The Mississippi Business Journal back issues from June 2009:
Six and counting: Nissan helps Mississippi become major player.
Jun 01, 2009; ... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Six years ago, the first vehicle at Canton's Nissan plant rolled off the assembly line and started a drive toward Mississippi becoming a major player in the southeastern automotive manufacturing industry. May 2003 marked the culmination of ...
Lawmakers at impasse on state's '09 budget: Medicaid and hospital tax are sticking points for Democrats and GOP.
Jun 01, 2009; ... Budget negotiators signaled last week that progress had been made toward an agreement on the state's roughly $5-billion budget for fiscal year 2010, which begins in one month. As of late Thursday afternoon, though, no accord had been struck, as most lawmakers not involved in the ...
Sunnyside combines parts for the whole.(Book review)
Jun 01, 2009; ... Sunnyside by Glen David Gold (Knopf) Total: $26.95 [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Glen David Gold's masterful novel "Sunnyside" opens with a curious event,: simultaneous sightings in 1916 of Charlie Chaplin in six different cities, accompanied by his ...
Lost time worries farmers.
Jun 01, 2009 ... Mississippi farmers have watched vital planting time washed away by persistent rains, and they are having trouble getting into the fields to salvage their crops or to decide if they need to replant, experts say. Ernie Flint, an agronomist for the Mississippi State University ...
EPA awards $19.5m in stimulus.(Environmental Protection Agency )(Brief article)
Jun 01, 2009 ... The Environmental Protection Agency has awarded $19.5 million in stimulus money to Mississippi to help upgrade the state's aging water system. The EPA announced the grant in a news release, saying it will help the state and local governments finance many overdue water ...
Sanderson Farms 2Q profit soars on low feed costs.(Financial report)
Jun 01, 2009 ... LAUREL -- Chicken producer Sanderson Farms Inc. said last week its fiscal second quarter profit soared due to far lower feed costs and strong demand for chicken at grocery stores. For the quarter ended April 30, net income jumped to $26.2 million, or $1.27 per share, from $6.2 ...
Alcorn St. cuts 60 positions.
Jun 01, 2009 ... LORMAN -- Alcorn State University has eliminated 60 position, including faculty whose contracts were not renewed for the 2009-10 school year. Alcorn State spokesman Stephen McDaniel says faculty and staff were cut from the Lorman, Natchez and Vicksburg campuses. He did not say ...
Numbers down, but up: state unemployment down to 8.6 percent from 9.4 percent; closer look reveals sobering picture.
Jun 01, 2009; ... Certainly the news that Mississippi's unemployment rate actually fell in April compared to the prior month was good news. Many expected to see the state's jobless rate hit or pass the 1% percent mark. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] However, a closer look reveals a ...
Six years of good times at Nissan.(Opinion)
Jun 01, 2009; ... Considering the economic climate and the unemployment rate in Mississippi and across the country, it's easy to overlook one of the best business coups in the history of our great state. The Nissan Canton plant celebrated its sixth anniversary last week. Kind of seems ...
Legislators are wasting our time.(Letters to Editor)(Letter to the editor)
Jun 01, 2009; ... Editor: When are our legislators going to understand that they are wasting our time and money in Jackson. Every time they go down there and argue about nothing in the name of preparing a budget, they waste time and money that could have been ...
Corrections.(Correction notice)
Jun 01, 2009 ... * Connie Taunton is director of the Natchez Convention & Visitors Bureau. She was not identified as such in a recent tourism story in the MBJ's 2009 Meetings, Conventions and Tourism in Mississippi. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] * BCI has 185 employees. The company's number ...
[Cartoon].(Opinion)(Cartoon)
Jun 01, 2009; ... BALL FOUR THAT'S HIS BEST PITCH! ...
Starting new career can be like a first plunge.(Perspective)
Jun 01, 2009; ... Ready, set, jump! For someone considering a mid-career change to become an entrepreneur, it can feel like taking your first plunge into the unknown. When you leave your W-2 regular paycheck behind and pursue your business dreams, it can be a time of fear, excitement and renewed energy. A ...
The quality of life of the quality of place.(From the ground up)(Viewpoint essay)
Jun 01, 2009; ... During a recent conversation, the chairman of a multi-state economic development organization told me that a consultant has recommended that his agency drop the term "quality of life" and replace it with "quality of place." An interesting idea, to be sure. The more I thought about it, the ...
