< PreviousFor example, Mississippi County, the No.1 steel producing county in the country, is a strategic location that has encouraged over 20 steel-related businesses to set up shop in the area. Located between Memphis, Tennessee, and St. Louis, Missouri, the county’s easy access to major cities, infrastructure, land availability and well-established industry network continue to attract investment and job creation. Currently, Mississippi County boasts more than 3,600 steel workers. In an effort to increase the pipeline of skilled workers, U. S. Steel’s Big River Steel facility and Entergy Arkansas have entered into a partnership with Arkansas Northeastern College (ANC) to support The Steel Tech Academy, a two-year, hands-on internship program for high school students to prepare them for career opportunities in the steel industry. Additionally, in 2023, Arkansas Northeastern College received $1.2 million in funding from the Arkansas Office of Skills Development (OSD) to create the Arkansas Steelmaking Boot Camp. Designed as a response to “the urgent labor demand in the steel manufacturing industry in Mississippi County,” this 80-hour, two-week program is free for participation and, according to the Arkansas Department of Commerce, will help train an estimated 500 people in steelmaking practices within the first year. NORTHWEST ARKANSAS The number of recognizable companies headquartered in Northwest Arkansas is astonishing. Tyson Foods, Walmart, Simmons Foods (which provides poultry for restaurants such as Chick-fil-A, Panda Express, Cheesecake Factory, KFC and dozens of other chains), and the list goes on. These enterprises aren’t anchored in one area alone. Each calls a different city home, whether it be Bentonville, Springdale, Siloam Springs or one of many other vibrant communities in the region. As this impressive list suggests, food and beverage are big business in Northwest Arkansas. Companies affiliated with the various aspects of this industry continue to grow their footprints in the area. Americold Realty Trust, a global leader in temperature- controlled logistics, real estate and value-added services, recently expanded its existing facility in Russellville. Backed by an investment of $90 million, Americold has constructed an additional 131,000 square foot cold storage and distribution facility at its location in the region, adding 42,000 pallet positions and 30 new jobs. “We’re excited to expand our presence in Arkansas,” said Americold CEO George Chappelle. “This facility was built with state-of-the-art automation to support production and the supply chain for one of North America’s leading branded food companies. We continue to innovate to provide best-in-class service for our customers as we help them feed the world.” As part of Americold’s commitment to give back to the local communities it serves, Americold and its long-time partner Feed the Children came together to support more than 300 Russellville families. Following the company’s ribbon-cutting ceremony last March, each participating family received a 25-pound box of food and a 15-pound box of personal-care essential items. “We are excited about the expansion of the Americold facility in Russellville, showcasing yet another great community partnership,” said Russellville Mayor Fred Teague in March. “The increased capacity will not only bring new job opportunities but will also allow Americold’s customer to increase production and distribution. Both Americold and its customer are valued community partners, not only contributing to local employment but also impacting families worldwide. “They are great examples,” he said, “of our strong local industry in the Arkansas River Valley.” CENTRAL ARKANSAS Positioned at the crossroads of major transportation routes ranging from interstates and railways to the Arkansas River, Central Arkansas serves as a crucial logistics hub. Little Rock is located within a 500-mile radius of 11 major markets, including Atlanta, Chicago and Dallas. Its strategic location offers businesses seamless access to 48 ARKANSAS ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT GUIDE United States Marshals Museum - Fort Smith. Photo courtesy of Arkansas Department of Parks, Heritage and Tourismkey economic centers, making it an ideal choice for companies prioritizing distribution and supply chain efficiency. This geographic advantage, combined with the region’s low cost of living, affordable housing and natural beauty, has attracted the likes of industry leaders such as L’Oréal USA, Caterpillar, Dillard’s, Axicom and Dassault Falcon Jet. When Windsor Doors decided to grow its operations in Little Rock, access to something else helped seal the deal. As a manufacturer and distributor of residential garage and overhead door products, steel is an essential ingredient to the company’s production process. By growing its