Community Members Continue to be Invested
There’s a new picture of Panola County, incorporating its past and future. The county logo includes a magnolia, farming fields, and a sun and solar panels.
It’s been a busy few months in Batesville. Clearloop flipped the switch on the first two of three planned solar farms, including the only solar field on I-55. Lockers Manufacturing broke ground on a $6-million-plus expansion that will double its capacity. ACI Building Systems’ $7 million expansion is on track to have buildings erected by the end of July, going 30% operational by fall.
The solar farms provide a dramatic display to interstate drivers. “We wanted to show people—we wanted a location on the interstate,” said Panola Partnership Director of Economic Development, Joe Azar. “We put two locations on Highway 6 and one on the interstate by the industrial park. It’s a real showcase. It says a great deal about Mississippi to people.”
Clearloop CEO Laura Zapata calls Panola County an ideal location due to its strong dependence on carbon, the amount of carbon dioxide that can be prevented from entering the atmosphere and the weather patterns.
The project include some major names. Microsoft sponsored the I-55 location. Vanderbilt University sponsored one of the Highway 6 locations and the other is sponsored by a number of companies.
“Supporting Panola I, II and III Solar Farms allows these organizations to drive decarbonization and economic growth in the county, helping them fulfill their commitments to both climate action and social impact,” explains Zapata.
Azar calls this a catalyst for growth. “Those companies are going to support us, invest in us and all sorts of wonderful things are gong to happen,” he says. “Clearloop bought the land, joined our community, hired folks. They’re one of us. They’re going to be one of us for 40 years.”
The solar farms help Tallahatchie Valley Electric Power Association provide locally produced, low-cost power for its customers. “We are responsive to the desires of our members and are pleased to have an opportunity to utilize renewable energy that also supports our mission to ensure we provide competitively priced power,” says CEO Brad Robison.
When Clearloop moves into a community, it becomes part of that community for the project’s duration. “With that said, the Panola Partnership and TVEPA far exceeded our expectations for our first three projects in the Hospitality State,” says Zapata.
It’s also motivated local action. Mayor Hal Ferrell said the city is creating a greener environment with the renovation of the Batesville Civic Center. It included replacing inside and outside lights with LED lights, leading to a savings of $50,000 annually. A recent Clint Black concert was so successful, the singer told Ferrell, “You’ve put Batesville on the map.”
Restaurants and hotels are enjoying increased traffic. “They’re seeing a spike in activity on those weekends,” says Ferrell. “It’s wonderful for our community to have this.” The city is planning a 90-acre sports complex that will include baseball and soccer fields, tennis courts and walking trails.
Lockers Manufacturing is another success story. “They are so busy,” reports Azar. “They are backed up; that’s why they’re doing this expansion.”
Its expansion means multiple new state-of-the-art machines, including lasers with automation and robotic welding capabilities. “Our current production is 2,500 units a month, but in January 2025 when the expansion is complete and the addition operable, that number jumps to 5,000 units per month,” says Plant Manager, Rodney Wolfe.
It plans to hire twenty employees. The company purchased adjacent property for its next expansion project, which Wolfe predicts is two to three years away.
Lockers Manufacturing selected Batesville for its local government and municipality support. In particular, Wolfe said Batesville rezoned land for the company’s proposed parking lot and corporate office.
Even twenty-four inches of this year can’t stop ACI Building Systems’ expansion. “At full capacity, we plan to hire over forty new employees,” says Vice President of Sales Tim Davis. “We are already bringing in new team members to train in technical roles, including engineers, draftsmen, estimators and sales personnel.”
Its expansion includes customized automated equipment to maintain its customer service commitment. “Quality at ACI Building Systems encompasses more than just the products we create; it includes the full range of services we offer,” says Davis. This includes estimating, engineering and drafting to submittals and erection drawings.
ACI Building Systems appreciates Batesville’s location, which allows it to serve customers across the southeast, as well as receive raw materials.
Today it has more than 220 employees, many with tenures of five to thirty years. “This level of experience and dedication among our staff is a testament to our positive and rewarding work environment we strive to maintain,” says Davis. “At ACI, we invest in our workplace to ensure it is a place where people want to work, fostering both professional growth and job satisfaction.”
Thanks to South Delta Planning & Development District’s Workforce Development Program grants, Lockers Manufacturing provides on-site and manufacturer-based training opportunities. For non-specialized roles, working here means cross-training to work in various departments.
“They’re probably not doing the same thing every day, not working with the same people every day,” says Wolfe. “Our culture is mission-critical in executing our corporate strategies, This is why state training programs are valuable in helping manufacturers within a state compete on a national and global level.”
Employees enjoy deventeen paid holidays a year, low insurance deductibles and regular company lunches. “We offer probably the best benefit package in Batesville,” says Wolfe. “We’re really family oriented. We’re like one team. We hire people who fit our core values and train them to do the jobs we need.”