Lineaweaver to be guest speaker at annual lecture.(Crossgates River Oaks Hospital)(Brief article)
Jun 01, 2009 ... William Lineaweaver, M.D., plastic surgeon and medical director of the wound care center at Crossgates River Oaks Hospital, will be the guest speaker at the 20th Annual Donald P. Hause Memorial Lecture in Sacramento. Calif. Lineaweaver is the editor of the "Annals of Plastic Surgery" and ...
Ward recognized as 2009 Educator of the Year.(Mississippi Society of the American Society)(Brief article)
Jun 01, 2009 ... Paula Ward has been recognized by the Mississippi Society of the American Society for Clinical Laboratory Science (ASCLS-MS) as 2009 Educator of the Year. Ward, director of laboratory services at Wesley Medical Center. joined ASCLS in 1975 and has served both the Mississippi and Louisiana ...
Daniel receives leadership certification.(NewsMakers)
Jun 01, 2009 ... Edwin Daniel of Dale and Associates Architects, P.A., has received his certification for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design for New ...
Runnels to join GI Associates staff.(Matt Runnels)(Brief article)
Jun 01, 2009 ... Dr. Matt Runnels, a gastroenterologist, will be joining GI Associates in July. A native of Brandon, Runnels attended the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where he received a B.S. in biology with a minor in chemistry. After graduating from the University of Mississippi Medical ...
New elections to state junior and community college board.(NewsMakers)
Jun 01, 2009 ... George Walker of Clarksdale was recently re-elected chairman of the State Board for Community and Junior Colleges. Also, Henry "Bubba" Hudspeth of Louisville was re-elected vice-chairman. The Board, composed of 10 representatives from across the state, is a coordinating agency which ...
Peavey gives commencement at MUW.(NewsMakers)
Jun 01, 2009 ... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] COLUMBUS -- During her two keynote commencement addresses to the Mississippi University for Women's class of 2009, business leader and education advocate Mary Peavey encouraged the graduates to recognize their unique gifts and talents, develop them ...
New members elected to state-wide advisory board.(NewsMakers)(Brief article)
Jun 01, 2009 ... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] JACKSON -- Dr. Daniel W. Jones, Rhonda Keenum, Donald E. Meiners, Billy J. McCain, Tom Pittman, Bill Sones and LeRoy G. Walker Jr. have accepted the invitations to serve on the Entergy ...
Minter elected v.p. and treasurer of NOMMA.(National Ornamental & Miscellaneous Metals Association)(Brief article)
Jun 01, 2009 ... James W. Minter Jr. of Imagine Ironworks has been elected as vice president/treasurer of the National Ornamental & Miscellaneous Metals Association (NOMMA). He was installed during NOMMA's 51st Annual Convention held in Long Beach, Calif. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] ...
Forrest General to host Doctors Hall of Fame 2009.(NewsMakers)
Jun 01, 2009 ... Ralph E. Abraham, M.D., Joe H. Campbell, M.D., Lewis E. Hatten, M.D., Charles J. Parkman, M.D., Thad F. Waites, M.D. Mary Clark, M.D., Richard H. Clark, Jr., M.D., Dawson B. Conerly, M.D., Philip W. Rogers, M.D. and Ralph Wicker. M.D. will all be honored at the first-annual ...
Gulf Coast nonviolence center receives grant.(NewsMakers)
Jun 01, 2009 ... The Gulf Coast Women's Center for Nonviolence was awarded funding from the Department of Justice's Office on Violence Against Women Legal Assistance for Victims Grant in October 2008 to enhance the services provided by the Center's Northcutt Legal Clinic. This funding will allow the clinic ...
MSU to begin search for university provost.(NewsMakers)
Jun 01, 2009 ... President Mark Keenum announced Mississippi State soon will begin a national search to identify a new provost. "Dr. Peter Rabideau has announced his intention to return full-time to the faculty as a professor of chemistry, and I respect his decision," Keenum said, adding that ...
New hires at Cooke Douglass.(Cooke Douglass Farr Lemons Architects )(Brief article)
Jun 01, 2009 ... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Eric Saffle, Parker Anderson and Jacquelyn Smithers have all joined the Cooke Douglass Farr Lemons Architects and Engineers, P.A., team. Saffle has joined CDFL as an ...
