Archer Malmo Tapped For Cotton Board Campaign

The Memphis-based Cotton Board has chosen Archer Malmo to execute a 2016 multimedia campaign.

The Cotton Board is the oversight and administrative arm of the Cotton Research & Promotion Program representing U.S. upland cotton.

Agency services will include a wide variety of marketing communications strategies and tactics. The campaign’s goal is to help keep growers informed on the Cotton Research and Promotion Program’s activities to increase the demand for and profitability of cotton.

Memphis-based Archer Malmo has roots in agriculture, having represented clients in that industry for more than 20 years. Other agricultural clients include Valent U.S.A. Corp., StollerUSA, Zoetis Animal Health (both companion and large animal division) and Nufarm Ltd.

– Andy Meek

The Paper Source To Join Saddle Creek

The Paper Source, a gift retailer offering fine paper, custom invitations and announcements and stationery, is the latest store to join the Shops of Saddle Creek.

Set to open summer 2016, the 2,391-square-foot store will be located at Saddle Creek South near Brooks Brothers.

Chicago-based Paper Source has nearly 110 locations in 30 states. It currently operates one Tennessee store in Nashville.

“The momentum we’ve created will carry into 2016 with more leasing announcements, store and restaurant openings and the completion of property enhancements,” said Terry Montesi, CEO of Trademark Property Co., the operating partner for Saddle Creek.

– Madeline Faber

Graceland Resort Hotel Starts Taking Reservations

The Guest House at Graceland started taking reservations Thursday, Dec. 17, for late October through December 2016.

The $90 million, 450-room resort hotel is under construction north of the Graceland mansion on Elvis Presley Boulevard. It is scheduled to have its grand opening celebration Oct. 27-30 with events and appearances by members of the Presley family as well as musicians and actors who worked with the late Elvis Presley.

– Bill Dries

TVA Gives $10,000 Grant To Mid-South Food Bank

Mid-South Food Bank is one of seven Tennessee food banks to receive a $10,000 grant from the Tennessee Valley Authority. The funds are designated to provide additional food distribution to people living in rural counties through a Tennessee Rural Mobile Pantry initiative.

The program’s funding goes directly toward the purchase and provision of highly nutritious food, program capacity building efforts and corresponding educational initiatives of the mobile food trucks in both densely populated and rural areas.

Mid-South Food Bank’s mobile pantry program is designed to target mostly rural areas where food insecurity is especially high and food supplement is especially low. In 2014, the mobile pantry program distributed 2.4 million pounds of food.

Tennessee’s food insecurity rate is 17.1 percent, and of the 12 West Tennessee counties in Mid-South Food Bank’s service area, the rate is 19.8 percent.

The Tennessee Valley Authority is a corporate agency of the United States that provides electricity for business customers and local power distributors serving more than 9 million people in parts of the seven southeastern states. In the original TVA Act, it was charged with the responsibility to ensure the economic, environmental, social and physical well being of the people it serves.

– Don Wade

Cardinals Caravan Returns To Memphis Jan. 15

The annual St. Louis Cardinals Caravan will roll into Memphis and AutoZone Park on Friday, Jan. 15. The night’s activities are slated to begin at 6:30.

In the days ahead, the Cardinals and Memphis Redbirds will announce list of current and former Cardinals/Redbirds scheduled to attend.

The Cardinals are coming off a 100-win season. They lost to the Chicago Cubs in the postseason and have since lost outfielder Jason Heyward and pitcher John Lackey to their rivals via free agency.

– Don Wade

Sycamore View Hotel Sold for $3.9 Million

An Extended Stay America hotel at 5885 Shelby Oaks Drive has sold for $3.9 million, according to a Dec. 8 warranty deed.

ESH TN Properties LLC sold the Sycamore View property to Dallas-based DW CL IV LLC.

In conjunction with the sale, the partnership of DW CL IV LLC and CL Opco LLC filed a $2.7 million mortgage loan. The former organization signed as borrower and the latter signed as borrower and operating tenant.

Connecticut-based SPT CA Fundings 2 LLC signed as lender. The loan is set to mature Dec. 7, 2018, but can be extended up to 2020.

The hotel was built in 1996, is 41,820 square feet and is appraised for $1.9 million, according to the Shelby County Assessor of Property.

– Madeline Faber

Election Commission Sets Clerk’s Race Friday

Shelby County election commissioners meet in special session Friday, Dec. 18, at noon to certify the ballot for the March 1 primaries for General Sessions Court clerk.

At press time, incumbent clerk Ed Stanton had two challengers in the Democratic primary, Del Gill and William Stovall, both former appointed employees of the office. And Richard Morton was the lone candidate to file in the companion Republican primary by the Dec. 10 filing deadline.

– Bill Dries