Things

Photograph by Jason Goforth

Timber & Forestry Products

Things

Some folks can’t see the forest for the trees. But in Mississippi, we are well aware of the fact that without the trees, there would be no forest.

According to the Mississippi State University Forestry Extension Service:

Mississippi is a heavily forested state with 18.6 million acres of forestland (62% of the state’s land area). The total economic impact of forestry and the forest products industry is $14.8 billion. Almost 66 percent of the state’s forestland is owned by private, nonindustrial forest landowners.

Over 125,000 private landowners own land that is used in timber production and almost 200,000 people are employed around the state in jobs related to the timber industry.

Beverley Kreul wrote an article for FarmFlavor.com entitled “Mississippi Forest Landowners Harvest and Regrow Timber” that included a great graphic that details the production cycle that foresters live by:

Forestry-Cycle

Tony Howe wrote “Growth of the Lumber Industry, (1840 to 1930)” for Mississippi History Now and in it he detailed how forestry in Mississippi grew to become a huge economic factor in the state:

Then several important developments in the late 1800s made possible the growth of the lumber industry in the state. By the 1850s, Mississippi sawmills began to replace less efficient reciprocal saws, which cut up and down, with the circular saw. Dry kilns, developed in the 1870s and 1880s, made it possible for mills to process long-leaf yellow pine for ever-expanding markets. In addition, the increased use of the crosscut saw replaced the more labor-intensive method of cutting trees by ax. Furthermore, with the exhaustion of timber supplies in the North and East, experienced loggers moved to Mississippi to build sawmills. Many local people became operators of large sawmills, some producing as much as 300,000 board feet of lumber per day. All of these factors led to the building of larger sawmills that produced lumber at phenomenal rates.

Here are a few more facts about the Mississippi Timber Industry from the MSU Forestry Extension Services:

  • About 65 percent of Mississippi’s land is in forest. This is about 19.6 million acres according to the latest forest survey taken in 2006.
  • The value of Mississippi’s timber harvest has exceeded $1 billion each year since 1993 and reached an all-time record of 1.45 billion in 2005.
  • Mississippi’s forest products industry consists of four major sectors:
    • Solid Wood Products which includes pine and hardwood lumber, plywood, poles, oriented strand board, and other “composite” forest products.
    • Pulp and Paper which includes fine writing papers, “liner-board” used for cardboard boxes, tissue and absorbent papers, and market pulp.
    • Wood furniture and related products which consists mostly of upholstered wood furniture such as couches, love seats, and recliners.
    • Timber harvesting which includes the harvesting and transportation sector.
  • According to a 2008 study by James Henderson and Ian Munn of MSU:
    • The total industry output of Mississippi’s forest products industry generates an economic impact of nearly $17.4 billion annually.
    • The forest products industry accounts for $7.1 billion annually in value added economic impact for the state.
    • The Mississippi forest products industry contributes to 8.3% of all jobs in Mississippi. An estimated 123,659 full or part-time jobs have their “roots” in Mississippi’s forest products industry. (This total includes direct, indirect, and induced employment).
    • In terms of wages and salaries paid annually, Mississippi’s forest products industry generates a statewide economic impact of $4.4 billion.
    • In 2007, Mississippi’s forest landowners, mostly private, non-industry owners, collected $630.8 million for their standing timber sold that year.

Malaco Music Group

Places, Things,

“The Last Soul Company” started as a pocket-change enterprise in the early 1960s with college students Tommy Couch and Wolf Stephenson booking bands for fraternity dances at the University of Mississippi.

After graduation, Tommy Couch opened shop in Jackson, Mississippi as Malaco Attractions with brother-in-law Mitchell Malouf (Malouf + Couch = Malaco). Wolf Stephenson joined them in promoting concerts by Herman’s Hermits, the Who, the Animals, and others.

