the least healthy in the nation.

Many of the elements of the accreditation process are required for grants from the Centers for Disease Control, Currier said. The process also has strengthened connections between the health department and communities around the state.

The nonprofit Public Health Accreditation Board is “dedicated to improving and protecting the health of the public by advancing and ultimately transforming the quality and performance of state, local, tribal and territorial public health departments,” according to its website.

Accreditation involves an intensive process of gathering and analyzing data and developing strategic plans with stakeholders outside the department of health. The health department had to show it had the capacity to provide the broad range of public health services, including community health assessments, epidemiology, infectious disease control, health inspections, health education and promotion, as well as public health emergency preparedness.

Perhaps one of the most impressive feats of the process, which is extensive to begin with, is that the staff was able to complete the accreditiation even as state funding for public health has been scaled back.

The Health Department was budgeted $36 million in the 2016 legislative session, which already represented a cut of about $4 million. But in reality, as a result of mid-year budget cuts the governor made because revenue collections were not meeting projections, the Health Department received about $31 million for the fiscal year that ended June 30 insteadofthe$36millionapproved bythe2016Legislature.Inaddition,the 2017 Legislature budgeted $24.6 million for the fiscal year starting July 1, necessitating reorganization, the layoff of some employees and cuts to some programs.

We applaud the recent achievement of the Department of Health and encourageittocontinueworkingtomakeMississippiahealthierplacefor all its residents.

— Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal

PERSPECTIVE

September 29, 2017 I Mississippi Business Journal

» RICKY NOBILE

CRAWFORD

I

5

Continued from Page 4

yields interesting ideas like this one. Why not treat and regulate access to health care as an essential public service like utilities and other industries “deemed to be affected with a public interest?”

“Medicine as a Public Calling,” a scholarly article by University of Michigan assistant law professor Nicholas Bagley, informs this idea: “The debate over how to tame private medical spending tends to pit advocates of government-provided insurance—a single-payer scheme—against those who would prefer to harness market forces to hold down costs. When it is mentioned at all, the possibility of regulating the medical industry as a public utility is brusquely dismissed as anathema to the American regulatory tradition.”

“Closer economic regulation of the medical industry may or may not be prudent, but it is by no means incompatible with our governing institutions and political culture.”

As Bagley points out, this may not be the way to go.

But this concept and other out-of-the box ideas should be dispassionately considered, away from raging political ideology, if controlling health care entitlement costs while retaining essential services is our goal.

Bill Crawford (crawfolk@gmail.com) is a syndicated columnist from Meridian.

»FROM THE GROUND UP

Help employees with right tools

I

n fact, leaders of companies that go from good to great start not with “where” but with “who.” They start by getting the right people on the bus, the wrong people off the bus, and the right people in the right seats. - Jim Collins, author of Good to Great – Why Some Companies Make the Leap and Others Don’t Jim Collins had it right. But hiring the right people and putting them in the right place in the organization is just the beginning. After the hiring comes the orientation. And after the orientation comes the onboarding. In this column we will discuss the difference between the two, emphasize why onboarding is so important and give some examples.

Let’s begin with how not to do orientation. The worst example of orientation this writer has ever heard of went something like this: “There’s the desk. There’s the phone. Good luck kid. You’re on your own.”

Ouch. Unfortunately, more than a few employees feel that they were not given a proper orientation for the job that they were hired to do. Some of it involved basic things, such as how to make copies or how to transfer a telephone call. Some of it involved major things such as what to do id a VIP calls or shows up at work.

What is orientation?

For our purposes, orientation is the process of introducing and aligning a new employee to the practices of the new employer, such as new surroundings, activities, etc. It is typically a brief event, sometimes only one day. It covers the essentials, things like where to park, where and when to go to lunch, location of bathrooms, use of computers, forms, email, policies and procedures. It is in effect a checklist. It usually occurs in the first day or few days of employment.

What is onboarding?

Onboarding is often described as organizational socialization. There is no one size fits all when it comes to onboarding because each company is different. Onboarding goes on much longer than orientation. It is designed to integrate and match the employee’s personality, skills and behavior with the prac-

tices, customs and values of the organization. By the way, training is different than orientation and onboarding.

Why do onboarding?

According to a 2007 study by the Wynhurst Group, when employees go through structured onboarding, they are 58% more likely to remain with the organization after three years.

Also consider Gallup's State of the American Workplace report that was issued in 2014. It found that that more that employees believe the job market is opening up, the less likely they may be to stay in roles that don't meet their needs and expectations. The study found that more than half of employees (51 percent) say they are actively looking for a new job or watching for openings, and 35 percent of workers report changing jobs within the past three years.

