Amazon Files $8.7 Million Permit for Memphis Center

Amazon has filed an $8.7 million building permit application for its impending distribution center in southeast Memphis.

The permit to install a metal conveyor and material handling equipment was filed with the Office of Construction Code Enforcement on April 4.

Intelligrated Services LLC was listed as the contractor on the application.

In October 2017, Amazon confirmed it was planning a $72 million, 615,440-square-foot receive center in Memphis that would employ 600 workers. The facility will collect and repackage products for distribution to fulfillment centers across the country.

Later that month, the online retailer was awarded a 15-year payment-in-lieu-of-taxes incentive by the Economic Development Growth Engine for Memphis and Shelby County to establish the receive center.

– Patrick Lantrip

New Horizons Inks Deal for Offices at Clark Tower

IT training company New Horizons Computer Learning Center has signed a deal to occupy 6,479 square feet of office space on the second floor of In-Rel Properties’ Clark Tower.

With more than 300 locations in 70 countries, New Horizons Computer Learning Center has provided independent IT training to more than 30 million students and companies.

“When we purchased the Memphis franchise, we were looking to relocate the office immediately to a location within the Memphis area to better serve our clients and employees,” Scott Riggs, senior vice president of New Horizons, said in a release. “After an exhaustive search, Clark Tower was the ideal place for us. The location is perfect and the amenities within Clark Tower will benefit our employees and our clients.”

The Memphis franchise is owned by Austin, Texas-based 5 Point Enterprises LLC, the company’s largest franchise ownership group, with 34 franchise locations in the Midwest and southeastern U.S.

“Securing New Horizons Computer Learning Center is a testament to the improvements made to the building and its location,” said Ron Riley, senior vice president of Office Leasing at Colliers International Asset Services.

– Patrick Lantrip

New Work/Play Studio Coming to Midtown

A creative work and play studio called TransforMama is coming to Midtown in May.

Launched by Memphis native Layne Carden, TransforMama will occupy 2,800 square feet at 2256 Central Ave. and will serve as a haven for new and expecting mothers.

Scheduled to open May 12, the facility will be divided into two main areas: the nest and the studio.

Furnished with couches, communal table and individual work pods, the nest will offer a calm area for mothers to read a book, check emails or meet a girlfriend to catch up.

The nest will also include an area for children to have free play as well as a staff-led activity. And every day, a designated time will be allocated for the working mom who needs a few child-free hours of quiet time for business meetings and conference calls.

The studio will be home to a series of fitness classes provided by Fit4Mom Memphis, operated by Celinda Smith, which focuses on preparing a woman’s body for the physical demands of motherhood.

Fit4Baby prenatal classes will be available for the expectant mother, while Stroller Strides and Stroller Barre classes offer the opportunity to work out with baby in tow.

Child-free classes through the Body Back program will focus on fitness and nutrition for the postpartum mom.

The studio will also offer parent/child classes to harbor connections and stimulate cognitive development, including a community-based full immersion Spanish program, music classes, dance classes, storytime, movies, book club for moms and more.

– Andy Meek

Dot to Open West Memphis Terminal, Raise Driver Pay

Dot Transportation, an affiliate of Dot Foods, announced it is opening a new terminal location in the Memphis-area market and will raise wages for its drivers fleetwide.

Dot Transportation employs more than 1,500 drivers at 11 Dot Foods distribution centers and 16 terminals across the country, including 87 drivers at its Dyersburg, Tennessee, distribution center. Dot Foods Tennessee plans to hire 40 more drivers this year and is opening a new terminal in the Memphis area this month.

“We’re excited about the potential in the Memphis area,” Matt Duggan, Dot Foods Tennessee general manager, said in a release. “A terminal location lets us extend our hiring radius and tap into the driver talent in a new area. Dot Transportation has excellent regional driving careers to offer. Our average full-time driver made $80,000 last year. And, if you’re looking for more home time, you need to look at Dot Transportation. We offer round-trip dispatch and have the schedule options to fit your lifestyle and the way you want to work.”

The new Memphis area terminal will be located in West Memphis, Arkansas. In-person interviews will take place through at the end of April. Available positions include both touch freight and no-touch freight and a four-days-on, four-days-off schedule. Those interested can apply at DriveforDot.com.

The pay increase recently announced would increase that $80,000 annual income by $3,000 to $4,000 on average, a company spokesperson said.

