Arkansas Money & Politics May 2022

MAY 2022/armoneyandpolitics.com

ARCBEST CEO JUDY MCREYNOLDS

& adapt grow

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‘ THE BEST RESTAURANT, Not Just the Best Steakhouse’ “If I see the clientele pulling out their phones and taking pictures of their plates, then that means I’m doing something right.”

J

oseph Coleman knew he was destined to become the first executive chef at Red Oak Steakhouse in Pine Bluff when Todd Gold, the director of food and beverage at Saracen Casino Resort, shared his vision for the resort’s upscale restaurant.

“He told me he wanted Red Oak to be the best restaurant in Arkansas, not just the best steakhouse.”

Gold’s vision resonated with Coleman.

Now, two and a half years after Saracen opened with Coleman as Red Oak’s executive chef, Gold’s vision is resonating with the local community.

Coleman said Gold gave him the symbolic keys with “free range” to manage the menu.

Red Oak, of course, is known for its Kobe beef — many consider it the state’s best steakhouse — but Coleman indeed has expanded the menu. His goal is to make sure patrons are treated to a dining experience unlike any in Arkansas. And he wants Red Oak visitors to be wowed by every aspect of the experience, right down to plate presentation.

“If I see the clientele pulling out their phones and taking pictures of their plates, then that means I’m doing something right.”

Coleman, who spent nine years working for Chef Andre Poirot at the Peabody in Little

Rock before the Marriot conversion, intends to introduce Saracen patrons and southeast Arkansas diners to new culinary sensations.

For example, look for elk on Red Oak menu soon. And that goes for his staff, as well, some of whom had little upscale culinary experience when they joined the new venture in 2019.

“One of my cooks had worked at a Huddle House,” Coleman said. “One day, he asked me, ‘How do you make pasta?’ So, we started from the beginning. Today, he makes the best pasta from scratch.”

Coleman said that hunger to expand pallets applies to both his workers and diners.

“They take the culinary arts very seriously and want to learn.”

After Marriott took over the former Peabody, Coleman stayed on but was asked to travel and consult at various properties within the Davidson Hospitality Group footprint. He became a “fix it” chef.

Coleman said that experience served him well when he launched the Red Oak kitchen.

“I went from a fix-it guy to a start-it-fromscratch guy,” he said. “But that traveling experience gave me a good idea how to start from scratch.”

The high standards set by Coleman and Gold to be the best restaurant in Arkansas give Red Oak an edge, Coleman believes.

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MAY CONTENTS

8 | Plugged In 10 | Viewpoint 12 | Discovery Economics 112 | The Digs of the Deal 128 | The Last Word 68 | Evolving Market

COVID continues to shape the insurance industry, which was forced to adapt to remote working environments and more over the past two years.

90 | Executive Q&A

This month, AMP visits with Cole Plafcan, the former Razorback hired by Simmons Bank to lead its newly created agriculture division.

94 | JA Legacy Awards

16 | DRIVING THE ECONOMY Big rigs may be a source of frustration for drivers on Arkansas highways, but they are essential, moving 92 percent of manufactured goods in the state.

Each May, Junior Achievement recognizes those business leaders and businesses who help promote economic literacy among students.

122 | Lighting a SPARK!

The Venture Center’s SPARK! preaccelerator program does just that for small businesses that need a hand getting off the ground.

MAY 2022/armoneyandpolitics.com

ARCBEST CEO JUDY MCREYNOLDS

adapt & grow

FORT SMITH’S $4B LOGISTICS PROVIDER KEEPS ON TRUCKIN’

By Angela Forsyth

INSIDE: Dynamic Duos | Generational Businesses | Port of LR $5 USD

ON THE COV E R 38 | DYNAMIC DUOS AMP’s 2022 round of Dynamic Duos, nominated by readers, features a wide array of leaders and industries, including Danyelle and Eric Musselman.

M AY 2 02 2

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ArcBest CEO Judy McReynolds posed for Jamison Mosley at company headquarters in Fort Smith for this month’s cover. ArcBest is coming off a record year of growth.

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MAY CONTENTS PRESIDENT & PUBLISHER

Heather Baker | hbaker@armoneyandpolitics.com SENIOR EDITOR Mark Carter | mcarter@armoneyandpolitics.com CONTRIBUTING EDITOR Dustin Jayroe | djayroe@armoneyandpolitics.com ONLINE EDITOR Lindsey Castrellon | lindsey@armoneyandpolitics.com STAFF WRITERS Emily Beirne | ebeirne@armoneyandpolitics.com Sarah Coleman | scoleman@armoneyandpolitics.com Katie Zakrzewski | katie@armoneyandpolitics.com PRODUCTION MANAGER Mike Bedgood | mbedgood@armoneyandpolitics.com

28 | PORT OF CALL The Port of Little Rock has a lot to offer businesses looking to launch or relocate to Central Arkansas, and manufacturers are answering the call.

ART DIRECTOR Jamison Mosley | jmosley@armoneyandpolitics.com DIGITAL MEDIA DIRECTOR Kellie McAnulty | kmcanulty@armoneyandpolitics.com GRAPHIC DESIGNER Lora Puls | lpuls@armoneyandpolitics.com SENIOR ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE Greg Churan | gchuran@armoneyandpolitics.com ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES Tonya Higginbotham | thigginbotham@armoneyandpolitics.com Mary Funderburg | mary@armoneyandpolitics.com Tonya Mead | tmead@armoneyandpolitics.com Amanda Moore | amoore@armoneyandpolitics.com Colleen Gillespie | colleen@armoneyandpolitics.com ASSISTANT TO THE PUBLISHER Jessica Everson | jeverson@armoneyandpolitics.com ADVERTISING COORDINATORS Austin Castrellon | ads@armoneyandpolitics.com Virginia Ellison | ads@armoneyandpolitics.com

74 | ON THE GO Travel nurses played a big role in helping the health care industry handle the pandemic. What will their role be moving forward?

CIRCULATION Ginger Roell | groell@armoneyandpolitics.com ADMINISTRATION Casandra Moore | admin@armoneyandpolitics.com

CEO | Vicki Vowell TO ADVERTISE

call 501-244-9700 email hbaker@armoneyandpolitics.com TO SUBSCRIBE | 501-244-9700 ADVISORY COMMITTEE

Joyce Elliott, Gretchen Hall, Stacy Hurst, Heather Larkin, Elizabeth Pulley, Gina Radke, Steve Straessle, Kathy Webb

CONTRIBUTORS

Angela Forsyth, Becky Gillette, Curtis Barnett, Austin Grinder, Kenneth Heard, Dwain Hebda, Randy Ort

100 | GENERATIONAL BUSINESSES Family businesses are critical to Arkansas’ economy.

AMP is proud, once again, to recognize some of the state’s generational businesses.

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AMP magazine is published monthly, Volume V, Issue 1 AMP magazine (ISSN 2162-7754) is published monthly by AY Media Group, 910 W. Second St., Suite 200, Little Rock, AR 72201. Periodicals postage paid at Little Rock, AR, and additional mailing offices. Postmaster: Send address changes to AMP, 910 W. Second St., Suite 200, Little Rock, AR 72201. Subscription Inquiries: Subscription rate is $28 for one year (12 issues). Single issues are available upon request for $5. For subscriptions, inquiries or address changes, call 501-244- 9700. The contents of AMP are copyrighted, and material contained herein may not be copied or reproduced in any manner without the written permission of the publisher. Articles in AMP should not be considered specific advice, as individual circumstances vary. Products and services advertised in the magazine are not necessarily endorsed by AMP. Please recycle this magazine.

M AY 2022

PLUGGED IN

Dan Roda of Abaca appeared on the cover of the April issue. Abaca serves as a finance mechanism for cannabisrelated businesses, and business has been good.

INSTAGRAM

FEEDBACK ABA PRESIDENT RESPONDS TO ABACA ARTICLE I read your article, “Bankrolling an Industry: for Abaca, Medical Marijuana a Gateway to Opportunity,” and wanted to take a moment on behalf of the banking industry to give additional information about banking cannabis.

Despite changes to state laws, federal law still makes the possession and distribution of cannabis illegal.

Banks must abide by federal law. Because federal law still criminalizes the possession or distribution of cannabis, offering banking services to cannabis-related businesses means banks run the risk of being accused of money laundering.

The Bank Secrecy Act imposes criminal penalties on anyone or any bank that knowingly assists in the laundering of money, which includes processing the proceeds of an illegal transaction. And, since federal law classifies cannabis as illegal, processing funds related to cannabis can be considered money laundering.

In addition, at a minimum, all banks maintain federal deposit insurance which requires adherence to federal law. And all banks must have access to the payment system, which also is subject to federal jurisdiction. The only current guidance for bankers on how to handle cannabis-related businesses was issued by the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) in February 2014. However, following the guidance does not create a protection from prosecution by federal authorities. While the FinCEN guidance addresses cannabis-related businesses, a term which is not clearly defined, it does not address related bank clients including suppliers, employees and landlords of cannabis-related businesses.

During a special press conference at the State Capitol on Monday April 11, First Lady Susan Hutchinson announced a national initiative called the “Shine Hope Campaign,” in which first spouses raise awareness for child abuse victims and survivors across the U.S. Many in attendance at the event wore blue in observation of child abuse awareness, and the Governor’s Residence and State Capitol were lit in blue Monday evening as a symbol of hope for child abuse victims and survivors.

In the article, Mr. Roda made comments about banks’ primary reason for reluctance to bank cannabis businesses — “Roda said that while the cannabis industry is certainly an ‘economic powerhouse,’ properly and compliantly managing a cannabis banking program is too costly for most institutions to do so profitably. Which is why about 95 percent of them avoid the industry today, and he expects most of them to keep avoiding the industry after federal reform, too.’

Here in Arkansas, the Arkansas Bankers Association is the financial industry expert, and I can tell you that compliance and money spent on compliance are not the main concerns about banking cannabis. As outlined above, financial institutions face significant risk for violating federal law, including a possible loss of charter and prosecution by federal authorities. Customer service is a bank’s number one priority, and they do everything they can to meet the needs of their communities. However, current law forces every bank to weigh that against the potential penalties for banking cannabis when making their individual business decisions. For example, if a community bank in a small town were to lose its charter, that could have a devastating effect on the community as a whole.

We do not take a stance on the federal legalization of cannabis but continue to advocate for Congress to pass legislation that provides the financial system legal certainty that states, banks and businesses need. The SAFE Act has passed the House multiple times, and now it’s time for the Senate to pass this bipartisan, common-sense legislation, which will enhance public safety, tax collection and transparency.

Including legal cannabis businesses in the financial system allows banks, which offer FDIC insurance and have to meet the most rigorous regulatory standards, the ability to serve every customer in their communities. In addition, passage would end any doubts about banks’ ability to serve the law firms, accountants, plumbers and a wide array of other vendors that currently support the cannabis industry.

Thank you for your time.

Lorrie Trogden, CAE, President/CEO, Arkansas Bankers Association

Trex Company, the decking and outdoor products manufacturer that moved into Little Rock last fall, recently appointed James Reddish as its director of Little Rock Workforce Development and Community Engagement.

@AMPPOB M AY 2 02 2

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By Mark Carter

EDITOR’S LETTER

T

MAKING THE DREAM WORK

eamwork makes the dream work, the saying goes, and teams can come in varying shapes and sizes. This month, however, we’re recognizing two-person teams in AMP’s second-annual Dynamic Duos.

Selected from reader nominations, Dynamic Duos recognizes those twoperson teams — be they spouses, partners, cousins, whatever — who are making an impact in Arkansas business.

This year’s set represents a wide array of influence and reach. For example, Danyelle and Eric Musselman are included, and it’s difficult to imagine a more dynamic pair in Arkansas. (Or the solar system, for that matter.) But our 2022 dynamos also include those whose work resides more under the radar and is just as impactful, such as Becky and Nathan Pittman or Debbie Doss and Cowper Chadbourn.

The duos recognized in this month’s issue represent everything from

conservation and finance to restaurants and health care. And they all have great stories to tell.

Also, be sure to check out Dwain Hebda’s piece on the forward momentum taking place at the Port of Little Rock.

Much attention is rightfully focused on the emergence of Mississippi County in the state’s northeast corner as a true

national steel hub, and of course all the continued growth northwest, but Bryan Day and the port are reeling in their own big fish.

Plus, Cole Plafcan, newly minted chief of the newly minted agriculture division at Simmons Bank, drops by for an exec Q&A; Angela Forsyth chats with Judy McReynolds at ArcBest; Becky Gillette examines the rise of travel nurses and the growing need for Arkansas medical students to “heal local” after graduation; and Digs of the Deal tackles the annual Coon Supper in Gillett.

And that’s just a tease.

As always, thank you for reading.

Fantastic news outlets abound across Arkansas, and we’re not trying to replace any of them. Our hope is to fill a certain niche with this magazine, and your support helps us do it.

Let me know how we’re doing, good or bad, at MCarter@ARMoneyandPolitics. com.

By Heather Baker

PUBLISHER’S LETTER

A

PACKED TO THE GILLS

MP’s May book is packed to the gills with good stuff.

We’ve got our second-annual set of Dynamic Duos — some of the state’s most powerful couples, partners and two-person teams — as well as a list of prominent generational businesses in Arkansas.

And of course, we’ve got Junior Achievement’s Legacy Awards winners.

Junior Achievement’s mission of promoting economic education and financial literacy is near and dear to my heart. This month, the JA Legacy Awards luncheon will recognize three Arkansas business leaders and one business who have committed to helping JA fulfill its mission of promoting financial literacy among Arkansas students.

This year’s Legacy Award winners are Dr. Alonzo Williams, gastroenterologist

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and medical director for Arkansas Diagnostic Center; Troy Wells, president and CEO of Baptist Health; and Steve

Heather Baker 9

Straessle, principal of Little Rock’s Catholic High School for Boys.

The Nelson Summit Award, recognizing a business that supports education, will go to Seal Solar.

Making sure our kids understand the basics of economics and that they are prepared for the real world once they enter it, quite simply, is an investment in the future. The better our young adults understand the world they’ll inherit, and the finances that make it work, the better off the world will be.

This year’s luncheon will be held May 24 at the DoubleTree Hotel ballroom in downtown Little Rock.

Visit JuniorAchievement.org/web/JAArkansas for more information.

Comments?

Questions?

Story ideas? Hit me up at HBaker@ ARMoneyandPolitics.com.

M AY 2022

VIEWPOINT

AN ELECTION FORECAST: 4 TRENDS TO WATCH

By Austin Grinder

The road to the general election is crowded. And it’s certain to be full of twists, turns and perhaps a few unforeseen bumps, too.

That’s because last year, Arkansas completed its historic redistricting process.

Each decade, following the U.S. census, the board of apportionment redraws the legislative maps to accommodate our state’s population changes.

As anticipated, we saw a significant shakeup of House and Senate seats, particularly in rural areas and regions like Northwest Arkansas experiencing an influx of new residents.

With the governor’s race on tap, the 2022 election was certain to draw attention. But will redistricting make it an even more unique cycle? Here are four trends to watch on the path to November 8.

The sheer number of candidates: Redistricting opened the candidate floodgates.

This year, Arkansas reported a record

number of filings. Every district is fair game with all 135 seats in the Arkansas General Assembly up for grabs. Even well-known incumbents in the House and Senate drew opponents.

Deepening divides: A recent Pew report noted the polarization of American politics, stating Democrats and Republicans “are farther apart ideologically today than at any time in the past 50 years.”

This schism is playing out in Arkansas — not only across the aisle but within parties. We’re now seeing a rift within the state’s controlling party, driven mostly by national social issues.

Potentially shifting footholds: For decades, we were considered a Democrat state except for the rural Republican stronghold in the northwest corner of our state. But those communities in the hills have now become one of Arkansas’s fastest growing and most urban areas. As the region attracts new residents from the

coasts and across the U.S., will its politics change? It’s highly doubtful to turn blue, but only time will tell.

Traditional campaigning: Over the past several cycles, campaigns have leveraged social media to get out the vote. Today, constantly changing algorithms make it more challenging to run political ads in a meaningful way. In Arkansas, canvassing still correlates to success, particularly for smaller races. And that won’t change anytime soon.

There’s a lot up in the air in the 2022 elections. But there’s one near certainty: the state House and Senate will remain solidly Republican. Here’s to a busy campaign season ahead.

Austin Grinder is an attorney and registered lobbyist for Mullenix & Associates, a government relations and consulting firm in Little Rock.

ARKANSAS LEANS HARD INTO THE MULTIBILLION DOLLAR CYBERSECURITY INDUSTRY

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n March, the Arkansas Office of Skills Development (OSD) awarded Forge Institute $1.67 million over three years to use as scholarships for tuition for Arkansans who meet the training requirements.

This funding was part of $8 million in grants announced by Governor Asa Hutchinson, directed to economic and workforce development partnerships to create training opportunities for in-demand skills and certifications.

Of course, we’re pleased to be included in this workforce initiative, which also features organizations like The Innovation Hub at Winrock International, UA Little Rock and several other institutions of higher learning. However, I’m most encouraged by what this signals to the economic influencers in Arkansas — that the Natural State is serious about elevating its position as a rallying point for the nation’s M AY 2 02 2

By Lee Watson

digital workforce, including cybersecurity.

The OSD grants provide significant tuition assistance to qualified applicants, covering up to 90 percent of tuition for courses in IT/cyber fundamentals and the Cyber Training Bootcamp, a 14-week program that delivers the required baseline training individuals need to become cybersecurity analysts, the preferred entrylevel role in cybersecurity teams.

Making this training more accessible to Arkansans is an important salvo in impacting our state’s cybersecurity and infosec industries. Our state is already digitally inclined, with most of our key business sectors heavily reliant on datadriven technologies. Creating a workforce especially suited to infosec and cybersecurity allows us to fill an expanding niche in the U.S. economy, revenue from which is projected to reach $146.30 billion in 2022.

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An investment of $1.67 million is relatively small in comparison, but the value is undeniable. Already, Forge Institute courses are nearing capacity, with Arkansans taking advantage of the tuition assistance. The courses are hands-on-keys and instructor-led, and are available both inperson and online. Those who earn certification will have open doors to higherpaying jobs and rewarding careers. These men and women will represent the defensive front of our innovation economy.

More investment is needed, both from private and public sectors. Arkansas has routinely surprised the nation with its entrepreneurial and technological spirit.

We’d be wise to take this opportunity to surprise again.

Lee Watson is the founder and CEO of Forge Institute in Little Rock.

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VIEWPOINT

WELL-BEING AND BALANCE ESSENTIAL TO TODAY’S WORKFORCE

By Curtis Barnett More and more, the emerging workforce — Millennials, Gen-Z and even Gen-X to some extent — say their happiness and well-being means more to them than their salary, and a healthy work-life balance is something that can’t be compromised. It’s a sentiment that has grown significantly since the COVID-19 pandemic began two years ago. They’re looking for vacation time, sick leave, flexible schedules and other lifestyle-related benefits.

According to a survey by Benefitnews. com, 87 percent of job seekers say the benefits offered by an employer — health, dental, vision, life and disability, wellness — are among the main things they look at when contemplating a job offer.

No question, providing benefits comes at a cost, but financial experts say not providing these important benefits can prove even more costly for a company. For business owners, providing quality health coverage and behavioral health services does more than serve as a perk in the hiring process.

to lose. The cost of employee turnover can exhaust a company’s finances. TELUS International polled 1,000 workers. About eight in 10 said they would consider quitting their current position for a job that focused more on employee mental health.

Productivity The World Health Organization estimates that depression and anxiety cost the global economy $1 trillion a year in lost productivity. The number sounds startling, that is, until you realize that one in four people will have a mental health crisis at some point in their lives. The good news is happy employees are better and more productive employees.

The WHO found that companies can see a 400 percent return on their investment in behavioral health care. It’s simple, really. If you’re happy and feel good, you’re going to want to do your job to the best of your ability.

A Bright Spot I believe behavioral health was the biggest healthc are crisis we faced going into the pandemic, and it will easily be the biggest one we face coming out of it. But let’s not overlook a bright spot — change.

When the COVID-19 pandemic began, and employees and businesses alike began to feel the impacts, the outlook on wholeperson health began to change. And it is still evolving. We’re more aware. We no longer feel so alone in our struggles. While the numbers shared here are difficult to digest, a growing number of companies are working to reshape their culture.

They’re exploring a wider variety of traditional benefits, as well as wellness programs. Allowing employees to work from home in full remote or hybrid models is beginning to feel more normal and accepted.

Turnover Productivity is a consideration when looking at the profitability of any business, but your bottom line potentially has even more ARM O N E YA ND P O L I T I C S .COM

Health care & disability costs Illness and absenteeism can also be costly.

A person’s behavioral health and physical health are so closely intertwined that it can be difficult to address them individually. According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness, rates of cardiovascular disease and diseases like diabetes are twice as high in adults with serious emotional health issues.

At the same time, chronic conditions can lead to issues with depression and anxiety.

Governmental reports show that well-implemented workplace-health programs can lead to a 25 percent savings because of reduced absenteeism, lower healthcare costs and fewer workers’ compensation and disability claims.

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Some are even stepping outside their own offices to create change and address behavioral health concerns in their communities.

Last year, Curtis Barnett the Blue and You Foundation for a Healthier Arkansas committed to spending $5.29 million to expand behavioral health resources across our state, supporting behavioral health in all stages of life — from early childhood, through adolescence and into adulthood.

This is the largest investment in the 20year history of the foundation.

Schools were able to start trauma programs. The funds helped support a statewide network for those seeking behavioral health treatment, and endowments were created to help train an expanded behavioral health workforce.

We still have a long way to go to normalize the conversation surrounding behavioral health and address the various health conditions plaguing our state, but it’s something we must continue to work together — for ourselves, our employees and our communities.

And as the benefits culture continues to evolve and our workforce changes, one thing is certain and maybe more important than ever… peace of mind is essential in whole-person health for employees today and in the future.

(A lifelong resident of Arkansas, Curtis Barnett is a veteran of the health insurance industry, serving for nearly 30 years in local, state and national capacities to help make health care more affordable and compassionate. He has led Arkansas Blue Cross and Blue Shield as president and chief executive officer since 2017.)

M AY 2022

DISCOVERY ECONOMICS

EXPLORING THE QUANTUM UNIVERSE HUGH CHURCHILL MAKES A BIG IMPACT ON AN ATOMIC SCALE

By AMP Staff

two-dimensional materials and devices, such as qubits, which are the building blocks of quantum computers,” said Churchill.

“Our goal is to eventually become fast enough that we can satisfy not just our own internal research needs, but also serve a large national network of collaborators who would like rapid access to the quantum materials and devices produced by the Foundry.”

If MonArk is successful, Arkansas could become a global resource for quantum devices based on 2D materials. In all the excitement surrounding robots and atomically thin 2-D materials, it is easy to miss Churchill’s other contributions to society: a COVID-busting air filter that is cheaply and easily constructed.

How did a quantum physicist get involved with an “actual size” project?

“The electronic devices we make in my lab are really tiny, only a few atoms thick, so if a speck of dust lands in the wrong spot, it can destroy the device,” Churchill said. “Most of my career has been spent working in cleanrooms that maintain extremely clean air that’s free of suspended dust particles that could ruin a device. When it was discovered early in the pandemic that COVID can be transmitted over long distances through the air, and when I learned of these portable air filters about a year ago, it seemed obvious to me that cleaning the air could be a good additional layer of protection that sidesteps the debates around masks and vaccines.”

Churchill and his partners with StartUp Junkie and the Arkansas Research Alliance launched CleanARAir to bring this simple and inexpensive solution to Arkansas’ classrooms and beyond. You can learn more at CleanARAir.com.

In the meantime, although Churchill may insist that expectations are set too high for quantum breakthroughs, the benefits continue to impress.

