Mississippi Chamber Professional Digest
February, 2017
Good morning, #chamber world! It’s going to be a
GREAT week!
David Rumbarger, CEO
Community Development Foundation: Amazon decision will help create
equitable e-commerce environment
Shop local. We hear it
all the time, we see it posted at the entrance of our favorite locally-owned
retailer, we read it in advertisements, on Facebook and at the ends of many a
tweet. But in today’s marketplace, how easy is it to truly #shoplocal,
especially if you can purchase those tennis shoes you’ve been eyeing for less,
online? If you ask any of CDF’s small-business-owning members, they’d tell you
it gets harder each year.
For 85 years, our state
has operated under a sales tax law that made in-state retailers the sole
collectors of sales tax. Yet, as technology becomes commonplace and with
shoppers crossing the divide between traditional stores to online sellers, over
time, our desire to save money is costing us much more than the few dollars you
are saving by purchasing that belt you tried on at the mall from Amazon
instead.
Sure, it can be
convenient to shop on Amazon, and yes, it can (sometimes) be cheaper thanks to
the tax break Amazon is given by Mississippi. Shipping is even free with your
annual $99 Prime Membership, which technically, is not free. But convenient
consumerism is costing our state and the city of Tupelo and Lee County crucial
tax revenue. We’re giving out-of-state retailers a free ride as far as
contributing to the overall growth and well-being of our communities is
concerned.
Meanwhile, local
merchants selling the same merchandise and returning sales tax to the economy
are supporting the community in ways that more than make up for the price
differential: providing personalized service, employing local citizens, serving
on community boards and committees – contributing to our greater good. Amazon
doesn’t sit on our local arts council, donate money to our schools, join the
Chamber or provide the tax revenue that can finally fill that pesky pot hole
you’ve been dodging for months.
This week’s announcement
that Amazon, the largest online retailer in our state, will begin to collect
Mississippi’s seven percent sales tax, demonstrates what skillful negotiations
can accomplish. The successful talks between the Internet giant and
Mississippi’s Department of Revenue somewhat levels the playing field.
While estimates vary as
to the exact dollar amount Amazon’s collection will mean to the economics of
our state, it’s expected to be in the millions. What was once an unfair
practice is now one step closer to becoming more equitable as e-commerce sales
in Mississippi continue to grow.
The revenue generated by
Amazon’s collection of sales tax will contribute to solving some of the state’s
budget problems. As more online retailers follow suit, Mississippi can hope for
an enhanced economic forecast. In the meantime, we can do our part by
continuing to shop locally. The best part? Shipping is always free.
David Rumbarger is
president and CEO of the Community Development Foundation in Tupelo.
Readers can contact him
at rum@cdfms.org.
Innovate Mississippi’s Discovery
Luncheon to Spotlight Local Oxford Innovators and Kick-off the Ole Miss Venture
Launch Weekend
(Jackson, Miss.) – Innovate Mississippi announces that it
will host a Discovery Luncheon in Oxford on Friday, February 10, 2017, at the
Oxford Conference Center from 11:30 a.m. until 1:00 p.m.
Discovery Luncheons are community-based events held throughout the
state designed to spotlight Mississippi’s rich entrepreneurial culture.
Organized by Innovate Mississippi, the Oxford Discovery Luncheon is presented
by mTrade, LLC and sponsored by the Oxford-Lafayette County Economic
Development Foundation. The luncheon will serve as the kick-off to The
University of Mississippi’s Venture Launch Weekend event.
The agenda begins at 11:30 a.m. with registration and networking.
The lunch program starts promptly at 12:00 noon. Dr. Bill Rayburn, founder of
Mortgage Trade, will serve as the featured speaker and share his inspiring and
successful entrepreneurial journey. The entrepreneur speaker will be Karen
Kurr, owner and founder of NoTime2Cook, a health-conscious, made-from-scratch
packaged meal operation. Time for Q&A with the speakers will be included.
The event will conclude at 1:00 p.m.
