The Mississippi Business Journal articles from January 2006

The Mississippi Business Journal archives from January 2006

Disaster workers, local hires give boost to metro economy: federal employees from all over country calling Capital City home during Katrina tour of duty.
January 2, 2006... JACKSON -- Katrina's ill wind blew some economic gain into the Capital City with employment for local residents and increased sales for businesses. FEMA set up its base of operations for the state on Amite Street on September 17 with a total of...

This year, maybe I'll keep my resolutions 'til March.(As I See It)
January 2, 2006... Another year has come and gone, and we find ourselves in 2006--whether we're ready or not. Chances are, many of us are, in fact, not ready. Nonetheless, time waits on no one so we might as well get with the program and launch the new year with...

Legislative accountability.(Perspective)(Brief Article)
January 2, 2006... As never before, the people of Mississippi need legislative leadership. The 2006 session of the Legislature gets underway this week, and it is absolutely critical that these elected representatives put aside their petty differences and focus on...

Resolving loose ends, remembering headlines.(The View from Here)
January 2, 2006... My neighbors do a wonderful job of decorating their homes for the holidays. Stunning wreaths, brilliant Christmas lights and amusing inflatables and animatronics from Santa Claus to Homer Simpson dot the landscapes. The world is brighter for a...

Poll results.
January 2, 2006... Mississippi's Essential Source for Business News (601) 364-1000 1-800-283-4625 Business Journal Menu Home E-Bulletin Archives Subscribe/Renew Book of Lists Internet Directory Staff Advertising ...

Engineering Associates Inc.(People to Watch)(Brief Article)
January 2, 2006... Rob L. Wilson of Brandon has joined Engineering Associates Inc. (EAI), a subsidiary of Picketing Incorporated, as a civil designer at the Pearl location. Wilson holds a master's degree in civil engineering from the University of Mississippi. He...

David M. Compton CPA and Company.(People to Watch)
January 2, 2006... Edward Charles Randle, a senior staff accountant with David M. Compton CPA and Company, has passed the Uniform Certified Public Accountant examination. He is the first African-American CPA in public practice in Meridian. A native of Meridian,...

Mississippi Manufacturers Association.(People to Watch)(Brief Article)
January 2, 2006... Russell Bennett has joined the Mississippi Manufacturers Association (MMA) staff as director of environmental and taxation affairs. Bennett comes to MMA from the National Center for Policy Analysis (NCPA) in Dallas, where he was communications...

Community Bank.(People to Watch)
January 2, 2006... Richard L. Ridgway was elected to the board of directors for Community Bank. Ridgway is president of Ridgway Lane and Associates, a third-party real estate brokerage and management firm, vice president of Ridgway Management, a family asset...

University of Southern Mississippi.(People to Watch)(Brief Article)
January 2, 2006... Dr. Julian Allen has been hired as associate vice president for research and economic development at the University of Southern Mississippi. Allen is a retired colonel who served as director of plans and programs at Keesler Air Force Base in...

Mississippi Economic Development Council.(People to Watch)(Mississippi Economic Development Council)(Brief Article)
January 2, 2006... Jason Brookins was elected president of the board of directors of the Mississippi Economic Development Council (MEDC). Brookins is executive director of the Hinds County Economic Development District in Jackson. A native of Meridian, he holds a...

Wesley Medical Center.(People to Watch)
January 2, 2006... J. Troy McIntire, M.D., has recently completed the requirements to become a Fellow in the American College of Obstetrics & Gynecology. McIntire received his medical degree from the University of Mississippi School of Medicine in Jackson in 1999...

Hinds Community College.(People to Watch)
January 2, 2006... Hinds Community College (HCC) has placed educational coordinators in the three WIN Job centers within the HCC District. Educational coordinator Helean Hawkins works in the Jackson office. She served for three years as retention coordinator at...

KLLM.(People to Watch)(Brief Article)
January 2, 2006... Twenty-three drivers were recognized for passing KLLM's safe-driving milestones at the company's annual Million Mile Banquet held in Jackson. Honored for Chairman's Fleet induction (two million miles accident free) were: Terry Bergeron, Steven...

