Nevada County Picayune and Gurdon Times Newspaper Archive

Funshine Officially Opens

Funshine Furniture was officially welcomed to Prescott and Nevada County Thursday, June 4.

A ribbon cutting and grand opening were held for the occasion, with several local dignitaries speaking, welcoming Ken Richards and his family to the area, thanking them for locating their new industry here.

Prescott Mayor Howard Taylor kicked things off , talking about how much planning and risk is involved in such a venture.

He said while it's risky and a challenge, it's also exciting. "If you'd seen this building a year ago, you'd appreciate the changes."

The building was completely renovated to accommodate the company's needs.

The Prescott-Nevada County Economic Development Office and area leaders are all focusing, Taylor said, on economic excellence for the region. "We intend to continue with this concept. We're all working together and this is a prime example of working together and deciding to move forward."

The addition of Funshine Furniture to the community, he continued, will increase the tax base, provide more money for schools, parks and other city projects, while enhancing the way of life for Prescott and Nevada County.

Chandler Russ, executive director of the EDO, provided those on hand with a history of how Funshine came to Prescott.

While in his office on day, Richards came by asking if there were any buildings available. The two toured the area looking, and when Richards saw the old armory, he inquired about its availability.

Russ was somewhat taken aback because of the condition the armory was in. However, Richards pointed out the building didn't have to be pretty, just big enough and available.

It was available, and large enough to begin with. If all goes according to plan, though, Funshine will outgrow its current facility quickly and a new structure may have to be built.

Russ got with the industrial council leaders and put together a package to offer Richards as added incentive to locate in Prescott.

Next came a visit to Haughton, La., where Richards' plant was then located, for more meetings.

All involved agreed the project could be done, with the final results showing up Thursday morning.

"The city's commitment was enormous," Russ said. "But we've heard nothing but positive comments about the building.

"This is a good example of industry and communities working together. I'm excited about the possibilities of Funshine Furniture. We welcome them to Nevada County and look forward to helping them grow and expand"

The keynote speaker for the event was State Rep. Percy Malone. He joked about being glad his wife didn't come with him, because she would have bought some of the products made by Funshine. However, he did express a good deal of interest in purchasing decking material from the company.

"I think you are doing extremely well to have this announcement today," Malone said.

We learn from our mistakes, he continued, talking about how communities got complacent during the 1970's and didn't really work to keep or help industries. "We thought the jobs would be there forever."

However, the crash of the 1980's, along with the greed and avarice resulted in many communities losing their industrial base, and the businesses moved to more favorable climes.

This, he said, resulted in fewer students in school, less money for school districts, a smaller tax base for city services and less people in churches. The loss of industries affected an entire community's way of life. The impact of job loss was hard.

But, everyone began pulling together in an effort to revitalize their communities and attract new business and industry.

Now, he said, with the Arkansas Economic Development Commission's help, communities such as Prescott can get much needed assistance when trying to attract a new industry or help an existing one expand. Additionally, he said, when the AEDC has a prospect, they will discuss the possibility of locating in places such as Prescott and Nevada County.

"When a prospect comes to Nevada County, with the organization you have here, they hear one voice," Malone said. He pointed out many communities don't have economic development organizations and prospective new businesses have to deal with several people and all of them may not be on the same page.

"Prospects don't want to see a divided community," he continued. "We want prospects to locate in Arkansas and provide jobs. What you're doing here is huge that way. These jobs are important for the overall economy."

With Funshine being located near downtown, he said, it shows a commitment to revitalizing the downtown area, which is valuable to the social fabric of a community.

There are areas, he said, where cities pass laws to keep businesses and buildings in downtown area. This, he added, helps keep a sense of community.

Malone also said such ventures help keep children home as well, as they can find work and raise families of their own. "It helps children understand what they like about where they're from. I applaud you for what you've done here."

He said the success with Funshine shows Prescott knows how to put a package together and get things done. It is especially nice, he added, that no one is worried about who gets the credit. This success will continue because of the attitude of the people and the commitment of the EDO and area leaders. "Richards made a good decision. Prescott has hard working people and will make this succeed."

Richards followed as the final speaker of the day. He joshed with Malone, saying he wasn't as long winded because he wasn't a politician.

Still, Richards thanked everyone involved for the help he and his family received in getting the business located from Louisiana to Prescott.

The company originally made outdoor decking at its Louisiana. Richards said people would ask if they also had deck furniture to go with their decking. This eventually led to the creation of Funshine Furniture.

Richards said the original intent when locating in Prescott did not include a retail shop for the goods being made, but demand has altered those plans. He said the company will ship its merchandise nationwide partially assembled in boxes.

He also promised the product would be top quality.

Once the speeches ended, those gathered toured the facility, seeing how the furniture is made.