“Entrepreneurs are often the hidden gems of any community, and
Oxford’s entrepreneurial scene is as vibrant as any community in Mississippi,”
said Tony Jeff, president and CEO of Innovate Mississippi. “We’re excited to
hear Bill Rayburn’s story of a local entrepreneurial success and his immediate
re-investment into his next startup. We hope to also uncover some other
great entrepreneurs in the community and to help connect the community to
statewide innovation activity.”
“Oxford is on fire with successful business startups,” added Jon
Maynard, president and CEO of the Oxford-Lafayette County Economic Development
Foundation. “If you have any interest in starting a business, or even growing
the business that you have, you need to come hear what Bill Rayburn and Karen
Kurr have to say. They are two success stories from opposite ends of the
spectrum for their types of businesses. You can learn a lot from what these two
individuals have to say about the resources and experience in Oxford.”
To register or for more information, visit www.innovate.ms or contact Janet Parker, outreach
and development manager for Innovate Mississippi,
at jparker@innovate.ms or 601-832-8100 or Allen Kurr, VP Economic
Development for The Oxford Lafayette County Economic Development
Foundation, allen@oxfordms.com, 662-234-4651.
Robert
Gibbs on Greater Jackson Chamber Partnership
Robert Gibbs is the 2017
chairman of the Greater Jackson Chamber Partnership (GJCP). The Jackson native
is a graduate of Murrah High School, Tougaloo College and the University of
Mississippi School of Law. He is a partner with the Gibbs Travis Law Firm. He
and his wife, Rep. Deborah Gibbs, have two children, Ariana, an attorney, and
Justis, a junior at Howard University. He recently spoke to Sun Senior Staff
Writer Anthony Warren about the chamber, its challenges, and his plans for the upcoming
year.
What are your plans as
chairman?
“I want to see our
community continue to grow. We’ve had some outstanding developments over the
last couple of years, with Continental Tire (announcing it will come) to the
area. I want to keep that spirit of bringing more businesses to the community.
Also, if you were at our annual meeting, you heard a presentation from a
speaker who came from Birmingham, who was a cheerleader in bringing things
there. I want to be a cheerleader, so we can recruit more businesses to be
involved with the chamber.”
I do have a question
about the Continental Tire plant. What kind of economic impact is this expected
to have in Hinds County?
“I don’t have the numbers
in front of me, but it will have a major impact. It’s going to be very similar
to the impact we had from Nissan, and it’s going to be in Hinds County, which
is good for the county and going to increase the county’s tax base. There are
going to be a large number of jobs that will be available here, so the
workforce will improve. One thing we have to do is make sure we have a
sufficient workforce, ready to take advantage of the job opportunities.”
This brings me to the next thing I want to ask about. At the annual meeting, the chamber talked about how it was going to start using the ACT National Career Readiness Test as a way to measure workforce readiness. Can you tell me about that?
“It’s an opportunity of
matching graduates of our educational institutions with job opportunities with
companies that are presently here and going to come. It’s a way of matching
skill levels with the job needs of employers. It’s worked in a number of
communities, and we’re looking forward to making sure it works here as well.”
From what I understand,
ACT offers the test, and those who take it receive a certification, either
bronze, gold, silver or platinum. That information is then used in helping
those individuals find work. Who can take the test?
“Anyone in the workforce,
from students in high school and colleges, to people who are in the workforce.
The whole purpose is to let them take it, so they can know what their skills
are, so we can match them with employers.”
What are the biggest
challenges for GJCP right now?
“I wouldn’t say there are
any big challenges, but there will be changes. Leadership Greater Jackson,
which has been part of the chamber for 30 years, will transition to its own
body. The chamber has decided it will focus more on business, economic
development and making sure our members are serviced. Leadership Greater Jackson
is a great program – I am a graduate of the program. We have been working with
their board, and decided it was a great time to transition away, so they could
stand alone, since there have been over a thousand graduates.”
USM Economic Outlook 2017 Forum Attracts Large Turnout
More than 225 business leaders, students, and community members gathered on The University of Southern Mississippi’s Hattiesburg campus recently for the annual Economic Outlook 2017 Forum hosted by the University’s College of Business.
