Anthony firm succeeds with heavy hardwood mats when others couldn’t
NASA rockets are built to withstand brutal atmospheric conditions shooting through outer space but they couldn’t leave Earth without a little boost from a small manufacturer in south Arkansas.
The World Bank also relied on the Sheridan-based company to help combat Ebola outbreaks in Liberia. And, turning closer to home, the company is now focused on providing wood-composite mats to rebuild and strengthen America’s infrastructure.
Anthony Hardwood Composites has operated in Grant County for about 20 years after the initial manufacturing operation failed in Maine.
John Ed Anthony, who made frequent visits to Maine, learned of the struggles and was keen enough to recognize the operation would complete a three-legged stool: he already owned hundreds of thousands of acres of timberland and owned and operated sawmills that could source the plant easily in Arkansas.
He purchased intellectual property and patents and built the Sheridan facility from the ground up to house the operation. “That was a no-brainer,” says Anthony, a dual hall of famer as a member of the Arkansas Business Hall of Fame and the Arkansas Sports Hall of Fame (he owns and races thoroughbreds).
As important, Jon Fiutak was lured to Arkansas to lead the Grant County operation as general manager and partner.
Today, it has about 60 employees — one-fourth dedicated to engineering, analysis and project management — and is growing, invigorated by the billions of dollars being poured into rebuilding the nation’s infrastructure.
Supplying the energy industry is the current focus, buoyed by the injection of federal funds. About 90% of the Sheridan plant’s production is dedicated to the sector, which is fueling job growth at the plant.
Production is ramping up by 50% to meet commitments through the first quarter of 2025. “We’re using Arkansas hardwood to help rebuild the nation’s infrastructure, whereas other places we failed,” Fiutak says.
The company also will expand its workforce by 20%.
Anthony Hardwoods uses low-grade boards that don’t meet the quality standards for higher-end production of furniture or flooring. It churns out beams, typically 12-inches wide of various lengths and thickness, that are bolted together to create the mats, which generally are 4 feet wide, 40 feet long and 8 inches thick and girded by steel for further strength and protection. Mats are stored in depots across the nation for easy accessibility by customers.
Customers don’t purchase the mats; they’re rented. Anthony Hardwoods retrieves the mats and either refurbishes or recycles them to be used again. Each mat has a useful life of about 10 years.
The engineering technology to produce the mats was developed in Maine, and a commercial production facility began manufacturing but struggled with maintaining a steady supply of hardwood needed to sustain operations.
The company is completely vertically integrated, from how the timber is grown, to the sawmills that turn timber into logs through final manufacturing and testing in Sheridan. “The benefit of building the plant down here was the hardwood resources, some of which were controlled internally because John Ed’s companies had the sawmills and the forest land we needed,” Fiutak said.
Mats support heavy equipment moving materials over difficult terrains. They are engineered for specific project needs: to float, to create access over marshes or to provide a bridge over sensitive archaeological sites, for example. Mats provide the structural support for construction vehicles that otherwise would get bogged down in swampy land or difficult terrain.
“This is a combination of the resources available in Arkansas and the engineering and science to make unique systems,” Fiutak said. “The areas of the country that are the most difficult to access, that’s where we shine.”
The business moves about 6,000 truckloads to and from construction sites annually and the manufacturing operation uses about 10 million board feet of low-grade hardwood each year. Field operations personnel are spread out across the U.S. Along with headquarters in Sheridan, the company has operations in Portland, Maine, and Eugene, Ore.
The operation is part of the Anthony Timberlands Inc. family of several companies: Anthony Timberlands including softwood and hardwood production, Anthony Wood Treating and Anthony Oak Flooring.
ENTERGY CITED FOR SITE ACHIEVEMENT
Entergy Corp., parent of Arkansas’ largest electric provider, has continued a 16-year streak of being recognized as one of the region’s top utilities supporting economic growth.
Site Selection magazine, a highly regarded trade publication focused on economic development, has recognized Entergy as a top utility for economic growth in the region it serves: Arkansas, Mississippi and Texas.
Entergy Arkansas, which serves 730,000 customers in 63 counties, has a long-standing commitment to “help our state and communities be successful in economic development,” President and Chief Executive Officer Laura Landreaux said.
The Arkansas utility says it has helped secure $3.6 billion in capital investments and create about 1,400 new jobs in the state.
Site Selection evaluated utilities based on their job-creating infrastructure and facility investment trends, innovative programs and incentives for businesses along with website tools and data.
MINORITY BUSINESSES RECOGNIZED
A dozen local minority-business enterprises were recognized for their achievements by the Little Rock Regional Chamber of Commerce at the organization’s closing luncheon to celebrate 2023 Minority Enterprise Development Week.
Businesses were selected from hundreds of nominees for their excellence and impact in their fields.
K Hall & Sons Produce, a family-owned business on Wright Avenue in Little Rock since the 1970s, received the Legacy Award of the Year. Kendra Pruitt, chief of staff for Little Rock Mayor Frank Scott Jr., was named Minority Advocate of 2023. Mason Doyne with MD Doyne Construction won outstanding young professional of 2023. River Mountain Eye Care took the emerging minority business award and Nelson Intelligence Solutions was awarded minority business of the year.