7Brew Coffee Opening Date and Grand Opening Celebration Announced!

STARKVILLE, MS – Courtesy of the The Dispatch and Mary Pollitz

The eagerly-awaited 7Brew Coffee in Starkville has officially announced that their first day in operation will be on Monday, May 4th. They will have a Grand Opening special on Saturday, May 9th, where if you purchase a large drink, you will get a free t-shirt (while supplies last, of course). The company got its start in 2017 with seven coffees (hence the name) in Arkansas. Since then, they have exploded to over 500 stands nationwide, while also expanding their menu. Please swing on by and show them your support!

112 MS-12 in Starkville, near Miskelly’s and Newk’s
5:30 AM to 10PM 7 days a week

Please click here for the original article: https://cdispatch.com/news/mary-means-business-7-brew-opens-may-4/

Local Biocarbon Facility Going Strong

COLUMBUS, MS – Courtesy of the GTR LINK

This past Wednesday, SDI Biocarbon Solutions celebrated the success of its local biocarbon production facility, which came online last year. This $300 million facility employs over eighty people. It processes organic materials such as wood fiber and sawdust that might otherwise go to waste into a type fuel of that is then used at SDI’s steel plant here and another in Indiana, lowering their fuel bills and helping them to lower their costs and remain competitive in the market. Their operation also supports US foresters by giving them a ready buyer for these source materials

“We are incredibly excited about the progress that has been made by the SDI Biocarbon Solutions team,” said Mark D. Millett, Steel Dynamics Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. “This investment represents a significant step toward the decarbonization of our steel mills to meet growing customer demand for lower-carbon steel products. We are excited to expand our lower-embodied-carbon steel product offerings, and we are committed to providing high-quality, innovative supply-chain solutions that are essential to maintaining competitiveness in today’s global market.

“Steel Dynamics’ more than $300 million investment in a new biocarbon facility in the Golden Triangle is great news for our state’s agriculture sector and its role in the future of American steelmaking,” said U.S. Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Miss.). “It will open meaningful new markets for our landowners and farmers while reinforcing the strong domestic manufacturing base on which our nation depends. Columbus and Mississippi are proud to be home to this facility, and I’m proud to support such a forward-looking investment that will deliver benefits to our state and the U.S. economy.”

Please click here for the original article: https://gtrlink.org/sdi-biocarbon-solutions-grand-opening/

(images by Good for Business)

Fresh Produce, Good Times

COLUMBUS, MS

Military Produce Market has opened a new location on MLK Jr drive here in Columbus – right by the fire station – and they have a bunch of farm-fresh produce just waiting for you! These good folks have been in the biz for a good while and know their stuff – Please stop on by and grab something good (and good for you)!

Please see their page for store hours and other info.

1702 Martin Luther King Jr Blvd

Columbus, MS

New Aerospace and Munitions Manufacturer Expanding its Presence in GTR Area

CRAWFORD, MS – Courtesy of Cadence Harvey and the Dispatch

Texas-based munitions company Firehawk Aerospace recently purchased some new land and buildings near its extant Crawford facility as part of their plan to expand their manufacturing business here. Firehawk produces munitions such as rockets for both the US Government and commercial interests. CEO Will Edwards, CEO of Firehawk Aerospace, said, “Our investment in this state has only just begun. We’re excited to be here for many decades to come. (An output of) 120,000 rockets a year is going to sound very small very soon, so we’re excited that Mississippi is our new home. … Let’s get to work. . . We want to make sure that by the time we’re done here, this is one of the most important defense integration facilities in the country.”

Once their expansion is complete, they anticipate employing over a hundred “highly-skilled” workers, with salaries starting at $85K and up; they have expressed their intent to focus hiring on the local area, as it has plenty of folks who are both willing and able to handle jobs such as these. U.S. 1st District Rep. Trent Kelly elaborated: “We won World War II, not because of the Detroits and the Chicagos and the New Yorks,” Kelly said. “We won the industrial revolution of World War II because of the rural people around America who started building things better than they could be built in big cities. It’s the workforce, it’s the work ethic, it’s the moral fiber of those neighborhoods. . . “If you give Mississippians a job, they’ll get up early in the morning, they’ll punch in on time, and they’ll give you a great day’s work. . . And they’ll be good members of the community. You couldn’t have a better workforce than you have (here).”

