Mbj sept06 2013

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September 6, 2013 • Vol. 35, No. 36 • $1 • 24 pages

SPECIAL REPORT: TRANSPORTATION IN MISSISSIPPI

AIRLINES TAKE FLIGHTS Decisions on adding and subtracting routes ‘the secret recipe of our industry’ — Page 10

MBJ FOCUS: ENERGY

$500 million Entergy investments Page 14

September 6, 2013

METRO BUSINESS

Great Harvest Bread closes Ridgeland store, boosts outreach efforts Paul Rankin, owner of Great Harvest Bread Co, is excited about the new opportunities the bakery will be able to fulfill in the community in the coming months. Rankin is consolidating his bakery locations by closing his Ridgeland location to focus more baking efforts at his Jackson store. The Jackson bakery completed a full renovation, located at 5006 Parkway Drive and will offer the same great menu that was available at the Ridgeland location.

"We will have more time and energy to reach out to the community to support nonprofits and area events that our customers care about," says Rankin.

"We are excited about sponsoring local functions and holding slicing events at 5K races and area festivals."

In the coming weeks, the bakery will be slicing at the Celtic Fest (Sept. 6-8), the health fair at the Holy Ghost Catholic Church (Sept. 14), and a 5K fundraiser for Rideability (Oct. 5).

“These events allow folks to experience our product while supporting a local cause,” says Rankin. “People love shopping at locally owned businesses, and we meet a lot of great customers through these slicing events.”

The Ridgeland bakery closed on Aug. 31, but the same menu is available in Jackson. Recent updates at the Jackson location include a re-painted customer lobby and a new coffee menu provided by local roaster Bean Fruit Coffee Co. Two tables are great for people who want to have a bite in the bakery or relax with a cup of coffee.

Great Harvest’s legendary Honey Whole Wheat, High Five Fiber, Cinnamon Swirl and Dakota are among the featured whole grain breads. Other popular items include the bakery’s energy bars (Trek Bars, Marathon Bars, and Y-Bars), cinnamon rolls, and teacake breads including Lemon Blueberry, Butter Pecan, and Chocolate Brownie. The bakery also specializes in gift baskets, gift bags, and trays of treats.

Customers can watch the baking process in action with bakers who grind the wheat, knead the dough, and handcraft each loaf. The Great Harvest bakery mills premium Montana wheat berries into whole wheat flour daily and blends it with pure-and-simple ingredients such as honey, purified water, herbs and more to ensure products taste rich, fresh and offer natural nutrients.

Local residents are encouraged to stop by for a free slice of breads and sweets hot-out-of-the oven. “Our bakery is rooted in generosity and we thoroughly enjoy sharing our daily creations,” says Rankin.

The bakery donates to numerous charities including area shelters through the Gleaners Community Food Bank. In addition, Great Harvest loves to partner with local schools and churches to host bake day events that raise money for various causes including the Diabetes Foundation of Mississippi.

Originally founded in 1976 in Great Falls, Mont., Great Harvest has more than 200 bakeries located throughout the nation including Alaska and Hawaii.

All bakeries are individually owned and operated, and no two are alike. Great Harvest is known for handcrafted breads made with freshly ground whole wheat purchased from family-owned farms.

— from staff and MBJ wire services

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MANUFACTURING

Ingalls to close in Gulfport; Pascagoula to remain open GULFPORT — Huntington Ingalls Industries says it will close its Gulfport shipyard by May 2014.

In an announcement Wednesday morning, the Newport News, Va.-based company said the shutdown is necessary because of a reduction in work for the Navy’s Zumwalt-class destroyers.

Company president and CEO Mike Petters said the Navy has switched to steel for use in future ships.

The decision, he said, means more limited demand for products produced by the company’s Gulfport Composite Center of Excellence.

“This is a difficult but necessary decision,” Petters

said in a statement. “Due to the reduction in the Zumwalt-class (DDG 1000) ship construction and the recent U.S. Navy decision to use steel products on Lyndon B. Johnson (DDG 1002), there is both limited and declining Navy use for composite products from the Gulfport Facility.”

Petters said work now underway in Gulfport is expected to be complete by the end of the first quarter of 2014.

“We are working closely with our Navy customer to efficiently complete our composite work on Michael Monsoor (DDG 1001) and the mast of Portland (LPD

PUBLIC SERVICE COMMISSION

BANKING AND FINANCE

Miss. Power seeks to recoup $45,000 payment

Renasant-First M&F merger done; new company holds $5.8B in assets

Mississippi Power Co. filed as part of its most recent list of business expenses a $45,000 payment to the Mississippi Energy Institute.

Utilities routinely file expenses with the Mississippi Public Service Commission, asking regulators to allow them to include the expenses in their rate base. That would essentially pass them on to ratepayers.

Northern District Public Service Commissioner Brandon Presley said in an interview that Mississippi Power Co. should not be allowed to recoup the payment to MEI. “It’s ridiculous they’d include that,” he said of the payment. The MEI, an energy policy think tank, is one of the primary supporters of a plan to store and transport nuclear waste in Mississippi.

Presley opposes the plan.

Jeff Franklin, Mississippi Power’s VP of customer service organization, sits on MEI’s board of directors.

Presley said MEI’s support of the nuclear storage proposal amounted more to lobbying than developing energy policy. He said he plans to try to exclude the payment from the utility’s rate calculations at the PSC’s Sept. 10 meeting. He added that state law prohibits lobbying fees from being included in utilities’ customer rates. Mississippi Power spokesman Keith Guillot said that utility officials “believe our contribution to MEI is consistent with the purpose of

27) by the end of the first quarter 2014,” said Irwin Edenzon, Huntington Ingalls corporate vice president and president of Ingalls Shipbuilding.

The company said some of the 427 workers at the Gulfport yard may be able to transfer to other Huntington Ingalls yards.

Ingalls also has shipyards in Pascagoula and in Avondale, La., a suburb of New Orleans.

Neither appears to be affected by Wednesday’s announcement though the company has already downsized the Louisiana facility.

— staff and MBJ wire services

TUPELO and KOSCIUSKO — Renasant Corporation of Tupelo has completed its merger with First M&F Corporation, a bank holding company headquartered in Kosciusko and the parent of Merchants and Farmers Bank.

The combined company has approximately $5.8 billion in total assets with 130 banking, mortgage, financial services and insurance offices throughout Mississippi, Tennessee, Alabama and Georgia.

The merger adds $1.6 billion in assets, $1.4 billion in deposits and 42 banking and insurance locations throughout Renasant’s Mississippi, Alabama and Tennessee banking franchises. In addition, the merger significantly increases Renasant’s deposit market share in the Birmingham, Ala., and Memphis, Tenn., MSAs and the key Mississippi markets of Tupelo, Oxford and Starkville, while providing entrance into the markets surrounding Jackson. The merger will double Renasant’s insurance operations as M&F Insurance will become Renasant Insurance Inc., a subsidiary of Renasant Bank, on September 1, 2013.

The conversion and integration of M&F into Renasant is expected to be completed in December 2013.

— staff and MBJ wire services furthering economic development.”

— Clay Chandler / MBJ staff

MANUFACTURING

St. James Lighting is adding jobs in Columbia COLUMBIA — St. James Lighting is expanding its

operations in Columbia to create 20 new jobs.

The announcement came from the company and the governor’s office. Officials say the $225,000 investment will meet a growing demand for its products. The company currently has 23 employees.

St. James Lighting manufactures handcrafted copper lighting fixtures and custom interior chandeliers and pendants.

— staff and MBJ wire services

LAW AND ACCOUNTING

State Supreme Court unanimously upholds open carry law The Mississippi Supreme Court ruled last week that House Bill 2 — the “open carry law” — is constitutionally clear, agreeing with the state that the law should take effect immediately.

The ruling came in the form of an order, agreed to by all nine justices, and signed by Justice Randy Pierce. The law will take effect immediately.

The fight over HB 2, which passed last legislative session, started earlier this summer when Hinds County District Attorney Robert Shuler Smith asked Hinds County Circuit Judge Winston Kidd to issue an injunction that would keep the law from taking effect July 1. Smith was joined by a handful of law enforcement agencies.

Kidd granted the injunction, saying then that the law was vague. Attorney General Jim Hood’s office appealed Kidd’s ruling to the Mississippi Supreme Court.

The high court said in its ruling Thursday that Kidd “erred as a matter of law when he found House Bill 2 to be vague and, therefore, unconstitutional.” The court also disagreed with the portion of Kidd’s ruling that said a reading of the law did not allow a reasonable person to determine what is and what is not prohibited.

HB 2 makes it lawful to carry weapons and firearms, as long as they’re not concealed. Exceptions include certain government buildings like courthouses and schools and private property where they owner has forbidden them. It does not change the state’s conceal carry law, which requires those carrying concealed weapons have a permit.

— Clay Chandler / MBJ staff

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HEALTH INSURANCE

Contract or not, HMA treating Blue Cross patients as ‘in-network’ » HMA hopes policy keeps patient levels intact until resolution reached

By TED CARTER I STAFF WRITER ted.carter@msbusiness.com

Having lost their contract with Blue Cross Blue Shield of Mississippi with its expiration Sunday, 10 Mississippi hospitals owned by Health Management Associates will continue charging Blue Cross Blue Shield patients the same fees specified in the contract.

On one hand, such health care providers as Central Mississippi Medical Center, River Oaks Hospital in Brandon and Biloxi Regional Medical Center may keep a significant portion of their patients from a base HMA officials say accounts for 30 percent to 40 percent of insured patients at the 10 hospitals. But they will do so at a reimbursement rate the 10 hospitals say in a June lawsuit accounted for underpayments from BCBS of around $17 million.

Treating Blue Cross Blue Shield of Mississippi customers as “in-network” patients will put pressure on Health Management Associates’ fiscal health and is a policy HMA executives are unsure they can maintain for long, said Kace Ragan, Mississippi spokeswoman for the publiclytraded, for-profit hospital chain based in Naples, Fla. “It’s a commitment to our patients.”

Ragan said.

She noted that as a break in the impasse with BCBS began to look unlikely in recent weeks, physicians associated with HMA hospitals began mailing letters to their BCBS patients advising that they would continue to be charged innetwork rates.

But for how long?

“I have been told we will do it for as long as we are able to,” Ragan said.

The spokeswoman insisted care levels will not diminish, though she conceded some cutbacks in services could occur.

Should BCBS designate new care providers as in-network to replace HMA hospitals and their physicians, HMA would have to address any decline in patients, according to Ragan. “If we had fewer patients coming to our hospitals, would we consider downsizing? Absolutely.

That’s just business.”

In the meantime, the hospital group is

Special to the Mississippi Business Journal

Central Mississippi Medical Center in Jackson.

Hospital Management Associates Mississippi hospitals » Central Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson » Crossgates River Oaks Hospital, Brandon » Madison River Oaks Medical Center, Canton » River Oaks Hospital and Woman’s Hospital, both in Flowood » Biloxi Regional Medical Center » Gilmore Memorial Regional Medical Center, Amory, Natchez Community Hospital » Northwest Mississippi Regional Medical Center, Clarksdale » Tri-Lakes Medical Center, Batesville

Special to the Mississippi Business Journal

Crossgates River Oaks Hospital.

“talking to a lot of businesses that want options” for the employees they cover under BCBS of Mississippi, Ragan said.

Some discussions with the private sector, she said, have centered on issues “like how to get out of Blue Cross Blue Shield or how to get Blue Cross to change” its hard

line on reimbursements to the hospitals.

The financial drain from the drop in reimbursement rates comes as Community Health Systems of Franklin, Tenn., does its due diligence on a planned $7.6-billion acquisition of HMA’s 10 Mississippi hospitals and 61 others, located mostly in the

South and along the eastern seaboard.

The acquisition will bring Community Health Systems hospitals to 205.

Ragan said she has received no indication that either the expired Blue Cross Blue Shield of Mississippi contract or the continued treatment of the giant insurers’ customers as in-network patients has jeopardized the sale.

She emphasized, however, that the suitors “are in the process of looking at us. We do not have a done deal…. If it does happen, it will probably be the first quarter.”

Blue Cross Blue Shield of Mississippi’s break up with HMA began with a lawsuit by hospital chain’s claiming the member-owned insurance provider had underpaid the hospitals $17 million for healthcare services.

A few days after HMA sued, BCBS went silent and the calendar began moving toward the contract’s Sept. 1 expiration.

“That is when they stopped talking to us,” HMA’s Ragan said of the lawsuit.

Ragan said the hospital group has received no response from BCBS to a written offer last week to back off the lawsuit for 60 days in exchange for extending the current contract for 60 days and resuming contract negotiations in the interim.

BCBS spokeswoman Meredith Virden did not return a phone call Tuesday for comment.

