196 replies to this topic

[mcheiss]

Mith242, on Oct 12 2005, 03:04 PM, said:

Aren't they supposed to be building a different type of Sears somewhere in Benton County also?  But it wasn't going to be the usual Sears, but would carry a lot of the electronics and appliances and such of a Sears.  
I am still a little surprised to see Jonesboro doing such a good job of drawing in so many of the businesses mentioned earlier.  I know Jonesboro isn't too far behind Fayetteville but I'm not sure if there's much of a metro  over there.  There's a lot bigger metro here in northwest Arkansas but I don't think that at the moment we are that far ahead of Jonesboro are far as some of these restaurants and retail establishments are concerned.

They already built that store in Bentonville. It's actually one of those Sears Home Town Dealers. It's pretty much appliances, plasma tv's, electronics, and tools and such. It's pretty much a cool store, but they have these stores all across the nation.

[Mith242]

mcheiss, on Oct 12 2005, 03:08 PM, said:

They already built that store in Bentonville. It's actually one of those Sears Home Town Dealers. It's pretty much appliances, plasma tv's, electronics, and tools and such. It's pretty much a cool store, but they have these stores all across the nation.

Yeah that's what I'm talking about.  And sorry I didn't mean to imply it was some sort of new type of Sears like the other one that was mentioned earlier.  But I guess I wasn't aware that they were all that common either.

[mcheiss]

Mith242, on Oct 12 2005, 03:19 PM, said:

Yeah that's what I'm talking about.  And sorry I didn't mean to imply it was some sort of new type of Sears like the other one that was mentioned earlier.  But I guess I wasn't aware that they were all that common either.

No, no problem at all.

[Arkansawyer]

Jonesboro was recently ranked as the No. 6 city on the "entrepreneurial hot cities" list for small cities by Entrepreneur Magazine. Other Arkansas cities did well too, notably Little Rock, which came in at No. 14 on the mid-size cities list. Here's a link to the rankings.

[Mith242]

Arkansawyer, on Oct 12 2005, 04:05 PM, said:

Jonesboro was recently ranked as the No. 6 city on the "entrepreneurial hot cities" list for small cities by Entrepreneur Magazine. Other Arkansas cities did well too, notably Little Rock, which came in at No. 14 on the mid-size cities list. Here's a link to the rankings.

Yeah I saw that.  It really looks like Jonesboro a hot spot.  As I said before, very impressive considering it's in a section of that state that's not doing too great.  Northwest Arkansas was down at 28 in the small cities list.

[mcheiss]

Arkansawyer, on Oct 12 2005, 04:05 PM, said:

Jonesboro was recently ranked as the No. 6 city on the "entrepreneurial hot cities" list for small cities by Entrepreneur Magazine. Other Arkansas cities did well too, notably Little Rock, which came in at No. 14 on the mid-size cities list. Here's a link to the rankings.

I saw that as well, and that cities like Little Rock, Pine Bluff, and Northwest Arkansas were all on the list.

[Rural King]

Arkansawyer, on Oct 12 2005, 04:05 PM, said:

Jonesboro was recently ranked as the No. 6 city on the "entrepreneurial hot cities" list for small cities by Entrepreneur Magazine. Other Arkansas cities did well too, notably Little Rock, which came in at No. 14 on the mid-size cities list. Here's a link to the rankings.

I'm really impressed at the job Arkansas is, and has been, doing in luring industry and business to the state. Its really impressive, and other states IMO could look at what it and its communities have been doing as a model to learn from.

[Mith242]

Rural King, on Oct 13 2005, 02:31 PM, said:

I'm really impressed at the job Arkansas is, and has been, doing in luring industry and business to the state. Its really impressive, and other states IMO could look at what it and its communities have been doing as a model to learn from.

I would agree and I think a lot of credit has to go to Governor Huckabee.  I know he might not be popular with everyone here in Arkansas.  I can't even say I like some of his policies, but I've got to hand it to him.  He's taken a very agressive and active role in attracting industry to Arkansas.  I think I lot of the recent successes stem from him.

[mcheiss]

Mith242, on Oct 13 2005, 03:44 PM, said:

I would agree and I think a lot of credit has to go to Governor Huckabee.  I know he might not be popular with everyone here in Arkansas.  I can't even say I like some of his policies, but I've got to hand it to him.  He's taken a very agressive and active role in attracting industry to Arkansas.  I think I lot of the recent successes stem from him.

Hasn't he been making a lot of trips to Asia lately?

Looks like some of them are paying off, especially with Hino Motors. Hopefully, one will pay off with someone like Toyota.

[Mith242]

mcheiss, on Oct 13 2005, 03:48 PM, said:

Hasn't he been making a lot of trips to Asia lately?

Looks like some of them are paying off, especially with Hino Motors. Hopefully, one will pay off with someone like Toyota.

Yeah he's been very active in Asia.  I know he had made another trip not too far back and it sounds like he might make yet another sometime in the near future.  I really think these trips are what have been attracting Asian companies to places like Marion.  There might even be a bit of a domino effect going on.  Other companies might be looking into the area because a number of Asian companies are doing so.