Noel Daniels of Gray Daniels Auto Family was the recipient of the 2005 HOPE AWARD at the annual Mississippi Division of the National Multiple Sclerosis (MS) Society Dinner of Champions.(People to Watch)
January 2, 2006... Noel Daniels (center) of Gray Daniels Auto Family was the recipient of the 2005 HOPE AWARD at the annual Mississippi Division of the National Multiple Sclerosis (MS) Society Dinner of Champions. This honor was given to Daniels in recognition of...

FNC Inc.(People to Watch)(Brief Article)
January 2, 2006... Oxford-based FNC Inc. promoted five long-time employees into higher management positions and hired two new analysts. David Grimes, formerly a systems analyst, is now the director of systems implementation. Grimes has been with FNC for more than...

Brunini, Grantham, Grower & Hewes, PLLC.(People to Watch)
January 2, 2006... Sixteen lawyers from Brunini, Grantham, Grower & Hewes, PLLC, were recently selected by their peers for inclusion in "The Best Lawyers in America 2006." Brunini lawyers are: Leigh B. Allen III, Corporate, M&A, and Securities Law, and Trusts and...

The First.(People to Watch)
January 2, 2006... Eric Waldron has joined The First, A National Banking Association, as a senior vice president and commercial lender in Hattiesburg. Waldron earned his BSBA and master of professional accountancy from the University of Southern Mississippi. He...

Grand Casino Resort.(People to Watch)
January 2, 2006... Darrell Pilant is the new vice president of operations at Grand Casino Resort in Tunica. He comes to the Mid-South from Harrah's properties in South Louisiana. He is a graduate of the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy in New York and was a licensed...

Mississippi Public Broadcasting (MPB).(People to Watch)
January 2, 2006... Mississippi Public Broadcasting promoted Brenda Busby to program manager. She is responsible for generating the monthly program schedule and daily program broadcast logs. Busby, a 16-year employee with MPB, will continue to serve as an editor...

Johnson Bailey Henderson McNeel.(People to Watch)(Brief Article)
January 2, 2006... Johnson Bailey Henderson McNeel (JBHM) Architects welcomes Maggie Atwood and John McBride to the firm. Atwood will serve as an intern interior designer in the Tupelo office. She graduated from Mississippi State University (MSU) in 2000 and...

Ameriprise Financial Services Inc.(People to Watch)
January 2, 2006... Ameriprise Financial Services Inc. (formerly American Express Financial Advisors Inc.) announces that Randolph "Randy" O. Garner has joined Gary N. Garner's Financial Practice in Hattiesburg as an associate financial advisor. Previously, Randy...

Delta Regional Medical Center.(People to Watch)
January 2, 2006... Gay Watson Pieralisi of Delta Regional Medical Center has been named executive director of The Regional Health Network, a community organization of physicians, hospitals and employers in the Delta counties of western Mississippi and eastern...

Mississippi employers support U.S. troops.(People to Watch)
January 2, 2006... Thomas H. Bowen (l), Mississippi Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve (ESGR) committee volunteer, accepts the Department of Defense James M. Roche Spirit of Volunteerism Award from Bob Hollingsworth, ESGR executive director. Bowen served...

Isle of Capri opens Coast's first land-based casino.(Strictly Business)
January 2, 2006... BILOXI -- On December 26, Isle of Capri Casinos Inc. reopened its land-based casino at the Isle of Capri Casino Resort in this Mississippi Gulf Coast city following Hurricane Katrina. The casino, the first land-based casino to open since...

American Eagle expands Gulf service.(Strictly Business)(Brief Article)
January 2, 2006... GULFPORT -- American Eagle, the regional affiliate of American Airlines, has launched daily nonstop service between Gulfport-Biloxi International Airport and Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport. American Eagle now operates two daily...

Helen of Troy cuts ribbon.(Strictly Business)
January 2, 2006... SOUTHAVEN -- On December 21, Helen of Troy Limited held a special ribbon-cutting ceremony for its new distribution center in this Northwest Mississippi city. This center will expand the company's eastern United States distribution facilities to...

GST changing name, expanding.(Strictly Business)(Great Southern Tractor)(Brief Article)
January 2, 2006... RICHLAND -- Great Southern Tractor (GST), Mississippi's Komatsu construction and utility equipment dealer since 1987, will change its name to Lyle Machinery effective January 2006. The announcement comes on the eve of the company's effort to...

