Talk Business & Politics Daily: The Little Rock Port, Rep. George B. McGill edition

Editor’s note: You can watch the full video of today’s Talk Business & Politics Daily at the end of this report, or download an audio version through the iTunes store under “Talk Business & Politics.”
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Thursday’s Talk Business & Politics Daily digital newscast features Little Rock Port Authority executive director Bryan Day and State Rep. George McGill. In addition, you can catch our Top Stories of the day and a rundown of the latest stories from our Health Care microsite.

Earlier this week, the Little Rock Port Authority publicly announced it received a $6.2 million TIGER grant to expand its port facilities. TB&P first broke the story nearly two weeks ago.

Day said the money will be used to expand the loading services at the port to allow for more and different types of goods to be distributed. He also said that other developments and activities are shaping the next several years for the Arkansas River port, including the widening of the Panama Canal and a strategic plan for business development.

TB&P: People might not just equate the Arkansas River and the Panama Canal, but with the widening of the canal that has occurred, there is an opportunity for more port business as a result. What are realistic expectations?

Bryan Day: With the widening of the canal, that now will allow these megaships with thousands of containers of durable goods and commodities to come from the Far East without having to go around the southern tip [of South America]. The deep water ports like New Orleans, they are building infrastructure to accommodate those megaships which then, in theory, they could easily off load onto a river barge and bring it up the Arkansas River.

I don’t know exactly where I fall on that yet. My colleague at Tulsa, who has been in this business a long time and I have the greatest respect for him, he believes that within the decade that container traffic on the McClellan-Kerr – the Arkansas River system – will be an everyday sight. It is obviously the cheapest way to move goods, it’s the safest way to move goods, and if you can schedule in advance and place those orders, it’s definitely the way to go. It takes trucks off the interstate, it saves fuel cost, and so you know this TIGER grant we talked about earlier, that is going to allow us to handle containers and I am optimistic for the future.

TB&P: Let’s talk about your strategic plan. You have looked at some target industries that you want to see that will grow. You are doing some land development out at the port right now. Give me a 100,000 foot elevation view of what you are strategically trying to do.

Day: Essentially the port is out of land, so it is hard for us to compete and attract new industry, so the first thing we are doing is we are in an aggressive land acquisition mode. I hope to acquire over the next 12 months 1,500-2,000 acres to grow our footprint. Once that land is in place, we have identified industry sectors that will use the river that will use the rail, or support businesses that do use those assets.

TB&P: What would be some of those?

Day: We are looking at agriculture. We are looking at primary metals, advanced manufacturing, food production, chemicals, and just kind of those manufacturing type jobs. They’re a little higher paying, little more skilled labor that can grow jobs, which is our mission at the port. So with this new land and with these strategic targets, you know I hope that we are back together in a decade and we are out of land again and we have doubled our employment and doubled our local investment.

TB&P: No casinos though?

Day: No casinos!

REP. McGILL READY TO TACKLE FOSTER CARE
Rep. George McGill, D-Fort Smith, is chairman of the House Aging, Children And Youth, Legislative & Military Affairs. With a new director of the Arkansas Department of Human Services and a renewed examination of the state’s foster care system, McGill weighed in on the state government changes.

TB&P: What have you liked or not liked about the new DHS director, Cindy Gillespie?

Rep. George McGill: I like what she’s bringing to the table for the state of Arkansas. She’s thorough in her deliberations and has been very thoughtful in what needed to be done and I think she is on the same page as most of my colleagues. I anticipate some good things coming out of her office and through her leadership. We are going to see some great things as it relates to children and senior citizens and as chairman of the Aging, Children and Youth committee, that is very important to me.

TB&P: Give me an idea of something you are going to be working on for the next legislative session – something you would be willing to put your name on as a sponsor.

McGill: Our focus particularly from this committee has been foster care and I think the governor has had his eye on that and so has the legislature. We are looking to see some good things come out of legislation that will support foster care and how we deal with it in this state. As you probably know, Sebastian County has one of the largest population of foster children and I am very excited about what we could possibly do to assist in that matter.

TB&P: Talking about Fort Smith and the region as a whole, what do you think is the biggest issue, the biggest challenge facing the area right now?

McGill: I tell you what probably like everyone else we are always looking for the opportunity to attract new jobs. But I would say right now is to get ahold of our budget, locally and create some space between what’s required and some things that we could do to make the quality of life better for the people of Fort Smith.

McGill was also asked who his favorite Republican is in the state legislature and what his middle initial – “B.” – stands for.

Watch McGill’s and Day’s full interviews below along with our Top Stories of the day and a preview of stories trending on our Health Care microsite.