footprint in one of the top steel producing states in the U.S., Windsor Doors will have no problem sourcing this resource. Alongside adding a $21 million high-speed production line, the Little Rock-based business plans to double its purchase position from Arkansas steel mills. Overall, the company expects for the increased output the new line enables to be instrumental in affordable housing initiatives throughout the country as it will help ensure a steady supply of quality doors to builders nationwide. “When Arkansas businesses grow, our entire economy grows with them,” said Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders, noting that the project is “great news for Windsor Door and its Central Arkansas employees, but it’s also a win for our steel industry, our home builders, our logistics companies and everyone who works at and benefits from these homegrown businesses.” 50 ARKANSAS ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT GUIDE STATISTICAL PROFILE ARKANSAS by the Numbers COMPANIESCITYSECTORCATEGORYINVESTMENTJOBS Dassault AviationLittle RockAerospaceExpansion $100,000,000800 Sig Sauer, Inc.JacksonvilleFirearms and AmmunitionExpansion $225,000,000675 Westrock Coffee Roasting LLCConwayFood and BeverageExpansion $364,000,000600 Faymonville GroupLittle RockAdvanced ManufacturingNew$120,000,000 500 Bad Boy Mowers, Inc.BatesvilleAdvanced ManufacturingExpansion $76,019,612300 Hope Baking Company, Inc.HopeFood and BeverageExpansion $37,127,406 266 RelateCareSherwoodProfessional ServicesExpansion $355,500 255 Clayton Home Building GroupConwayAdvanced ManufacturingExpansion $42,063,183 253 Weyerhaeuser CompanyMonticello/WarrenAgtech and ForestryNew$500,000,000 200 Drive Smart Auto Care, Inc.NewportProfessional ServicesNew$3,450,000 200 Optomi LLC/ProvalusWalnut RidgeInformation TechnologyNew$1,000,000 200 Welspun TubularLittle RockAdvanced Manufacturing, MetalsExpansion $125,000,000 175 ElopakLittle RockAdvanced ManufacturingNew$95,000,000156 Tate ManufacturingPocahontasAdvanced ManufacturingNew$16,350,000 148 Central States ManufacturingLowellAdvanced ManufacturingExpansion $24,163,039 138 White River EnergeticsDes ArcFirearms and AmmunitionExpansion $70,280,000 99 Zekelman Industries, Inc.BlythevilleSteelExpansion $89,550,000 90 G&H Decoy Company and Plastic ManufacturingCorningAdvanced ManufacturingNew$2,050,000 85 Walther Manufacturing, Inc.Fort SmithFirearms and AmmunitionExpansion $30,000,000 76 Taber ExtrusionsRussellvilleAdvanced Manufacturing, MetalsExpansion $77,000,000 73 Top 20 Projects of 2023-2024 Projects by Type 2024 YTDProjects by Sector 2024 YTD Source: Conway Projects Database SECTORPROJECTS Metals14 Machinery, Equip. & Const.9 Food & Beverage8 Chemicals & Plastics5 Aerospace4 IT & Comm.3 Life Sciences3 Other10 TYPEPROJECTS Manufacturing41 Distribution Warehouse14 Office10 Headquarters5 Research and Development2 25% Metals 57% Manf. 16% Machinery 19% Distribution 14% Food & Bev 14% OfficeARKANSAS ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT GUIDE 51 Top State for Inbound Movers in 2023 State for Workforce Development in S. Central Region Best State to Start a New Business Best State for Affordability Halfway between Mexico City and Montreal in Exports in 2023 3 Million+ Population Public Colleges & Universities Miles of State & U.S. Highways 33 16,416 #1 #1 #3 U.S. News & World Report United Van Lines #4 Site Selection Forbes Advisor S&P Global $6.5 B State Parks Across The Natural State 5252 ARKANSAS ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT GUIDE STEEL nce known as Plum Point before incorporating in , Osceola, Arkansas, has become the plum spot for steel. e Mississippi River crossroads known for its port, its railroads and its blues serves as one of two county seats (the other being Blytheville) in Mississippi County, where today more steel is produced than in any other county in the United States. Nobody’s singing the blues in steel territory, even if U. S. Steel-owned Big River Steel (BRS) this year sponsored the th Annual Osceola Heritage Music Festival featuring the likes of blues legend R.L. Burnside’s son Duwayne. U. S. Steel continues to move toward completion of its Big River steel mini mill by the end of this calendar year. It completed a new galvanizing line earlier in . e company in its earnings report this summer said it now expects total capital spend for Big River will be approximately $. billion, part of nearly $ billion the company is spending in Osceola over a two-year time frame. e company’s BRS operation also just became the fi rst in the world to receive the ResponsibleSteel certifi cation, a production standard that incorporates environmental, social and governance requirements across principles, which include over criteria for the responsible sourcing and production of steel. “Our transparency around decarbonization and