Chamber leaders discuss economy at NEA Outstanding Business Awards luncheon

Chambers executives from across Northeast Arkansas gathered earlier this week at Talk Business & Politics’ NEA Outstanding Business Awards luncheon held in Jonesboro to discuss the region’s economy.

Allison Hestand, CEO of the Paragould Chamber of Commerce; Elizabeth (Liz) Smith, executive director of the Mississippi County Regional Chamber of Commerce; Terrence Ward, executive director of the Lawrence County Chamber of Commerce; and Mark Young, CEO of the Jonesboro Regional Chamber of Commerce, took part in the discussion.

Pockets of the region are still growing economically, including Jonesboro, Young said. New projects such as the school of veterinary medicine that’s about to open on the Arkansas State University campus will accelerate that growth, he added.

“I think the future is bright … I’ve never been more bullish,” he said.

Hestand said that civic and business leaders have spent the past several years revitalizing Paragould’s downtown area, and they’ve focused on improving quality of life metrics such as public safety, education, health care and housing, among others. Improving these metrics will help the city lure businesses and industries to the area.

“We want to make sure we check all those boxes,” she said.

Mississippi County is the largest steel producing county in the country, and leaders there are leaning into its industrial base, Smith said. Nucor operates its largest steel mill there, Nippon recently acquired Big River Steel and is expanding, and Hybar opened a plant last summer.

“We’re on the verge for more growth,” Hestand said.

Ward said his chamber works closely with the Northeast Arkansas Regional Intermodal Authority. It’s an economic organization that operates not only in his county but in Randolph, Sharp and Clay counties. He noted that even if a major manufacturer such as Peco Foods opens in an adjacent county, it still helps the economy in his county.

“We’ve got room to grow,” he said.

All the panelists agree that connectivity between the counties and cities in the region has improved in recent years, but it needs to improve further. Young said one of the biggest challenges for the Jonesboro area is telling the area’s “story” to other parts of the state and country.

Smith also said that a region-wide problem is that communities don’t talk enough about their unique, individual rich histories and cultures. Ward said one thing his chamber is doing is working on social media to let outsiders know how good the quality-of-life metrics are in the region.

Hestand said the state and region need more economic tools to bring in business and industry. Typically, when the region loses an employer or an outside employer chooses to go somewhere else, it’s because incentives are better in some of these other states, she added.

Another simple thing that can be done is for residents to not complain about new employers online when they do locate here. Other companies monitor those social posts, and it’s a factor for them when choosing to locate here, she said.