Each workday, Gallup posts the percentage of employees “weekly engaged at work” on the News section of gallup.com.

As this column is being written, the number stands at 36.7%, a percentage that has moved up five points in recent weeks.

Gallup defines engaged employees “… as those who are involved in, enthusiastic about and committed to their work and workplace.” Gallup categorizes workers as "engaged" based on their responses to key workplace elements it has found predict important organizational performance outcomes. Onboarding increases the likelihood that employees will remained engaged employees.

Another reason to do onboarding is that it shows that the company is making an investment in its employees. Is there a way to determine if this investment pays off? Companies that value employees are more successful if one considers the return on investment in Fortune magazine’s list of 100 Best Companies to Work For. Tracked for 15 years: Stock in Fortune magazine's "100 Best Companies to Work For" way outperformed both the S&P 500 and the Russell 3000 indices.

Specifically, from 1997 – 2013 the S&P 500 had an annualized stock market return of 6.04 percent, the Russell 3000 had an annualized return of 6.41 percent and the Fortune 100 Best Companies to Work Far had an annualized return of 11.8 percent.

Implementing Onboarding at Your Company Phil Hardwick Depending on the size of your company an onboarding plan may need to involve coordination between many departments. It is a process that requires time and commitment.

One of the best and most comprehensive onboarding programs is that of Disney’s College Program. Check out the website for ideas about what to include in the onboarding process. It’s at http://cp.disneycareers.com/en/onboarding/fl/default/ Zappo’s onboarding process has gotten a lot of attention because of its thoroughness and emphasis on culture at the organization. At the end of the first month, any new employee who doesn’t feel they’re a good fit is offered $2,000 to quit.

Sapling, a San Francisco company that specializes in onboarding, states that effective onboarding programs share the themes listed below: 1.Make the investment: these onboarding programs are not an accident; the companies listed invest heavily in time and money to support new employees to be successful.

2. Start early: make sure everything is ready before the employee starts his or her first day.

3. Company culture is everything: overinvest in making new employees feel welcome and aligned with company values.

4. Get the team involved: Welcoming them into an inclusive, dynamic team with lots of communication that will have real returns on their ability to integrate with the team effectively.

5. Clear Roadmap: Giving new employees a clear and structured path for their integration into the company supports them to be productive and successful in their new role.

6. Training and development: Help new employees learn with the right training tools, and by giving them practical skills so they can start contributing as soon as possible. » Phil Hardwick is a regular MBJ columnist. His email address is phil@philhardwick.com.

6 Q Mississippi Business Journal Q September 29, 2017 BANKING & FINANCE

Keesler Federal Credit Union celebrating 70th anniversary

By BECKY GILLETTE mbj@msbusiness.com

In 1947, ten civil service employees working at what was then Keesler Field realized a need for wage board employees to have an opportunity to accumulate savings and have access to affordable credit. They were granted a charter for Keesler Federal Credit Union (KFCU) that year, and in a year had grown to about 270 members and $7,000 in assets.

Today KFCU has grown far beyond what the initial charter members could have envisioned. It serves far more than people who work at Keesler Air Force Base. It has more than 200,000 members worldwide with assets of more than $2.5 billion.

“The credit union began with a vision of helping people improve the quality of their life,” said KFCU CEO and President Andy Swoger. “That vision still exists today.”

Friday, Sept. 29, KFCU will be celebrating the 70th anniversary of its first membership meeting. Visitors to branches will be offered cake, and some members will be surprised with gift cards that day.

KFCU refers to customers as member-owners because it is a cooperative

owned by members.

Swoger said as a not-forprofit cooperative, profits are returned to members in the form of lower rates on loans, fewer fees for financial services and better rates on savings.

There are also no high Keller stipends paid to board members.

“The board members serve as volunteers because they are committed to the people-helping-people philosophy,” Swoger said.

“When comparing Keesler Federal other financial institutions, it’s amazing how much of a savings our Swoger members earn by banking with Keesler Federal.”

In addition to better rates and terms, one popular program is their Member Giveback program.

“Giving back to our members and the communities we serve is very important to us,” Swoger said. “Through the current member giveback program, 35 members are randomly selected every month to win

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prizes ranging from a $100 deposit to a loan payment to a doubled direct deposit.

But the true member giveback is the millions of dollars our members save every year by using Keesler Federal for financial services.”

Keesler Federal serves members located all around the world. Swoger said this is likely due to members joining while they lived near a branch and then keeping the banking services with KFCU after moving.

Or, they may have joined through a family member.