collaborative approach with our suppliers and community all play a role in what it means to have truly ‘sustainable’ steel products for our customers,” said Dan by ADAM BRUNS O Forging Ahead: How Arkansas Became a Global Leader in Steel Production U. S. Steel’s biggest investment ever is also the largest investment in the history of Arkansas. U.S. Steel’s Big River Steel facility in Osceola, Arkansas. Photo courtesy of U.S. SteelARKANSAS ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT GUIDE 53 Brown, senior vice president of Advanced Technology Steelmaking for U. S. Steel and COO of Big River Steel Works. Nucor-Northeast Arkansas is comprised of Nucor-Yamato Steel, Nucor Steel Arkansas & Nucor Skyline, three divisions of Nucor Corporation. All located in Blytheville, these divisions make NEA one of the top steel- producing regions in the United States. Nucor-Yamato Steel Company was formed in 1987 as a joint venture between Nucor and Yamato Kogyo with the goal of operating a steel mini-mill to manufacture wide-flange beams in Blytheville, Arkansas. Today, Nucor- Yamato Steel Company has the capacity to produce over 2.5 million tons per year of not only wide-flange beams, but also H-piling, sheet piling, standard I-beams, channels and various other structural shapes. The company has gone from a Northeast Arkansas cotton field to the largest structural steel mill in the Western Hemisphere, with employment of over 800 men and women. As with all Nucor operations, Nucor-Yamato’s success is tied to the employees’ success. The production bonus system creates an environment where the employees are some of the most talented, creative and well compensated in the industry. Their ability and commitment to continually improve makes Nucor-Yamato Steel Company a world class company and the leader in the structural steel business. Nucor Steel is a manufacturer of Hot Band, Cold Roll, Galvanized, Galvanneal and Painted Sheet Steel used in a variety of end products, such as automotive, energy, construction, appliance, agriculture equipment and heavy truck and trailers. Operations began in Mississippi County in 1987 and since 2018, Nucor has invested approximately $750 million into its facilities. These investments occurred because of the assets in Mississippi County that support Nucor’s operations: dedicated workforce and industry training at Arkansas Northeastern College; diverse transportation modes via the Mississippi River, BNSF Railroad and interstate system connectivity; reliable and sufficient energy; and its Mid-South location to access a growing customer base. High Tech, High Talent In an Arkansas Inc. Podcast interview with Clint O’Neal, executive director of the Arkansas Economic Development Commission, Dan Brown described the company’s experience in the state beginning with the decision to purchase BRS, an operation that had launched in 2014 on a former soybean field. “When we started looking at our strategy,” Brown said, “we had some old integrated plants within the U. S. Steel footprint that still make fantastic products for the automotive industry and different types of heavy-grade pipe and tube and different niche markets. But we 54 ARKANSAS ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT GUIDE also wanted to be cost-competitive and also wanted to get into diff erent markets with new technology. We started looking at potentially building a greenfi eld site/ potentially upgrading one of our existing plants. en, the opportunity with Big River Steel came along. We looked at what was an incredible project … It had become a really, really highly innovative, highly technical plant in Osceola, Arkansas, with just a great, talented, dynamic workforce.” Competitive advantages for northeastern Arkansas elucidated by Brown include the Mississippi River for shipping out coil, BNSF as a strong railroad partner and good electricity rates from Entergy Arkansas, which will supply MW of that power from the new ,-acre Driver Solar installation nearby. Moreover, Brown said, “I can’t say anything but great things about what the community has done for Big River Steel, not only Osceola and Mississippi County, but the state of Arkansas.” Partnerships at Work Big River , known as Project Blueprint, had its own site selection process that saw the company consider more than locations across the South and Mid-South, Brown said, only to arrive at a fi nal destination next door to BRS. eir choice was validated when shovels went into the ground less than six months after U. S. Steel President and CEO David Burritt fi rst spoke about the project with then-Governor Asa Hutchinson. “People worked like crazy with us around the clock to get this done,” Brown said of working through permitting and environmental review. “I would tell you that wouldn’t have happened anywhere else outside of the state of Arkansas. It’s really an incredible