The Mississippi Business Journal articles from December 2007

The Mississippi Business Journal archives from December 2007

Money does grow on trees.
December 3, 2007... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] It may be the most widely awaited fall product, even more popular than the November arrival of Beaujolais nouveau wine from France. Pecan season is here and, despite dire predictions of crop-destroying drought,...

Lott's departure setting the stage for a free-for-all.(Trent Lott)
December 3, 2007... Stunned. That was the reaction of many Mississippi politicos concerning Sen. Trent Lott's surprise resignation announcement November 26. What would prompt him to give up the powerful No. 2 Republican post in the Senate, especially on Monday...

Harrah's Tunica casinos take lead on going green.
December 3, 2007... Green is not just the color of money at three casinos in Tunica. It's also the color of a new recycling and conservation program at Harrah's Entertainment Mid-South Region's Tunica properties, Grand, Horseshoe and Sheraton casinos. Recently...

Holidays mean special events, visitor offers in Capital City: hospitality sector ready for travelers, locals alike.
December 3, 2007... A look at any calendar of events this time of year will reveal a plethora of things to see and do. In the metro Jackson area, the holidays have become a major tourism attraction. "The holiday events in our area are absolutely a huge draw...

Mississippians watching current Farm Bill deals with keen interest.
December 3, 2007... The new Farm Bill currently being debated by Congress is being closely watched by Mississippi agriculture interests because the outcome will have a major impact not just on the farming community, but the state's overall economy. Production...

Jeffery P. Reynolds, P.A.(People to Watch)(appointment of Ginger Gibson)(Brief article)
December 3, 2007... Ginger Gibson has joined Jeffery P. Reynolds, P.A., as an associate. She is a graduate of Millsaps College and the University of Alabama School of Law, where she won the Dean's Community Service Award. Gibson is admitted to practice in Gibson...

Mississippi Hospital Association.(People to Watch)
December 3, 2007... Robby Channell has been named an at-large board member for the Mississippi Hospital Association's Society for Health Care Marketing and Public Relations. A graduate of Mississippi College, the media manager for Baptist Health Systems has served...

Hilton Garden Inn Choctaw.(People to Watch)
December 3, 2007... Development and management company S&L Hospitality has named Nicki Sullivan director of sales for the Hilton Garden Inn Choctaw under construction at Dancing Rabbit Golf Course. She will be responsible for achieving hotel revenue, profit and...

Metropolitan YMCA's of Mississippi.(People to Watch)(appointment of Amberly Wilson Collins at Young Men's Christian Associations)(Brief article)
December 3, 2007... Amberly Wilson Collins has joined the Metropolitan YMCA's of Mississippi as the director of development. In her role, she is responsible for directing and coordinating all aspects of fund development including corporate and individual giving,...

G. Williams Marketing.(People to Watch)(appointment of Julia Bryant)(Brief article)
December 3, 2007... Julia Bryant has joined G. Williams Marketing in Ridgeland as art director. A graduate of Murray State University, she served several agencies and publishers as Web designer and senior designer prior to joining the firm, which was founded in...

Ferguson & Associates Architects.(People to Watch)
December 3, 2007... E. Lantz Kuykendall, AIA, NCARB, CSI, CDT, has joined Ferguson & Associates Architects. The Mississippi State University graduate has been a registered architect in the state since 1984, and he holds current registrations in Alabama, Florida...

BancorpSouth.(People to Watch)
December 3, 2007... Grant A. Walker has joined BancorpSouth as executive vice president and Hattiesburg banking manager. A native of Nebraska, he is a graduate of the University of Nebraska at Kearney as well as the LSU School of Banking and the Southeast Walker...

BankPlus.(People to Watch)(Wayne Alexander received 2007 Alumnus of the Year award)(Brief article)
December 3, 2007... Wayne Alexander, city president of BankPlus in Poplarville, has been named the Pearl River Community College (PRCC) 2007 Alumnus of the Year. The award recognizes loyalty, service and contributions to the college. A native of Poplarville,...