“People choose to keep the membership because of the great service and the rates,” Swoger said. “Because Keesler Federal is also concerned about offering high-tech solutions such as mobile banking, remote deposit, shared branching and online applications, members can do business with us from anywhere in the world.”

KFCU’s branches in England came about because the Department of Defense saw a need to protect American servicemen from high-rate loan sharks located around overseas military bases. In 1968, Keesler Federal was invited to bid on overseas service in the United Kingdom and began with branches on each of the Royal Air Force Bases in the United Kingdom. Today, KFCU still serves members of the Royal Air Force Bases stationed in the UK. KFCU has been on the move recently.

It has expanded into Covington and Mandeville, La. In 2018, they anticipate opening another office in St. Tammany Parish, La. as well, as expanding locations in Jackson.

There is a big myth that you have to be in the Air Force or military to be a member, but that is not the case. KFCU serves people from many walks of life.

“There are a variety of ways to join Keesler Federal,” Swoger said. “Although we have a strong bond with our service men and women, membership is available to more than just military. Most join because of their employer, the location of their residence or by affiliation to certain organizations. In fact, if you are reading this, you probably live in an area that qualifies you to join.”

KFCU Vice President of Marketing Sharon Keller said they try to communicate the message that “there are many ways to join” in much of their advertising.

“This and the message that you don’t have to be military to use Keesler Federal services is something we stress whenever we have an audience of potential members – especially in our newer markets, like the Jackson Metro area,” Keller said. “Since we share the name with Keesler Air Force Base, consumers make the logical assumption that we are exclusively for the military.

Now, however, people who live, work, worship or attend schools in Harrison, Hancock, Pearl River, and Forrest Counties and in several areas in Hinds and Jackson Counties can take advantage of membership at KFCU. We also have three branches in Southeast Louisiana now and these same eligibility requirements now extend to St. Tammany and Orleans Parish.”

Keller said their top two challenges are overcoming the misconception that they only serve the military and communicating the Keesler Federal benefits in new markets where they are relatively unknown.

“Communicating our unique brand position using mass media is most effective in overcoming these challenges,” Keller said.

“It’s worked well, so far, on the Mississippi Coast as indicated by our last three market surveys. In these, Keesler Federal was identified as one of the top two financial institutions on the Mississippi Gulf Coast. Our brand is strong in the areas we’ve served for the past 70 years.”

Keller said since Keesler Federal is there first and foremost for their members, they often highlight members in testimonial advertising.

“Our mass media (TV, radio, outdoor) focuses on the unique Keesler Federal brand – who we are to our members and to our community,” she said. “We are also increasing our email and other digital (online) advertising, spending more time identifying the best members and potential members to target our marketing messages.

Database marketing has taken the marketing function to a whole new level and we’re looking forward to growing our expertise and technology to accommodate this.”

KFCU also finds social media have been a perfect fit. Keller said as they have become more and more involved in the communities they serve, Facebook and Instagram have been the best channels to communicate these important events and activities.

“Stimulating member engagement (including ongoing conversations and feedback) is one of our primary objectives,” she said. “Social media allows us to stay in touch with our members. Keesler Federal uses Facebook for things like a member photo contest that uses chosen photos in our annual wall calendar, ticket giveaways for University of Southern Mississippi games, and communicating the numerous ways we provide assistance and recognition in our markets. We also use LinkedIn to effectively recruit new hires.”

September 29, 2017 • MISSISSIPPI BUSINESS JOURNAL • www.msbusiness.com

MBJ FOCUS: INSURANCE, EMPLOYEE BENEFITS

How are your rates? » More trucks, inexperienced drivers, poor roads, increase insurances costs for drivers

By NASH NUNNERY mbj@msbusiness.com

C

orey Howell is all too aware that commercial vehicle insurance rates are rising at an alarming rate.

The trucking industry is flourishing, what with higher freight volumes, cheaper fuel and heavy-duty truck orders. But Howell, who works as Ridgeland sales leader for Chica-

go-based mega-insurance broker Hub International, says there is a downside that’s led to higher rates.

“I would say there are lots of inexperienced independent truck drivers on the road,” he said. “There is a lack of qualiHowell ty trained drivers and smaller companies are unable to be proactive in their training like the larger companies. It’s a different world on the road today.”

In 2017, premiums for commercial vehicles have jumped 5.4 percent, a sharp contrast for other types of insurance, which fell 2.5 percent, according to the Council of Insurance Agents &

Brokers.

Increased liability and litigation involving trucking accidents also are pertinent factors, said Howell.

