Business reporter
Blake Fontenay’s 27-year journalism career has taken him to many newspapers in four states. However, he had never returned to work in any of the other cities where he had been before until the opportunity to report for the Daily Memphian presented itself. He covers business for the Daily Memphian.
There are 100 articles by Blake Fontenay :
Circuit Court Judge Felicia Corbin Johnson has decided to make a ruling on whether a private oil pipeline company can legally seize access to land through eminent domain proceedings, even though the original lawsuits initiating those proceedings have been withdrawn.
Bobby White, chief public policy officer for the Greater Memphis Chamber, said the I-40 bridge closure may help bring discussions of a third bridge across the Mississippi to the forefront of the community’s consciousness.
The Mississippi River reopened to boat and barge traffic this morning, the United States Coast Guard said Friday, May 14.
A prolonged shutdown of the Interstate 40 bridge and boat traffic along the Mississippi River could have major consequences for businesses in the Memphis area and beyond. But no one knows for sure yet how significant those consequences will be.
Last week’s declared “truce” notwithstanding, a group of citizens opposing construction of an oil pipeline through South Memphis neighborhoods want two lawsuits involving the project to move forward.
Supply chain disruptions have made it more expensive to buy some consumer products. Other goods, when they can even be found, are taking longer to get delivered to buyers.
Local tourism businesses have come up with some creative services to keep their operations going during a time when the COVID-19 pandemic severely restricted leisure travel.
Vacation Express will soon offer weekly nonstop flights between Memphis and Cancun, Mexico. The seasonal service is set to resume May 23.
Terminix Global Holdings Inc., reported strong financial results for the first quarter of this year. The company is expecting continued growth in its revenues as the country recovers from the COVID-19 pandemic.
Arnold Perl, the former chairman of the Memphis-Shelby County Airport Authority and the New Memphis Arena Public Building Authority, passed away this week after a lifetime of community service.Related story:
Environmental groups are asking the state to reconsider a permit for the proposed Byhalia Connection oil pipeline because they say an existing pipeline could serve the same purpose. Plains All American mounting fight against revised city ordinanceRelated Story:
Plains All American Pipeline is launching a full-on offensive against the proposed legislation with the help of organizations that support the oil and gas industry. Existing pipeline makes Byhalia Connection unneeded, environmental groups sayRelated story:
Bad weather and COVID-19 notwithstanding, Memphis-based International Paper outperformed analysts’ expectations in the first quarter of this year. Strong demand for e-commerce has helped boost financial numbers for the producer of industrial packaging.
Some business leaders are expressing concern that an ordinance intended to block the controversial Byhalia Connection oil pipeline could hinder their businesses and hurt economic recruitment efforts in the city.Related story:
Tony DiLucente retired from Terminix last month after quietly providing leadership during one of the most eventful periods in the history of the company formerly known as ServiceMaster.
Plans to build a 49-mile pipeline to transport crude oil from southwest Memphis to another pipeline at a connecting point near Byhalia, Mississippi, have run into delays on a couple of different fronts.
Opponents of the Byhalia Connection pipeline project have done a good job of making their voices heard, but the project’s supporters in the community have been less vocal. Some of those supporters may have been intimidated into silence, according to officials at the company that wants to build the pipeline.
Memphis City Council is delaying final consideration of an ordinance that would restrict oil pipeline development within the city limits, but apparently not in response to a peace offering from a company that wants to build such a pipeline.
Can a private oil pipeline company force private property owners to provide access to their land? The eminent domain case involving the Byhalia Connection project will attempt to answer that question.
Although Memphis has long battled perceptions (and reality) about its crime rate, community leaders say it’s not as much of a factor in economic recruitment efforts as one might expect.
A shooting at FedEx Ground’s Indianapolis facility that left eight people dead and several others injured is likely to cause delivery service disruptions.
Passenger traffic is steadily increasing at Memphis International Airport. However, people arriving in the city may find it tougher to arrange ground transportation at the airport.
The Hyatt Centric is the city’s first hotel with a Beale Street address. It’s intended to be a mix of the old and the new, as well as a mix of the familiar and the unique.
American Queen is offering a new Memphis-to-New Orleans cruise along the Mississippi River that includes stops at four popular golf courses, including Colonial Country Club in Memphis.
The Land Use Control Board is recommending a setback requirement for oil pipelines built in Shelby County. It remains legally questionable whether the requirement could be applied to the controversial Byhalia Connection pipeline project.