The Mississippi Business Journal back issues from June 2007:
GE jet engine plant lands in Batesville
Jun 04, 2007; ... It looks like a warped piece of plastic, or metal, or some combination of both. Its shiny, wavy black face is backed by a bracket with six holes in it. In almost any junkyard the 18-inch-long, four-pound piece of carbon fiber and epoxy composite would likely be tossed into the discard ...
MMA digs into manufacturers' workforce concerns
Jun 04, 2007; ... The Mississippi Manufacturers Association (MMA) marked the third-annual Manufacturing Week in Mississippi by releasing results of a recent survey evaluating the workforce needs of Mississippi manufacturers. MMA president Jay Moon was joined by Gov. Haley Barbour and Clarke Holmes, CEO of ...
Toyota awards contract
Jun 04, 2007; ... BLUE SPRINGS - Toyota has awarded its first general contract to two local companies for construction of its new Blue Springs vehicle plant just outside of Tupelo. Terms were not disclosed. L&T Construction Inc. and M&H Construction Inc., both based in DeSoto County, have formed a ...
Unemployment decreases
Jun 04, 2007; ... ACROSS MISSISSIPPI - Seasonal influences added 6,500 to the ranks of the employed, dropping Mississippi's unemployment rate to 6.4% in April, according to the Mississippi Department of Employment Security (MDES). The state's joblessness rate in March was 6.8%. Over the year, the number ...
Ship Systems wins contract
Jun 04, 2007; ... PASCAGOULA - The U.S. Navy has awarded Northrop Grumman Corporation a contract for follow-yard services for the USS Arliegh Burke class (DDG 5 1) Aegis destroyer program. The $20.7-million cost-plus-award-fee contract consists of a base year and four option years with a total potential contract ...
MEMA names manufacturers
Jun 04, 2007; ... ACROSS MISSISSIPPI - The Mississippi Emergency Management Agency (MEMA) has selected the top seven manufacturing companies that will build the first of the Mississippi Cottage units for the Mississippi Alternative Housing Program. The companies selected to build the two-bedroom, ...
Sanderson sales up
Jun 04, 2007; ... LAUREL - Sanderson Farms, Inc. reported net sales for the second quarter of fiscal 2007 were $360.5 million, compared with $239.1 million for the same period a year ago. For the quarter, net income was $26.9 million, or $1.33 per fully diluted share, compared with a net loss of $16.6 ...
XFONE opening new office
Jun 04, 2007; ... JACKSON - XFONE Inc.'s wholly-owned subsidiary, XFONE USA, will open a new sales office in Baton Rouge, La. This new office joins the existing offices in Jackson and Biloxi as well as those in New Orleans and Hammond, La. "The Baton Rouge market is the largest in Louisiana, has achieved ...
GoldenEye 50 gains FAA OK
Jun 04, 2007; ... LOWNDES COUNTY - Aurora Flight Sciences Corporation has received an experimental airworthiness certificate (EAC) from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), allowing the GoldenEye 50 Unmanned Aerial System (UAS) to fly in the National Airspace System (NAS). To date, the U.S. aviation ...
USM unveils gaming program
Jun 04, 2007; ... HATTIESBURG - The Department of Tourism Management at the University of Southern Mississippi (USM) has joined with casino industry leaders to form the "Partnering with Professionals" program, utilizing the latest technology as a way for students to network with professionals and provide ...
MHC releases funds
Jun 04, 2007; ... JACKSON - The Mississippi Home Corporation (MHC) has opened the reservation lines for mortgage loan funds through participating lenders statewide under its Mortgage Revenue Bond (MRB) program. More than 600 Mississippi families will have the opportunity to achieve homeownership using the ...
Fire devastates structure
Jun 04, 2007; ... HATTIESBURG - Plans for restoration of the former Hattiesburg High School building into a future home of the University of Southern Mississippi's (USM's) Department of Art and Design were dealt a serious blow May 29 as fire nearly destroyed the 1921-era portion of the historic structure on Main ...
Multifactor productivity slows
Jun 04, 2007; ... WASHINGTON - The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) has released the change in preliminary multifactor productivity in 2006 for the private business and private non-farm business sectors. The estimated annual rate of multifactor productivity change from 2005 to 2006 was 1.1 in the private business ...
