Tuesday, the state of Mississippi lost a man who for more than 60 years dedicated himself to creating jobs and building a business in his home state.

Leslie Lampton, Mississippi’s only billionaire and the founder of Ergon, which has multiple subsidiaries in Vicksburg, died Tuesday at his home in Jackson. He was 92.

Lampton founded Ergon in 1954 and built it from a company with only two employees to a workforce of more than 2,600 employees in Mississippi, 29 other states and throughout the world.

Many of those jobs are here in Vicksburg where Ergon operates multiple businesses including Ergon Refinery, the largest piece of a diverse company, Ergon Trucking and Magnolia Marine Transport Company.

Upon hearing of Lampton’s death, Vicksburg Warren County Economic Development Director Pablo Diaz said, “Our community is thankful for Mr. Lampton’s visionary investments, philanthropic efforts and for the many positive contributions his leadership and business acumen brought to our regions over more than six decades.”

Comments on The Vicksburg Post’s Facebook page called Lampton “a great man,” “a remarkable man that truly cared for each of his employees” and “an amazing man.”

From buying Girl Scout cookies to establishing scholarships, Lampton was known as someone who truly cared about his employees and his community.

Lampton left a lasting impression on the city of Vicksburg and the state of Mississippi and his business acumen and philanthropy will be dearly missed.