SPECIAL REPORT CLARKSDALE A Shining Star in the Delta · 2020. 12. 16. · walking on the downtown...

28 • Delta Business Journal • December 2020

Community LeadersFocused on Jobs, Tourismand Economic Development

A Shining Star in the Delta

SPECIAL REPORT CLARKSDALE

By Greta Sharp

There may be a dark COVID-19cloud hanging over the rest of theworld, but not Clarksdale. Thistown focused its energy and

enthusiasm on jobs, tourism and economicdevelopment with great results.“While this unusual time has presented

a variety of challenges to our fellow citizensin Clarksdale, in our region, andthroughout our nation and state, I am sopleased to say that Clarksdale has witnessedjob growth in 2020,” says Jon Levingston,executive director of the Economic

Development Authority of CoahomaCounty. He hopes to soon announceClarksdale’s sixth economic developmentproject in three years.City Commissioner Ken Murphey says

Clarksdale is responsible for thirty percentof the jobs added in the Delta. “We can goback or we can move forward, and we’removing forward and excited about it,” hesays. “We know what we have been andwhat we can be. This is a ‘we’ thing, thewhole community coming together. We’rejust trying to improve the quality of life for

December 2020 • Delta Business Journal • 29

30• Delta Business Journal • December 2020

state. In March, PeopleShores hired seventypeople to assist the state in processingunemployment claims, says Levingston. Itis hiring fifty additional employees toservice a major client’s new contract.Steel manufacturer Image Industries

moved from Chicago to Clarksdale last yearas well, creating seventy jobs, says Murphey.“We are so grateful to the owners andmanagement team of Image Industries forthe faith in our community and theircommitment to growing their business herein Clarksdale,” stated Levingston. Homegrown steel company Saf-T-Cart

is expanding its plant, adding space andcapacity to produce new product , creatingtwenty jobs in the process. This is a gigabit city. “We have high-

speed fiber optic cable that runs

COVID TestingDrug ScreeningsFamily MedicineFamily PlanningHIV Screening and Care

PediatricsSocial ServicesSports PhysicalsTele-health...and more!!

A Full Range of Health Services... Public Transportation

Serving our community in quality, compassion, and excellence for over 40 years!

Aurelia Jones-Taylor, MBACEO

www.aehchc.orgWe accept private insurance, CHIP, Medicaid, Medicare, and individuals without insurance.

OptometryBehavioral Healthcare

Dentistry

Exercise �erapy

Levingston

everyone here and everyone that comeshere.”PeopleShores opened an office in

Clarksdale last year with plans to scale upto two hundred employees. In February, it

announced a collaboration withAutomation Anywhere, the global leaderin artificial intelligence softwaredevelopment, to create the first RPAtraining and development center in the

Murphey


undergroundthroughout ourbusiness district,”says Levingston.“We haveaggressively pursuedopportunities to talkabout Clarksdaleand our desire to bea tech hub.” It’s not all high-tech. Clarksdale

welcomed new businesses like Big RiverBagels and the Blue Cotton Bake Shop.Chuck Rutledge and Ann Williamsrenovated the old Travelers Hotel. “They’veredone it into a twenty-room boutiquehotel, kept the old along with the new, soyou’ve got the best of both,” Murphey says.Levon’s Bar & Grill reopened and

Hooker Grocer & Eatery renovated itspatio for outdoor dining. There are newsidewalks on DeSoto and Madison, withSunflower sidewalks planned. Thanks toMayor Chuck Espy, says Murphey, thecity’s main intersections are attractive fortourists and locals.Coahoma Community College added

focus areas in health care marketing andradio/film/tv. “We’ve added new programsthat will serve the students as well as thearea,” says Chief Communications OfficerMarriel Hardy. “We want to fortify thestudents to be as successful as they can beonce they leave our gates.” There are also new career tech programs

in HVAC and diesel engine repair. “Thesebenefit people within the state and theDelta,” says Hardy. “People want to get intothe workforce quickly, have a job they canbe proud of and support their family. Thesewill serve the institution well and serve thecommunity and everyone in the Deltaregion and state. Skilled workers make ameaningful contribution to the area.”COVID-19 promoted growth at The

Woman’s Clinic, which introducedtelehealth appointments in the pandemic’searly days. Administrator Ann Nowell saysit was well received by patients, especially asstaff reached out in advance to explain theprocess. “A lot of changes we had to makebecause of COVID weren’t all negative,”she explained. “Some, like this, werepositive and will continue whereappropriate.”It also hired another nurse practitioner.

