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Arkansas

Arkansas, though small in population, has long been a crossroads for shipping north and south as well as east and west. Its central location makes it a major pass-through state for all manner of goods. It also, however, is making major efforts to diversify what historically has been an agricultural and food-producing economy.

In 1999, the state claimed $1.5 billion in new and expanding industry, which is projected to create 9,200 new jobs, the second consecutive year that the state has had record-breaking job-creation figures.

The most impressive part of Arkansas' economic growth is that it is distributed across the state and not clustered in just one or two urban areas. Rural communities that have lost industry often are able to claim a new industry to replace jobs that were thought to be lost.

One such example took place in Morrilton, which in early 1999 faced the prospects of losing 1,100 jobs when two manufacturing facilities announced plans to close their doors in this town of 6,500. Less than six months later, the town landed the ICT Group, a Pennsylvania-based company that services call centers. ICT announced plans to build a call-center services operation that is projected to employ 620 people within three years.

Arkansas is also in the race for service-sector development. In February 2000, officials with Alltel, a Little Rock-based telecommunications company, announced plans to build a new $2.8-million, 22,000-sq.-ft. (2,000-sq.-m.) service center in Harrison, in the northwestern part of the state. That operation will enhance the company's existing 16,000-sq.-ft. (1,500-sq.-m.) facility in Harrison and add 200 new jobs to the existing 180 people the company already employs there.

Arkansas has its share of manufacturing growth, as witnessed by an expansion decision a year ago by Superior Industries International, which produces aluminum wheels and other automotive products for all of the major auto manufacturers. The company acquired a 69-acre (28-ha.) site in Heber Springs to build a 142,000-sq.-ft. (13,100-sq.-m.) building to house its automotive parts operation. The company has a manufacturing and engineering facility in Fayetteville.