“Of course, the immediate, practical outcome is that our research has created more than a dozen high-tech jobs for our researchers and staff,” he said. “We are developing a highly skilled group of trainees with expertise that converges a broad range of advanced technologies such as semiconductors, robotics and artificial intelligence. While some of them will likely go on to research careers elsewhere, I expect others to translate that expertise to the benefit of Arkansas companies.”

Discovery Economics is a monthly feature highlighting the work of the ARA Academy of Scholars and Fellows, a community of strategic research leaders who strive to maximize the value of discovery and progress in the state. ARA recruits, retains, and focuses strategic research leaders to enhance the state’s competitiveness in the knowledge economy and the production of job-creating discoveries and innovation. Learn more at ARalliance.org.

f you’re among the millions of Marvel fans who have watched Ant-Man, you likely have gained a broad (if fantastical) definition of quantum physics. Hollywood sheds a glamourous spotlight on the science, but ARA Academy Member Dr. Hugh Churchill warns us to temper the high expectations.

“Quantum information science and engineering is in danger of being overhyped, and some would say already has been,” he said with a wry smile. “But there are some specific, real ways in which quantum technologies could provide advantages over current technologies.”

Churchill, an associate professor of physics at the University of Arkansas, ought to know. He is internationally recognized as a leading researcher on the topic. He heads a team that investigates how the physical properties of materials (for example, the performance Dr. Hugh Churchill of a transistor material) change when reduced to the atomic scale in one or more directions. The change in material properties is then employed to address challenges in quantum technologies with applications like machine learning. Hype notwithstanding, the practical applications of this research are significant.

“The applications are various, but two that stand out are smarter artificial intelligence and faster discovery of new medicines,” explained Churchill. “Smarter AI could be achieved because quantum computers can solve certain problems much more quickly than regular computers, and the medical application could occur because medical drugs are big molecules, and big molecules will eventually be simulated more efficiently on quantum computers.”

So, why haven’t we already conquered the quantum universe?

The biggest reason is the time-consuming process of creating the materials that Churchill wants to study, and then fabricating electronic devices using those materials. Recently, Churchill’s team engaged in a collaboration between the University of Arkansas and Montana State University called the MonArk NSF Quantum Foundry. This is a research center funded by the National Science Foundation and jointly operated by the UA and MSU. “We’re using robots and artificial intelligence to dramatically accelerate the creation and characterization of atomically thin M AY 2 02 2

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15

M AY 2022

Big Rigs Big Issues

By Dwain Hebda

ARKANSAS’S TRUCKING INDUSTRY DEALING WITH CHALLENGES ON MULTIPLE FRONTS

TRANSPORTATION

popular bumper sticker of the 1970s, spotted throughout rural areas, read, “Don’t complain about a farmer with your mouth full.”

The same can be said about the trucking industry. Except in the latter’s case, the phrase doesn’t go far enough.

Trucks deliver 72.5 percent of the nation’s freight weight, per the American Truck Association, representing $732.3 billion in gross freight revenues, or eight out of every 10 dollars spent on shipping in 2020.

In Arkansas, the impact of the trucking industry on local and state economies is even more pronounced. According to Shannon Newton, president of the Arkansas Trucking Association, 92 percent of the manufactured tonnage in Arkansas, 280 tons a day, moves on a truck.

Moreover, being a rural state, nearly nine out of 10 Arkansas communities rely exclusively on a truck to get goods in or out.

Such statistics illustrate how virtually everything you eat, wear, drive or can lay hands on at work or home spends at least part of its journey — from manufacturer to store shelves and showrooms — on the back of a truck. And, for the nearly 100,000 people who make their living in the trucking industry, the impact is felt even deeper “The trucking industry represents one in 10 jobs in the private sector in Arkansas,” Newton said. “If you look at that on a per capita basis, Arkansas is actually number one in the country in per capita employment for the trucking industry.”

Put in that context, it’s readily apparent how a threat to the trucking industry is a threat to quality of life across the board. Yet, there’s rarely been a time when so many challenges have aligned within the trucking industry as now, from rising diesel prices to equipment lead times measured in years, not months.

Leading the way in this maelstrom is a severe lack of personnel, specifically drivers, a situation that has idled along for years before COVID put it into overdrive. The American Trucking Association estimates the industry needs 80,000 more drivers nationwide, a number that’s expected to double by 2030.

“A very broad base of industry is complaining about workforce issue shortages in general, but this is our party and everybody else is just late to it,” Newton said.

“We’ve been here a long time.

“All of the things that happened throughout COVID really just exacerbated the challenge for our industry M AY 2 02 2

18

with people leaving the workforce, accelerated retirements and every other factor that’s out there that has some role or responsibility in the shrinking of engaged employment. The need is so great it’s going to take months if not years to get to where we need to be.”

Trucking companies have found themselves in intense bidding wars for drivers as a result of the shortage. Michael Jernigan, CFO Shannon Newton with CalArk, said the situation has pushed carriers into unprecedented territory to stay staffed.

“Multiple pay raises within a 12-month period is one of the things you see in the industry right now,” he said.

“We’ve given two pay raises inside of 12 months, one of which was one of our largest in the history of the company.

“It’s just to stay competitive. You have to match the market out here to get the drivers, because drivers can move from company to company, day to day. They can call another carrier anytime, any day and get another job. Sign-on bonuses, referral bonuses… these are the things that we’re having to do.”

Working conditions have also come under scrutiny.

Jernigan said the company has put more effort into scheduling to help its 600 drivers get more time at home and less time sleeping in truck-stop parking lots on cross-country runs, hoping to make the job more attractive to more people.

“Giving them more home time is something we’ve done to give them a little more flexibility on their onroad time,” Jernigan said. “The mileage that we get out of a driver is significantly less than it was 10 years ago.

We’ve also moved out of just over-the-road, long-haul trucking to include more regional-type services and more dedicated services. Over the last three years, we’ve set up regional opportunities where drivers get to go ARM ON E YA N D P OL ITIC S.COM

home sometimes every day, sometimes every other day or third day. We try to run in a way that’s flexible to them.”

Jernigan said such investment and creative thought are worth it, considering the volume of potential freight that’s presently to be had. Taking a more measured approach helps CalArk capitalize on that opportunity in ways traditional logistics might not, even as the company continues to look for ways to attract and hold onto more drivers, not to mention mechanics, which are in equally high demand.

“We’ve got more freight than we can haul,” he said. “We have a lot of freight opportunities there. If we could get the trucks and

been slow.

“Our industry has supported lowering the age from 21 to 18 for quite some time and is very hopeful that this new pilot program will be a pathway to getting there,” Newton said. “If you look at manufacturing or construction or all of the other technical fields where we are competing for talent, they all have a pathway from education to employment. Our industry doesn’t.

“If you graduate at 18 and you would like to be an over-theroad truck driver, we don’t have a place to hold you until you’re 21.

Until we’re able to bridge that gap, we will always be competing for talent at some point later in their professional career.”

ATA training at Cabot High School. (Photo provided)

the drivers, we’d be doing a lot more business.

The industry has also looked for other ways to attract more employees, having leaned on Congress for years to amend driver restrictions. Primarily, the industry has gone after the regulation that drivers must be 21 to drive across state lines, even though 18to 20-year-olds can drive all they want inside state lines.”

In November, the trucking industry took a major step forward in this effort as its longstanding proposal of a driver apprenticeship program was finally signed into law as part of the federal infrastructure package. The new program, currently under review by the Surface Transportation Board, allows 18- to 20-yearold drivers to cross state lines, initially under the supervision of a more experienced mentor and then solo following a probationary period. Other restrictions apply, including mandatory crash mitigation systems and forward-facing cameras installed on apprentice trucks, limiting the number apprentices on the road and capping speeds at 65 miles per hour.

Newton said she was pleased that most of Arkansas’s congressional delegation was behind the new program, calling it critical for trucking to remain competitive in attracting talent, especially since tapping into nontraditional labor polls, mostly women, has ARM O N E YA ND P O L I T I C S .COM

One issue that few in the trucking industry seem to think is as pressing as headlines would have one believe is the march toward electric vehicles.

State Sen. Blake Johnson (R-Corning), chairman of State Sen. Blake Johnson the Transportation, Technology & Legislative Affairs Committee, said the recent hubbub about phasing out diesel rigs for electric ones is way ahead of its own argument.

“It’s like the cart and the horse; our electrical grid won’t handle a mass switch in that use,” he said. “You’re not creating energy in that, you’re storing it and using it. It’s a stored energy issue and with batteries as well, so you’ve got a pollution issue, even with the electric vehicle. Those things have to be questioned and addressed if you want to go to a different form of vehicle.

“I think it’s just a shiny penny right now without a lot of thought going into the process. You’re not using alternative energies whenever those cars are charging at night; you’re us19

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TRUCKING COMPANIES IN ARKANSAS COMPANY

SERVICES

LOCATION

3 Rivers Logistics

Truckload and LTL brokerage services for both refrigerated and dry loads along with flatbed, hotshot, bulk and intermodal brokerage services.

Gillett

AAA Cooper Transportation

Less-than-truckload, truck load, dedicated contract carriage, brokerage and fleet maintenance.

ArcBest

Intermodal and international shipping, less-than-truckoad, trade show shipping, time critical, flatbed and temperaturecontrolled services.

Fort Smith

Arkansas Freight Solution

Freight transportation services and hauling cargo.

Little Rock

Bowerman Trucking

PAM Transportation Inc. offers dry van truckload, expedited truckload, intermodal and logistics.

Brent Higgins Trucking

Refrigerated and frozen products.

Brew Crew Transportation

Steel transport crew offering flatbed services.

Bruce Oakley Inc.

Road and river (barge) transportation of dry bulk commodities as well as grain storage and bulk fertilizer sales.

CalArk

Dry van trucking services in addition to temperature-controlled warehouse and distribution.

Little Rock

Carman Inc.

Freight shipping and trucking.

Fort Smith

CC Jones Trucking

Heavy hauling and specialty transport; produce.

North Little Rock

CCS Transportation

Truckload dry van and refrigerated van services.

Conway

Celo Transport

Expedited hot shot, point-to-point delivery, less-than-truckload, long distance, critical delivery and secure delivery.

Springdale

Central Hauling

Dry-box full-truckload carrier.

Mabelvale

Convoy Logistics

Full truckload, less-than-truckload, intermodal, drayage, cross-dock and warehousing.

Crossett

Dedicated Logistics

Non-hazardous freight carrier and trucking brokerage.

Crossett

Diamond State Trucking

Flatbed, van and conestoga trailer services.

Malvern

Distribution Solutions

Full truckload, less-than-truckload, dry van, temperaturecontrolled, long haul and regional shuttle.

Harrison

DMT Services

Dry-van plate trailers for ground transportation.

EOS Inc.

Transportation services.

FedEx Freight

Less-than-truckoad services for shipments weighing between 150 lbs and 20,000 lbs.

Little Rock

Glory Transportation

Temperature-controlled carrier with trucking brokerage.

Fayetteville

JB Hunt

Intermodal, dedicated, final mile, refrigerated, full truckload, less-than-truckload, flatbed, expedited and single source services.

JD & Billy Hines Trucking

Customized services to move wood chips to paper mills in addition to flatbed trailers.

Prescott

JM Bozeman Enterprises

Dry-van truckload carrier and logistics.

Malvern

Keen Transport

Heavy-haul logistics and transportation for the construction, mining and agriculture equipment markets.

Laubach Freight

Full truckload, less-than-truckload, intermodal deliveries, hot shot, flatbed, conestoga flatbed and interplant shuttle.

Little Rock, Fort Smith, Jonesboro

Searcy Mulberry Farmington North Little Rock

Siloam Springs, Van Buren North Little Rock

Lowell

North Little Rock Paragould

COMPANY

SERVICES

LOCATION

Lew Thompson & Son Trucking

Regional and dedicated truckload services.

Huntsville

Loggins Logistics

Regional and dedicated truckload services.

Huntsville

MAGS Trucking

Dry van.

Marrlin Transport

Long haul carrier for dry goods.

Van Buren

Maverick Transportation Inc.

Flatbed, dedicated, glass and brokerage services.

Little Rock

MC Express

Irregular route carrier with trailer leasing and dedicated service.

Jonesboro

McSheer Trucking

Truckload transportation, dedicated routes and full-service brokerage.

Rose Bud

Morris Transportation

Long haul, regional, short haul and local services.

Hamburg

Old Dominion Freight Line

Less-than-truckload freight leader with air-expedited transportation, brokerage services, warehousing, supply chain consulting and container drayage.

North Little Rock, Fort Smith, Jonesboro

P.A.M. Transport Inc.

Dry-van truckload, expedited truckload, intermodal and logistics for manufacturing, retail, and automotive industries.

Tontitown

RCX Solutions

Truckload, less-than-truckoad, flatbed, intermodal, temperature-control, expedited shipping and international shipping.

Little Rock

Rich Logistics

Scheduled truckload, expedited freight and door-to-door services.

Little Rock

Southern Refrigerated Transport Inc.

Temperature-controlled, dry-van and hazmat services

Texarkana

Southland Transport Service

Hopper bottom freight, dry-van freight and temperaturecontrol freight.

Specialized Services Transportation Inc. (SST)

Temperature-sensitive freight, dry goods and pharmaceuticals.

Stallion Transportation Group

Long-haul, regional and dedicated trucking services.

Beebe

Star Transportation

Delivers petroleum products to more than 15 states.

Jonesboro

Transco Lines

Truckload, less-than-truckload, drayage and specialized services.

Tri-City Transport

Dry and refrigerated transportation services.

Rogers

Tri-National Logistics

Warehouse, truckload and dedicated services.

Bryant

Twin City Transportation

Twin City Transportation, Inc. is a third-party logistics and trucking brokerage company that offers air ride dry van trailers and flatbed services.

USA Truck

Dedicated, dry-van, expedited, flatbed, intermodal, lessthan-truckload, over-dimensional and temperature-controlled operations.

Wayne Smith Trucking

Ground transportation services.

Morrilton

Woodfield Inc.

Dry-van truckload services.

Camden

XPO Logistics

Less-than-truckload transportation, truck brokerage, last mile logistics, intermodal, drayage, contract logistics, ground and air expedite, global forwarding and managed transportation.

Cabot

Stuttgart North Little Rock, Stuttgart

Russellville, North Little Rock

Little Rock, Prescott

Van Buren

Little Rock, Fort Smith, Jonesboro

TRANSPORTATION ing baseload energy. Those are issues private industry has to engage in between the energy suppliers and manufacturers of these vehicles.”

Such is not to say that there aren’t serious issues before the state regarding the trucking industry. Johnson said the state’s roads in many areas must be upgraded to handle the additional stress of semi-truck traffic, something he knows firsthand as a Clay County farmer.

“The money has been spread thin and the farm-to-market roads in the rural commerce corridors have been placed on the back burner,” he said. “I think we have an opportunity with the things that we’ve done with the extension of revenue in the sales tax and stuff in the last few years that will help maintain and improve those roads.

“Also, there’s some infrastructure spending from the feds where their priority has been, from what I have seen, on bridges. There’s a number of bridges in the Delta, not just my area but all of the Delta, that were built back years ago. Those need to be redone and fixed. I think some of that federal money will help with that.”

No one expects any of the issues facing the industry to minimize trucking or cause a wholesale migration to rail or other modes of transport. Corporate behemoths such as Walmart, Tyson and J.B. Hunt will see to that. But considering how the vast number of Arkansas operators are small-to-medium outfits — including a healthy percentage of owner-operators — the ongoing health of the industry will be determined by how well “mom and pop” can continue to compete.

“In Arkansas, there’s about 5,000 business entities registered as trucking companies and that would capture everybody, every individual who considers themselves an owner/operator and registers their truck as a business. J.B. Hunt, Walmart and Tyson, these three companies operate maybe 4,000 trucks,” Newton said. “But in looking at the number of companies that are members of our organization, there are far more small trucking companies than there are large ones. It’s very much a diverse smallbusiness industry.’

Newton added that one thing is for certain — if grit and ingenuity count for anything in today’s marketplace, the American trucker has proven more than capable of meeting any challenge, as COVID and numerous emergencies have shown. With a little help from lawmakers, some luck with the supply chain and a weld on the driver pipeline, there’s no telling where the industry in Arkansas can go.

“Our industry is used to operating during disasters,” she said.

“If you think about hurricanes or other natural disasters, tornadoes in Arkansas, it’s often part of the scene that the trucks come rolling in with the water and essential supplies that those com- Johnson believes phasing out diesel rigs for electric ones munities need. It’s not foreign to our industry to continue to op- (above) is not feasible. Meanwhile, CalArk has given drivers erate while other parts of life may stand still.” two raises within the last 12 months. (Photos provided) M AY 2 02 2

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After 99 years, Fort Smith’s $4B logistics leader keeps on truckin’

By Angela Forsyth Photography by Jamison Mosley

I

t’s a milestone few companies can say they’ve reached, but next year ArcBest will mark its 100-year anniversary.

The Fort Smith-based shipping and logistics company has stayed in business through World War II, the Cold War, The Great Depression, The Great Recession, several natural disasters and a global pandemic.

Today, ArcBest is one of the top 15 truckload brokers in the country. It’s a remarkable feat – one that no one at ArcBest is taking it for granted. “I think we’re going to celebrate that 100year anniversary all year long because it’s so unusual,” CEO Judy McReynolds said.

So, what’s the centennial secret? ArcBest has been good at evolving and adapting to external circumstances; the most recent one being the pandemic. During a crisis in which demand became volatile – spiking and plummeting from month to

ARM O N E YA ND P O L I T I C S .COM

month – COVID could have devastated the company. ArcBest, however, made adjustments early on, anticipating its customers would experience shutdowns that would reduce business.

According to McReynolds, the ability to anticipate a problem and implement quick changes is what kept freight moving and supply chain going during the pandemic. This, she credits to good hiring. “I can’t say enough about our investment in our people,” she noted. “Our competency, experience, integrity and values are important for doing things the right way and doing them fast. When you trust people, you can work faster.”

The disruption COVID brought to ArcBest was difficult, but it was mostly short-lived. The company managed to come back to its normal status rapidly within the later part of 2020. That was another adjustment. But, according to the CEO, the labor employees, drivers and dock workers were “patriotic in their

25

M AY 2022

TRANSPORTATION

ArcBest”s corporate headquarters at Chaffee Crossing in Fort Smith.

olds was asked to rise from her CFO position to CEO. Out of respect for the founding family and board of directors, whom she had worked with for the last 12 years, McReynolds quickly said yes. “When I got home and was having dinner that night with my husband,” she recalled, “it was both a celebration for being asked to do something significant, but at the same time a realization that I had taken on a huge challenge.”

Based on a recommendation from one of the board members, McReynolds brought in a strategy consultant who helped the leadership team find untapped areas for growth. They had hours upon hours of meetings to discuss options. One thing that came out of those meetings was to hyperfocus on long-term customers and research where they were spending dollars beyond

approach,” to keeping everything moving. A quick comeback hasn’t been the case for everyone. ArcBest continues to help some of its customers who are still struggling with supply chain issues, especially with establishing lead times for goods from overseas.

“We’re working with them to get all of that to a better place, but the challenges are still there,” McReynolds explained.

COVID is only one of the modern-day challenges ArcBest has faced. In 2009, in the middle of the great recession, when the company had lost $128 million and the industry was suddenly more competitive than ever, the CEO of ArcBest unexpectantly decided to retire. It was news that came as a surprise to both employees and investors. In the wake of the disruption, McReyn-

M AY 2 02 2

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ArcBest. Then, they made changes to begin to attack and win a larger share of the transportation logistics market.

This new strategy evolved into years of realignment. ArcBest combined its sales force, pricing people, training and development, talent acquisition and marketing department all into one single team — their best team — to become more accessible to customers. The company also made four acquisitions between 2012 and 2017 that were significant in terms of solutions that could be provided to customers. Most recently, in 2021, ArcBest bought MoLo, a truckload freight brokerage firm that placed ArcBest in the top 15 U.S. truckload brokerage market.

As a manager, McReynolds describes herself as someone open to change.

Today, rather than the 90 percent of the business coming from less-than-truckload (LTL) shipments, it’s much more balanced.

Close to half of the revenue comes from logistics solutions. ArcBest currently has 14,000 employees and 250 campuses and services centers.

“We really have evolved into a very different company than we were when I first took on my role as CEO,” McReynolds said.

“We’re able to leverage these solutions to meet our customers’ needs. We find our retention of these customers goes way up. It’s nine percentage points better under this approach than it was when we were a one-solution company.”

In its latest published report, ArcBest achieved the highest revenue and net income in company history on both a fourth quarter and annual basis. The company made $4 billion in revworks shoulder to shoulder allows everyone to work faster and enue for 2021 (compared to $2.9 billion in 2020) and an operating more efficiently. profit $318 million. Since 2016, the company’s revenue has grown The CEO also is a risk-taker, which has proven to be vital in almost 50 percent and profit has grown nearly 500 percent. the last decade. “I’m willing to take risks if that’s what’s needed McReynolds praised ArcBest employees for the positive reto make some kind of transformational change with our comsults. “It’s a reflection of our team and the talented people we pany, and we’ve done a lot of that. I’m proud of that.” have at our company.”

For those coming up behind her in the industry, or in any inAs a manager, she describes herself as someone who is open dustry for that matter, McReynolds recommends they do their to change. “I love the discussions of what we could do and what homework and become knowledgeable so they can develop we should do,” she emphasized, noting that listening and undertheir own point of view. standing other perspectives leads to a better developed strategic “It’s important to have the facts and to have thought deeply path and makes the company stronger. Receiving input from the about some of your most significant decisions. Be credible. Be leadership team and trusting the individuals with whom she someone who can be trusted.”

“I’m willing to take risks if that’s what’s needed to make some kind of transformational change with our company, and we’ve done a lot of that. I’m proud of that.”

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M AY 2022

BIG WHEEL, KEEP on TURNIN’

Port of Little Rock rolling through major hot streak

By Dwain Hebda

I

t’s good to be the Port of Little Rock these days. The business park announced April 20 it had reached an agreement with W&W|AFCO Steel, the largest steel fabricator in the country, to locate a production facility there, bringing $18.7 million in investment and creating 115 full-time jobs.

This on the heels of the March 29 announcement that plastics manufacturer Synthesia Technology of Barcelona, Spain, was building a $29 million facility on 15 acres at the port, its first factory in the U.S. Not to mention last fall’s announcement that decking materials manufacturer Trex was investing $400 million for its plant, creating 500 jobs.

Bryan Day, executive director, said the latest an-

nouncement was not only a boon for Central Arkansas, but is representative of a hot streak Arkansas has been on in manufacturing circles of late. Since February, major announcements have come from northeast Arkansas, where U.S. Steel will build a $3 billion, 900-job plant, and the April 13 unveiling of the REDI Arkansas Manufacturing Center, a 1,300-acre megasite in Texarkana.

“My philosophy is that a rising tide lifts all ships,” Day said. “Northeast Arkansas is doing well with the steel industry; I believe in the next 20 years that will be the steel capital of the world, I really do. Texarkana and southwest Arkansas, with access to the Texas and western markets, that’s great, too.

“If we’re successful in Texarkana and we’re successful

An early morning mist creeps up on the Port’s office on the banks of the Arkansas River in east Little Rock. (Photography provided by the Port of Little Rock) 28

The Port’s access to major interstate highways, rail lines and waterways (opposite page) represents an advantage for its tenants.

For us to thrive, we have to have more land, something that is not easy to do, and it’s expensive. But it is something we have to do.

M AY 2 02 2

in Jonesboro, we’re going to be successful in Little Rock.”

Day said the port also is benefiting from manufacturers focusing on keeping production facilities and jobs at home. While sourcing things overseas may be cheaper, recent events have shown the flaws in locating production offshore.

