There is some debate surrounding which 30 or so local business leaders gathered at a site off the Fayetteville Square in 1990 for what is regarded as the first meeting of the Northwest Arkansas Council.
Folks seem certain that J.B. Hunt, Sam Walton and Don Tyson were there. Bank of Fayetteville founder John Lewis, then-Tyson Foods general counsel Jim Blair, Hudson Foods founder James T. "Red" Hudson and then-University of Arkansas Athletic Director Frank Broyles, too.
Uvalde Lindsey attended to hear a pitch about why he should become the fledgling organization's executive director. Lindsey clearly felt the meeting went well enough that he led the organization from 1990-2005.
Another couple of dozen people were in attendance, though the roll call varies depending on who you ask.
What isn't in question is this: that meeting helped spark the success enjoyed in Northwest Arkansas today.
Walton, Tyson and Hunt all saw potential for future growth of their companies -- and the state -- tied to infrastructure improvements. They believed a regional airport, a four-lane expansion of U.S. 412 from Springdale to Siloam Springs and what we now know as I-49 were critical.
Walton, Tyson and Hunt gathered a few months after that first council meeting to testify before a U.S. House Public Works and Transportation Committee at the Springdale Holiday Inn. They offered their pitch on why money was needed for infrastructure improvements in Northwest Arkansas. Tyson, Wal-Mart and J.B. Hunt all saw the opportunity for major expansion of their businesses if federal resources were made available.
Sam Walton made the point that growth for Wal-Mart wouldn't be good just for Wal-Mart alone. A bigger Wal-Mart could mean growth for "maybe even our tax payments to the U.S. Treasury," Walton said, according to a Tulsa World report.
Hunt, according to the Arkansas Gazette, colorfully compared traveling two-lane stretches of U.S. 71 to his tour of duty in World War II. "Thank God I made it," Hunt said, describing his reaction to both events. There aren't likely many folks who can vouch for that comparison, but I do know life as a traveler -- and surely as a business -- is easier thanks to infrastructure improvements championed by the council.
Both Wal-Mart and Tyson have grown about 1,300 percent since 1990, according to data compiled by the Northwest Arkansas Council. Wal-Mart's revenue has gone from $32 billion to $486 billion. Tyson's value rose from $2.5 billion to about $32 billion.
And, of course, the region has grown right along with them. Northwest Arkansas' population has nearly doubled from 239,000 residents then to more than a half-million now.
Those success stories, and advocates for the region like Lindsey who made them possible, will be celebrated Monday during the council's annual meeting. The 25th anniversary celebration is being held at Crystal Bridges and will feature Gov. Asa Hutchinson. It is closed to the public.
Jim Walton, CEO and chairman of Arvest Bank, will be installed as the Northwest Arkansas Council's presiding co-chairman. It will be Jim Walton's third stint in that role.
A look at how the region has changed figures to be a focus during the silver anniversary gathering.
Of course, there are a few things that haven't changed since that first gathering of the Northwest Arkansas Council. (And this isn't a reference to the fact that Dan Ferritor is once again chancellor of the University of Arkansas. Ferritor is back, but only on an interim basis.)
All the towns up here understand the need for collaboration. That "our sum is greater than our parts" spirit remains.
Infrastructure improvements continue to be high on the Northwest Arkansas Council's list of priorities. Executive Director Mike Malone points out that this includes more than upgrades to roads or airports.
There is also a concerted effort to improve what he refers to as an equal emphasis on "human infrastructure." As Malone explains it, "physical infrastructure will still dictate a lot of how we do as a region, but we're really focused on human infrastructure."
Monday's meeting will likely feature a celebration of milestones like U.S. 412, I-49, Northwest Arkansas Regional Airport and the Two-Ton Water District. There also figures to be a lot of talk -- as there was when the council first met 25 years ago -- about the future of Northwest Arkansas and how to build on its current successes.
SundayMonday Business on 07/19/2015