Hattiesburg Clinic.(People to Watch)(appointment of Bassam K. Mechleb and Brandi Garris)(Brief article)
December 3, 2007... Bassam K. Mechleh, M.D., and Brandi Garris, A.C.N.P., have joined Hattiesburg Clinic's cardiology services. Mechleb received his medical degree from Lebanese University in Lebanon. He completed an internship in internal medicine at the American...

Do we appreciate the power of community marketing?(Perspective)(Column)
December 3, 2007... Chalmus Weathers was one of the best community and economic development marketers I ever met. You probably do not recognize his name, but l suspect that you will recognize the community that he helped put on the map. It is Boaz, a North...

Bay of St. Louis project progressing.(Strictly Business)(Mississippi. Department of Transportation)(Brief article)
December 3, 2007... MISSISSIPPI GULF COAST -- In the design-build reconstruction of the Bay of St. Louis Bridge, the Mississippi Department of Transportation (MDOT) is nearing completion of the bridge structure and rail for all four lanes of the bridge. Traffic...

Entergy building Madison substation.(Strictly Business)
December 3, 2007... MADISON -- The Mississippi Public Service Commission has approved Entergy Mississippi's plans to build Madison's new substation on two acres at Liberty Park. Several other locations were considered during a site selection process that had the...

Unemployment falls in October.(Strictly Business)
December 3, 2007... ACROSS MISSISSIPPI According to the Mississippi Department of Employment Security (MDES), the state's unemployment rate in October was 5.9%, down from September's rate of 6.3%. Mississippi's labor force showed slight strengthening over the...

Ole Miss hosting 2008 presidential debate.(Strictly Business)
December 3, 2007... OXFORD -- The University of Mississippi (UM) has been selected to host the first of three presidential debates in 2008. The debate will be held September 26 in the Gertrude C. Ford Center for the Performing Arts on the Oxford campus. UM...

Waste Management Inc. sets initiatives.(Strictly Business)
December 3, 2007... GULFPORT -- As part of sustainability goals announced in October, Waste Management Inc. (WMI) plans to increase the amount of recyclables it manages from eight million tons to 20 million tons by 2020. "Providing recycling services at each...

Bears donated to deployed Guard members' children.(Strictly Business)
December 3, 2007... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Special to the Mississippi Business Journal Community Bank of Mississippi recently announced that the bank staff will donate $1,560 to purchase a total of 78 special red, white and blue bears to be delivered to...

ALERT FM installed in Pontotoc.(Strictly Business)(frequency modulation)(Global Security Systems, LLC)
December 3, 2007... PONTOTOC COUNTY -- According to Global Security Systems, LLC, (GSS) Pontotoc County is the first county in Mississippi to install an ALERT FM portal, the gateway of communication for ALERT FM, an FM-based digital alert and messaging system. ...

NASA awarding small biz contracts.(Strictly Business)
December 3, 2007... HANCOCK COUNTY -- NASA has awarded contracts to 302 small business proposals that address research and technology needs for agency programs and projects. The awards are part of NASA's Small Business Innovation Program (SBIR) and Small Business...

Special to the Mississippi Business Journal.(Strictly Business)(lawyers of Wells, Marble and Hurst receive awards)(Brief article)
December 3, 2007... [ILLUSTRATIONS OMITTED] Five lawyers from Wells Marble & Hurst, PLLC, have been selected as Mid-South Super Lawyers for 2007. They are Ford Bailey, Civil Litigation Defense; Roy Liddell, Business Litigation; Thomas Louis, Civil Litigation...

Customer traffic climbs.(Strictly Business)
December 3, 2007... WASHINGTON -- According to the National Retail Federation's (NRF's) 2007 Black Friday Weekend Survey, conducted by BIGresearch, more than 147 million shoppers hit the stores on Black Friday weekend, up 4.8% from last year. Consumers spent...

DRS lands contract.(Strictly Business)
December 3, 2007... PASCAGOULA -- DRS Technologies Inc. has received a $6-million contract from the Northrop Grumman Corporation's Ship Systems sector to manufacture standard fan coil assemblies, fan coil units, duct cooling coils and gravity cooling coils for the...

ARC buying Magnolia track.(Strictly Business)(American Racing Capital Inc. planning to buy Magnolia Motor Speedway )(Brief article)
December 3, 2007... COLUMBUS -- American Racing Capital (ARC) of San Diego is preparing to exercise its option to purchase Magnolia Motor Speedway in this East Mississippi city. The company says it has been in contact with several lending institutions. The...