Held Feb. 2 at the Thad Cochran Center, the forum brought together experts from banking, finance, and academia to explore a number of issues and research related to the economic outlook for 2017.
Participants gleaned significant insight from Stan Harrell, Vice President, CFO and CIO, of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, who shared a national view of the economy based upon gross domestic product numbers, unemployment rates and housing market trends over the last 15-20 years. As part of the world’s largest lobbying group for U.S. business, Harrell painted a picture of optimism for the current year.
Chad Newell, President of the Area Development Partnership, also addressed the attendees, providing a glimpse of how the Pine Belt compares to the State of Mississippi, and to the federal average on many of the same points made by Harrell. Since the economic recession of 2008, the Greater Hattiesburg area has seen a steady increase in employment, housing sales and other key indicators of the future.
“We are grateful for the support of The First in continuing to bring the Economic Outlook Forum to the Pine Belt,” said Dr. Faye Gilbert, Dean of the USM College of Business. “Stan Harrell and Chad Newell provided us with key indicators that point to a potentially good year for business and growth in the Hattiesburg area. It is wonderful to gather as a business community to learn together.”
The University hosted a similar forum on Jan. 12 at the Gulf Park campus in Long Beach. Read more: WDAM TV
Chamber contest: Enter to win a
weekend getaway to Ocean Springs
Call it a
stay-cation, but winning a
weekend in Ocean Springs could be just the thing, even if
you’re from the Coast.
Ocean
Springs Chamber of Commerce–Main Street–Tourism Bureau has teamed with the
creators of The Mississippi List and Visit Mississippi to give away a weekend
stay here, with dining around town, shopping and sightseeing.
After all,
this is Ocean Springs, “a mesmerizing waterfront town bursting at the seams
with world-class food, art, boutique shopping and outdoor activities” according
to Mississippi List. They also called it “the
little seaside escape that racks up awards year after
year for its welcoming experience that just hits all the right notes with
visitors and locals alike.”
Visitors
to Mississippilist.com can
enter — click under the coastal section — for a chance to win the weekend
package that includes a stay at The Inn downtown, a visit to the Walter
Anderson Museum of Art, breakfast at The Greenhouse on Porter, lunch and live
music at Murky Waters BBQ, afternoon desserts at French Kiss Pastries and fine
dining at Vestige. Read more: Sun Herald
Chamber
heart: Leadership group helping Love's Kitchen acquire washers, dryers
Assisting the homeless getting back on their feet is a priority for several community non-profit agencies. Leadership Lauderdale is no exception.
Leadership Lauderdale, a program of the East Mississippi Business Development Corp., is partnering with Love's Kitchen to expand services to people in need at Love's Kitchen, which is known for serving hot meals under director Fannie Johnson. The partnership will help Love's Kitchen acquire two sets of industrial grade washers and dryers to be housed adjacent to the Love's Kitchen building.
"The purpose is to allow Fannie to improve upon what she is already doing," Leadership Lauderdale team member Sara Smith said. "Fannie is helping homeless people find jobs and meet their personal needs. She doesn't have the financial resources to provide washers and dryers on site."
The project will include electrical and plumbing work, the appliances themselves, and a detergent supply to meet the initial needs of the community.
Leadership Lauderdale is requesting donations for the project to be submitted by Feb. 10, 2017. Donations will qualify as a tax-deductible charitable contribution for a 501 (c) (3) organization. Checks can be made out to East Mississippi Business Development Foundation (EMBDF) referencing Love's Kitchen, and mailed to P.O. Box 790, Meridian, MS 39302. Call Leadership Lauderdale at 601-693-1306 or email Smith at outreachpr@bellsouth.net for more information. Read more: Meridian Star
Assisting the homeless getting back on their feet is a priority for several community non-profit agencies. Leadership Lauderdale is no exception.
Leadership Lauderdale, a program of the East Mississippi Business Development Corp., is partnering with Love's Kitchen to expand services to people in need at Love's Kitchen, which is known for serving hot meals under director Fannie Johnson. The partnership will help Love's Kitchen acquire two sets of industrial grade washers and dryers to be housed adjacent to the Love's Kitchen building.