In a late August letter to Mississippi newspapers, around two-dozen physicians urged that “something radical” be done to end the impasse. The letter included a plea for the insurance giant and hospital group to resolve their differences and for Insurance Commissioner Mike Chaney and Gov. Phil Bryant to prod the parties to settle.

The letter, with the lead signature of Madison anesthesiologist Dr. Heddy-Dale Matthias, predicted that the departure of Blue Cross Blue Shield patients from HMA hospitals would lead to downsizing of hospitals in Clarksdale, Batesville, Amory, Natchez and Biloxi, many of which are rural, sole-provider hospitals.

Matthias and the other signers of the letter blamed today’s trouble on deregulation of Mississippi’s insurance sector a decade ago — a move the writer said let BCBS become “so large and powerful that its market share dwarfs other commercial insurance companies.”

The result, they wrote, is “the hardhanded monopolistic behavior” of BCBS and “the loss of a vibrant, competitive health insurance market in Mississippi.”

September 6, 2013

BANKING AND FINANCE

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EDUCATION

More state financial institutions stepping into profit column

“The program benefits the students, because they can complete the engineering and law degrees in six years instead of seven.”

Richard Gershon Dean, University of Mississippi School of Law

» Increases in operating income helped reduce unprofitable institutions from 13.48 to 3.45% in 2011

By TED CARTER I STAFF WRITER ted.carter@msbusiness.com

Mississippi‘s 87 banks and credit unions accounted for $271 million of the $42.2 billion in profits federally insured institutions earned in the second quarter.

Magnolia State financial institutions achieved growth in workforce, deposits, loans, assets and equity capital, while lowering their totals in the trouble categories of Real Estate Owned properties and non-current loans and leases from the same quarter of 2012.

The increase in operating income helped to keep the percentage of unprofitable institutions at 3.45 percent, the same as the second quarter of 2012 but significantly improved from the same quarter of 2011, when 13.48 percent of the state’s FDIC-insured institutions lost money, the FDIC reported in its State Banking Performance Summary.

Red ink continued to be most prevalent among Mississippi’s small banks, with 11.76 percent of banks with assets under $100 million ending the quarter in the unprofitable category. Last year’s second quarter ended with 10 percent of the state’s small banks in the unprofitable column. While a double-digit percentage of small banks remain unprofitable, Mississippi’s small community banks have erased significant red ink since Q2 2011, when 39.13 percent of them lost money.

Profit improvement has been significant for Mississippi banks of all sizes in the 2011-to- 2013 period.

They ended the second quarter of 2011 with 13.47 percent of them failing to earn a profit compared to the 3.45 percent for the same quarters of this year and last year.

Nationally, a drop in bad loans helped U.S. banks to earn more from April through June than in any quarter on record, the Associated Press reported soon after the close of the second quarter. Across the United States, bank losses on loans fell 30.7 percent from last year to

$14.2 billion.

For Mississippi’s banks and credit unions, the net income of $271 million marked a second year of increased profits in the second quarter, starting with a rise from $206 million in Q2 2011 to $263 million in the same quarter of 2012.

Beyond the nearly 33 percent jump in income, the second quarter also brought a resumption of asset growth for Mississippi’s financial institutions. The $60 billion in assets reported in Q2 2011 dipped to $59.8 billion in the same quarter 2012. In the most recent quarter, assets grew to $62.8 billion.

Earning assets increased to $55.5 billion from $53 billion a year earlier.

Total lending climbed 3.5 percent, from $37.4 billion in the second quarter of 2012 to $38.6 billion in the recent quarter.

Meanwhile, employment in Mississippi’s banks climbed to 17,841 in Q2 from 17,528 in Q2 2012 and 17,308 in Q2 2011. For the same periods, total deposits reached $52.1 billion compared to $49.1 billion in 2012 and $48.8 billion in 2011.

That deposit growth helped to push core deposits-to-total liabilities to 79 percent in Q2 from 77.3 percent the previous year and 73.9 percent in 2011.

The dollar amount of real estate owned properties -- buildings and land that banks have had to take back after mortgage loan defaults -- continued a two-year drop. At the close of Q2 2011, Mississippi‘s federally insured institutions had a total REO of $683 million. The REO level dropped to $652 million in Q2 2012 and to $539 million in this year’s most recent quarter. Mississippi’s banks of over $100 million in assets accounted for $532 million of the REO. Nationally, fewer banks are at risk of failure, the FDIC said in reporting a drop in its “problem” list to 553 banks from 612 in the first quarter.

Through the half year mark, only 20 banks had failed compared to 51 closures in 2012, 92 in 2011 and 157 in 2010.

Engineering a law degree » UM launches new interdisciplinary program

BY WALLY NORTHWAY I STAFF WRITER wally.northway@msbusiness.com

OXFORD — At first glance, law and engineering seem to have little in common.

The University of Mississippi, however, says look again.

Ole Miss has launched a new accelerated, interdisciplinary program offering engineering students early admission to the public university’s School of Law. Officials officially kicked off the program last month in an effort to be more “user-friendly.”

Through the “3+3” law program, students in the general engineering pre-law program can be admitted into a fast-tracked bachelor of engineering and law degree program, trimming a full year off of attaining a law degree. In addition the admission requirements of minimum 3.6 grade point average and 160 on the LSAT makes prospective students automatic qualifiers for fullride scholarships from the School of Law. “If they are admitted to the program, in their engineering senior year they are simultaneously the first-year law students and will be taking the first-year law courses,” said Alex Cheng, dean of the engineering school. “At the end of four years, students are granted a B.E. degree. In another two years, they earn a law degree. Hence, rather than the traditional four-plus-three years for a law degree, it becomes three-plus-three.”

According to Matthew Hall, associate dean for academic affairs at UM, engineering/law programs are “hot,” but the public university took approximately four years to develop the program.

Hall said one of the goals of the program is to keep students in Mississippi and not have them transfer out to schools in other states. Richard Gershon, dean of the UM School of Law, agreed.

“The program benefits the students, because they can complete the engineering and law degrees in six years instead of seven, which is a huge savings to them. The schools benefit because we keep strong students at Ole Miss,

rather than having them go to other law schools outside of Mississippi.”

Jim Greenlee, UM alumnus, former U.S. attorney general and partner at the law firm of Holcomb Dunbar, said the new program is a win for both the engineering and law schools.

"The School of Engineering gains by providing the future legal support for the profession and its emerging advances,” Greenlee said. “The School of Law is provided with top students of outstanding analytical ability to mold into leaders in law in this ever-advancing technological society."

Marni Kendricks, assistant dean for undergraduate academics, will be managing the program for the School of Engineering and advising students in this degree path.

Hall stressed that Ole Miss’ law school already offers technical-background law degrees, including intellectual property/patent law and LLM in air and space law.

Bill Clemmons, a UM alumnus and senior partner with Smith & Nephew Inc. in Cordova, Tenn., said, “Patent law continues to be one of the most attractive areas of specialization for attorneys. All licensed patent attorneys must have a technical background in engineering, math or science. This is an outstanding opportunity for Ole Miss engineering students, especially those interested in patent law, and I hope they take advantage of it.”

The School of Engineering is hoping to see new interest in its engineering programs that continue to see an ever-increasing number of students.

“We anticipate that we will have another record enrollment in the fall,” Cheng said. “The daily tracking shows that our pre-enrollment numbers are 20 percent higher at this time than they were this time last year. In the end, I anticipate it to be 15 percent or more.”

UM is not expecting an immediate flood if applicants. In order for the engineering student to take advantage of the accelerated law program, he or she must take certain electives starting as freshmen to meet the law school’s entry requirements.

Thus, it may be a couple of years before the program’s numbers swell.

“We never expect it to be a big program in terms of enrollment, but we do believe it will prove popular for certain students and are excited about the future,” Hall said.

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MBJPERSPECTIVE September 6, 2013 • www.msbusiness.com • Page 6

» RICKY NOBILE

Website: www.msbusiness.com September 6, 2013 Volume 35, Number 36

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»VIEW FROM THE STENNIS INSTITUTE

And now a September to remember

L

obbyists and other government relations types who ply their trade in the nation’s capital are surely grabbing their last few moments of uninterrupted sleep for some time to come.

That is because September will be a month to remember.

Congress returns to town on Sept. 9th, and rarely have so many divisive issues whose solutions are mandatory awaited its attention. Furthermore, members of the U. S. House and Senate are coming back to work fortified with an earful of instructions from their districts and states delivered to them in the fever of the August recess.

It would be enough if the pressure was simply one of cobbling together the federal budget for a new fiscal year and passing it within 21 days of arriving back in town. Daunting as that time frame would be, it would seem downright leisurely compared to the growing mountain of work that could once be delayed but is now unavoidable. And, lest we forget, there is that added little matter that picked up during the summer break — a certain-to-be bitter debate over U. S. action in the Syrian civil war.

It would be instructive to take a quick look at some of the big issues and the cross pressures that are adding a feeling of desperation to an already tight situation. And if September was not enough, the first day of October brings us the first major point of public involvement in Obamacare. That is when the signup for plans in the health care exchanges may begin. Many observers feel that if Obamacare is not derailed by then the build up in momentum will be too great to ever stop it.

But as fate would have it, in this highly partisan environment those on the right believe that two distinct possibilities exist to hold hostage the funding for the formally named Affordable Care Act. The requirement to pass a budget, or at least a continuing resolution, has a Sept. 30 deadline. If Congress fails to pass at least a continuing resolution, which basically says that agencies may continue spending at current levels, then government coffers would essentially be out of money and most government services would grind to a halt. A significant group of Republicans has expressed a willingness to do just that if any funding for Obamacare is included in expenditure plans.

If holding back on the budget proves unworkable for leveraging

purposes the moment is upon us in which Congress must take what was once a routine vote to raise the debt ceiling so that we may continue Marty Wiseman using our “line of credit” for expenditures. Failure to raise the debt ceiling means the U. S. government would default on all manner of obligations already made. There are several who have expressed a preference for this approach in toppling funding for Obamacare.

Of course the aforementioned predictably rancorous fight over military action in Syria must precede the fights over these two issues and several more besides. Lost in the shuffle, for example, is the $40 billion in nutrition programs that fell by the wayside when the House passed its version of the farm bill. All of these debates carry with them the possibilities of rearranging alliances among members and between members and the president.

What is the upshot of all of this? Past history shows that Congress will roll up its sleeves and put aside partisan bickering and get these issues settled for the good of the country. What is the likelihood of such a scenario unfolding today? If the continued heated rhetoric is taken at face value, chances appear slim. Republicans in particular are returning from districts and states where they have been promised primary opponents who are even more conservative than they themselves are. All have had their pledges never to compromise reinforced by the folks back home.

Indeed, we are likely to get our best lessons yet on how a government built to run on compromise works when its incumbents refuse to do so. No doubt there will be votes cast by congressmen and senators on both sides of the aisle that can best be described as career-risking acts of bravery. Let us all hope that there are enough of these to get us through these times.

Dr. William Martin Wiseman is director of the John C. Stennis Institute of Government and professor of political science at Mississippi State University. Contact him at marty@sig.msstate.edu.

NEWSMAKERS

September 6, 2013

Profiles of growing young professionals in Mississippi

Keeping our eye on... TALAMIEKA AND CHARLES BRICE Talamieka and Charles Brice consider themselves visual storytellers. Even their romance started in an art class where a friendly rivalry between two students turned eventually into love and later business.

“We tell the stories of business and families through photography, graphic design, web development, custom illustrations, branding and advertising,” Talamieka says. “We truly consider it an honor to use our God-given talents to help others connect with their target audiences.”

Whether its helping a small business with marketing or capturing a bride and groom starting a new chapter in life, the award-winning Brice Media in Ridgeland has things covered. The couple recently became the first Mississippians ever featured as “People to Watch” by Graphic Design USA. Talamieka graduated from Jackson State University with a

IIAM appoints officers, directors Dudley Wooley of Ross & Yerger Insurance in Jackson was recently elected chairman of the Independent Insurance Agents of Mississippi (IIAM). Wooley’s election as IIAM’s chairman follows an active involvement with the association that includes serving as chairman-elect and vice chairman, as a member of the Executive Committee and as an IIAM board member. Wooley joined Ross & Yerger in 1995 as an account ex- Wooley ecutive and now serves as CEO/COO. He has achieved the Accredited Advisor in Insurance (AAI), Certified Insurance Counselor (CIC), Certified Risk Manager (CRM) and Chartered Property Casualty Underwriter (CPCU) designations.

Other officers include: Scott Gray of Insurance Solutions of Mississippi in Meridian as chairmanelect; Durr Boyles of Boyles Moak Insurance Services in Ridgeland as vice chairman; Ray Collins of Collins Insurance Agency in New Albany as treasurer; and, Debbie Shempert of Renasant Insurance Agency in Tupelo as national director.