Occupancy down at Parkway.(Strictly Business)
January 2, 2006... JACKSON -- According to Parkway Properties Inc., as of December 1, 2005, occupancy of the office portfolio was 89.7%, compared to 90% as of Oct. 1,2005. During the two months ended November 30, 2005, 53 leases were renewed or expanded for...

Harrah's selling Grand.(Strictly Business)
January 2, 2006... GULFPORT -- Harrah's Entertainment Inc. has signed a definitive agreement to sell the assets of Grand Casino Gulfport to Gulfside Casino Partnership, subject to the receipt of required regulatory approvals. The purchase price was not disclosed....

Airgas increasing capacity.(Strictly Business)
January 2, 2006... STAR -- Airgas Inc. is investing $7.5 million to build an 850-ton-per-day (tpd) expansion of its liquid carbon dioxide plant in this Rankin County community. The expansion will boost production to 2,000 tpd. The Star facility is one of...

Progressive opens Coast office.(Strictly Business)(Brief Article)
January 2, 2006... BILOXI -- Progressive Gaming International Corporation celebrated the grand opening of its new office and showroom in this Mississippi Gulf Coast city December 16, 2005. The new facility is located on Iberville Drive. Russ McMeekin,...

On-Site finalizes deals.(Strictly Business)
January 2, 2006... JACKSON -- On-Site Fuel Service Inc. has acquired the assets of Southern Fueling, LLC. Terms were not disclosed. Southern Fueling has operations in Louisiana at Baton Rouge, New Orleans, Shreveport and Monroe. It is a division of Central...

A portrait of former Gov. Ronnie Musgrove was unveiled last month at the State Capitol.(Strictly Business)
January 2, 2006... A portrait of former Gov. Ronnie Musgrove was unveiled last month at the State Capitol. The portrait was painted by Frank Norfleet, the first African-American artist to paint a portrait of a Mississippi governor. Musgrove is an attorney, of...

Workers healthier in 2004.(Strictly Business)(Brief Article)
January 2, 2006... WASHINGTON -- A total of 1.3 million injuries and illnesses in private industry required recuperation away from work beyond the day of the incident in 2004, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. This represents a decline of 56,600...

EastGroup buys in Tampa.(Strictly Business)(Brief Article)
January 2, 2006... JACKSON -- EastGroup Properties has acquired a 112,000-square-foot business distribution property in Tampa, Fla. for $7.35 million. Constructed in 2001, the building, which is renamed Oak Creek IV, is 100% leased to a single customer, and...

Facilities top $3.4b.(Strictly Business)(Brief Article)
January 2, 2006... ACROSS MISSISSIPPI -- According to the Mississippi Development Authority, from January-November 2005 there were a total of 748 new and expanded facilities announced across the state. These projects are expected to create an estimated 12,791 new...

Ag show returns.(Strictly Business)(Brief Article)
January 2, 2006... CLEVELAND -- The 33rd-annual Delta Ag Expo will be January 17-18, 2006 at the Bolivar County Exposition Center. It will offer educational seminars on some aspect of all Delta crops including special sessions on practical solutions to save on...

LBS doubles distributions.(Strictly Business)(Land Bank South )(Brief Article)
January 2, 2006... JACKSON -- Land Bank South (LBS), formerly known as the Federal Land Bank Association of South Mississippi, has distributed $2 million in patronage payments to its borrowers. The amount, double the $1 million paid to borrowers-stockholders in...

Seafood passes tests.(Strictly Business)
January 2, 2006... MISSISSIPPI GULF COAST -- According to the states of Alabama, Mississippi and Louisiana, along with federal partners, hundreds of samples of fish and shellfish, collected and analyzed in the aftermath of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, show no...

Peoples declares dividend, extends repurchase plan.(Strictly Business)
January 2, 2006... BILOXI -- The board of directors of Peoples Financial Corporation, parent of The Peoples Bank, has declared the holding company's regular semiannual cash dividend of 20 cents per common share, payable January 17, 2006, to stockholders of record...

Entergy to offer equity units.(Strictly Business)
January 2, 2006... CLINTON -- Entergy Corporation plans to offer $500 million of equity units, subject to market conditions. Entergy said it would use the net proceeds to repay debt incurred under its $2-billion, five-year revolving credit facility that expires...