“You can’t drive down the highway a mile without seeing a billboard for a lawyer that specifically handles accident cases involving 18-wheel trucks,” he said. “So many insurance companies have become highly selective when it comes to who they write insurance policies for in the trucking industry.”

Kadeem Jones dreamed of becoming an independent long-haul truck driver for 10 years.

Jones, 42, said it took almost a year to find a broSee RATES, Page 9

8 Q Mississippi Business Journal Q September 29, 2017

Insurance & Employee Benefits

Is there a doctor in the house? » Teladoc services give employees access to roundthe-clock health care

By BECKY GILLETTE mbj@msbusiness.com

Anyone who had waited in a doctor’s office or emergency room for a long time either for themselves or a sick child can really appreciate the benefits of Teladoc,

Inc. Not only do you avoid exposure to viruses and long wait times, but the cost is reasonable.

Teladoc, Inc. is a service an employer can provide to their employees and their dependents that uses Adkins telephone and videoconferencing technology to provide remote medical care via mobile devices, the internet, video and telephone.

Two major Mississippi companies who

offer Teladoc to their employees include Huntington Ingalls Industries in Pascagoula and Mitchell Companies based in Meridian, which operates six different companies.

Here is one Mitchell Hughes Companies employee’s review of Teladoc: “I spoke to a doctor in 59 seconds! He asked me a few questions and wrote me a prescription for my local pharmacy. This is awesome. Thank Mitch-

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ell Distributing for this out-of-the-box thinking.”

Another employee also gave it a big thumbs up: “I just used it and it was quick and easy. No visit to the doctor’s office for something minor.”

Mitchell Companies Human Resources Director Landry Adkins said since the program was instituted in July, they estimate savings for employees and the employer of $31,482. Employees have spent less time away from work for routine illnesses. There has been a reduction in the number of visits to the emergency room and/or afterhours clinics, which are usually more expensive than normal office visits.

There have been reduced claims, which has reduced costs to Mitchell Companies.

There is less cost to employees, whose only fee is the cost of the medicine prescribed.

“The first step is to register and provide information such as the current health condition, current prescriptions, etc.,” Adkins said. “Then when the employee needs to contact a provider, they can do so over the phone, via Facetime, or on a computer with a camera. There can be face-to-face video conversations or audio only. The call is answered by a nurse who takes medical history and then either transfers an employee to the appropriate provider or tells the employee that the provider will contact them shortly. Callbacks are normally within 15 minutes.”

There doesn’t have to be any previous relationship with the provider, which can be either a medical doctor, doctor of osteopathy or nurse practitioner. Adkins said providers must be licensed in the state in which the patients reside, but do not have to be located there. The average response time is 23 minutes—and it might take that long for someone just to drive to a clinic or doctor’s office.

So far about a third of employees or their covered family’s members have used the service. About 77 percent of visits resulted in a prescription.

HII has been using Teladoc for their salaried workforce since July 2014, and added the union workers in March 2015, said Edmond Hughes, vice president of human resources and administration.

“The major advantages are Teladoc physicians are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week for minor issues like colds, flu, and allergies, which are some of the more frequent items covered by Teledoc,” Hughes said. “The cost to our employees is $10 for each visit or conversation with a licensed physician. Compare that $10 to the $250 co-pay for going to the emergency room. And, unfortunately, in the past many people were going to the emergency room for minor issues.

See TELADOC, Page 9

Insurance & Employee Benefits

RATES Continued from Page 7

ker willing to write an affordable policy.

“Hell, they didn’t even want to return my calls,” said the Grenada native. “Needless to say, I was discouraged.”

Jones was offered one policy with an annual premium of $41,000. Other brokers quoted similar amounts, saying that Jones was considered a high risk because he’s a rookie driver and new company owner.

Last June, Jones was finally on the road to his new career backed by a $12,500 annual premium that would have cost half that amount four or five years ago.

“It’s still high but I’m managing the costs the best I can,” Jones said.

Mississippi Insurance Department commissioner Mike Chaney believes the ‘poor condition’ of 51 percent of the roads and 21 percent of bridges in the state also have contributed to increases in accidents.

Chaney “Structurally insufficient highways result in traffic delays and more time spent on the road due to ongoing construction,” Chaney said. “More time in commute increases the risk of being

September 29, 2017

involved in an accident.”

The commissioner also cited distracted driving and the rising cost of vehicle repairs, especially in Mississippi. According to Chaney, auto repair costs in the state have risen 16 percent in the last three years, compared with the nationwide average of roughly 10 percent.

“Much of the difference can be attributed to the rapidly rising cost of auto body labor rates in Mississippi, which remain among the highest in the nation,” he said.

