Family Business Symposium Attendee Spotlight – Emily Payne

Highlighting some of our family business owners registered for the upcoming “It’s All Relative” 2022 Ole Miss Family Business Symposium hosted by the Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship, we begin with Emily Payne, a fourth-generation member of the Fordice Construction Company.

Headquartered in Vicksburg, Miss. with a second office in St. Francisville, La., the company was founded 74 years ago on a single contract with the U.S. Army Corp of Engineers, and is now comprised of four divisions and is one of the Mississippi Valley’s most experienced flood control contractors and bridge builders.

“I am proud to be able to go to work every day continuing the legacy my great grandfather started over 74 years ago,” said Payne.”

Payne, whose father currently serves as the Fordice Construction President, has been in the industry for almost 10 years now and is proud of being a female in a male-dominated industry.

“I am proud of the relationships I have made, especially the mentors along the way that stuck their neck out for me to help learn when I was at my most inexperienced,” said Payne. “Being a woman in a male-dominated industry is tough and requires thick skin.”

Attending the first-ever Family Business Symposium in Oxford is something Payne finds value in.

“From where I sit, the benefits are obvious, it’s hard to get time in front of business leaders,” said Payne. “I can’t wait to see what all I can take away from this event and implement into not just my leadership skills, but also into our company’s daily processes and procedures.”

Being able to work in a family business is a balancing act and has its ups and downs, but Payne is excited to be able to relate to people who understand what each other go through, and help navigate the complexities of working in a family-owned company.

“There are good days and there are bad, just like any other job, but amongst all the things that differentiate with family businesses is the deep-rooted passion and emotion towards the job at hand,” said Payne. “I am so looking forward to being in a room full of people who truly understand this and live it every day in their own family businesses.”

Registration is still open for the “It’s All Relative” Family Business Symposium hosted by the Ole Miss CIE on November 2-3 in Oxford. For more information, the event schedule, hotel and registration links, and more, check out the Ole Miss CIE web page for the symposium by clicking here.

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