A
generally positive attitude among civic and business leaders–along
with the team spirit which has allowed the city to weather
economic storms better than many Delta communities–characterizes
Clarksdale at mid-year. Agriculture, so much a part of
the area’s economic foundation, remains sluggish,
clouded by continuing low prices and the uncertainties
of weather. On the bright side, however, is Clarksdale’s
growing reputation as a tourist destination, and efforts
to draw on the area’s rich history in blues music
are proving quite successful. While new, large industries
have yet to locate in the area, economic development programs
remain strong and focused. Moreover, Clarksdale is a town
that recognizes the importance of its existing businesses
and works diligently to support and nourish them.
“Our jobless rate is down,” reports Clarksdale
Mayor Henry Espy, “due in large part to conscientious
efforts to retain and support our local industries. Clarksdale
may not get a lot of new industry, but we do a fantastic
job of retaining industry.”
Espy says the scheduled completion this year of the Highway
61 loop around Clarksdale will help generate increased
interest and inquiries. “We’re also fortunate
to be in the path of the bypass for I-69; this will generate
a lot of growth and expansion in our industrial park area
in the future.”
He speaks proudly of another positive development. “Through
the Safe Neighborhood Program, we’ve made a concerted
effort to improve our standing in regard to crime per
capita. I’m happy to report that our reduction in
crime is so dramatic that we were recently invited to
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania to receive a Safe City Award.”
Espy says.
The continuing increase in area tourism is cited by Espy
as one of the most positive influences on Clarksdale’s
growth potential. “People from around the world
are coming to Clarksdale to explore not only our blues
heritage, but also the many other wonderful things we
have to offer,” he comments.
“Tourism in Coahoma County is very strong, and getting
stronger,” reports Tourism Director Kappi Allen.
“One thing we’ve been working very hard on
is getting the tour bus industry to add the Clarksdale
area to their routes,” she continues. “We
feel strongly about capturing that business, and I’m
happy to say our tour bus industry has really kicked up.”
While blues music is the top draw for tourists–bringing
in visitors from Norway, Japan, Africa, Germany and many
other countries—Allen points out that agriculture,
literature, Southern heritage, and the Mississippi River
also lure travelers to the region. “Certainly we’re
known as the birthplace of the blues, and Clarksdale is
now synonymous with the blues. But I’m also very
glad that Clarksdale is working so hard on downtown revitalization,”
she says. “Renovation of the old train and bus stations,
for example, are creating some exciting tourist destinations.”
“Tourism efforts in the Delta are becoming more
cohesive, to everyone’s benefit,” agrees attorney
Bill Luckett, who is also a co-owner of Madidi restaurant
and the Ground Zero Blues Club. “With more attractions,
more tourists are coming, and I believe that what’s
good for Clarksdale is good for other Delta towns. Communities
are looking more at the bigger picture, promoting the
entire Delta as a place to visit–not for just a
night, but somewhere to stay for a week, for example,
and see all the Delta towns.”
The Luckett Tyner law firm, which works with a broad range
of clients, is enjoying strong and growing business, Luckett
reports. “Our client base extends to a wide geographic
area, and over the last year we’ve added a couple
of attorneys and increased our staff.”
Among several of Clarksdale’s established businesses,
some growth and a generally positive outlook are reported.
Another of the area’s largest law firms is Merkel
& Cocke, which specializes in complex personal litigation
such as medical malpractice and product liability cases.
Although they serve clients all over the mid-South, John
Cocke says Clarksdale is “a good place to practice”.
Asked about the overall legal climate, he reports that
it is becoming more conservative. “In spite of what
the media continues to report about the state, the actuality
is that there are fewer suits being filed, fewer verdicts,”
he comments.
Cocke also owns the local Backyard Burgers restaurant,
and says Clarksdale is a good market. “There are
a lot of chains opening stores here, which is good for
all of us,” he says.