One common denominator is relationships. “Panola and Joe Azar welcomed us,” says Wolfe. “Our partnership (with Batesville) has been great and is continuing to grow. Anything we need, they’re definitely accommodating. It’s encouraging to be in a real partnership, and not just them trying to get another business to the community, then wipe their hands and walk away.”
“This community has welcomed us as a neighbor with open arms and we are honored to be able to work with the people who make it up in meeting the goals it has for itself,” agrees Zapata.
Ferrell applauds Panola Partnership as well. “Joe and his team and the city are very compatible and make a good team,” he states. “Also, the county is very involved and supportive of the projects we have going on.”
ACI Building Systems participates in job fairs, providing employment opportunities and training “We also place a strong emphasis on supporting local education, providing resources and facilities to help Panola County grow and thrive,” says Davis. “Our involvement with the Panola Partnership and the city of Batesville allows us to collaborate on projects and initiatives that benefit the community at large.”
Wolfe says owner Keith Dunham asks regularly about the Batesville team. Dunham’s goal is to be the leading employer in Panola County. “We’re continuous learners and we are working within the community to market the type of careers here at Lockers Manufacturing,” says Wolfe.
It’s a big year for other area companies, as well. TVEPA celebrated its eighty-fifth year of service. “We are dedicated to continuing the pursuit of cost-effective efforts and will remain diligent in supporting technological advances that ensure we can meet the needs of the future,” says Robison.
One example is the now-complete TVIfiber, echoing TVEPA’s actions eighty-five years ago in providing electrical service to those left out by other providers. “The local co-op has stepped up and filled the gap so that where one lives does not limit one’s ability to have the tools necessary to succeed,” says Robison.
The anniversary also celebrates the employee commitment. “The community and membership of TVEPA have been very supportive throughout the years, and we recognize most of this support is due to the manner in which our employees have served them,” says Robison.
Azar also noted that GE Aerospace celebrated its fifteenth year in Batesville and is filling 100 jobs. In a show of good sportsmanship, Panola County honored Crown Cork for its time in Batesville. The company left after thirty-seven years.
“They paid a good wage and they offered good benefits,” says Azar. “They invested locally and were part of the community. We came together as one community and celebrated them. We thanked them for being here for so many years and supporting our community.”
It opens the door for a new employer: one that is looking for a 300,000-square-foot building with a rail spur, a pre-treatment plant, sits on forty acres and was designed for manufacturing. “We’re going to be good as gold when it goes up for sale in July,” says Azar.
Azar also notes that Lockers Manufacturing move into the former Panola Mills site in the city’s original industrial area brightened the area. “They’ve re-energized that whole area in a really poor neighborhood and predominately hired employees from that neighborhood,” he says.
Azar approached the company to sign a partnership agreement with the Delta Regional Authority. This allowed the city funding to upgrade sewers in the entire neighborhood, not just in front of the plant, says Azar.
Since then, Batesville put a public works building and a fire department on the same street. “That whole street now is going to look beautiful,” says Azar.
The Grace Place is just blocks away. Jonathan Garner of North Central MS Land Clearing is president of the board. “We are centered around the gospel of Jesus Christ and that is our main, everyday effort,” he says.
The ministry supports three areas: the Genesis After School Center, which serves 40 kids with homework help and meals; a counseling program that assists 220 people each month with struggles like domestic violence and addiction; and The Benevolence Center, which provides food, clothing and household items. “We give every bit of that away,” says Garner. “That’s another way we can serve those in our community in need.” The organization plans to start a transitional housing program.
It’s purchased three buildings near Lockers Manufacturing and hopes to purchase one more to use as a thrift store for donated items. “We do have some warehouse (space), but it stays full,” Garner says. “We need a place we can house this product, then sell it and the money supports this ministry.”
The community supports Grace Place with events like Paddle for Panola and Race for Grace 5K, with proceeds supporting the program. “Over the last five years, we have seen community support grow,” says Garner.
North Delta School emphasizes service. “Our goal is not only to give the kids what they need to go to college, but to come back to the community and be good moral citizens and give back to the community,” said Director of Institutional Advancement, Ashley Johnson. “And the best way to do that is to incorporate it now.”
The school receives community support as well, including its Teacher Treat Trolley, a program that rewards teachers. “It’s a way to highlight businesses,” says Johnson. “It’s mostly parents who have kids in the school, but some community businesses as well.”
With increased enrollment, North Delta is in the early stages of expansion planning, including two multi-purpose buildings. “We’re definitely going to be building with the intent to expand long term,” says Johnson.
North Delta is adding to its academic offerings with its first biomedical high school class and a career tech survey course. It’s also growing the theater program. Head of School Vic Henson directed many of the changes.
“He wants us to be more versatile and appealing to anyone who might be looking for a private, Christian school,” says Johnson. “It’s an exciting time. There’s a lot of momentum and a lot of great things going on.”