“We are expanding with new service linesand getting new patients because of thisand our obstetrics population continues to

Hardy


FINANCIAL ADVISORS

Dudley M. Barnes, FA • Holmes S. Pettey, CFP®

Andrew Yee, CFP®

Julie Flowers, FA • Clarksdale, MS • 662.627.2225Ryan H. Barnes, FA • Jackson, MS • 601.981.4479

Joseph Simpson, CFP®, Jackson, MS • 601.981.4479Art Smith, CFP® • Grenada, MS, Oxford, MS 662.229.0919

Joseph Friend, III, FA • Memphis, TN • 901.969.2000Brook Hodges, FA • Franklin, TN • 662.902.8903

Securities offered throught Raymond James Financial Services, Inc. Member FINRA/SIPC. Investment advisory services are offered through Barnes Pettey Financial Advisors, LLC.

Barnes Pettey Financial Advisors, LLC, is not a registered broker/dealer and is independent of Raymond James Financial Services.

DEEP DELTA ROOTS SINCE 1976

Clarksdale • Jackson • Grenada • Memphis • Oxford

Registered Investment Advisor

grow,” says Nowell. Red River Federal Credit Union’s

Clarksdale branch is adding amenities. “Weare in the process of putting up an ATM intown to service our members,” says BranchManager Charlene Moore. “That is one bigthing our members really want so we are inthe process of getting that done. It’savailable to all, but with no surcharge formembers.” It also rolled out contactlessdebit cards in November and offers onlinebanking and mobile deposits.COVID-19 changed the events

business. It’s been a quiet year at Events atthe Bank and the next reservation isn’t untilJanuary, says Venue Manager Hannah Peay.This required flexibility, including anupdate to the rental contract to complywith CDC and government guidelines. “Sofar everyone has been very understandingand they’re willing to work with us,” saysPeay. “In Clarksdale, big weddings are apart of the culture around here, and I don’tsee that changing a lot.”Events at the Bank added a ‘green room’

at the rear of the facility as a dressing andrest area for musicians. There is also a focuson smaller events. “I hope things get backto normal, but we want to be flexible incase we can’t get back to normal events,”Peay says.Murphey’s theory on Clarksdale’s

growth has to do with personnel. “It justseems like the right people have fallen intoplace” he says. “The mayor and board workwell together.” He reported City ClerkCathy Clark says she’s never seen a boardthat accomplishes tasks so quickly.“I am particularly grateful to Mayor

Chuck Espy for his outstanding, common-sense leadership through this crisis,” saysLevingston. “Our city board ofcommissioners and president JohnnyNewson and our county board ofsupervisors have been an example and alesson on how local government comestogether to meet the needs of our citizenswith firm, decisive and pragmaticstrategies.”

Nowell Peay

hookergrocer.com316 John Lee Hooker Lane, Clarksdale MS

Fresh Bread, Take Home DinnersEat In

Butcher, Deli, Fresh Seafood


City grant writer Millicent Dixon isresponsible for bringing in more than$400,000 from the CARES Act, saysMurphey. “In my seven and a half years, shemight be the best hire our board has made,”he says. “She’s smart and she’s found us a lotof money. She’s a rock star to city hall.”Murphey says another right person on

the job is Executive Director of CoahomaCounty Tourism Bubba O’Keefe, whorecently launched a new marketingcampaign. “Ready to Road Trip?” is thecity’s multi-media marketing campaigntargeting regional tourists. Clarksdale sawtourism numbers drop during thepandemic, but that changed in October. “We saw an increase in regional travelers

making day trips or weekend trips anddidn’t want to get too far from home,” heexplained. “People have been boarded upfor a long time and we see they are ready toget out, and some, they are busting to getout. But we want to do it safely.”Clarksdale’s health protocols include handsanitizer stations, social distancing markersand masks.Murphey supports a plan to keep

visitors in the Delta an extra day, whichturns into $160 spent in that community.“It helps with your economy so much,” heexplained. “We want to share it. We wantCleveland to share with us; we wantIndianola to share with us. Let’s feed offeach other and all be successful. We have agreat product to sell in the Delta.”Clarksdale hosted four events in