"The purpose is to allow Fannie to improve upon what she is already doing," Leadership Lauderdale team member Sara Smith said. "Fannie is helping homeless people find jobs and meet their personal needs. She doesn't have the financial resources to provide washers and dryers on site."
The project will include electrical and plumbing work, the appliances themselves, and a detergent supply to meet the initial needs of the community.
Leadership Lauderdale is requesting donations for the project to be submitted by Feb. 10, 2017. Donations will qualify as a tax-deductible charitable contribution for a 501 (c) (3) organization. Checks can be made out to East Mississippi Business Development Foundation (EMBDF) referencing Love's Kitchen, and mailed to P.O. Box 790, Meridian, MS 39302. Call Leadership Lauderdale at 601-693-1306 or email Smith at outreachpr@bellsouth.net for more information. Read more: Meridian Star
Vicksburg-Warren
County Chamber joining in economic development effort here in a big way
For
an organization that has been around for more than 100 years, the Vicksburg-Warren
County Chamber of Commerce has remained relevant, supportive and driven.
All
of those characteristics were on display Tuesday during the chamber’s annual
luncheon, in which it not only honored individuals and businesses of note from
the previous year, but also laid out a plan of action for Vicksburg’s future.
Incoming
Chamber president Mark Buys has said he wants the Chamber to help lead the
effort to find property for the Port of Vicksburg to expand, likely finding a
spot south of the I-20 bridge to increase Vicksburg’s impact on shipping and
navigation along the Mississippi River.
The
plan is bold, but the Vicksburg-Warren County Chamber of Commerce is good at
big plans.
From
the very beginning, the chamber has been focused on not only building business
in Vicksburg, but also being a catalyst for needed changes and improvements.
The
chamber kick started the Leader in Me program in area schools and has played an
active role in the planning for the implementation of the Ford Next Generation curriculum
in our high schools.
The
chamber, early in the 20th Century, helped find and secure land for the U.S.
Army Corps of Engineers, now the county’s largest employer.
Changes
are coming to the structure of the Vicksburg-Warren Chamber of Commerce. Executive
director Jane Flowers is leaving the chamber to spend time with family, and
business and community leaders are currently working to restructure how the
chamber will be managed, along with the Port Commission and other economic
agencies. Read more: Vicksburg Post
Chamber
partnership: Linbrook Park spec building ready for tenants
Lincoln
County Chancery Clerk Tillmon Bishop spelled it out in fisherman’s terms.
“If
this is a pond you’re in,” Bishop said, looking around the inside of the lone
building in the Linbrook Business Park. “This thing is the bait and we’re
looking for a big fish.”
The
pond is the 400 acres of land just west of I-55 with infrastructure in place to
accommodate most businesses and industries.
The
bait is the 50,000-square-foot building that sits on 12 acres in the vacant
park.
It
looks like a large gray airplane hangar right now, but hopefully soon it will
be filled with workers and machinery inside instead of elected officials
mingling and shaking hands.
And
the trophy bass the Brookhaven-Lincoln County Economic Development Alliance,
Lincoln County Board of Supervisors and Brookhaven Board of Aldermen hope to
catch is any businesses or industry who wants to bring their operations to
Linbrook.
The
county and city years ago put up $2.2 million each, along with the Chamber’s
$500,000 and a $1.1 million grant from the Mississippi Development Authority to
build the park, Bishop said
It
was a wise investment at the time, since the existing industrial park neared
capacity and the boards had the expectation that a new business park would soon
welcome tenants.
Then
came the Great Recession, derailing those hopes. The park has sat empty since.
The
Alliance is a group that governs Linbrook and is led by Brookhaven-Lincoln
County Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Garrick Combs. It partnered with
industrial development company Agracel and Southwest MS Electric Power to construct
a spec building to hopefully entice a business to locate there. Combs and
elected officials are hopeful the first industry to locate in the park will
catch the eye of others who will follow suit once they see a successful
business. Read more: Daily Leader
Pine Belt economy solid, Area
Development Partnership president says
Around 5,000 new jobs have been added in the Pine Belt over the
last five years, Area Development Partnership President Chad Newell told a
group during a luncheon Thursday.
