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Two companies with Northeast Mississippi ties reported first-quarter earnings.
• First, there's Cooper Tire & Rubber, which has a manufacturing plant in Tupelo, employing about 1,200 workers:
Cooper said its first-quarter profit rose 38 percent as sales rose nearly 10 percent.
It was the company’s 11th consecutive profitable quarter.
Cooper is the fourth-largest tire maker in the U.S.
Net income increased to $22 million, or 34 cents a share, compared to $16 million, or 25 cents a share a year earlier.
Revenue grew 9.9 percent to $984 million despite Cooper selling fewer tires. Higher pricing contributed to the gain.
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Also reporting earnings this morning was Furniture Brands International, the parent of Lane Furniture, which has operations in Verona, Saltillo, Belden and Wren, employing about 2,000 workers.
FBI eked out a $379,000 profit, or 1 cent a share, compared to a $3.06 million loss, or 6 cents a share for the year-ago quarter.
Sales dropped 3.6 percent to $287.3 million, down from $297.9 million.