In addition to the association officers, Wooley named the following agents to serve on the IIAM Executive Committee for 2013-2014: Shaw Johnson III of SouthGroup Insurance Services in Clarksdale; Cecil Vaughan of Galloway Chandler McKinney in Columbus; Ray Robertson of Marchetti Robertson & Brickell Insurance and Bond Agency in Ridgeland; Josh Smith of Insurance & Risk Managers in Brookhaven; Pam Wilson of Lemon-Mohler Insurance Agency in Ocean Springs; Brian Berry of Bi-County Insurance Agency in Centreville; Thomas Elfert of Arthur J. Gallagher Risk Management Services in Jackson; and Hugh Brown of Brown Insurance Agency in Oxford.

The following agents were also elected to serve a three-year term on the IIAM board of directors: Stephanie Jermyn of Fox-Everett Inc. in Gulfport; Gwen Jolly of West Central & Company in Aberdeen; Jon Pointer of Pointer Insurance Agency in Southaven; and, Seldon Van Cleve of Van Cleve Insurance Agency in Indianola.

Firm adds Walker, Hairston Butler, Snow, O’Mara, Stevens & Cannada, PLLC has added Jordan N. Walker and Tray Hairston in the firm’s Ridgeland office. Walker will be a member of the firm’s Pharmaceutical, Medical Devices and

bachelors in graphic design and minors in illustration and ceramics. Charles also studied at JSU and served in the Army National Guard 2/20th Special Forces Group and later as a public affairs specialist and photojournalist. During Charles’ deployment, Talamieka told their story with an art show titled “Combat Boots & High Heels.”

In addition to working together, the Brices enjoy making jewelry, playing video games and chasing after their dogs.

“Evaluate yourself and your market,” they advise young professionals. “Believe in your skills and talent and do the best you can. Perfection is not a requirement. Action is.”

They list their heroes and mentors as Lt. Col. Christian Patterson, Thelma Hardiman — By Stephen McDill

Healthcare Group, and Hairston will serve in the Public Finance and Incentives Group.

Walker earned his juris doctorate and bachelor’s degree in international studies from the University of Mississippi. He served in the U.S. Air Force as chief of magistrate court for claims and adverse actions at Andrews Air Force Base in Maryland, chief of military justice at Joint Base Balad in Iraq and at Mountain Home Air Force Base in Idaho. He was also an area defense counsel for the Air Force. Walker is a member of the American and Mississippi Bar associations. He is also admitted to the Air Force Court of Criminal Appeals and the Armed Forces Court of Appeals.

Hairston previously served as counsel and policy advisor for Gov. Phil Bryant, and was a liaison to the Mississippi Home Corporation in preparation of the state of Mississippi’s Qualified Allocation Plan. He also served as liaison to the Mississippi Development Authority where he was instrumental in drafting the Mississippi Health Care Industry Zone Act of 2012.

Hairston received his juris doctorate from Mississippi College School of Law. He has a master’s of business administration degree from Belhaven College and a bachelor’s degree in English and philosophy from Tougaloo College. Hairston is a member of the National Association of Bond Lawyers, Mississippi Economic Development Council, Mississippi Bar Association and the American Bar Association.

Synergetics hires Harris Angela Harris has joined Synergetics Diversified Computer Services as an Inside sales account manager. Harris, a native of Corinth, is a 2013 graduate of Mississippi State University where she earned her master’s degree in public policy administration and a bachelor’s in communication.

She previously worked as a graduate teaching assistant at Mississippi State University, public relations assistant at the Harris Meridian Symphony Association and as a media collaboration intern at the Social Science Research Center.

Smith tapped for committee Dr. David Smith, an epidemiologist at the Mississippi State University College of Veterinary Medicine, has been selected to serve on the U.S. Agriculture

Secretary's Advisory Committee on Animal Health.

Smith, who is the first Dr. P. Mikell and Mary Cheek Hall Davis Endowed Professor of Beef Cattle Health and Reproduction at MSU-CVM, will serve on the national committee through August 2014. Smith and other committee members will lead dialogue on livestock economies and public health concerns. He will provide perspective and feedback on U.S. Department of Agriculture strategies, polices, and animal health disease eradication programs.

Smith, a board-certified veterinary epidemiologist, came to the MSU-CVM from the University of Nebraska's School of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences. His 30 years of experience in cattle production systems and disease control have prepared him to assist the owners of the 17,000 beef cattle farms in Mississippi.

Hospital honors employees Mississippi State Hospital recently honored employees with August anniversary dates for their years of service. Shircell Massey of Clinton, Edna Jackson of Jackson and Barbara Hilton of Mendenhall were all recognized for providing 20 years of service to the hospital. Massey is the director of staff education at MSH, Jackson is a client care support supervisor in the housekeeping department of the hospital, and Hilton is a clinical behavioral specialist at Jaquith Nursing Home, located on the hospital campus.

Ruthie Bell of Clinton was recognized for providing 25 years of service. Bell is a medical records technician for the Health Information Department at the hospital.

Clinic hires Cox Michael J. Cox, MD, recently joined Hattiesburg Clinic Orthopaedic Surgery and Sports Medicine in the practice of orthopaedic surgery.

He earned his medical degree from the University of Mississippi Medical Center in Jackson. Cox completed an orthopaedic internship and residency at Tulane University School of Medicine in New Orleans, La. He is board certified by the American Board of OrCox thopaedic Surgery.

Cox is a member of American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, Mississippi State Medical Association and Prairie Medical Society.

I

Mississippi Business Journal

I

7

Ages: Talamieka, 33; Charles, 34 Job Titles: CEO & COO Company: Brice Media First jobs ever: Bank janitor, grocery cart attendant Best thing about Mississippi: The history, culture and hospitality Favorite hangout spots: Fondren Best Mississippi event: Mal’s St. Paddy’s Day & Zippity Do Dah parades.

Favorite Mississippi food: Mississippi Mudcake, barbeque Favorite TV show: “The Walking Dead” Favorite movie: “O Brother Where Art Thou” Favorite music: Daft Punk Twitter handles: @talamieka, @CharlesBrice2

MISSCO hires Chappell, Stallings MISSCO Contract Sales has added new employees.

Jonathan Chappell has been hired as a sales representative for mobile furniture for the commercial and healthcare markets.

Chappell is a graduate of the University of Southern Mississippi. He has previously worked for Sherwin-Williams, Associated Office Systems and Interior Elements Storage Division.

Also, Autumn Marie Stallings has been hired to manage interior design and space planning. Stallings is a graduate of Mississippi College with a bachelor of science in interior design. She is NCIDQ certified and has previous experience working as an interior designer for the JBHM architectural firm.

Chappell

Stallings

White promotes Bailey Tracy B. Bailey has been promoted to director of preconstruction services for White Construction’s Ridgeland headquarters. Bailey has 30 years of experience in the construction industry, having been involved in the construction industry since 1983. He joined the White Construction staff as a project manager in 2007.

Bailey has served the last 39 months as senior project manager on the Mississippi Gulf Coast Hurricane Katrina Recovery projects overseeing 17 public projects in Hancock County with program budget in excess of $100 million. He has been instrumental in the successful completion of multiple Mississippi-based projects with experience in estimating and managing various type projects. Additionally, he has managed the construction of several award-winning projects.

Bailey earned his A.D. from Copiah-Lincoln Community College and a B.S. degree from Mississippi State University.

For announcements in Newsmakers; Contact: Wally Northway (601) 364-1016 • wally.northway@msbusiness.com

8 I Mississippi Business Journal I September 6, 2013

CONSTRUCTION

Making a full recovery » Southern Miss-Gulf Park reopens last Katrina-damaged building

BY WALLY NORTHWAY I STAFF WRITER wally.northway@msbusiness.com

Perhaps nowhere else was the full devastation of Hurricane Katrina more evident than at the University of Southern Mississippi’s Gulf Park campus at Long Beach.

On Aug. 29, 2005, Katina damaged or destroyed some 30 buildings on the USMGulf Park campus. Throwing in the damage from the hurricane on the main Hattiesburg campus, Southern Miss sustained approximately $100 million in damage at a time when the state budget and higher education allocations were tight.

In the immediate aftermath of the storm, many wondered if the Gulf Park campus would ever be restored; perhaps it would relocate away from the beach. The clouds over Gulf Park were thick.

But, USM persevered, and eight years later the Coast campus is finally restored.

This past Aug. 29, university administrators, faculty, staff, students and community leaders remembered Katrina by celebrating the reopening of Elizabeth Hall, the last Katrina-damage structure to be renovated and the fifth major post-Katrina construction project to be completed.

The building projects, all of which began in 2011, rang in at approximately $26 million. The cost of the Elizabeth Hall rehabilitation alone was $1.7 million.

“We are delighted to announce that we have fully returned to the Southern Miss Gulf Park campus following the damage caused by Hurricane Katrina,” said Dr. Frances Lucas, Southern Miss Gulf Coast vice president and campus executive officer. “We worked hard to restore the original beauty of this campus, and update the classrooms for more stimulating student engagement. Our Gulf Park campus is an inviting intellectual hub for the Mississippi Gulf Coast and we welcome all coastal neighbors to come visit with us.”

Elizabeth Hall, which houses the College of Arts and Letters, is also home to the university’s Film Program, which currently occupies 10 rooms. These include two offices, a room designated for film animation, two film editing suites, a room for film recording and mixing, an equipment room, two video editing suites and a studio space.

The Film Program, part of the Entertainment Industry curriculum in the university’s School of Mass Communication and Journalism, offers the only bachelor’s degree in film production in the state of Mississippi.

Special to the Mississippi Business Journal

The cost to repair damage from Hurricane Katrina at Elizabeth Hall on the USM-Gulf Park campus was $1.7 million.

“It has been a great pleasure welcoming faculty and staff of the College of Arts and Letters into our new home in Elizabeth Hall,” said Dr. Robert Pauly, associate dean for the College of Arts and Letters at Southern Miss Gulf Coast. “After persevering through nearly eight years in temporary facilities, it has been a very positive and uplifting experience to return back to our campus.”

The first buildings to be completed on the Gulf Park campus were the Science Building and Nursing Building, both located on the northwest corner of campus. The Science Building, a $10-million new construction project, features nine teaching laboratories, research space, approximately 20 faculty and administrative offices and an 80-seat instructional classroom.

The $1.5-million Nursing Building is a renovation project featuring two laboratories, faculty offices and student learning and study areas within the 10,000-squarefoot facility.

The historic restoration projects for Hardy Hall and Lloyd Hall were completed in spring 2013. The $10-million project for Hardy Hall included renovations, as well as new construction for the Barnes and Noble Bookstore and an adjacent parking lot.

Special to the Mississippi Business Journal

Southern Miss president Rodney Bennett speaks at the reopening of Elizabeth Hall.

The three-story building also houses dining services, the College of Education and Psychology, and administrative offices including Admissions and Student Services. Lloyd Hall is a $2.4 million project that provides 10 classrooms for students.

“We are all eager for the start of the fall semester, which marks the first time since Hurricane Katrina, that we will begin an academic year with all of our faculty, staff and students together on one campus,” added Pauly.

September 6, 2013

July 2013 sales tax receipts/year to date, July 1 MISSISSIPPI STATE TAX COMMISSION Here are cities’ earnings through sales tax collections. Sales tax has a three-month cycle. Month 1 — Tax is collected by the retailer. Month 2 — Tax is reported/paid to the Tax Commission by the retailer.

Month 3 — Sales tax diversion is paid by the Tax Commission to the cities. This report is based on the month the tax is collected at the Tax Commission (Month 2).