“Distracted-driving laws also need to be more strictly enforced.”

With the uptick in vehicle accidents, have American drivers become worse

Q

Continued from Page 7

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9

behind the wheel?

“There are several factors at play, but I don’t think drivers have gotten worse,” Howell said. “With cell phones, texting and vehicles that are equipped with cameras and other technology, I believe it has made us lazy drivers.”

Chaney added the spate of uninsured motorists cannot be overlooked either.

According to the agency’s statistics, as many as 34 percent of all Mississippi drivers are uninsured, passing the additional cost to those that are insured.

“Non-fault drivers involved in an accident often have to rely on their own insurance to pay for damages,” he said.

TELADOC

The wait is 15 to 17 minutes from time an employee makes an initial call to when the doctor calls you back. The convenience factor is also tremendous.”

Teladoc prevents people from having to take time off work to see a doctor during the day, and it can even be used when out of town.

“We were on vacation and my wife became ill,” Hughes said. “Being able to get quick medicine prevented us from having a ruined vacation. Teladoc is a great service to provide employees with wider services and availability for health care.”

While he didn’t have an estimate on cost savings, he said they know that emergency room use has been reduced.

Hughes said Teladoc is something many companies should take a look at, especially if they are seeing high usage of the emergency room.

In addition to Teladoc, Huntington Ingalls made an investment a couple years ago to open a Family Health Center for employees and dependents that is located only ten minutes from shipyard. Care provided there can include annual physicals and preventive screenings, as well other needs.

“Making health care extremely accessible to our employees is very important,” Hughes said. “We think we have gone the extra mile on this end to try to make assessible health care available to our employees and give them lots of options.

If you use the Family Health Center for an illness, the all-inclusive cost is $15. That is for the office visit plus any lab work needed.”

There is no charge for preventive health visits. There is a pharmacy onsite, and a 30-day supply of a generic medicine is only $3 or a 90-day supply is $6.

“Our work force is the heart of the shipyard, and helping our employees stay healthy is very important to our continued success,” said Ingalls Shipbuilding President Brian Cuccias. “This facility shows our commitment to provide excellent healthcare and wellness options for our employees and their families.”

The health center will be open from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday and from 8 a.m. to noon on Saturdays.

Mississippi Business Journal

10 Q Mississippi Business Journal Q September 29, 2017

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September 29, 2017

Q

Mississippi Business Journal

Q

13

THE SPIN CYCLE

Movement aims to place 1,000 journalists in newsrooms in next 5 years

M

any newsrooms have dwindled to a mere skeleton of what they once were, but starting in 2018, local newsrooms will get a chance to beef up their staffs.

Last week, a new project was announced at the Google News Lab Summit that aims to place 1,000 journalists in newsrooms in the next five years, according to the Poynter Institute. Report for America takes ideas from several existing organizations, including the Peace Corps, Americorps, Teach for America and public media.

Unlike foreign or domestic service programs or public media, however, RFA gets no government funding.

Wanted, Journalists Here’s how RFA will work: On one end, emerging journalists will apply to be part of RFA. On the other, newsrooms will apply for a journalist. RFA will pay 50 percent of that journalist’s salary, with the newsroom paying 25 percent and local donors paying the other 25 percent. That reporter will work in the local newsroom for a year, with the opportunity to renew.

RFA comes from a partnership between Google News Labs and the Groundtruth Project. RFA also gets support, and its reporters will get training, from the Center for Investigative Journalism, the Lenfest Institute for Journalism, the Solutions Journalism network and the Knight Foundation.

Emerging journalists – not necessarily young but new to the business — must have the skills to report and show they know how to have an impact quickly.

Partnerships for these journalists go beyond local newsrooms. Digital start-ups, public radio stations, TV stations and journalism schools are all possible partners. But they have to make the case that they will use the RFA journalist for civically important local journalism that’s in the public’s interest.

For the first year, half the RFA journalist’s salary will be paid by RFA, a quarter by the local newsroom and a quarter from local donors that that newsroom has to help find.

RFA is thinking carefully about how newsrooms can do that and not put themselves or their reporter in conflict or question because of that funding. GroundTruth Project adopted guidelines that ensure editorial independence at every step, he said.

After that first year, the newsroom has the opportunity to renew. If it does, the cost sharing will shift to put more of the

burden on the newsroom and community.

On the reporter’s end, there will be a community service requirement. That work will be related to their skills, Waldman said, and might including working to help a high school newspaper go digital.

Wanted, Mentors RFA isn’t just looking for newsrooms that need people to help them cover their communities. They’re also looking for newsrooms that have a tradition of excellence and mentoring.