“After the pandemic, manufacturers and distributors learned some lessons that we can’t be completely dependent on the global economy for certain things anymore,” he said. “You remember [in 2020] the shelves became empty; computer chips for vehicles, toilet paper, things that we depended on from other countries…we’ve lost the ability to get all that in a timely manner.

“What you’re seeing in this country right now is a huge interest in ‘reshoring,’ bringing manufacturing jobs back to America. And no disrespect to Memphis, Atlanta or St. Louis, but those communities are hard to invest in right now because of traffic and lack of available space.

While in mid-sized cities like Little Rock, Jonesboro or Jackson, Tenn., there’s a lot of interest.”

The W&W|AFCO Steel project fills a physical footprint vacated in 2020 by LM Wind Power, a manufacturer of giant windmill blades used in windfarms. The Danish company sunk $150 million into its factory in 2007 but never quite lived up to its billing, promising to create 1,100 jobs while ultimately employing a little more than half that at its peak.

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ing at other ways to be innovative.”

One of the most innovative strategies — to say nothing of ambitious — is a current plan to bring 1,000 acres into the port’s holdings by late next year. If successful, the resulting supersite would be unlike anything in the region, offering easy access to four modes of transport, something Day called a game-changer.

“If you look at what happened in Tennessee when they brought the Ford manufacturer in about six months ago, they’ve had like 50 other industries that have followed that are going to be suppliers,” he said.

“So, if we have this supersite available in early 2024, and it’s shovel ready for the most part, and it’s served by railroad and river and road and close to the airport, I think that becomes a game-changer for us.

We can attract an industry that will not only invest billions of dollars directly and indirectly, but also have other industries follow. That’s where I’m putting a lot of my energy now.”

The Port of Little Rock, organized under the Port of Little Rock Authority in 1959 and opened in 1971, is an important mooring point on the McClellan-Kerr Arkansas River Navigation System, a 445-mile

That’s the good news.

The not-so-good news is that with this major plat being converted to tenant use, the Port of Little Rock is fresh out of inventory at a moment when its stock has arguably never been higher.

“We are really out of good, large, shovelready usable sites,” Day said. “Our biggest challenge is, we’ve got to keep acquiring land.

For us to thrive, we have to have more land, something that is not easy to do, and it’s expensive. But it is something we have to do.

“There is other land to buy, and we continue to talk to landowners, but we don’t have a revenue stream for that right now.

The city helped us in 2011 with the sales tax that gave us some money. That tax was not renewed, so we don’t have that revenue stream. But we are looking at other ways to buy land. We’re looking at some potential public funding that we would take on. We’re talking about partnerships, and we’re look-

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M AY 2022

navigation channel championed in Congress by the late U.S. Sen. John McClellan. Per the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the system begins at the confluence of the White and Mississippi Rivers, joining the Arkansas River at Arkansas Post Canal. It then crosses Arkansas into Oklahoma, where it traverses the state until it reaches the confluence of the Arkansas and Verdigris River, following the latter waterway to a point 51 miles upstream at the Port of Catoosa, near Tulsa.

The Little Rock development’s confluence of large tracts of land within reach of every major form of transport has been a powerful draw for tenant companies, especially recently. Tenants include the likes of Amazon, Waste Management and Delta Plastics, plus international companies such as Indian drilling-pipe manufacturer Wellspun and the

M AY 2 02 2

North American headquarters of Czech gunmaker CZ-USA. One of the organization’s underrated strengths is how its central location attracts workers from across Arkansas. About 8,000 people work at the port’s resident companies, many pulled well from outside Pulaski County.

“Workforce is a challenge; Arkansas has very low unemployment, but there are people that want to work,” Day said. “We have been able, for the most part, to help industries attract and retain people. We focus on that every day, but it is not something that we can rest on. We have to always be thinking about it.

“At the local level, I’m working on developing a Little Rock Port Authority workforce program where we have an employee or a partnership with somebody where all they do is focus on helping our 45 industries attract talent through job fairs, going to schools, going to colleges. If Welspun needs 50 welders, for instance, I envision this person or this organization working on that. I hope to have something in place by the end of the year. I think if we can do that, that will be something else that sets us apart.”

Day said while the challenges of recruitment are steep, recent enhancements to skilled-labor education programs have only improved the quality

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Skilled labor programs in the state have helped the Port recruit businesses.

of Arkansas’ labor pool.

“In the 1970s, corporate America said we’re going to ship all of our jobs overseas; we don’t need this anymore. So, schools did away with that industrial training. It was a huge mistake. Probably one of the greatest mistakes our education system ever did,” Day said. “Now, we’ve done a 180. The Little Rock Regional Chamber of Commerce works with the four school districts, and they’ve created the Ford NGL program where they’re going into the high schools and teaching young people some basic skills for manufacturing — what I knew as vo-tech in high school in the ‘80s.

“We’re going to start seeing these kids come out of high school in the next year or two, and there’s hundreds, maybe thousands of high school students interested in this in Central Arkansas. We’re going to be putting this newly trained, ready workforce into the manufacturing environment.

I think that’s something that Arkansas has going for it that other states don’t have.

“It’s a long-term investment. It’s not going to happen overnight. But I think in five or 10 years, you’re going to see the fruits of these efforts playing out in manufacturing.”

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Bryan Day

M AY 2022

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From their humble beginnings in the family grocery store, these brothers are making a name for themselves courtesy of sushi and rock-n-roll.

Meet Jason and Chris Alley who, along with Chris Kramolis, are the owners and operators of Rock-n-Roll Sushi.

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Join the AU Foundation as we raise funds for the Dr. Mack Moore Annual Health Fund.

The Arkansas Urology 25th Anniversary event will be held on June 4th at the Statehouse Convention Center.

Cocktails and social hour will start at 6 PM with the dinner and program to follow at 7 PM. Join us as we honor our past to build for the future by making a donation: www.arkansasurology.com/foundation/

silver M AY 2 02 2

36

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VOTE MAY 24!

Early voting starts on May 9

Follow and join our campaign! chrisforgovernor.com

n & Chris! y il rr Je , s n o ti Congratula ing Arkansas mak Thank you for ve! ork, live & thri w to ce la p r te a bet

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@JonesForAR

37

M AY 2022

D

DY N AM I C D U O S

Arkansas is full of dynamic duos, those couples and partners who’ve made lasting impacts on their communities.

And they come in all shades and sizes, from community business leaders to those Arkansans making noise on a global stage.

Here at Arkansas Money & Politics, we want to recognize them. Their work in various industries and commitment to philanthropy is something that should be recognized.

We’re proud to do so here.

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ARM ON E YA N D P OL ITIC S.COM

Chris Alley and Jason Alley

F

rom their humble beginnings in the family grocery store, these brothers are making a name for themselves courtesy of sushi and rock-n-roll. Meet Jason and Chris Alley who, along with Chris Kramolis, are the owners and operators of Rock-n-Roll Sushi.

Jason and Chris come from a family of first-generation immigrants. When their father moved to the United States from Palestine, all he wanted was something to call his own. He found that in Little Rock when he opened Joe’s Grocery in 1979. The brothers grew up helping in the store, and learned from their father how hard work and a little business savvy can take one places. They try to emulate this family environment with the employees in their own business. Family is always first with the Alleys.

Jason first worked for Chris Kramolis through Tropical Smoothie Cafe. When given the opportunity to have his own Tropical Smoothie, he knew he needed his brother by his side. The partnership between brothers has proven successful. Since moving on from Tropical Smoothie, they brought a new brand to Arkansas, opening two Rock-n-Roll Sushi restaurants in Little Rock with a third to open soon in Conway. They have also franchised a fourth location to open in Benton.

In the future, Jason and Chris plan to start a charity to raise money for the arts in public schools. They understand the importance of the arts and want to help schools who need instruments and other supplies. After all, we could all use a little more rock-nroll in our lives.

Jason and Chris plan to start a charity to raise money for the arts in public schools.

Amy and Scot Davis

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hen it comes to community activism, Amy and Scot Davis are leaders in their field.

As the CEO of Arkansas Urology, the state’s largest urology practice, Scot has seen the firm double in size since he came on board in 2013. He also serves on the board of Arkansas Urology Foundation, which raises funds and awareness for urological issues.

Much of the money raised by the foundation goes to services for those who can’t afford care, and much of that is thanks to Amy, who is an active volunteer and event organizer for the firm and foundation.

She’s planning the Arkansas Urology Silver Ball, which on June 4 will celebrate the firm’s 25th anniversary. Amy also is heavily involved in the Twen-

tieth Century Club, and Scot is the Rotary Club 99 chair of the American Heart Association. In that role, he helped start the Italian Food Festival.

Both originally are from Memphis — Scot graduated with a bachelor’s in political science from Memphis State University and earned his MBA from Christian Brothers University, while Amy earned a nursing degree from the University of Tennessee.

The couple relocated to Little Rock from Jonesboro in 2013. The couple enjoys being active, with Amy’s love of exercise and Scot’s passion for golf. Scot enjoys reading and cooking Italian dishes. As a family, the couple and their three children enjoy traveling.

The family, active at Saint Mark’s Episcopal Church, also has two cats and two golden retrievers, which keep the animal-lovers on their toes.

As a family, the couple and their three children enjoy traveling.

Lou Anne and Eric Herget

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ou Anne and Eric Herget took a leap of faith on a 70-yearold grocery store in early 2017. Located in the Heights neighborhood of Little Rock, the upscale store and restaurant previously known as Terry’s Finer Foods was where Eric racked up charges on his parents’ account.

The two didn’t have much experience with running a grocery store and restaurant, but they learned how to juggle what they transformed into the Heights Corner Market with their full-time careers.

Over the last 30 years, Lou Anne worked in many states as an interior designer. She currently travels weekly to Bentonville to help her clients build and remodel in the fast-paced Northwest Arkansas market. Most of her time is split between her design business, managing the office at the store, purchasing products and overseeing all private events for the restaurant.

Eric is in the insurance business with HUB International in Little Rock. He’s constantly on the go as well, traveling to see clients across the country, working in the store and restaurant, serving as chapter advisor for Sigma Chi at the University of Arkansas and

running a farm.

At the height of the pandemic, the Hergets purchased land near Heber Springs with the intent of growing produce for the store to supplement what they buy from the local farms, which have supplied the store for years.

“Luckily, we have a great team in the grocery and restaurant to help keep us running,” Eric said. “There is no other business quite like a restaurant that brings challenges several times a day. The positive comments about our food quality and service make it all worth it.”.

The couple took a leap of faith on the Heights venture, and although Eric admits there might be a stern look here and there between the two of them, they make it work.

“We have been married 22 years and have six kids between us, scattered around the country, and still wake up each day ready for our careers and customers. We are a small business that survived the pandemic and have a soft spot for helping other local owners and their employees. We like to serve others and make a difference in our community and state.”

“There is no other business quite like a restaurant that brings challenges several times a day.”

Danyelle and Eric Musselman

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anyelle and Eric Musselman need no introduction within the borders of Arkansas, their local celebrity elevated to royalty status since their arrival in Fayetteville three years ago.

Eric, of course, is the head basketball coach for the Arkansas Razorbacks, likely one of two or three people within the state more recognizable to Arkansans than the governor.

(We’re looking at you, Sam Pittman and Dave Van Horn.)

Under Musselman’s leadership, the hoop Hogs have made consecutive Elite Eight runs in the NCAA tournament and returned Arkansas to the upper echelon of college basketball.

His wife, the former Danyelle Sargent, was a national sports broadcaster for ESPN, Fox Sports, the NFL Network and other outlets — she even did a little acting on Comedy Central. She and Eric married in 2009 while he was coaching in the NBA’s development league following stints as head coach of the NBA’s Sacramento Kings and Golden State Warriors.

Danyelle is both Eric’s biggest fan and defender — the “GM of Team Musselman” — and her face often can be seen

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behind the Razorback bench at Bud Walton Arena engaged in full Hog call.

Both Musselmans have been enthusiastic Arkansas ambassadors and philanthropists, and their combined branding efforts have helped return the program to a national level not seen since the mid-1990s. And they have been actively engaged in the community.

Eric’s first year at the helm of Razorback basketball showed promise, a 20-win season cut short in the SEC tournament by the pandemic. What followed were back-to-back Elite Eight finishes that saw the Hogs win 25 and 28 games — 26 conference games over two years — and finish in the final top 10 for consecutive seasons.

And with the nation’s No. 2-ranked recruiting class coming in for 2022-23, the future looks, well, promising.

“We were really happy at Nevada,” Danyelle told Arkansas Money & Politics in December. “We were only going to leave if it was the right fit. Eric had a formula, and it was working. So, he was only going to leave there if it was really the right thing and the right move. And Arkansas definitely fits that bill.”

Both Musselmans have been enthusiastic Arkansas am­bassadors and philanthropists.ARM ON E YA N D P OL ITIC S.COM 42

Stephanie and Hank Kelley

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tephanie and Hank Kelley’s story began many years ago in Fayetteville with two people in love. When Hank met Stephanie, he was a recent graduate of the University of Arkansas, and she was still working on her degree.

The two married in 1979, moved to Little Rock in 1980 for a job opportunity in commercial real estate, and over the next two decades, raised four children.

The couple now has 10 grandchildren.

Hank, of course, is CEO of Kelley Commercial Partners in Little Rock, one of the state’s most prominent commercial real estate firms. Kelley clients include the Port of Little Rock and Costco as well as many local restaurants and businesses.

Much like his wife, Hank is heavily involved in the community. He is an active member of Club 99, where he was formerly a president and currently serves on the organization’s Little Rock Police Awards banquet. He also serves on the Baptist Health Foundation board (as does Stephanie), the

Downtown Partnership Executive Committee, Fifty for the Future, and the Arkansas State Police Foundation board. He co-chairs the annual golf tournament to help raise funds for scholarships for state trooper families.

Stephanie, meanwhile, is an active community leader. Active in the Association of Women Executives, she sits on the board of Shepherd’s Hope, where she’s an active volunteer as well. Plus, she’s a Pilates instructor, volunteer coach and mentor.

Hank describes his wife as “an active leader of our family including helping out with grandchildren when asked and [she is] always ready to travel to visit our other family members outside of Little Rock.”

The Kelleys use any available downtime to spend quality time with each other and the people that mean the most to them.

“We enjoy our casually oriented life and crave outdoor activities with family and friends when we are not working,” Hank said.

Hank describes his wife as “an active leader of our fam­ily.”

Martie North Hamilton and Scott Hamilton

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artie North Hamilton and Scott Hamilton have always called Arkansas home. Scott was born in Little Rock and Martie at the Little Rock Air Force Base; Scott attended Hall High School and Martie attended Searcy High School; Scott completed his bachelor’s degree at Hendrix College and Martie completed hers at Harding University.

Every step of the way, Arkansas was there.

Scott shook things up when he attended Rockhurst College for his MBA and the University of Missouri at Kansas City for his J.D., but he returned home. He currently serves as CEO of the Urban League of Arkansas, a nonprofit organization with a mission to promote economic and social prosperity through advocacy, community partnerships, programs and services. The Urban League is one of the few statewide affiliates of the National Urban League, the oldest and largest community-based, civil rights organization in America.

When Scott isn’t at the Urban League or working on cars, he can be found volunteering with ARORA, the Boys and Girls Club of

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Central Arkansas, City Year and Philander Smith College.

Meanwhile, Martie is the senior vice president for community impact and CRA strategy for Simmons Bank, and her work doesn’t stop there. Martie shares her husband’s love for helping the community and is an avid volunteer for the following groups: ACHANGE, Friends of Mosaic Templars, Arkansas Advocates, University District Development Corporation, Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis Community Development Advisory Committee, American Bankers Community Engagement and Reinvestment Committee, Diversity Council, Arkansas Bankers Association and CRA Association.

The couple has learned a thing or two while living in and serving Arkansas, and they each found pieces of advice along the way they believe to be the best.

Scott encourages people to, “Take the time to understand as much of any situation that you’re in before acting or responding,” and Martie would like to remind anyone doubting themselves, “You are enough.”

The couple has learned a thing or two while living in and serving Arkansas 44

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Lara Blume McGee and Dr. Brian McGee

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ara Blume McGee and her husband, Brian McGee, M.D., each have stood out in their respective fields — Lara in the nonprofit world and Brian as a prominent gastroenterologist.

Lara has made a career out of helping people. As the founder of Team Up World, a sports nonprofit-management firm, she has worked with more than 50 NFL and NBA players. After the loss of her father to ALS, a progressive degenerative disease that limits the brain’s ability to control voluntary muscle movement, she founded the ALS In Wonderland Foundation. The foundation raises awareness and provides funding directly for the benefit of Arkansans with the condition.

Brian is the executive director of the Kanis Endoscopy Center and the Arkansas Diagnostic Center in Little Rock. A Marion native and graduate of Xavier University in New Orleans and UAMS, he started his career working

with underserved communities in Hot Springs and Benton. Board-certified in internal medicine, McGee received honors in sciences, English and history at Xavier and decided to pursue medicine, following in the footsteps of his mother’s college roommate and friend, the late Marion Barr, M.D., and his older sister, Ivy, who completed medical school at UAMS. McGee completed his internal medicine residency and gastroenterology fellowship at UAMS. He serves on the Arkansas State Medical Board as the AMDPA representative, appointed by Gov. Asa Hutchinson. A member of several professional societies, McGee serves as the president of Colorectal Health Advocates and Doctors, a nonprofit promoting early screening for colorectal cancer in the effort to “X out” colon cancer.

Lara and Brian have four children, including triplets, who they have dubbed the “MCG3.”

The foundation raises awareness and provides funding directly for the benefit of Arkan­sans.

Becky and Nathan Pittman

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ecky and Nathan Pittman love meeting a challenge together. Since marrying in 2014, life has been a balancing act between raising three wonderful kids in a blended family and building careers around their shared passion for helping others.

Through his role as chief branding officer for marketing and communications for Southern Bancorp, Nathan supports the community development bank’s mission to serve financially underserved areas by crafting and sharing its stories of impact and building the organization’s unique brand.

Becky’s most recent work as director of communications and brand engagement for The Venture Center in Little Rock has helped raise the visibility of Arkansas’ fintech and innovation prowess on a global scale and

helped local entrepreneurs grow their businesses. Becky found the work alongside The Venture Center’s mentors and entrepreneurs inspirational and is currently exploring her entrepreneurial path.

The pair are highly active in the community, serving on PTAs and nonprofit boards, helping with fundraisers and donating communications support to various efforts.

Nathan said, “Becky and I are a great team in life and work. We serve as each other’s sounding board, whether helping one another find the right word or tone for a project or talking through strategy for a big event or launch.

Having someone in your corner to provide honest – even if it’s harsh – constructive criticism and collaboration is invaluable. We wouldn’t have it any other way.”

The pair are highly active in the community, serving on PTAs and nonprofit boards.

Drs. Jerrilyn and Chris Jones

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here aren’t many duos in Arkansas more dynamic in their community than Drs. Jerrilyn and Chris Jones.

Jerrilyn — M.D., MPH — is an associate professor of emergency medicine at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences as well as the medical director for the Office of Preparedness and Emergency Response Systems at the Arkansas Department of Health. Chris — Ph.D. — is the former director of the Arkansas Regional Innovation Hub and a Democratic candidate for governor.

He is considered the frontrunner to challenge the expected GOP banner carrier, Sarah Huckabee Sanders, in the November general election.

Jerrilyn, a native of Motgomery, Ala., was named to Gov. Asa Hutchinson’s Winter Task Force related to COVID and serves on the health department’s Pandemic Physicians Group. She is a former flight surgeon in the U.S. Air Force who served in Afghanistan with the 75th Fighter Squadron during Operation Enduring Freedom. Her experience also includes being a first responder in the aftermath of the 2013 Boston Marathon bombing and the civil unrest in Baltimore in 2015.

A Harvard medical school graduate, she was named Arkansas First Lady Susan Hutchinson’s Woman of the Year in Public Service. Most recently, Jerrilyn was named director of the inaugural UAMS Post-Baccalaureate Program, created to increase the number of students from disadvantaged backgrounds admitted to the College of Medicine.

Meanwhile, Chris, a Pine Bluff native, sports his own impressive credentials. The son of two preachers, he attended Morehouse College on a NASA Scholarship for physics and math. There, Chris obtained a bachelor’s degrees in physics and mathematics. He went on to receive two master’s degrees, in nuclear engineering and technology and policy, from Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), where he later earned a Ph.D. in urban studies and planning.

After becoming an ordained minister, he returned home to Arkansas and led the Arkansas Regional Innovation Hub as the executive director and lead maker. He is a former principal at BCT Partners, served as executive director of the Dudley Street Neighborhood Initiative in Boston and as an assistant dean for graduate education at MIT.

She is a for­mer flight surgeon in the U.S. Air Force who served in Afghani­stan.

Alan and David Bubbus

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lan Bubbus is the president of David’s Burgers, the restaurant chain that has made a significant mark in central Arkansas. Alan created the chain in 2010 as a tribute to his dad, David Bubbus, following in the footsteps of the restaurateur and master butcher.

Alan — David Alan Bubbus Jr. — comes by his restaurateur/entrepreneur bent naturally. Growing up in Central Arkansas, David began working for Johnny Jacobs Meat Market in North Little Rock at 5-years-old. He was a master butcher by the age of 16. Managing his first restaurant, the JaMar in Pine Bluff, at just 19-years-old, he went on to open El Matador in 1967 in Pine Bluff. David has also been involved in developing numerous restaurants, chains and franchises – including Chicken Country – throughout Arkansas.

The growth of David’s Burgers has been intense, with roughly one new location opening each year in Central Arkansas for the past decade. David’s Burgers now can be found in Little Rock, Conway, North Little Rock, Bryant,

Cabot, Maumelle and Hot Springs.

Founded on the knowledge and principles practiced by David and the traditional craftsmanship in master butcher shops, David’s Burgers is a family affair. Alan is a University of Arkansas at Little Rock Bowen School of Law graduate, and he uses his legal background as a way to ensure success in the restaurant industry. Alan and his wife, Jessica, also are heavily involved as board members for The CALL, a nonprofit organization that mobilizes local churches to serve children and youth in foster care. The CALL works in partnership with Project Zero and Immerse to provide consistent and unwavering support to children and families, helping to navigate the foster care system.

“These organizations are helping one child at a time to give them hope, a home and a future,” Jessica said. “The kids in foster care need a safe place to live and a family who loves and nurtures them. These organizations are making life-altering differences in the lives of kids right here in Arkansas.”

Alan created the chain in 2010 as a tribute to his dad, David Bubbus.

Mica Strother and Greg Hale

M

ica Strother and Greg Hale are Arkansas to the core, and the Little Rock husband-and-wife team have the credentials to prove it. Strother, born in Little Rock and raised in Mountain Home, is a graduate of Ouachita Baptist University and UA Little Rock’s Bowen School of Law. She manages the Little Rock office of the Razorback Foundation as senior director of development. Hale, meanwhile, is the product of a cattle-farming family from DeQueen. He was appointed to the Arkansas Livestock and Poultry Commission in 2009. A communications veteran who has worked on national campaigns, Hale is a founding partner in the D.C.-based consulting firm, Markham.

Prior to joining the Razorback Foundation, Strother was one of the first female construction executives in Central Arkansas at Baldwin & Shell. She’s also worked in politics, serving in the administrations of two Arkansas governors as well as on the staffs of two congressmen and one U.S. senator. Her philanthropic work is extensive and includes serving on the boards of the Arkansas Cooperative Baptist Fellowship, the Baptist Joint Committee on Re-

ligious Liberty, the Second Serving Foundation, Reach Out and Read Arkansas, Youth Home and First Tee of Arkansas, among other community leadership roles. She is the recipient of Ouachita’s Outstanding Alumni Award and was inducted into the Mountain Home Education Foundation Hall of Honor.