Insurers to pay $12b.(Strictly Business)
January 2, 2006... JACKSON -- Insurers in Mississippi are expected to pay out $12 billion in insured losses stemming from Hurricane Katrina. According to Property Claims Services, the New Jersey-based subsidiary of the Insurance Service Office (ISO) that compiles...

New weighing facility open.(Strictly Business)(Brief Article)
January 2, 2006... LAUDERDALE COUNTY -- Ceremonies commemorating the opening of the new Weigh in Motion Scales Facility in this Central Mississippi county were held December 14 at the site located one mile west of the Alabama-Mississippi line. The...

Import, export indexes fall.(Strictly Business)
January 2, 2006... WASHINGTON -- Import prices decreased 1.7% in November following a 0.3% increase in October, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Falling petroleum prices led the overall decrease, although non-petroleum prices also declined. The...

Academy changes plans.(Strictly Business)(Academy and Outdoor Sports)(Westover Crossing)(Brief Article)
January 2, 2006... HATTIESBURG -- According to Westover Crossing, LLC, Academy and Outdoor Sports has changed its plans to open in Westover Crossing. Developers Dennis Pierce, Roy Baylis and Andy Stetelman said they were disappointed that Academy would not...

Aerospace group makes appeal.(Strictly Business)
January 2, 2006... HANCOCK COUNTY -- The Aerospace Industries Association (AIA) is urging lawmakers to include the cost of rebuilding NASA facilities damaged by recent hurricanes in the federal budget. Rebuilding and repairs to two hurricane-damaged NASA centers...

Productivity growth revised.(Strictly Business)
January 2, 2006... WASHINGTON -- According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, seasonally adjusted, revised productivity data, as measured by output per hour of all persons, for the third quarter of 2005 show productivity growth of 5.4% in the business sector and...

Schools to get WSJ-CE.(Strictly Business)
January 2, 2006... METRO JACKSON -- Seven Jackson area high schools were selected to receive a complimentary subscription to The Wall Street Journal Classroom Edition (WSJ-CE) for the 2005-2006 school year. The CFA Society of Mississippi, a local non-profit...

Timber conference slated.(Strictly Business)(Brief Article)
January 2, 2006... PHILADELPHIA -- The School of Accountancy at Mississippi State University (MSU) will present the Timber Wealth Management, Accounting and Taxation Conference January 23, 2006, at Pearl River Resort. The event's hours are 8:30 a.m. until 7:30...

FIRST coming to Stennis.(Strictly Business)(For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology)(Brief Article)
January 2, 2006... HANCOCK COUNTY -- Local high schools are gearing up to participate in the 2006 FIRST Robotics Competition. The FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) Robotics Competition officially begins January 7 with a regional...

Huntingtons' wines win again.(Strictly Business)
January 2, 2006... JACKSON -- Huntingtons Grille has received the Award of Distinction from Wine Enthusiast Magazine. Huntingtons received the award for its wine program, and marks the second time in 2005 that the restaurant has won a national wine award.. ...

Library campaign continues.(Strictly Business)(Brief Article)
January 2, 2006... JACKSON -- On December 9, Friends of Mississippi Libraries Inc. (FMLI) launched phase two of its Rebuild Mississippi Libraries campaign. JH&H Architects-Planners-Interiors, P.A.; Business Interiors: Associated Office Systems of Mississippi;...

Employer costs top $26 per hour.(Strictly Business)
January 2, 2006... WASHINGTON -- Employer costs for employee compensation averaged $26.05 per hour worked in September 2005, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Wages and salaries, which averaged $18.28, accounted for 70.2% of these costs, while...

Volunteers remain steady.(Strictly Business)
January 2, 2006... WASHINGTON -- Approximately 65.4 million people volunteered through or for an organization at least once between September 2004 and September 2005, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The proportion of the population who volunteered...

SBA assistance tops $1.5b.(Strictly Business)
January 2, 2006... WASHINGTON -- As of December 19, more than $1.56 billion in U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) disaster assistance loans have been approved for almost 23,000 residents and business owners affected by the devastating hurricanes that struck...

The Slevin Group expands into the Magnolia State.
January 2, 2006... JACKSON -- In 1996 when Patrick Slevin was elected mayor of Safety Harbor, Fla., a city of 20,000 located near Tampa, it generated a media buzz. He had run opposed, so why all the coverage? For one thing, Slevin had no prior experience in...

