BY ROBERT MCFARLAND, JR.

Delta Business Journal

BellSouth has opened a new 411 Nationwide Service office in Greenville. The facility has hired and trained 70 new employees and has a growth potential for a total of 120.

"This facility will provide directory assistance to anyone that calls from Mississippi , Louisiana, Alabama, Tennessee, or Kentucky," says Carolyn Manning, BellSouth Delta Area Manager. "We are excited that BellSouth has chosen Greenville to open the new 411 Nationwide office."

By Molly Matthews, DBJ Contributing Writer

CLEVELAND - Located midway between Memphis and
Vicksburg on Hwy. 61, Cleveland is considered the Hub of the Mississippi Delta. Already recognized as one of the 100 best small towns in America, Cleveland is located near the geographical center of rich alluvial plains formed between the Mississippi and Yazoo Rivers and is the focal point for three federal highways and one state highway.
Because of the expansion of the casino industry, Hwy. 61 has become one of the most heavily traveled highways in the state. When construction of the highway-railroad bridge across the Mississippi River at Rosedale is complete and transportation routes are opened to the entire western U.S., Cleveland’s economy is expected to boom.
Mayor Martin King, who has been the town’s leader
since 1969, said the future is bright. Unlike many towns in the Mississippi Delta, Cleveland has demonstrated significant population and retail growth, a trend expected to continue.

BY ROBERT MCFARLAND, JR.

The Internet is one of today’s hottest topics and a Cleveland native formerly involved in a successful cellular phone business is now taking on the Internet and all of it’s negative content.

J. Stacy Davidson, along with partner Skip Mathews has started Integrity Online, a filtered Internet service provider based in Jackson. Integrity Online is a full-service Internet service provider that filters the Internet for negative and destructive content before it reaches your home or business.

For those associated with agriculture, the name "Jimmy Sanders" is well-known throughout the Mid-South. In fact, even for those not involved in the business, his name is still recognized as who built one of the most respectable businesses in the area. Although Sanders passed away last year, his name and legacy continues

Based in Cleveland, Jimmy Sanders, Inc. has become one of the leading farm supply distribution businesses in the Mid-South with locations in five states. The company is multi-faceted, involved in agricultural chemical distribution, seed production and sales, bulkhandling of fertilizer, the exporting of grains, variable rate technology, and other agronomic services. Jimmy Sanders, Inc. has been a good friend to Mid-South farmers for 46 years and has contributed significantly to the area and the economy.

The Sunflower County Economic Development Board
rejected a proposal by Wing Industries of Dallas,
Texas, to issue approximately $15 million in bonds to build a kenaf production plant in the county because company representatives wouldn’t say how much they were willing to invest and because kenaf production is still in experimental stages, said Jim Murphy, executive director of the Sunflower County Economic Development District.

BY JEFF PISELLI

Contributing Writer, Delta Business Journal

President Bill Clinton’s visit to Clarksdale is now history, but business an political leaders in this Delta town of 23,000 are eagerly looking toward the future to see what, if any, benefit is headed their way as a result of the trip.

YAZOO CITY - Construction will begin next spring on
the $95 million medium security federal prison in Yazoo City that will bring a record number of jobs to the area, said Jerry Fraiser, president and CEO of Yazoo County Chamber of Commerce.