July July Year to date YTD CITY 2013 2012 2013 2012 ABBEVILLE $3,463.48 $8,133.60 $3,463.48 $8,133.60 ABERDEEN 70,285.05 74,603.37 70,285.05 74,603.37 ACKERMAN 24,336.36 24,436.19 24,336.36 24,436.19 ALCORN STATE U 281.93 617.16 281.93 617.16 ALGOMA 2,328.15 2,035.55 2,328.15 2,035.55 ALLIGATOR 946.41 918.89 946.41 918.89 AMORY 154,331.89 157,198.52 154,331.89 157,198.52 ANGUILLA 2,783.39 3,548.81 2,783.39 3,548.81 ARCOLA 1,622.06 2,036.26 1,622.06 2,036.26 ARTESIA 835.03 1,156.28 835.03 1,156.28 ASHLAND 12,346.19 13,134.52 12,346.19 13,134.52 BALDWYN 44,755.58 49,464.78 44,755.58 49,464.78 BASSFIELD 14,803.33 12,005.99 14,803.33 12,005.99 BATESVILLE 337,393.18 333,386.62 337,393.18 333,386.62 BAY SPRINGS 51,714.13 56,194.19 51,714.13 56,194.19 BAY ST LOUIS 114,740.45 102,831.54 114,740.45 102,831.54 BEAUMONT 6,723.36 6,717.34 6,723.36 6,717.34 BEAUREGARD 250.55 197.12 250.55 197.12 BELMONT 24,883.51 24,837.22 24,883.51 24,837.22 BELZONI 45,570.06 48,607.40 45,570.06 48,607.40 BENOIT 7,284.29 6,031.29 7,284.29 6,031.29 BENTONIA 34,342.11 15,499.32 34,342.11 15,499.32 BEULAH 366.00 472.65 366.00 472.65 BIG CREEK 340.90 452.21 340.90 452.21 BILOXI 1,022,861.28 1,004,670.33 1,022,861.28 1,004,670.33 BLUE MOUNTAIN 10,316.09 10,468.43 10,316.09 10,468.43 BLUE SPRINGS 2,872.09 3,002.04 2,872.09 3,002.04 BOLTON 14,129.61 11,050.13 14,129.61 11,050.13 BOONEVILLE 147,383.10 151,890.02 147,383.10 151,890.02 BOYLE 20,692.40 15,941.04 20,692.40 15,941.04 BRANDON 433,323.81 449,129.69 433,323.81 449,129.69 BRAXTON 1,276.45 1,299.77 1,276.45 1,299.77 BROOKHAVEN 442,208.71 431,960.25 442,208.71 431,960.25 BROOKSVILLE 10,162.45 9,059.50 10,162.45 9,059.50 BRUCE 41,085.90 42,663.53 41,085.90 42,663.53 BUDE 12,535.32 10,204.81 12,535.32 10,204.81 BURNSVILLE 10,997.21 12,884.98 10,997.21 12,884.98 BYHALIA 65,137.61 67,750.60 65,137.61 67,750.60 BYRAM 153,469.22 146,019.68 153,469.22 146,019.68 CALEDONIA 13,274.94 12,962.39 13,274.94 12,962.39 CALHOUN CITY 24,982.07 25,492.69 24,982.07 25,492.69 CANTON 207,580.35 195,184.89 207,580.35 195,184.89 CARROLLTON 5,805.82 6,151.18 5,805.82 6,151.18 CARTHAGE 137,184.87 133,868.83 137,184.87 133,868.83 CARY 987.25 2,001.96 987.25 2,001.96 CENTREVILLE 20,297.78 18,447.09 20,297.78 18,447.09 CHARLESTON 28,806.49 30,182.04 28,806.49 30,182.04 CHUNKY 1,055.76 892.59 1,055.76 892.59 CLARKSDALE 214,218.46 260,025.23 214,218.46 260,025.23 CLEVELAND 279,493.94 149,713.82 279,493.94 149,713.82 CLINTON 377,100.61 427,460.26 377,100.61 427,460.26 COAHOMA 586.80 527.62 586.80 527.62 COAHOMA COLLEGE 35.15 5.92 35.15 5.92 COFFEEVILLE 9,971.21 12,520.39 9,971.21 12,520.39 COLDWATER 18,050.14 21,370.60 18,050.14 21,370.60 COLLINS 123,042.53 122,252.55 123,042.53 122,252.55 COLUMBIA 275,482.10 275,225.95 275,482.10 275,225.95 COLUMBUS 710,565.63 741,252.59 710,565.63 741,252.59 COMO 14,174.88 16,048.93 14,174.88 16,048.93 CORINTH 484,690.06 467,275.24 484,690.06 467,275.24 COURTLAND 1,163.55 2,000.90 1,163.55 2,000.90 CRAWFORD 1,327.01 2,317.91 1,327.01 2,317.91 CRENSHAW 4,943.32 5,301.32 4,943.32 5,301.32 CROSBY 2,475.83 1,042.71 2,475.83 1,042.71 CROWDER 1,633.03 2,153.04 1,633.03 2,153.04 CRUGER 528.44 517.14 528.44 517.14 CRYSTAL SPRINGS 60,964.87 54,613.34 60,964.87 54,613.34 D LO 3,588.48 3,329.34 3,588.48 3,329.34 D'IBERVILLE 517,970.12 507,540.82 517,970.12 507,540.82 DECATUR 12,549.27 11,016.53 12,549.27 11,016.53 DEKALB 18,416.43 17,653.18 18,416.43 17,653.18 DERMA 5,226.84 4,478.80 5,226.84 4,478.80 DIAMONDHEAD 38,718.95 38,029.16 38,718.95 38,029.16 DODDSVILLE 544.27 594.22 544.27 594.22 DREW 9,117.19 10,583.85 9,117.19 10,583.85 DUCK HILL 4,639.74 4,433.62 4,639.74 4,433.62 DUMAS 1,228.24 1,062.49 1,228.24 1,062.49 DUNCAN 1,395.72 588.86 1,395.72 588.86 DURANT 23,716.91 25,881.62 23,716.91 25,881.62 EAST MS COLLEGE 71.04 46.25 71.04 46.25 ECRU 13,141.32 11,105.39 13,141.32 11,105.39 EDEN 67.34 45.33 67.34 45.33 EDWARDS 6,649.71 6,626.85 6,649.71 6,626.85 ELLISVILLE 84,076.08 75,953.04 84,076.08 75,953.04 ENTERPRISE 5,304.61 5,420.31 5,304.61 5,420.31 ETHEL 1,166.61 1,436.89 1,166.61 1,436.89 EUPORA 36,120.84 36,645.59 36,120.84 36,645.59 FALCON 100.46 40.15 100.46 40.15 FARMINGTON 4,803.30 3,691.00 4,803.30 3,691.00 FAULKNER 5,209.77 3,969.92 5,209.77 3,969.92 FAYETTE 16,604.50 16,706.29 16,604.50 16,706.29 FLORA 26,773.11 28,932.63 26,773.11 28,932.63 FLORENCE 77,134.42 61,301.60 77,134.42 61,301.60 FLOWOOD 904,082.38 855,708.64 904,082.38 855,708.64 FOREST 187,806.95 188,592.40 187,806.95 188,592.40 FRENCH CAMP 1,296.30 1,665.04 1,296.30 1,665.04 FRIARS POINT 2,144.41 2,717.90 2,144.41 2,717.90

FULTON GATTMAN GAUTIER GEORGETOWN GLEN GLENDORA GLOSTER GOLDEN GOODMAN GREENVILLE GREENWOOD GRENADA GULFPORT GUNNISON GUNTOWN HATLEY HATTIESBURG HAZLEHURST HEIDELBERG HERNANDO HICKORY HICKORY FLAT HINDS COMMUNITY HOLLANDALE HOLLY SPRINGS HORN LAKE HOULKA HOUSTON INDIANOLA INVERNESS ISOLA ITTA BENA IUKA JACKSON JONESTOWN JUMPERTOWN KILMICHAEL KOSCIUSKO KOSSUTH LAKE LAMBERT LAUREL LEAKESVILLE LEARNED LELAND LENA LEXINGTON LIBERTY LONG BEACH LOUIN LOUISE LOUISVILLE LUCEDALE LULA LUMBERTON LYON MABEN MACON MADISON MAGEE MAGNOLIA MANTACHIE MANTEE MARIETTA MARION MARKS MATHISTON MAYERSVILLE MCCOMB MCCOOL MCLAIN MEADVILLE MENDENHALL MERIDIAN MERIGOLD METCALFE MIZE MONTICELLO MONTROSE MOORHEAD MORGAN CITY MORTON MOSS POINT MOUND BAYOU MS GULFCOAST MS STATE UNIV MS VALLEY ST MT OLIVE MYRTLE NATCHEZ NETTLETON NEW ALBANY NEW AUGUSTA NEW HEBRON NEWTON NO. CARROLLTON NOXAPATER OAKLAND OCEAN SPRINGS OKOLONA OLIVE BRANCH OSYKA OXFORD PACE PACHUTA PADEN

116,636.07 128.02 200,918.64 3,759.52 1,780.83 461.54 12,318.91 4,573.01 3,518.47 524,065.02 356,030.35 353,079.27 1,719,095.72 647.78 16,246.78 463.16 1,799,730.63 105,264.65 35,594.48 239,408.76 4,268.61 5,895.37 832.50 14,718.14 115,366.10 337,821.94 7,971.38 82,825.05 160,085.71 4,702.48 1,668.93 11,756.46 73,697.64 2,641,199.03 3,995.14 687.48 5,848.49 167,539.86 3,843.21 7,820.94 4,398.54 781,125.81 29,582.88 440.60 50,393.65 1,864.64 39,501.74 19,444.43 115,083.28 2,415.66 1,164.48 153,673.23 165,617.85 3,375.69 15,702.85 5,340.03 5,686.88 48,683.14 547,082.52 166,682.82 38,047.95 17,669.38 2,946.10 4,870.38 19,859.37 20,154.58 14,755.70 774.60 474,018.53 1,309.06 6,623.68 10,970.23 56,538.29 1,287,023.82 6,842.87 1,156.81 16,803.80 40,236.78 562.74 8,384.11 641.00 40,883.03 147,562.02 3,861.72 92.50 11,941.84 302.29 8,105.17 4,848.99 464,807.35 27,777.47 245,531.33 16,001.29 8,218.68 85,474.70 3,376.65 8,848.27 5,496.68 361,848.40 25,482.92 684,876.70 5,880.85 566,180.60 582.38 1,987.58 185.93

121,036.36 157.62 196,017.03 4,107.48 1,906.68 434.82 11,983.17 4,596.11 3,617.30 522,110.33 351,219.11 341,618.24 1,693,762.22 794.46 15,962.66 866.04 1,723,125.74 105,799.02 33,620.08 233,728.35 4,074.52 6,551.49 773.67 15,297.64 104,993.96 335,521.63 9,040.40 84,063.33 165,312.56 5,991.33 1,361.19 12,205.59 79,484.73 2,682,937.44 3,925.86 1,223.78 5,816.38 176,485.71 4,011.45 7,539.50 3,159.75 732,070.35 25,404.23 490.55 50,019.25 1,800.63 37,668.50 19,503.06 117,664.38 2,225.81 1,160.19 146,047.55 158,838.58 3,021.16 16,489.91 8,509.90 7,007.03 47,956.48 482,706.72 170,637.60 35,459.26 20,691.18 3,184.23 4,914.78 16,289.06 22,202.40 16,772.82 509.04 459,582.22 609.76 6,434.84 10,117.00 47,950.29 1,203,093.81 6,853.51 1,146.29 10,385.22 40,846.05 583.23 15,980.44 553.21 40,101.97 134,940.59 11,141.59 39.41 11,350.76 247.35 10,976.06 4,281.37 444,300.28 26,652.32 231,458.90 17,588.01 8,236.90 83,364.34 2,890.12 9,317.40 6,577.55 363,876.27 25,914.16 641,666.17 6,260.50 514,311.91 584.60 1,902.87 142.27

116,636.07 128.02 200,918.64 3,759.52 1,780.83 461.54 12,318.91 4,573.01 3,518.47 524,065.02 356,030.35 353,079.27 1,719,095.72 647.78 16,246.78 463.16 1,799,730.63 105,264.65 35,594.48 239,408.76 4,268.61 5,895.37 832.50 14,718.14 115,366.10 337,821.94 7,971.38 82,825.05 160,085.71 4,702.48 1,668.93 11,756.46 73,697.64 2,641,199.03 3,995.14 687.48 5,848.49 167,539.86 3,843.21 7,820.94 4,398.54 781,125.81 29,582.88 440.60 50,393.65 1,864.64 39,501.74 19,444.43 115,083.28 2,415.66 1,164.48 153,673.23 165,617.85 3,375.69 15,702.85 5,340.03 5,686.88 48,683.14 547,082.52 166,682.82 38,047.95 17,669.38 2,946.10 4,870.38 19,859.37 20,154.58 14,755.70 774.60 474,018.53 1,309.06 6,623.68 10,970.23 56,538.29 1,287,023.82 6,842.87 1,156.81 16,803.80 40,236.78 562.74 8,384.11 641.00 40,883.03 147,562.02 3,861.72 92.50 11,941.84 302.29 8,105.17 4,848.99 464,807.35 27,777.47 245,531.33 16,001.29 8,218.68 85,474.70 3,376.65 8,848.27 5,496.68 361,848.40 25,482.92 684,876.70 5,880.85 566,180.60 582.38 1,987.58 185.93

