New story from Site Selection Online, published by Tori Perry, August 14th, 2009
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Sometimes you learn as much coming in second as you do when you win," Arkansas Gov. Mike Beebe told us in his first interview with Site Selection two years ago. "You had better listen to companies, and we've done that."
They sure have, with more wins as a result: According to the Conway Data New Plant Database, there were 36 wins between Jan. 2008 and early May 2009. Three of them came on one day in July 2008, all in the northwest Arkansas community of Fort Smith, near the Oklahoma state line along I-40. Two of those expansions come from companies who feel right at home with the outdoors allure of the Natural State: a maker of air guns, and a fishing-lure manufacturer.
Whether you're looking for smallmouth lures, crankbaits, minnowbaits, plastic worms or jerkbaits, you can find it at PRADCO Outdoor Brands, one of 11 brands in the outdoor products division of Birmingham, Ala.-based EBSCO. And you can find PRADCO at a now-rising $21-million, 300,000-sq.-ft. (27,870-sq.-m.) manufacturing facility at Chaffee Crossing, the name given to some 7,000 acres (2,833 hectares) of the former Fort Chaffee outside Fort Smith.
The facility replaces 120,000 sq. ft. (11,148 sq. m.) spread among three facilities in Fort Smith, and will be home to at least 150 jobs.
"Pradco and its fishing lures have found a great fit in Fort Smith and the Natural State for 46 years," Gov. Mike Beebe said in a news release. "We appreciate their continued investment in Arkansas, especially as we work with businesses to redevelop this area of Fort Chaffee." more http://tinyurl.com/hrcom-relocation27