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Hallie Darphin and her Dot Products ministry are getting a warm welcome in Olde Towne.
Selling school supplies to help educate children in the Congo, Mexico and Tanzania, Dot Products offices relocated this summer to a 100-year-old home along Clinton’s historic Brick Streets.
“We are thrilled to be back,” says Hallie, a 2013 Mississippi College graduate who created the eco-friendly business concept from a class project.
In late June, Darphin and her team put the finishing touches on shopping displays, artwork, office space, a kitchen and much more to prepare for Olde Towne’s Sidewalk Sessions on June 30.
Days after returning from a mission trip to Haiti, Hallie got busy with student interns and staff to make progress. The non-profit Christian ministry was housed the past couple of years at a Jackson residence near the Mississippi Capitol.
Moving the online retailer and gift shop to 205 West Leake Street made sense for a number of reasons, including more space. The growing company ships products to more than 20 states. Dot Products also works closely with But God Ministries, an organization started by fellow MC alumnus Stan Buckley. The partnership opens the door to begin manufacturing and service in Haiti.
“We have more than double the office and retail space,” in Clinton, Hallie said. In addition, the Dot Products move to the rental property provides room for comfortable benches on a deck outdoors. It provides seating for MC students seeking a quiet place to study.
From notebooks to tote bags for girls to pencils, Dot Products produces an assortment of school supplies to create profits so poor children get an education.
While the Clinton store gets ready, nearby business people are delighted to see a new neighbor on the block.
Dot Products “has an excellent focus,” says Clinton real estate executive Bill Hetrick. “It’s so worthwhile.”
Now on Jefferson Street, his real estate company spent three years at the same location that Darphin presently occupies. A Clinton Chamber of Commerce board member, Hetrick believes the MC grad will be successful. “We loved the location there.”
With a white picket fence out front, Dot Products sits across from Clinton businesses with interesting names like When Pigs Fly. An antique shop sits just around the corner on Jefferson Street.
Darphin’s move from Mississippi’s capital city to downtown Clinton was well-received in Mississippi College circles. Several students from the Baptist-affiliated university like Lauren Livingston of Birmingham, Alabama, and Tyler Chambliss of Mobile, Alabama serve as Dot Products interns. Other support has come from MC social tribes like Laguna.
As an MC student just a few years ago, Hallie Darphin remembers often walking by and marveling at the two-story house on West Leake Street. Now, Hallie can’t believe she’s put down roots on the property. “It does feel like home, and I’m still connected to the whole community,” she said. “It’s such a beautiful house.”
Darphin will invite Clinton leaders, the Christian university community and the public to a Dot Products birthday party on July 15 from 5 p.m. – 7 p.m. Customers should expect the business to be open from 10 a.m. until as late as 5 p.m. Tuesday through Friday as well as some Saturdays this fall. A Grand Opening event in August will be planned for Mississippi College students.
Photo: Mississippi College graduate Hallie Darphin relocated her Dot Products ministry to Olde Towne Clinton. “Do One Thing” is the Christian ministry’s mission statement.
