Nevada County Picayune and Gurdon Times Newspaper Archive

Red River Knitting Opening Plant

In the midst of a disaster, there was some excellent news for the people of Prescott and Nevada County Monday.

Red River Knitting Co., formally announced its intentions to locate in the Prescott Manufacturing building on Highway 67.

It was a whirlwind courtship getting the company to locate a plant in Prescott, with the work taking about two months from start to finish.

John Chandler, president of Red River Knitting, said he is happy to be in Prescott and is ready to get started.

The company had a mill in Pennsylvania, he said, which needed to be moved closer to the home offices in Little Rock. Calls were made, with Chandler being put in touch with the Arkansas Industrial Development Commission and Lt. Gov. Win Rockefeller.

Rockefeller gave Chandler a list of 20 to 30 places with buildings which may have been appropriate for the company's needs, and the search was on.

Chandler began touring the state, looking at the various sites. However, when he came to Prescott, he said the people were very glad to see him and put on a full-court press with the recruitment effort.

He said this site was excellent because the building used to house a garment industry (Prescott Manufacturing made pajamas), but it was the people of the area who ultimately swayed the decision to Prescott.

He said the plant could be open in about 15 days with product coming off the line and people employed.

Rockefeller echoed Chandler's statements, saying it was the community's pulling together which made the company decide to locate in Prescott.

"Industrial development is not a one person, one company or one agency deal," he said, "and the creation of Red River Knitting in Prescott confirms it."

Rockefeller said he was in regular contact with Chandler, who was high on locating in Prescott. "The people of Prescott provided everything needed to make it happen, and deserve a pat on the back for their efforts.

"This community is helping itself to make this happen. Opportunities like this are important to get people on their feet, going in the right direction."

Ron Cross, one of the partners in this venture, said the company looked at the global competition when examining the possibility of moving.

He said the coming together of people in Arkansas says the state is not willing to give up any jobs and will do what it takes to keep them here.

"We can compete," he said.

The sweaters made at Red River Knitting will be sold to such companies as Bass Pro Shop; J.C. Penney's, and Younker's Department Store, along with Jingles in Benton.

John Brannan, president of the Interlocal Cooperative Industrial Development Board, said this is the story of a community deciding to be responsible for its own growth and creating its own jobs.

The story, he said, began four years ago with the creation of the Prescott-Nevada County Economic Development Office during a time when jobs were leaving the area.

Red River Knitting, along with making sweaters, will manufacture other knitted apparel.

The company is expected to hire about 40 people in Prescott.

"Nevada County," Chandler said, "has a good reputation for hard working citizens, a labor force familiar with the industry, an available building, competitive electric rates, an aggressive, well-prepared economic development office, concerned elected state officials and a mayor and city council prepared to do business.

"We liked Prescott's atmosphere and all the participants in this process made the numbers work."

Jorge Nassar will be the plant manager at Red River Knitting. He said this is a big plus for the people of the city and county.

Those who are hired, Nassar said, will have to be trained how to make the sweaters and use the new equipment. "Knitting is an entirely new process to our labor force," he said.