"From a pure economic perspective, things are really good
here," he said.
The First's 2017 Economic Outlook Forum brought about 300 people
to the Thad Cochran Center at Southern Miss. Newell was one of the forum's
keynote speakers.
With the added jobs, the area's unemployment rate is 5 percent,
down from 9 percent five years ago, which is close to the national average of
4.7 percent.
"The region's economy is strong," Newell said.
The gross domestic product of the greater Hattiesburg area rose
from $4.9 billion in 2011 to $5.6 billion in 2016, bringing around $700 million
more in value goods and services, he said. The Pine Belt's GDP grew about 3.9
percent in the last three months alone.
"We are growing at a faster pace than the state," Newell
said. "We play a significant and certainly a major role in the Mississippi
economy."
The ADP serves as the chamber of commerce for Forrest, Lamar and
Perry counties. Read more: Hattiesburg American
Chamber interest: Ten Manufacturing
Trends to Watch in 2017
As the New Year begins, the editorial team at the Manufacturing
Leadership Council offers its predictions for the year ahead. Contributors to
this blog include David R. Brousell, Jeff Moad, Sankara Narayanan, and Paul
Tate.
Trade Tensions Loom as Global Uncertainty Dominates 2017
Political upheavals during 2016 in both the U.S. and Europe have
created unprecedented levels of uncertainty about the freedom of international
trade for manufacturing companies over the next decade. The prospects of a
major trade deal between the U.S. and 12 Pacific Rim countries, known as the
Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), now seem dead in the water following
statements by the incoming Trump Administration to abandon the deal. A similar
Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) deal with Europe is
stalled. And the U.K.’s Brexit vote last June has thrown the traditional trade
relationships between many European companies into disarray and could take up
to a decade to resolve. Large corporations may be able to negotiate their way
through the minefield of future trade agreements, but small- and medium-sized
manufacturing enterprises will need to be vigilant and flexible if they wish to
maintain broad and open access to key export markets around the world.
The Coming Collision Between Jobs and Automation
Faced with a dramatically changing political environment
stressing nationalism and protectionism, U.S. manufacturing’s profile will rise
in 2017 as the debate over how best to expand manufacturing jobs takes place.
That debate will become increasingly illuminated by a growing understanding
that automation, in contrast to off-shoring, has played a key role in not only
job elimination in the past but also in defining what jobs and skills are
needed in the future. It will also become increasingly clear to policy makers
that automation isn’t slowing down, and that the adoption of advanced
automation and information technologies will continue to result in not only
further low skill level job losses but also fewer mid-level positions, exposing
the fragility of the idea of “bringing back” jobs to the U.S. This dichotomy
will force a national conversation about how far industry should automate in
relation to needed employment, once again pitting those who perceive the
emerging digital global economy as a tailwind against those who perceive it as
a headwind.
The Skills Shortage Hits Home
Meanwhile, the ongoing debate about whether the manufacturing
skills shortage is real will finally come to an end. A growing U.S. economy,
lower unemployment levels, and expected lower taxes on businesses under the new
Trump Administration will spell accelerated expansion and an increased need for
more manufacturing workers, engineers, and managers. At the same time, the push
toward Manufacturing 4.0 will create a growing demand for software engineers in
manufacturing. The result: Manufacturers that have already created a
Next-Generation Workforce strategy and supply chain will prosper, while others
will struggle to attract the human capital needed to take advantage of new opportunities.
M4.0: It Will Resemble a “Digital Wagon Train”
The journey to Manufacturing 4.0, the next wave of industrial
progress built on digital technologies that many manufacturers are now
beginning to undertake, will come to resemble a “digital wagon train”,
traveling slowly, at times haltingly as companies come to grips with the fact
that M4.0 is much more of a cultural and leadership transformation than a
technological challenge, requiring deep changes in leadership orientation and
practices to deal with the complex, multi-layered transition to M4.0.
