City of Greenville One Step Closer to Clear Water

For Immediate Release
April 22, 2010
Contact: City of Greenville Mayor’s Office, Mayor Heather McTeer Hudson (662) 378-1501,
hhudson@www.greenville.ms.us

Mayor Hudson confirmed today that, “Yes, the City of Greenville is one step closer to having clear water.” In a press conference held at city hall, Mayor Hudson stated, “We are working with Senator Wicker’s office and the Army Corp of Engineers to finalize a plan and implement an agreement that will move forward the city’s plan to eliminate the brow water condition in our community.” It is anticipated that the plan will result in improvements to the first five (5) of the City’s water wells over the next 16-18 months. The remaining wells will follow shortly afterwards. Exact funding levels and the exact schedule for construction will be finalized over the course of the next 15-20 days.

Mayor Hudson stated, “This announcement is tremendous for our community. We have been working so hard to develop a plan and funding for a project that impacts not only the families of Greenville, but also our businesses and tourism. We are one step closer to clear water. “In the summer of 2006 the City conducted a pilot test using the ionic exchange method of reducing the amount of brown tint in the water. The test results were successful and proof that there are existing methods to remove the color from the water. The City of Greenville was also featured in the Washington Post on August 23, 2009 regarding the condition of the water and is often a noted reason new people and businesses are diverted from Greenville.

A formal announcement and cooperative agreement signing ceremony will be held on Friday May 7th, 2010 here in Greenville. At that time, full details of both the plan and agreement will be publically presented. Both Senator Wicker and representatives from the Army Corp of Engineers are scheduled to be present for the event along with Mayor Hudson, city officials and other invited guest.
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Executive Board News Release 2009

For Immediate Release December 7, 2009

Contact:Lawrence Johnson 662.378.3141

DELTA ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CENTER
ENDS THE YEAR WITH POSITIVE RESULTS

The Delta Economic Development Center of Washington County is a fairly new business in the Delta. Started in 2007 by a dedicated and hardworking group of volunteers from the public and private sector, the main goal was to combine the Washington County Industrial Foundation and the Greenville Area Chamber of Commerce. The mission to recruit and retain business and growth brought these citizens together and will continue to be the reason as a new year quickly approaches.

Lawrence Johnson, DEDC Chairman, along with the thirteen members of the Executive Committee are excited to report that even in the middle of one of the worst national economic times, the DEDC is thriving financially. According to Lawrence, “We just held a meeting and received the most current financial statement from our treasurer and the DEDC is “in the black” and has six month reserve. This is a strong statement to our community and the staff that work within the budget guidelines.” Johnson adds, “Ed Johnson, DEDC Executive Director, works closely with the treasurer and controller to ensure that funds are being spent appropriately. The public and private sector have donated this money and we consider ourselves the good stewards.”

Members of the executive committee along with Lawrence Johnson are: Ray Humphreys, DRMC; Harvey Tackett, CPA; Cindy Ayers, Delta Foundation; Victor McTeer, McTeer Foundation; Ronnie Taylor, MARS Foods; Kim Dowdy, Dowdy Dental Clinic; Mayor Heather Hudson; Mayor Corey Holmes; Mayor James Lowe; Mayor Cora Burnside; Mayor Melvin Willis and Board of Supervisor President Paul Watson.

Goals that were set two years ago by the executive committee included 1) hiring an executive director; 2) employing a qualified and loyal staff; 3) introducing the DEDC to the state and region; 4) work on national level to recruit new business. Each of these standards were met and solidified before the year has ended. Ed Johnson and his staff work diligently to show the state and nation that Washington County, Mississippi is a viable place to place or keep your business. In a competitive market, areas all over the globe are competing for a small segment of business that has the dollars to move to a new area. The DEDC has managed to stay on the radar screen for businesses so that when their recession is over, Washington County is prepared on all levels.

The executive committee, executive director and staff have begun working on an updated strategic plan for the upcoming year and are energized by the possibilities. These successes have been possible due to the financial commitment of many companies, individuals, and government entities that understand the importance of having the Delta Economic Development Center work for the community. As the DEDC continues to grow, this will allow Washington County to have a larger seat at the table which brings jobs, growth and stability to our citizens.

For more information, contact Lawrence Johnson at 662.378.3141.

CALL CENTER OUTSOURCING SOLUTIONS GRAND OPENING

You are invited to attend the Grand Opening of Call Center Outsourcing Solutions

on Tuesday, December 1, 2009 at 4:30 p.m.

747 West Alexander Street Suite B

Greenville, Mississippi

Cocktails and hors d’oeuvres

Featuring entertainment by Eden Brent & Mississippi Slim

For more information please contact
Regina Luke, 662.931.7862

Clean Tech Company Announces Delta Facility

Clean Tech Company Announces Delta Facility

GREENVILLE, MS (Nov 3, 2009)- Ed Johnson, Chief Executive Officer of The Delta Economic Development Center (http://www.deltaedc.com/) announced today that International Silica Technologies, LLC (IST) has signed a Letter of Intent to co-site its initial StratoSil® high-purity silica production facility with Producers Rice Mill (Producers) in Greenville, Mississippi. In addition to the new IST plant at the Producers rice mill, an associated off-site facility will serve as the company headquarters and distribution center. Pending successful financing, IST projects to break ground on the facility in early 2010, with production commencing in early 2011.

International Silica Technologies, LLC was founded in 2003, based on novel technology that extracts high quality amorphous silica as well as renewable thermal energy from rice hulls, a byproduct of the milling process. Potential markets for the new silica product, brand-named StratoSil®, include toothpaste, adsorbents, coatings & inks, cosmetics, and rubber. Pre-treated rice hulls are combusted during the process to produce an excess of renewable energy, which can be used for co-sited industrial processing or converted to electricity for delivery to local power grids. Producers will use the energy generated from the IST facility to displace natural gas in its rice processing operations.

IST co-founder and technology developer Larry Shipley commented, “The patented IST process is the ultimate green technology, producing high-quality silica and renewable energy from lower-value rice hulls and straw.” President & Chief Operating Officer Randall Powell added, “We are pleased to partner with Producers Rice Mill to bring the initial IST commercial facility to Greenville. At full production rates, we expect to create 60 direct jobs at our plant, and an equal number of indirect jobs in the community.”

In making the announcement, Ed Johnson stated, “International Silica Technologies, LLC is a region-based company with global technology applications in the Agritech vertical market. Since Agritech is one of our targeted industries in Washington County, we couldn’t be more thrilled to have a company of this caliber expand upon our region’s history of agriculture and technology.”
Producers Rice Mill is a 2500 member cooperative which was established in 1943 and expanded its operations to Greenville in 2001. Based in Stuttgart, Arkansas, Producers is a full-line processor of quality rice products, serving all major divisions of the rice industry and is one of the largest private label packagers in the country, supplying over 100 brands for major food chains and distributors.

FOR MORE INFO CONTACT:
Ed Johnson
662.378.3141
ejohnson@deltaedc.com