Online shoppers growing.(Strictly Business)
December 3, 2007... WASHINGTON -- According to a Shop.org survey, conducted this weekend by BIGresearch, 72 million consumers plan to shop online from home or at work tomorrow, up from 60.7 million in 2006 and 59 million in 2005. The survey found that 31.9%...

Economics ed available online.(Strictly Business)
December 3, 2007... JACKSON -- Registration is now open for a new online course that will help teachers teach the required course in economics. The online Master Teacher of Economics (MTE) Program will prepare teachers to teach the course in economics that...

Sweet Peppers growing.(Sweet Peppers Deli Franchise Systems, LLC)(Brief article)
December 3, 2007... COLUMBUS -- Sweet Peppers Deli is entering the Carolinas. Recently, Tabitha Poteat and Christopher Borders of Peppers Delta East Inc. in Charlotte, N.C., purchased three counties. York County, S.C., will be the first development for Poteat...

Howell named COO.(Strictly Business)
December 3, 2007... BRANDON -- Rankin Medical Center has named Nate Howell as its new chief operating officer. Howell joined HMA, which operates Rankin Medical, in July 2006 and worked as the vice president of clinical and support services for River Oaks...

Firm's 'blawg' featured.(Strictly Business)
December 3, 2007... NEW ORLEANS -- McGlinchey Stafford's CAFA Law Blog at www.cafalawblog.com has been recognized again for its content and one of the nation's best legal blogs (blawgs). TechnoLawyer featured McGlinchey Stafford's blawg in its recently released...

Comcast adding HD channels.(Strictly Business)
December 3, 2007... RANKIN COUNTY -- Effective December 31, Comcast will add seven new high-definition channels to the lineup in its Rankin County system. Prior to that date, the channels are available to high-definition customers as a free preview. The new...

Baptist implements ThinPrep.(Strictly Business)
December 3, 2007... JACKSON -- I Baptist Laboratory Services, a division of Baptist Medical Center, has acquired Cytyc's ThinPrep Imaging System. This system will be used in detecting cervical cancer and its precursors by incorporating computer-aided imaging to...

Mass layoffs increase.(Strictly Business)
December 3, 2007... WASHINGTON -- In October, employers took 1,320 mass layoff actions, seasonally adjusted, as measured by new filings for unemployment insurance benefits during the month, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Each action involved at...

Adams and Reese ranked.(Strictly Business)
December 3, 2007... JACKSON -- Adams and Reese's marketing department is listed among the top 50 in the country, according to "The Third Annual MLF 50: The Top Law Firms in Marketing and Communications," published by the Law Journal Newsletters, a Philadelphia,...

Regions takes award.(Strictly Business)(Regions Business Banking)(Brief article)
December 3, 2007... BIRMINGHAM, ALA. -- Greenwich Associates recently presented Regions Business Banking with its 2007 Business Banking Excellence Award. Regions was recognized for excellence in customer satisfaction in overall banking services, branch services...

Business Events (and More).(Calendar)
December 3, 2007... Monday, December 3 * Main Street Books in Hattiesburg will host a book signing by authors from across the state from 4.p. until 7 p.m. The bookstore is located at 210 Main Street. Thursday, December 6 * The Mississippi State...

Black Friday kicked off holiday shopping season around the state.
December 3, 2007... The year's busiest retail season was kicked off with a bang Thanksgiving weekend, according to some shopping centers around the state. Extended shopping hours, discounts and prizes lured customers to spend for the upcoming holidays. Sales...

JSU grad developing a formula for personal branding built on PASSION.(Jackson State University)(Michael D. Brown)
December 3, 2007... "Get a brand or die a genetic" is the blunt advice Jackson State University (JSU) alum Michael D. Brown delivers to college students and others across the country. The speaker, trainer and author spoke to student leaders at his alma mater last...

Mistletoe Marketplace success leads to store opening.(Alexandra Wilkes and Leslie Decker's Alex and Lele)
December 3, 2007... First cousins Alexandra Wilkes and Leslie Decker had heard the question what seemed like a million times. They would handcraft their jewelry and showcase it every year about this time at Mistletoe Marketplace, the Christmas shopping...