Manufacturing leaders will need to make tough decisions about vision, strategy,
alignment, execution, and culture to achieve the promise of M4.0. The challenge
will come down to whether leaders are personally ready for the epochal
transformation in front of them. Spiritual, mental, emotional, and physical
energies will need to be harnessed as much as adopting and integrating new
technologies.
M4.0: Manufacturing Leaders Must Broaden Their Horizons
As part of that reorientation, manufacturing leaders will also
be required to broaden their horizons as Manufacturing 4.0 creates new,
digitally-enabled opportunities to enhance operational efficiency by building
new workflows that link previously isolated functions such as manufacturing,
supply chain, and new product development. Leaders will be forced to gain
deeper knowledge of how other, contiguous functions work in order to understand
the opportunities for cross-functional collaboration, ultimately resulting greater
customer value. And manufacturing leaders will be expected not just to
understand how contiguous functions work, they will need to be able to build
stronger alliances so that they can influence decisions made across functional
boundaries.
Machine Learning and AI Enter the Mainstream
Having spent much of the past decade perfecting the sensing,
collection, and organization of data from the plant floor and across the supply
chain, manufacturers in 2017 will get serious about leveraging a new generation
of deep machine learning, artificial intelligence, and natural language tools
that will not only turn all of that data into new, real-time insights about how
the business is operating, but also deliver valuable recommendations for
improving operations or even heading off problems. Already, for example,
manufacturers are applying machine learning protocols to detailed part quality,
product testing, and field performance data to quickly isolate and fix the
underlying causes of quality problems.
The Digital Thread Stitches Together the Supply Chain
Until now, manufacturers have tended to aim their Manufacturing
4.0 initiatives at cutting costs and improving efficiency of internal processes
such as equipment maintenance and quality. Increasingly, however, manufacturers—particularly
those that rely on partners for production and assembly—will endeavor to build
platforms that securely give external partners access to the “Digital Thread.”
These digital platforms will enable visibility into product and design change
data and applications that enable collaboration. The result will be reduced
part tooling costs, increased design reuse, faster and less expensive
prototyping, and much more flexible production.
Blockchain To Emerge as New “Trust” Platform for Manufacturing
Value Chains
Originally developed to support the Bitcoin digital
cryptocurrency, the ability of the underlying blockchain technology to create
deeply-encrypted, immutable records in a highly-secure distributed ledger will
become increasingly important as a way to increase trust between collaborating
manufacturing enterprises. In 2017, blockchain technology will begin to be
developed and adopted by innovative manufacturing companies as a more secure,
and ultimately disintermediating approach to creating more agile supply chains
that can automatically negotiate and close new financial and supply-side
partnership deals, ensure IP protection, provide trusted proof of product
provenance and certification, and ratify material traceability and
transparency.
Manufacturing Cybersecurity Threats Demand Urgent Rethink
Increased connectivity as part of a Manufacturing 4.0
transformation strategy will inevitably create greater vulnerability to digital
disruption, interference, and malicious attack for the world’s manufacturers.
One in five manufacturing companies already report that cybersecurity concerns
have materially slowed, or prevented, one or more Manufacturing 4.0 projects or
initiatives, according to the latest Manufacturing Leadership Council
Cybersecurity survey. Over half also believe that in the next five years,
cybersecurity concerns could hinder the speed and scope of adoption of M4.0
technologies and approaches in some way. Traditional cybersecurity policies are
no longer adequate in this increasingly connected, data-driven world.
Manufacturers of all sizes will need to rethink, redesign, or radically improve
their cybersecurity strategies to better protect key assets, networks,
products, and personnel as they move along their journey to Manufacturing 4.0 in
the year ahead.
Use of Advanced Analytical Software to Increase
Manufacturers will strive to hone their skills in using advanced
analytical software, already one of the most desired technologies, to not only
improve decision-making but also to identify new business models and
opportunities. Expect to see many companies extend their expertise with the
software from a largely diagnostic activity today to increasingly predictive
and even prescriptive undertakings with the technology. Building the capability
to travel this maturity curve with the software will determine which companies
create new competitive advantages, potentially enabling them to disrupt and
even reshape their markets.