Digital natives can bring the skills they’ve learned to cover the news into the local newsrooms, and they’ll get the experience of working with good, tough editors and colleagues who can help them grow as journalists.

Local reporting offers the chance to break through that experience and know what to look for in a way that national and international doesn’t, at least when you’re brand new.

Movement Is Great for Communities National and foreign service organizations regularly face a few criticisms: They’re colonizing the places they serve and replacing local workers with service workers.

And bringing in both people from the area and people from outside the area with different perspectives should be a good thing in the newsroom.

Google News Labs is developing a training model around the use of Google tools in the newsroom, for instance, which the RFA reporter will share with their new newsroom.

Newsrooms are hollowed out, the old business model is broken, and on a certain level, RFA hopes to help by getting more reporters on the street.

It can be sustainable if RFA can help unlock the support of local donors, who previously, perhaps, didn’t view local journalism as a civic need. In the past, the way to support a newsroom was to buy a subscription or an ad.

These local media outlets are also staffed by those who know their communities and the way to tell their stories, people who could be mentors to young journalists, and people who could learn new skills from those young journalists.

shared via links on the social network.

Over the summer Facebook announced that non-publisher pages could no longer overwrite link metadata – such as headlines, descriptions and images – in Graph API or page composer, and it added a tab to its page publishing tools so that publishers that rely on preview metadata in to customize their content appearance on the social network can indicate link ownership and continue to edit their links, according to Adweek.

Facebook took similar steps to bar advertisers who promote news articles from altering their headlines and descriptions last week, according to The Wall Street Journal.

A Facebook spokesperson told Social Pro Daily, “We want publishers to have control over how their stories appear on Facebook.

Today, we offer the ability for publishers and advertisers to test different headlines for links to stories and other content they create and share on Facebook to see what works best. While they should be able to edit links pointing to their own material, they shouldn’t be able to edit headlines on stories they didn’t create. We announced in June that we would stop allowing people and pages from editing headlines in links to content they don’t own, and we’re also doing the same for when people buy ads.

Advertisers will still be able to edit headlines in links when they point to their own content, and we have strict policies in place that prohibit misleading ads.

Vitriolic Mic: President Trump’s National Anthem stance ignites action President Trump ignited controversy across the world – yet again – in his vitri-

Todd Smith

olic lambast of NFL players and teams not standing for the national anthem.

And to make matters worse, he called on NFL owners to fire those refusing to stand.

It seemed that the controversy involving NFL players kneeling at the beginning of football games had died down. Until the Donald stirred a hornet’s nest.

And the whole thing has seemed to backfire – as NFL teams, players and owners lock arms in unity. But the controversy is sure to continue as players exercise their freedom of speech and patriotic Americans – including The Spin Cycle – continue to stand in reverence and respect for the flag and the heroes who have defended our country and way of life from sea to shining sea.

President Trump needs to let this go, and start acting presidential. The swamp is only getting higher and the gridlock greater Inside the Beltway! It’s time to lead, Mr. President!

Each week, The Spin Cycle will bestow a Golden Mic Award to the person, group or company in the court of public opinion that best exemplifies the tenets of solid PR, marketing and advertising – and those who don’t. Stay tuned – and step-up to the mic! And remember … Amplify Your Brand!

Todd Smith is president and chief communications officer of Deane, Smith & Partners, a full-service branding, PR, marketing and advertising firm with offices in Jackson. The firm — based in Nashville, Tenn.

— is also affiliated with Mad Genius. Contact him at todd@deanesmithpartners.com, and follow him @ spinsurgeon.

http://www.msbusiness.com

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SOCIAL MEDIA MANAGEMENT

Facebook bars advertisers from editing news headlines Facebook is continuing to make progress in protecting the integrity of news articles

Q Mansell Media.................................................................................................... www.mansellmedia.net

Have your business listed here! Contact your advertising representative at 601.364.1000

Newsmakers

14 Q Mississippi Business Journal Q September 29, 2017

Richmond named fellow Butler Snow’s Orlando R. Richmond, Sr. was recently inducted as a fellow in the International Academy of Trial Lawyers.

Fellows of the International Academy of Trial Lawyers must be attorneys duly licensed to practice in the state and federal courts, trial Richmond and appellate, or in accordance with the rules and requirements of the licensing sovereignty in which they reside. Fellows must have been admitted to the practice of law for a minimum of twelve years and at the time of admission to the International Academy of Trial Lawyers be principally engaged in trial and appellate practice.