A.M. Best ups ratings
Jun 04, 2007; ... FLOWOOD - A.M. Best Co. has upgraded the financial strength ratings (FSR) to "B+ (Good)" from "B (Fair)" and assigned issuer credit ratings (ICR) of "bbb-" to American Federated Insurance Company (AFIC) and American Federated Life Insurance Company (AFLIC). The outlook for the FSRs has been ...
WLBT's Bert Case attributes success to fairness, honesty
Jun 04, 2007; ... Bert Case is the undisputed dean of Mississippi's television news anchors. A hall of fame broadcaster who has been in front of the camera now for nearly 40 years, his face and distinctive delivery of "Beeerrrrrt Case" have become familiar staple in thousands of dens and living rooms across ...
MEC turning to technology to keep members connected
Jun 04, 2007; ... As the statewide chamber of commerce, the Mississippi Economic Council (MEC) must cover a lot of ground and a plethora of issues. To accomplish this, it offers a wide range of programs and services, and it is turning more and more to technology to keep its members up to date and informed on ...
Regional concept reaping results for economic development
Jun 04, 2007; ... Regionalism is the buzzword du jour in the world of economic development but for a very good reason - several of them, in fact. Mississippi counties and cities are bringing in impressive companies and jobs by pooling resources and ignoring geographic lines. "Absolutely, regionalism ...
Greater Jackson Chamber Partnership kicking off campaign
Jun 04, 2007; ... The MetroJackson Chamber of Commerce has a new name - the Greater Jackson Chamber Partnership (GJCP) - and is preparing to kick off an ambitious fundraising campaign, with the money earmarked for business expansion/job retention, recruiting new business and supporting area projects. "We ...
Delta moving ahead with its own kind of economic development
Jun 04, 2007; ... The Mississippi Delta may not be announcing new economic development projects with big names, but this special part of the state is holding its own. Professional economic developers there say the area is not without challenges, but progress is part of the expansive landscape. "We're ...
Koestler leveraging location as Stone County sees growth accelerate
Jun 04, 2007; ... The new executive director of the Stone County Economic Development Partnership said she has a checkered past. By that, Charlotte Koestler means she has a variety of experience that she brings to this growing county that's strategically situated between Hattiesburg and the Gulf ...
Perceptions changing as major players come calling
Jun 04, 2007; ... Mississippi's efforts to improve the state's image are paying off as evidenced by big new economic development projects and, by the same token, the announcement of the projects is polishing the image even more. From the outside looking in, Mark Arend, editor of Site Selection magazine, ...
GE jet engine plant lands in Batesville.(Focus)
Jun 04, 2007; ... It looks like a warped piece of plastic, or metal, or some combination of both. Its shiny, wavy black face is backed by a bracket with six holes in it. In almost any junkyard the 18-inch-long, four-pound piece of carbon fiber and epoxy composite would likely be tossed into the ...
MMA digs into manufacturers' workforce concerns.
Jun 04, 2007; ... The Mississippi Manufacturers Association (MMA) marked the third-annual Manufacturing Week in Mississippi by releasing results of a recent survey evaluating the workforce needs of Mississippi manufacturers. MMA president Jay Moon was joined by Gov. Haley Barbour and Clarke ...
Blues Trail marker unveiled in Jackson.
Jun 04, 2007 ... Special to the Mississippi Business Journal The first Mississippi Blues Trail marker in the Capital City was unveiled May 30 at the former site of the Subway Lounge, basement of the old Summers Hotel. The marker was erected on Pearl Street on the grounds where the famous venue ...
Wallowing in the headlines: Bama boy, big pig.(Perspective)
Jun 04, 2007; ... It's easy to be overwhelmed by the headlines these days. War. Global warming. Presidential politics. Big issues dominate the page ones of the world. So, I'm envious of the person who penned this witticism: No hogwash: Boy kills 1,050-pound wild pig. Perhaps you overlooked this ...
Merchants Foodservice.(People to Watch)
Jun 04, 2007 ... Jarrod Gray has been promoted to vice president and chief financial officer of Merchants Foodservice in Hattiesburg. He joined the 100-year-old broad line ...
Dean and Dean/Associates Architects, P.A.(People to Watch)(Brief article)
Jun 04, 2007 ... John Dant of Dean and Dean/Associates Architects in Jackson has met the requirements of the National Council of Architectural Registration Boards and the Mississippi State Board of Architecture to become a registered architect. Dant, a native of Louisville, Ky., holds a ...
