Senate Resolution 9

A RESOLUTION CONGRATULATING SOUTHERN PIPE & SUPPLY IN MERIDIAN, MISSISSIPPI, UPON BEING NAMED BY FORTUNE MAGAZINE AS A "TOP 100 MEDIUM-SIZED COMPANY TO WORK FOR IN THE UNITED STATES."

WHEREAS, FORTUNE Magazine, the leading business periodical in the country, chose Southern Pipe & Supply as one of its "Top 100 Medium-Sized Companies to Work For in the United States." Headquartered in Meridian, Mississippi, Southern Pipe & Supply became the first-ever Mississippi-based company to achieve FORTUNE's Top 100 since the publication created its list in 1998. More exceptional, Southern Pipe & Supply is the only company in America chosen within the entire industry of plumbing, heating and air-conditioning, waterworks, and industrial distribution for this honor; and

WHEREAS, at Southern Pipe & Supply, employees are hired for attitude, trained for skill-set and referred to by management as "family members." For the past 9 years, the Mississippi Business Journal has named Southern Pipe & Supply the "Best Large Company to Work For in Mississippi." FORTUNE's Top 100 is Southern Pipe & Supply's first national recognition for being a great workplace; and

WHEREAS, FORTUNE's "Best Medium Workplace" rankings are based entirely on the feedback from employees working for participating companies. Employees completed an anonymous "Trust Index" survey, answering questions about how frequently they experience behaviors that create a great workplace, including, for example, the assessment of the honesty and quality of communication by managers, the degree of support for employees' personal and professional lives, and the authenticity of relationships with colleagues; and

WHEREAS, winning a spot on this list indicates the company has distinguished itself from its peers by creating a great place to work consistent across the organization. The "Best Medium Workplace" list is for companies with 100 to 999 employees. Jay Davidson, President of Southern Pipe, stated, "Culture with us is something that arises completely out of the persons working in an organization. We call our employees 'family members,' and our family members are rock stars. We are fortunate to have a company full of family members who sincerely care for each other, have altruistic attitudes, and possess strong desires to be the best in the industry. We are truly blessed to be able to work among such wonderful folks"; and

WHEREAS, Ron Black, Southern Pipe's Director of Human Resources, added, "This recognition is a result of our Employer of Choice strategy that we began 20 years ago. We believed if we could attract the best employees in the industry, and give them the support and appreciation to do their job, we would gain a competitive advantage. And if we had the best culture in the industry, we would be able to serve the customer better than our competitors. By making this list, we feel like our Employer of Choice strategy has come to fruition"; and

WHEREAS, Southern Pipe & Supply, founded in 1938, is one of the nation's largest privately held distributors of plumbing, heating, air-conditioning, waterworks and industrial supplies. Contractors, municipalities, and consumers rely on Southern Pipe employees to provide the expertise and service needed for shared success. The company's 100-plus storefronts span a seven-state footprint in the South. Southern Pipe employs more than 740 "family members," with 260 of those working in Mississippi; and

WHEREAS, Southern Pipe is the only company with headquarters located in Mississippi selected for this prestigious award, and it is with great pride that we join the business community in recognizing a corporate citizen which has brought honor to its leadership and to the State of Mississippi:

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE SENATE OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI, That we do hereby congratulate Southern Pipe & Supply in Meridian, Mississippi, upon being named by FORTUNE Magazine as a "Top 100 Medium-Sized Company to Work For in the United States," and extend our best wishes to a great corporate citizen of Mississippi.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That this resolution be presented to the CEO of Southern Pipe and made available to the Capitol Press Corps.