Malcolm White brings business-and-the-arts background.(Hal & Mal's Restaurant )(Company Profile)
January 2, 2006... JACKSON -- Malcolm White knows a lot about both business and the arts. He is a successful entrepreneur and restaurateur, co-owner of the downtown Jackson landmark Hal & Mal's Restaurant along with his brother, Hal White. He is also a strong...

Ready for a resolution? Review hiring/discipline system.(Focus Law of Accounting)(Weyco)
January 2, 2006... Last fall, Howard Weyers, owner of Weyco, an insurance consulting firm near Lansing, Mich., came under fire for terminating the employment of two model employees who smoked outside the workplace. Giving his staff 15 months' notice, he...

Lawyers hit hard by hurricane but continuing to practice.(Focus Law & Accounting)
January 2, 2006... Like all professions on the Gulf Coast, the legal community is carrying on and rebuilding solo and group practices in the wake of Hurricane Katrina. They're doing it with the help of personal and professional friends. Both the Mississippi Bar...

South Mississippi CPAs preparing for busy tax season: many professionals still recovering from Katrina's devastation.(Focus Law of Accounting)
January 2, 2006... As certified public accountants (CPAs) in South Mississippi continue to rebuild their lives and their practices from the devastation of Hurricane Katrina, they're also preparing for one of their busiest tax seasons ever. One of the hardest...

Federal tax relief act lessens anxiety for Katrina's victims.(Focus Law of Accounting)
January 2, 2006... A new year has dawned and that means the taxman cometh. All who must file business and individual returns with the Internal Revenue Service look for relief. That search for every possible exemption is magnified for Mississippi residents who in...

CPA firms.(Certified Public Accounting Firms)(Illustration)
January 2, 2006... Name, Telephone Number Number of Total Staff Address Fax HORNE LLP (601) 948-0940 350 AmSouth Building (601) 973-2043...

Birmingham-based Burr & Forman growing presence here: Jackson, Laurel offices helping firm 'grow strategically in the Southeast.'.(Focus Law of Accounting)
January 2, 2006... The second-largest law firm in Alabama recently expanded its Mississippi practice by opening an office in Laurel. Bob Gholson and Craig Orr, formerly of Gholson & Orr, PLLC, officially joined Birmingham, Ala.-based Burr & Forman as partners...

New MC Law campus drawing attention, students: long-awaited downtown Jackson project a recruiting tool for school.(Focus Law & Accounting)
January 2, 2006... JACKSON -- On December 1, 2005, the Mississippi College (MC) School of Law unveiled its newly-completed campus in downtown Jackson with a reception and open house. Spirits were high and the crowd was large as a goal several years in the making...

Starkville law firm brings professionals back home: Perry, Winfield & Wolfe has 'quality and responsiveness that you won't find anywhere.'.(Focus Law of Accounting)
January 2, 2006... STARKVILLE -- They talked about it for years, got a lot of varied experience with law firms of different sizes and paid their dues. Then these three young professionals came home to Starkville and opened a law firm that they believe can provide...

No one immune to fraud, so how safe is your business?(In Focus)
January 2, 2006... Are you a victim of fraud? Most business owners believe they are immune or do not consider fraud to be a significant problem. However, various studies, such as the 2004 Association of Certified Fraud Examiners (ACFE) study showing that the...

Language of investment changing with the times.(Ticker Talk)
January 2, 2006... A friend of mine dropped by my office the other day. After charming his way past Pat, who guards the gates at our place, he strolled into my office. I looked up and smiled, "Hey, Joe. To what do I owe the pleasure?" "Buenos dias. Como...

Considering the future.(Econ 101)
January 2, 2006... Spending drives our economy and that consumer spending accounts for more than two-thirds of annual total spending. Growth in consumption spending is then tantamount to economic growth. When jobs are being created and personal incomes are...

Mississippi events business.(Calendar)
January 2, 2006... Thursday, January 5 * First Steps Seminar, from 6 p.m. until 8 p.m., at the Mississippi e-Center on the campus of Jackson State University. Admission is free. To register, call (601) 979-2795. Sunday, January 8 * The Premier...

GO Zone Act spurs recovery efforts in dozens of state's hard-hit counties: legislation designed to encourage business to reinvest, rehire Sen. Trent Lott says.
January 9, 2006... Like a glistening jewel in the hurricane redevelopment incentives passed by Congress last month lies the vital spark of the newly created Gulf Opportunity (GO) Zone. Covering 40 Mississippi counties affected by Hurricane Katrina, which...