Brandi Garrett: profiles of Growing Young Professionals in Mississippi.(Capitol Staffing)(Brief article)
Jun 01, 2009; ... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Brandi Garrett Age: 29 Hometown: Hattiesburg Education: B.S., interdisciplinary studies, Mississippi State University Current Position: Senior recruiter for Capitol Staffing After graduating from ...
Sibly receives LEED accreditation.(JBHM Architects )(Brief article)
Jun 01, 2009 ... Casey Sibley of JBHM Architects passed the LEED AP exam in May. "Casey has proven to be a great asset to our firm, and I am delighted she has received this ...
UMMC chair elected to national certification board.(University of Mississippi Medical Center)(Brief article)
Jun 01, 2009 ... Dr. Diane K. Beebe, chair of the Department of Family Medicine at the University of Mississippi Medical Center, has been elected to the board of directors of the American Board of Family Medicine. Beebe will serve a five-year term on the 15-member board of directors. The ...
Maloney opens new real estate office.(NewsMakers)
Jun 01, 2009 ... Traci Maloney, a Jackson real estate broker, is pleased to announce the opening of Tract Maloney Real Estate Inc. Maloney first received a real estate license in Mississippi in 1996, was licensed as a real estate broker in 2000 and obtained the Maloney Certified Residential ...
Crye-Leike honors multi-million dollar staff.(NewsMakers)
Jun 01, 2009 ... Pam Barr, Shari Lakey, Sheri Bryan, Laurie McClintock, Dan Grimmett, Vicki Freeze and Julie Bishop of Crye-Leike, REALTORS in Jackson ...
Martin named director of ERDC CHL laboratory.(NewsMakers)
Jun 01, 2009 ... Dr. William Martin has been named director of the Coastal and Hydraulics Laboratory, (CHL) at the U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center (ERDC) in Vicksburg. The ERDC is the premier research and development facility for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, with more ...
A winning hand: state winning during tough times as reacting to market is paying dividends.(Focus: Economic Development)
Jun 01, 2009; ... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The recent announcement that the American Contract Bridge League was moving its headquarters from Memphis to Horn Lake gives a good example of how far-reaching, and how successful, the state's efforts of late in recruiting and/or retaining jobs during the ...
The game has changed: industry recruitment is totally different than it was 30 years ago.(Focus: Economic Development)
Jun 01, 2009; ... Notable job creation announcements since the start of the new year include the private prison in Adams County landing a federal contract that will bring 400 jobs with it, a call center in Meridian producing 273 jobs since October and Alliant Tech Systems in Iuka, which manufactures ...
There are many areas of opportunity for state.(Focus: Economic Development)
Jun 01, 2009; ... Landing a large manufacturing plant like Toyota or Nissan, which provide thousands of direct jobs and thousands more indirect jobs, is the ultimate goal for most economic developers. Many of them spend their entire careers chasing a project like the one in Canton or Blue Springs. ...
Aero-defense, aerospace soaring in state: Mississippi's research universities the key to growing industries.(Focus: Economic Development)
Jun 01, 2009; ... From Iuka in Northeast Mississippi to the John C. Stennis Space Center on the Mississippi Gulf Coast and points between, Mississippi's aerospace and defense industries are readily apparent. And, many see this sector as merely in its infancy. There have been several factors that ...
Natchez Trace lures visitors with scenic biway.(Focus: Economic Development)
Jun 01, 2009; ... The Natchez Trace continues to lure millions of visitors each year with a combination of historical and cultural attractions dotted along the scenic, uncluttered route that invites people to meander rather than zoom along the 444-mile National Park Service (NPS) road. The Trace ...
State's first quarter exports up 16 percent: Mississippi leads the nation in category, followed by Nevada, Oklahoma and Puerto Rico.(Focus: Economic Development)
Jun 01, 2009; ... There is good news on the export front. Numbers released May 13 by the Mississippi Development Authority reveal that the Magnolia State exported more than $7 billion worth of manufactured goods to international customers in 2008, everything from chickens to yachts, Nissan pickups to Peavey ...
