Nevada County Picayune and Gurdon Times Newspaper Archive

Hardman Reflects On Progress Of CCIC

Brown Hardman loves talking about the Clark County Industrial Council.

Given a chance, he will discuss the CCIC all day.

Hardman, on many instances, has reminded people how bad things got in Clark County back in 1988 when the unemployment rate was 17 percent.

Now, he points out, Clark County's jobless figures are regularly among the five lowest in the state and stay in the vicinity of 3 percent.

Hardman credits the work of those who created the old Clark County Action Council, which turned into the CCIC. "This goes to show what a group of dedicated people can do," he said.

When talking about the Clark County Industrial Park in Gum Springs, Hardman likes to point out 35 to 40 percent of those employed there are from Gurdon and the southern part of the county.

However, Hardman prefers to focus on the here and now, while keeping an eye on the future.

The Southwest Arkansas Technical Learning Center is another of the CCIC's projects to become a reality.

At this time the center has developed the curriculum for its first classes.

The center will literally focus on training people to meet the requirements of local industry.

Courses will be tailored in such a manner as to provide the various industries the type of personnel they need.

Years ago, Hardman said, the CCIC's main concern was getting industry to locate in the county.

Now, he said, the CCIC stays busy working with existing industry to help its needs be met.

With the advent of the learning center, though, potential employees get customized training.

Those successfully completing the training will be guaranteed interviews for job openings.

Hardman said the CCIC hired Tim Stokes to direct the center and help develop its curriculum.

"This could be the number one thing we've accomplished in Clark County," he said.

At this time there are 1,600 workers employed with the industries located in the industrial park.

There are 40 or 50 acres still available there, with the CCIC having an option to purchase 110 more.

This, he said, gives the industrial park room to grow.

In the near future, this growth could be evident with the construction of a spec building.

The CCIC made an agreement with B.F. Goodrich not to build a spec building until it got up and running.

Goodrich, he said, is doing well in Clark County, and the CCIC could look into another spec building in the near future. "We do get contacted by industries interested in the area and we'll work with them."

Many of these prospective industries want to locate where a building already exists, instead of having to build one of its own.

Hardman said the CCIC would like to put a satellite business park in the Gurdon area.

The Arkansas Department of Economic Development (ADED) did a study looking into such a prospect.

He said the findings showed industries want a location where they can get Internet access and have fiber optic telecommunication connections

Additionally, Hardman said, the CCIC would like to put something in the Okolona area, but no headway has been made in this venture.