Clarksdale native Bill Lewis is the Executive Director
of Flowers Manor, a retirement community comprised of
three programs. Lewis, who came aboard in January, explains
the breakdown of the programs.
“We have the independent living program which makes
up the bulk of our rooms, some 63,” Lewis says.
“Flowers also has 24 personal care units, as well
as 10 cottages, or duplexes, where we have 16 people residing.
We have a total, then, of 97 rooms living over 100 people.”
Lewis says that a majority of residents are from Coahoma
County “though we do have residents from Bolivar,
Tunica and other outlining counties. Most of our clients
come from within a 60-mile radius.”
Lewis says the difference that is Flowers Manor can be
felt when you step on the campus. “You instantly
notice the personal touch from the staff and the way they
deal with the residents. We all believe that there’s
nothing more honorable than serving our elderly and that
is apparent here.’
Regarding Clarksdale, Lewis says, “We’ve had
some very positive things take place over the past few
years. From Madidi to Bubba O’Keefe’s work
downtown, to the outstanding success story of Freddie
Britt and Willis Frazer at Covenant Bank. There’s
a definite buzz around here.”
One of Clarksdale’s true homegrown success stories
is Covenant Bank. President Freddie Britt reports that
the bank has achieved a current $110 million in total
assets, with $80 million in loans funded and another $10
million in unfunded loans, in less than three years.
In addition to its Clarksdale headquarters, Covenant Bank
has branch offices in Tunica and Robinsonville. “The
response from these communities has been overwhelming,”
Britt comments. “All three of our banks have deposits
close to $90 million.”
As the bank continues to grow, expansion throughout both
the Delta and other parts of North Mississippi are under
discussion, he adds.
“From a construction point of view, we’re
seeing more projects on the near horizon than in several
years,” reports Richard Dickson with architectural
firm Dickson & Associates. “Several of these
are nice-sized projects which should prove to be real
assets to the community.”
A recently completed Dickson & Associates project
is the renovation of the Greyhound bus station in downtown
Clarksdale. “This will serve as a real resource,
an information center for tourists,” says Dickson.
“It’s part of the completion of the whole
Blues Alley development which started with the old train
station, and later the freight depot.”
“We’re still going full throttle,” reports
David Fowler of Connected, Inc. “We’ve sold
quite a lot, even with strong competition from the big
brand names.”
Connected, Inc. provides networking and hardware for many
Delta companies; home networking is also becoming more
prevalent. “With more computers in the home, networking
allows all users in the house to be connected to the Internet
at the same time,” Fowler explains.
Considering the still sluggish agricultural economy, it
is not surprising that ag-related businesses in Clarksdale
give a less upbeat view of current conditions. At Sayle
Oil Co., distributor of gasoline, diesel, and propane
products, manager Van Crook says his agricultural customers
are somewhat more optimistic than they were last year–except
for the rain.
“The recent rain has caused a big hassle,”
he comments. “We’d been really busy up until
then, and I’ve been hearing how the crops got in
and were looking good. Now we’re all waiting to
see what the weather’s going to do.”
He adds that sales are slightly above last year, but at
what is typically their busiest time of year, the figures
should be even higher.
At Dunn, Marley & Harris Agency, which offers a variety
of crop insurance projects, Pete Dunn says the situation
for his agricultural client base remains troublesome.
“In some areas, I’ve seen more people either
choosing to quit farming, or being forced to, than I’ve
ever seen,” he comments. “As for the crop
year, it’s a mixed bag, especially because of the
weather. You can almost draw a line across the Delta—from
Cleveland north, it’s been too wet, while in the
south Delta they’ve had an excellent crop start.”
He adds that the region is still too dependent on government
programs to keep the economy moving. “What farmers
want is for their income to come from the market, but
at present prices aren’t enough to pay all their
production costs.”
One strong resource for Clarksdale residents (and for
Delta citizens from a large surrounding area) is the town’s
excellent and comprehensive medical facilities, which
offer a wide spectrum of services and have minimized the
need to travel to larger cities for sophisticated care.