CIC provides roadmap for development.(Focus: Economic Development)
Jun 01, 2009; ... From the perspective of economic development efforts, globalization has provoked a strengthening awareness that at least one priority strategy must shift away from commodities and attraction to focus on value-added innovation and entrepreneurship, says Dr. Myrtis Tabb, assistant vice ...
State making its mark with film industry: some big budget classics like 'A Time to Kill' and 'Ghosts of Mississippi' helped lay the groundwork.(Focus: Economic Development)
Jun 01, 2009; ... Mississippi and the arts are synonymous. From Delta blues to paintings of the Gulf Coast, Mississippi holds its fair share of an artistic side. But where most people don't relate art to Mississippi is in film. Of course, famous films that have highlighted Mississippi, like "Ghosts of ...
Redoubling their efforts: workforce development identified as a top priority.(Focus: Economic Development)
Jun 01, 2009; ... Workforce development advocates in the Magnolia State are doubling their efforts in the current economy with hopes that more and more Mississippians will continue to realize its vital importance to the state's ongoing economic diversification and development. "When Ray Mabus was ...
More than a village: teamwork among communities in Mississippi is critical for economic development success.(Focus: Economic Development)
Jun 01, 2009; ... In the realm of economic development, teamwork is everything. It can take more than a village--sometimes an entire county or region--to land a new prospect or effect an expansion of an existing business or industry. While that has long been true, today's environment makes it ...
Economic development organizations.
Jun 01, 2009 ... <Pre> Economic Development Organizations Name Phone AddressFax Director Amite County Economic Development Organization P.O. Box (601) 657-8077 Liberty, MS 39615-0250 ...
Katrina recovery funds reallocated.(Strictly Business)(Brief article)
Jun 01, 2009 ... MISSISSIPPI GULF COAST -- The Mississippi Development Authority (MDA) Disaster Recovery Division, which oversees Mississippi's $5.4-billion federally-appropriated Hurricane Katrina Recovery Package, increased budget allocations for three of its most critical recovery initiatives. ...
MHC seeking ARRA funds.(American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009)(Mississippi Home Corporation)(Brief article)
Jun 01, 2009 ... JACKSON -- The Mississippi Home Corporation (MHC) will apply for $21.8 million in stimulus funds made available through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, to provide relief to Housing Tax Credit (HTC)-funded developments. The Tax Credit Assistance Program (TCAP) ...
IHL narrows commissioner candidates.(Institutions of Higher Learning)(Brief article)
Jun 01, 2009 ... JACKSON -- Members of the Mississippi Board of Trustees of State Institutions of Higher Learning's (IHL's) search committee for the next commissioner of higher education and the next chancellor of the University of Mississippi (UM) met last week to conduct second round interviews. ...
PSC, AGO going after telemarketers.(Strictly Business)
Jun 01, 2009 ... JACKSON -- Northern District Public Service Commissioner Brandon Presley has executed a joint investigative agreement with the Mississippi Attorney General's Office (AGO) that will result in the agencies requesting a restraining order against a company that possibly is responsible for a ...
SBA loan deadline nears.(Strictly Business)
Jun 01, 2009 ... ACROSS MISSISSIPPI -- The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) reminds eligible private non-profit organizations (PNPs) that do not provide critical services of a governmental nature of the deadline to submit disaster loan applications for economic losses caused by Hurricane Gustav ...
Pellet plant set for day one.(Stone County Economic Development Council)(Brief article)
Jun 01, 2009 ... WIGGINS -- The Stone County Economic Development Council, Gov. Haley Barbour and others will celebrate the first official production day at Piney Woods Pellets in Wiggins June 2. Barbour will tour the facility and present a keynote address in celebration of the event. A public ...
Greenville Port to see improvements.(Strictly Business)
Jun 01, 2009 ... GREENVILLE -- A $3-million bond bill approved by state lawmakers will soon provide the Port of Greenville with some much-needed improvements. The project includes renovation of the dock, addition of an automated grain-handing facility and acquisition of new ground equipment. In ...
Governor's Cup winners unveiled.(Strictly Business)
Jun 01, 2009 ... AROUND MISSISSIPPI -- Gov. Haley Barbour has named six Mississippi businesses as the district winners of the Governor's Cup, which recognizes businesses in the private sector that have made a significant impact within their communities. The district winners in each category ...