Please click here for the original article: https://cdispatch.com/news/firehawk-unveils-rocket-manufacturing-facility-plans-to-expand/

Everything Old is New Again – New Shop Coming to Columbus

COLUMBUS, MS – Courtesy of Mary Pollitz and the Dispatch

The family who has been bringing us great food at Huck’s Place will soon be bringing us affordable Southern style at their new mens’ and womens’ boutique, Cotton Row. Housed in the former Southern Gathering Boutique location at 409 Main Street, the new store will offer brands including Grand River Jeans made in Vicksburg, Cole Haan, Rockport, Flag & Anthem, F/X Fusion, True Grit, Criquet, Glam, and more. Owner Amy Huckaby is eager to bring this dream to fruition: “We felt Columbus was ready and could support a family-style establishment such as ours,” she said. “…We hope to be the go-to spot where you can tell us you have family photos and some coordinating things for everyone from 8-80.” They have put a lot of work into restoring and renovating the century-old building.

Cotton Row will initially be open 10 AM -6 PM Thursday through Saturday, and they plan to extend the operating hours in the future, business permitting. A Southern Gathering, which moved out in December, has relocated to Aberdeen and is open for business!

STARKVILLE

Starkville entrepreneur Jackson Fullen is now offering his services to help people with spring cleaning (and more) via his new startup, Junk Be Gone: “I needed some extra money and my family owns a farm, and I knew we had a dump trailer we don’t use much. So I asked to use it to make some money as a side hustle, and it just kept growing to a real business,” he said. If you need help clearing out a space of any size, give him a text or a call! (731) 612-6060.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/250358279327255/user/61587510196214

Also, if you’re looking for something special that has withstood the test of time, the Off-Campus Vintage Market will be at Rick’s Cafe from 1-7 PM this Sunday with items such as artwork, jewelry, clothing, and more.

Please click here for the original article: https://cdispatch.com/news/mary-means-business-cotton-row-mens-and-womens-boutique-opening-in-columbus/

BREAKING NEWS! High-end Steakhouse & Event Venus Poised to Take Over Former Woody’s Location in Columbus

COLUMBUS, MS – Courtesy of Emma McRae and the Dispatch

The City Council recently approved a buyout of the former Woody’s on the Water location on Marina Drive in Columbus. DJ Mantooth of Daknas Holdings, LLC is purchasing the property. He said that “This is not just going to be a restaurant. It’s going to be an experience. It’s going to be a place where people can come with their families and enjoy something. … What we’re going to do, it’s not around here, especially in Columbus. We don’t have this type of space.” A friend encouraged him to chedk the place out: “…I looked into it. I went and drove out there and looked at the property, and I just immediately saw a vision for what that could be.”

The plan is to offer steak and seafood in a high-end restaurant atmosphere, as well as make act as a venue where events of all kinds can be held. They also plan to make it easier for boaters on the water to dock nearby and enjoy a nice meal. The hope is that the revitalization of the property and marina will encourage both locals and people from other cities in the region to come to Columbus: “What I want to see is people coming and having a reason to drive from Starkville and Tuscaloosa to come and actually eat in Columbus,” he said. “I want to … draw them here, and I think it will because there’s not a ton of places … in Starkville that are going to be like what we have.” Mantooth plans to invest about $1.3 million into building improvements, with much of that money going towards visual improvements.

“The biggest thing is, we’ll get it back on the tax roll, and it will also generate sales tax,” Mayor Stephen Jones Jones said. “So one more thing that we can add to good things happening in Columbus.”

Please click here for the original article: https://cdispatch.com/news/high-end-seafood-and-steaks-coming-to-former-woodys-on-the-water/

252-Unit Apartment Complex Slated for 2027 in Starkville

STARKVILLE, MS – Courtesy of Cadence Harvey and the Dispatch

A new apartment complex, “Beacon Place Starkville,” will begin construction soon in Starkville, not far from Carter Blvd and Hwy 25. They hope to make the first units available by Spring of next year; all of them will be single-story buildings with their own garages, complete with vehicle charging stations. They plan to biuld 252 of them; rent pricing is not available at this time. The construction will be undertaken by Alabama-based IMS Communities, which also built The Vista on University Drive and around a dozen other properties in the region.

“I’m really excited about the fact that people are investing in housing, more affordable housing (and) housing for a wider variety of residents, whether they’re young professionals, or they’re retirees or they’re people who are in their first home,” Mayor Lynn Spruill told The Dispatch. “All those things are needed in our community, and I’m really pleased that people are seeing this as an opportunity to invest in the city. . .Any time you’ve got an opportunity for additional population growth, that is beneficial to us,” she went on to say. “We are putting all the infrastructure in place. We’re expending a large amount of dollars in making sure our infrastructure is ready to handle the influx of residents that we hope (will) see Starkville as the place that they want to live and have their future, raise their children and then certainly retire here.”

Please click here for the original article: https://cdispatch.com/news/252-unit-apartment-complex-planned-west-of-highway-25/

image: A rendering of a Beacon Place Starkville apartment – Courtesy of IMS Communities