Emerging in Arkansas

Welcome to the Natural State

Lost in the Arkansas shuffle of global retailers/meat suppliers/ logistics providers/steel producers are a couple of electric vehicle manufacturers based in the Natural State.

Canoo, in the process of moving its headquarters to Bentonville from Austin, Texas, and Osceola’s Envirotech likely won’t stay under the radar for long.

Canoo announced it had won a Defense Department contract to supply battery modules, and Envirotech revealed it’ll provide the chassis for an all-electric aircraft refueler truck for Atlantic Aviation.

This is big news from small but growing Arkansas firms poised to make an impact on transportation.

Though Canoo has yet to post that framed first dollar bill on the breakroom wall, its CEO says the startup has more than $2 billion in the order pipeline.

In addition to the deal for its modular and flexible EV battery system, Canoo last year was awarded the contract for a U.S. Army light tactical vehicle, a jack-of-all-trades truck that can be used as flatbed or cargo vehicle. Canoo has delivered a prototype to the Army for analysis, the paper reports.

The firm was chosen last year to build the Artemis crew transport vehicle for NASA. It will take the Artemis lunar astronauts to the launchpad next year as part of NASA’s planned return to the moon.

In addition to fully moving its corporate footprint to NWA, Canoo plans research and manufacturing facilities for the region.

Envirotech is working with a Kansas City firm to build a 900-gallon aviation gas truck for Atlantic Aviation. The truck’s fueling module will be able to hold longer charges, the company says. Its CEO says Envirotech, which builds EVs and batteries mostly for commercial fleets and schools, is continuing to fill demand for sustainable aviation ground equipment.

An emerging EV manufacturer in Northwest Arkansas will fit in nicely with the region’s diverse portfolio of Fortune 500 industry. And Envirotech’s success in Mississippi County will add an extra layer of lucrative economic development in that emerging corner of the state, already established as a national steel hub.

Arkansas firms with promising outlooks poised to create high-paying jobs for Arkansans: We like the sound of that.