Mary Peavey: China offers stiff
manufacturing competition

By By Steve Gillespie / staff writer
April 25, 2003
The president of Peavey Electronics told a crowd of business leaders at the opening of The Main Event on Thursday that the United States faces stiff manufacturing competition from China.
Peavey, the wife of Hartley D. Peavey founder and chief executive officer of Peavey Electronics also announced that her husband plans to bring a new line of products to Meridian. She did not elaborate on the products.
Peavey's comments came as she presented the Hartley D. Peavey Award for Entrepreneurial Excellence to businessman Ralph Morgan. Hartley D. Peavey was in New York on Thursday.
The award marked the opening of the 15th annual business expo. The East Mississippi Business Development Corp. sponsored the day-long showcase of more than 130 businesses.
As Morgan received his award, he talked about his friendships including those with past award winners Tommy Dulaney, Ronnie Massey, E.M. "Hoot" Gipson and the late Glen Deweese.
Afterward, Morgan said he was thrilled to receive the award "especially since such fine people received it before me who were all great friends of mine. I hope I can live up to all that they have done."
The most pointed comments, though, came from Mary Peavey.
Peavey said her husband recently returned from China with some production ideas and a dedication to keep his company's high-tech operation in Meridian.
She called the manufacturing operations in China unbelievable.