Guaranty Bank & Trust Company.(People to Watch)
Jun 04, 2007 ... Sam Newsom of Greenville has been elected to to the board of directors of Guaranty Bank & Trust Company. A native of Glen Allan, he is the president of Newsom & Newsom Inc. and serves as the vice-president of ...
Regions Bank.(People to Watch)
Jun 04, 2007 ... Stephen de Kock has been named as an assistant vice president of business banking for Regions Bank in Jackson. His responsibilities will include managing relationships with current and prospective business customers. De Kock joined Regions in 2005 and previously served as manager of the ...
Venture Technologies.(People to Watch)(Steven Bray, Kerry Hudson and Duff Sudduth)(Brief article)
Jun 04, 2007 ... Ridgeland-based Venture Technologies recently recognized three staff members for achieving 20 years of service. Steven Bray, Kerry Hudson and Duff Sudduth began their careers with the IT services company in 1987. Bray began his tenure with Venture as a technician and currently serves as a ...
Nicholson & Company, PLLC.(People to Watch)(Jeffrey M. Allen appointed at Nicholson and Company P.A.)(Brief article)
Jun 04, 2007 ... Jeffrey M. Allen, CPA, has been promoted to partner with the Nicholson & Company in Hattiesburg. He is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, the Mississippi Society of Certified Public Accountants and a member of the Construction Financial Management ...
Delta F.A.R.M.(People to Watch)(Dan Prevost appointed at Delta FARM)(Brief article)
Jun 04, 2007 ... Dan Prevost has been named watershed specialist for Delta F.A.R.M. and will serve to further develop and implement comprehensive watershed restoration projects in the Delta. Delta F.A.R.M., a farmer-led agricultural conservation group based in Stoneville, has provided economically ...
Land Bank of North Mississippi.(People to Watch)
Jun 04, 2007 ... Keith Morton, a full-time row crop producer from Falkner, has been appointed to the board of directors of the Land Bank of North Mississippi to represent the stockholders served by the Corinth branch office. Morton and his ...
Toyota awards contract.(Strictly Business)
Jun 04, 2007 ... BLUE SPRINGS -- Toyota has awarded its first general contract to two local companies for construction of its new Blue Springs vehicle plant just outside of Tupelo. Terms were not disclosed. L&T Construction Inc. and M&H Construction Inc., both based in DeSoto County, have formed ...
Unemployment decreases.(Strictly Business)
Jun 04, 2007 ... ACROSS MISSISSIPPI -- Seasonal influences added 6,500 to the ranks of the employed, dropping Mississippi's unemployment rate to 6.4% in April, according to the Mississippi Department of Employment Security (MDES). The state's joblessness rate in March was 6.8%. Over the year, ...
Ship Systems wins contract.(Strictly Business)
Jun 04, 2007 ... PASCAGOULA --The U.S. Navy has awarded Northrop Grumman Corporation a contract for follow-yard services for the USS Arliegh Burke class (DDG 51) Aegis destroyer program. The $20.7-million cost-plus-award-fee contract consists of a base year and four option years with a total potential ...
MEMA names manufacturers.(Strictly Business)(Mississippi Emergency Management Agency)(Brief article)
Jun 04, 2007 ... ACROSS MISSISSIPPI -- The Mississippi Emergency Management Agency (MEMA) has selected the top seven manufacturing companies that will build the first of the Mississippi Cottage units for the Mississippi Alternative Housing Program. The companies selected to build the ...
Sanderson sales up.(Strictly Business)(Financial report)
Jun 04, 2007 ... LAUREL -- Sanderson Farms, Inc reported net sales for the second quarter of fiscal 2007 were $360.5 million, compared with $239.1 million for the same period a year ago. For the quarter, net income was $26.9 million, or $1.33 per fully diluted share, compared with a net loss of ...
XFONE opening new office.(Strictly Business)
Jun 04, 2007 ... JACKSON -- XFONE Inc.'s wholly-owned subsidiary, XFONE USA, will open a new sales office in Baton Rouge, La. This new office joins the existing offices in Jackson and Biloxi as well as those in New Orleans and Hammond, La. "The Baton Rouge market is the largest in Louisiana, has ...
GoldenEye 50 gains FAA OK.(Strictly Business)
Jun 04, 2007 ... LOWNDES COUNTY -- Aurora Flight Sciences Corporation has received an experimental airworthiness certificate (EAC) from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), allowing the GoldenEye 50 Unmanned Aerial System (UAS) to fly in the National Airspace System (NAS). To date, the ...
