Arkansas Economic Development Commission — Arkansas: A Natural for Business

A key reason many foreign companies (more than 100 and counting) locate in Arkansas is because of its superb location. LM Glasfiber, Welspun Gujarat, Hino Motors USA, and Nestle all came to Arkansas because location was critical. The state’s central location puts any business in excellent position for transporting goods to both domestic and international markets.

The fact is, Arkansas is the nation’s logistical capital and is a midpoint for North American trade. Its excellent transportation infrastructure makes it the ideal location for all companies to consider when deciding where to locate.

Targets
Most people are surprised when they hear that aerospace is Arkansas’s top export. More than 10,000 people are employed in aerospace occupations, including aircraft parts and components, rocketry, air transportation services, aircraft repair and maintenance, and aircraft refurbishing. Dassault Falcon Jet is the state’s top aerospace company. Other companies include Hawker Beechcraft, American Airlines, and Lockheed Martin Missiles.

This is why aerospace is one of 12 target industries in which we focus our recruiting and expansion efforts. We are open for business for any industry, but for marketing we keep those 12 in our sights. In addition to aerospace they include:
• • Automotive assembly and suppliers
• • Information technology/telecommunications
• • Bottled spring water
• • Logistics
• • Health and international foods
• • Alternative fuels
• • Steel
• • Wind power
• • Bioscience
• • Green or sustainable building materials
• • Data centers

For complete information about our target industries, visit our website and read the profiles that explain why these are a good match for Arkansas.

Work Force/Education/Training
What you will find in Arkansas are people with a strong work ethic and available training for whatever the need. There are 11 four-year public universities, 22 two-year public colleges, 12 independent colleges and universities, and three technical universities/vocational–technical schools located in the state.

But more importantly, what you will find when you are ready to begin hiring is the Arkansas Economic Development Commission (AEDC), which, working with other state agencies, offers a Career Readiness Certificate to potential employees. This helps make certain that the people you interview are qualified and those you hire have the skills, or can be trained in the skills, that you need. This greatly increases your return on your training dollars and efforts.

Quality of Life
It’s an important issue and one where Arkansas excels. Our quality of life is exceptional, with a low cost of living, affordable housing, available healthcare, mountains, lake, parks — about the only thing not found in Arkansas is the ocean, but it’s not far away.

Open for Business
When Governor Mike Beebe took office in January 2007, he did two things. He set the focus for his administration: education and economic development. They are inseparable.

He also sent out the word — Arkansas is open for business.

Since January 2007 to date, AEDC has worked with over 100 companies to either locate or expand in Arkansas, creating nearly 9,000 jobs, with an investment in our state of almost $1.5 billion. And the numbers continue to grow.

This success has everything to do with location, work force, a business-friendly environment, and the extraordinary quality of life in Arkansas. It also speaks to our customer service when it comes to working with companies.

We have an office in Japan, and project managers for Asia and Europe. We are ready to talk to you today.

For more information, visit our website or contact us by phone, e-mail, or mail.