Nevada County Picayune and Gurdon Times Newspaper Archive

CCIC Meetings To Be Monthly

A decision has been made to start holding meetings of the Clark County Industrial Council every month.

This is a return to how things were done, as opposed to the quarterly meetings the CCIC has been having of late.

The decision was made by the CCIC board of directors at a recent meeting, with the idea to keep the members better informed about what's being done, and hear reports from the different committees.

Kevin Copeland, executive director of the CCIC, said this will help keep everyone involved in what's being done.

A suggestion was made to start a newsletter and have it sent to the members. As it progresses, the newsletter would be e-mailed to all members and could be posted on the CCIC's part of Arkadelphia's website.

One event being worked on at this time is an industry appreciation day, which will include recognition of the elected officials in the county.

The CCIC's annual golf tournament is still in the planning stages, and will be held this fall.

However, as CCIC President Brown Hardman pointed out, the membership drive is ongoing, with every person in Clark County a potential member.

Membership in the CCIC is $10 per year for individuals and $25 for business or industry.

The organization's goal is to make the county grow by working to keep the existing industry along with recruiting new industry, thereby having jobs available for everyone.

Copeland said the process for re-certifying as an Arkansas Community of Excellence is underway. Being an ACE community is a plus as it shows potential industrial prospects the community is industry friendly and cares about its people.

He said the CCIC needs to start thinking about a spec building in the Clark County Industrial Park. The building should be between 30,000 and 50,000 square feet.

Financing the spec building could be done through bonds, with Copeland looking for grant money to do this with as well.

Historically, the CCIC has done well with its spec buildings, as each one built has resulted in a new industry locating in the county. Petit Jean Poultry came to the industrial park because of a spec building available, as did Polycarbon/SGL Technology.

Additionally, Copeland said, the CCIC has a feather in its cap with the Southwest Arkansas Learning Center.

Currently, the center's new building is under construction and will be 7,500 square feet when finished. Also, it will be "given" to Henderson State University upon completion, with HSU to maintain it.

Talk also centered around the business park on Malone Drive. Copeland said the CCIC could expect more grant money to finish out the infrastructure, but may not have all it needs to finish the entire park.

The board agreed the best thing to do would be to finish the park in sections, getting them filled with businesses, then going to another area of the 41 acres.