USM unveils gaming program.(Strictly Business)
Jun 04, 2007 ... HATTIESBURG -- The Department of Tourism Management at the University of Southern Mississippi (USM) has joined with casino industry leaders to form the "Partnering with Professionals" program, utilizing the latest technology as a way for students to network with professionals and provide ...
Hall to run again.(elections of commissioners)(Brief article)
Jun 04, 2007 ... JACKSON -- Republican Dick Hall has made public his plans to run for re-election as Central District transportation commissioner. He will face Democrat Rudolph "Rudy" Warnock Jr. of Madison. In a letter announcing his re-election bid, Hall gave numerous reasons for running ...
MHC releases funds.(Strictly Business)(Mississippi Home Corp.)(Brief article)
Jun 04, 2007 ... JACKSON -- The Mississippi Home Corporation (MHC) has opened the reservation lines for mortgage loan funds through participating lenders statewide under its Mortgage Revenue Bond (MRB) program. More than 600 Mississippi families will have the opportunity to achieve homeownership using the ...
Employees hit safety milestone.(Strictly Business)
Jun 04, 2007 ... GULFPORT -- The employees of Weyerhaeuser Company's iLevel Service Center have reached a safety milestone of eight years without a recordable at work accident. That means that for more than 156 weeks, including several following Hurricane Katrina when employees worked to reopen ...
Fire devastates structure.(Strictly Business)
Jun 04, 2007 ... HATTIESBURG -- Plans for restoration of the former Hattiesburg High School building into a future home of the University of Southern Mississippi's (USM's) Department of Art and Design were dealt a serious blow May 29 as fire nearly destroyed the 1921-era portion of the historic structure ...
Intechra lands more financing.(Strictly Business)(Intechra Holding Corporation)(Brief article)
Jun 04, 2007 ... JACKSON -- Intechra Holding Corporation has secured $30 million in new equity funding led by Richland Ventures of Nashville, Oxford Bioscience Partners of Boston and First Avenue Partners of Nashville. Intechra is using the investment primarily to fund acquisitions and support ...
Chicken label scrutiny.(Strictly Business)
Jun 04, 2007 ... WASHINGTON -- Congressman Chip Picketing (R-Miss.) and Congressman Dennis Cardoza (D-Calif.) are calling on the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to reform its labeling regulations on "all natural" chicken. The bipartisan congressional effort urges the USDA's Food Safety Inspection ...
Board chooses Blackboard.(Strictly Business)
Jun 04, 2007 ... JACKSON -- The Mississippi State Board for Community and Junior Colleges has selected Blackboard Inc., a provider of educational enterprise software and services, to help improve access to high-quality education and foster economic development across the state. The Mississippi ...
Accounting text released.(Strictly Business)
Jun 04, 2007 ... GULFPORT -- Dr. Steven Jackson, CPA, associate professor of accounting in the College of Business at the University of Southern Mississippi Gulf Coast, has released "Managerial Accounting: a Focus on Ethical Decision Making." This release is the fourth edition of the textbook ....
Millsaps adds majors.(Strictly Business)(Millsaps College)(biochemistry and public management)(Brief article)
Jun 04, 2007 ... JACKSON -- Millsaps College will begin offering two new majors, biochemistry and public management, starting in the 2007-08 academic year. The new programs bring Millsaps' offerings to 30 majors within the divisions of arts and letters, sciences and the Else School of Management, plus an ...
Multifactor productivity slows.(Strictly Business)
Jun 04, 2007 ... WASHINGTON -- The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) has released the change in preliminary multifactor productivity in 2006 for the private business and private non-farm business sectors. The estimated annual rate of multifactor productivity change from 2005 to 2006 was 1.1 in the private ...
Venture becomes ATP.(Strictly Business)(Venture Technologies Inc.)(advanced technology provider)(Brief article)
Jun 04, 2007 ... RIDGELAND -- Venture Technologies has become an advanced technology provider (ATP) for Cisco's Outdoor Wireless Mesh solutions. As an ATP for Wireless Mesh, Venture becomes part of a group of only 55 Cisco partners based in the United States, ...
MMI wins NS award.(Strictly Business)(Mississippi Management Inc.)(Newcomen Society)(Brief article)
Jun 04, 2007 ... JACKSON -- The Newcomen Society (NS) has selected Mississippi Management Inc. (MMI) as a 2007 Newcomen Award winner. Earle Jones, co-chairman of MMI Hotel Group board of directors, said, "Since its inception 50 years ago, MMI has based our business on the founding principal of ...