In 1967 the company opened a recording studio in a building that remains the home of Malaco Records. Experimenting with local songwriters and artists, the company began producing master recordings. Malaco needed to license their early recordings with established labels for national distribution. Between 1968 and 1970, Capitol Records released six singles and a Grammy-nominated album by legendary bluesman Mississippi Fred McDowell. Deals for other artists were concluded with ABC, Mercury, and Bang.

Revenue from record releases was minimal, however, and Malaco survived doing jingles, booking bands, promoting concerts, and renting the studio for custom projects.

In May 1970, a bespectacled producer-arranger changed the struggling company’s fortune. Wardell Quezergue made his mark with New Orleans stalwarts Fats Domino, Professor Longhair, and others. He offered to supply Malaco with artists in return for studio time and session musicians. With very little money left, Malaco knew this might be their last shot at making something happen.

Wardell brought five artists to Jackson in a borrowed school bus for a marathon session that yielded two mega-hits – King Floyd’s “Groove Me” and Jean Knight’s “Mr. Big Stuff.” But the tracks met rejection when submitted to Stax and Atlantic Records for distribution. Frustrated, Malaco released the King Floyd tracks on its own Chimneyville label. When “Groove Me” started a wildfire of radio play and sales, Atlantic picked the record up for distribution after all, giving Malaco a label deal for future Chimneyville product. “Groove Me” entered the national charts in October, going to #1 R&B and #6 pop. In 1971, Chimneyville scored again with King Floyd’s “Baby Let Me Kiss You” (#5 R&B and #29 Pop). Meanwhile, Stax decided to take a chance on “Mr. Big Stuff,” selling over two million copies on the way to #1 on the R&B charts and #2 pop.

Malaco’s studio and session musicians were now in demand. Atlantic sent the Pointer Sisters among others for the Malaco touch; Stax sent Rufus Thomas and others. And, in January 1973, Paul Simon recorded material for his There Goes Rhymin’ Simon album.

Later that year, Malaco released its first gospel record, “Gospel Train” by the Golden Nuggets. Also in 1973, King Floyd’s “Woman Don’t Go Astray” made #5 R&B.

When Dorothy Moore recorded “Misty Blue” in 1973, Malaco got stacks of rejection slips trying to shop the master to other labels. Now, in 1975, Malaco was broke and desperate for something to sell. With just enough cash to press and mail out the record, “Misty Blue” was released on the Malaco label just before Thanksgiving. Luckily, it took off the moment it hit radio turntables.

“Misty Blue” earned gold records around the world, peaking at #2 R&B and #3 pop in the USA, and #5 in England. This was followed by thirteen chart records and five Grammy nominations for Moore by 1980.

Another Malaco gamble in late 1975 was targeting the gospel market again with the Jackson Southernaires. The gamble paid off, and other premium gospel artists signed on, including the Soul Stirrers, The Sensational Nightingales, The Williams Brothers, The Truthettes, and The Angelic Gospel Singers, to name a few. The Southernaires’s Frank Williams became Malaco’s Director of Gospel Operations, producing virtually every Malaco gospel release until his untimely death in 1993.

Malaco made several attempts at the disco market, but its main contribution to the era was providing the studio and session musicians for Anita Ward’s “Ring My Bell.”

Frederick Knight produced “Ring My Bell” for his own Juana label, which, like Malaco, was distributed by T.K. Records in Miami. In the summer of 1979 “Ring My Bell” was omnipresent, going to #1 on both Pop and R&B charts, and selling an estimated 10 million copies worldwide. Also hot that summer, Fern Kinney’s electronic remake of “Groove Me” entered the R&B and disco charts in August. The follow-up, “Together We Are Beautiful,” reached #1 on British pop charts in 1980.

Malaco relied greatly on Dave Clark’s promotional efforts at T.K. So when T.K. shuttered in 1980, Malaco hired Clark. His unrivaled access to radio and credibility with artists soon paid off with his recruitment of Z.Z. Hill.