It is the largest pay increase at one time in Dot Transportation’s history and applies to both full-time and part-time drivers on all schedules.

“This change is acknowledgement of our incredible drivers and the hard work they put in every day,” said Dot Transportation president Paul Mugerditchian. “Our drivers are the face of our business. They do much more than log miles. They play a key customer service role and are instrumental in Dot’s success.”

Dot Transportation’s driver pay is consistently in the top 10 percent of the industry and the company offers full-time drivers 401(k) and profit sharing, paid time off, and a benefits package valued at $22,000.

Overall, the company plans to add 40 new drivers this year at its three Mid-South/South locations in Dyersburg, West Memphis and Jackson, Mississippi, according to Andy Sentell, Dot Foods Tennessee director of transportation.

“Those additions will bring our Tennessee fleet to over 120 drivers,” Sentell said. “With our new wage increase, benefits and the variety of schedules we offer that get drivers more weekly home time, we’re confident we have one of the absolute best jobs on the market.”

Dot Foods, founded in 1960 by Robert and Dorothy Tracy in Mount Sterling, Illinois, remains family-owned and operated. Company sales hit $7 billion in 2017.

– Daily News staff

TPC Southwind Celebrating 30th Anniversary on April 7

TPC Southwind, host of the PGA Tour’s annual FedEx St. Jude Classic, is celebrating its 30th anniversary this weekend with several family-friendly events.

• The annual Fairway 5K race begins Saturday, April 7, at 8 a.m.

One of Memphis’ fastest-growing races, the event raises money for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. All who register will receive a one-day pass to the tournament this June, and finishers will receive a commemorative Fairway 5K medal.

• 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. – Demo Day

Taking place on the driving range, members are invited to try out the latest golf gear and technology, including equipment from PXG, Ping, Taylormade, Titleist, Callaway, Cleveland Golf, Mizuno and Cobra.

• Noon to 4 p.m. – Opening Day at the Carnival

An after party to the 5K race, the carnival will feature live music, games, food and drinks. A special ceremony honoring inaugural members will kick off the event.

TPC Southwind, 3325 Club at Southwind, was ranked No. 23 in Golf World magazine’s exclusive PGA Tour Course Rankings.

The par-70, 7,244-yard layout was designed by noted architect Ron Prichard, with PGA Tour players Hubert Green and Fuzzy Zoeller serving as consultants.

– Daily News staff

PeroxyChem Seeks $12.8M Permit for Chemical Plant

PeroxyChem is continuing work on the chemical production facility it is building at 335 Stiles Drive, near the M.C. Stiles Wastewater Treatment Plant. The Philadelphia-based chemical manufacturer has filed a $12.8 million building permit application with the Office of Construction Code Enforcement that calls for the “construction of a chemical blending facility with a control building and tank farm and piping.”

PeroxyChem’s new plant will make peracetic acid, a disinfectant that has been used in the food industry for more than 30 years and is now being used in water treatment applications.

In this case, it will be used to treat wastewater at the Stiles plant as part of a new disinfection process.

The Economic Development Growth Engine board awarded PeroxyChem a seven-year payment-in-lieu-of-taxes incentive in November for the nearly 109,000-square-foot facility.

In its PILOT application, the company said it planned to invest $9.6 million in the new facility, including $2.7 million in construction costs and $4.3 million in equipment. The project will create 15 jobs with an average salary of $76,566, including benefits, according to the application.

The Stiles plant sits on more than 100 acres of city-owned land where the Mississippi and Wolf rivers meet, and PeroxyChem is leasing an unused portion of that property from the city.

At a groundbreaking in December, city leaders said the PeroxyChem facility will save the city money in sewer treatment costs while also creating local jobs with a focus on hiring minority-owned subcontractors.

– Daily News staff

Tigers Coach Hardaway Lands First Commitments

Penny Hardaway’s first commitments as head coach at the University of Memphis are his son, Jayden Hardaway, and East High point guard Alex Lomax.

Jayden Hardaway announced his commitment Tuesday, April 3, and Lomax made his official through social media early Wednesday morning.

Lomax previously had a signed a national letter of intent with Wichita State, but after Hardaway’s hiring, the university released Lomax – a somewhat surprising move given that both schools play in the American Athletic Conference.

National recruiting services list Lomax as a Top 150 recruit. Not since rising senior Jeremiah Martin committed to Memphis when coached by Josh Pastner has the program brought in a hometown recruit.