Richmond has served as lead counsel or co-counsel in numerous jury trials in state, federal and military venues in a career currently spanning 27 years. His trial practice over the past several years has primarily involved mass tort litigation involving pharmaceutical products, toxic torts and environmental issues. He has served as City Attorney for West Point, Mississippi since 2005.

Moyen takes MSU post Eric Moyen, a higher education administrator originally from Lexington, Ky., is the new leader of the Department of Educational Leadership, the graduate academic department at Mississippi State University’s College of Education.

Moyen has served for the Moyen past 13 years at Lee University in Cleveland, Tenn., as professor of education and director of First Year Programs. He also was chair of the health, exercise science, and secondary education department, and most recently, was assistant vice president for academic affairs.

Moyen earned his doctoral degree from the University of Kentucky and received a master’s degree from the University of Alabama. He completed his undergraduate work at Taylor University.

He and his wife, Missy, have two daughters, Anna Grace and Emmy.

HOPE’s Bynum recognized HOPE CEO Bill Bynum is the recipient of the 2017 Pete Crear Lifetime Achievement Award presented by the African American Credit Union Coalition.

The award recognizes a credit union professional who has demonstrably embraced the credit union philosophy of “people help- Bynum ing people,” provided assistance to credit unions in need and has impacted the infrastructure, growth, regulation or service delivery capacity of the financial institutions.

Bynum has made a lifelong commitment to changing systems that perpetuate poverty and inequality.

This mission is accomplished through Hope Enterprise Corporation, Hope Credit Union and the Hope Policy Institute, collectively known as HOPE. HOPE began in 1994 as the Enterprise Corporation of the Delta with a fund originally designed to provide capital and technical assistance to businesses in the Mississippi Delta region.

Prior to his arrival in Mississippi, Bynum was

Anderson program certified

American Advertising Federation, Ballet Mississippi, the Mississippi College Graphic Design Department, as well as the Institutions of Higher Learning’s Curriculum Development Committee for community colleges.

He serves as the Advisory Board Chair for the Hinds Community College Graphic Design Department and as a judge for the DECA State Marketing Competition.

Headquartered in Ridgeland, Brown Bottling Group partners with PepsiCo to offer a diverse portfolio of carbonated, non-carbonated, coffee and tea products.

Camgian gains IoT honor

Courtesy of Anderson Regional Health Center

Anderson Regional Health System recently announced the certification of its Cardiopulmonary Rehabilitation Program by the American Association of Cardiovascular and Pulmonary Rehabilitation. The certification is the only peer-review accreditation process designed to review individual programs for adherence to standards and guidelines developed and published by AACVPR and other professional societies. The program is overseen by Medical Directors Dr. Edward Holmes, Pulmonologist (far left), and Dr. Dave Russell, Cardiologist (far right). Jennifer Bell, RN, BSN, Director of Cardiovascular Service Line (back row, second from left), serves as Cardiopulmonary Rehabilitation Program Director. The program is staffed by (front row, from left to right) Regina Haralson, RN, Nurse Manager, Monica Hagan, RN, Renea Hardy, RN and Glenda Hall, RN (back row, second from right). a founding member of the Center for Community Self-Help in the 1980s, where he directed legislative relations, community outreach and fundraising in the organization’s early years. He was also the principal organizer of Self-Help Credit Union, which would become the nation’s first statewide development bank.

Bynum later founded the North Carolina Microenterprise Loan Fund, a statewide network for providing financing and technical assistance to entrepreneurs who lacked access to capital and grew it into the largest micro enterprise loan fund in the U.S. Bynum is a member of the US Partnership for Mobility from Poverty, funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, and serves on the boards of the Aspen Institute, Corporation for Enterprise Development, Fannie Mae Affordable Housing Advisory Council, NAACP Legal Defense Fund, National Committee for Responsive Philanthropy, and the William Winter Institute for Racial Reconciliation. Bynum previously chaired the Treasury Department’s Community Development Advisory Board (as a Presidential appointee), and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau Consumer Advisory Board.

Among his honors are the Aspen Global Leadership Network John P. McNulty Prize, Credit Union National Association Herb Wegner Award, Opportunity Finance Network Ned Gramlich Award, National Rural Assembly Rural Hero Award, National Federation of Community Development Credit Unions Annie Vamper Award and Ernst & Young/Kauffman Foundation National Entrepreneur of the Year.

Tyner appointed adviser Mississippi’s Mitch Tyner, a lawyer and previous small business owner and investor, has joined the Office of Advocacy as a Senior Adviser to the Chief Counsel and Director of Regional Affairs. Tyner will

work closely with the office’s Regional Advocates, who serve as the direct links between their region’s small business owners, state and local government agencies, state legislators, small business associations and the Office of Advocacy of the U.S. Small Business Administration.