story.” e fl at-rolled steel rolling out of Big River goes into such products as car doors and hoods as well as appliances. BRS also makes specialized electrical steel for EVs and hybrids. Soon, Brown said, the facility will be making steel for solar panels, steel roofs and galvanized steel for the construction market. Other investors in the steel sector in Arkansas include Bekaert (Van Buren), Tate (Pocahontas) and Zekelman Industries, which is pursuing its own $ million expansion in that other county seat of Blytheville to expand the capabilities and product off erings of its subsidiary Wheatland Tube. Zekelman will partner with Arkansas Northeastern College on a new workforce training initiative involving scholarship funds for at least students a year and internship opportunities for applied science graduates. “Education and skills training are crucial to developing the next generation of workers,” said COO Tom Muth. “Our goal at Zekelman is to prepare, nurture and inspire students entering the thriving and well-paying steel industry. Our commitment is representative of our partnership with the Blytheville community and ongoing dedication to domestic-only manufacturing.” Back in Osceola, production after Big River starts up will jump from over million tons a year to over million tons a year, a “very incredible” volume Dan Brown attributes to that dynamic tech/ talent combo. Among other resources, the company also is partnering with Arkansas Northeastern College as well as Arkansas State University. “ e amount of tons produced per employee here is a world-class number,” he said, in part because employees are trained to perform two or three diff erent jobs. “People here are paid on high- quality steel that’s produced, taking care of customers through shipments on time/ on-time delivery performance,” he told O’Neal. “ ey’re paid on low delay rates. Keep the production lines running. Keep them running safe and produce a lot of high-quality steel for our customers.” When people do all of that, he said, they “get paid very, very good wages out of this facility.” As for those people, “When you start building plants out in places like Osceola, Arkansas, you tend to get a lot of employees with very, very good work ethics, people that are very intelligent, people that are very technical, people that have work ethics like no other,” Brown said, noting the region’s farming heritage. “When you fi nd someone that’s either worked on a farm their whole life or gotten up at : or : in the morning on a farm, that’s extremely hard work. When you bring people like that into a facility like this that understands equipment, machinery, technology, and they take even more training classes on how to operate diff erent facilities and production lines, it’s a win-win for everybody.” “ We’ll actually be making over 6 million tons per year of steel within this footprint, which, to me, is very incredible. ” — Dan Brown, Senior Vice President of Advanced Technology Steelmaking, U. S. Steel, and COO, Big River Steel WorksFeeding the World: Food and Beverage Industry Growing in Arkansas by GARY DAUGHTERS ARKANSAS ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT GUIDE 55 FOOD & BEVERAGE or a uniquely American success story, look no further than Helena, Arkansas, and Delta Dirt Distillery. Co- founder Harvey Williams was told by people around him that he was “crazy” to think that he could establish a vodka business that might also help to revive his challenged, rural Helena, once a thriving, bluesy enclave in the northern Mississippi Delta, where the Williams family has farmed for generations. But in the course of a few short years, Delta Dirt’s Sweet Blend Vodka, distilled from sweet potatoes raised on the family farm, has racked up awards at the prestigious San Francisco World Spirits Competiton, among others, while Williams has expanded into gin and whiskey and new markets in the South, even as far as Pennsylvania. Tours are fi ltering through and online delivery is coming. On Fridays and weekends, Delta Dirt’s cocktail room on Helena’s Cherry Street welcomes the curious. After all, sweet potato vodka? “We wanted to get some value added from what we grow on the farm,” Williams explains. “When we started, our vodka was % sweet potato, and to us it tasted too earthy, so we blended it with corn. It tastes nothing like sweet potatoes, but it does have what I’d call a sweet fi nish.” Williams comes from a long line of strivers and innovators. Great- grandfather “Papa” Joe Williams sharecropped an original acres in the late s. Grandfather U.D. Williams was able to purchase the land through his sharecropping funds and a side gig hustling corn whiskey. Father Harvey, Sr. preserved the farm’s viability, challenging the Delta’s traditional model of corn, soybeans and wheat and branching out into sweet potatoes and squash, which he