On his Twitter account, Lomax tweeted, “TIGERLIFE.”

While two new players are coming in, two freshmen players from the 2017-18 team are leaving. Guard Jamal Johnson has joined David Nickelberry in announcing his plans to transfer.

In another development, 247sports.com reported that Hardaway is about to hire Tennessee State assistant coach Rodney Hamilton as the Memphis director of basketball operations.

– Don Wade

UT Researchers Learn How Green Tea Affects Humans

A research team collaborating across the University of Tennessee systems has discovered molecular mechanisms with which key chemicals in green tea work.

The team, including one researcher at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center in Memphis, discovered which receptor key chemicals found in green tea interact with.

Among the reasons it’s an important discovery, it provides a way to explain the medicinal effects of green tea on energy metabolism and why consuming green tea may impact a range of clinical disorders.

– Andy Meek

UTHSC Launches Clinical Trials Network

The University of Tennessee Health Science Center has launched the Clinical Trials Network of Tennessee.

Operating as a separate subsidiary of the University of Tennessee Research Foundation, the network was created to enable UTHSC clinical research faculty to design, solicit and conduct statewide clinical trials with the overarching goal of providing new therapeutics and medical devices aimed at improving the health of all Tennesseans.

The network was the vision of Dr. Steven Goodman, vice chancellor for research at UTHSC. Goodman and his team presented the idea to create the network to the foundation’s board of directors in December, and it received unanimous approval.

The UT board of trustees publicly committed $3 million to support the first three years of the network’s operations.

On March 23, the board agreed to release the first-year funds to the foundation, which will then fund the new affiliated network.

– Andy Meek

Local Investor Buys Apartments Near U of M

Local multifamily property owner Harvard Stephens has purchased a 92-unit apartment complex about a mile and a half from the University of Memphis for $2.5 million.

In the deal, Stephens purchased the townhouse-style Commons at Brentwood, located at 2853 Waverly Ave., from the Orange Mound Development Corp., doing business as Commons at Brentwood LLC, according to a March 21 warranty deed filed with the Shelby County Register.

Orange Mound Development Corp. chairman O.C. Pleasant Jr. signed the deed on behalf of the seller.

Built in 2002, the 72,000-square-foot Class B apartment complex sits on 4.4 acres south of Southern Avenue, between Josephine Street to the west and Haynes Street to the east.

The Shelby County Assessor’s 2017 appraisal was $1.5 million.

Stephens owns several other multifamily properties across the city, including the Eden Pointe apartment complex in Parkway Village, which he bought last June for $1.6 million.

– Patrick Lantrip

Bump Stock Ban Proposal Fails in Tennessee

An effort by Democratic lawmakers to ban bump stocks in Tennessee has failed.

Bump stocks are devices that allow semi-automatic rifles to mimic the rapid fire of machine guns.

Some Tennessee Senate leaders had come out in support of President Donald Trump’s push to ban bump stocks after a gunman used the devices to kill 58 people and injure more than 500 others in Las Vegas in October.

The proposal didn’t generate enough Republican backers to pass. Two companion bills failed to make it out of committees this week.

The main sponsors of the legislation in Tennessee were Sen. Lee Harris of Memphis and Rep. Dwayne Thompson of Cordova.

– The Associated Press

FedEx Unveils Pilot Development Program

FedEx Corp. subsidiary FedEx Express is rolling out a new pilot development program known as “Purple Runway – A FedEx Pathways Program” to recruit and train new pilots over the coming years.

FedEx Express and its feeder operators, Mountain Air Cargo and Empire Airlines, are launching the effort with a college outreach and engagement program to promote student interest in aviation careers, starting at Delta State University in Cleveland, Mississippi.

“FedEx is initiating a new, industry-leading pilot development program to ensure a full pipeline of pilots for us and the industry at large,” FedEx chairman and CEO Fred Smith said in a recent speech at Delta State. “The program is designed to assist two of our feeder operators with the recruitment and retention of pilots who wish to develop their skills and experiences to eventually qualify for pilot opportunities at FedEx.”

Eventually, FedEx and the feeder operators will expand to other universities and aviation colleges around the country to entice even more potential pilots.

Earlier this year, FedEx took the first steps in modernizing its feeder fleet with the purchase of 30 ATR 72-600F planes and the purchase of 50 Cessna SkyCourier 408F aircraft, with options to purchase additional aircraft from both companies.