October, including Cruzn the CrossroadsCar & Truck Show and the HamboneFestival, all outside events with socialdistancing. The grounds of the Delta Blues

Museum hosted the car show. “Theweather was nice,” says Museum Director


Shelley Ritter. “They had a parade slinkingthrough town with the cars, some music onstage. People came in for that.”The streets of downtown were alive with

activity. “There were so many peoplewalking on the downtown streets,” saysMurphey. “It was so good to see Clarksdalealive again. It’s fun to go downtown andhave the smells of the restaurants and themusic.”O’Keefe has taken this opportunity to

develop new assets: “Clarksdale is the namepeople know, but we’re making a big effortto help identify places in the county: theconvenience store with the great burger orthe mom and pop place with the blue platespecial.” Levingston used the downtime to focus

on projects to strengthen the economicdevelopment authority. This includes a newwebsite and marketing plan scheduled todebut in December. New computers,cloud-based storage and new software tobetter manage chamber business helpincrease efficiency. The Woman’s Clinic introduced new

aesthetics services so patients don’t have totravel to Oxford, Memphis or Jackson forhormone replacement pellet therapy andBotox and fillers. “Our main focus is andalways will be OB-GYN care,” explainedNowell. “That is our foundation. As thingschange, we have to change with them andwant to be able to offer one-stop shoppingfor our patients. We had a lot of patientsask for these services.”With an active social media presence,

CLARKSDALE FAST FACTS

Top Employers*

Isle of Capri Casino & Hotel 508Northwest MS Medical Mississippi 450 Clarksdale Municipal School District 440Coahoma County School District 311Coahoma Community College/CAHS 300Aaron E. Health Community

Health Center 143SafTCart 98KBH Corporation 94Molded Acoustical Products 80 Drumheller Packaging 80

*Figures are approximate compiled by the Clarksdale Chamber of Commerce

Employment figures as of December 2020


well. “We’re glad to see the addition ofstructures and important spaces oncampus,” says Hardy. The planned newstudent services building includes advisers,technology labs and the on-campus radiostation, WCQC 91.3. Work begins soon

on the 10,000-square-footStudent Activities and FamilyEnhancement Center, anathletic/recreational space withacademic support services forstudent-athletes.Red River Federal Credit

Union focuses on members.“We’re able to have low loanrates, great rates oninvestments,” says Moore. Itoffers holiday loans, loans for

household supplies and traditional financialproducts. Before COVID-19, the creditunion made presentations to schools andbusinesses on services and financial literacy. During the pandemic, the credit unioncontinued to serve its members withappointments and the drive-thru. It alsospecializes in personal service. “We knoweach other by name,” Moore says. “Whenour members come in, sometimes I thinkthey don’t want to leave. We can sit withthem, educate them with new services andhelp them set up accounts online. Theyenjoy being in control of theiraccount.” DBJ

Nowell is developing the practice’s firstwebsite. Still, it relies on the basics. “Themost valuable way of marketing ourpractice is word of mouth from happypatients,” she says.The Delta Blues Museum is a big tourist

draw, usually hosting a paradeof international visitors.“Normally it’s kind of like theU.N. in here,” says Ritter. Themuseum is making use of theextra time and a Mississippi ArtsCommission Rapid Responsegrant to create virtual toursfeaturing local musicians withties to featured musicians.Mississippi filmmaker CoopCooper created the tours withClarksdale musicians Lee Williams, Terry“Big T” Williams and James “SuperChikan” Johnson.A grant from the Mississippi Delta

National Heritage Area will help create anexhibit and website feature on LillianMcMurry and the development of Jackson-based Trumpet Records. In 2021, Ritter plans to make

permanent exhibit improvements thanks tofunding from the state legislature, the firsttime the museum has received legislativeappropriation. “Sen. (Robert) Jackson andRep. (Orlando) Paden worked really hardfor us to get that,” says Ritter. Locals are benefitting from growth as

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