121,036.36 157.62 196,017.03 4,107.48 1,906.68 434.82 11,983.17 4,596.11 3,617.30 522,110.33 351,219.11 341,618.24 1,693,762.22 794.46 15,962.66 866.04 1,723,125.74 105,799.02 33,620.08 233,728.35 4,074.52 6,551.49 773.67 15,297.64 104,993.96 335,521.63 9,040.40 84,063.33 165,312.56 5,991.33 1,361.19 12,205.59 79,484.73 2,682,937.44 3,925.86 1,223.78 5,816.38 176,485.71 4,011.45 7,539.50 3,159.75 732,070.35 25,404.23 490.55 50,019.25 1,800.63 37,668.50 19,503.06 117,664.38 2,225.81 1,160.19 146,047.55 158,838.58 3,021.16 16,489.91 8,509.90 7,007.03 47,956.48 482,706.72 170,637.60 35,459.26 20,691.18 3,184.23 4,914.78 16,289.06 22,202.40 16,772.82 509.04 459,582.22 609.76 6,434.84 10,117.00 47,950.29 1,203,093.81 6,853.51 1,146.29 10,385.22 40,846.05 583.23 15,980.44 553.21 40,101.97 134,940.59 11,141.59 39.41 11,350.76 247.35 10,976.06 4,281.37 444,300.28 26,652.32 231,458.90 17,588.01 8,236.90 83,364.34 2,890.12 9,317.40 6,577.55 363,876.27 25,914.16 641,666.17 6,260.50 514,311.91 584.60 1,902.87 142.27

PASCAGOULA PASS CHRISTIAN PAULDING PEARL PELAHATCHIE PETAL PHILADELPHIA PICAYUNE PICKENS PITTSBORO PLANTERSVILLE POLKVILLE PONTOTOC POPE POPLARVILLE PORT GIBSON POTTS CAMP PRENTISS PUCKETT PURVIS QUITMAN RALEIGH RAYMOND RENOVA RICHLAND RICHTON RIDGELAND RIENZI RIPLEY ROLLING FORK ROSEDALE ROXIE RULEVILLE SALLIS SALTILLO SANDERSVILLE SARDIS SATARTIA SCHLATER SCOOBA SEBASTAPOL SEMINARY SENATOBIA SHANNON SHAW SHELBY SHERMAN SHUBUTA SHUQUALAK SIDON SILVER CITY SILVER CREEK SLATE SPRINGS SLEDGE SMITHVILLE SNOWLAKESHORES SOSO SOUTHAVEN SOUTHWEST COMM STARKVILLE STATE LINE STONEWALL STURGIS SUMMIT SUMNER SUMRALL SUNFLOWER SYLVARENA TAYLOR TAYLORSVILLE TCHULA TERRY THAXTON TISHOMINGO TOCCOPOLA TOWN OF WALLS TREMONT TUNICA TUPELO TUTWILER TYLERTOWN UNION UNIV OF MISS UTICA VAIDEN VARDAMAN VERONA VICKSBURG WALNUT WALNUT GROVE WALTHALL WATER VALLEY WAVELAND WAYNESBORO WEBB WEIR WESSON WEST WEST POINT WIGGINS WINONA WINSTONVILLE WOODLAND WOODVILLE YAZOO CITY TOTAL

I

461,784.35 98,265.83 123.21 761,665.77 35,448.65 211,329.00 338,009.65 341,621.96 7,531.73 358.90 4,073.65 481.12 200,759.71 2,541.64 59,478.58 19,417.32 9,281.33 45,853.85 10,862.71 59,269.47 50,890.77 18,713.15 17,775.96 2,263.06 463,121.49 28,572.19 1,082,199.65 4,564.75 97,976.54 35,314.34 9,368.77 1,753.21 19,053.71 2,249.23 59,946.48 41,273.83 25,451.99 342.44 989.06 5,560.40 14,827.20 12,300.58 165,189.31 13,332.52 8,028.75 9,023.44 13,375.53 3,985.27 1,809.13 808.88 400.53 3,124.14 187.44 1,563.68 6,010.82 412.00 12,567.22 1,049,528.28 19.98 442,302.86 10,433.01 7,111.41 3,242.10 36,555.77 3,776.08 35,797.70 2,253.30 300.44 1,839.64 25,786.18 7,749.50 27,966.01 4,028.56 9,056.13 560.40 5,318.41 1,705.56 44,387.12 1,491,906.97 4,274.13 55,941.43 28,640.26 12,979.89 12,224.60 9,432.42 10,110.22 24,434.99 637,803.04 18,444.40 6,963.82 2,010.13 39,373.34 196,942.33 177,700.17 12,182.04 2,190.46 14,435.06 1,741.79 176,261.79 145,806.53 88,109.27 205.72 5,987.52 30,151.83 142,546.55 $34,410,143.78

Mississippi Business Journal 435,275.30 96,821.59 109.71 687,364.33 29,160.69 182,679.43 318,713.12 329,567.52 9,039.00 398.86 4,323.52 339.68 191,046.53 4,370.75 50,766.17 20,617.03 10,347.60 36,332.33 8,483.27 55,790.89 43,460.79 17,339.87 16,745.22 3,340.29 372,139.59 27,966.32 983,515.17 2,720.57 105,568.52 32,245.29 10,322.88 1,479.88 21,636.88 2,324.71 55,743.28 36,642.60 25,916.70 423.28 991.92 5,750.55 15,731.70 12,381.87 152,640.71 22,008.64 6,522.11 10,112.78 13,789.67 3,737.77 2,037.84 793.92 384.80 3,215.90 261.03 1,527.47 6,549.49 128.76 9,210.37 1,036,771.69 150.96 444,896.78 8,593.76 6,671.49 2,644.44 33,136.36 6,277.96 35,572.68 2,389.92 357.98 2,277.17 27,220.21 7,985.05 23,228.85 3,329.63 9,227.08 536.92 5,838.88 1,227.09 42,420.72 1,489,421.06 4,072.52 54,256.37 30,138.84 13,285.05 12,018.31 11,750.85 13,840.34 19,418.29 620,461.92 18,382.42 6,916.75 2,024.58 42,672.27 182,294.89 165,012.26 8,506.14 2,688.44 16,106.40 1,506.71 175,207.56 140,733.61 98,472.60 573.69 5,165.85 25,647.28 150,669.33 $33,363,713.78

I

9

461,784.35 435,275.30 98,265.83 96,821.59 123.21 109.71 761,665.77 687,364.33 35,448.65 29,160.69 211,329.00 182,679.43 338,009.65 318,713.12 341,621.96 329,567.52 7,531.73 9,039.00 358.90 398.86 4,073.65 4,323.52 481.12 339.68 200,759.71 191,046.53 2,541.64 4,370.75 59,478.58 50,766.17 19,417.32 20,617.03 9,281.33 10,347.60 45,853.85 36,332.33 10,862.71 8,483.27 59,269.47 55,790.89 50,890.77 43,460.79 18,713.15 17,339.87 17,775.96 16,745.22 2,263.06 3,340.29 463,121.49 372,139.59 28,572.19 27,966.32 1,082,199.65 983,515.17 4,564.75 2,720.57 97,976.54 105,568.52 35,314.34 32,245.29 9,368.77 10,322.88 1,753.21 1,479.88 19,053.71 21,636.88 2,249.23 2,324.71 59,946.48 55,743.28 41,273.83 36,642.60 25,451.99 25,916.70 342.44 423.28 989.06 991.92 5,560.40 5,750.55 14,827.20 15,731.70 12,300.58 12,381.87 165,189.31 152,640.71 13,332.52 22,008.64 8,028.75 6,522.11 9,023.44 10,112.78 13,375.53 13,789.67 3,985.27 3,737.77 1,809.13 2,037.84 808.88 793.92 400.53 384.80 3,124.14 3,215.90 187.44 261.03 1,563.68 1,527.47 6,010.82 6,549.49 412.00 128.76 12,567.22 9,210.37 1,049,528.28 1,036,771.69 19.98 150.96 442,302.86 444,896.78 10,433.01 8,593.76 7,111.41 6,671.49 3,242.10 2,644.44 36,555.77 33,136.36 3,776.08 6,277.96 35,797.70 35,572.68 2,253.30 2,389.92 300.44 357.98 1,839.64 2,277.17 25,786.18 27,220.21 7,749.50 7,985.05 27,966.01 23,228.85 4,028.56 3,329.63 9,056.13 9,227.08 560.40 536.92 5,318.41 5,838.88 1,705.56 1,227.09 44,387.12 42,420.72 1,491,906.97 1,489,421.06 4,274.13 4,072.52 55,941.43 54,256.37 28,640.26 30,138.84 12,979.89 13,285.05 12,224.60 12,018.31 9,432.42 11,750.85 10,110.22 13,840.34 24,434.99 19,418.29 637,803.04 620,461.92 18,444.40 18,382.42 6,963.82 6,916.75 2,010.13 2,024.58 39,373.34 42,672.27 196,942.33 182,294.89 177,700.17 165,012.26 12,182.04 8,506.14 2,190.46 2,688.44 14,435.06 16,106.40 1,741.79 1,506.71 176,261.79 175,207.56 145,806.53 140,733.61 88,109.27 98,472.60 205.72 573.69 5,987.52 5,165.85 30,151.83 25,647.28 142,546.55 150,669.33 $34,410,143.78 $33,363,713.78

September 6, 2013 • MISSISSIPPI BUSINESS JOURNAL • www.msbusiness.com

AN MBJ FOCUS:

TRUCKING & TRANSPORTATION

AIRLINES TAKE FLIGHTS » Decisions on adding and subtracting routes ‘the secret recipe of our industry’

By LISA MONTI I CONTRIBUTOR mbj@msbusiness.com

In its 50 years of operation, JacksonMedgar Wiley Evers International Airport, has seen flights and airlines come and go.

Delta dropped its service to Memphis earlier this year and most recently Southwest Airlines said it is going to discontinue its Jackson-Baltimore service.

“We anticipate a dropoff in passenger load as well,” said Rene Woodward, chief administrative officer of the Jackson Municipal Airport Authority. “But some of the other airlines will pick up some slack.”

Such business decisions to add or take away flights and swap out aircraft are made by the airlines, not the airports. Southwest spokesman Brad Hawkins describes the decision-making process as “the secret recipe of our industry.”

The airline doesn’t take cutting flights lightly, he said. “When we eliminate a nonstop route it is a very deliberate and painstakingly arrived-at conclusion based on the economic mix of that flight,”

Hawkins said. “We’ve been cutting short haul flights because people just don’t want to fly when they can drive in four to six hours. We’ve seen that across the country.”

Hawkins said some discontinued flights may return if everything aligns but for now, you can still get from Jackson to Baltimore.

“We’re not really leaving you high and dry,” he said, “Once you get up to Chicago on your nonstop flight we’ve got a flight to Baltimore from there every couple of hours.”

Meanwhile, with all of the adjustments industrywide, airports are working hard to maintain or increase traffic to serve their markets in what is an increasingly competitive arena.

The Jackson airport is the largest in the state, with 107 employees, and is served by five airlines: American Eagle, United, Southwest, Delta and US Airways. There are 36 nonstop flights each weekday to nine cities and 11 airports, including Memphis and Baltimore.

Last year the airport recorded an estimated 619,812 enplanements or passenger boardings. It is budgeting for 638,179

this year.

“Our market is primarily the regional area,” said Woodward. “We have some passengers who come from as far as Monroe, La., and we’re picking some up from the Greenwood-Delta area, but primarily the biggest amount is in our metro area.”

She said most travelers are flying for business and that leisure trips are more prevalent during the summer vacation season.

In addition to commercial traffic, the airport also serves as a base for the Mississippi Air National Guard.

To better compete with airports in surrounding states for commercial business, the airport authority is gearing up for a new marketing campaign next year aimed at increasing flight service. “We’re competing with Birmingham, Memphis and New Orleans,” Woodward said. “Everybody competes with the same market.”

The staff is in the early stages of planning, spending time brainstorming for new ideas and strategies to attract more flights and passengers.

“We’re trying to pull together as much

information as possible and maybe revamp our web site to better serve our traveling public,” Woodward said.

Woodward said the airport authority has a full slate of capital improvements planned, including renovating the main terminal and both concourses. Resurfacing the west runway also is planned in the future. The east runway resurfacing was recently completed. Proposed projects include landscaping improvements, parking lot repaving and new HVAC. The airport depends on grants from the Federal Aviation Administration to help pay for the capital projects, she said.

On July 24 the airport celebrated its 50th anniversary by unveiling a permanent piece of artwork in the main terminal building.

Holly Springs artist Randy Hayes created a work representing changes that have taken place over the airport’s five decades.

The airport opened in 1963 to replace Hawkins Field, the city’s first airport that dated back to 1928. Originally the airport was named Allen C. Thompson Field, after the mayor got the land for the airport.

TRUCKING & TRANSPORTATION

September 6, 2013

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Mississippi Business Journal

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11

TRUCKING TECHNOLOGY

On-board technology standard for truckers » Days of radio chatter are gone as drivers adapt to computerization in the cabs of 18-wheelers

By LYNN LOFTON I CONTRIBUTOR mbj@msbusiness.com

“Breaker, Breaker, hello good buddy.

What’s your handle?”

