Perhaps
it is Batesville’s location, right at the intersection
of a major north/south interstate and a major state highway.
Perhaps it is the diversified economy that does not feel
the extremes of the area’s agricultural crisis of
recent years. Or perhaps it is the long-in office administrators
who have developed a successful working philosophy, and
the civic leaders who aggressively seek to attract new
businesses to the town.
Whatever, the reason, Batesville continues to be something
of a north Delta boomtown. True, the area just missed
out as the site of a major Toyota assembly plant, but
commercial and retail growth remain at impressively high
levels, and help spark increase city and infrastructure
growth as well.
“One major project we’re really excited about
is our new Civic Center, which is under construction,”
says long-time Mayor Bobby Baker. “It’s an
$8 million project, and we received a grant from the Department
of Agriculture which got it started. The center will be
a big plus for the town, and in addition to agricultural
events, we hope to bring in entertainment. It will have
a concrete floor, and we can move in dirt for livestrock
shows, etc. There will be permanent seating for 3,000,
plus space for 3,000 more on the floor. We’ve just
let the contract for a new road that will head south from
Highway 6 to the Civic Center.”
Mayor Baker says that while there is not a lot of industrial
growth in Batesville at present, commercial and retail
development continues at high levels. The Wal-Mart and
forthcoming Lowe’s store are generating a great
deal of interest at their sites.
“A lot of small commercial businesses want to be
near the Wal-Mart, and a new shopping center is underway
adjacent to the Wal-Mart site,” Baker comments.
“On the north side of Highway 6 is the site where
Lowe’s will build, and we are looking at the configuration
for a new road to go north from the highway.”
The growing importance of Batesville as a commercial center
for the north Delta is illustrated by figures provided
by Paul Alexander of The Panola Partnership. “When
you look at demographic studies, you can’t just
look at the city limits,” he explains. “The
official Batesville population in 2000 was a little over
7,100 people, and the city has annexed areas and experienced
other growth since then, bringing the population to about
8,000. But for a truer picture of the area population,
you have to look beyond the city proper.
“If you draw an imaginary circle of a ten-mile radius
around Batesville, the population is almost 31,000,”
he continues. “At a twenty-mile radius, it’s
closer to 54,000. And at a thirty-mile radius, the number
is around 131,000.”
Alexander also sees the city’s location at a major
highway crossroads as a huge factor in its growth, and
says that businesses consider the thousands of people
traveling to and through Batesville area when looking
to locate in the area. He cites the 117,000 square foot
Lowe’s store currently under construction as a prime
example of the successful efforts to bring in new business.
“Lowe’s doesn’t typically go into small
towns, unless they are suburbs of a large city,”
Alexander comments. “So to get a chain like Lowe’s,
which is a strong regional entity, to locate here should
serve as a catalyst to attract other major chains.”
A new shopping center also under development will further
enhance the perception of Batesville as a commercial center.
An area asset that is often taken for granted is its lakes,
such as Sardis, Enid and Arkabutla, which draw millions
of visitors each year, Alexander points out. “The
Corps of Engineers has told me that this is probably the
only town in the country which has close proximity to
four different Corps lakes,” he reports. “This
means a high level of traffic traveling through Batesville.”
Like the rest of the Delta, Batesville has felt the effects
of plant closings and job losses in recent years, says
Alexander, and overseas competition continues to make
it difficult to attract new industrial business. Still,
he reports that some of the area’s strong existing
companies are expanding, and significant expansions by
others are expected to be announced as the year progresses.
“And we work just as hard to bring in more commercial
business,” he adds, “which is helping to offset
some of the job losses.”
Alexander’s efforts to bring a Toyota assembly plant
to the area—a Como site was the runner-up for the
plant which is to be built in San Antonio—have elicited
praise from Mayor Baker and others. The efforts to secure
the plant area resulted in greatly enhanced visibility
for the Batesville area as an industrial location and,
in an unusual step, Toyota management publicly spoke of
its strong impression of the potential site and those
involved in promoting it.