In addition to his campaign work, which included the 1996 Clinton-Gore re-election bid, Hale served as executive producer of the inaugural Heartland Summit from the Walton Family Foundation in 2018, for which he helped bring economic development leaders to Bentonville to brainstorm ways to strengthen America’s “heartland.” In 2019, he produced the Fashion Tech Forum in New York, which brought in fashion and tech leaders to work on creating sustainable brands for the future.

Hale and Strother teamed up in 2021 to chair the Hunger Relief Alliance’s Serving Up Solutions fundraiser. In 2019, the duo chaired Jericho Way Sleep Out in the Rock Fundraiser for Little Rock’s only homeless day shelter. The couple also chaired the Arkansas Food Bank’s Empty Bowls fundraising event in 2018.

Prior to joining the Razorback Foundation, Strother was one of the first female construction executives.

Alex and Will Gladden

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ome might say that Alex and Will Gladden were destined to be together. The couple’s fathers knew each other for many years before Alex and Will officially met. Will’s father, King Gladden, started Community First Bank in Harrison in 1997, and Alex’s father, Gary Head, followed a similar path a few years later.

“My dad, like King, had an entrepreneurial spirit and took a similar leap of faith with King’s encouragement and started Signature Bank of Arkansas in 2004,” Alex said. “We used Community First Bank’s banking charter until we were able to secure our own in 2005. Although Will and I have been teased it was an arranged marriage, we didn’t really connect until we were both out of college.”

Will added, “I invited her and some of her friends out to Beaver Lake one summer, and we just instantly clicked. We married two years later on the same lake, and somehow now it’s been 11 years of marriage, and we have a 7-year-old daughter named Kingsley.”

Alex now serves as the Springdale market president for Signature Bank, and Will serves as the market president for Fayetteville.

While they do share similar careers, the two offer their available time to different organizations. Alex most recently joined the

Fayetteville Junior Civic League, Make a Wish Foundation and the Springdale Chamber of Commerce. Will is a board member of United Cerebral Palsy (UCP) of Arkansas and chair for UCP’s Northwest Arkansas council.

The couple has come a long way since its “boy meets girl” days. Now faced with the task of making time for each other, their daughter, work and community involvement, the Gladdens make the most out of finding a balance.

“We have come to know our balance will change often, sometimes in a minute,” Alex said. “Our daughter was born with a heart condition, and that pretty much stopped whatever balance we thought we had created in its tracks. We learned quickly how important having a strong tribe in our corner really is. We are extremely blessed with amazing friends, family and teammates that continue to help us push forward in times that we have needed to lean on others.

“It also has offered us a much different compassion and viewpoint to be able to share that same love and respect with others.

I have come to learn that everyone is going through something and when we all work hard to show each other grace in those moments, we all end up with a much better balance.”

The couple has come a long way since its “boy meets girl” days.

Louis Petit and Jim Keet

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f there’s such a thing as culinary superheroes – a Dynamic Duo of the restaurant business, if you will – it surely would look something like Louis Petit and Jim Keet.

Petit is certified restaurant royalty. Dreaming of America since his teenage years, he answered a trade ad in the 1970s seeking a maitre’d for a French restaurant in Little Rock. That restaurant was the landmark Jacque and Suzanne’s, which during its run would inspire generations of new chefs and restauranteurs to come. From there sprang more beloved Central Arkansas restaurant ventures including Maison Louis, Café Prego, Graffiti’s and Alouettes.

He would be asked many times over the succeeding years why he chose The Natural State over tonier locales such as New York, Chicago or San Francisco. To this, he always answered the same way: He didn’t care how or where he landed in the United States.

Besides, his accent allowed him to stand out immediately.

Over five decades and 155 restaurants, Keet has grown into one of the most successful restaurateurs in Arkansas history. Keet started at age 15 working in a Kentucky Fried Chicken restaurant,

then helped pay for college working at Steak & Ale and Holiday Inn while attending SMU in Dallas. Each job developed his already considerable work ethic and razor-sharp instinct for pleasing the public.

In Arkansas, he and a partner landed the state’s first Wendy’s franchise, which started an entrepreneurial run that today includes the eclectic lineup of Taziki’s, Cypress Social in Maumelle and the brand-new Waldo’s Chicken and Beer in North Little Rock. He’s also diversified the family-run JTJ Restaurants to also include Keet O’Gary Construction and Keet Management Company, which directly or indirectly employs thousands.

The duo’s friendship stretches back 40 years, so there was nothing unusual about getting together for a glass of wine and conversation back in 2013. That particular evening, however, would prove a red-letter date in their friendship as, over some very good wine, the two decided they should open a restaurant together. When the former 1620/Savoy restaurant location became available, they jumped at the chance to collaborate, and Petit & Keet, Little Rock’s newest casually elegant place to see and be seen, was born.

The duo’s friendship dates back 40 years.

Jimmy Moses and Rett Tucker

A

lmost anywhere you look in downtown Little Rock, the work of Jimmy Moses and Rett Tucker can be seen. Moses and Tucker, the namesakes behind iconic Little Rock commercial real-estate firm Moses Tucker, have helped shape the city skyline. They’ve developed new hotels, high-rise condos, apartments and converted old buildings into mixed-use properties for office space, retail and residential. The longtime business partners have been on the forefront of the downtown Little Rock that’s seen today.

Moses founded the firm in 1984 and was joined by Tucker in 1998. Moses now serves as the firm’s chairman of the board. He was one of the visionary leaders behind the River Market and was involved in the land acquisition for the Clinton Presidential Center as well as many of downtown’s most notable developments. He is a past president

of Downtown Little Rock Partnership and the University of Arkansas at Little Rock Foundation. His work downtown has been recognized with an Award of Merit from AIA Arkansas and a Vision Award from Lion World Services for the Blind.

A Little Rock native and fifth-generation Arkansan, Tucker serves as co-chairman of the board. He led the effort to build the Little Rock Central High Museum and Visitor Center and is a tireless advocate of public education. A past president of Downtown Little Rock Partnership and what was then the Arkansas Arts Center, he is a member of Fifty for the Future and is a warden of the vestry at Trinity Episcopal Cathedral. His accolades include Citizen of the Year from the Pulaski County Bar Association and outstanding individual contribution to the humanities from the Little Rock Arts and Humanities Promotion Commission.

Moses and Tucker have helped shape the city skyline.

Cindy and Bill Sowell

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ill Sowell and his wife, Cindy, have worked sideby-side for more than 20 years. The duo has made Sowell Management one of the most successful and trusted advisory firms nationwide. It was recognized in 2020

by Barron’s as a Top 100 RIA. Bill began his career in the financial services industry in 1990 and quickly became a top producer. In 1995, he became an industry pioneer when starting a fee-only, customer first practice now known as Sowell Management. Today, the company serves a broad spectrum of top Independent Advisor Representatives (IARs), and Registered Investment Advisory firms (RIAs) across the United States. He started this journey to create a pathway of independence for financial advisors and to become the advisor to advisors. And he did it with his wife Cindy by his side.

Prior to joining her husband at Sowell Management, Cindy worked around the globe as a corporate meeting planner. Her

penchant for creating connections with companies and inspiring colleagues across the world, as well as her extensive knowledge of all things travel, guides her as she envisions and coordinates the firm’s corporate meetings, conferences and special events. Cindy’s favorite part of her role is building lasting relationships within and beyond the Sowell Management team.

Bill, who serves as CEO of Sowell Management, and Cindy, who is executive vice president, are bridge builders who together are passionate about empowering the Sowell team and helping their advisor partners gain independence for a prosperous future.

“We found our purpose as a team by helping other financial advisors become independent and supporting them to unlock their potential,” said Bill. “Cindy and I have shared so many special relationships over the past 20 years and have formed lasting trust and friendships with our clients. Working together has been the best of all worlds.””

“I live by the belief that adversity creates opportunity. And that relationships matter.”

Sharon and Carl Vogelpohl

S

haron Tallach Vogelpohl and Carl Vogelpohl lead a bustling life in the state’s capital city of Little Rock.

Sharon, president and CEO of MHP/Team SI, began her agency career in 1994 as an intern for Mangan Holcomb Partners. She became a principal at the firm in 2005 and was eventually named president in 2010. With more than 20 years dedicated to the advertising and public relations firm, Sharon has worked with well-known names such as J.B. Hunt, Verizon Wireless, Delta Dental, Heifer International, Walmart, Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital and many more. This year is MHP/Team SI’s 50th anniversary, otherwise coined as “Innoversary,” and Sharon and her team are ready to take on the next 50 years.

Carl is the current chief of staff for Lt. Gov. Tim Griffin. Prior to this position, he was the deputy chief of staff and then chief of staff for Congressman Griffin. Prior to this position, he was the deputy chief of staff and then chief of staff for Congressman Tim Griffin. Carl founded Voter Vector, a regional political firm focused on providing data, analytics and strategic counsel

to help candidates and campaigns connect with voters to win campaigns. While in the private sector, the successful campaigns of four of the seven of the state’s current constitutional officers have been Carl’s clients, as well as two of the four current congressmen and members of the Arkansas House and Senate. If that isn’t enough to fill a resume, Carl also founded Split Rail Consulting, a national firm that provides clients with tools and strategic vision to face the challenges of innovation of data, people and processes.

The Vogelpohls are leaders in the community, as well. Sharon serves as secretary for 50 for the Future, sits on the Rotary International advisory committee, is second vice president for the Arkansas Sports Hall of Fame, is a member of the UA Little Rock College of Business advisory council and is an alumnus of Leadership Greater Little Rock (Class XVI).

Both Sharon and Carl have served as event chairs for Serving Up Solutions, and Carl is also a past co-chair of Power of the Purse for Women’s Foundation of Arkansas.

Carl founded Voter Vector, a regional political firm focused on providing data, analytics and strategic counsel to help candidates.

ARM O N E YA ND P O L I T I C S .COM

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DYNAMIC DUOS

A Great Idea BLOSSOMS Venture to help essential workers grows into much more

By Sarah Coleman

W

hether breakfast, brunch or lunch, curbside, take out, dine -in or catering, Rock City’s restaurant concepts make and serve high -quality and unique food.

In 2020, Joe Vincent II and his wife, Jacquelyn, opened Rock City Kitchen in downtown Little Rock. This kick-started the first of many eateries to fall under the couple’s FAB44 business umbrella.

During the height of the pandemic, Vincent said the idea took off, transforming into a full-blown estab-

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lishment while most restaurants were still closed, for the most part. What started as an effort to provide viable breakfast and lunch options for essential workers grew into something much more.

“Our families have experience in the restaurant industry,” Vincent said. “We started with a micro-location in July 2020, which is Rock City Kitchen, and shortly after, we opened our second concept, Rock City Taco.” In fact, according to Vincent, it had only been about 45 days when the couple decided to follow up with a second establishment, located in the River Market district.

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Jacquelyn and Joe Vincent

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Rock City Taco took off with the same success Rock City Kitchen experienced just months prior. Also located downtown, it has brought a unique twist to tacos, quesadillas, burritos and more while the kitchen handles a variety of breakfast and lunch options.

With the two locations opening within months of each other, the Vincents were busy but excited in their journey to creating new food options in Little Rock. In an unprecedented time for all businesses, and an especially hectic time in the restaurant world, the rapid growth of the Vincents’ establishments made for a huge learning experience.

“Just being able to increase our knowledge was key; there were price increases, challenges, the supply chain and demand and scaling prices,” Vincent said. This made day-to-day operations more fluid, with lots of learning in the early months.

“There was the pricepoint change early on.

We had to learn how to price our items again while working with our vendors. We didn’t want to overprice or underprice but needed to be able to price ourselves for growth we knew would happen.”

But the Vincents didn’t want to just open restaurants; their goal was to create an unbeatable experience for their customers. As Little Rock residents, this meant they wanted to create a specific taste that screamed “Rock City.” The duo, along with help from their family, did just that. Not only did they work diligently to develop and perfect their own secret seasoning blend, “Rock City Dust,” but they also make their own specialty drinks and RCK Wing Sauces. These wing sauces include Buffalo, jalapeno, chipotle, habanero, extreme, cayenne and garlic.

While Joe Vincent has worked tirelessly at ground zero creating a community, developing social media and perfecting the Rock City Family brand, Jacquelyn made sure to create an environment in which the

brand could flourish. She handles catering and events for several local groups, including the Little Rock Regional Chamber, and for local events such as Tacos and Tequila and Taste of the Rock.

“The best part of being involved in the restaurants is getting to meet and greet customers and getting to serve them wonderful food,” Jacquelyn said.

Vincent’s mother, Faith Sherman, also proved to be invaluable, not only in terms of operations and logistics, but in bringing her own specialties to the concepts. Her cookies and famous cakes can be found only at the Rock City establishments.

Sherman also manages scheduling and more for the storefronts.

The Vincents make it a priority to serve the community in other ways, such as the AR Free Meals program in which they provide USDA meals to after-school and summer programs in the Little Rock School District.

Through the program, they also provide meals during summer day camps at the Central Arkansas Library System.

“This effort goes toward helping underserved children, teens and community members,” Vincent said.

The Vincents worked hard to create something to benefit essential workers; the success of that first venture and others has been satisfying. But the couple perhaps gets the most satisfaction out of making their customers’ dining experienc an enjoyable and unique eating adventure.

“I have a saying I use on the regular — discipline and dedication. Stay consistent with everything you do, everything you have a hand on,” Vincent said. “Of course, it takes passion to start something, but it takes long days and long nights to see it through.”

The couple not only is dedicated to seeing their own entrepreneurial efforts pan out, but in helping make Little Rock the best it can be. The Vincents are active in the Chamber, the Small Minority Business

“I have a saying I use on the regular — discipline and dedication.

Stay consistent with everything you do, everything you have a hand on.”

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Council and Build Academy, a 12-week business development initiative through the city that walks local business owners and entrepreneurs through the process of getting their ideas off the ground.

It isn’t all work and no play for the Vincents, however. The entire family is heavily involved in sports. Their son, Cameron Hunter, a point guard on the UCA basketball team, was named the 2022 freshman of the year in the Atlantic Sun Conference.

And then there’s Jacquelyn Vincent’s creative side, which benefits the business and the community. She has taken to embroidering, screen printing and merchandise branding in an effort to create more opportunities for the community.

“It’s something I could see growing into doing business with other companies, not just with restaurants and their uniforms, but also with basketball and baseball teams, to meet different needs in the community like that,” she said.

The growth of the FAB44 umbrella is far from finished; the Vincents want to remain at the forefront of consistent innovation and expansion. The Vincents are working on several new strategies to create better experiences for guests, such as a breakroom delivery service, which eliminates time constraints for employees by way of scanning QR codes and being able to immediately pick up their food.

At the end of the day, the Vincents set out to create something special for the community and are thankful they continue to have that opportunity.

“We are so appreciative of our community and our city,” Joe Vincent said.

“The support has been overwhelming over the last couple of years, and I can’t say how appreciative we are that the city has embraced us and our restaurants so well.”

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Through Rock City Kitchen, Vincent hopes to give back to the community.

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DYNAMIC DUOS

Cowper Chadbourn and Debbie Doss

Dumpster

DIVERS

Chadbourn, Doss do what it takes to keep state’s rivers clean

By Kenneth Heard

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I

Since 2016, Chadbourn and Doss and their volunteers have removed 138 tons of tires from rivers. The biggest haul was in 2017, when they hauled off 66,685 pounds of tires.

The two have differing personalities when doing their work. Chadbourn, 66, is quick to point out the absurdities of life. He laughs at some of the situations he finds on the rivers. He outfits his canoe with saws, ropes, pulleys and long bamboo poles to reach debris left in trees by flooding.

He’s created a plywood raft on which to load junk and uses it with his team.

Doss, 68, is a tad quieter, pausing to reflect before speaking. A retired biologist, teacher and conservation chairman for Game and Fish, she’s dealt with water issues for more than three decades. Some of her projects may take a few years before completion; she helped stop the creation of a large pig farm along the Buffalo River about five years ago.

She was also instrumental in stopping a plan to dam Lee Creek near Fort Smith. It was a three-year battle, but worth it, she said.

“We pitched in hard. It was a very pristine stream with rare species,” she said.

What began as a hobby has become their “obsessions,” Chadbourn said.

“I have instant gratification when we clean,” Chad-

t became a habit early on when Cowper Chadbourn and his wife, Debbie Doss, first canoed and floated the state’s rivers more than three decades ago.

They’d see trash left at some of the access points, which led the pair to make a conscious effort to clean up and leave them looking better than when they arrived.

“We used to be able to camp on private property,” said Chadbourn (whose first name is pronounced Cooper). “But then every time we discussed access, the landowners said they closed the area off due to littering.

They knew boaters had been there before.”

The habit grew, and the couple, married now for 40 years, has converted that practice into massive cleanups that have seen the removal of tons of tires, appliances, hot water heaters, boats, cars, hot tubs, portable toilets and other debris — even two dumpsters — from the Buffalo National River, the Mulberry River, Lee Creek and other state waterways including Bayou DeView, part of the White and Cache river basins in east Arkansas.

Matthew Irvin, stream team coordinator for the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission, said of Chadbourn and Doss, “By far, they are the most amazing people on the river that I know of. They are our biggest river advocates.”

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“My favorite river is the one I’m on today. They all have something different to offer. We’re just dancing with the water.”

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Chadbourn floats with a big haul from Cadron Creek including tires, a highway sign and a bike.

Doss stands atop two porta jons at Bayou Deview

Chadbourn and volunteers guide a dumpster down the Buffalo.

bourn said. “We go in, see [the trash] and clean it up. Debbie’s work takes more time and is more important in the long run.”

Chadbourn’s work certainly is visible. There’s the time he and others found a 1,000-pound steel dumpster submerged in the Buffalo near Tyler Bend. His engineering degree, which he calls “farm-boy level engineering” on the rivers, came in handy. He figured out the weight of the container, how much he had to raise it to clear the river’s bottom and how to use a bilge pump in the wild to remove water that flowed in through the dumpster’s cracks.

Several volunteers got into the dumpster with Chadbourn and actually paddled it downstream to a boat launch

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where it could be loaded and hauled off.

The two aren’t originally from Arkansas. Doss was born in New Mexico before moving to the Arkansas-Oklahoma border. She attended the University Arkansas in Fayetteville, studying psychology and biology. Doss earned a master’s degree in psychology at the University of Central Arkansas in Conway.

She became a school psychologist in Arkansas, working in all grades from preschool to high school.

Chadbourn was born in Georgia, moved to Ruston, La., and then to Monticello when he was 13. He was also interested in psychology, and he and Doss met in class at the UA. Both enjoyed the outdoors, and their first date in-

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berly, owner of Tyler Bend Outfitters. volved a scuba diving lesson on Beaver Lake.

“If people come and see trash in the river and the valThe two married in 1982 and lived in Little Rock. Chadley, they’ll think the area is dirty and may not come back,” bourn worked with Entergy and Doss taught. When Doss Wimberly said. “If they see it is pretty clean and there’s no transferred to Conway, and Chadbourn began working at trash in abundance, they may want to come back.”

Arkansas Nuclear One in Russellville, the two moved to Doss has added another boost to the state’s tourism Conway where they’ve been since. dollar. She’s created the Arkansas Waterways Partnership The central location, Chadbourn said, allows them which promotes canoeing, kayaking and boating on the quicker access to rivers across the state. state’s rivers.

“They’re out every day,” Irvin said. The only time they “Trails are hard to build,” Doss said. “But waterways aren’t is if it’s raining too hard and the currents may be danare already there. You just have to put up signs to show gerous. Cowper loved fishing, but now he’s always doing the way.” cleanup. He’s fishing, just not for fish.”

Chadbourn said not everyone litters, Despite the dangers involved, Chad- The couple with one of three but there’s enough who do to make a bourn also sees a humorous side to porta jons removed from the Little river unsightly. For years, some have the cleanup. Once, he and his team Maumelle River near Pinnacle habitually tossed tires, metal debris struggled removing a dumpster buried Mountain State Park. and other trash into river or on private in the river. The river was running too landfills near rivers. Flooding pushes deep, and they couldn’t free it. the refuse downstream and onto riverA couple of kayakers passed by, banks. watching their efforts.

“There are 3 million people in the Chadbourn said the team decided state,” Chadbourn said. “If only 1 perto return a few months later when cent litters, that’s still 30,000 people the river was a bit shallower. As they throwing stuff away.” worked, the same group of kayakers Chadbourn has created working paddled by again. relationships with parks, municipali“Are you still there?” one of the ties and county governments that alkayakers asked, thinking Chadbourn’s low them to bring river trash to certain team had been working on the dumppoints for pickup. Landfills may also ster each day for months. waive fees, although Chadbourn will “Yes,” Chadbourn replied, “and still use his own vehicles, furnish his we’re not giving up until we get it out!” own gasoline and pay dumping fees, if The cleanups are visual and draw needed. attention from river-goers. Tyler Bend Outfitters, a compaChadbourn and Doss now use an app created by Chris ny that charters trips on the Buffalo, has done its own river Elkins to locate trash. Called “Geotrashing,” the app, availcleanups in March for the past 31 years. able for Android phones, imprints GPS coordinates on Others, motivated by Chadbourn and Doss, also clean photographs people take of trash sites. The couple can pinriver sites locally. But there’s more to it than just removing point the spot using the coordinates that are sent to them trash. by users of the app, find it and then clean it.

“They remove litter for the aesthetics of the river, and The two plan to continue cleaning rivers and boating it makes the environment so much more beautiful,” Irthem. They go out as often as they can. Doss likes Bayou vin said. “But it’s also helping the habitat for fishing and DeView for canoeing the best. Chadbourn is partial to the wildlife.”

Buffalo and its tributaries.

He said he’s seen fish and turtles snagged on fishing But he offers his take: “My favorite river is the one I’m on lines and debris left in rivers. The cleanups also are helptoday,” he said. “They all have something different to offer. ing with the economics of the rivers. Tourists who see trash We’re just dancing with the water.” along riverways won’t be as apt to return, said Brad Wim-

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INSURANCE

SHELTER

FROM THE

STORM

COVID CONTINUES TO SHAPE INSURANCE INDUSTRY

By Dwain Hebda

T

he insurance industry isn’t one known for rapid change, but a global pandemic has a way of altering even the most steadfast of business currents. After two years, insurance companies are still adjusting to the evolving marketplace as COVID continues to shape the industry from shifting operational practices to new risk calculations affecting coverage and premiums.

Where it’s all going still comes down to who you talk to. In some cases, operations are returning to pre-2020 practices, which is reassuring to longstanding firms such as Little Rock-based Stephens Inc. that cater to a more established,

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conservative clientele.

“Stephens is a privately held, family-owned business founded in 1933,” said Tom Kane, director of life and health. “Prior to March 2020, we were not a remote workforce at all. March 2020 comes, and we did not know, not that anybody did, how long this was going to last, so we sent everybody home. Gave everybody VPN access and thought Tom Kane we’d be back by summer, right?

We did not officially return to the office until last November.

“I think the biggest thing for us during that time was, we didn’t know how our people were going to react in that remote work environment, although we were pleased to see that they did exceptionally well.”

Kane said this high level of performance gave the company confidence to evolve into an alternative scheduling model. He said the compromise allows flexibility while still maintaining the company’s culture and meeting customer expectations.

“Our folks can be in the office, at minimum, three days a week and work from home two days, or they can come to the office full-time if they want,” he said. “We have a very unique, very strong culture that we are very proud of. One of our concerns was, how do you instill and maintain that type of culture in a remote workforce?

When you hire new people into your organization, how do you build that culture when they’re not here? It’s difficult. I think that was the biggest challenge for us, and I think probably a lot of other organizations.”

Other insurance professionals said the shake-up was just what the industry needed, especially as it pertained to a long overdue catch-up with technology.

