By Molly Matthews, DBJ Contributing Writer

    INDIANOLA - It's been called Belingate. And Indian Bayou. It was even known for a brief time as Eureka.
But legend has it that the final name of the town located 'smack dab in the middle of the Delta" was
derived from an Indian princess named Ola.
    Incorporated in 1886, Indianola is located almost 30 miles from Greenville, the nearest city with a
population of at least 20,000. The population of Indianola is around 12,000; Sunflower County's
population is more than 32,000. With an unemployment rate of around 9% in the county where manufacturing
jobs outnumber service jobs more than two to one. Indianola's unemployment rate is considerably lower.
    "The spirit of growth that has been stimulated from Indianola has boosted our little town," said Beth
Lyon, executive director of Indianola Chamber of Commerce. "We've seen a lot of new business, with the
Dollar General's distribution center as one of the recent big business."
    While Dollar General opened last year, Super Valu has been around for decades. Until it merged with Super
Valu in 1965, the distribution company was better known as Lewis Grocer.
    Established in December, 1960, Modern Line Products, has 700 employees that manufacture lawn, garden and
snow equipment, bulk material handling conveyers and conveying systems and is a subsidiary of MTD Products
of Valley City, Ohio.
    "We're very proud to be part of the Indianola community for almost 40 years, said Dennis Kokaisel,
plant manager. "Our workers are excellent and Indianola is truly the jewel of the Mississippi
Delta."
    Jim Murphy, executive director of Sunflower County Economic Development, said, "even though we've added
and expanded businesses, we aren't forgetting those who came in when no one else was here."
    Farming has always played a major role in Indianola's economy - cotton, corn and soybeans, for example - but
as crop prices have fallen, the emphasis has shifted to non-agricultural developments. However, the catfish
production industry has expanded in recent years.
    Delta Pride Catfish, Inc. in Indianola Industrial Park employs almost 1,000 workers to process fresh and
frozen catfish. Bill Allen was appointed president and CEO earlier this year, said Beverly Noble, vice
president of administration.
    Delta Western, with 85 employees, produces catfish feed, and SouthFresh Farms, processors of fresh and
frozen catfish, has grown from 80 to 250 employees.
    Indianola will soon have a new $4 million high-tech training center operated by Mississippi Delta
Community College. Dollar General donated the land to the city. In turn, the city donated the land for the
center, said James Hutcherson, mayor since 1994.
    Headed by project manager Farmer Hamilton, downtown is undergoing a major renovation. More than $300,000 has
been raised in the private sector for improvements to street lights, building facades and landscaping,
Hutcherson said.
    "One of my pledges when I took office was to upgrade everything inside city hall, such as 17-year old phone
systems, and to open up city hall for business every weekday at 8 a.m. for business," Hutcherson said. "We
bought the building we're in now from People's Bank, now Community Bank, and moved our office to downtown a
couple of years ago. We had a lot of sewage problems downtown Ð we still have some Ð and did a $3 million
bond issue for street repairs, just a minimum to get us going."
    "Farmer (Hamilton) started off by renovating the chamber of commerce," he continued. "When we bought
this building, we took the building that the chamber was in behind us and turned it into our city
boardroom. We've widened the streets, putting in a new parking lot, just finished concrete work and are going
to do some brick work. All storefronts are in process of being upgraded. We're trying to increase the
merchant base in Indianola and since we've made improvements, merchants say business has been better
than it's been in a long time. The world-famous Crown Restaurant is a big draw downtown. We're about to have
a new men's store, Labels, in downtown soon. We're also on the verge of having a new shopping center with
six to eight stores on the highway."
    Randy Randall, president of the Indianola office of Union Planter's Bank, said the bank's expansion
project should be complete by November.
    "We had outgrown our 25-year old facility," he said. "With our growth throughout the Delta, more system
jobs had been created here. We're taking adding about 6,000 square feet to our 7,500 square foot facility
that will include our Indianola main office operations and system headquarters for the bank."
    Randall, an Indianola native returned to work in the area soon after graduation from Mississippi State
University in Starkville.
    "I was drawn back to the area because I thought Sunflower County and Indianola represented the epitome
of small town life," he said. "The quality of life is good. We a good school system, strong churches and a
wonderful cultural life provided through the Mid-Delta Arts Association. I've always found it to be a warm,
friendly town. We're fortunate that we've got good, strong industries that have been the backbone of a
good economy and given us a low unemployment rate. It's worked in a positive way from the family dinner
table on up."
    Family businesses have also prospered in Indianola. John McPherson and Bill Gresham, Jr., two
brothers-in-law, started Gresham Petroleum in 1965. The petroleum giant sells, markets and distributes
lubricating oils and greases, petroleum to bulk stations and terminals, petroleum products and
petroleum refining.
    Founded 31 years ago with $30 in his pocket, L.E. Slater has grown Slater's Jigs, Inc. into one of the
largest, most unique sporting good stores in the state by focusing on hunting, fishing and camping. As one of
the largest archery dealers in the south, the store features an indoor archery range. His son, Jimmy
Slater, now president, developed and is marketing Deer Duster, a line of clothing.
    "I started the store by accident because I had an idea that would make for better fishing," said Slater,
seven-time fishing champion. "It has grown into a truly unique and prosperous family business."
    Indianola Pecan House, founded in the 1970s by the Timbs family, has become well known for the production
of gourmet pecans.
    Indianola's Indywood, an assisted living facility, opened last April with 28 rooms - a mix of two-room
suites, studios and private rooms. Business has been so good that eight rooms will be added within six
months, said Peggy Mengarelli, director.
    "We've done so well in Indianola that by next September, we'll open Indywood Glen with 42 rooms in
Greenwood, and another facility with 36 units in Cleveland 36 units," she said.
    Royal Crown-Dr. Pepper Bottling Co., makers of bottled carbonated soft drinks in nonrefillable glass bottles,
was established as a distribution and production facility in 1994 and lists 32 employees, said David
Moak, vice president.
    Valley Crating & Packaging, Inc., makers of wood containers and a division of Valley Pallets, Inc. of
Pine Mountain Valley, Ga., has 30 employees, said Sonny Lott, plant manager.
    Ronnie Morris, plant manager for Mississippi Materials, a ready mix concrete plant with eight
employees and subsidiary of Birmingham-based Dunn Investment Co., said "it's a good time to do business
in Indianola."