The Panola Partnership’s efforts are certainly not
limited to industrial recruitment. Spotlighting the cultural
attractions of Batesville are another focus, and one major
event which draws people from the entire region is the
annual Springfest music festival, to be held this year
on May 16 and 17. It is held under the auspices of the
Panola Partnership’s Batesville Main Street Program,
and brings in between 10,000 and 15,000 attendees, says
Director Colleen Clark.
“We’ll have entertainment starting on Friday
night,” Clark reports, “with a variety of
regional performers. Headlining will be Steve Azar—it’s
really exciting to have him this year. Not only is he
from Mississippi, but since he was here at Springfest
a couple of years ago, he’s had some breakout hits
and is getting to be really well-known.”
Springfest also features carnival rides, games, and exhibits
by local artists. Clark points out that the profits that
local civic clubs will realize from operating festival
food outlets is invested back into the community through
those clubs’ projects throughout the year.
John Hyneman Development Co., Inc., based in Memphis,
is developing the Lowe’s site. Vice president Chris
Caldwell says the firm is excited about the potential
of the Batesville market, and agrees that its location
at the intersection of a major interstate highway and
a major state route can only enhance its growth potential.
“Batesville’s location, just south of Memphis
on Interstate 55, means not only a lot of traffic and
travelers to and from Memphis, but also people traveling
through on their way up and down the whole I-55 corridor
from New Orleans to Chicago,” Caldwell comments.
“And its accessibility for the whole north Delta
makes Batesville a good choice for trade for a lot of
the surrounding towns.
“With the retail and commercial growth, and major
retail chains like the Super Wal-Mart and now Lowe’s,
Batesville is getting to be a place where people can do
their shopping and other business right at home, without
having to travel to larger cities.”
Hyneman is developing land on both the north and south
corners of the I-55/Highway 6 intersection, and Caldwell
says that the commercial growth on both sites will follow
a master plan. “We expect to grow not only retail
and commercial business, but also residential, offices,
etc.,” he reports. “We will also work with
other developers, but want to protect the integrity of
the plan.
“Once people see Lowe’s start to go up, it
will help people understand and visualize what the entire
development will be like. Wal-Mart coming in was a kind
of litmus test, and now with Lowe’s and other retail
and industrial development, there will be a positive effect
on the perception of Batesville and its potential for
other businesses.
“Mayor Baker and the city administration have done
a good job at cultivating new businesses and keeping existing
ones,” he adds. “The city has been very cooperative,
while still looking out for Batesville’s best interests.”
Caldwell reports that his company is talking to various
other national retailers about possible Batesville area
locations.
At Dunlap & Kyle Company, the parent company of Gateway
Tire and Service Centers, Bob Dunlap says that while the
industry as a whole is down, the firm has seen a slight
increase in the first quarter. “With the industry
down, you’ve got to be very aggressive to realize
an increase,” he comments. “We just put in
a little more effort.”
Dunlap & Kyle has experienced some physical growth
as well in recent months. Bob Dunlap reports the opening
of a 145,000 square foot warehouse in Batesville, as well
as a new warehouse in Jackson. New retail stores are in
Bartlett and Covington, Tennessee and Texarkana, Texas.
An industrial tire warehouse opened in Chattanooga last
year, Dunlap adds, increasing the company’s role
in that segment of the industry.
“I feel positive about the Batesville economy,”
he comments. “This continues to be good trade center,
with retail sales especially good for a town with a small
population. Our location in central Mississippi, with
Interstate 55 and Highway 6 crossing here, and Batesville’s
proximity to Memphis, are real positives.”
Mayor Bobby Baker points to several factors which he feels
have contributed to Batesville’s continuing growth,
especially in light of the struggles of other Delta towns.
“Perhaps because we’re at the edge of the
Delta, we haven’t been totally dependent on agriculture
for many, many years,” he says. “I’m
fortunate to have many long-term board members who bring
the right attitude to the table. And we continue to try
to help the entire community by providing the services
that make for a good environment in which to work and
live.” DBJ