BancorpSouth Insurance adds service.(Strictly Business)
Jun 01, 2009 ... GULFPORT -- BancorpSouth Insurance will offer a new line of pharmacy auditing services as an additional pharmacy consulting service designed to help employers control their pharmacy benefit costs and overall bottom line. The services will be available through BancorpSouth ...
DHS awards funds to USM.(Strictly Business)
Jun 01, 2009 ... HATTIESBURG -- The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has released over $1.4 million to the University of Southern Mississippi's (USM's) Homeland Open Security Technology (HOST) program, Sen. Thad Cochran (R-Miss.) announced. A partnership was forged in 2008 between DHS' ...
Alleged voting problems probed.(Strictly Business)
Jun 01, 2009 ... JACKSON -- Secretary of State Delbert Hosemann has issued a statement concerning alleged voting irregularities in an election in Canton and other communities across the state. Hosemann said: "We have received calls into the Secretary of State's Office regarding alleged voting ...
HM Williams Construction donates trailer to help goodwill.(Strictly Business)
Jun 01, 2009 ... TUPELO -- H.M. Williams Construction, Inc., officials made the donation of a construction trailer to Goodwill Industries to assist in the organizations' economic and community expansion efforts. Mike Williams, chief executive officer of HM Williams Construction, Inc. was pleased to make ...
Land Improvement Services important to hunters.(OUTDOOR BUSINESS)
Jun 01, 2009; ... Every hunter I have ever met talks endlessly about two things. One is hoping to one day acquire a piece of hunting land to call their own, and the other is about all the things they do to improve the hunting lands they do have or have access to. Well those two things and of course the big ...
Leadership Greater Jackson graduates.
Jun 01, 2009 ... The 2008-2009 Class of Leadership Greater Jackson's graduation was held May 14 at the University Club. Leadership Greater Jackson is a community-wide leadership program that develops existing and emerging leaders in the metro area. The program is designed to educate participants about ...
Black and gold heritage
Jun 08, 2009; ... Dr. Martha Saunders, president of the University of Southern Mississippi Dr. Martha Saunders' philosophy on education follows three simple principles: know your students, connect them to bigger things and set a good example. Her career has taken her to such universities as Columbus State ...
Investing for future should focus on human capital
Jun 08, 2009; ... Is Mississippi doing all that needs to be done to invest for a bright economic future and a good quality of life for citizens in the next 10, 20 or 30 years? "In the academic parlance, necessary but insufficient describes a situation where many actions should be taken, yet the sum total ...
Largest cities act as magnet for development
Jun 08, 2009; ... Bigger begets bigger, that's how State Economist Dr. Phil Pepper puts it. While many small rural communities are losing population and hard pressed to maintain necessary infrastructure and services, the state's largest cities continue to be magnets for growth and development. "Population ...
New and expanded facillities near $5B
Jun 08, 2009; ... Last year clearly was not the best of times for building new facilities or expanding existing ones. Tight credit markets, the high cost of building materials and the recession delayed many projects. The Toyota plant in Blue Springs is the classic example. The chilling effect of the ...
IHL names UMMC's Jones as preferred candidate for Ole Miss
Jun 08, 2009; ... The Board of Trustees of State Institutions of Higher Learning (IHL) announced June 2 that Dr. Dan Jones, current vice chancellor for health affairs and dean of the School of Medicine at the University of Mississippi Medical Center, is the preferred candidate for the position of chancellor at ...
Part of who he is
Jun 08, 2009; ... Rick Moore has been involved in the television business most of his life. His father built from the ground up, starting in the 1970s, what is now Channel 16 in Jackson, the capital city's ABC affiliate. After a car wreck that knocked his dad out of the industry, Moore's brothers became ...
Coming Together
Jun 08, 2009; ... Technology and marketing are coming together for clients of Southern Growth Studio, an Oxford-based group that launched in 2007. Managing partner Michael Graber, who is also a contributing columnist to the Mississippi Business Journal, says the eight employees all grew up on digital and web ...
IHL names state superintendent candidate for commissioner
Jun 08, 2009; ... The Board of Trustees of State Institutions of Higher Learning (IHL) announced in a press conference June 2 that Dr. Hank Bounds, Mississippi Superintendent of Education, is the preferred candidate for the position of Commissioner of Higher Education. The announcement was made following a ...