Whirlpool is spending more than $40 million to expand its plant in Fort Smith, Ark., to broaden its product line.

Whirlpool Expansion Keeps Arkansas Cool

Arkansas officials did everything they could to attract the Toyota truck plant, but in the end, were edged out by their Texas neighbors. But Toyota's Dennis Cuneo went outside usual corporate policy to compliment the Arkansas effort.
        "Governor Huckabee and his team did everything they could to get this plant for Arkansas," he said. "They put together an extremely competitive incentive package and showed us what an attractive place Arkansas is to do business. Given all the positive attributes of the site and the state, I would not be surprised if another automaker makes the decision to locate in Arkansas."
        In the meantime, an expansion by Whirlpool at its Fort Smith Division is the largest recent jobs pledge in Arkansas. The company plans a $40 -million-plus expansion to create up to 700 full-time positions over the next three years to support introduction of new refrigerator models. The plant currently employs approximately 4,500 and manufactures side-by-side refrigerators, trash compactors and icemakers.
        Boltz Steel Furniture moved its headquarters from Carlsbad, Calif., to Conway. Jeff White, Boltz president, says the small Arkansas city is a logical place for its relocation. Boltz designs and markets a line of home theater and lifestyle furniture.
        "Our relocation to Arkansas from California may be a microcosm of what you will see in the future," White says, citing Conway's quality of life. "I call our move the common-sense ABCs (Arkansas Beats California) of doing business."
        Southwest Steel Processing, an alliance between Park-Ohio Holdings of Cleveland, Ohio, and Arkansas Steel Associates (ASA) of Newport, will forge rail car components in a new 18,000-sq.-ft. (1,672-sq.-m.) facility in Newport, using steel supplied by adjacent ASA. Southwest plans to create more than 230 jobs in several phases over the next five years.