Stephen Bell, president and CEO of the Arkadelphia Regional Economic Development Alliance and Area Chamber of Commerce, believes 2014 was a “big year” for Arkadelphia and Clark County.
“I hope the start of 2015 will be even better,” he said.
Bell said the area’s population is “stable, but we want to grow.”
“Arkadelphia’s population is about 12,000, and the county’s [population] is about 23,000. Students at Henderson State University and Ouachita Baptist University are included in the population of the city.
“The colleges are growing and investing in their campuses. Henderson is building new dorms and apartments, and across the street at OBU is the new Cliff Harris Stadium and an updated department of visual arts.”
Bell took over the reins of the alliance in August 2014. The alliance is an umbrella
organization that oversees the chambers of commerce for Amity, Arkadelphia and Gurdon, the Economic Development Corporation of Clark County and the Clark County Industrial Council.
“Since I started work as the president and CEO of the alliance, we have had several industry announcements,” he said.
Bell said the announcement by Georgia-Pacific that the company is investing $37 million in the Gurdon lumber mill is one of the biggest industry announcements for the county.
“This will increase the capacity of the plant by 60 percent,” he said. “The Economic Development Corporation of Clark County has pledged $500,000 in local incentives. Part of that includes $250,000 to upgrade the sewer treatment plant at Gurdon.”
Bell cited other expansion projects as well:
• The Arkadelphia Poultry Plant, a division of Hillstern Farms, started operations in late 2014 with 40 employees and expects to eventually expand to 170. Bell said the EDCCC has provided $250,000 in local incentives.
• Antoine Hardwoods plans to add 10 employees. Bell said the EDCCC provided $12,500 in local incentives to help purchase a saw.
• Danfoss planned to add 20 employees by the end of 2014. “The EDCCC has committed to provide $60,000 in local incentives,” he said, noting that Danfoss makes compressors for air-conditioning units and for commercial freezers.
Bell said the EDCCC is working with the Southwest Arkansas Regional Intermodal Authority to build a transload facility in Gum Springs. He said a $1 million Economic Development Administration grant is expected to be approved soon.
“This will be a truck to rail spur in conjunction with Union Pacific Railroad,” Bell said. “This line to the industrial park will allow companies to load from the truck to the track or from the track to the truck.”
Speaking of work opportunities, Bell then said the rate of unemployment in Clark County is declining.
“Unemployment has gone from 9 percent [in 2013] to 6.3 percent in September [2014],” Bell said. “I think it will fall even more. The state unemployment average was 6.2 percent [in September 2014], projected at 5.7 percent in October [2014]. We are getting close to the state average.”
“Clark County is dedicated to growing,” Bell said. “The approval of the half-cent economic-development sales tax seven years ago and the recent 70 percent approval to extend that sales tax for another seven years are proof of that. Clark County residents also voted the county wet to encourage restaurants to locate here,” he said. “They approved drink by the glass and liquor stores.”
Bell noted that Clark County’s location on Interstate 30 is another attraction to those industries considering locating in the area.
“Caddo Valley has become a very popular stop on I-30,” he said. “The Caddo River is right there. And Rowdy Adventures, which is a zip-line adventure park, is located right off the interstate in Okolona.”
He said the city of Amity is growing as well.
“The timber industry is there,” he said.
“Plus, we’ve got two great universities in Arkadelphia,” he said. “We also have a lake, a state park and two rivers — DeGray Lake and DeGray [Lake Resort] State Park and the Ouachita and Caddo rivers — for recreation.
“And we have a great industrial park at Gum Springs,” he said.
“The whole area is just great.”
Bell said that as Arkadelphia continues its growth, there is a need for a bypass that would alleviate the log-truck traffic through downtown Arkadelphia. The Arkansas Highway and Transportation Department conducted a study and presented its findings in April 2013.
“The study shows the bypass coming off I-30 south of town and connecting to U.S. 67,” he said, noting that the city and EDCCC are now working on plans for the bypass.
Bell said one of the first steps in building a bypass involves replacing the Arkansas 51 bridge over the Ouachita River. Work on that was to have started in December 2014.
Bell said the Arkadelphia Regional Economic Development Alliance and Area Chamber
of Commerce wants to be “business-friendly.”
“We want our businesses to make a profit. Our job is to help increase their profit so they can add jobs. If we help make them successful, the jobs will come.
“We want to spread that message to other industries in Arkansas and across the country
— if you locate in Clark County, you will have a business advocate here at the alliance.
“We have a great professional staff here that works full time. Economic development is a full-time job in this county.”
Working with Stephen Bell at the Alliance, 2401 Pine St., Suite B, in Arkadelphia, are Shelley Lowe, executive vice president; Tiffany McNeal, director of communications; and Ashlee Vaughn, director of administration and events. The alliance also oversees the Diamond Lakes Regional Visitors Center in Caddo Gap. Its staff includes Vickie Egleston, director, and Ann Tucker, tourism specialist.