Page 5 - Spirit of Russellville

RIVER VALLEY & OZARK EDITION OF THE ARKANSAS DEMOCRAT-GAZETTE • SPIRIT OF RUSSELLVILLE SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 27, 2015 5V V
INDUSTRY
On the
products simple and easy. Low crime rates, excellent parks and other quality-of-life features also create an attractive incentive for businesses to locate in the town, he said.
While there are no big infrastructure projects currently going on, he said, all of the available industrial sites listed on the alliance’s website already have the necessary infrastructure in place.
“However, as we continue to grow and prepare additional industrial sites,such as the RiverValley Regional Intermodal Facility development, we will have to develop new and expanded infrastructure,” he said.
Russellville was recently named the Welcome to Arkansas Commu- nity of theYear.This award recognizes communities that increase visitor satisfaction with vacationing in Arkansas and improve customer service by arming front-line personnel with messages about the local com- munity. Russellville joined the Welcome to Arkansas program in 2012.
“In the past two years, more than 70 people from the hospital- ity industry, retail, nonprofit and other local businesses have taken advantage of this program,” said Misty Lumpkins, communications director for the Russellville Area Chamber of Commerce. “Our chamber has embraced this wonderful program and offers it to the whole community quarterly. Our goal is to roll out the welcome mat because without people coming into our local businesses, there would be no local businesses.”
Pipkin said the Russellville Area Chamber of Commerce and the ArkansasValley Alliance for Economic Development work hard every day to do everything possible to make sure businesses are successful.
“As a result of those efforts,the region continues to enjoy steady growth and prosperity,” he said.
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OFFICIALS SAY CITY IS READY FOR BUSINESS
By Cody Graves
SPECIAL SECTIONS WRITER
Russellville is a growing community, and with great local business and a strong industrial workforce, the city is
experiencing steady growth.
Over the past year, several small business have opened up, said Jeff Pipkin, president and CEO of the Russellville Area Chamber of Commerce and the Arkansas Valley Alliance for Economic Devel- opment. Chili’s Grill & Bar opened at 107 N. Elmira Ave. earlier this year, and Sumo Japanese Steakhouse, which serves up a variety of
SUBMITTED PHOTO
The Russellville Area Chamber of Commerce recently helped cut the ribbon on The Car Clinic’s new location at 1000 E. 28th St.
sushi and Asian cuisine, opened at 2300 E. Parkway Drive.
Pipkin said he was excited to welcome Rockline Industries to the area earlier this year. Rockline acquired a 240,000-square-foot facility
to manufacture wet wipes.
Established industries in the area are also expanding, he said.
ConAgra Foods,Taber Extrusions, Stella-Jones, Laddish and PSC have all been in various phases of expansion during 2015.
Pipkin said there are a number of factors that make Russellville attractive to businesses, including high-quality, award-winning educa- tion available in the Russellville School District and at Arkansas Tech University, and great health care from St. Mary’s Regional Medical Center.Also,easy access to Interstate 40 and U.S.64 makes shipping