Residential real estate markets mixed bag around the Delta.
December 3, 2007... Jeff Brown and his family spent a warm Saturday afternoon recently tearing out cabinets in their new Greenwood home. The home is actually not new, but it is new to the Browns, who bought it to move into town. In spite of having to remove...

Bill Taylor Jr, passes away at home in Louisville.
December 3, 2007... Special to the Mississippi Business Journal [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] W. A. "Bill" Taylor Jr., chairman of the board of Taylor Machine Works Inc. of Louisville, passed away at his home November 22. Born February 17, 1931, to William...

Different generations, different expectations mean HR challenges.(Insurance & Employee Benefits)
December 3, 2007... Employee benefits are shifting from the traditional to include more benefits that fall into the personal and quality of life categories. Employees care about how they're treated by employers. Some observers are finding that to be especially...

Bonus time at office might be better tied to results than holidays.
December 3, 2007... It is bonus time in offices around the Magnolia State, which can be a sticky and tricky issue for many employers. Employees love getting a bonus, and it can be part of a compensation package that helps with employee satisfaction and job...

George Dale planning January job change--not retirement.(Focus)
December 3, 2007... Come January, for the first time in 32 years, George Dale will no longer be Mississippi's Insurance Commissioner. But is Dale, 67, planning to retire? "No," Dale says. "I will just be changing jobs in January. I will not go home and...

Preparations underway for Career Day at Mississippi College.
December 3, 2007... Special to the Business Journal Recruiters from hospitals, school districts, accounting firms and scores of other Mississippi companies are coming to Mississippi College for Career Day in the new year. Preparations are already made for...

Property/Casualty insurance companies.
December 3, 2007... Company Premiums Market Written Share % State Farm Mutual Automobile 364,518,882 9.4 Insurance Company Mississippi Farm Bureau ...

Post-Katrina insurance market seems to be stabilizing, but ...(Insurance & Employee Benefits)
December 3, 2007... Just as Hurricane Camille did 36 years before, Hurricane Katrina left an indelible mark on Mississippi. While the mark is most evident in the coastal communities, the entire state has been affected. Although not as obvious as the physical...

For the record.(Correction notice)
December 3, 2007... This week's MISSISSIPPI BUSINESS JOURNAL listing of incorporations with the Mississippi Secretary of State include those made from November 20 through November 28. The list is organized alphabetically by register's city. Bay Springs...

Stauffer's latest tech offering continues successful series.(Book Business)
December 3, 2007... When Apple released the pioneering iMac in the late 1990s, Todd Stauffer found a problem. The new computer from the innovative Cupertino, Calif. company offered a plethora of exciting features and functions, so many, in fact, that users could...

State's horse industry growing, pumping millions into economy.
December 3, 2007... Those involved with horses agree the industry is growing in Mississippi and has yet to reach its full economic potential. Horse shows and membership in breed associations are increasing. Many counties now have multi-purpose facilities where...

Developers beware: wetlands not always what they appear.
December 3, 2007... Last year the U.S. Supreme Court considered a matter involving the Clean Water Act and wetlands. The decision is important to all those that develop residential or commercial property, industrial sites or any other real estate. In Rapanos...

Pension protection act webinar December 6.
December 3, 2007... The U.S. Department of Labor will host a free, two-hour Webcast December 6 designed to help employers and pension professionals understand recent regulatory and related guidance under the Pension Protection Act of 2006. The Webcast will be...

Mississippi Gulf Coast's oyster industry poised for a comeback.
December 3, 2007... BILOXI -- Shrimp boats and their tasty harvest are part of the image most people have of the Mississippi Gulf Coast, but other important seafood crops are pulled from the waters of the Gulf. Before Hurricane Katrina, the oyster industry...

Book selling quickly.
December 3, 2007... Special to the Business Journal Three weeks after receiving the first printing of "From Manhattan to Mississippi: A New Yorker Falls in Love with the South," Daisy Karam-Read's book about her discoveries after moving to Mississippi, Quail...

