NEA Outstanding Business Awards handed out; Stafford recognized
by April 14, 2026 7:18 pm 465 views
Arvest Bank's Selena Barber (left) and honoree Trey Stafford at the NEA Outstanding Business Awards.
Talk Business & Politics, in conjunction with Arvest Bank, held its annual NEA Outstanding Business Awards event Tuesday (April 14) at the Red Wolf Convention Center in Jonesboro. Winners were announced in five categories — nonprofit, startup, small, medium and large business.
The five finalists in each category gathered for the event.
One of the signature awards of the event, the Business Impact Award, was given to Trey Stafford, president and general manager of Jonesboro Media Group (JMG). Stafford told those gathered his organization was honored to be the first recipient of this specific award.
Stafford originally formed JMG, but when he sold in 2002 the new company wanted him to stay on and run it like he still owned it. He’s been in the news and radio business since he was a child.
“When you do something for 55 years … serving the community … I’m very blessed,” he said. “I love what I’m doing.”
Leaders from four regional chambers of commerce also participated in a roundtable discussion of the area economy. Allison Hestand, CEO of Paragould Regional Chamber of Commerce; Liz Smith, executive director of the Mississippi County Chamber of Commerce ; Terrance Ward, executive director of the Lawrence County Chamber of Commerce; and Mark Young, president and CEO of the Jonesboro Chamber of Commerce, were part of the roundtable led by Talk Business & Politics Editor-in-Chief Roby Brock. A detailed report of the panel discussion will be posted tomorrow.
Here are a list of the finalists and the winners in each category:
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Nonprofit finalists
Winner: Arkansas Small Business and Technology Development Center
The Arkansas Small Business and Technology Development Center began its operations on the Arkansas State University campus in 1983. It serves as a small business assistance
Each year, the ASBTDC works with about 250 clients throughout Northeast Arkansas. It provides market data for clients that want to start a business or expand an existing one. It’s grant funded, meaning it can’t spend money on traditional advertising. It receives clients through referrals, often from the chambers of commerce throughout the region.
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Startup finalists
Winner: The Den Zone
Jerry Rapert had owned a pharmacy and worked in some other businesses but decided he wanted to open his own sports bar and grill. He had a conversation with Arkansas State University Chancellor Todd Shields and both became intrigued with the possibility of opening one on the A-State campus.
Rapert, who is an A-State alum and fervent college sports fan, opened The Den Zone in the ASU Pavilion on campus in February 2026. They opened with a limited menu, but the company plans to expand it this spring.
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Small business finalists
Winner: Chris West Plumbing
Chris West’s father was a plumber, and it was natural for him to join that trade. In 1999, he founded Chris West Plumbing in Jonesboro. The company specializes in residential repairs, light commercial projects, rehabbing drainage pipes and other plumbing-related projects. One thing Chris West Plumbing does is train apprentice plumbers in-house.
Several of their 25 employees came into the business out of high school, while others are military veterans. For several, it is a second and sometimes third career. Training in house gives West and his team a better grasp of who they are hiring and workforce development is emphasized in the company.
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Medium business finalists
Winner: Jetton General Contracting
Jetton began in 1972 when founder Kendall Jetton established Kendall Jetton Electric in his hometown, focusing primarily on residential electrical wiring and serving the local community.
In 1984, the company reached a major milestone when it began working with Walmart as an electrical contractor. Around this time, the company rebranded as Jetton’s Electric, Inc. In 2006, the company took another step forward by obtaining its general contractor’s license and rebranding as Jetton General Contracting. That same year, the company completed its first project as a general contractor for Walmart in Texas.
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Large business finalists
Winner: Allen Engineering Corporation
Dewayne and Mary Ann Allen wanted to own their own business. In 1964, they started Allen Engineering Corporation, a small ready-mix concrete business. In 1968 they bought the Allen-Hixson ready mix plant, and that is the location of their business today.
By 1974, they had sold their ready-mix business in Northeast Arkansas and began to transition into becoming a heavy equipment manufacturer. By 1977, they had made their first piece of concrete equipment, the Razorback.
AEC is now a designer, manufacturer, distributor and marketer of the Allen line of Concrete and Related Equipment that is sold across the country and around the world. The company employs about 140 and is still under the control of the Allen family.