Nevada County Picayune and Gurdon Times Newspaper Archive

EDO looking for new business prospects in the new year

2003 was a good year for the Prescott-Nevada County Economic Development Office, according to Jon Chadwell, executive director.

In the EDO's final report for 2003, Chadwell stated the first and foremost activity associated with the EDO is working with industrial and business prospects. However, he said, this is far from the only thing the office does.

On the topic of prospects, Chadwell said they are generated in a number of ways, though few walk through the doors at the Partnership. Some are referred to the area through people who have connections here, while other leads are generated through advertising efforts. The majority of prospects, though, are referred to Prescott by the Arkansas Department of Economic Development (ADED).

In 2003, he said, the prospect activity increased over the previous two years due to an improving economy. The EDO sent information to 15 different prospects during the year, with seven making at least one trip to visit the area.

In trying to improve, the EDO, he said, tries to get information from the prospects that go elsewhere as to the reasons they chose not to locate in Prescott or Nevada County. Four prospects shared their reasons, which were:

* The community size (too small);

* The size of workforce (two small);

* There was not an adequate existing building; and

* Another community more nearly matched their criteria.

Industries aren't the only contacts made or sought by the EDO. Chadwell said the office made contact with several retail prospects in 2003.

One of the most unique prospects to visit was for the television show "A Simple Life". Prescott, Chadwell said, was considered for the show, which eventually went to Altus.

Though this may not have been the perfect show for the area, he said, it did give the EDO and local volunteers the opportunity to better learn how to work with producers of televisions shows who are looking for a site.

The EDO also worked with one existing industry to help it acquire additional property for possible future expansion.

Arkansas Attorney General Mike Beebe visited Prescott, and talked with city and county officials while also visiting the Firestone Building Products plant.

The EDO also celebrated Firestone's achieving the goal of 1,000,000 man hours with no lost time for accidents.

The EDO also works to obtain grants to allow the city and county to use local monies as matching funds or in other areas where they're needed.

Over the Memorial Day holiday, the EDO prepared a grant for the Ila Upchurch Community Corporation. The grant was for a mentoring and tutoring program. But, Chadwell said, this grant wasn't funded.

Working with the Bank of Prescott, the EDO wrote a grant to the Federal Home Loan Bank and obtained funding to help buy equipment and software for developmental purposes. The grant was matched by the bank's regular contribution to the EDO.

A grant was written to the Anti-Tobacco Coalition to put machines with healthy snacks in the schools. The grant was funded at $25,000, but complications have arisen that will likely to require these funds being returned to the coalition.

A grant was written to the Robert Woods Johnson Foundation for its Active Living by Design Program. More than 800 communities applied with only 25 getting any funding. Prescott's application qualified, but was not accepted.

The EDO wrote a Recreational Trails grant to the Arkansas Highway and Transportation Department for a walking/jogging trail. The grant was awarded and work on the project will begin in 2004.

Another grant was written to the Tony Hawk Foundation for a skating and skate board park. The EDO didn't obtain funding , but the design work done can be used for other grants in the future.

A grant was also written to the Barbara Bush Foundation for Literacy. The grant notification for this is still pending. If received, though, it will provide operational funding for the Prescott-Nevada County Library and for child and adult literacy programs.

The EDO's annual Industry and Business Appreciation Golf Tournament saw teams at an all-time high, with 80 percent of the morning flight filled, and the afternoon flight completely full.

During the year, Chadwell also attended several conferences, trade shows and other events, including the Governor's Housing Conference, the Arkansas Economic Developer's Conference, a Biotechnology trade show, and the Destination's Downtown Main Street Regional Conference.

Part of the EDO's commission is to improve Prescott's downtown area. To do this, several projects were started in 2003.

The Depot Museum reopened during 2003, with Peggy Lloyd named curator.