ADP opening center in Clinton.
December 10, 2007... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] State and local officials, including Greater Jackson Chamber Partnership president and CEO Duane O'Neill (left to right) and Mississippi Development Authority executive director Gray Swoope, joined Automatic Data...

Chamber's annual event Wednesday at the Marriott.(Focus)
December 10, 2007... The Greater Jackson Chamber Partnership, formerly the MetroJackson Chamber of Commerce, will host its annual meeting on Wednesday at the Jackson Marriott. Randy James, chairman of the Partnership, announced that the keynote speaker for the...

MTA conference showcases shift from muscle to mind power.(Focus)(Mississippi Technology Alliance)(Conference news)
December 10, 2007... Mississippi's economy is shifting from muscle power to mind power at an unprecedented rate. That was the consensus from the Mississippi Technology Alliance's (MTA) Eighth Annual Conference on High Technology held in late November. The...

Training, technology helping banks thwart attempted check fraud.
December 10, 2007... A word of caution: attempted check fraud doubled nationwide in 2006, according to a survey by the American Bankers Association (ABA), reaching an estimated $12.2 billion. The Mississippi Bankers Association (MBA) agrees this is a problem, but...

After three decades, Tom Tabereaux bidding adieu to Junior Achievement.(retirement )(Brief article)
December 10, 2007... Special to the Mississippi Business Journal After 30 years with Junior Achievement, with the last 15 of those as president of Junior Achievement of Mississippi Inc., Tom Tabereaux has announced his retirement effective December 15, 2007....

BancorpSouth.(People to Watch)
December 10, 2007... W.O. Jones, senior vice president and director of human resources for Tupelo based BancorpSouth, has earned the Certified Benefit Professional (CBP) designation from World at Work, an international compensation and benefits association. In...

Hattiesburg Clinic.(People to Watch)(Wendell Helveston)(Brief article)
December 10, 2007... Wendell Helveston, M.D., a neurologist with Hattiesburg Clinic, has successfully completed the requirements for certification in the subspecialty of clinical neurophysiology. A native of Mobile, Ala., he received his medical degree from the...

Neel-Schaffer Inc.(People to Watch)
December 10, 2007... Nicole Orr has rejoined Neel-Schaffer Inc. as an engineer in the environmental department in Jackson after transferring from an overseas company. Orr received a bachelor of science degree in chemical engineering from Mississippi State...

Mississippi Public Broadcasting.(People to Watch)
December 10, 2007... Maggie Gibson has been promoted to deputy assistant for administration of Mississippi Public Broadcasting. In this role, she is responsible for accounting, internal audits, contracts and grants, facilities management and property inventory. The...

NAI Mark S. Bounds Realty Partners.(People to Watch)
December 10, 2007... J. Shelton Bounds has obtained his Certified Residential Appraiser License. He is an appraiser with NAI Mark S. Bounds Realty Partners in Madison. The firm is an exclusive partner of the NAI global real estate service delivery system,...

National Association of Medical Communicators.(People to Watch)
December 10, 2007... Scott E. Nelson, M.D., has been elected president of the National Association of Medical Communicators. Recently, he served as medical reporter for the CBS affiliate in Greenville. From 2004 to 2005, Nelson reported the "MEA Medical Minute" on...

Medical News Inc.(People to Watch)(appointment of Bill Coker )(Brief article)
December 10, 2007... Brentwood, Tenn.-based Medical News Inc. has named Bill Coker regional publisher for Mississippi Medical News, as well as Medical News of Arkansas, Memphis Medical News and West Tennessee Medical News. Coker brings a wealth of sales and...

Metropolitan YMCAs of Mississippi.(People to Watch)(promotion of Jara Miller at Young Men's Christian Associations)(Brief article)
December 10, 2007... Jara Miller has been promoted to vice president of family and children's services at the Metropolitan YMCAs of Mississippi. In this role, she leads the division of family and children's services encompassing a 16-county service area. Her...

Financial Planning Association.(People to Watch)
December 10, 2007... Danny C. Williams, CFP, has become the newest member of the Financial Planning Association's Chapter Leadership Resource Council, which works in partnership with FPA staff and board to provide strategies, peer consultation, resources and...