“These aircraft purchases are part of our long-term feeder fleet strategy,” said Greg Hall, FedEx Express’ executive vice president of air operations. “That strategy will not only improve our fuel efficiency and fleet reliability, but thanks to a collaborative training program through Purple Runway – A FedEx Pathways Program, we will create a reliable pipeline of well-qualified pilot applicants for FedEx Express pilot jobs, leveraging the experience they will gain in our feeder system.”

The FedEx feeder network, which uses aircraft with less than 60,000 pounds of maximum gross takeoff weight, comprises more than 300 aircraft serving 45 countries. Most of the aircraft are owned by FedEx and then leased and operated by third-party air carriers under their own operating certificates.

– Patrick Lantrip

Mueller Industries Buys Canadian Manufacturer

Memphis-based Mueller Industries Inc. has acquired Die-Mold Tool Limited, a Canadian manufacturing company.

Ontario, Canada-based Die-Mold manufactures plastic plumbing-related fittings and is an integrated designer and manufacturer of plastic injection tooling.

Terms of the transaction, which was effective March 31, were not disclosed.

Mueller said the acquisition supports its strategy to grow and strengthen its flow-control product offerings in the area of pressure plastics.

Mueller specializes in copper and copper alloy manufacturing, while also producing goods made from aluminum, steel and plastics. Its tubing, fittings and other components are used in plumbing as well as heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems, and the items are distributed in numerous sectors, including the construction, appliance, defense, energy and automotive industries.

– Daily News staff

Tigers’ Azab to Undergo Medical Treatment

University of Memphis basketball player Karim Sameh Azab has begun medical treatment for an unspecified illness.

Azab, a 6-foot-10, 270-pound sophomore from Giza, Egypt, appeared in 15 games this season as a reserve. He averaged 5.6 minutes per game in his second season with the program, but his first on the court.

“Karim has my full support and the support of our whole team,” said Tigers basketball coach Penny Hardaway. “While we appreciate the support of the Tiger family in this matter, we would also like to protect the privacy of Karim and his family.”

Tigers athletic director Tom Bowen said, “The resources available to help Karim in this fight are second to none and our Tiger family will do everything they can. We have a fantastic medical team and athletic training staff, and we are all with Karim as he undergoes his treatment.”

Said Azab: “I am thankful for all the support the university has shown me. Hopefully the journey to my recovery will be good.”

– Don Wade

Transplant Foundation's Blue and Green Day April 13

The Mid-South Transplant Foundation is calling on businesses, households, churches and other supporters to light up the city in blue and green Friday, April 13, for National Donate Life Blue and Green Day, a day set aside to support organ and tissue donation.

The foundation suggests a number of ways to show corporate and individual support of Blue and Green Day 901, including dressing in or lighting workspaces and homes in blue and green, and registering to become an organ and tissue donor. Participants can post their photos and track social media activity at #BlueGreenDay901.

The Harahan Bridge will light up in blue and green the evening of April 13.

One organ donor can save up to eight lives; one tissue donor can enhance more than 50 lives. Currently more than 114,000 people are waiting for a lifesaving transplant in the Mid-South area, covering West Tennessee, North Mississippi and East Arkansas.

“The work we do is a collaborative effort to save and enhance lives,” said Kim Van Frank, the foundation’s executive director. “We’re counting on our community to support the thousands of people and families affected by organ and tissue donation by turning our city blue and green on April 13. There are simple, yet impactful ways we all can raise awareness of the need for more registered donors.”

For more information on how to participate in Blue and Green Day 901 or to register as an organ and tissue donor, visit midsouthtransplant.org.

– Don Wade

SCS Students Planning School Walkout April 19

Shelby County Schools students will join students in all 50 states Thursday, April 19, in responding to the national call to action against gun violence by walking out of school.

Organized by a grassroots coalition of high school youths from across the greater Memphis area, the local walkout is an important step to show students’ dedication to creating safer schools, according to the organizers.

The date of the walkout was originally April 20, the 19th anniversary of the Columbine High School massacre, but the Columbine community directly asked to have the walkout on April 19 in order for them to spend April 20 with their families in mourning.

“I’ll walk out because I’m a youth committed to change; I’m committed to creating a safer educational environment,” Bolton High School student Rod’nee Richardson said in a release.

Organizers say individual walkouts are planned at each school in the Shelby County Schools system.

Schools are encouraged to have voter registration and a place for youth to contact their representatives. The walkout will focus on youth-led social change and education regarding comprehensive legislation.