Starting with Z.Z Hill, Malaco became the center of the universe for old-time blues and soul. Since blues supposedly no longer sold, everyone was shocked when Hill’s second album, Down Home Blues, sold 500,000 copies. It was the most successful blues album ever, revealing a core audience for quality blues records. It also became an anthem for R&B singers struggling against disco and the emergence of rap. By now, Malaco had found its niche and was the dominant southern R&B label in the country. It also developed an identifiable sound via a core group of session musicians and songwriters.

The house band was anchored by Carson Whitsett on keyboards, Larry Addison on second keyboard; James Robertson on drums, Ray Griffin on bass, and Dino Zimmerman on guitar. A steady stream of strong material flowed from key songwriters such as George Jackson, Larry Addison, Rich Cason, and Jimmy Lewis.

In 1985 Malaco signed Bobby Blue Bland. That summer, Tommy Couch, Wolf Stephenson and Stewart Madison purchased the Muscle Shoals Sound Studio, label, and publishing company. The studio and its fabled rhythm section (Jimmy Johnson, David Hood, Roger Hawkins, and Barry Beckett) are credited with gold records by the Staple Singers, Paul Simon, Aretha Franklin, Bob Seger, Rod Stewart, and Wilson Pickett, to name a few. Even more valuable was their publishing company containing moneymakers like “Old Time Rock and Roll” and “Torn Between Two Lovers.”

Clearly the dominant contemporary southern blues label, Malaco purchased the gospel division of Savoy Records in 1986. Now it was also the preeminent black gospel company in North America. The Savoy acquisition brought a vast catalog of classic recordings dating back decades, including albums by Shirley Caesar, Rev. James Cleveland, Albertina Walker, The Caravans, Inez Andrews, The Georgia Mass Choir, and The Florida Mass Choir.

Born in 1965, Tommy Couch Jr. followed his father’s footsteps, starting a booking agency to mine fraternity bookings on southern campuses.

Malaco’s market focus widened dramatically in 1995. Songwriter/producer Rich Cason cut “Good Love” on Johnnie Taylor with a contemporary L.A. jeep beat, enabling the artist to reach a new, younger audience. Combining contemporary tracks with old school material like “Last Two Dollars,” the Good Love album soared to #1 on Billboard’s blues charts and #15 R&B, becoming the biggest record in Malaco’s history.

In the late nineties, Malaco signed veteran Chicago soul great Tyrone Davis, whose credits include 42 R&B chart records. The company also continued its steady, prudent expansion, purchasing half of the Memphis-based distributor Select-O-Hits, and making inroads into the urban contemporary, jazz, and contemporary Christian markets. Malaco Jazz Records is issuing a series of vintage live European recordings by Duke Ellington, Count Basie, Louis Armstrong, Dizzy Gillespie, Lionel Hampton, Cannonball Adderly, Thelonious Monk, and others. Malaco Jazz also distributes several upcoming independent jazz labels. And, the new urban contemporary label, J-Town, scored a Top 40 R&B single, “I’ve Been Having an Affair” by Tonya.

Excerpted from The Malaco Story by Rob Bowman, award-winning author of Soulsville U.S.A.: The Story of Stax Records published by Schirmer Books.

Mailing Address:
Malaco Music Group
P.O. Box 9287
Jackson, MS 39286-9287

Physical Address:
3023 West Northside Drive
Jackson, MS 39213

Main Phone Number:
601-982-4522

Website: https://www.malaco.com/

Peavey Electronics

People, Things, , ,

Driven by an unmatched legacy of innovation and a total dedication to quality and reliability, Peavey Electronics embodies the pursuit of perfection in music and audio. It’s our unifying spirit. It’s proven. And it continues today.