Joe Azar named
Director of Economic Development for the Panola Partnership
On Monday,
January 9, 2017, the executive board of the Panola Partnership unanimously
voted to offer the Director of Economic Development position to current
executive board member Joe Azar.
Azar has
served on the Panola Partnership executive board for the past 6 years, and was
scheduled to roll off this March. His first day in the office will be Tuesday,
January 17th, due to the observance of Martin Luther King Jr. Day.
Joe Azar
was born and raised in Greenville, MS. He is a graduate of the University of
Mississippi with a Bachelor of Business Administration degree. He returned to
the Delta to own and operate uniquely successful convenience stores called The
Barn. At the same time, he also owned and operated one of the state’s
largest music production companies.
Joe later
moved to Nashville where he worked in the music industry as a personal artist
manager for 16 years, of which during this time, met his wife to be, Katie, who
co-managed their clients.
Azar
attended post-graduate instruction from Belmont University’s School of Music
Business. He co-founded Azar Entertainment and Dang Records. He managed
recording artist Steve Azar, Vince Neil of Motley Crue, the original Crickets,
The Outfield, Hank Williams III, Brady Seals of Little Texas, Jessica Andrews
and several others.
Joe
negotiated recording agreements with major record labels; publishing deals;
tours with agents, promoters, CMT and GAC, and multi-million dollar tour
sponsorships with companies such as Jim Beam and ExxonMobil for his artists.
Joe and his wife and children moved to Panola County in 2007 to work as the operations
and general manager of Mississippi Distributors, Inc. in Batesville. After 2
years of an extensive business curriculum with Anheuser-Busch University, Azar
became a successor manager to the local Anheuser-Busch wholesalership.
In 2012, he
negotiated the sale of Mississippi Distributors to Southern Beverage Company of
Jackson, MS, securing that 50 jobs would remain in Panola County. He
became the Branch Manager and Equity Agreement Manager of Southern Beverage
Company. During his time, he successfully recruited RedBull and many other
strong suppliers for his company, leaving Batesville’s operation in 2016 with
the leading portfolio in the state. For the past nine years, Joe also
represented his company’s beverage delegation by visiting elected officials at
our federal and state capitols. Read more: Panola County
Partnership
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Coast
Chamber has crisis planning session for business leaders
This
business event was about saving lives. On Thursday, the Mississippi Gulf Coast
Chamber of Commerce meeting featured a not so cheerful presentation on crisis
planning.
The
message: A good safety plan is a great business plan.
“I think
that I find that most people…have a general understanding of what an active
shooter event is,” said Max Feen, protective security adviser with the Department
of Homeland Security. “But, it’s getting them to have the presence of mind and
fortitude to respond appropriately and do the right things.”
Feen had a
two-part presentation. The first part was on the Hometown Security initiative
connect, plan, train, and report. The second part described how to survive an
active shooter.
It was a
good message for the group, considering 37 percent of all active shooter
situations are in the work place.
“At Center
Stage, we have things going on all the time, and we don’t know some of the
people who come in either, so we want to be prepared for no matter what,” said
Ginny Russum, of Center Stage Theater in Biloxi. “The chamber gives us a great
opportunity to have these little small meetings that we can really learn from
them.”
More than
50 business leaders came to hear the message at the Knight Nonprofit Center.
Even if they’ve heard it before, it’s good to hear again.
“We have a
lot of contacts and relationships along the coast to help guide us in this
direction,” said Angela VanErp, security supervisor at Boomtown Casino. “A lot
of this just reinforces some of the things we already do.” Read more: WLOX
Greenwood
Leflore Chamber of Commerce Names MVSU Big Business of the Year
Mississippi Valley State
University (MVSU) was honored last night by the Greenwood Leflore Chamber of
Commerce as Big Business of the Year during its 99th Annual Meeting. Each
year, the Chamber recognizes outstanding businesses, volunteers and citizens
for their success, dedication to excellence and leadership in the community.
