Nevada County Picayune and Gurdon Times Newspaper Archive

Commission Sets Business Park As Top Priority

Developing the business park is the number one goal of the Clark County Industrial Council for Y2K.

At its regular monthly meeting, member of the CCIC discussed their goals for this year.

Brown Hardman, CCIC president, said the council owns 41 acres running parallel to Interstate 30 at the park, and the plans are to develop it into a light industrial park.

There will be no "smokestack" industries allowed, he said.

But, before this can happen, the CCIC still needs to come up with about $300,000 to finish the infrastructure. It will run approximately $600,000 to complete this work, and the council has $305,000 now, adding the remainder of the money needed will be found this year.

Another goal the CCIC has is to find land in the Gurdon area for a similar business park. Hardman said Gurdon also has interstate visibility.

State Rep. Percy Malone said the CCIC has been "hamstrung" the last few years in working with various prospects.

The area, he said, isn't densely enough populated to support the startup of two industries at the same time.

However, he said, it will be exciting to get the business park finished this year and take on another one in the south part of Clark County.

"We have a great opportunity along I-30," he said.

In order to make these things happen, Hardman said, the CCIC will have to increase its budget. Before the 1997 tornado, the council's budget was about $110,000 a year.

Since then the budget has dropped to less than $50,000 annually and the CCIC no longer employs an executive director.

"This will be one of the moves we make this year," Hardman said, "but we first have to find the money."

Malone echoed Hardman's sentiments about hiring an executive director, saying industrial recruitment is a full-time effort. "Most communities have someone doing this full-time.

"This needs to be a priority this year," he continued. "The Arkansas Department of Economic Development isn't doing the job it was a few years ago. It has a website, but it's up to communities to make contact with prospects. Those with economic development offices have the advantage."

Hardman said an industrial prospect was recently showed around and liked the area.

At this time, he said, the CCIC is in a position of strength with the negotiations.

Hardman told the board of directors the CCIC has been working with existing industry on the learning center. "It could be a great tool for recruiting industry," he said.

Timothy Stokes of El Dorado has been hired as director of the new learning center.

Malone said Stokes has a background in education, knows the importance of high school and college, knows how to apply for grants and, "brings all you could ask for as the head of the learning center."

This, he continued, helps close the circle and now the CCIC should have the ability to fulfill its commitment to industry on having a trained workforce.

The money for the center is coming from capital improvement funds obtained in the last session of the Arkansas General Assembly.

Malone helped obtain $400,000 through workforce development, with another $300,000 channeled through Henderson State University.

The money coming through HSU, he said, will be used for salaries and administrative costs, but the center will primarily be self-funded.

Technically, he said, those working at the learning center will be employed by HSU, but HSU won't have to come up with the money to pay them.

Leadership, Hardman said, has been one of the reason for the CCIC's success. The organization cooperates with the colleges and school districts in the area and the people of Clark County can have a voice in what the CCIC does.

In fact, Hardman said, the CCIC welcomes comments from the people and asked those interested in learning more about the council to come to some of the meetings.

Malone said a utility company, Duke Energy, has been looking at this area as a possible location for a new plant, but did not expound on the statement.

Instead, he said one of the priorities of the Arkansas Highway Commission is to finish its 1991 road program, and get Highway 8 between Arkadelphia and Amity widened.

This, he said, is needed more than widening the overpass going to Malone Drive over the interstate.

Changing topics again, Malone said there is about 100 acres in the Clark County Industrial Park the CCIC has an option to buy from the banks.

First State Bank of Gurdon donated its part of the land to the CCIC in 1999.

But, he said, many industries are interested in buying more than 10 acres of land at a time for their plants, and the CCIC needs to exercise its option on this property.

The land, he added, could be bought for $100,000 and the CCIC could then get a grant to improve it with utilities and infrastructure.

Otherwise, he said, the CCIC is taking a chance someone else could buy the land and use it in a manner detrimental to the industrial park.

As the meeting drew to a close, Hardman said the CCIC needs to draft a job description for the executive director's position and send it to the University of Southern Mississippi and see if anyone applies for the spot.

USM has specific courses for economic development leaders along with one of the best economic development programs in the nation.

The council decided to change its meeting times in the morning, where it will get down to business and not have speakers. However, every third month, the meeting will be in the afternoon with a speaker on hand to inform the members what is going on in their particular business.

Officers were also elected at the meeting with Hardman remaining president and Malone continuing as executive vice president. John French will serve as vice president, while Ron Easley is secretary.