Nevada County Picayune and Gurdon Times Newspaper Archive

Successful Cities Similar

By JOHN MILLER

Economic development is important to Entergy.

So important the company instituted an economic development department.

Mike Mauldin, the director of economic development with Entergy (formerly AP&L), recently spoke with the Clark County Industrial Council.

He said the economic development office works within the company with the Teamwork Arkansas staff. Teamwork Arkansas has nine staffers dedicated to helping the state economically.

According to Mauldin, these nine people are split into three or four areas.

Community development is one of these areas. Mauldin said this department helps identify needs, accomplish economic development goals and holds leadership seminars.

Another department works on industrial recruiting and prospecting.

A supportive department deals with research analysis, helping to determine what county needs are and focusing on attracting the businesses and industries most suited for them.

The final piece of the puzzle is the trade show program. Mauldin said this section deals with generating leads for prospective visits by companies to Arkansas.

Currently, Entergy is involved in four trade shows a year, sponsoring booths at these shows to spotlight what Arkansas and Entergy offer.

Mauldin said Entergy welcomes community leaders to participate in these trade shows and booths, because it will give them the chance to walk the floors and talk with the other exhibitors, as well as potential prospects.

"This is a program we're excited about," Mauldin said. "Entergy has more resources than most communities, and this helps give us insights and supports."

He said Entergy sponsored a study to try and determine the difference between communities with successful economic development programs and those who are not successful.

The study, Mauldin said, revealed seven common characteristics with successful ventures.

First, they have strong individual leaders in the public and private sector. These leaders are primarily mayors, who, he said, must be perceived to represent all aspects of a community in making decisions for the betterment of all in the long run. In Arkansas, he added, county judges are considered in this area.

Next is a "can-do" attitude. Mauldin said successful communities tend to feel good about themselves and exude confidence, with a desire to grow.

Then comes government spending. According to Mauldin, successful programs tend to have someone whose primary job is focused in on getting state and federal grants and seed capital for economic development.

This is followed by a coordination of effort. This, he said, is to cut down on the amount of red tape required for a potential new industry, along with having easy access to information. "One-stop shopping" it could be termed.

The coordination of effort is normally done at a Chamber of Commerce or industrial development office, with cooperation between leader groups for the benefit of all.

The fifth part of the puzzle concerns education. Mauldin said primary and secondary schools are not considered relevant to the success of a community, though post-secondary schools are.

Higher education facilities, he said, are considered to be real assets because these communities tend to have more social and cultural amenities to offer.

Strong vocational-technical schools are also important for worker training and retraining.

This is followed by long range planning. Mauldin said this is when a community knows its priorities and develops the initiatives necessary to attract business and industry. These communities are also focused on their goals, working on achieving one at a time, all the while communicating these plans to the people.

Last, but not least, is cultural amenities. Mauldin said while these are important, they are not vital up front.

Cultural amenities, he said, tend to follow success instead of lead it, and as communities grow and develop, these amenities are expected.

"Each community," he said, "needs to evaluate itself on these seven characteristics and see where they are strong and where they need work.

"Entergy is here to help. This is a teamwork oriented business.

"Industry will not locate due to one person or agency. Entergy is working trying to open doors, train and give information. We will work to generate more prospects in 1997."

Mauldin said Entergy has developed good leaders and is getting more and more people to come to Arkansas to look around at what the state has to offer.