Looking forward
Area looks for new businsses, jobs
With summer on the horizon, Greers Ferry Lake-area businesses are gearing up for 40,000-acre lake big attracts business. people Each from year, around the Arkansas and beyond with world-class fishing, camping, hiking and more. Whether for a weekend getaway or a whole summer, those who enjoy the outdoors are right at home on Greers Ferry Lake.
The tourism industry is the No. 1 economic engine in the region, said Dara Samuel, director of economic development for Cleburne County. With hundreds of hotels, marinas, restaurants and stores in the area, out-of-town visitors help sustain the local economy.
“We work on tourism and attracting tourism every day,” she said.
Samuel, who works in conjunction with the Heber Springs Area Chamber of Commerce, the Greers Ferry Area Chamber of Commerce and a variety of other public-interest groups, said she hopes some big tourism projects that are in various stages of development will help attract more visitors, as well as provide a better quality of living for residents of the area.
One project currently under construction is a park at the corner of Main and Second streets.The park will have public restrooms and a small fountain, along with a few parking spaces, which will create additional spots for those who want to visit downtown stores.
Just north of Main Street, another new development is about to begin. Commercial Realty, NWA, LLC will tear down the former Hardee’s location on Arkansas 25B and construct a new shopping center in the location. Samuel said the building will have about six tenants, and most of the units already have commitments from businesses, which have not yet been announced.
“They have a couple of national names that have already confirmed they are going to be there,” she said.
While the Greers Ferry Lake area is famous for its laidback, fun atmosphere, there are also several manufactures in the area who provide jobs to local residents.
One manufacturer recently announced it will increase its workforce. St. Jean Industries, which makes parts for automotive wheels, will add 300 jobs, Samuel said.The company will hold a job fair from 2-6 p.m. Thursday, May 28, at 424 Industrial Park Road in Heber Springs.The company will hire workers for first, second and third shifts and will take applications for maintenance technicians, forklift operators, shipping and receiving, foundry and machining production, and more.
Garreco, which is based in Heber Springs is a manufacturer of a variety of dental-industry products to make molds and dentures as well as parts for rotary dental tools. The company has been in Heber Springs for more than 27 years and employs 49 people. Kris Holiman, CEO, said that he’s proud that the company can keep people working.
“Anything our little community can get, in terms of jobs, is important,” he said. “We’re proud to be a part of that.”
Another local industrial employer is Defiance Metal Products. This company is a full-service metal stamper, fabricator and painter of medium-volume component assemblies for the military-vehicle, commercial-vehicle, construction-equipment and agriculture-equipment markets.
While tourism is the main driver of the local economy, industrial jobs help sustain the economy year-round, Samuel said. However, these industrial jobs need employees who have the proper training to fill those positions, she said. That’s where local colleges such as Arkansas State University-Heber Springs come in. The school offers a variety of associate degrees and vocational and technical classes for students. Its welding program began in 2004 and can now service up to 118 students in its day and evening classes. ASU-Heber Springs offers a Certificate of Proficiency WeldingTechnology, a Technical Certificate Welding Technology and an Associate of Applied Science Welding Technology. Students in the program have won several awards in SkillsUSA competitions.
Samuel also said area residents are eagerly awaiting the implementation of the recently passed Senate Bill 891, which was signed into law by Gov. Asa Hutchinson. Also known as the Workforce Initiative Act of 2015, the bill sets up a fund in the state Department of Higher Education that will accept competitive applications for regional economicdevelopment and workforce-development initiatives.