First and foremost, on behalf of Magnolia Bluffs Casino, we are very happy and excited about the future for us and the City of Natchez. We know that the majority of Natchez residents are excited to see our development. We are proud to bring to Natchez the long term economic benefits, contributions and jobs that our casino will provide as a result of our investment of more than $45 million in the community.

Has this project taken longer than expected? Yes, but during the past three years we went through the worst economic time in the U.S. in a half century. To build any gaming project during the last few years has been extremely tough given the financial times. However, our group led by George Lane and Premier Gaming Group did not walk away. We pressed forward, continued to pay our contractors to work and refined our design so that we could provide the best project for the market, while continuing to seek our equity partners and the debt financing to complete the project. We are very thankful the mayor and aldermen continued to support our efforts during this time.

When we first started this project, we informed the mayor and aldermen that we would use local contractors as well as local businesses when we began construction. Currently we have five major contractors on site. Three of them are local contractors and are having a significant impact on the project. Additionally, St. Catherine’s Concrete has played, and will continue to play, a major role on the site. All of our contractors are among the best in the business, and we are thankful to have them on board working side by side with us.

We have opened up accounts at local banks and have purchased materials at local hardware stores. Our team has dined at many local restaurants, stayed in local hotels and purchased goods locally to the extent possible, all of which is a positive for Natchez.

I’ll share one story of many that I’ve had while spending significant time in Natchez. I went into a local store and a lovely lady waited on me. She asked if I was part of the new casino, to which I said yes. Her face lit up and she was very excited telling me that she couldn’t wait until the casino was completed and told me that she has a master’s degree and planned to put in an application so she could utilize her education and training.

We are excited to give so many members of this community an opportunity for a good paying job, with benefits and the ability to provide for themselves and their families. Many people have to travel long distances for work, and many are still trying to find jobs. This project will provide opportunities for many people in town as well as generate additional tourism.

It’s interesting that many of the people who have been our biggest critics have never owned a business or operated one. Some have never needed a job to support their families. It is easy for them to take potshots and to nitpick. We know that these people are merely a vocal minority, and that the vast majority of the people of Natchez support our project.

The rent payments, the contributions and the tax collections for the city will allow many great things to happen in Natchez. These economic benefits to the city far exceed those paid by many gaming properties in and around the U.S.

During this time, we chose to stand strong, continue to share the good things about our project and work hard to complete our project the best way possible. We have managed to overcome each hurdle and will continue to do so as we move through the process of opening. We are truly happy to be a part of this community. We have enjoyed getting to know many of the fine people and businesses in Natchez, and we promise to be a great corporate citizen.

Finally, I want to thank all of those that have supported our efforts as well as our contractors on the job, thanks for all you do!

 

Kevin Preston is the president of Premier Gaming Group, which is currently constructing a casino at the base of Roth Hill Road.