Jobs partnership

Fort SmithOutside The Wire

by The City Wire staff ([email protected]) October 10, 2011 3:58 pm 66 views 

Editor’s note: Roby Brock, with our content partner Talk Business, wrote this report. He can be reached at [email protected]

The communities of Conway and Morrilton are making plans to work more closely on regional projects.

Today (Oct. 10), the Conway County Economic Development Corporation (CCEDC) and the Morrilton Area Chamber of Commerce formalized a three-year contract with the Conway Development Corporation to provide economic development services for Conway County. Previously, the CCEDC had handled all economic development responses for Conway County and Morrilton.

CCEDC Chairman Fred Briggler said Morrilton’s economic development efforts were at a crossroads and that now was the time for a new era.

“At a time when we are making a leadership and management change, we have an opportunity to join forces with what we believe is the state’s top economic development team,” said John Gibson, President of the CCEDC and Morrilton Chamber, who will retire later this year.

Becki Griffey, chairman of the Morrilton Area Chamber says that the partnership goes beyond just responding to pending economic development projects.  

“This agreement increases the availability and diversity of workforce and sites.  As we hire a new Chamber President, that person and their team will have full access to a successful group of consultants,” she said.

The Conway Development Corporation will be responsible for the initial response to inquiries from economic development agencies or site selectors.  They will actively market Morrilton’s industrial sites, workforce and expansion opportunities.

Conway Development Corporation President Brad Lacy says that the decision to formalize the partnership was an easy one.

“We’re honored at the opportunity to help grow central Arkansas’s economy by growing Morrilton.  We don’t compete against each other.  The best thing for Conway is to have a thriving neighbor of 7,000 to 10,000.  They bring our own community tremendous opportunity," said Lacy.

The three-year agreement will go into effect Jan. 1, 2012.