The Woman’s Clinic is celebrating its 50th anniversary
this year. The clinic continues to see steady growth,
and currently has four physicians and three nurse-practitioners
(another doctor is scheduled to join the staff in August).
Last year the clinic combined two locations into one new,
20,000 square foot building, a state-of the-art facility
that continues to provide comprehensive care capabilities
for women in the Delta, with services that range from
routine physicals to high-risk obstetric care and infertility
testing.
The Region I Mental Health Center provides a broad range
of services for those with alcohol or chemical dependency,
including one of the state’s few adolescent residential
facilities. While reporting that the Center continues
to attract qualified staff, executive director Newton
Dodson expresses a serious–and common—concern.
“Like other medical facilities in the Delta, we
need more state and federal money, especially matching
money for Medicaid, because we serve such a large number
of Medicaid patients,” he states.
As tourism is seen as one good path to a bright future
for Clarksdale, so is the effort to attract new industry
to the area. Ron Hudson, executive director of the Coahoma
County Chamber of Commerce, says the community is optimistic
about the prospects for economic development, and speaks
of several positive signs. “One real positive is
the opening of the Triple J facility. You always want
to have the big companies locate in town, but I’ve
found that a collection of thriving small businesses can
make for a resilient economy.”
He reports that while some local companies are still struggling-primarily
due to foreign competition–others are posting increases
in orders. “A number of our firms are talking about
potential expansions,” he says. “This is very
encouraging, especially in light of the general economic
climate in the manufacturing sector.”
“I feel that one of the biggest things we can do
locally to promote the area is to work with the state
and the utilities to develop a business climate that attracts
prospects, gets people to look at the Delta as a whole.”
Hudson continues. “Then, we have the chance to show
them what Clarksdale offers in particular.”
The Triple J manufacturing facility cited by Hudson is
an expansion of Burchfield’s, Inc. The company recently
opened its Triple J operation to produce cotton module
movers, creating some new jobs and filling a need in this
agriculture-dependent area. The Coahoma County Board of
Supervisors worked closely with the Burchfield family
through the process of business expansion.
“A firm in Texas which was manufacturing the modules
and had a sales operation in the area went out of business,”
explains Jay Burchfield. “We decided to manufacture
the trucks ourselves and doubled the size of our shop.”
Triple J produces the bed that hauls the cotton module,
which is then installed on a truck chassis.
Burchfield’s was already well-known for repair work
on farm trucks, serving customers in the Delta and beyond.
Their Clarksdale location is proving to be a positive
in the new venture, says Burchfield. “We’re
the only thing between a competitor’s repair shop
in Georgia and their facility in Lubbock, Texas.”
Thanks to Oasis Sod Farms, Clarksdale is also the source
of some of the highest-quality sod available in the Delta.
Dan Crumpton, III and his wife Esther started the company
in 1999, and now provide sod to many businesses and institutions,
as well as to the builders of premier homes.
“I was born and raised here, but spent a number
of years in Florida,” Crumpton relates. “I
think that’s where I first got the idea, seeing
the ‘instant landscaping’ that was going on
in that state.”
Word-of-mouth, along with top-quality grass grown on 400
acres of prime Delta land, have helped make the business
a success, he says. “We got into this during a dry
year, but with our irrigation we were able to provide
much higher-quality sod to Memphis and other places than
they were getting elsewhere. I think we’ve raised
the bar for other producers.”
Certainly, while challenges remain in Clarksdale, this
is a town focused on its future. The same kind of team
effort which has led to a tourism boom is also evident
in efforts to support existing industries and to maintain
a high quality of life for residents, and demonstrates
a resolve to move steadily together toward better times.
As Buddy Bass, of long-established Clarksdale farm equipment
manufacturer KBH Corporation, says, “Despite the
downturn in the ag industry, Clarksdale seems to have
held up well. Community leaders have drawn a line in the
sand and refused to back up. They have really come together
for the good of our city.” DBJ
