Biloxi-based Isle of Capri is moving its offices out of the city to a safer port in the storm. Whilst the company intends to rebuild its Gulf Coast casino, it is now seeking a new destination for its corporate address. As one of the largest corporations based in Mississippi it employed around 150 people, and the company’s removal from the state will be a loss. President and COO Tim Hinkley described the company move as being fair to its stakeholders and “not an overreaction to a single event.”

When Katrina blew onshore in Mississippi it decimated more than the casino industry. Tourists and residents uprooted by the hurricane may not return quickly to the Gulf Coast, finding other places for vacations or to put down roots. Already there have been reports of casino staff moving to Las Vegas to take up employment. Isle of Capri sees the enforced closure of its head offices in Biloxi as an opportunity to now centralise its operations. With casinos as far apart as England and Iowa, the company feels it cannot afford to be vulnerable to hurricane activity that can affect its ability to oversee its properties. After Hurricane Katrina hit, it was ten days before it was possible to locate all the company vice presidents.

Isle of Capri also foresees future difficulties in attracting quality gaming personnel to the Mississippi coastal area. If high category hurricanes become more prevalent, as seems the case, the repeated exodus of residents throughout the hurricane season will be a traumatic upheaval of daily life. A regional office for Isle of Capri will remain in Biloxi and the relocation of the corporate headquarters will not happen immediately. A study by an Atlanta firm will first recommend where it should be sited. The Mississippi Governor, the Mayor of Biloxi and the Mississippi Gaming Board have been informed of the Isle of Capri decision to relocate. (E-10.19.05)

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