Lots of chitchat used to fill the CB radio airwaves during truck drivers’ long hours behind the wheel of 18-wheelers. It was a way to pass the lonely times, stay in touch with company headquarters and exchange information. That was then and this is now — smart phones with all their super capabilities, iPads and laptop computers are inside the cabs of large trucks and the CB radio channel is quiet.

The trucking industry is as high tech as other industries, says David Roberts, president of the Mississippi Trucking Association. He doesn’t know of any association members currently using CB radios.

“There’s a lot of on-board technology that assists in the safe and efficient movement of goods,” he said. “The new technology is really amazing. It can monitor miles per gallon of fuel, assist with routing and many other functions. The development of onboard technology has come a long way and it’s helping our industry tremendously.”

Many trucking companies use an onboard computer system called People Net, including Ergon Trucking Inc. of Jackson, senior vice president Jimmy Clunan said, “The CB radio is basically dead these days.

Cell phones have taken over and have special apps for a lot of different things. A lot of tire companies and repair facilities have applications that we use too.”

Darell Little, maintenance director with Ergon and a 44-year veteran with the company, thinks the People Net system is great.

“This system has electronic logging and GPS data. It keeps up with mileage, will route trucks when needed and will take snapshots of any wrecks that happen,” he said. “With this system, the tires are automatically aired and the Weather Channel is a basic package that sends any alerts of conditions up ahead. It also alerts drivers to any road closures.”

Another safety function is the wiring that sleeper trucks have for machines to alert drivers who have sleep apnea.

“We furnish cell phones, but a lot of drivers have their own laptops and iPads on board,” Clunan said. “Of course they have to stop to use them but a lot of e-mails go back and forth from drivers to our terminals.”

Little, who is responsible for ordering new trucks for Ergon, adds that many drivers are doing bills of lading electronically, hardly ever using log books anymore.

“Most of our drivers see the on-board

People Net

The People Net system provides electronic logging and GPS data, and keeps up with gasoline mileage, routing and photography..

technology as a good thing, better than the way things were done in the past,” he said.

“The young drivers are all in to it.”

In addition to People Net, the 2NW System is also popular with trucking companies, according to Little. Both systems connect dispatchers, drivers and clients to

aid the efficient delivery of goods and monitor maintenance needs.

Drivers are sent to training sessions provided by the manufacturers of the electronic systems. Also, the Mississippi Trucking Association hosts meetings of maintenance supervisors and a member

safety council to discuss best practices and safety issues. “These discussions, along with the on-board technology, assist dispatchers and drivers in a coordinated effort and strengthens our industry,” David Roberts said. “Without trucking, our economy stops.”

is pleased to announce

James E. Graves, III has become a Shareholder in our Jackson Office

PRACTICE AREAS: Insurance Law | Insurance Defense | Public Utilities | Railroad Law JACKSON OFFICE

HATTIESBURG OFFICE

401 East Capitol Street, Heritage Building, Suite 600 601 Adeline Street Jackson, MS 39201 Hattiesburg, MS 39401 P.O. Box 651, Jackson, MS 39205-0651 P.O. Box 990, Hattiesburg, MS 39403-0990 PH. 601.968.5500 FAX 601.968.5593 PH. 601.582.5551 FAX 601.582.5556

GULF COAST OFFICE 1105 30th Avenue Peoples Bank Building, Suite 300 Gulfport, MS 39501-1817 PH. 228.867.7141 FAX 228.867.7142

AIRPORTS

12 I Mississippi Business Journal I September 6, 2013 Airport/Airlines

Address

Baton Rouge Metropolitan Airport American, Delta, United, US Airways Bill and Hillary Clinton National Airport Delta, American, United, US Airways, Southwest Birmingham-Shuttlesworth International Airport US Airways, Southwest, American, United, Delta Golden Triangle Regional Airport Delta Gulfport-Biloxi International Airport American/American Eagle, Delta, United, Vision Hattiesburg-Laurel Regional Airport Silver Jackson-Medgar Wiley Evers International Airport American, Delta, United, US Airways, Southwest Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport American, Delta, jetBlue, AirTran, US Airways, United Memphis International Airport AirTran, American, Delta, United, US Airways Meridian Regional Airport Delta Mid-Delta Regional Airport Silver Mobile Regional Airport American, United, Delta, US Airways Tunica Air Center Republic Tupelo Regional Airport Silver

Phone

Website

Year Founded

9430 Jackie Cochran Dr., Ste. 300, Baton Rouge, LA 70807

(225) 355-0333

www.flybtr.com

1941

One Airport Dr., Little Rock, AR 72202-4402

(501) 372-3439

www.fly-lit.com

1917

5900 Messer Airport Hwy., Birmingham, AL 35212

(205) 595-0533

www.flybirmingham.com

1931

2080 Airport Rd., Columbus, MS 39701

(662) 327-4422

www.gtra.com

1971

14035 - L Airport Rd., Gulfport, MS 39503

(228) 863-5951

www.flygpt.com

1977

(601) 545-3111/(601) 649-2444

www.flypib.com

1967

1002 Terminal Dr., Moselle, MS 39459 100 International Dr., Ste. 300, Jackson, MS 39208

(601) 939-5631

1963

900 Airline Dr., Kenner, LA 70062

(504) 303-7500

www.flymsy.com

1946

2491 Winchester Rd., Ste. 113, Memphis, TN 38116

(901) 922-8000

www.mscaa.com

1929

2811A - Airport Blvd. South, Meridian, MS 39307

(601) 482-0364

www.meridianairport.com

1929

166 5th Ave., Greenville MS 38703

(662) 334-3121

8400 Airport Blvd, Mobile, AL 36608

(800) 357-5373

www.mobairport.com

1947

1115 Fish Lake Rd., Tunica, MS 38676

(662) 357-7330

www.tunicaairport.com

2010

2704 W. Jackson St., Tupelo, MS 38801

(662) 841-6570

www.flytupelo.com

1950

www.greenvillems.org/citygovernment/airport 1941

Information for this list was provided by the individual airports and other reliable sources. Please direct comments or questions to Wally Northway at research@msbusiness.com/.

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TRUCKING COMPANIES Company/Website Bigbee Transportation Inc. NA

September 6, 2013

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Mississippi Business Journal

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13

Address 40158 Lackey Rd, Aberdeen, MS 39730

Phone (662) 369-4160

Year Founded NA

Circle M Inc. NA

880 Veterans Memorial Blvd, Eupora, MS 39744

(662) 258-2281

1985

Cooper Trucking Line Inc. NA

425 S. Industrial Park Dr., Holly Springs, MS 38635

(662) 252-5505

NA

Douglas Express Delivery www.douglasdelivery.com

4225 Industrial Dr., Jackson, MS 39209

(601) 355-8995

1955

Ergon Trucking Inc. www.ergontrucking.com

114 Vaughn Dr., Richland, MS 39218

(800) 824-2626

1994

EverGreen Industries Inc. www.evergreenindustriesinc.com

202 Freedom Dr., Liberty, MS 39645

(601) 657-8783

1990

Ferry Transportation Inc. www.ferrytrans.com

5 Thames Ave., Laurel, MS 39440

(601) 425-5542

G.B. "Boots" Smith Corporation NA

2501 Airport Dr., Laurel, MS 39440

(601) 649-1220

1954

Holmes Company of Jackson www.holmestruck.net

535 Old Hwy. 49 S., Richland, MS 39218

(601) 939-5100

1981

Howard Transportation Inc. 107 Nehi Rd., Ellisville, MS 39437 www.howard-ind.com/howardtransportation

(601) 477-2080

1983

J&B Services Inc. www.jandbservices.com

8308 Hwy. 6, Pontotoc, MS 38863

(662) 844-1611

1986

J&N Trucking Inc. NA

70249 Hwy. 82 W., Greenwood, MS 38930

(662) 455-5620

1978

Jim Newsom Trucking Inc. www.newsomtrucking.com

248 S. Industrial Pkwy., Yazoo City, MS 39194

(662) 716-0103

1979

Jowin Express Inc. www.jowinexpress.com

1498 Hwy. 13, Columbia, MS 39429

(601) 736-0938

1982

KLLM Transport Services Inc. www.kllm.com

135 Riverview Dr., Richland, MS 39218

(601) 939-2545

1963

Knight Transportation Inc. www.knighttrans.com

9368 County Farm Rd., Gulfport, MS 39503

(228) 539-6111

1990

MCH Transportation Company www.mchtrans.com

3180 Utica St., Jackson, MS 39209

(601) 353-9382

1986

Miller Transporters Inc. www.millert.com

5500 Hwy. 80, Jackson, MS 39209

(601) 922-8331

1942

On Site Fuel Service Inc. www.onsitefuelservice.com

1089 Old Fannin Rd., Ste. A, Brandon, MS 39047

(800) 753-4142

1986

Royal Trucking Company www.royaltruck.com

1323 N. Eshman Ave., West Point, MS 39773

(662) 494-1637

1968

Shippers Express Inc. 1651 Kerr Dr., Jackson, MS 39204 www.shippersexpressinc.com (under construction)

(601) 948-4251

NA

Sojourner Trucking Company www.sojounertrucking.com

26113 Hwy. 27, Crystal Springs, MS 39059

(601) 892-4456

NA

South Land Trucking, LLC www.southlandllc.com

3917 Hwy. 57, Ocean Springs, MS 39564

(228) 872-3711

2000

Total Transportation of Mississippi, LLC www.totalms.com

125 Riverview Dr., Richland, MS 39218

(601) 936-2104

1990

W.C. Fore Trucking Inc. NA

14270 Creosote Rd, Gulfport, MS 39503

(228) 863-1314

NA

Information for this list was provided by individual companies and other reliable sources. Please direct questions or comments to Wally Northway at research@msbusiness.com/.

September 6, 2013 • MISSISSIPPI BUSINESS JOURNAL • www.msbusiness.com

AN MBJ FOCUS:

ENERGY, GAS & UTILITIES

Entergy Mississippi

Entergy Mississippi’s planned upgrades will include the opportunity to allow for economic growth in areas where growth is occurring or is likely.

$500 million » Entergy Mississippi plans major investment for upgrades and improvements to electric distribution system

By BECKY GILLETTE I CONTRIBUTOR mbj@msbusiness.com

Over the next several years Entergy Mississippi has plans to invest more than $500 million in upgrades and improvements to the company’s transmission and distribution systems.

Mara Hartmann, spokesperson for Entergy Mississippi, said the upgrades are necessary to continue to meet national reliability standards and will also help provide opportunities for Mississippi businesses and industries to grow.

“These improvements will ensure that the Entergy Mississippi’s electric system not only will continue to provide reliable electric service to existing customers, but will also allow for economic growth in areas where growth is occurring or is likely,”

Hartmann said. “While electrical demand is not growing rapidly systemwide, some areas continue to see steady growth, and increased economic activity in the commercial and industrial sectors is occurring in some areas of the 45 Mississippi counties Hartmann that we serve.”

Entergy Mississippi’s transmission system consists of facilities operating from 115,000 volts up to 500,000 volts. Hartmann said as electric demand grows, upgrading existing or constructing new transmission facilities is sometimes necessary to maintain reliable service and in some cases, large industries may need direct access to these new or existing high

voltage lines to efficiently provide the large quantities of electricity they need to operate their facilities.

Notable areas where large-scale system upgrades and improvements have been recently completed or are targeted for the next few years include: Jackson and surrounding areas. » The capacity of a transmission line in west Jackson was increased in late 2012.

Additional substation equipment was installed in the Bolton area to reduce outages and improve reliability in the Utica area in March 2013. » A new transmission line between Clinton and the Wynndale area is currently under construction with a planned in-service date of late 2014. » A new transmission line is planned for

2017 to support the growing Madison county area, the industrial area in Clinton and to support recently announced growth for Nissan and its suppliers.

DeSoto County area: » A new transmission line between Robinsonville and Hernando was finished in May 2013 to complete a transmission loop around the DeSoto County area.

Vicksburg area: » An upgrade to increase the total capacity of a line in the Vicksburg area is planned for 2015. » A new bulk substation in the Vicksburg area and upgrades to increase the ca-

See

ENTERGY, Page 16

ENERGY, GAS & UTILITIES

September 6, 2013

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Mississippi Business Journal

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15

NATURAL GAS

Discoveries, climate keep prices down » A 58% drop over the last 5 years, results in savings for residential customers, CenterPoint official says

By BECKY GILLETTE I CONTRIBUTOR mbj@msbusiness.com

New hydraulic fracturing technologies for recovering natural gas have changed the entire landscape regarding the availability and price of natural gas. That has been good news for residential consumers, businesses and manufacturers.

“Over the past two years our cost of gas has decreased by 23 percent,” said Brad Tutunjian, P.E., vice president of gas operations for CenterPoint Energy’s gas operations in Mississippi.

“Over the past five years, our cost of gas has decreased over 58 percent. To help put that in perspective, that represents an annual savings of $309 per year for residential customers over what they would have paid five years ago. That is a significant annual cost savings.”

