Business

PSC issues $420,000 fine for telemarketing

Mississippi regulators have ordered a company named Tailbone Security to pay $420,000 for violating the state’s ban on unwanted telemarketing.

Commissioners voted 3-0 Tuesday, June 4 to impose the penalty against Tailbone, which is based in Boynton Beach, Fla.

It’s the latest in a series of large fines that the Public Service Commission has issued for companies that violate the state’s prohibition on calling people who have registered their phone numbers to get telemarketers to stop calling. […]

Business

CertainTeed restarting production in Meridian

CertainTeed joined local and state officials Monday to announce the company is restarting its ceiling tile manufacturing operations in Meridian, in the same facility it purchased in 2005.

The project represents a $24 million company investment and will create 110 new jobs by 2016.

Production is expected to resume during the second quarter of 2014. Once operational, the facility will produce a range of ceiling tiles and acoustical wall panels used in commercial construction applications. […]

Business

Kool & The Gang to headline free Nissan 10th anniversary event

– On Saturday, May 25, Nissan celebrates 10 years of manufacturing vehicles in Canton and invites the community – a major contributor to its success – to come out to the Mississippi Veterans Memorial Stadium in Jackson and enjoy a special musical performance by Grammy-winning R&B band Kool & the Gang. There will also be circus performers and a children’s area with a variety of activities, and the day will end with an evening fireworks show.
 
“Our employees are the heart and soul of our operation in Canton,” said Camille Young, Nissan’s community relations and communications manager for Canton. “We are also deeply grateful to the broader community that has embraced and supported us during our first decade in Mississippi, and we want to take this opportunity to celebrate with those who contribute to our success—our employees, their family members, our local suppliers, area businesses and our community partners.”  […]

Business

Don Pelts, founder of Corky's, dies in Memphis

Don Pelts, who founded the Memphis-based barbecue restaurant Corky’s Ribs and Bar-B-Q and helped increase the popularity of the savory food style with a shipping and supermarket sales business, has died, a relative said Thursday.

Pelts’ son, Barry Pelts, said his father died Wednesday night, May 15, of a heart attack at age 72.

Pelts opened the first Corky’s in Memphis in 1984, serving ribs and hand-pulled pork cooked over hickory wood and charcoal. According to the company’s website, Corky’s catering business started within a year of the first restaurant’s opening. […]

Business

Shamrock Plank Flooring locating to Hernando

Officials from Shamrock Plan Flooring, a division of J.T. Shannon Lumber, said the company is expanding its presence in north Mississippi by locating manufacturing operations in the 62,900-square-foot facility formerly occupied by Stylecraft Lamps in Hernando, Miss., in DeSoto County. The project represents a company investment of $1 million and will create approximately 25 new jobs.

Shamrock Plank Flooring, manufacturer of high-end hardwood flooring, also has operations in Horn Lake, Miss., where the company has 140 employees. […]

Business

Rentech asking $8.5M for 478 acres

Adams County officials are continuing talks on buying the former International Paper site from Rentech.

The Natchez Democrat reports that supervisors met Monday and board attorney Scott Slover said no decision has been made.

The IP mill was once home to the area’s biggest employer but was shuttered in 2003.

Rentech purchased the property in 2008 with plans to build a coal-to-liquids fuel plant on the site. Rentech announced late last year that it had scrapped its plans and put the site up for sale in mid-March. […]

Business

Nissan awards $500,000 to Canton public schools for needy students

A $500,000 education grant announced Thursday by Nissan will strengthen academic support programs for elementary students who are not making sufficient progress in their school curriculum.
 
The $500,000 grant will be used by the Canton Public School District to employ two new academic interventionists who will provide targeted instruction and support to students needing the most intensive academic assistance.
 
Canton Public School Superintendent Dwight Luckett Sr. said, “We are elated with Nissan’s generous donation and continued support of educational opportunities for students in our community. For the district to reach its full potential, we are committed to working even harder to continue meeting the challenges before us. We can accomplish our mission much faster when community and business leaders like Nissan partner with us to offer hope, opportunity and inspiration to our students.” […]

Business

Multicraft expands in Pelahatchie

Officials from Multicraft International, manufacturer and supplier of automotive components for domestic automakers, have announced the company is expanding its operations in Pelahatchie to accommodate an increase in production. The project represents a company investment of $250,000 and will create 30 new jobs.

To support the expansion, the Mississippi Development Authority (MDA) provided the company with assistance for modifications to its Pelahatchie facility.
[…]

Business

American Railcar Industries expanding operations into Brookhaven

Governor Phil Bryant, local officials and officials from American Railcar Industries (ARI) announced this month that the company is expanding its presence in southwest Mississippi by locating a railcar maintenance facility in Brookhaven in Lincoln County.

The company has had operations in Bude since 1974.

The new Brookhaven facility, which will complement the activities of the Bude location, represents a company investment of $7 million and will create 30 new jobs.
[…]

Business

Helen of Troy to bring 300 new jobs to Olive Branch

Officials from Helen of Troy said they would be constructing a 1.3 million-square-foot distribution facility in Olive Branch in DeSoto County. The project represents a company investment of $37 million and will create more than 300 new jobs.

Helen of Troy is a designer, developer and worldwide marketer of brand-name household, personal care and healthcare/home environment consumer products. A leader in global consumer products, the company offers creative solutions for its customers through a strong portfolio of well-recognized and widely-trusted brands. […]