“COVID forced the very archaic life insurance business to rapidly accelerate its technology,” said Luke Ramsey, president of the ASA Group and Evolved Life Settlements in Little Rock. “I serve on the board for the National Association of Life Insurance Brokerage Firms, and my father served on the technology committee with that association 25 years ago. What we’ve been trying to bring about was some of the basics, such as

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Andrew Meadors

Luke Ramsey

electronic signatures and electronic applications, just to simplify the amount of paperwork.

“It took COVID to actually force insurance companies to embrace that and put it together, even though we’ve had that capability for 20-some years. It just never happened. People could buy a house with an electronic signature 10 years ago, but it has been happening just recently in the life insurance business.”

Andrew Meadors, CEO of Sunstar Insurance of Arkansas in Little Rock, echoed this sentiment, saying once technology became the preferred, safe way of conducting business, many firms began to build better, more efficient operational mousetraps.

“The pandemic forced us to come to certain realizations of things that we did not have to do that we thought we had to do,” he said. “That was, mainly, get on the plane and go see out-of-state clients at every renewal time. [During COVID] they did not want us to come, and we weren’t sure about going. So, it changed the whole dynamic there. We still want to do that maybe every other year, but we just don’t have to do it all the time.

“Also, the insurance agency business used to be very buttoned-down, like 8 o’clock, everyone’s at their desk ready to go. And that’s a laughable concept now. It’s still very important in our industry for new people to have a quick collaboration with industry veterans, so we would never be an all work-from-home agency, because we feel that client service suffers. But we’re a lot more flexible than we used to be.”

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INSURANCE

The relative calm with which insurance professionals today speak of the events of 2020 belies the neardeath experience the industry as whole experienced during that time. In a September 2021 commentary for PropertyCasualty360.com, John Head, Wes Robinson and Bill Wilkinson laid out in no uncertain terms the catastrophic events the industry narrowly averted.

“The impact of COVID-19 on the insurance industry could have been devastating if pandemic coverage had been applied,” they wrote. “According to the insurance trade group American Property Casualty Insurance Association, the estimated costs from the resulting pandemic-related mandated business closures, in terms of loss of income, would have been anywhere between $251 billion and $450 billion a month, which, if paid, would have rendered the insurance industry insolvent.”

For context, 9/11 generated $40 billion in total, or 10

existing claims systems, delaying payments and eroding customer confidence.

Along the way, many life insurance companies had to pivot as buying patterns shifted due to underwriting for certain population segments growing narrower on the basis of perceived higher risk. This hit The ASA Group, the oldest and largest brokerage firm in the state, where it hurt.

“During COVID, our older-age, high-net worth clients were restricted on the amount of coverage that they wanted to buy, and a lot of clients were not wanting to spend that much money every year anyway,” Ramsey said. “Meanwhile, every 25-year-old out there, all of a sudden, wanted insurance, so we saw a big surge in small face amounts, or middle-market mass affluent, which is the term we use in the industry. That mass affluent space really started buying a lot more policies.

“COVID forced the very archaic life insurance business to rapidly accelerate its technology.” percent of insurers’ combined surplus, per the article.

Even then, the authors noted, many companies balked at the price tag of claims, fearing the impact on the industry’s stability. Ultimately, the federal Terrorism Risk Insurance Act was invoked to share the burden of claims between the government and insurance carriers.

Policyholders have taken their carriers to court for refusing to pay on the grounds of the pandemic. But thus far, few plaintiffs have won their challenge, as the courts agreed with the view that business interruption policies were never intended to pay pandemic-specific claims. And in more bad news for policyholders, many carriers have yet to come up with a workable solution against future pandemics, save for inserting specific pandemic-exclusion language into their policies.

The life insurance industry has had its own challenges. A December 2021 article in the Wall Street Journal reported death benefit claims spiked higher than at any time since the 1918 influenza epidemic. Statistics by the American Council on Life Insurers showed a 15.4 percent surge in such claims in 2020 to $90.43 billion, mostly due to the pandemic. This has put a strain on

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“Well, we don’t do well in that space; it’s a place that we haven’t penetrated as a company. We’re tailored to the high-net worth individual, and we just weren’t seeing the insurance companies wanting to bite off all the risk because of the economic uncertainty.”

A few years ago, Ramsey launched Evolved Life Settlements, which sought to purchase life insurance policies and sell them to hedge funds. During COVID, people flocked to the company, selling off extra life insurance policies and squirrelling away the proceeds as a guard against future uncertainty.

“That business just exploded,” he said. “A lot of business owners and people who owned massive amounts of property for rent were concerned their renters were going to be going out of business. They saw a policy that maybe had no cash value, but they could sell that policy for a tax-favored lump sum today which would give them a bankroll to carry through the pandemic.”

Health insurance is also continuing to grapple with the changing landscape, as COVID has already begun to be factored into health underwriting tables, affecting the cost of individual and group coverages.

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marketplace, issues that only compound the factors that underwriters looked at prior to 2020, from chronic health conditions to the high cost of medications.

“We’ve seen employers wanting to make sure that they’re offering very competitive, well-rounded benefit packages compared to their competitors,” he said. “Mental health is most definitely something we’ve seen an uptick in, both in conversations around and claims around that particular topic. Employee assistance programs have become increasingly more important for employers to provide their employees as a result.

“We’ve also seen more choice across the board. In 2019 in Arkansas, 28 percent of employers, based on our statistics, offered only one health plan. By 2021, we were down to 23 percent that only offered one. People want more and more choices, not only in health plans but in what we call supplemental benefits such as covering accidents or cancer.”

Even as the COVID factor becomes more normalized within the insurance industry, there’s still the occasional twist that gets a person’s attention. As Meadors notes, one of these complications factoring into the life insurance business is fairly dripping with irony.

“Everyone was thankful when the vaccines came out to help us get through this pandemic. However, there’s been more problems resulting from vaccination injuries, which people are now coming to grips with,” he said. “Blood clots, heart attacks, strokes, sudden death.

Those things are being factored into the life-insurance actuary tables going forward. Furthermore, there are some states that are changing workers compensation laws. If your company forced the vaccine on you to keep your job and your body breaks down or you have some major problem, that’s compensable as a workers compensation claim.

“I’m not trying to sound the alarm that this stuff is widespread or prevalent, but there’s risk to these vaccines and these boosters, which doctors and cardiologists are now starting to admit. People need to understand there’s risk with whatever you do, and for those who want to keep taking these boosters whenever they say to go take them, they need to assess that. The benefit has to outweigh that risk.”

“There’s an immediate effect, and there’s a longerterm effect which we don’t know the end of yet,” said Pete Edgmon, underwriting consultant for life and health at Stephens Inc. “The way the Delta variant was so significant was, we had the severity of those diagnosed going into hospitalizations, and hospitalizations result in long-term inpatient stays, multiple morbidities, comorbidities. Long story short, very high-cost claimants.

“Beginning mid- to late-summer 2021, I’d see two of every 10 high-cost claimants per employer were there as a result of a COVID-19 primary diagnosis. I hadn’t seen that up until that point. Fast forward to March 2022, and major carriers were increasing their pooling charges, meaning reinsurance rates built within a fully insured premium, by 3 to 4 percent. Bottom line, your fully insured premiums have now gone up, generally speaking, 1 and a half to 2 percent, just as a result of high-cost claimants due to COVID-19.

“The big question here, the $50 billion question, is whether or not those get adjusted back down once we get later into 2022 and the incidents of the high-cost claimants as a result of COVID-19 are not as numerous.”

Employers are under even more pressure to absorb the added cost of health insurance for their workers.

Given the tight labor supply, benefits packages become a key bargaining chip for attracting and retaining good help. The company that passes along too much cost to the employee, or otherwise falls short of their expectations, is likely to lose them to a competitor next door.

Randy Rogers of Gallagher Insurance in Little Rock said this is driving certain trends within the benefits

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Those Other Arkansas Travelers

By Becky Gillette

MORE DEMANDS, HIGHER PAY PART OF THE ROAD FOR TRAVEL NURSES

Ally and Zane Fergu

son in Maui.

e, South Dakota.

Rushmor The Fergusons at Mount

The Fergusons with TNAA recr

uiter Olivia Carper.

A

HEALTH CARE

Ally and Zane Ferguson of Conway are travel nurses who met on their first assignment seven years ago for Travel Nurses Across America. The past two years of the pandemic have greatly increased the need for travel nurses and put unprecedented pressures on many different types of health care professionals.

“I wouldn’t say that being a travel nurse has been harder during the pandemic, but I’ve seen more death and suffering over the past two years than I have my entire career,” said Ally Ferguson, who most recently has been on assignment in Olympia, Wash. “Before the pandemic, I could count on one hand the number of times I performed chest compressions during a code.

“Since the pandemic, it’s tripled. I never dreamed that I would be in the middle of comfort care holding a patient’s hand as they pass and look out a window and see people protesting vaccine mandates.”

Ally said the job has been much more demanding during the pandemic, not just with patients, but also trying to provide education to families as well, with so much misinformation coming from the media.

Zane said he has seen more deaths in the last two years than in his entire career, mainly because previously, most people got better and left the unit.

“The past two years, the majority of people have died on our unit, and that’s not because we weren’t trying,” he said. “In fact, we were doing everything we knew how and then some just to see what might work, and they were still dying.”

Zane said not only do travel nurses leave their families and homes, but they also work in unfamiliar environments, help treat sick people and deal with combative/aggressive patients and families. And sometimes they do it with little to no support from either companies or hospitals.

“I’m fortunate enough to work for a company that always has my back,” he said. “But I know of several nurses who have been treated unfairly in certain situations with no one there to help them. Nurses in general don’t get paid enough, and we saw that with the surge of travel nurses that occurred during the pandemic.

“The value of a nurse to help your loved ones or yourself through what could potentially be the most critical time of their life is invaluable. When a hospital has to restrict visitors, and no one can be with their loved ones when they’re dying, the travel nurse or any nurse becomes the family to be the only one present as the patient passes away. You can’t put a price on a good compassionate nurse.”

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Paid too much?

Action has been discussed on the state and federal levels to cap the salaries of travel nurses. But Tim McKenzie, president and CEO of Travel Nurse Across America (TNAA), based in North Little Rock, said it should be noted that a traditional traveler’s pay package includes the hourly pay rate plus subsidies for temporary housing while on their assignment, plus meals and incidentals.

What often gets published is the Tim McKenzie combination of all three of those amounts. McKenzie said when the combination of all three of those amounts is compared to the hourly pay rates of permanent staff, it can appear exaggerated.

“A traveler is typically operating under a short-term contract — 13 weeks is the industry average,” McKenzie said.

“They most often are required to find short-term housing, in many cases in a very tight housing market, which is often expensive. Housing subsidies and meals and incidentals are regulated by geography. Rates are ultimately set by the hospitals and vary from market to market.

“A travel nurse is requested when the census in the hospital is such that additional staffing is needed to appropriately staff the unit. Travelers are requested by specialties — ER, ICU, NICU, etc. — based on the needs of each unit in that health care facility. Oftentimes, they are required to have at least two years of experience in acute care settings consistent with the type of hospital unit they apply with. They’ll also need to have nurse licensing requirements consistent with each state where they may choose to work.”

McKenzie said pay packages for travel nurses vary by specialty and have varied significantly during various phases of the pandemic. Currently, with hospitalizations due to COVID-19 falling across the country, pay packages are declining significantly from their peaks during the omicron variant. And it is not unusual that travel nurse

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assignments will be canceled due to lower patient levels or contracts renegotiated.

“Pay rates for travel nurses have been studied in the past (prepandemic), and when compared to the total cost of employment of permanent staff, were found to be reasonably in-line, although any study can be debated,” he said. “However, during the pandemic, due to the extreme shortage in nurse staffing, pay packages for travelers far outpaced the average pay for permanent nursing staff. Where those pay packages land in the future for both permanent and travel nursing, given the systemic shortage of nurses nationwide, is yet to be fully determined and will vary by market geography.”

Jean Cook, chief operating officer for TNAA, said one reason travelers generally are paid more has to do with the requirements of being a travel nurse.

“They generally have received a higher wage due to their high skill level, the ability to hit the ground running, and that many times they are put in the toughest situations at the hospital — the place the help is most desperately needed,” Cook said. “In addition, travelers who are having to pay for lodging while away from home are reimbursed for that exJean Cook pense related to the business travel, the same as most businesses cover the expense of out-of-town travel for their employees.”

McKenzie said both permanent and travel nurses are the real heroes of the pandemic.

“For most of us, we have no idea the stress and challenges that nurses have endured during these past few years, in particular,” McKenzie said. “It was a difficult job to begin with. For travel nurses, they are moving into a new area of the country and a new hospital setting/unit that has requested them because of need.

They are in temporary housing away from family and friends in a high-stress environment. All nurses are trained clinicians, and we should be grateful for their skills and how many nurses were willing to move to the places of need to support and care for our communities across the country.”

Cook said travel nurses face all the same challenges as staff nurses, and in addition, as experienced nurses, they are expected to “hit the ground running,” placed in units that need help fast.

Travel nurses are also away from home, which means no nearby family or friends, and they are living in some sort of temporary lodging such as an apartment, Airbnb or VRBO-type lodging, or even an extended-stay hotel.

And the nurses have had to deal with an unprecedented level

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of patient death.

“This is for all nurses, staff and travelers,” Cook said. “For many nurses, they became a health care professional to help people, to be a part of their patients recovering from illness. The impact of this level of loss has caused them a great deal of stress and pain. Nurses have been leaving acute-care bedside jobs due to this, which has added to the shortage of nurses that existed before the pandemic even began.”

Speaking up

Cook said all nurses — staff and travelers — should speak up and advocate for reasonable patient ratios. They can and should speak to leadership at their workplace or reach out to the clinical support team at their staffing agency.

The pandemic has exposed several weaknesses in the delivery of health care. Nonetheless, McKenzie said that the industry should be applauded for its response to a worldwide pandemic that impacted communities, large and small.

“One of those weaknesses is the importance and the need for nursing professionals, and everyone is hopeful that the pandemic will open up opportunities for many to pursue a nursing career, certainly for permanent staffing. But some may include some travel along their journey.

“Because of a nationwide shortage of nursing staff, all clinicians are hopeful that pay packages will reflect both their professional skills and the overall availability of trained staff. Well over 90 percent of acute-care nurses are permanent staff, so we should all be grateful for their work. And, for that smaller percent that were willing to quickly travel to places of need, we should be grateful for their work as well.”

Cook noted several reasons why nurses like being a traveler — different reasons for different people, she said. Among the reasons she hears most often are the opportunities to go where they know their skills are most needed, build their resume by gaining experiences and skills faster than by staying at a single job and see different parts of the country.

For the Fergusons, each of those reasons resonate.

“I love the freedom of being a travel nurse,” Ally Ferguson said. “I enjoy being able to take a break between assignments and going on international trips. I enjoy being a peon, but also being a resource to staff at the hospital I’m working at. The hardest part is being away from home. Being away from your support system and your comfort zone is always hard. Another hard part is finding affordable housing.”

There has been some criticism of the high salaries being paid to travel nurses during the pandemic. Ferguson disagrees.

“The jobs that were paying crazy amounts… those nurses were working five to six 12-hour shifts a week,” she said. “What bothers me is people criticize nurses for either wanting better pay or for what they’re being paid, but don’t take a second glance at administrators’ pay or other high-paying jobs. What is so terrible about paying those who are in the trenches saving lives every day?”

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HEALTH CARE

ARE TRAVEL NURSE SALARIES SUSTAINABLE FOR HEALTH CARE INSTITUTIONS?

By Becky Gillette

A

verage salaries for travel nurses have soared during the pandemic with average salaries plus benefits advertised on Arkansas travel nurse recruitment websites ranging from $1,600 to more than $3,000 per week. While travel nurses have been critical to meeting the unprecedented demand, the costs have been difficult for many hospital systems to absorb.

Chad Aduddell, CEO of CHI St. Vincent in Little Rock, said he has watched the health care workforce change across the country during the pandemic.

The industry experienced an increase in retirement of health care workers with many leaving the workforce due to family obligations related to COVID-19.

“Those challenges have been compounded by the ongoing nursing shortage and lack of people going into health care fields,” Aduddell said. “Thankfully, we have been able to uti- Chad Aduddell lize traveling nurses to work alongside our employees to assist with patient care. With competitive demand, the average cost for temporary travel nurses has increased through the pandemic, in addition to the number of travel nurses our healing ministry and other health care institutions have had to rely upon.”

Aduddell said he is truly grateful for the service of travel nurses and their compassionate care that has helped through this difficult time. However, the rising cost of travel nurses on the scale CHI St. Vincent has had to rely upon is not sustainable for any healthcare institution long term, he added.

“We’ve been fortunate to have loyal nurses who understand the value of being part of our healing ministry and have been honored to welcome many traveling nurses who chose to leave traveling in order to join our ministry full time. We have also made significant investments in our full-time and part-time staff and nurses to ensure we are taking care of our own co-workers.

CHI St. Vincent could not, nor any hospital for that matter, pro-

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vide necessary care without our nurses and their colleagues who are called to this ministry.”

The demand for health care workers is higher than the current supply, and the pandemic has only increased the imbalance, according to Bo Ryall, president and CEO of the Arkansas Hospital Association.

“Arkansas hospitals are fortunate to have so many committed, capable and creative health care workers in our ranks; they are essential to our work of making Arkansas communities healthier,” he said. “The critical shortage of health care workers in Arkansas has been a growing problem for years but has become an acute issue during the COVID-19 pandemic. As COVID-19 surges stretched existing health care capacity, many hospiBo Ryall tals had to rely upon contract workers to meet the increased need.”

Ryall said the “great resignation” hit health care in 2021. In August alone, 534,000 health care workers left their jobs to take another, leave health care or retire.

“This imbalance, and the growing reliance upon travel agencies, increased hospital labor costs by 15 to 20 percent in 2021 compared to 2020, and they are expected to increase even more in 2022,” Ryall said. “This has created a perfect storm of increased costs and limited staffing at a time when hospitals are already stretched. We believe that a variety of approaches to addressing the health care worker shortage should be simultaneously pursued, including federal programs to provide scholarships and loan forgiveness for health care education, investing in nursing workforce development programs, lifting the cap on Medicare-funded physician residencies, expediting visas for all highly trained, foreign health-care workers and preventing burnout through targeted investments that address behavioral health needs.”

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The flexibility, customization and support to help retirees live healthier and happier

Steve Wood Associate Vice President for Benefits & Risk Management Services The University of Arkansas System

With 8 years and counting, UnitedHealthcare’s Goup Medicare Advantage plan works for the University of Arkansas What are the main concerns you focus on when designing a retiree health care plan?

Steve Wood (SW): When we made the decision to move the Medicare-eligible retirees out of our self-funded plan, it was a dramatic change. We knew the features and administrative support we wanted, chief among them managing out-of-pocket expenses. We were also interested in maintaining a good prescription drug plan. And we didn’t want to disrupt network access any more than we absolutely had to.

How is the UnitedHealthcare Group Medicare Advantage plan good for retirees and their health?

SW: We have an excellent plan. Historically, it has been the best option for our retirees in terms of plan design and customization. The plan provides physical activity support (Renew Active®), offers home visits, has maintained consistent customer service support that shows a good understanding of the plan and they help our retirees with their questions.

What do you see as the main benefits of Renew Active (UnitedHealthcare’s fitness program)?

SW: One of the big aspects of retiree wellness programs is social. If a group of the retiree’s cohorts has access to the same gym, the same activities, they treat that as a social event. We have some very long-term employees. And the university has been their home, those are the people that they’ve been with for 30+ years. That’s their extended family. So, keeping contact with that group is invaluable.

What has your experience been like, as an administrator of the plan?

SW: We moved to UMR* in 2013 and followed with the Medicare Advantage plan in 2014. It was a big change. But there was a huge amount of support as we prepared for that. Their team went to every one of our campuses and held meetings and dealt with tough questions and unhappy customers for 3 months following the transition until people started experiencing claims. This is one of the few plans that we offer to our former employees in which it’s not unusual for retirees to call us back 6 months or a year later and say, “This plan is really good, I understand it now.”

Can you describe the cost and time savings benefits for both your retirees and your current staff?

SW: The cost of maintaining retirees on any plan is very real. At any given time, we have 300, 400 retirees on our 365 plan. This population has a loss ratio in excess of 100%, and they’re just reaching a point when they’re going to use health care. Being able to move 1,400+ retirees out of the university’s plan — a self-funded plan — and not take that draconian step of cutting benefits is important. This is a much more helpful, kinder step. We’re able to monitor the plan and customize it. We can select copay amounts, out-of-pocket amounts and the tier copayment for pharmacy. We have flexibility and we balance an affordable plan with minimal out-of-pocket expenses.

Are there any ancillary benefits to the plan that you didn’t anticipate?

SW: I’ll go back to cost. And another big factor is the prescription drug plan, which is great. We save in maintenance, too. We’ve moved ourselves out of retiree billing — the Medicare Advantage plan is handling the billing for retirees. It’s streamlined the process and it made it more accurate.

How would your retirees describe their access to care?

SW: This is an open access plan. If a physician takes Medicare, they typically take this plan. The majority of our service areas accept this plan. And the other piece of this — that our retirees have not experienced — is how the billing is managed. With UnitedHealthcare’s plans, you’re getting one explanation of benefits (EOB), one report— it’s much easier for the retirees to track their utilization and expenses.

Anything else you’d like to share about your experience with UnitedHealthcare’s Group Medicare Advantage plan?

SW: The stability of the plan is important. Particularly during our enrollment period, we communicate with the retirees about any changes. And this has remained a stable plan year after year and that’s a positive thing for us, and an extremely positive thing for the retirees. With UnitedHealthcare, we’ve done a good job and our retirees are happy.

*UnitedHealthcare’s third-party administrator Renew Active includes a standard fitness membership. The information provided through Renew Active is for informational purposes only and is not medical advice. Consult your doctor prior to beginning an exercise program or making changes to your lifestyle or health care routine. The Renew Active program varies by plan/area. Access to gym and fitness location network may vary by location and plan.

Not for distribution to retirees or beneficiaries.

Insurance coverage provided by UnitedHealthcare Insurance Company or its affiliates. Administrative services provided by United HealthCare Services, Inc., or its affiliates.

EI221496805.0 4/22 ©2022 United HealthCare Services, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

HEALTH CARE

A D D R E S S I N G A S H O R TAG E

of physicians

Conway Regional providing medical residency slots to improve health care delivery

By Becky Gillette

The shortage of physicians in Arkansas has become more acute, as many doctors have retired or left the profession because of stress or illness from COVID-19. Despite being one of the most challenging times imaginable, in the middle of the pandemic, Conway Regional Health System launched its family residence program and welcomed its first class in July 2020.

Since then, it welcomed a second class in 2021.

And March of this year saw the third class of resi-

“I don’t really think a lot of residents get that with their programs. Most residents aren’t having dinner at the CEO’s house.” dents enrolled for a total of 12, four per class, of family resident students. The third class will begin training in July. These physicians are going through an accredited training program that will prepare them to practice on their own when they finish their residence.

“In Conway— the city of colleges — education is a part of the fabric of our community,” said Matt Troup, president and CEO of Conway Regional.

Dr. Dylan Cruz (Photos provided by Conway Regional)

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“Because of this, a family medicine residency program made sense for our health system and for our community.

Our program will train a generation of physicians who are critical thinkers, compassionate providers, skilled clinicians and future leaders in medicine.”

Besides benefiting patients, the residency programs allow medical school students to finish their education in Arkansas rather than leaving for a position in another state.

“I am thankful to be part of the Conway Regional team,” said Dylan Cruz, D.O., a family medicine resident. “Everyone here is committed to providing high-quality, compassionate health care services. It’s a great organization to be a part of. I chose family medicine because of its variety. Whether it’s different ages, different patient care or different settings, I felt that it gave me an opportunity to care for a family over a long period of time.”