The lower prices are largely because of the new shale reserves that have brought in an abundance of supply.

“With the advances in technology that led to hydraulic fracturing and drilling, we have found much more shale gas plays across the region,” Tutunjian said. “That not only Tutunjian puts our natural gas in good shape for now, but also for many years in the future. Many experts believe our reserves are well over a hundred years.”

Tutunjian said the stance of CenterPoint Energy is that gas prices are going to remain relatively low and stable. They should be in the range of $4 to $6 per million BTUs over the next several years.

What events could affect natural gas prices in the future? While this past winter was mild resulting in lower prices and demand, there are some predictions of a colder winter ahead.

“Typically, in the past weather has been the main driver of natural gas prices,” Tutunjian said. “Colder weather increases the demand and how much we need to dip into reserves. That is also true in hotter summers because of natural gas power generation that could influence needs and reserves, as well. The cooler summer this year has reduced the need to dip into any natural gas reserve storage.”

One of the things that could influence the price of natural gas is a hurricane that could lead rigs to shut down production in the Gulf of Mexico. But hurricanes aren’t as big a factor as in the past due to an abundance of supply and greater reliance on on-

Center Point Energy

A CenterPoint Energy employee refuels a company fleet vehicle with compressed natural gas. The bi-fuel vehicle can run on gasoline and compressed natural gas.

shore natural gas plays.

“Also, because of all the new reserves that have been found, we’re also seeing more export of natural gas,” Tutunjian said. “We are not importing as much as we were.”

Some liquefied natural gas ports that were built to import natural gas are, instead, exporting it. That is good for the nation’s balance of trade.

The lower natural gas prices have also resulted in savings for electrical customers who purchase power from electric utilities with natural gas generation.

“It is a game changer for utilities that have power plants switching to natural gas to make electricity,” Tutunjian said. “Gas is a clean resource with a lower carbon footprint. The environmental benefits and lower prices make a positive impact on electric customers.”

Right now there isn’t concern that using more natural gas for producing electricity

would raise prices for gas in the future. Tutunjian said reliance on natural gas for power generation is considered in the future index prices of natural gas.

The lower natural gas prices have been beneficial to manufacturers in Mississippi who use natural gas as a fuel source.

“When you are looking at the manufacturing industry, some of the highest expenses they carry is their energy price,” he said. “We’re seeing the low natural gas prices providing manufacturers a great benefit allowing them to increase their production and possibly even create more jobs.”

There is also increasing interest in using natural gas for transportation fuel. Tutunjian said he met recently with a customer in Louisiana who is converting their entire fleet to natural gas. The customer was not only going to be saving in fuel costs, but emission are less—resulting in healthier air

quality — and the vehicles can operate more efficiently with lower maintenance costs. What that company was finding while doing oil maintenance is that when changing out oil at 10,000 miles, the oil looks brand new. That means the motor could last longer.

“We are certainly encouraging more use of natural gas to fuel vehicles,” Tutunjian said. “There is a great opportunity for running more vehicles on compressed natural gas (CNG).

“There are some CNG stations already in place in Jackson, and we are discussing with the regulatory commission ways to put more CNG stations in Mississippi.”

Gov. Phil Bryant has been a major advocate of the stating adopting more use of natural gas. Bryant has joined 11 other governors in seeking to encourage auto manufacturers to increase production of vehicles fueled by natural gas.

ENERGY, GAS & UTILITIES

16 I Mississippi Business Journal I September 6, 2013

ENTERGY

Continued from Page 14

pacity of the transmission system linking Vicksburg and Jackson is planned for 2018.

Natchez area: » A new transmission line between Vicksburg and Natchez to improve reliability and support economic activity in the Natchez area is planned for 2018.

“In addition to these large transmission projects, new technologies are being utilized to improve the reliability of the transmission system and to reduce costs,” Hartmann said. “Microprocessor-based control and monitoring systems provide nearly instantaneous information about the health and operation of the facilities used to move power from the generators to the substations serving local communities.

This real-time information allows Entergy employees to diagnose problems and handle many of them before they result in an outage to customers.

“These new systems can also monitor the health of substation transformers vital to reliable service and report potential problems immediately to our control centers.

They can also ensure that when an outage occurs, the problems are isolated so that impacts on customers are minimized.”

Hartmann said technology is advancing in the actual wires Entergy uses to move power, as well. New conductor technologies

allow more electricity to flow through lighter, stronger wires. Lighter wire can reduce the cost of upgrading since lighter wire requires fewer or smaller poles to support them. Other wires are installed to protect the transmission system from lightning, the leading cause of outages.

“In recent years, these ‘shield wires’ have been re-designed to include fiber optic cables inside them,” she said. “These Optical Ground Wire shield wires not only help protect the line from lightning, but also provide a medium for high-speed and extremely reliable communications systems. These fiberbased communications systems allow for the sharing of large quantities of data between substations and between substations and our control centers. The information is used by automated systems to quickly and safely remove faulted equipment from service, our control room operators to efficiently and safely operate the system, and our engineers to find the root causes of outages by reviewing the information recorded by these hightech systems during an outage event.”

Entergy Mississippi’s distribution system includes 120-volt components common to an average household up to 34,500-volt systems that can move power up to several miles. Entergy plans upgrades and improvements throughout the state on their distribution network over the next few years.

“Drivers for these projects may be something as small as a new home being constructed or as large as a large industrial

customer expanding its operations or locating new facilities in the area,” Hartmann said.

“Distribution projects can range from a few thousand dollars to several million dollars.”

Notable areas where some larger distribution projects have been recently completed or are targeted for the next few years include the Southaven area where a new substation, Church Road Substation, was completed in 2012 to serve the rapidly growing area of Desoto County west of U.S. 51 and south of Horn Lake.

In Senatobia, a substation transformer was upgraded in 2012 to provide additional capacity for load growth and to improve service capabilities in contingency situations.

Major updates in the Madison area include a new distribution substation, Bozeman Road, which was completed and put into service in 2008 to serve the rapidly growing area of south Madison County.

Another new distribution substation, Sunnybrook, was completed in 2010 to provide continued service to the I-55 corridor area of Ridgeland and Madison. A second substation transformer is currently planned for the Bozeman Road substation in 2015, providing additional capacity to serve new loads in the area.

In the Florence/Byram area, a main distribution line connecting these two areas is scheduled to be upgraded in 2013 to support service to this area that is continuing to grow.

In Gloster, a substation transformer is

being upgraded in 2014 and a new distribution feeder has already been constructed to provide the necessary capacity to serve a new industry moving into the area.

New technologies are also working in the Entergy Mississippi distribution system to improve reliability.

“Automatic Load Transfer schemes make the system smarter by isolating problem areas during storms or equipment failures and quickly automatically transferring as many customers as possible from damaged circuits to normal circuits,” Hartmann said.

“These schemes reduce outage times and minimize disruptions.

We currently have 18 of these ALTs in service with four more planned for installation before the end of the year. There was a recent successful transfer in the Madison area that reduced the number of customers experiencing a prolonged outage from 609 to 152 when the ALT system automatically and quickly restored service to 457 customers.”

Another new technology being employed in the Entergy Mississippi distribution system involves the use of modern computerbased protective equipment to determine the location of the cause of an outage. Hartmann said this allows Entergy service personnel to find the damage more quickly, thus reducing outage times for their customers.

“This new ‘fault-finding’ tool is showing promise in a few locations in our distribution system and we expect to expand its use in the coming years,” she said.

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18 I Mississippi Business Journal I September 6, 2013 Electric Power Association / Address

ELECTRIC POWER ASSOCIATIONS Phone

Website

Alcorn County EPA 1909 S. Tate St., Corinth, MS 38834

(662) 287-4402

www.ace-power.com

(601) 267-5671

www.centralepa.com

(662) 624-8321

www.coahomaepa.com

(228) 363-7000

www.coastepa.com

(662) 453-6352

www.deltaepa.com

(601) 425-2535

www.dixieepa.com

(601) 581-8600

www.emepa.com

(662) 327-8900

www.4county.org

(601) 684-4011

www.magnoliaepa.com

(662) 256-2962

NA

(662) 456-3037

www.ntepa.com

(662) 513-9597

www.northeastpower.org

(662) 895-2151

www.northcentralepa.com

(601) 736-2666

www.prvepa.com

(662) 489-3211

www.pepa.com

(662) 728-4433

www.pcepa.com

(601) 947-4211

www.singingriver.com

(601) 785-6511

www.spepa.com

601) 437-3611

www.southwestepa.com

(662) 563-4742

www.tvepa.com

(662) 837-8139

www.tippahepa.com

(662) 423-3646

www.tcepa.com

(662) 842-7635

www.tombigbeeelectric.com

(662) 827-2262

www.twincoepa.com

(662) 746-4251

www.yazoovalley.com

Central EPA 107 E. Main St., Carthage, MS 39051

Coahoma EPA 340 Hopson St., Lyon, MS 38645

Coast EPA 18020 Hwy. 603 , Kiln, MS 39556

Delta EPA 1700 Hwy. 82, Greenwood, MS 38930

Dixie EPA 1863 Hwy. 184 E., Laurel, MS 39443

East Mississippi EPA 2128 Hwy. 39 N., Meridian, MS 39302

4-County EPA 5265 S. Frontage Rd., Columbus, MS 39701

Magnolia EPA 3012 Hwy. 98 E., McComb, MS 39648

Monroe County EPA 601 N. Main St., Amory, MS 38821

Natchez Trace EPA 551 E. Madison St., Houston, MS 38851

North East Mississippi EPA 10 Private Rd. 2050, Oxford, MS 38655

Northcentral EPA 4600 Northcentral Way, Olive Branch, MS 38654

Pearl River Valley EPA 1422 Hwy. 13 N., Columbia, MS 39429

Pontotoc EPA 12 S. Main St., Pontotoc, MS 38863

Prentiss County EPA 302 W. Church St., Booneville, MS 38829

Singing River EPA 11187 Old Hwy. 63 S., Lucedale, MS 39452

Southern Pine EPA 110 Risher St., Taylorsville MS 39168

Southwest Mississippi EPA 18671 Hwy. 61, Lorman, MS 39096

Tallahatchie Valley EPA 250 Power Dr., Batesville, MS 38606

Tippah EPA 109 Cooper St., Ripley, MS 38663

Tishomingo County EPA 205 Constitution Dr., Iuka, MS 38852

Tombigbee EPA P.O. Drawer 1789, Tupelo, MS 38802

Twin County EPA 900 East Avenue N., Hollandale, MS 38748

Yazoo Valley 2255 Gordon Ave., Yazoo City, MS 39194

Information for this list was gathered from the Electric Power Associations of Mississippi and individual electric power associations. Please direct questions or comments to Wally Northway at research@msbusiness.com/.

ENVIRONMENTAL CONSULTING FIRMS

September 6, 2013

I

Mississippi Business Journal

I

19

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20 I Mississippi Business Journal I September 6, 2013 OUTDOORS WITH DR. JOHN WOODS

Hunting lands still worth investing

W

sure it is worth a lot more than if I had put that same money into a bank savings account or in a CD at today’s rates.

“Hunting land values today vary across John Woods a wide range depending on the area the property is located in and what’s on the property as far as habitat for wildlife. Most all investors when buying hunting land want to be located within an area that consistently produces quality game, whether it is ducks in the Delta or deer in the hills or perhaps a combination of both,” stated Sartain.

“In Mississippi across the board hunting lands can range from a low end value of $1000 per acre to a high end of $3,000 per For The Mississippi Business Journal acre. It is all about quality and location.”

Most recreational land buyers these days are also shopping for collateral values from the same property.

Shopping for such recreational lands also Hunters buy deer hunting land thinking the timber might produce residual value one day. means assessing the infrastructure already built into the property. Are there roads, modity such as timber, grain crops, and “Other types of land investments are building structures, established food plots, minerals such as oil, gas, and gravel.” the same such as timber investment.

ATV trails, electric power, water and other “All investment strategies end up point- Today timber prices are somewhat moder- amenities? Buyers either have to pay for ing in the direction of land as the most sta- ate creating a situation where certain inthese features up front with the land purble and safest investment when factored on vestors are interested in purchasing chase or spend considerable out-of-pocket a +/- 30-year investment. Land hedges timber lands because of a reduced value on dollars to create them.