Casino reopenings great news for many on Coast.
January 9, 2006... BILOXI -- "Isle be back," was the catchy promise on Coast billboards following Hurricane Katrina. And that promise was kept December 26 when approximately 1,000 people showed up for the reopening of the Isle of Capri. The Isle, which was the...

Don't dwell on failure when outcome isn't perfect.(As I See It)
January 9, 2006... A new year is well underway, and we're off to a new start. Many of us have resolved that we'll live better, work harder and be healthier during in 2006. I am a firm believer in the power of goals and strategies in both our businesses and our...

Counting down to EXPO.(Perspective)
January 9, 2006... The state's premier business-to-business trade show, the Mississippi Business and Technology EXPO, celebrates it's 23rd year January 18-19, 2006. It's hard to believe that this year's event, a Mississippi Business Journal special production,...

Time to take our Social Security medicine.(Musings)
January 9, 2006... This year, Social Security will celebrate its 70th birthday. My parents tell me this is the age you start to fall apart. All the excesses and abuses of your youth catch up to you, and you discover new aches and pains on a daily basis. ...

Ameristar Casino Vicksburg.(People to Watch)
January 9, 2006... Ameristar Casino Vicksburg announced the promotion of Vicksburg native Chris Chatham to director of player development. Chatham joined Ameristar in 1997 as a junior host. Prior to Chatham joining Ameristar, Chatham spent five years working as...

Regions Bank.(People to Watch)
January 9, 2006... I. Bandy Singh has joined Regions Bank as vice president and relationship manager at the main branch in Hattiesburg. Singh has 24 years of banking experience in Mississippi including positions with Union Planters Bank as an asset review officer...

Hattiesburg Clinic.(People to Watch)(appoints Jeffrey A. Burns)(Brief Article)
January 9, 2006... Jeffrey A. Burns, M.D., orthopedic surgeon, joined the staff of Hattiesburg Clinic Orthopedics in December. Burns received his medical degree from Eastern Virginia Medical School in Norfolk, Va. He then completed a general surgery internship...

BancorpSouth.(People to Watch)
January 9, 2006... Frank Jadzinski has been named manager of the Columbus main office of BancorpSouth. He has four years' management experience and seven years' lending experience. A graduate of Mississippi State University, he holds a bachelor's degree in...

Synergetics DCS.(People to Watch)
January 9, 2006... Matt Furnari, Synergetics DCS Inc. sales account manager, has recently achieved two certifications from CISCO Systems: Cisco Sales Expert and CISCO Wireless LAN Sales Specialist. Furnari has been a sales account manager with Starkville-based...

Bobby Dews, immediate past chairman of the Mississippi Manufacturers Association board of directors, presents a $10,000 check to Dr. Shelby Thames.(People to Watch)
January 9, 2006... Bobby Dews (l), immediate past chairman of the Mississippi Manufacturers Association board of directors, presents a $10,000 check to Dr. Shelby Thames, president of the University of Southern Mississippi, to be used for scholarships in the...

Craig Pendleton, coordinating director of the Northwest Atlantic Marine Alliance (NAMA), a fisheries group from Saco, Maine, presented a check for $25,000 to Mississippi Department of Marine Resources (DMR) executive director William Walker at a ceremony last month in Gulfport.(People to Watch)
January 9, 2006... Craig Pendleton, far left, coordinating director of the Northwest Atlantic Marine Alliance (NAMA), a fisheries group from Saco, Maine, presented a check for $25,000 to Mississippi Department of Marine Resources (DMR) executive director William...

STAR Marketing Systems.(People to Watch)(appoints Bob Davidge)(Brief Article)
January 9, 2006... STAR Marketing Systems (STAR), a Destin, Fla., real estate marketing and sales firm for resort developers and real estate development companies, has named Bob Davidge as director of marketing. Davidge was advertising and public relations...

Lockard and Williams Insurance Services.(People to Watch)
January 9, 2006... Jim Williams of Lockard and Williams Insurance Services in Pascagoula has been elected chairman of the board of directors for the Society of Professional Benefit Administrators (SPBA) for 2006. Williams has served on the board of directors...