City Files Permit Application for Mitsubishi Infrastructure

A $12.1 million building permit application has been filed for the Mitsubishi Electric Power Products Inc. plant property at 2865 Riverport Road in southwest Memphis’ Rivergate Industrial Park. The application states it is for “deep foundation for manufacturing and office building.”

The city of Memphis is named on the application as the owner and tenant. The listed phone number is that of O’Neal Inc., the project’s general contractor, which has offices in Greenville, S.C., Raleigh, N.C., and Atlanta.

MEPPI is building a 330,000-square-foot facility to manufacture large power transformers, an investment of about $200 million in Memphis, the company – as well as local and state leaders – announced in February. A 40,000-square-foot office structure will connect to the production area via a pedestrian bridge. The project also includes building 4,100 feet of railroad track and a railroad bridge.

Mitsubishi currently manufactures large power transformers at a factory in Japan and exports them to the U.S. The Japan plant is nearing its maximum capacity, so the company decided to build a new transformer plant in the U.S. It spent a year and a half scouting potential U.S. sites – including several trips to Memphis – before making the formal announcement in February.

The value of the incentive package presented to Mitsubishi to woo them here in early 2011 was a little more than $41 million.

The company, which will become one of Memphis Light, Gas and Water Division’s largest customers, is making an upfront cash investment of about $195 million, and could decide to build an onsite electrical substation, The Daily News reported at the time of tne announcement last year.

Source: The Daily News Online & Chandler Reports

– Daily News staff

Barbour, Former Staff Chief Join Butler Snow Law Firm

Former Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour and his former chief of staff, Paul Hurst, have joined the law firm of Butler, Snow, O’Mara, Stevens & Cannada PLLC.

The two men will work with the firm in the areas of economic development, government relations, strategic planning and business development. Butler Snow, which has a presence in Memphis, is one of the largest law firms in the Southeast.

Barbour also is joining BGR Group, a lobbying firm he cofounded. He also plans to hit the speaker circuit at political and business events and has written a book about leadership during Hurricane Katrina.

– Andy Meek

FedEx's Jackson Named Top Thought Leader

Mitch Jackson, FedEx Corp.’s vice president, Environmental Affairs & Sustainability, has been named one of 2012’s Top 100 Thought Leaders in Trustworthy Business Behavior by Trust Across America.

The Top 100 Thought Leaders represent a group that can transform and reverse the cycle of mistrust in business.

At FedEx, Jackson develops the sustainability strategy and vision to the company minimizes its environmental footprint while still delivering outstanding customer service.

Jackson spearheaded the implementation of hybrid electric vehicles for FedEx, which launched hybrid electric technology in the commercial vehicles’ marketplace. In conjunction with the FedEx Government Affairs department, he helped successfully push legislation for fuel economy standards/greenhouse gas requirements in commercial trucking.

With FedEx for more than 20 years, Jackson previously was named to the 2010 and 2011 Top 100 Thought Leaders in Trustworthy Business Behavior. He was also named to Ethisphere Institute’s 2009 list of the 100 Most Influential People in Business Ethics.

Trust Across America culled its list from nominations by more than 150 professionals across the country. The list was narrowed through a vetting and independent judging process.

– Taylor Shoptaw

Haslam Focuses on Education During Memphis-Area Stops

Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam told charter school leaders from several states Thursday, Jan. 12, that the state has the “political will” to continue education reform, including a commitment to charter schools.

Haslam spoke in Memphis at the opening of “Opportunity Days,” a two-day gathering in Memphis held by the state’s Achievement School District. The event encourages charter schools leaders to apply to run low-performing schools that become part of the ASD.

The state is in the process of selecting two Memphis City Schools – an elementary school and a middle school – that will be run as charter schools phased in a grade or two at a time over several years, starting with the 2012-2013 school year.

Haslam said the state is committed to charter schools as part of education reform, while being aware of opposition to the schools in both rural and urban school districts.

Haslam also went to the Lambuth University campus in Jackson, Tenn., Thursday for a flag-raising ceremony marking the formerly private college’s conversion to a state college, The University of Memphis Lambuth Campus.

– Bill Dries

Organizations Team Up to Provide Kids Shoes

Samaritan’s Feet, Lipscomb Pitts Breakfast Club and the Memphis Grizzlies will team up Friday, Jan. 13, to provide new shoes and socks to 200 Memphis children.

The gifts will benefit children who participate in organizations that include Girls Inc., Catholic Charities of West Tennessee, Building Blocks Mentoring Program and Refugee Empowerment Program.

The children who will receive the items have been selected by each participating organization based on personal and family hardship and circumstances.

O.J. Mayo and Josh Selby of the Grizzlies will join Lipscomb Pitts Breakfast Club members from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. in the grand lobby of FedExForum. Manny Ohonme, founder of South Carolina-based Samaritan’s Feet, also will be present.

This is the fourth year the Grizzlies have hosted the Samaritan’s Feet giveaway as a tip-off to the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday weekend and the second year the Grizzlies and LPBC have partnered to offer this gift to 200 children.

– Taylor Shoptaw

Lawmakers on Hold Over Tenn. Redistricting

Tennessee lawmakers were in a holding pattern Thursday, Jan. 12, over redrawing legislative and congressional maps.

House Democrats oppose Republican efforts to group five African-American incumbents into three districts and have said they plan to offer amendments on the floor.

Meanwhile, the Senate wasn’t set to return until Friday, Jan. 13, making that the earliest day the redrawn maps could be approved and sent to the governor for his signature.

Senate Republicans have offered a proposal to merge Democratic Leader Jim Kyle of Memphis into the same district as Republican Sen. Brian Kelsey of Germantown. The plan would put Kyle out of office because his term ends this year and Kelsey isn’t up for re-election until 2014.

– The Associated Press

Dinosaur Exhibit Comes to CMOM

The Children’s Museum of Memphis will host a traveling exhibit enabling children and adults to explore the habitats of dinosaurs, which once roamed the Mid-South.

“Dinosaurs: Land of Fire and Ice,” will open Feb. 11 and runs through May 12.

A Field Research Station allows children to become paleontologists, uncovering fossils with brushes and drawing the dinosaur environment using fossil rubbings and tracings.

The steamy “Land of Fire” connects visitors with the prehistoric home of triceratops and T-Rex.

The exhibit takes into account new research about climates in which dinosaurs were able to survive and thrive. The discovery of evidence in the Arctic is causing scientists to reconsider old theories about dinosaurs only living in tropical climates.

Accordingly, another part of the exhibit called “Land of Ice,” invites visitors to meet troodon and edmontosaurus, which made their homes in Alaska.

The exhibit was created by Minnesota Children’s Museum and is sponsored locally by Kronos Energy Solutions.

– Aisling Maki