Travel Affiliates.(People to Watch)(appointment of Susan Wilson )(Brief article)
December 10, 2007... Susan Wilson has joined Gulfport-based Travel Affiliates full time since retiring from BellSouth. Associated with Travel Affiliates since 2000, she has been booking vacations for her clients in her spare time. Wilson holds the Certified Cruise...

FNC Inc. hires new marketing director.(People to Watch)
December 10, 2007... Special to the Mississippi Business Journal Oxford-based FNC Inc., a leading developer of real estate collateral management software, has hired Carol Luitjens to direct its global marketing and branding efforts, effective immediately. ...

[Cartoon].(Perspective)(Cartoon)
December 10, 2007... AN OLD PRO RETIRES... BRETT FAVRE?... TRENT LOTT! HE ALWAYS RAN RIGHT.... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] ... AND SOMETIMES FUMBLED THE BALL [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] BUT HE SCORED POINTS AT HOME... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] ...

Book of Lists, EXPO 2008 have us working like elves.(Viewpoint essay)
December 10, 2007... December is special in so many different ways--a break from school, seeing old friends, spending time with family, celebrating the season. And while business might be slowing down for many of our clients and customers who don't happen to be in...

GE hires Duke.(Strictly Business)
December 10, 2007... PANOLA COUNTY -- General Electric Company (GE) has selected Duke Realty Corporation to develop a 300,000-square-foot manufacturing and distribution facility located just east of Batesville in Northwest Mississippi. The facility will be...

Gulf LNG lands buyers.(Strictly Business)
December 10, 2007... PASCAGOULA -- A subsidiary of Houston, Texas-based El Paso Corporation has entered into an agreement to acquire a 50% interest in the Gulf LNG Clean Energy Project, a planned liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminal in Pascagoula. Terms were not...

TVA makes record payments.(Strictly Business)(Tennessee Valley Authority)(Brief article)
December 10, 2007... NORTH MISSISSIPPI -- The Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) paid state and local governments a record $447 million in lieu of taxes in 2007, an increase of 19% from the previous year. TVA makes the tax equivalent payments to eight states and...

Cal-Maine alters policy.(Strictly Business)(Cal-Maine Foods Inc. has change its fixed dividend policy)(Brief article)
December 10, 2007... JACKSON -- Cal-Maine Foods Inc.'s board of directors has approved the adoption of a variable dividend policy to replace the company's present fixed dividend policy. Effective with the third quarter of fiscal 2008, which ends March 1, 2008,...

Community Bank opening in Mobile.(Strictly Business)
December 10, 2007... Special to the Mississippi Business Journal Community Bancshares Inc., the holding company for Community Banks, is opening a new bank in Mobile, Ala., December 10. The new bank will be the seventh bank in the Brandon-based multi-bank...

Phil Hardwick's 10th novel released.(Strictly Business)
December 10, 2007... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Sheila Simmons (left to right), Great American Publishers/Great American Cookbooks publisher; Phil Hardwick, "Letters from Lexington" author and MBJ contributing columnist; and Debbie Kimbrough, Lexington Main Street...

Stop copper theft.(Strictly Business)
December 10, 2007... Jackson's metal recyclers--METAL PROCESSORS[R], TRI-MISS SERVICES[R] AND THE CAN MAN[R]--together with the Jackson Police Department, the Jackson City Council, the Hinds County Sheriff and other state and local law enforcement agencies are...

Delta State University offering iMBA.(Strictly Business)
December 10, 2007... CLEVELAND -- The Delta State University (DSU) College of Business is scheduled to launch an online MBA degree program beginning in January. Designed with professionals in mind, the Integrated Master of Business Administration (iMBA)...

Southridge signs agreement.(Strictly Business)
December 10, 2007... SLEDGE -- According to Southridge Enterprises Inc. of Dallas, Southridge Ethanol Inc., the company's wholly owned subsidiary, has signed a letter of intent with Advanced Petroleum Technologies, LLC, (APT). Under the agreement, Southridge...

Telemergency gets high marks.(Strictly Business)(University of Mississippi Medical Center )(Brief article)
December 10, 2007... JACKSON -- According to the University of Mississippi Medical Center (UMC), its Telemergency program is proving a success. The high-tech system links 11 rural hospitals to the state's only level one trauma center at UMC. Emergency medicine...