DNA Services forms partnership.(Strictly Business)
Jun 04, 2007 ... JACKSON -- DNA Services of America has entered into a partnership with Salugen to distribute Salugen's nutritional gene testing and DNA-customized nutritional solutions nationwide. DNA Services will offer GenoTrim, a DNA-customized nutritional solution for weight management, ...
Braves join arthritis fight.(Strictly Business)
Jun 04, 2007 ... PEARL -- The Mississippi Braves and the Mississippi Chapter of the Arthritis Foundation will launch an effort to raise funds to fight arthritis while celebrating the 2007 Trustmark Bank Southern League All-Star Game, to be hosted by the Braves organization July 9, 2007. "Points ...
A.M. Best ups ratings.(Strictly Business)(A.M. Best Company Inc.)(Brief article)
Jun 04, 2007 ... FLOWOOD -- A.M. Best Co. has upgraded the financial strength ratings (FSR) to "B+ (Good)" from "B (Fair)" and assigned issuer credit ratings (ICR) of "bbb-" to American Federated Insurance Company (AFIC) and American Federated Life Insurance Company (AFLIC). The outlook for the FSRs has ...
Baptist touts new system.(Strictly Business)(Baptist Memorial Hospital-Golden Triangle)(Brief article)
Jun 04, 2007 ... TUPELO -- Baptist Memorial Hospital-Golden Triangle hosted an open house to unveil the hospital's new da Vinci surgical system May 24 at The Mall at Barnes Crossing in Tupelo. Drs. Robert Santa-Cruz, urologist, and Edward Betcher, obstetrics and gynecologist, will demonstrate ...
WLBT's Bert Case attributes success to fairness, honesty.
Jun 04, 2007; ... Bert Case is the undisputed dean of Mississippi's television news anchors. A hall of fame broadcaster who has been in front of the camera now for nearly 40 years, his face and distinctive delivery of "Beeeerrrrrt Case" have become familiar staple in thousands of dens and living rooms ...
Lorelei Books busy in revitalized downtown.(Book Business)
Jun 04, 2007; ... Empty-nesters Laura and Troy Weeks wanted a lifestyle change and Vicksburg wanted an independent bookstore. The former residents of Norfolk, Va., and the historic Mississippi River city came together with Lorelei Books opening on Washington Street in the revitalized downtown shortly before ...
Uneven start and now soybeans struggling with dry spring.
Jun 04, 2007; ... Mississippi soybeans had one of the most uneven starts they have had in years, but one constant is the need for rain. Dan Poston, northwest district soybean specialist with the Mississippi State University Extension Service, said Delta soybeans looked pretty good in late May, ...
MEC turning to technology to keep members connected.(services of Mississippi Economic Council )
Jun 04, 2007; ... As the statewide chamber of commerce, the Mississippi Economic Council (MEC) must cover a lot of ground and a plethora of issues. To accomplish this, it offers a wide range of programs and services, and it is turning more and more to technology to keep its members up to date and informed ...
Regional concept reaping results for economic development.(Economic Development)
Jun 04, 2007; ... Regionalism is the buzzword du jour in the world of economic development but for a very good reason--several of them, in fact. Mississippi counties and cities are bringing in impressive companies and jobs by pooling resources and ignoring geographic lines. "Absolutely, ...
Greater Jackson Chamber Partnership kicking off campaign: $3M earmarked for recruitment, retention, projects.(Focus)
Jun 04, 2007; ... The Metro Jackson Chamber of Commerce has a new name--the Greater Jackson Chamber Partnership (GJCP)--and is preparing to kick off an ambitious fundraising campaign, with the money earmarked for business expansion/job retention, recruiting new business and supporting area projects. ...
Business events.(Brief article)(Calendar)
Jun 04, 2007 ... Thursday, June 7 * The Mississippi chapter of the Financial Planning Association will hold a luncheon meeting beginning at 11:45 a.m. at Colonial Country Club in Jackson. The speaker will be Kevin L. Kliesen, economist with the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis who will address ...
Delta moving ahead with its own kind of economic development.(analysis of economic development)
Jun 04, 2007; ... The Mississippi Delta may not be announcing new economic development projects with big names, but this special part of the state is holding its own. Professional economic developers there say the area is not without challenges, but progress is part of the expansive landscape. ...