HP

For nearly five decades, Peavey has blazed its own path toward musical perfection. Founded by Hartley Peavey in 1965 as a one-man shop, today Peavey Electronics Corporation is one of the largest makers and suppliers of musical instruments, amplifiers and professional audio systems in the world—distributing more than 2,000 products to more than 130 countries.

Hartley has famously said, “In order to be better, by definition you must be different.” What makes Peavey different is a commitment to approaching business with a unique vision, from product design to distribution to being the largest independently owned manufacturer in the business. His quest has led to more than 180 patents and innovations in the way we hear and play music.

Hartley Peavey is not only the visionary, lead engineer and chief executive, but also the lynchpin that connects a rich history to a bright future. And his founding principles of quality, reliability and innovation are still the focus of engineering and manufacturing operations that span continents and languages, customs and cultures.

Precision Delta

Things,

Precision Delta Corporation began in the garage of a struggling Mississippi Delta farmer in 1982. At that time we made a pledge to our customers to offer only the very best products, service, and prices in the ammunition industry. We have stood by that pledge. Today we are one of the nation’s largest manufacturers of pistol bullet components and remanufacturer of pistol ammunition offering only the very best products, services and prices in the industry.

In 1988 Precision Delta Corporation introduced a new line of ammunition, Precision Delta Match Ammunition. This new ammunition is extremely accurate and is used by top Police Practical Combat competitive shooters. It has been used by champions to win 12 NRA PPC National Championships since 1988.

In 1985 Precision Delta Corporation became a Winchester Law Enforcement Distributor. Today we have grown to become one of Winchester’s largest Law Enforcement Distributors in the country. Precision Delta also distributes Peltor Electronic Hearing Protection and Communication Equipment and Combined Tactical Systems (CTS) Less-Lethal Munitions.

We are proud to tell you that we still stand by the promise we made in 1982. You can always depend on Precision Delta Corporation for quality ammunition and bullets at competitive prices. Our sales staff is second to none in product knowledge and customer service. We work harder to serve you, because we know that our success depends upon you, our customer.

If you’d like to order any of our high-quality ammunition or bullets or if you just have questions about our products, email us at precdelta@tecinfo.net and we will be glad to help you!

telephone: (800) 337-3621 or (662) 756-2810
fax:     (662) 756-2590
email:     info@precisiondelta.com
address: Precision Delta – PO Box 128 – Ruleville, MS 38771

Soaply Divine

Things,

soaply-divineSoaply Divine, located in Meridian, MS, is a small family-owned and operated business consisting of a mom, a dad and four boys. Our adventure into the world of artisan skin care really began after their children were born. The mom had always suffered from sensitive, tempermental skin. Unfortunately, her sons inherited these skin ailments too.

Thus began their search for better skin care products. After much research, they came to the conclusion that artisan skin care was the only answer. The commercial bath and body industry was simply too saturated with unnecessary chemicals. After purchasing artisan soap for a few years they soon ventured into the world of making soap for themselves.

After noticing drastic improvements in their skin, they knew they had found a good thing. Friends and family soon became interested… Turns out artisan soap also makes great gifts! And as faith would have it, Soaply Divine was born!

Soaply Divine is committed to providing consumers with luxurious, eco-friendly, artisan bath and body products- taking care of your body from the outside in.

Soaply Divine’s Luxurious Artisan Soaps are made with the purest vegatable based oils and butters. Our soaps are scented with primarily essential oils and and occasionally phathlate free fragrance oils. We DO NOT use pre-made bases. All of our luxurious bath and body products are made completely from scratch. Soaply Divine does not use animal products. All of our products are vegan-friendly. We use coconut milk instead of goat’s milk. Our oils and butters are also vegetable based. Soaply Divine currently uses sustainable ingredients where ever possible. We also print our soap labels on seeded paper, so if you plant our labels, you’ll get a wonderful bouquet of flowers with every purchase you make!

Your body is affected not only by what you consume, but also by what your skin comes in contact with. Your skin is the largest organ on your body. Let us help you protect it!

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