Tyner is also an experienced campaign manager, and has taken on leadership roles in federal, state and local campaigns. He received a Bachelor of Science degree in Computer Science at Mississippi College and went on to receive his Juris Doctor. Tyner also studied Environmental Law at Tulane Law School in New Orleans.

Brown Bottling hires Temple Jim Temple has joined Brown Bottling Group as the Director of Marketing. Temple previously was Corporate Communications Manager with Ergon, Inc., in Jackson.

A native of Jackson, he has more than 25 years of experience in corporate communications and marketing that encompasses pub- Temple lic relations, web development, social media, crisis management and advertising. As Director of Marketing, Temple will oversee Brown Bottling Group’s daily activities marketing its wide spectrum of beverages.

Temple has received numerous local and regional awards in advertising and marketing from the American Advertising Federation. He also worked on the creative marketing team that received the Effie Award for marketing and advertising effectiveness for the Palaces of St. Petersburg Exhibition and the Mississippi Hometown Retirement campaign. Temple has served on the boards of the Jackson Chapter of the

Starkville-based Camgian, a provider of advanced sensing and information processing systems, announced that it has been voted as the 2017 Internet of Things (IoT) Emerging Company of the Year for the Enterprise Market in the 5th Annual Compass Intelligence Awards. The awards were voted on by 40+ industry-leading press, editors, journalists, thought leaders and analysts. The program included three primary award categories: Mobile & Wireless, A-List in IoT, and Bamboo Mobile, along with CompassIntel. com selected “of the Year” awards. The awards identified the best in mobile devices and software, wireless technology, mobile applications, platforms, Internet of Things, wearables, reuse/recycling of devices, robotics, augmented reality, artificial intelligence, connected products, and emerging solutions.

Mitchell named to board William C. “Bill” Mitchell of Brown, Mitchell and Alexander Inc., has been appointed by Gov. Phil Bryant to the Mississippi Board of Licensure for Professional Engineers and Surveyors.

Mitchell is a Registered Professional Engineer, Land Surveyor and Mitchell Certified Construction Manager.

He completed his Bachelor’s Degree in Civil Engineering and Master’s Degree in Public Policy and Administration from Mississippi State University. He has over 40 years’ experience in Civil Engineering and Construction Management.

Mitchell is a Principal of Brown, Mitchell & Alexander, Inc., a progressive civil / consulting engineering firm on the Mississippi Gulf Coast. Mitchell also serves as an active member of the Civil Engineering Advisory Board (Mississippi State University), Engineering Dean’s Advisory Board (MSU), Water Environment Federation member, and is the State Representative for Engineers Without Borders.

Burn Center taps Adcock David W. Adcock, MD, has been named director of the Joseph M. Still Burn & Reconstruction Center’s Laser and Reconstruction program at Merit Health Central.

Adcock joined the burn program in July 2015 and has 21 years of laser experience in both Adcock research and therapeutic uses.

Lasers are used for scar revision and other applications, including cosmetic treatments, and can improve the appearance, texture, color and thickness of scars associated with burns, trauma, surgery, and skin conditions such as acne.

Adcock completed medical school, his plastic and reconstructive surgery fellowship and residency at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, and his residency in general surgery at the Medical College in Toledo, Ohio.

New Businesses

September 29, 2017

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Mississippi Business Journal

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WINDOW GENIE: The East Mississippi Business Development Corp. recently held a Ribbon Cutting for the Grand Opening of Window Genie. Window Genie is locally owned by Judge and Catherine Little.

Courtesy of EMBDC

Courtesy of Courtesy of Greater Starkville Development Partnership

FAMILY CHOICE FINANCIAL: The Greater Starkville Development Partnership recently held a ribbon cutting for Family Choice Financial, 420 Highway 12 West in Starkville.

Courtesy of Oxford-Lafayette County Chamber of Commerce

THE FIRM: The Oxford-Lafayette County Chamber of Commerce recently held a ribbon cutting for the new offices of The Firm, 319 N. Lamar, Suite 202. Brian Hayden is President.

Courtesy of Oxford-Lafayette County Chamber of Commerce

OXFORD BURGER CO.: The Oxford-Lafayette County Chamber of Commerce recently held a ribbon cutting for the Oxford Burger Co., 920 Jackson Ave. in Oxford.

Courtesy of Greater Starkville Development Partnership

RE/MAX PARTNERS: The Greater Starkville Development Partnership recently held a ribbon cutting for the new office of RE/MAX Partners, 306 E. Lampkin St. in Starkville.

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