Shelby County Schools superintendent Dorsey Hopson told school board members Tuesday, March 27, that a group of students – many of them affiliated with Bridges USA – had approached him about how SCS would view a walkout on the day of the protest.

At the time, Hopson said SCS was still working out details but that the system would be willing to work with students who conduct a walkout in “a responsible and organized way.”

– Daily News staff

Teague to Stay With Grizz Rest of Season

The Memphis Grizzlies have signed guard Marquis Teague for the remainder of the season.

Teague signed a 10-day contract with the Grizzlies on March 24 as a call-up from the Memphis Hustle, the team’s NBA G League affiliate.

Teague has appeared in two games as a reserve for the Grizzlies and averaged 4.0 points, 2.0 rebounds, 5.0 assists and 1.00 steals in 26.5 minutes.

The 25-year-old started all 47 of his games with the Hustle and averaged 17.6 points, 3.4 rebounds and 6.1 assists in 32.5 minutes, leading the team in total points, total assists and free throws made and attempted during its inaugural season in the G League.

Teague was selected in the first round (No. 29 overall) of the 2012 NBA Draft following his freshman year at the University of Kentucky.

He has appeared in 90 regular season games (three starts) during his three-year NBA career and has averaged 2.4 points, 1.0 rebounds and 1.5 assists in 9.9 minutes for the Chicago Bulls, Brooklyn Nets and Memphis Grizzlies.

– Don Wade

South City Redevelopment Prepares to Break Ground

Capstone Building Corp. is preparing to break ground on the first phase of the South City Choice Neighborhood Improvement project on the site of the former Foote Homes public housing development.

The Birmingham-based multifamily contractor says phase one will be a $23 million project with 114 units spread among 31 buildings, spanning 126,000 square feet.

The 420-unit Foote Homes, the last of the city’s public housing developments, was demolished last year to make way for 712 mixed-income apartments. The redevelopment project garnered a $30 million federal Choice Neighborhood Improvement grant.

Memphis Mayor Jim Strickland told The Daily News last June that the South City project would go beyond the footprint of Foote Homes to encompass retail and commercial development outside the boundaries of the former public housing development.

The ambitious redevelopment has had several names over the years, starting with Triangle Noir, which then became Heritage Trail under Mayor Willie Herenton’s administration, to South City under Mayor A C Wharton.

After missing out on $30 million in federal funds necessary to get South City started, the Wharton administration worked with U.S. Rep. Steve Cohen to secure the funding in the last weeks of the 2015 mayor’s race, which ended with Wharton being upset by Strickland.

– Patrick Lantrip

Rhodes College Junior Publishes Research

Filoteia Popescu, a Rhodes College junior with a double major in biochemistry and molecular biology and neuroscience, has published an article that proposes a new procedure for evaluating women who experience recurrent pregnancy loss.

She published the article with Rhodes biology professor Carolyn Jaslow and William Kutteh of Fertility Associates of Memphis in the March 12 issue of Human Reproduction, a leading international peer-reviewed scientific journal.

Research participants included 100 women with recurrent pregnancy loss (RPL) seen in a private fertility clinic. All 100 women had two or more pregnancy losses, a complete evaluation for RPL as defined by the American Society for Reproductive Medicine and miscarriage tissue evaluated by 24-chromosome microarray analysis after their second or subsequent miscarriage.

It’s “extraordinary” for an undergraduate to be the first author on this type of publication, according to Jaslow, who adds it’s likely the article will change the testing procedures for women seeking help for RPL in fertility clinics around the world.

– Andy Meek

Regents Approve New Name for Bartlett TCAT Campus

The Tennessee Board of Regents voted recently to name the new Tennessee College of Applied Technology in Bartlett the Haas CNC Technology Center.

That’s in recognition of a $1 million donation toward its construction from the Gene Haas Foundation. CNC stands for computer numerical control, a technology that will be taught at the facility in which computers are programmed to complete manufacturing operations.

Gene Haas owns Haas Automation Inc., a leading builder of CNC machine tools that he started in 1983.

He started the foundation to provide naming rights funding to help build CNC education facilities and provide scholarships to deserving students.

The 48,000-square-foot Haas CNC Technology Center at the corner of Appling Road and Brother Boulevard could begin construction by next spring.