[mcheiss]

Some of the real-estate in Arkansas is also among the cheapest in the Nation.

That could be another reason.

[Mith242]

mcheiss, on Oct 13 2005, 04:01 PM, said:

Some of the real-estate in Arkansas is also among the cheapest in the Nation.

That could be another reason.

That certainly helps, although that doesn't apply to northwest Arkansas.  Arkansas also happens to be the only southern state without a major automobile factory.  I guess it's just a matter of time before someone comes here.

[mcheiss]

Mith242, on Oct 13 2005, 04:27 PM, said:

That certainly helps, although that doesn't apply to northwest Arkansas.  Arkansas also happens to be the only southern state without a major automobile factory.  I guess it's just a matter of time before someone comes here.

Someone will certainly build here.

I know Toyota announced that they were going to build their plant in San Antonio, but since Toyota is going to pass up GM as the number one car manufacturer, there's still a chance that Toyota could build another plant in North America.

I would like to see one in Northwest Arkasnsas but the Delta area needs one more than us.

[Mith242]

mcheiss, on Oct 13 2005, 08:04 PM, said:

Someone will certainly build here.

I know Toyota announced that they were going to build their plant in San Antonio, but since Toyota is going to pass up GM as the number one car manufacturer, there's still a chance that Toyota could build another plant in North America.

I would like to see one in Northwest Arkasnsas but the Delta area needs one more than us.

There's a good chance Toyota will build another one, it's more a question of when.  Sure it would nice to have something like that in northwest Arkansas, but I just don't see it happening in the near future.  We've having a hard enough time filling factories with the way things are now.  I don't think many would want to put yet another factory with it being so hard to fill positions in our current market.  I would imagine Ft Smith being the best bet in our current area.  Better railroad access and more importantly river access.

[mcheiss]

Mith242, on Oct 13 2005, 08:16 PM, said:

There's a good chance Toyota will build another one, it's more a question of when.  Sure it would nice to have something like that in northwest Arkansas, but I just don't see it happening in the near future.  We've having a hard enough time filling factories with the way things are now.  I don't think many would want to put yet another factory with it being so hard to fill positions in our current market.  I would imagine Ft Smith being the best bet in our current area.  Better railroad access and more importantly river access.

Fort Smith also has a good airport with 2 runways, along with I-40 and I-540 right in there back yard. Fort Smith would be a good choice.

[Mith242]

mcheiss, on Oct 13 2005, 08:19 PM, said:

Fort Smith also has a good airport with 2 runways, along with I-40 and I-540 right in there back yard. Fort Smith would be a good choice.

I certainly agree, especially if I-540 gets upgraded to I-49.  Then it will have yet another good reason.  I do think for now Marion will be the place to be for now.  But maybe in the near future, Ft Smith can start making some serious shots at some of these plants.

[mcheiss]

Mith242, on Oct 13 2005, 08:28 PM, said:

I certainly agree, especially if I-540 gets upgraded to I-49.  Then it will have yet another good reason.  I do think for now Marion will be the place to be for now.  But maybe in the near future, Ft Smith can start making some serious shots at some of these plants.

I hope so, but things like air pollution, and workforce training are limiting Marion for a super project.

[Mith242]

mcheiss, on Oct 13 2005, 08:30 PM, said:

I hope so, but things like air pollution, and workforce training are limiting Marion for a super project.

That's right I forgot about the pollution problem with being so close to Memphis.  I guess that's going to be one thing to hold back Marion to a certain point.  But I do hope that area also becomes a bright spot, like Jonesboro, in an otherwise depressed area of eastern Arkansas.

[mcheiss]

Mith242, on Oct 13 2005, 08:47 PM, said:

That's right I forgot about the pollution problem with being so close to Memphis.  I guess that's going to be one thing to hold back Marion to a certain point.  But I do hope that area also becomes a bright spot, like Jonesboro, in an otherwise depressed area of eastern Arkansas.

I agree. But they are getting a Hino Motors Truck Facility valued at $150 Million.

Marion is also close to that new rail facility, already has existing infastructure, the land is flat and ready for construction, I-40 and I-55, is near the Mississippi River, and within a few miles of the Memphis International Airport.

If a few issues can get sorted out, then I think it will work out for Marion.

[Mith242]

mcheiss, on Oct 13 2005, 08:53 PM, said:

I agree. But they are getting a Hino Motors Truck Facility valued at $150 Million.

Marion is also close to that new rail facility, already has existing infastructure, the land is flat and ready for construction, I-40 and I-55, is near the Mississippi River, and within a few miles of the Memphis International Airport.

If a few issues can get sorted out, then I think it will work out for Marion.

I've wondered if Pine Bluff might also be a possibly future site.  Good access to the river, good railroad access since it used to be the Cotton Belt's HQ.  I-530 connects it to I-30 and basically i_40 and they are building a connector road from Pine Bluff to the future I-69.  About the only thing that might be a hindrance are qualified workers and maybe a smaller airport.