Rebekah Fincher, chief administra-

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mary care physicians throughout the state.

She said this program will allow Conway Regional to increase health care access by producing exceptionally trained physicians who are more likely to stay in Arkansas and provide care than if they did their residency in another state.

“During the resident recruitment process, we emphasized that our program would be different,” Fincher said. “We made three commitments that we reaffirm each day. First, we would provide a high-quality graduate medical education experience, preparing Dr. Reagan Garber residents to become successful family meditive officer and designated institutional cine physicians. Secondly, we would officer for Conway Regional, said the train a generation of physicians who programs were started due to seeing are critical thinkers, compassionate many Arkansas medical students gradproviders, skilled clinicians and future uates who did not have the opportunity leaders in medicine. And lastly, we to match with a residency in Arkansas, would take care of one another, percombined with the need for more prisonally and professionally. Conway

Dr. Sarah Robertson

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Regional is a place where we treat one residents annually with years two and another like family, we challenge one three at Dardanelle Regional Medical another, and work to provide excepCenter. When full, the program will tional care. That’s exactly what we inhave six residents and focus on training tend to do for our residents.” physicians who have a passion for famReagan Garber, class of 2024, said ily medicine for rural areas. everyone from Troup to other doctors In 2021, Conway Regional received and nurses have welcomed the class accreditation from the Accreditation with open arms.

Council for Graduate Medical Educa“I don’t really think a lot of resition, and has since been on a journey dents get that with their programs,” Garber said.

“Most residents aren’t having dinner at the CEO’s house.”

Family Medicine Residency Program Director Sarah Robertson advises residents that, “you will learn to practice family medicine in a changing health care climate while simultaneously enriching your abilities to make interpersonal connections with patients and their families. On your journey from graduated medical student to family physician, your growth will be exponential. At times, it will be joyful and, at others, it will test your limits. You will be encouraged, but you will also be challenged.”

Robertson said the Dr. Greg Kendrick goal is for family medicine residents to develop the necessary to establish its Internal Medicine Resiskills to practice independently as a dency program. That program has five caring, lifelong learning physician. internal medicine residents in each “The goal of our program is to class, for a total of 15. equip future family physicians with “This year, we will provide more the knowledge, experience and skills Arkansas medical students who gradunecessary to provide exemplary patient ate in our state with the opportunity care and positively impact the full specto match with an internal medicine trum of family practice health care deresidency in Arkansas,” Fincher said. livery,” Robertson said.

“This, combined with a need for more Another unique component is Coninternal medicine physicians throughway’s rural track family medicine proout our state, will allow us to increase gram. Conway Regional sponsors two health care access by producing ex-

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ceptionally trained physicians who, we hope, will stay in Arkansas to provide care.”

On March 18 (Match Day), Conway Regional welcomed five internal medicine residents to the inaugural class of the Internal Medicine Residency program, which begins on July 1.

“Our team is excited about this new facet of Conway Regional,” said Greg

Kendrick, M.D., Internal Medicine Residency Program Director. “We are committed to equipping our internal medicine residents with experience and skills to be great clinicians. There is a need for internal medicine physicians in our state, and I believe our hospital is uniquely qualified to train young doctors on their path to independent practice.”

When all three programs are filled, Conway Regional will be training a total of 33 residents.

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HEALTH CARE

HELP WANTED:

RESIDENTS Medical schools, health care systems partnering to increase slots in Arkansas

By Becky Gillette

A

rkansas, like other rural states, is experiencing a shortage of physicians. Many medical school graduates in Arkansas end up leaving the state where they can find more residency opportunities.

But now Arkansas has two osteopathic medical schools — the Arkansas College of Osteopathic Medicine in Fort Smith and the New York Institute of Technology College of Osteopathic Medicine in Jonesboro — to go along with the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) in Little Rock. And many in the industry are optimistic the state’s health care partners can provide enough opportunity to entice young doctors to stay in Arkansas and even serve in those rural areas that need them.

David Wroten, executive vice president for the Arkansas Medical Association, said the number of students graduating from an Arkansas medical school has increased nearly three-fold, and that’s good news. But if these new graduates can’t find residencies in Arkansas, they will have no option but to go to other states.

“They are more likely to stay in those states where they do their residency,” Wroten said. “So, if we want them to stay and practice in Arkansas, we need residency positions for them. Fortunately, all of the major health care systems in our state are or already have started providing residency opportunities.”

Conway Regional launched its family medicine residency program in 2020, and other institutions have been working to address the issue as well.

UAMS James Clardy, M.D., director of the Center for Graduate Medical Education (GME) at UAMS, said training more physicians is particularly important because retirement has increased during the pandemic. The average age of Arkansas physicians is in the 60s and rising for some specialties such as urology.

Clardy said it is important to provide residency positions for medical students in Arkansas because students look around the country for slots. Students who stay in Arkansas to do their residencies are more likely to stay in the state after completing their training, he emphasized.

UAMS has worked to enlarge the GME pool throughout the state.

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“The rules about having residencies changed at accreditation levels, and a lot of hospitals or medical systems like Unity Health in Searcy decided they were going to sponsor residencies and they did,” Clardy said. “At Unity Health, we collaborated with them, but it is not a UAMSsponsored operation. UAMS is directly working towards sponsoring a family residency position in Eureka Springs and Berryville, and one in 86

James Clardy

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Crossett. El Dorado is also establishing a program. And others are being discussed. We would like to branch out and establish residencies in more rural areas. One way is the direct expansion of residencies. A second way is UAMS partnering with other organizations to establish these residencies. Together, there are almost 100 first-year resident spots in family medicine alone.”

There are certain national accreditation requirements for GME. For example, a family medicine resident needs to have a certain number of pediatric emergency visits. UAMS is sometimes the only hospital in the state with the volume and expertise to help.

“We take in residents from all over the state, and many are not in our program,” Clardy said. “We are helping people as much

as we can to get the required clinical experience. Arkansas Children’s Hospital (ACH) and UAMS faculty there allow residents from different programs around the state to fulfill needed clinical rotations at ACH. It is a nice setup that works for everyone in the state.”

UAMS also has teamed up with Baptist Health to expand GME spots.

“We partnered with them for a family medicine residency\ internal medicine residency, a psychiatry residency and a transitional year,” Clardy said. “The first year of transitional training lets residents start and then later decide on which specialty to go into. Some could go into radiology, family medicine or OB\GYN.”

Baptist Health Mindful of the national shortage of physicians and the expanding health care needs in Arkansas, Baptist Health has numerous residency and rotation programs across the state.

“Baptist Health and UAMS partnered in 2019 to create the Baptist Health-University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences Medical Education Program in North Little Rock,” said Troy Wells, president and CEO of Baptist Health. “Four residency programs have been started through the efforts including internal medicine, family medicine, transitional year and psychiatry.

We are excited that in June we will be graduating our first class of residents in family medicine, internal medicine and transitional year. At our full complement, we will be graduating 40 physicians into the medical community each year. We continue to evaluate the community’s need to determine if increasing the number of residents in existing programs or adding additional programs is feasible.”

Also, in conjunction with UAMS, Baptist Health offers approximately 100 rotations a year for UAMS residents at Baptist Health Medical Center-Little Rock and Baptist Health Extended Care Hospital. These rotations are for areas such as surgery,

emergency medicine and multiple sub-specialties such as critical care.

“Baptist Health in partnership with UAMS began a physical medicine and rehabilitation residency program in the early ‘80’s and is still the state’s only such program,” Wells said. “Through this program, 21 residents participate annually at Baptist Health Rehabilitation Institute. For more than 40 years, Baptist HealthTroy Wells Fort Smith has worked closely with UAMS-West to provide first-hand experience for residents in family medicine and multiple specialties. During the three-year program, 28 residents train at Baptist Health-Fort Smith each year.”

In the past 10 years, Baptist Health-Fort Smith has expanded its reach to partner with the Arkansas College of Osteopathic Medicine and Lincoln Memorial University in Harrogate, Tenn., to provide a space for additional medical students each year.

Arkansas College of Osteopathic Medicine The Arkansas College of Osteopathic Medicine (ARCOM) attained its sponsoring institution accreditation in early 2019.

“Since that time, we have partnered with several regional hospitals and medical centers to initiate and/or support GME,” said ARCOM Dean Rance McClain, D.O. “We currently serve as the sponsoring institution for newly created programs in family medicine and internal medicine at Mercy Hospital Fort Smith, as well as internal medicine at Poplar Bluff Regional Medical Center in Missouri. We are the education affiliate for programs in family medicine, internal medicine, emergency medicine, psychiatry and a transitional year program at Unity Health in ARM O N E YA ND P O L I T I C S .COM

Searcy. These programs play a vital role in keeping Arkansas medical students in this state and region for their GME training by expanding the number of programs and GME positions within the state.”

Looking to the future, NYIT is working with other hospitals and health systems regarding opportunities to begin GME programs at their institutions as well. “We are working Dean McClain 87

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HEALTH CARE to someday have enough affiliated residency programs and training positions that every ARCOM graduate would have the opportunity to stay and train in GME programs in our service area,” McClain said.

Studies have consistently shown that more than half of physicians practice in the state where they completed their GME training. McClain said these percentages improve when the physician attended medical school in that state, as well.

“At ARCOM, we have focused on providing students a pathway to attend medical school in this region and have developed educational partnerships with numerous hospitals throughout Arkansas and the region where our students complete the third and fourth year of their medical education,” McClain said. “This period of their education is termed clinical rotations. We are working to create partnerships with regional hospitals that also allow them the opportunity to apply for and complete residency training programs in the same communities and same facilities they are in during those final two years of medical school. We are excited to analyze the impact of these efforts in July of 2024, when the first graduates of ARCOM will be graduating from their residencies and beginning their clinical practice as a fully licensed

physician.

“It’s no secret that Arkansas has consistently ranked low in key areas of health care, including access to care, cost of care, health outcomes and many other metrics used to rank states. In particular, rural areas have seen great difficulty recruiting and retaining physicians in practice. This leads to the challenges listed above and the lower rankings that Arkansas has consistently received.”

McClain noted that the ARCOM mission statement includes a focus on serving the underserved. As someone who grew up in a small rural farming community in southeast Kansas that was similar to countless Arkansas communities, he knows how important physicians are to rural communities.

“I have strived to show the physicians of tomorrow how vital and fulfilling their career can be when they pursue becoming a primary care physician in a rural and underserved community,” McClain said. “We will continue to focus the efforts of this institution based on that mission, and I look forward to the day when we admit medical students who were born and raised in these Arkansas communities that tell us they are coming to our school because they want to be just like their hometown physician, an ARCOM graduate.”

NYIT College of Osteopathic Medicine at A-State Shane Speights, D.O., dean of the NYIT College of Osteopathic Medicine at Arkansas State University, said that residency training is the part of medical education that teaches the physician how to practice a certain specialty. Having training programs in Arkansas is key, not only to the health of our state, but the retention of physicians, he stressed.

“Our own data shows that 57 percent of physicians that complete their residency training in Arkansas remain here to practice,” Speights said. “That’s a good thing, considering Arkansas ranks at the bottom of the country for physicians per capita.

Residency training programs are a minimum of three years in length. When a physician is in residency, they become ingrained in the community. They join a church, make friends, participate in community events and their kids attend local schools.

They develop ties to the community, which makes them much more likely to stay once they complete their training. Look no further than the towns that currently have residency training programs — Jonesboro, Conway, Searcy, Batesville, Hot Springs, etc. — and you will find a pipeline of new physicians into those communities. It’s incredibly important that we get more physician residency training programs started in Arkansas, so they’ll contribute to that statistic and stay here to practice.”

Before NYITCOM opened its doors in 2016, Speights said officials knew they needed to work to create more opportunities for their graduates to attend residency programs in Arkansas. Prior

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to 2015, no one outside of UAMS was operating residency programs in the state.

“That year, NYITCOM received a $250,000 grant from Arkansas Blue Cross and Blue Shield. We used that money to host three statewide ‘Graduate Medical Education Readiness’ events to educate stakeholders on the need for increasing residency training and the resources available Shane Speights to do so. At the events, we assembled national experts in residency creation, finance and training to speak and answer questions from hospitals and health care organizations across the state on how to build and grow GME in Arkansas. And it worked.

“In the past seven years, the state has added five new family medicine and nine new internal medicine programs, accounting for 113 new positions annually. There are now 12 family and 10 internal medicine programs in Arkansas with a total of 186 positions each year. New psychiatry and emergency medicine programs have also recently opened.”

Speights said in the first three classes, NYIT had 46 students placed into programs that didn’t exist prior to our Arkansas campus opening.

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Executive

Q&A

PLAFCAN SEES GROWTH AHEAD FOR AG LENDING AT SIMMONS BANK

S

immons Bank has expanded beyond the state’s borders into five states, each of which share with Arkansas a rich agricultural heritage.

The Pine Bluff-based bank recently announced the creation of a new agricultural division and hired Cole Plafcan, Razorback football letterman and former senior vice president at AgHeritage Farm Credit Services, to lead it as SVP and director of agricultural lending.

AMP visited with Plafcan about his new role and the challenges facing the industry.

AMP: What led to the bank’s decision to create this new division?

Plafcan: Agricultural lending is in our DNA at Simmons Bank. The decision to create this new division speaks to our continued commitment to the agriculture community. As the bank continues to grow within its six-state footprint, we want agricultural lending to continue to be part of the bank’s overall growth strategy.

AMP: As a top-35 agriculture lender, what percentage of the bank’s business does agriculture represent?

Plafcan: According to FDIC data as of Sept. 30, 2021, Simmons Bank ranked as the 32nd largest farm lender based on dollar volume. This includes production lines of credit to equipment loans as well as real estate lending. Recently published data, as of Dec. 31, 2021, shows Simmons Bank ranked 37th with

Cole Plafcan

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AMP: How are lenders impacted by the growth of technology in the industry?

Plafcan: Technology is certainly changing the face of agriculture. Farmers and ranchers are continually looking for solutions to become more efficient in their operations. The use of various mobile apps and the introduction of the autonomous tractor are just a few of the ways technology is impacting ag.

Lenders are also impacted, not only with the way they are interacting with their customers, but also with several competitors that have shown up in the marketplace. With the customer experience being at the forefront for many organizations, lenders are impacted with new technologies and systems at an increasing rate, which will only continue into the future.

$521 million in farm loans, or approximately 4.3 percent of total loans.

AMP: Given the bank’s now six-state, ag-heavy footprint, what’s the potential for this new division?

Plafcan: Simmons Bank has a rich tradition in agricultural lending with our roots being in Pine Bluff and southeast Arkansas. With our expanded footprint in the surrounding states — Texas, Tennessee, Missouri, Oklahoma and Kansas — there are vast agricultural areas for tremendous future growth at Simmons Bank. I look forward to the opportunity to work with our associates in these areas to expand our ag presence.

AMP: What are some issues facing the agriculture industry right now — such as inflation and the rising costs of fertilizer, fuel, etc.— that could impact what you do?

Plafcan: There are a multitude of issues facing American agriculture today. It’s been well documented in the media about the current inflationary issues with fuel and fertilizer. Overall, production expenses are estimated to increase 30 percent from a year ago, which will compress margins. There are other concerns such as supply chain issues with equipment and especially parts. Combined with the wet spring, which has delayed planting in many areas, it will make the year even more challenging for producers. Understanding that agricultural lending is a cyclical business and being able to weather those storms with your customers is key.

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AMP: How did your role at AgHeritage prepare you for this new position?

Plafcan: Throughout my previous career, first as a direct lender, and then most recently in senior management, the various experiences I had over the course of 25 years have given me good perspective for my new role. Understanding the customer expectations as well as those of the lending and support staff will enable me to maneuver effectively going forward.

(Editor’s note: The views expressed here are those of Cole Plafcan individually, and do not reflect those of Simmons Bank.)

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BUSINESS SERVICES

S E C U R I T Y,

WITH PRECAUTION LR firm takes no-nonsense approach to safety

By Lindsey Castrellon // Photos by Ebony Blevins

A

sk Bobby Hooks what he does, and he will tell you it depends on what you’re looking for. He might tell you he’s in the security business, but that wouldn’t quite do him justice.

In the security industry since 1997, Hooks started out installing alarm systems and now handles a variety of security needs.

Hooks founded Security with Provision in Little Rock after realizing that the Central Arkansas area had few options for a full-service security and safety firm. Provision is defined as the act of providing something for use. In Hooks’ case, he wanted to go beyond providing a security service, and equip his clients with the tools necessary to protect themselves.

At a warehouse space located in an industrial area of southwest Little Rock, Hooks, with the help of a well-trained staff, has brought his vision to life. A once dilapidated building has been transformed into a sleek headquarters for all things safety and security, a transformation for which Hooks proudly takes credit.

His no-nonsense approach translates to his design. The storefront is discreet — solid gray with tinted windows — and inside, black marble-tile floors and matte-gray walls give the impression of serious business. A stylish foyer leads into a large, open event space with floor-to-ceiling mirrors, outfitted with display cases along the perimeter. Pending a federal firearms license and ATF approval, these cases will hold weapons, ammunition and gear made specifically for training purposes, such as smoke bombs and grenades. They will sell accessories such as clips and holsters, too.

So, what’s an average workday like at Security with Provision? Again, it all depends.

Some days, Hooks is on assignment as a private security guard. But most of the time, he is at the Security with Provision headquarters, facilitating a variety of safety and security proj-

Bobby Hooks and Buju

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Hooks’ services include training for security personnel and realistic scenarios such as those that might take place at a bank.

ects. Throughout the building, each room and employee serve a specific purpose. And each employee is equipped with the necessary experience.

“We like to hire people who have been in the military or involved with law enforcement in some capacity,” Hooks said of his staff. “We don’t really like to hire people off the street.”

That makes sense, given the sensitive nature of the business.

In addition to a wide range of security services and hands-on safety training, the firm offers background checks, drug screening and polygraph services not only to individuals, but the federal and state government, as well. Security with Provision is outfitted with the latest technology necessary, such as a new Live Scan system, which performs a digital fingerprinting process that replaces traditional ink fingerprinting. With Live Scan, an applicant’s fingerprints are securely transmitted to a government agency, which performs a criminal history background check using an Automated Fingerprint Identification System (AFIS).

As for training, Security with Provision offers concealed carry courses, self-defense training and classes on weapons of mass destruction (WMDs), which are taught primarily to the military and law enforcement. The firm also offers a course called, “Shoot, Don’t Shoot,” where an individual is taken out of the classroom and put into different warehouse rooms demonstrating real life scenarios for training.

Designed to help train someone when discharging their weapon and how to protect bystanders in the process, each room

used in the “Shoot, Don’t Shoot” training is set up to portray realistic scenarios in which danger may occur, such as the lobby of a bank during a robbery or one’s own living room during a home invasion. There is even a church scenario, where a state-certified trainer is brought in to assist with active shooter training.

During the training, authorized personnel outfitted in tactical gear hold electronic targets at which the individual aims to hit with a blue laser gun. Nearby, mannequins are posed as innocent bystanders.

This course is particularly important to Hooks, who says learning how to react in such a situation is essential, because “life can change in the blink of an eye.”

Upstairs, away from the hands-on training, there is a large, state-of-the art classroom space, where even the desks are secure, each one featuring built-in privacy monitors. The space is versatile, ideal for training law enforcement, military, security personnel and civilians, on subjects such as CPR or mediation.

However, one of Security with Provision’s most important assets is not a course or a piece of equipment. In the parking lot sit two allblack SUVs labeled “Security with Provision unit.” One of them is a K9 unit.

Buju, a German Shepherd named after Jamaican music artist Buju Banton, assists Security with Provision in a variety of tasks, but is typically hired by institutions to check locker rooms for narcotics or explosives. Hooks waited until the end of the tour to introduce a reporter to Buju, saving the best for last.

Hooks lives a very private life in Little Rock. But his business is open to the public, six days a week, for all safety and security needs.

Throughout the building, each room and employee serve a specific purpose.

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NONPROFITS

JUNIOR ACHIEVEMENT

LEGACY AWARD WINNERS SHARE FOCUS ON FINANCIAL EDUCATION

Alonzo Williams

Troy Wells

Steve Straessle

Josh Davenport

Heather Nelson

By Lindsey Castrellon

J

unior Achievement of Arkansas will honor its 2022 Legacy Award winners at the 14th annual Legacy Award Luncheon on May 24 in Little Rock. The Legacy Awards Luncheon is the nonprofit’s largest fundraiser, benefiting more than 8,400 students in Central Arkansas.

Founded by Sheffield Nelson in 1987, Junior Achievement promotes economic and financial education in Central Arkansas schools and recognizes those who champion that mission. The Legacy Awards were established in 2008, and recipients are chosen for their exceptional leadership in supporting academic excellence in Arkansas.

This year’s Legacy Award winners are: Dr. Alonzo Williams, gastroenterologist and medical director for Arkansas Diagnostic Center and Kanis Endoscopy Center of Little Rock; and Troy Wells, president and CEO of Baptist Health. Steve Straessle, principal of Little Rock Catholic High School for Boys, will receive the organization’s Education Award. And Seal Solar, which works to promote energy independence through solar and electric vehicle chargers, will receive the Nelson Summit Award for its commitment to education.

Arkansas Money & Politics asked award winners about their involvement with Junior Achievement and the importance of promoting financial literacy in local schools. Representing Seal Solar were co-founders Josh Davenport and Heather Nelson. (Williams was not able to participate.)

NONPROFITS

to integrate that into their overall learning throughout their lives. Obviously, it’s going to be different for a first grader than a senior in high school, but there is some element of life preparation that we can do with kids as they progress through the educational system.

AMP: Tell us about your involvement with Junior Achievement and promoting education in Arkansas.

Wells: Baptist Health has been working with Junior Achievement for many years, in various ways, such as encouraging our leaders and employees to volunteer — to actually go into the schools and present to the students. We have sponsored JA from a financial standpoint, primarily through events like this, which is probably one of their main fundraisers. I’ve served on the fundraising committee for the event in the past and been on the other side of honoring someone in the community, like they are doing with me this year, so that’s pretty neat.

Straessle: Financial literacy is a tool vital to the wellbeing of our youth. So many times, we’ve heard young adults lament the mistakes they’ve made, many due to simple, and correctable, ignorance of financial issues.

Catholic High has always prided itself on our unique methods of work readiness. We’ve always been tuned to providing top-notch employees and employers imbued with skills necessary to thrive in the workforce, such as creativity, dependability, endurance and pride in a job well done. In an all-boys school, entrepreneurship is woven into our student body. Our kids are naturally curious, competitive and creative, and these qualities are the baseline for the birth of an entrepreneurial spirit. Truly, many of our graduates have been the spark plug necessary to getting good businesses off the ground.

Straessle: Catholic High is new to Junior Achievement, and our business and economics teachers are enthusiastic about the curricular additions JA provides. As an Arkansas educator for more than 25 years, I can easily see the great value JA brings to an already flourishing school.

Seal Solar: Seal Solar has various team members who have been volunteers in the classroom, on the board, etc., over the years.

Seal Solar: We consider it essential that students are exposed to these programs. We know the difference our own exposure has made in our lives and in the lives of our team members. We also love the excitement students have when they learn about careers and fields they previously did not know existed.

******* AMP: How important is it to expose students at an early age to programs that foster financial literacy, work readiness and entrepreneurship?