The TBR also approved 16 new technical training programs at 11 colleges of applied technology across the state to help business and industry and students studying to get into to those industries. TCAT Memphis was approved for a Retail, Hospitality and Tourism Technology dual-enrollment program.

– Daily News staff

Football Tigers Holding April 7 Practice in Nashville

For the second time in Mike Norvell’s three seasons at Memphis, the Tiger football team will venture east on Interstate 40 to Nashville for an open practice. The team will practice on Saturday, April 7, at 3 p.m. at Brentwood Academy, 219 Granny White Pike in Brentwood.

The University of Memphis Alumni Association will host a tailgate with food and beverages provided beginning at 1 p.m. Fans are asked to RSVP at the Alumni Association’s website, alumni.memphis.edu. Gates will open at 1 p.m. No outside food or alcohol will be permitted on the Brentwood Academy campus.

Norvell first took his Tiger team on the road prior to the 2016 season, playing at Father Ryan High School.

The 2018 scrimmage will be practice number 11 of 15 of the spring calendar for the Tigers, who finished the 2017 season ranked No. 24 in the coaches’ poll and No. 25 in the Associated Press year-end poll. Memphis, which was 10-3 last season, suffered its only losses of the year to undefeated UCF (twice) and Iowa State (in the AutoZone Liberty Bowl).

Memphis will play seven games at home in the Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium in 2018, including a Oct. 13 game with UCF, a rematch of the AAC Championship game, and a rematch with Houston on Black Friday, Nov. 23. Season tickets are on sale now at gotigersgotix.com.

– Don Wade

Ranger Bearings Expanding in Southwest Memphis

Alabama-based train and rail car bearing remanufacturer Ranger Bearings is nearly tripling its Memphis footprint with the acquisition of a new building in the southwest industrial submarket of Memphis.

In the deal, long-time owner Calvin Ozier sold the 60,000-square-foot industrial property located at 1332 Louisiana St. to Ranger for $585,000.

Ozier was represented by Newmark Knight Frank associate director Will Klinke in the deal.

“The timing was right to sell the property, and Ranger Bearings needed to expand operations,” Ozier said in a release. “1332 Louisiana’s location and features make it an ideal property for the new owner, allowing the company to expand its Memphis operations.”

Previously, Ranger Bearings was leasing 22,000 square feet at 3860 Delp St., but with the purchase of the Louisiana facility on 5.21 acres, the company will be able to nearly triple its operational space.

Built in 1949 for Massey-Ferguson, the 60,000-square-foot building has been owned by Ozier and his partner, Jim Browder, for the past 18 years and was being leased to Ozier’s company, UWT Logistics.

– Patrick Lantrip

Grizzlies to Hold Camps in Tennessee, Mississippi

The Memphis Grizzlies announced that they will host their 2018 Summer Basketball Camps presented by Nike with 14 different sessions at locations in Tennessee and Mississippi for boys and girls ages 7-16.

For $265, each Grizzlies Summer Basketball Camp includes a giveaway package of a Nike T-Shirt, headband and full size Grizzlies basketball. Campers will also receive two tickets to a future Grizzlies home game (redeemable during the 2018-19 regular season), along with skills and drills instruction provided by Grizzlies Youth Basketball staff consisting of current and former college players and coaches, referees and other basketball personnel. All camps will run from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. each day.

Each session will also end with an awards ceremony where all campers will be recognized and a few lucky participants will win autographed Grizzlies’ prizes. Select sessions will feature surprise guest appearances by Memphis Grizzlies and Memphis Hustle players, coaches and entertainment teams.

Limited spots are available. To register and to see a full list of locations and dates, visit grizzlies.com/camps. Early registration is encouraged as sessions will fill up quickly. Those who register prior to May 1 will automatically be entered into a drawing to win Grizzlies prizes such as an autographed Mike Conley or Chandler Parsons jersey, team autographed basketballs and more.

– Don Wade

Flintco, Yates Construction Bid on Convention Project

Flintco and Yates Construction companies are the bidders on the contract for the estimated $175 million renovation of the Memphis Cook Convention Center.

Memphis Convention Center board chairman Wayne Tabor said the two bids appear to meet the city’s goal of 30 percent participation by minority-owned businesses and the bid details will be evaluated to determine the best way to deliver the project.

The renovation includes a new exterior for the 40-year-old facility and an extensive reconfiguration of the interior space. It is being funded with a 1.8 percent increase in the hotel-motel tax and revenue from the Downtown Tourism Development Zone.

– Bill Dries