would come to distribute nationally. It starts in the soil, but innovation is the driver of a prolific food and beverage industry. F Delta Dirt Distillery’s Harvey Williams Photo courtesy of Delta Dirt Distillery“You could take small acres,” his son says, “and sustain it and maintain your family.” Harvey’s brother, Kennard, has since expanded the farm to 600 acres. Harvey’s wife, Donna, is Delta Dirt Distillery’s co-founder and chief marketing officer. Sons Thomas and Donavan are part of the management team. Arkansas, Williams believes, is a great state for entrepreneurs such as himself. The state Department of Agriculture, he says, recently supported a trip to Miami for an international marketing exposition. The Arkansas Economic Development Commission has offered business advice. “What you have here,” he says, “is a solid business climate and a state that’s supportive. It’s an affordable place to live, there’s great diversity and a good quality of life. It’s a place where, if you’re willing to get off the sidelines, you can be a catalyst for change in your community. You can make it an enjoyable place to be if you’re willing to rethink it.” A Leader in Poultry, Rice, Eggs and More Arkansas has long been a food and beverage powerhouse. As of the end of 2023, the state boasted 476 food and beverage companies that, combined, employ more than 55,000 workers. Including cash receipts, salaries and other induced effects, the sector contributes more than 14% of Arkansas’ GDP. Helping to drive food and beverage is Arkansas’ rich agricultural sector. Not for nothing is Arkansas known as the “Rice Capital of the United States.” It accounts for nearly half of America’s rice production, while also leading the nation in rice exports. Valued at more than $6 billion, the rice industry is a major employer. Riceland Foods, headquartered in Stuttgart, Arkansas, operates one of the world’s largest rice mills in Jonesboro and reported revenues of $1.3 billion in 2023. Other top crops in Arkansas, according to the Arkansas Farm Bureau, include soybeans ($2 billion), corn ($790 million), cotton ($504 million) and wheat ($60 million). Few states outperform Arkansas for poultry and poultry processing. According to the Poultry Foundation, the Arkansas poultry industry provides more than $5.1 billion in cash receipts annually. That ranks first or second nationally, depending on the source of the rankings. Major companies in the poultry processing sector include Springdale-based Tyson Foods, Simmons Foods — headquartered in Siloam Springs — Butterball, Peco Foods and Pilgrim’s Pride. Arkansas also ranks first or second for egg production. A Wave of Major Investments As a longtime investor in Arkansas, Tyson is poised to open a new $70 “ What you have here is a solid business climate and a state that’s supportive. ” — Harvey Williams, Co-founder, Delta Dirt Distillery million hatchery that’s to employ 60 people in the small town of Hope. The company’s annual payroll in Arkansas is $1.4 billion, with its overall economic impact estimated at $2.1 billion. Hope Baking Company is investing more than $37 million to expand its food manufacturing facility. The expansion is expected to create 266 new jobs over two years. The facility is to output a range of bakery items. (See p. 22 of this guide for more). “Companies are expanding their footprints and creating jobs across the Natural State,” said Gov. Sarah Sanders in a release. “I’m proud that Hope Baking Company is choosing to do the same in South Arkansas as we cut taxes, slash red tape and invest in our workforce.” Westrock Coffee is another Arkansas food and beverage success story. In June, the company based in Little Rock unveiled a massive coffee roasting and “ready-to-drink” facility in Conway, which it describes as the largest such facility in North America. The expansion represents a whopping investment of $315 million. The 570,000-sq.ft. factory is just two miles from the company’s recently opened 530,000-sq.ft. warehousing and distribution facility. It boasts what Westrock describes as a “comprehensive beverage development laboratory.” Westrock sources its coffee beans exclusively from Rwanda, where the company says it pays employees 20% above the local labor market and provides health care and pension funds. Once processed, those beans are shipped to Arkansas, where they’re roasted, packaged and sold to more than 1,000 Walmart and Sam’s Club stores. Keeping it Cool Arkansas’ strategic location in the South-Central U.S. makes it a natural location for food distribution. In August of 2024, Colorado-based Wild Pastures, a regenerative meat delivery service dealing in 100% grass-fed and pasture-raised meat, announced plans to create 20 new jobs over the next two years through a $13 million investment in a distribution facility in the town of Clinton in north- central Arkansas.Next >