******* AMP: Are schools currently doing enough to help promote these concepts?

Wells: I don’t think you can ever start too soon. I have children, and I know as a dad how important it is to try to teach those principles as they’re growing up, in an age-appropriate way, of course. It’s really important

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Wells: I don’t think you can ever do enough. I’m really not in a position to know for certain what every school

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is teaching at every age, but I know the more you can do for kids to prepare them, not just for college, but for life, the better. To be independent adults and prepare a way for them to successful and manage their own personal finances — things that JA focuses so much on — I think we could always do more of that. It’s important for people to know about the opportunities that are available to serve through Junior Achievement, to volunteer and be a part of that congregation of people that has an interest in helping young people develop and prepare them for life. I hope people will learn that there are opportunities for everyone to help. We can’t leave it just to the schools; we need to help them.

share a testimony. That’s when we get to see the fruits of the labor — the result of the volunteer efforts and people coming to the banquet to help raise money for Junior Achievement — to see what it’s doing in the lives of the students. To me, that’s the coolest thing — to see those individuals, to hear their stories and know that the work we’re doing is making a difference.

Straessle: Junior Achievement has a stellar reputation for preparing youth for lives outside of the classroom.

JA not only educates — it inspires. Educators will tell you that we’re constantly looking for flint, for those tools that can create a spark and breathe life into it. The curriculum and support of JA accomplish just that.

Straessle: I believe schools that have life lessons woven into their entire curriculum do the best job of preparing our state’s future business leaders. Show up on time; persevere through rough times; enjoy successes but regard them as stepping stones for bigger future successes, are all concepts every school can reflect.

Seal Solar: Our team participated in a career presentation where members across all areas of our company shared about their roles and responsibilities. It was broadcast throughout area schools, and it was great for our team to hear the response from the schools afterward. The truth is, our team put a lot of work into the presentation, and due to COVID it was all on Zoom, so probably a little more cumbersome than anticipated.

But, once the team saw and heard the impact they jobs, so it made a real difference for those students, but also for our team.

Since our founding in 2012, our firm has focused on educating Arkansans about energy efficiency, solar, battery storage and now EV charging. We often say that 50 percent of our job is educating. So, to be honored and recognized in this way means so much to our team — that the work they do every single day is recognized and appreciated. We are so grateful to JA for giving us opportunities to educate in our local schools and for honoring the way we incorporate education into all we do.

Seal Solar: Schools are certainly trying, but they have a lot of competing priorities on their plate. That is what makes what JA does so invaluable, as it allows members of the community to come into the schools and not only contribute to the students’ education, but offer them a different perspective as well. ******* AMP: In what ways have you seen first-hand how the JA mission is making a difference?

Wells: One of the nicest things I’ve seen over the years is at JA’s annual Legacy Awards banquet. There is usually someone present who has benefitted from Junior Achievement, a student or former student who can

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ALWAYS A ROCKET

Congratulations Heather Baker once again on being honored in the American Heart Association’s Circle of Red group this year.

Every month is “heart month” for AY Publisher Heather Baker. As someone with a family history of heart disease and her own personal struggles, it’s a topic that will always be near and dear to “her heart.”

CONGRATULATIONS TO PRINCIPAL STEVE STRAESSLE for being the 2022 Junior Achievement Legacy Award Educator Honoree THE CATHOLIC HIGH DIFFERENCE • INTEGRITY • DUTY • FAITH APPLY TODAY | LRCHS.ORG

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A family-owned business that is committed to family values, positive attitudes, integrity, shared knowledge, and respect for each other and our community, which is what sets us apart from the rest!

(R to L) Founder, R.G. Harrison; his son, Stephen E. Harrison; and Stephen’s daughter (current owner and CEO), Angela E. Harrison.

CELEBRATING 80 YEARS OF SERVICE & CUSTOMER SATISFACTION 9006 Crystal Hill Road North Little Rock 501.771.1204

GENERATIONAL BUSINESSES IN ARKANSAS

BY AMP STAFF

Family is big in Arkansas, and it stands to reason that family businesses are, as well.

Generational businesses are the backbone of business in the Natural State, and while we don’t claim to have a comprehensive list of every family operation out there, we nevertheless can shine a spotlight on some of the state’s prominent familyrun stores, companies and firms.

Arkansas Money & Politics is proud to once again recognize generational businesses in Arkansas.

Ace Glass Construction Corporation Windows/Glass, Little Rock Akel’s Carpet One Carpet/Flooring, Little Rock Albright Ideas Advertising, Little Rock Alford’s Carpet One Floor & Home Decor, Fort Smith Anthony Timberlands Wood Supplier, Malvern

Arkansas Graphics Inc. Printing, Little Rock Dale Wilcox founded Arkansas Graphics in 1974, in a little office on East Markham in downtown Little Rock that cost him $45 a month to rent. That once little firm has come a long way in 48 years.

Now run by Dale’s son Kevin Wilcox, Arkansas Graphics continues to evolve and meet the needs of an ever-changing market. From that little office, Dale grew the business, oftentimes doing everything himself, from payroll to ordering supplies. But it was his printing expertise that began to build word-of-mouth momentum.

Today, in addition to being one of the top traditional and digital commercial printers in the region, Arkansas Graphics has added marketing to its portfolio, offering customers variable data, PURLs and QR codes for targeted cross-media marketing campaigns.

Arkansas Mailing Services Mailing Services North Little Rock Bank of England Banking, England

him got into some trouble and was run out of town. In his absence, Blackmon conducted the auction that night, and the rest is history.

In the ‘60s, Tom Blackmon Sr. took over the business, expanding it from a seasonal operation to a full-time business selling farm equipment and adding construction equipment and eventually trucking, logging, railroad and manufacturing equipment. Under his leadership, Blackmon Auctions evolved from a regional business to a full-blown auction company. Blackmon’s son Thomas has led the company since 2010 and added real estate to the Blackmon portfolio.

Blackmon Auctions provides more than 80 years in the industry, an average of 70 auctions a year, and employees who average 15 years of service.

for family and friends. As requests for the Greek seasoning grew, Spike decided he was going to “try and sell the stuff,” and if it sold well in their hometown of Harrison, then he would go for it.

Over 50 years later, the family-owned business is continuing to manufacture and bottle tons of Cavender’s Greek Seasoning every day for shipment across the United States and Canada. In 1994, Steve’s daughters, Lisa and Cara, moved back to Harrison to work, creating a third-generation family business. Today, with Cara’s husband Lance Wohlgemuth, the family business has grown to include Lisa’s son, Austin, and Cara and Lance’s daughters, Kat and Emily, marking the fourth generation of family-managed business.

Blakeman’s Fine Jewelry Jewelry, Rogers

CC Jones Produce Trucking Trucking, North Little Rock Chi’s Chinese Cuisine Restaurant, Little Rock

Bray Sheet Metal Sheet Metal, Little Rock Bray Sheet Metal is a family-owned business with more than 35 employees. The company has been at its Scott Street location in downtown Little Rock since 1924 and is still run by the original owner’s granddaughter, Mary Bray Kelley, making it a certified Woman-Owned Business. Mary’s son Woody, vice president and manager of the roofing department, is the fourth generation of the Bray family to work at the company.

The Brays are active members of the Little Rock Chamber of Commerce and the Better Business Bureau of Arkansas.

Bray Sheet Metal is committed to its community and supports local area businesses and events.

Brown Boys Roofing Home Improvement, Bentonville Bruno’s Little Italy Restaurant, Little Rock

Blackmon Auctions Auctioneer, Little Rock The first-ever Blackmon auction was conducted in 1938 by founder Eddie Blackmon Sr. The story goes that Blackmon owned part interest in a cattle barn in DeWitt, but the auctioneer who was working for ARM O N E YA ND P O L I T I C S .COM

CBM Construction Construction, Little Rock

Cavender’s Seasoning Culinary, Harrison Starting on their back porch in the late 1960’s, Spike and Katherine Cavender, along with their son and daughter-in-law, Steve and Jane, made “Greek seasoning” 101

Clark Machinery Company Construction Services, Fort Smith Cogswell Motors Auto Dealership, Russellville Cooper Family Dentistry Dental, Jacksonville Coulson Oil Company Petroleum Distribution North Little Rock

Coy’s Southern Eats Culinary, Hot Springs Coy’s Southern Eats began as Coy’s Steakhouse in Hot Springs in 1945, where Coy Theobalt set the standard for Arkansas dining. In 1972, the restaurant was sold to Jim Manning and his partners, and a new family came to carry on the traditions. Visitors came from around the world to the Hot Springs restaurant to enjoy the “Best Steak in Arkansas.”

“We were so blessed to be able to learn from the best,” said Tracy Manning Brown, director of business development for Coy’s Southern Eats, referring to Clarence Clark, Coy’s career block-and-broiler man. “My uncle, Rodney Appling, and M AY 2022

GENERATIONAL BUSINESSES I learned so much about aging, cutting and seasoning beef, just from walking in that kitchen.”

Fifty years later, Clay Caffey, Tracy’s son, also found passion for flavor and the grill. In 2018, Caffey began rebranding and reintroducing the original recipes and flavors of Coy’s into food seasonings.

Tracy says the famous house dressing and seasoning are only the beginning.

“We cannot wait to introduce you to all of Coy’s Southern Eats.”

Cozy Cavern Storm Shelters Emergency Prep, Austin Crews and Associates Banking, Little Rock Crow Burlingame Auto Parts, Little Rock

Curry’s Termite and Pest Control Pest Control, Little Rock Curry’s Termite and Pest Control has been family-owned-and-operated for five generations. It’s currently owned by Scott and Tammy Curry Pinney, the latter of whom is the great-granddaughter of company founder R.G. Curry. From offices in Little Rock, Pine Bluff and Monticello, Curry’s provides advanced, eco-friendly pest solutions for termite infestations and intrusions from other unwanted visitors. Curry’s may be the oldest pest-control business in Arkansas, but its methods are anything but. Not only does Curry’s provide immediate support for ongoing infestations, but its technicians can provide monthly, quarterly or yearly checkups as well as free preliminary termite inspections as well.

CustomXM Printing/Promotional North Little Rock Daniel Orthodontics Dental, Little Rock DASH Heating and Cooling HVAC, Little Rock DataPath Inc. Employee Benefits/Tech Little Rock

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Don’s Supply Restaurant Supply, Little Rock Duffield Gravel Co. Quarrying, Mineral Mining Russellville David’s Burgers Restaurant, Conway David Alan Bubbus created David’s Burgers as a tribute to his father, David Bubbus Sr., who became a master butcher at the age of sixteen. David Bubbus Sr. grew up in Central Arkansas and began his career in the meat industry at the age of five, working for Johnny Jacobs Meat Market in North Little Rock. In 1963, he managed his first restaurant, the JaMar in Pine Bluff, at the age of nineteen and later opened his own restaurant, El Matador in Pine Bluff in 1967. For over half a century, David Bubbus Sr. has been instrumental in developing numerous restaurants, restaurant chains and even franchises throughout Arkansas while bringing his knowledge, passion and insistence of quality to the plates of millions of patrons.

Diamond Center Jewelers Jewelry, Fayetteville Dillard’s Clothing, Little Rock DJ’s Auto Repair Auto Repair, North Little Rock

Doe’s Eat Place Restaurant, Little Rock Doe’s Eat Place originated, of course, in Greenville, Mississippi. George Eldridge, a restaurateur and hobby pilot from east Arkansas, for years had been flying friends and clients to Greenville for steaks at Doe’s. Eventually, he decided to “bring the mountain to Mohammed” and contracted the right to bring the name and menu to Little Rock.

Opened in 1988, Doe’s Little Rock maintains the no-frills tradition of the original and has achieved its own renown as a regional — and even a national — favorite. Doe’s remains family-owned and operated. George’s daughter, Katherine Eldridge, assumed ownership in 2012 and is continuing the Doe’s tradition.

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The Faded Rose Restaurant, Little Rock Feltner’s Whatta-Burger Restaurant, Russellville

Ferstl Valuation Services Real Estate Appraisal, Little Rock Ferstl Valuation Services is an Arkansas-based appraisal company founded by Tom and J.T. Ferstl. This father and son began their business with a simple goal – to offer their Arkansas clients and those in the surrounding states reliable, trustworthy, certified real estate appraisals.

Established in 1967, Ferstl Valuation Services is one of the oldest and largest fullservice appraisal firms in Arkansas, and has expanded its service offering to include commercial real estate appraisals, residential real estate appraisals, real estate expert testimony and real estate consulting services. And J.T., an Arkansaslicensed attorney, not only understands Arkansas property law, but also is in the unique position to offer clients real estate litigation support and expert testimony.

First Arkansas Bank & Trust Banking, Jacksonville First Arkansas Bank & Trust (FAB&T) is a family owned and locally managed bank with 21 locations in central and north central Arkansas. Since its inception in 1949, FAB&T has been deeply committed to serving the financial needs of the customers of the area, and even more deeply committed to investing time and resources into the communities which it serves. FAB&T proudly boasts the ability to offer seven-day-a-week banking with QūB, an interactive teller machine which provides live customer support with extended banking and service hours. FAB&T also provides live, local customer call center support on a 24/7 basis, to provide customers with the convenience they need and deserve.

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First Security Bank Banking, North Little Rock

Harrell Bancshares Banking, Camden

Fort Thompson Sporting Goods Sporting Goods, Sherwood

Hathaway Group Real Estate, Little Rock

ence throughout the state of Arkansas. It has been a real joy to grow our business and meet our customer needs wherever we have locations in the great state of Arkansas.”

K Hall & Sons Produce Grocery, Little Rock

Freyaldenhoven Heating & Cooling HVAC, Conway Freyaldenhoven Heating and Cooling has been successfully serving Conway and surrounding communities since 1970. The company was formed when two brothers, Bob and Buck Freyaldenhoven, started working together to fix air conditioners for their friends and family. The Freyaldenhovens developed their business over the years and eventually retired in 1999. Their sons, Scott and John, followed in their footsteps and grew the business into one of the largest heating-and-air-conditioning companies in Faulkner County.

In 2006, the company created its mechanical division to serve commercial customers. Freyaldenhoven is also one of the largest Trane dealers in the state of Arkansas. The company is a Trane comfort specialist and has a showroom with the latest Trane systems for customers to see and hear.

Fuller & Son Hardware Hardware, Little Rock Garrett Excavating Construction Services, Benton Gaston’s White River Resort Resort, Lakeview Generations Bank Banking, Fayetteville George’s Chicken Food Manufacturing, Springdale Graham Hardware Hardware, Wynne Grandeur Fasteners Inc. Manufacturing, Danville Gwatney Chevrolet Company Car Dealership, Jacksonville Harp’s Food Stores Grocery, Springdale

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Hugg & Hall Equipment Rental, Little Rock Hugg & Hall Equipment Company was originally formed in Arkansas in 1956 as Lift Truck Sales & Service Corporation. The company was a distributor for Clark Equipment Co., a manufacturer of industrial forklifts.

Charles Hugg purchased the company in 1970, operating from two locations, Little Rock and Fort Smith. A company that started with only 22 employees has grown to become one of the largest in the South, operating out of 12 locations with more than 500 employees.

Hum’s Hardware and Rental Construction Services North Little Rock Humphrey Funeral Service Funeral Home, Russellville Innerplan Office Interiors Office Interiors, North Little Rock Iriana’s Pizza Restaurant, Little Rock

Jan-Pro Cleaning Services Cleaning, North Little Rock Dave Hughes opened Jan-Pro of Arkansas in 2005, the same year his son, Nolen, was a senior in high school. Nolen worked in the business during its first few years, learning how to clean and eventually becoming a floor care technician, in addition to taking care of various customer needs. After graduating from the University of Central Arkansas, Nolen started his own venture with College Hunks Hauling Junk and Moving. He owned the business for nine years before eventually selling it in 2018.

“After selling my business, I looked into several other career opportunities before deciding that coming back to Jan-Pro was going to be the best fit,” Nolen said. “We opened Jan-Pro of NWA in 2019 and have really expanded our pres103

Kitchens Pediatric Dentistry Pediatric Dentists, Little Rock Kittle’s Garage Automobile, North Little Rock Leonard’s Hardware Hardware, Russellville Lewis Ford Sales Inc. Car Dealership, Fayetteville

Lexicon Construction, Little Rock The late Tom Schueck founded what was to become Lexicon, Inc., in his Little Rock garage in 1968 with $200 in the bank and a pregnant wife at home.

Thanks to his family’s dedication to “Building America,” Lexicon has grown into one of the nation’s leading fabrication and construction companies with more than 2,000 employees. On March 3, 2020, Schueck passed away at age 78. He was the chairman of Lexicon.

Today, under the guidance of President and CEO Patrick Schueck, the Lexicon family of companies combines a commitment to excellence with cuttingedge robotic technology, safety and superior craftsmanship to complete iconic steel fabrication, construction, energy, industrial, commercial and public projects. Those companies include Custom Metals, Heritage Links, Lexicon Energy Services, Lexicon Fabricators and Constructors, Lexicon Industrial Contractors, Prospect Steel and Steel Fabricators of Monroe.

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GENERATIONAL BUSINESSES McCauley Services Pest Control/Electrical, Bryant McClendon’s Appliance Repair, Benton Meyers Supply and Chemical Janitorial Equipment Supplier Hot Springs Miller’s Drug Store Pharmacy, Malvern Moon Distributors Distribution, Little Rock Mossy Oak Properties/Delta Land Management Co. Real Estate, North Little Rock

Parrish Delivery Services provides courier services throughout Arkansas and nationwide, is licensed by the Department of Transportation (DOT), and is completely insured, covering bank transit, medical deliveries, electronics and general cargo. The company’s 25,000 square foot warehouse also accommodates mailing, warehousing and distribution services. Parrish Delivery handles small, medium and large deliveries, both standard and rush (as in delivering items that should have been there yesterday).

Deliveries are made locally in the Little Rock Peneprime of Arkansas Asphalt, Little Rock Peters Family Living Furniture, Russellville

Nabholz Construction, Little Rock Nabholz began almost by accident. In 1949, Bob Nabholz was building a home for his future bride. But someone made an offer on the home, and he accepted, using the profits to build more houses.

Commercial projects followed, and Nabholz Construction was born. The company was a family endeavor from the beginning, with brothers Bob, Ed, Tom and Charles all contributing to the growing business. In 1951, the company’s in-house millwork shop was established and four years later, Nabholz Construction was incorporated in the state.

Today, Nabholz, led by CEO Jake Nabholz, employs more than 1,000 workers with locations in Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas and Missouri.

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Russell Chevrolet and Honda Automotive Dealership Sherwood Brett Russell runs the show at Russell Chevrolet in Sherwood, one of the 200 largest Chevy dealers in the United States. Bret took over from his father, Bob Russell, who carried on the family business from his father, John Russell, who launched the dealership in 1963. After John’s retirement, Bob took over the Chevrolet dealership, and his brother Rick assumed control of the Honda dealership. The third generation of Russells runs the family dealerships today.

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Parrish Delivery Services Mail/Courier, Little Rock Family-owned and operated since 1991, Parrish Delivery Services reached its 30-year anniversary in August of 2021, thanks to the professionalism, dedication and hard work of owner Gary Parrish and his staff.

always been about family. Renata Jenkins Byler is the third generation of the Roller family and carries on the traditions of her grandfather, a visionary in the funeral profession and founder of Roller Funeral Homes. A family of more than 300 employees represents the face, heart and soul of Roller Funeral Homes. Roller was the first to bring pre-arranged and prefunded funerals to Arkansas and the first to bring a crematory. For 22 years, Roller Funeral Homes has been named the best funeral home in Arkansas.

Roller Funeral Homes Funeral Home, Little Rock The history of Roller Funeral Homes goes back more than 140 years and has 104

Sissy’s Log Cabin Jewelry, Little Rock Since 1970, family-owned and -operated Sissy’s Log Cabin has been known for its exemplary customer service and extraordinary selection of fine jewelry and antiques. Today, Sissy’s has evolved into the Mid-South’s largest family owned jewelry store with showrooms in Pine Bluff, Little Rock, Jonesboro, Conway, Memphis and now west Little Rock.

Under the direction of three generations of Jones family members, each store offers the renowned “Sissy’s Experience” as customers browse curated collections of timepieces, diamond jewelry, estate jewelry and fine gifts. With a deep respect for founder and matriarch Sissy Jones’ vision, son Bill and family are charting the course for what’s next. With the recent expansion to west Little Rock and plans for a stand-alone relocation in Memphis, ARM ON E YA N D P OL ITIC S.COM

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resources including a wholesale warehouse and a network of premier suppliers around the world, Tipton & Hurst continues to lead the market, with locations in Little Rock, North Little Rock, Conway and Pine Bluff.

together to grow the company across Arkansas, but Richard ended up selling his company shares to Stephen in 1985.

Today, Welsco, owned and operated by Stephen’s daughter, Angela Harrison, is one of the largest independent weldingsupply and industrial-gas distributors in the country with locations in Arkansas, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Mississippi, Louisiana and Missouri.

Triple S Alarm Company Security, Little Rock Triple-S Alarm Co. Inc. was founded in 1975 by Seth Ward and Rick Edwards.

What began as solely a residential security company, is now one of the largest family-owned security companies in the South. In 1980, Rick and Mary Edwards purchased all the stock in the company and has grown the company to what it is today. Triple-S has expanded its knowledge in the business to include mass notification, access control, video surveillance, nurse call, audio / video solutions, paging/intercom systems, U.L. certifications, testing and inspections, and its own in-house U.L. Central Monitoring Station.

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Stephens Inc. Finance, Little Rock Stephens is a leading family-owned investment firm comprising the businesses of investment banking, advisory, sales and trading, research, insurance and wealth management. Founded in 1933, Stephens’ U.S. operations are headquartered in Little Rock with additional locations in strategic domestic markets and a European presence in England and Germany.

Stephens is committed to building long-term value for corporations, state and local governments, financial institutions and institutional and individual investors. Stephens’ affiliates include: Stephens Inc. (offers securities products; member NYSE SIPC), Stephens Investment Management Group, Stephens Insurance LLC, Stephens Capital Partners LLC and Stephens Europe Limited.

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Tipton & Hurst Floral, Little Rock Truly one of the state’s iconic businesses, Tipton & Hurst has been around since 1886, and has evolved and innovated to meet the needs of its community.

Tipton & Hurst was built on a foundation of family — it puts its name on everything it does, working to make sure that every plant, flower, gift and interaction meet the Tipton & Hurst standard of excellence.

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Welsco Inc. Welding, Little Rock Welsco was founded as Welder’s Supply Company by R.G. Harrison in 1941 with the backing of his father, Claude Harrison. Although Harrison did not have experience in the gas industry, he saw a growing demand for gasses and welding supplies in south Arkansas.

In 1959, Stephen Harrison and Richard Harrison, sons of R.G., joined the company and eventually took over in 1965.

Over the years, the Harrisons worked 105

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GENERATIONAL BUSINESSES

Building a Lasting Legacy Hugg & Hall sticks with what works

By Dwain Hebda

he quality of a company isn’t accurately measured in times of plenty — as an old saying in the retail world goes, “You don’t impress anyone at Christmas.” The true measure of a firm, be it strategy, staying power or spine, only is revealed when exposed to the heat of competition and the pressure of down markets.

By these or any other measurements, Little Rockbased commercial distributor Hugg & Hall Equipment is a glowing success story. Now in its 66th year, the firm has seen the best and worst of construction times, methodically moving forward to the point where the company ranks among the top echelon of its market peers.

“We’ve always kept our eyes on the goal,” said Robert Hall, vice president, when asked to encapsulate the company’s sustained success. “We made sure that the company stayed stable, and we weren’t selfish with our money, our time or any of our assets. That’s allowed the company to grow at a very fast pace and allowed us to share our success with our people. We’re blessed.”

Hugg & Hall’s history has been marked by bold, decisive leadership and an eye for expansion opportunities.

After growing locations organically within the state over several years, the company turned its eye to acquisitions to expand its footprint.

“We expanded in Arkansas, first into Springdale and then south Arkansas,” Hall said. “That was our original footprint; we call those our legacy stores. We expanded into Conway, Jonesboro and Texarkana. Then, we started buying companies.”

