Nevada County Picayune and Gurdon Times Newspaper Archive

CCIC Discusses Success in County

Members of the Clark County Industrial Council discussed their success at landing Polycarbon in the Clark County Industrial Park.

This was done at the regular meeting of the CCIC Thursday, Oct. 19 at the Arkadelphia Chamber of Commerce.

Brown Hardman, acting in place of CCIC president Percy Malone, who was attending the special session of the Arkansas Legislature, said the council will begin work on finishing out the spec building for the county's newest industry. He told the board it would take Polycarbon about six months to get up and running.

Polycarbon, the second largest graphite manufacturing company in the world, is expected to hire more than 50 people in the factory. Polycarbon, based in Valencia, Calif., is a subsidy of SGL Carbon Group, a German firm.

The company makes two products: carbon and graphite fibers used in industrial applications and aerospace; and a graphite sheet used for making gaskets for the automotive industry and other uses.

Company president Pat Sterry said the Arkadelphia plant will manufacture graphite sheets.

In other business discussed by the council, Hardman said a decision could be made by Rohr Industries by February, 1996. Flave Carpenter said he has been in contact with Bowater, who still has an option on some land in the county. The option is good until the end of 1995.

At this time, he said, Bowater will either have to sell its option on the property or renew it. To renew the option on the nearly 2,000 acres, Bowater would have to contact each landowner affected and renegotiate their deal.

As part of the CCIC's agreement with Polycarbon, the council will wait until the plant is operational before beginning construction on another spec building for other industry.

Hardman said Polycarbon is looking to hire local workers at the new plant, and will not be importing people. He said the company will need management personnel along with maintenance supervisors, to go with the laborers.

Other good news the council had included the rehiring of 150 people who had been laid off by the Carrier Corp. plant in Arkadelphia. The layoff occurred in August when the company had too large of an inventory for this time of year. Hardman said the workers should all be recalled by the first of November.

Alumacraft Boat Co., the council was told, is also in the process of expansion, adding more equipment to its current facility.

Siplast will be adding about 20 new jobs in its expansion project.

"It's a good feeling to be here announcing a plant opening and expansion," Hardman said. "We need to continue what we've been doing and not get lax or lazy."

In other news, Mark Moffitt was named new executive director for the CCIC. He is taking over for Carpenter, who has retired, but will continue to work with the council as a consultant.

Moffitt, who was born in Little Rock, has spent 24 years in sales, sales management and general management, along with business ownership throughout the state.

He has been on the Arkadelphia Chamber board of directors, the board of the Beehive and Group Living; a member of the CCIC, the Arkadelphia Lions Club and an ambassador for the Chamber.

He and his wife, Cheryl, have two children, Will, 17, and Melissa, 16. The Moffitt's have lived in Arkadelphia for eight years.