"It is an outstanding
honor for MVSU to be selected for this award," said Dr. William B. Bynum
Jr., president. "We are truly living out the tenets of One Goal. One Team.
One Valley. Without the awesome work of our students, alumni, faculty, and
staff this community award would not have been possible. Our community presence
has improved tremendously since my arrival. I want The Valley to continue
these great works as we strive to improve the lives of those around us and
continue to be community partners."
MVSU has been an active
participant in the local community and beyond. Valley’s students have
completed over 52,000 community service hours since October 2014. MVSU
has sponsored and/or volunteered at Bikes, Blues, and Bayous, 300 Oaks,
Greenville’s Dragon Boat Race and Viking Half Marathon along with tutoring
students, volunteering with Habitat for Humanity, providing water during the
Flint, Mich. Water Crisis, volunteering and hosting Hope America’s Christmas
for Children Giveaway for Mississippi residents, assisting during the United
Way’s Day of Caring, among many other efforts.
Most recently, MVSU has been
named to U.S. News & World Report Best Historically Black Colleges and
Universities and Regional Universities South rankings; College Choices’ Most
Affordable Business Schools, and ToBecomeaTeacher.org’s Best Teaching Colleges
in Mississippi Listing. Valley’s students have won several honors
throughout the nation and state.
MVSU has an internationally
renowned choir and band. The choir has performed in Chicago, Cincinnati,
Jackson, Memphis, New Orleans, Omaha, Seattle, St. Louis, and Vancouver.
Overseas destinations have included Brazil and Italy. In March 2014,
Valley Singers toured Boston and performed at Boston University, Old South
Church, the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum, and Acton-Boxborough
Regional High School. The Mean Green Marching Machine Band has performed
at the Presidential Inauguration of Richard Nixon, Indianapolis 500, Rose Bowl
Parades, National Olympic Sports Festival, Official Honor Band for President
George H.W. Bush’s Visit to Mississippi, to name a few of its noteworthy
performances.
Qualifications for the honor
include a proven track record of success and positive contributions to the
community in philanthropy or community support for activities and projects;
along with being a Chamber member in good standing. Nominations were received
from the local community for the award. Read more: MSVU.edu
Top Five Daily Postings in the last month at Midwest Chamber of Commerce
Daily News – click to go there or Google search “Midwest Chamber of Commerce
Daily”
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Last Month’s Stories
Nuria Arias recognized as one of the top CEO’s in Mississippi for
her work for Picayune Picayune Item
Lisa James named Columbus-Lowndes Chamber president The Dispatch
DeSoto, Rankin, Madison, Lamar, Union Lafayette
County have the lowest jobless rates in Mississippi Oxford Eagle
#BestChamber practices: City of Ridgeland MS Chamber - Free Member
Online Services admin@ridgelandchamber.com.
#BestChamber
Practices: Columbus Lowndes Chamber: Educators are Essential - Columbus
Lowndes Chamber of Commerce
If you would like delivery
of a new gloss Chamber directory or gloss community map in September, 2017, please contact me at your
earliest convenience.
Do you have a story
idea?
If you know of a chamber news item that you would like to be included in the CHAMBER EXECUTIVE MISSISSIPPI INTELLIGENCE REPORT or the MIDWEST CHAMBER OF COMMERCE DAILY NEWS, please email me at jdussman@tspubs.com or call me at (847)-427-4633. Thank you.
If you know of a chamber news item that you would like to be included in the CHAMBER EXECUTIVE MISSISSIPPI INTELLIGENCE REPORT or the MIDWEST CHAMBER OF COMMERCE DAILY NEWS, please email me at jdussman@tspubs.com or call me at (847)-427-4633. Thank you.
John Dussman | Chamber Manager
jdussman@tspubs.com | 847-427-4633 | Town Square Publications
Daily Herald Media Group
155 E. Algonquin Road | Arlington Heights, IL 60005
jdussman@tspubs.com | 847-427-4633 | Town Square Publications
Daily Herald Media Group
155 E. Algonquin Road | Arlington Heights, IL 60005
To request your chamber publication
proposal, Contact Town Square Here
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