Regional Hot Springs Jobs Group Alters Web Site, Marketing Name

by Talk Business & Politics staff ([email protected]) 97 views 

In an effort to capitalize on its nationally known name and to re-position its interest in regional job growth, the Garland County Economic Development Corporation has changed its name to the Hot Springs Metro Partnership.

The group unveiled a new web site — GrowHotSprings.com — aimed at showcasing the area’s amenities and economic advantages.

The name “Hot Springs Metro Partnership” was chosen because it better reflects the region outside of Arkansas, the group said in a press release.  It added that research showed many people did not know where Garland County was, but they were familiar with Hot Springs.

“It was a marketing decision the board made,” said Don Gooch, chairman of the Partnership.  “As we traveled and spoke with site selectors and businesses outside of Arkansas we learned that the majority had heard of Hot Springs, Arkansas and most had only heard positive things about our area.  When you are looking at destinations for vacation or business travel or whatever, normally you don’t know the county’s name, just the cities you are traveling to, I think that is why people were so familiar with the name Hot Springs.”

The Greater Hot Springs region represents five counties — Clark, Garland, Hot Spring, Montgomery, and Pike.

GrowHotSprings.com is the Partnership’s first Web site.  The organization is 57 years old and this is the first online resource dedicated to economic growth for Garland County and the Greater Hot Springs region. The site contains market profiles, demographics, available buildings and sites and more.

“The ability to update the information we share on our site is a great advantage.  At any point we can instantaneously make a change to reflect what is going on in the Greater Hot Springs region’s economic growth.  It is also a way to keep our investors and the community updated on the progress of our strategic plan,” said Gooch.

The Hot Springs Metro Partnership, a sister organization to the Greater Hot Springs Chamber of Commerce, is a public-private partnership dedicated to growing the economy in Garland, Hot Spring, Pike, Montgomery and Clark Counties.