Why Land Makes a Good Investment against inflation and is a hard asset that be the timber asset. Buyers know that this According to Jacob Sartain, vice presiborrowed against,” says Sartain. will change in the future. By purchasing at Bank Lending for Hunting Land dent of Sartains Heritage Properties, LLC Sartain advises that land is always a the bottom of the curve will allow for cap“Lending for land is not as difficult as of Madison (www.sartainsheritage.com), buyer’s market when like now there is high italization when the prices of timber rise,” some may think. There are several options “Land has been and always will be the best interest in agricultural and commodities Sartain noted. when it comes to financing and there are and strongest long-term investment strat- property making them very attractive to Meanwhile as the timber continues to lots of lenders out there. In today’s market egy for several reasons. Most all land has buyers. Right now these lands can offer a mature toward a future harvest, the owners we find a fiscally sound individual can obthe ability to produce some type of comgood return on the investment. can build a weekend retreat and develop tain financing around 80/20 or in other the land for hunting deer, turkey and small words, 20 percent cash invested while figame. They can build a lake for fishing with nancing 80 percent of the amount. Interest a long dock for watching sunsets. Land rates are very low in the 4-5 percent range SHIPYARD PLAZA ownership presents many opportunities for with flexible terms out to 30 years (this is Pascagoula, Mississippi outdoors family recreation. This becomes as of end of April),” Sartain counsels. Ineven more added value to the long-term Retail Investment Opportunity deed conditions are very favorable these land investment. days for land ownership.

In summary, “Land is easy to recognize as Director of Levels of Investment a most sound investment. Just look at Jones Lang LaSalle (JLL) is For my money land has never been America’s 100 wealthiest individuals and Real Estate pleased to exclusively offer priced at what one would call “cheap”, but you will find overwhelmingly the majority Development for sale the 66,857 sq. ft. then that is a relative term.

When I tell are invested in land,” Sartain reports.

Shipyard Plaza, located in Needed to oversee the young people today (anybody under the age Sounds like a good time to look into land Pascagoula, MS. The Property Montgomery Housing of 60) that I remember paying 15-cents for ownership for outdoors recreation, hunting is anchored by a 42,057 sq. ft.

Authority’s housing developa gallon of gasoline, a nickel for a bottle of Big Lots and shadow anchored or just enjoying a get away place of your ment, rehabilitation, and by a Wal-mart Supercenter.

Coke-A-Cola, and 25-cents for the local own. It may well prove to be the best inredevelopment programs.

The Property is strategically movie theatre and that cost included a soft vestment you ever made.

Applicants will possess a located on ± 8.16 acres along drink and a candy bar, they look at me like I bachelor’s degree, 7 years Highway 90 / Denny Ave. experience in public housing am crazy.

John J. Woods, Ph.D.,isvicepresidentinchargeofecoreal estate development, and Likewise when I tell folks I paid $275 per nomicdevelopmentandtraining,EagleRidgeConference two years of supervisory acre for hunting land with a mile frontage andTrainingCenter,theWorkforceDevelopmentCenter experience or equivalent. on the Big Black River, they are sure I am andcontracttrainingservicesatHindsCommunityCollege Kris Cooper Margaret Caldwell Application and job information Managing Director Managing Director pulling their leg. I’m not. That was back in inRaymond.

Direct +1 404 995 2271 Direct +1 404 995 2270 is available online at: 1991. Wonder what it is worth today? For

hat is it they say about land? “Better get you some, because they are not going to make any more of it.” Landfills not withstanding. When I talk to hunters of all ages, regardless of the game species they like to pursue, everybody dreams about owning their own place one day.

As it turns out these days, making a longterm investment in land whether to produce a commodity to generate revenue like agricultural land or timber, buying land is one of the smartest investments one can make. If that property also happens to offer recreational values for hunting, fishing, camping or whatever that is added value to the owner.

In fact, most recreational land buyers these days are also shopping for collateral values from the same property. Hunters buy deer hunting land thinking the timber might produce residual value one day.

Maybe some row crop land on the place could be leased to a nearby farmer looking for additional soybean acreage. Perhaps a hay field could be utilized to produce high value hay for livestock producers. The options can be endless.

kris.cooper@am.jll.com

margaret.caldwell@am.jll.com

www.mhatoday.org

September 6, 2013

I

Mississippi Business Journal

I

21

» MISSISSIPPI LEADERS by Martin Willoughby

Firm foundation S Smith-Howard leads MNF

ometimes when you first meet someone you can tell they are a natural born leader. They have a passion and enthusiasm for life that is contagious.

John Quincy Adams said, "If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, you are a leader." Real leaders understand that leadership is about lifting others up and helping them to be their best. I can usually spot a leader because they are thirsty for knowledge and seek continual growth. They listen more than they talk as they seek to learn from others. These leaders have a vision of a better future and lead others to stretch themselves to achieve more.

I recently met Rosalyn Smith-Howard, executive director of the Mississippi Nurses Foundation, and I knew that I had met someone who was a natural leader. Rosalyn grew up in a small town in the Delta called Gunnison and went to school in Rosedale.

She went on to earn her undergraduate and master’s degrees from Alcorn State University. Rosalyn started her career working as a counselor at Oakley Training School before joining the Mississippi Hospital Association as a recruiter. Over time, her role at the MHA evolved into becoming a healthcare workforce specialist in the Office of Nursing Workforce. In this job, Rosalyn collaborated with other organizations including schools of nursing, health care employers, health professionals, health-related associa-

Up Close With ... Rosalyn Smith-Howard

Title: Executive director, Mississippi Nurses Foundation First Job: ”My first job was an Office Assistant at West Bolivar High

School after graduation.”

Favorite Books: Any book by John Grisham — A Time to Kill is my favorite. Who Moved My Cheese (Spencer Johnson) Proudest Moment as a Leader: ”My proudest moment was my acceptance as executive director of the Mississippi Nurses Foundation. I realized the acceptance was not for me; but in memory of my mother, who was a nurse. I knew she would be extremely proud of me. She loved nursing.

Hobbies/Interests: Crafts with my daughters, Madison and Laurel

tions, economic development professionals and local workforce investment areas (LWIAs) to promote improvement in healthcare workforce issues.

Rosalyn’s work with the MHA allowed her to interact with the Mississippi Nurses Foundation and when the executive director position opened up in 2008, she applied and was hired to run the organization. This nonprofit organization was created by the Mississippi Nurses Association board of directors in 1982, and its purposes are to administer scholarships, provide continuing education, promote health and to promote the professional image of nursing. The Mis-

sissippi Nurses Foundation also awards over $100,000 in scholarships and stipends each year to support nurses and nursing students with their education.

Rosalyn noted, “My time with the MHA really developed my leadership abilities. I was afforded opportunities to observe different styles of leadership and given assignments that allowed me to be creative and think outside the box.” This is noteworthy because it is important to give leaders a chance to grow and make mistakes. I often see organizations that micro-manage people and then there is never any real growth of leadership. Running a non-profit cer-

“My time with the MHA really developed my leadersdhip abilities.”

Rosalyn Smith-Howard

tainly has its challenges. Rosalyn credits Dr. Rebecca AskewRives, the board president, with teaching her how to lead a nonprofit. Rosalyn noted, “Dr. Askew –Rives was a great mentor Martin Willoughby and taught me some hard lessons. She was knowledgeable and patient because she wanted me to succeed.”

Rosalyn’s leadership style is to lead by example and to be non-judgmental of others. She shared, “I aim to give all people the ‘benefit of the doubt’ and an opportunity to prove themselves.” She encourages her team to stay focused, prioritize their goals, and remain faithful. Her “can do” attitude comes through, and she emphasizes to young leaders that failure is not an option.

She knows that it takes perseverance to succeed in life. In an age of “instant” everything, it is important to remember that real leadership takes time and experience to develop. There is a wisdom that you just can’t get out of a book. Instead, it takes time and constructive feedback to really develop as a leader.

Nursing is a critical part of the healthcare industry, and Rosalyn and her team do a great job of being ambassadors for the thousands of nurses that serve diligently day in and day out all over our state. I believe we will see even greater impact from Rosalyn’s leadership in the years to come.

Martin Willoughby is a business consultant and regular contributing columnist for the Mississippi Business Journal. He serves as Chief Operating Officer of Butler Snow Advisory Services, LLC and can be reached at martin.willoughby@ butlersnow.com.

Mississippi Nurses Foundation

Ode to independent bookstores

G

oodbye Choctaw Books. It’s always sad when any bookstore closes its doors for the final time, but especially an independent bookstore. We are so very fortunate in Mississippi to still have a number of independent bookstores. That may be because the state is made up of small towns where big chain bookstores will not set up shop. Hooray for us!

A real pleasure for me when traveling is visiting independent bookstores. I think you can tell a few things about a place and its people from its bookstores — or lack thereof. The same week that Choctaw Books closed its doors, I had the delightful thrill of going to Tattered Cover Book Store in Denver, Colo.

First of all, everything I saw in Colorado, including Denver, was clean, litter-free and full of active, healthy people, and the Tattered Cover Book Store in the historic lower downtown area of Denver was no exception. With two hours to browse before

heading to the airport and armed with a generous Tattered Cover gift card, there was no better way I could imagine to spend part of my birthday, which happened to be that day.

Tattered Cover was opened in 1971 by Joyce Meskis with only 950 square feet of space. More than 40 years later, she has three locations in the Denver metro area, all large spaces.

The one I visited is in an old huge, two-story brick building. It’s broken into nooks and crannies with lots of cushy chairs and sofas, lamps, posters, artwork and of course tons of books, glorious books. The feeling is welcoming and intimate with eyepleasing displays and easy-to-find categories of books.

In My Bookstore, author Stephen White chooses Tattered Cover as his favorite place to browse, read and shop. He writes that one of owner Joyce Meskis’ principles of selling books the right way is her insistence that no customer should ever feel the slightest hesitation about carrying any purchase to a cash register. “Meeting the needs of everyone who entered her store was part of Joyce’s principle about selling books the right way.”

If your travels take you to Denver, be sure to make time to visit Tattered Cover. In the meantime, visit, visit and revisit the wonderful bookstores in Mississippi. Ordering books online can never take the place of experiencing a real bookstore.

— Lynn Lofton, mbj@msbusiness.com

22 I Mississippi Business Journal I September 6, 2013

» MISSISSIPPI BUSINESS PROFILES

Engineering success for Mississippi Waggoner Engineering

A

t a point in his early life, Waggoner Engineering CEO thought he might wind up taking over the family farm. He loves the country and farming, and in fact, does still have the family farm in Newton. He thought of becoming a veterinarian, which would have allowed him to stay close to farming. However, Joe’s father urged him to consider other career options, suggesting he attend law school, which he did (at the Jackson School of Law, now MC Law).

Finally, after graduating from Missisippi State University in 1972, he found his calling when he became involved in urban issues, planning, waste and water management, and similar areas. This led him to found Waggoner Engineering in 1976, and he’s never looked back.

Since its beginning, Waggoner has grown to be a major engineering firm, with multiple offices, over 100 employees and a dozen business partnerships. The company handles projects not only in Mississippi, but

also in Alabama and Lousiana.

“Perhaps the most important thing I had to learn was how to work collaboratively with others,” he said. “When you deal with multi-jurisdictional problems, you have to be able to bring people to the table.”

Waggoner focuses heavily on strategic planning, and as Joe defines it, “our goal is to create a happy marriage of technical, soAlan Turner cial, and political interests.” The company has been heavily involved in many large projects, including coastal restoration following Katrina, major manufacturing projects, wastewater projects, and much more.

Both Joe and John Rounsaville, Waggoner’s vice president for strategic services, agreed that the Mississippi Gulf Coast, at least, is in a much better position now to STEPHEN MCDILL / Mississippi Business Journal

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Since its beginning, Waggoner, founded by Joe Waggoner (above), has grown to be a major engineering firm, with multiple offices, over 100 employees and a dozen business partnerships. withstand another major storm.

“There is now good redundancy in systems; there are major new corridors; and resource management is in a much better position,” John said. “Overall, we’re in much better shape than we were then.”

A concern for both men has to do with water resources.

“We are fortunate that in Mississippi, we have strong water resources, but that is not necessarily so in parts of Louisiana and Alabama,” Joe said. “We really need to get real on our infrastructure needs in America — how those needs will be funded, and by whom.”

As he sees it, the Highway Trust Fund is “broken,”and there is great need for effective water resource management.

“It seems to me that we’re in denial on some of these issues. There’s too little cooperation between political parties, and we’re just not making the progress we

should be in some of these important areas,” he said.

He returned repeatedly to his theme of “working collaboratively”, of getting decision makers to see that there is a shared mission with common goals.

Where does he see the future of Waggoner Engineering?

“I guess you could say that we have an evolving vision,” he said. “We want to be involved in things that improve the quality of life. We want to make a difference.”

Certainly, it would be hard to argue that his vision since starting the company in 1976 has not come to fruition. Even though he still enjoys the farm life these days, the emphasis on his life has clearly been his work in engineering Mississippi’s success.

Contact Mississippi Business Journal publisher Alan Turner at alan.turner@msbusiness.com or (601) 364-1021.

“I guess you could say we have an evolving mission.”

Joe Waggoner Waggoner Engineering

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