In 2011, the firm purchased Arkla Taylor, which took the company from operating strictly within the state to having an immediate presence in four states besides Arkansas, where Hugg & Hall remains an industry leader.

“We had been operating in Arkansas only, but that first acquisition had a sales territory that included Louisiana, east Texas, Oklahoma and southern Missouri,” Hall said.

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“That acquisition started driving us to fill in that territory with other locations and other brands to sell and rent in that footprint.”

The effort has steadily grown the company’s headcount (currently 720 employees) and locations (approaching 20) right up through the present day. After Arkla Taylor, Hugg & Hall purchased Westquip in 2012 and RPM Service and Rentals in 2016. In 2019, the Little Rock company was named the exclusive dealer of Toyota forklifts for the entire state of Louisiana, and officials just finalized acquiring Southern Material Handling on April 1. The latest buy strengthens Hugg & Hall’s Oklahoma presence, adding 50 workers to the payroll.

Hall said growing in this manner isn’t just about acquiring real estate, but also maintaining existing business relationships in what is often a hyper-local business.

“We don’t have a steady goal to acquire people just to acquire. We look for opportunities constantly to try to expand within our own footprint,” Hall said. “Every acquisition we’ve made has been to expand our enterprise to be big enough to justify having facilities and people in those areas. We know that’s what it takes to really service a market, which is why we love to keep the existing staff. I’d say in all four of our acquisitions, we’ve kept 90 percent of them.

“It’s very important in our business, the relationships with the customers, as well as just the knowledge of the industry. Those are big assets, and that’s really what we’re buying. We’re buying those people and that knowledge and those relationships. Inventory is easy.

Anybody can buy that. The history with the company is the key ingredient.”

This kind of strategic, growth-minded thinking has been the hallmark of the company since Charles Hugg bought the firm in 1970, an era when the firm was operating only in Little Rock and Fort Smith. Since then, Hugg ARM ON E YA N D P OL ITIC S.COM

& Hall’s strategy has continued to be refined under Charles’ son John, who in 1990 purchased the firm from his father along with Hall, who joined the company in 1979.

John picked up where his father left off, accelerating the company’s rental business which, combined with parts and service, now is roughly on par with equipment sales as a percentage of annual revenue.

“Early on, we were a Clark equipment distributor,” Hall said. “The products that we represented were Clark forklifts — they had a line of Ranger log skidders — and Bobcat. We were predominantly a sales, parts and service company, very small in rental.

“John [Hugg] championed that whole rental process. He began emphasizing rental probably as far back as 1984 or 1985. Today, that sets us apart from most equipment distributors in the country. Our ability to grow not only what we call our distribution business, which is the brands that we sell, rent, repair and sell parts for, but we now have another huge arm of the company driving the short-term rental business that is not only our distributor products, but other brands.”

Strategy and fearlessness have not only fueled the company’s growth and expansion thus far, it’s also been a major reason why Hugg & Hall continues to weather the current supply chain fallout as well as it has. Among industries that continue to be affected by the pandemic, those dealing in mechanical equipment and parts (such as transportation, automotive, farming or, like Hugg & Hall, heavy industry and construction) have felt the sharpest pinch.

Starting with computer chip shortages — as ubiquitous in the latest equipment and vehicles as they are critical — supply chain bottlenecks around the world have steadily squeezed dealerships, repair shops and retail parts outlets with longer wait times and higher prices.

“It’s very challenging,” Hall said. “Every brand, everything we purchase, has been stretched for availability and price.

Prices are going up and availability is going out. As far as availability, the wait time has tripled. The price has gone up 25 ARM O N E YA ND P O L I T I C S .COM

Hugg & Hall equipment reaches for the sky and operates underground.

percent. We get notices of price increases every day and availability is not getting any shorter. That’s a challenge, no question about it. We just have to keep looking for other sources and leverage our ability to buy the best we can and try to beat the competition to it.”

Some supply chain experts say it may be 2023 before the situation returns to some semblance of normal, but Hugg & Hall hasn’t been content to passively wait things out. Instead, the company has attacked the issue with customary fervor, changing its own logistical and procurement strategies to be nimbler and, when feasible, overbuying certain items to deepen reserve inventory.

“We’ve been fortunate enough to have such an experienced team, and we’ve been able to manage pretty well through [supply chain issues],” Hall said. “We’ve been buying more aggressively than the average distributor. We haven’t been scared to invest, to take advantage of op109

portunities for availability and to purchase as fast as we can to keep our prices reasonable for our customers.

“We’re so blessed to have the success that we’ve had all these years, as that’s what’s enabled us to be big enough to take those calculated risks. It’s paid off.”

Hall said while it is hard to know what lies around the corner, the promise of federal infrastructure funding suggests the company’s best days are still ahead of it. Even in the midst of labor challenges and knowing the fickle moods of the marketplace, he said Hugg & Hall leadership is bullish on what’s to come.

“We’re very excited about the future,” he said. “The region we represent, meaning these five great states, are in the sweet spot for America’s economy. The infrastructure bill may not directly impact us that much, but the overall economy in these five states has been very good to us.

It’s one of our pillars of success, in fact, and has been for the past 40 years.”

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THE DIGS OF THE DEAL

GILLETT’S COON SUPPER LEAVES ARKANSAS POLITICIANS HUNGRY FOR HISTORY

By Katie Zakrzewski

ne of the most iconic annual events in Arkansas is the Coon Supper in Gillett. What started as a small community meal to celebrate the hunting season has grown into a statewide event featuring Arkansas politicians, athletes and celebrities that oftentimes represents the unofficial beginning of the campaign season in Arkansas.

Chad Philipp, president of the Gillett Farmers’ and Businessmen’s Club since 2010, is the pastor of St. Paul Lutheran Church in Gillett and St. Luke’s Lutheran Church in DeWitt.

He has accumulated much knowledge of the Coon Supper through personal experience and many conversations over the years with John Cover, the historian of Gillett, and Scott Place, whose father hosted the Coon Supper for 47 years.

The Coon Supper began in the 1930’s as a hunters’ meal that followed coon hunts, Philipp said. During the

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early years, it was held in houses, churches and local diners. Wives and women of the community would prepare rice, sweet potatoes and desserts. The exact year of its beginning is not known.

“In 1943 was when we began keeping count of the Coon Supper,” Philipp explained. “In 1947, the Coon Supper was held in the auditorium of Gillett High School. That same year, the Gillett Farmers’ and Businessmen’s Club was formed and has put on the Coon Supper every year since 1948. Funds raised from the event were used to support the Gillett school’s athletic program by providing for items such as letterman’s jackets, senior blankets and equipment, among other things.”

On Jan. 10, 1957, the Coon Supper was held for the first time in the Gillett High School gymnasium and has been held there ever since. The ticket price at that time was $2.

Over the years, the event program

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has changed with the times. Usually, the program included an invocation, welcome and recognition of the Gillett Wolves football team and cheerleaders. The head football coach would speak and present awards to players before a guest appearance from Miss Arkansas. The event included entertainment from bands consisting of local students and citizens.

James C. Place was the master of ceremonies through 1990, entertaining the crowd with jokes and stories throughout the years, Philipp said.

“During these early years, a keynote speaker was also invited to address the crowd. Some politicians attended the Coon Supper during the early years, but it was not until the 1970s that it became more common.

The first evidence of an elected official addressing the crowd was in 1991, and it has become a part of the program ever since. Currently we invite a few elected officials to speak, such

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The Gillett Coon Supper has been a south Arkansas tradition for almost 100 years.

(Photos provided)

as the highest-sitting, state elected official, as well as U.S. senators and congressmen.”

In 1969, a highlight of the football awards was the first-time presentation of the Bob Cover Award. Cover was an all-state running back for the Wolves who gave his life in service of his country on Aug. 28, 1968, in Vietnam while serving in the U.S. Army.

The award was voted on by the football team and presented to the best all-around teammate.

“The Coon Supper program stayed the same until the early 2000s,” Philipp said. “Gillett High School’s last football team was fielded in 2006.

The 2007 Coon Supper was the last event to recognize football players and cheerleaders. The next year, we began recognizing all athletes from Gillett High School.”

In the spring of 2009, Gillett High School and Gillett Middle School were closed. The Gillett Farmer’s and

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Actual raccoon is cooked and consumed each year (top left); U.S. Sen. Tom Cotton at the supper in 2014 (Courtesy of AP); and a sign touting the event welcomes motorists into town.

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DIGS OF THE DEAL Businessmen’s Club decided to use all proceeds from the Coon Supper to establish a scholarship program for local graduates attending a trade school or university.

“Each year, we award four $4,000 scholarships. To date, we have paid out over $130,000 in scholarships,” Philipp said. “In 2012, we made another change in our program. Instead of recognizing all athletes, we began recognizing all our graduating seniors and their future plans. On Jan. 13, 2018, we celebrated the 75th-annual Gillett Coon Supper.”

Each year, a Coon Supper attendee can expect to see smoked brisket (400 pounds), baby back ribs (400 pounds), coon (500 pound), sweet potatoes, barbecue rice and cake served at the event.

The Gillett Coon Supper is open to the public. Each year beginning midto-late November, tickets go on sale.

The current ticket price is $30 (a bit higher than its original price in 1957).

Each attendee receives a commemorative Gillett Coon Supper glass. All local seniors graduating from nearby DeWitt High School are invited to attend the Coon Supper for free and be recognized.

Philipp noted some of the guests one could expect to find at the Coon Supper.

“Most years, we have Miss Arkansas attend. When the Miss America Pageant moved to January for a few years, we were not able to invite Miss Arkansas because it conflicted with her competing in the Miss America Pageant.

There have also been years where Miss Arkansas was already booked for another engagement. Each year, we send invitations to the Arkansas governor, lieutenant governor, attorney general, state treasurer, secretary of state, land commissioner, state auditor, state sen-

ator for our district, state representative for our district, both U.S. senators, all four U.S. congressmen and state ag commissioner.”

Over the years, individuals from different states and countries have attended the Coon Supper. Philipp said people will come from across the country to experience the Coon Supper and document proceedings for outside audiences.

“In 2018, a young man from New York City who hosted a podcast traveled to Gillett for the entire week before the Coon Supper. He was able to experience coon hunting and all the preparations for the Coon Supper, along with the Coon Supper itself,” he said.

While the Coon Supper organizers do not have numbers of attendance for the earliest years, they do know that the event grew quickly in a short amount of time. In the 1950s,

Over the years, individuals from different states and countries have attended the Coon Supper.

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attendance grew from 400 people to more than 900. In 1961, more than 1,000 people attended the Coon Supper, and attendance numbers stayed that way until 2010. Following the closure of GHS and GMS in 2009, the Coon Supper currently can seat just a little more than 600 people.

Originally, the Gillett Coon Supper was held on the second Friday in January. In 2011, the date of the event was moved to the second Saturday of January. The Coon Supper continues to carry on the tradition of hosting the event in the Gillett school’s gymnasium. This past Coon Supper held on Jan. 8 marked the first time the event was held after the closing of Gillett Elementary School in May of 2021.

In addition to being a traditional gathering place for Arkansas politicians all across the political spectrum, the Coon Supper also spurs the unofficial kickoff of Arkansas’ political campaign season, Philipp said.

“It is definitely the beginning of the political season, especially in election years.

Many elected officials and those running for office attend the Coon Supper to begin their campaigns, meeting and visiting with the public, handing out stickers and pamphlets and so on.”

Philipp noted the Carolyn and Marion Berry Pre-Coon Supper gathering, which also has an effect on Arkansas politics, he said.

The pandemic tested the strength of communities all across the country, and the Coon Supper was not exempt.

“The 2021 Coon Supper was canceled due to the pandemic,” Philipp said. “We were, however, able to fully fund scholarships that year. Normally, the Coon Supper sells out each year, but this year we did not due to the increase of the omicron variant. We still only had about 40 to 50 tickets left. Many of the people who purchased tickets chose not to attend. Attendance was still over 400 people.

The good news is, we will be able to fully fund scholarships again this year.”

Despite the pandemic hiccup, Philipp is excited for the future holds for Gillett and the Coon Supper. The 79th-annual Gillett Coon Supper is scheduled for Jan. 14, 2023.

Doors open at 6 p.m., and the program begins at 6:30.

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Joni and Chad Philipp; entertainment is always on the agenda (below).

(Courtesy of Rock City Eats)

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It Would Be a Crying Shame if the Hogs Become Dickey-Stephens’ Only Big Baseball Draw

By Brent Birch

M AY 2 02 2

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n April 26 in North Little Rock, the Arkansas baseball team narrowly escaped embarrassment by eeking past a sub-.500 UCA squad, 2-1, in 10 innings in front of a sellout crowd of 10,333 people.

The Razorbacks have now won 18 consecutive midweek games and are undefeated in their last 14 contests against instate opponents, a streak that dates to the 2019 campaign. Arkansas also improved to 10-1 overall in games played at DickeyStephens Park, which is also home to the Seattle Mariners’ Double-A affiliate Arkansas Travelers.

While Dickey-Stephens Park is pretty much synonymous with the Travelers, those days may be numbered. In fact, if things go south, the Razorbacks’ annual appearance would be left as the park’s only big-time baseball draw.

That’s because the Arkansas Travelers’ historic run in Central Arkansas since 1901 is in jeopardy due to a quarrel over who is responsible for stadium upgrades that are now required by Major League Baseball (MLB).

In early 2021, the MLB restructured the minor league system, including cutting short-season ball, reducing the number of affiliates (from 160 to 120), getting rid of the historic leagues (like the Texas League which the Travs competed in for decades) and reallocating them across four generic levels. Improved minorleague player salaries and required upgrades to ballparks were also included in the restructure.

at Dickey-Stephens Park, a series of improvements must be completed by the 2023 season or MLB could require the Arkansas Travelers Baseball Club to relocate. Improvements include the actual playing surface as well as the facilities, so they are better suited for professional athletes and women. All in all, the upgrades have been tagged with a roughly $11 million price tag.

The crux of the issue is who pays for the upgrades. The Travelers say the city of North Little Rock should pony up, since it owns the ballpark and the Travs are simply a tenant. For reference, the ballpark was opened in 2007 with the Travelers signing a 20year lease at $230,000 a year until 2025, and 2026 where the rent cuts in half.

The city of North Little Rock (NLR) is taking the stance that the lease clearly states the tenant is responsible for improvements.

Yuck. This is tricky leases-and-lawyers type stuff that will be potentially expensive, and hopefully not contentious, to sort out.

The city of North Little Rock already has pledged to fix the biggest issue DickeyStephens Park currently faces — sinkholes in the outfield. Due to the playing field’s proximity and its level in relation to the Arkansas River, sinkholes in the outfield have become a significant issue. Engineers have now devised a plan to hopefully alleviate future sinkholes, but it comes with a $5 million price tag.

So, hanging in the balance is another $6 million dollars in upgrades that will have to be negotiated between the two parties. North Little Rock Mayor Terry Hartwick, who played a key role in bringing the Travs to NLR when he ran the city’s chamber of commerce, has publicly stated that the city wants to keep professional baseball.

Arkansas Travelers, Leases and Lawyers For professional baseball to continue

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SPORTS Grand Old Ballpark for Arkansas Baseball The good news is the Travs are no longer playing at the old Ray Winder Field in Little Rock. We wouldn’t be talking about upgrades for Ray Winder because there is zero chance that facility could ever be brought up to modern standards. Instead, the city of Little Rock (or one of its neighbors) would be scrambling for how to pay for a new stadium. As vintage as Ray Winder Field was, it was horrible for players, as not only the playing surface was rough but also the clubhouse/locker room, dugouts and so on were dank, dark and completely out of date.

But from a fan perspective, Ray Winder was cool. Way cool. The real organ, big Dave Kable launching home runs over the big screen onto I-630, Walter “Hook Slide” Bradshaw doing his thing for tips and beer (mostly beer), Fernando Valenzuela’s rehab assignment where fans were allowed to watch the game from the warning track due to ticket demand. The men’s restrooms…well if you know, you know. The place just oozed with nostalgia.

Seriously? No Baseball?

What happens if NLR and the Travelers can’t come to terms with the improvements by the time opening Day 2023 rolls around? Being a lifelong baseball fan, it is nearly impossible to think there would be no professional baseball in Central Arkansas. As mentioned, the Travelers date back to 1901 and have played every season since except seven. The Arkansas Travelers nickname also has the distinction of being the second-longest continuous use of a nickname in minor league baseball, only behind the Buffalo Bisons.

I personally have more than 45 years of history watching the Travs, and although I don’t go near as much as I did as a kid, I will still roll out there for something to do, see a former Razorback or another esteemed prospect. I know plenty of people who routinely go just because they love baseball and have as much or more experience with the Travelers.

Despite lower attendance numbers, the product is very good professional

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The Travelers are in the right spot. DickeyStephens Park is accessible from all of Central Arkansas with the beautiful backdrop of downtown Little Rock beyond the outfield. baseball. Most people associate AAA with being one step closer to MLB. Actually, though, AA baseball is where the guys inching their way closer to the big leagues are placed, as AAA is mainly full of former big leaguers and older prospects at the end of their viability who often bounce back and forth filling in for injured players. And as stocked as the Seattle Mariners farm system is with prospects, you could easily catch multiple future big leaguers on the field at any time.

Will another Central Arkansas community step up and build a new ballpark with MLB-required standards? Little Rock doesn’t seem to be a candidate, although the old War Memorial golf course has the land required for a ballpark and parking. One would think Midtown would welcome the addition.

Potential New Homes for Arkansas Travelers Does Benton (home of former Hog pitcher Cliff Lee), Bryant (home of former Hogs Blaine Knight and Trevor Ezell), Conway or Cabot jump into the fray? I don’t think so, but those are baseball crazy suburbs, so maybe there is an outside shot for one of them to get in the mix. But doubtful. Cities of that size likely don’t want to spring for a ballpark of that size and expense, and there’s the matter of support. I don’t see people in Little Rock or North Little Rock driving to go watch a minor league baseball game in one of those cities.

The Travelers are in the right spot. Dickey-Stephens Park is accessible from all of Central Arkansas with the beautiful backdrop of downtown Little Rock beyond the outfield. The booming Argenta area of North Little Rock, and just across the river in downtown Little Rock, can support pre- or post-game nightlife.

And coming out of the pandemic, I doubt anyone is ready to jump into building a new ballpark with the current construction costs and extended timelines.

For baseball fans, and especially, the long-time Travs fans, the city of North Little Rock and Arkansas Travelers Baseball Club need to get into “let’s work together” mode to sort this out. The fact that MLB didn’t make the Travelers one of the 40 minor league teams that were vaporized is a feather in the cap of both parties.

This issue isn’t unique to Arkansas. Minor league affiliates nationwide are also wrestling with it. Even the stadium used in the iconic baseball movie, Bull Durham, is in the same boat at Dickey-Stephens. Countless ballparks across the country are scrambling to meet the MLB requirements and maintain their relationship with their MLB team and their fans.

The money to get this done exists. I’m not sure where it comes from, or how, but it exists. Admittedly, the $6 million dollars is not chump change, so the two parties will have to get creative. But I’m confident it will all work out. The city acknowledges the value of Travelers baseball, and I don’t get the feeling the ownership group would like to be told to move away from the area. An empty, vacant ballpark wouldn’t be good for downtown North Little Rock’s burgeoning scene either.

Find a way, fellas.

Brent Birch, director of the Little Rock Tech Park, is a native of North Little Rock and a former pitcher for the Razorbacks. This article first appeared at BestofArkansasSports.com.

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ENTREPRENEURSHIP

The 2022 SPARK! spring cohort. (Photos by Ebony Blevins)

SPARK! Program Boosting Small Businesses

By AMP Staff

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he SPARK! accelerator program from The Venture Center and Little Rock Regional Chamber helps boost Arkansas startups and small businesses with a unique program that provides mentorship, subject matter expertise and face-to-face time to business leaders.

It was launched in 2019, and this year, will feature two sessions — a spring cohort, currently underway, and a fall cohort. Application criteria and other information for the fall run are available at VentureCenter.co. Application deadline is Sept. 1.

The small businesses represented in the spring cohort represent a wide array of industries from health care and retail to publishing and e-commerce.

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The 2022 Spring SPARK! Cohort

Sara Hurst

Bella’s Kitchen & Wellness

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ella’s Kitchen and Wellness prepares, sources and delivers everyday meals based on whole food, plant-forward diets. Designed to serve those with sensitivities and allergies, Bella’s carefully lists ingredients and makes meals available for special diets such as gluten-free, dairy-free, vegan or vegetarian.

“After I needed to start feeding my daughter Bella solids, I could not find any prepared, baby-led feeding options,” Hurst said. “As a mom, I know how hard it is to have a home-cooked meal ready after a long day. So, that’s how Bella’s Kitchen and Wellness started.”

Hurst is a certified health coach by the Institute of Integrative Nutrition. With more than 10 years of experience, she holds a marketing degree from the University of Central Arkansas and an entrepreneurship degree from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock.

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Alicia Adams-Talbert Talbert Lawn Services

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albert Lawn Services provides superior landscaping and groundskeeping services in Central Arkansas.

It specializes in second-chance employment opportunities for people with felony background records.

Adams-Talbert founded Talbert Lawn Services because her spouse’s 20-yearold felony record haunted the family, preventing him from finding employment.

Starting in 2015 with a single push mower and one weed-eater, the firm persevered and grew, Now, it is celebrating eight years in business by scaling up and creating more jobs, especially for those previously convicted or incarcerated looking to rebuild.

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Taliah Ragland Aspiring Medical Training Institute

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spiring Medical Training Institute offers allied health training courses to help meet the growing need for health care workers in Arkansas.

Providing health care training for CNAs, phlebotomy technicians and EKG technicians, Ragland takes pride in promoting top students into the community who will positively impact patients’ care and lives.

“As an advanced practice registered nurse (APN), I’ve seen firsthand burnout in health care partly because of the lack of supporting staff,” she said. “As my grandmothers, family members and others are living much longer, it’s important to me that caring, knowledgeable and hard-working individuals care for my loved ones and others when the time comes.”

M AY 2022

ENTREPRENEURSHIP

Dianna Donahue URBANE Magazine

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RBANE Magazine is a Central Arkansas, African American lifestyle publication that honors Arkansas’ Black culture and identity. Founder and Editor-In-Chief Dianna Donahue is a Little Rock native who dreams of creating a platform that supports and empowers Black Arkansans.

Motivated to help preserve the integrity of and enrich Black culture in Arkansas, she officially established URBANE Magazine on the first day of Black History Month, Feb. 1, 2015. The magazine uses stories and imagery in print and digital platforms to showcase Black culture in Arkansas and celebrate unsung heroes and leaders who shaped it.

Donahue attended the University of Arkansas at Little Rock, where she studied education with an emphasis in English. She received her bachelor’s degree in 2014 and her master’s degree in 2020.

“I started my business because Arkansas’ professional printed media industry was void of a constant and positive visual representation of Black people,” Donahue said.

Donahue’s ambition is to expand URBANE Magazine’s media footprint throughout Arkansas and beyond.

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Nicole Snow and Crystal Hanner Enova

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nova pioneered its On-the-Go Gel Manicure Kit that’s getting raving reviews from Allure, POPSUGAR and Insider Beauty. Enova customers can use the spillproof, one-step, gel manicure kits anywhere and everywhere, and gain the confidence boost they desire without the hefty price tag of a salon visit or wasted time of failed self-manicures.

Founders Nicole Snow and Crystal Hanner created the manicure kits and their business because nail polish hasn’t changed since the 1920s — it’s messy, chips easily and takes forever to dry.

“We wanted to make life easier for women on the go,” they said. So, they created a manicure system designed for this decade.

Lendel Aikens Med Unlimited

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ed Unlimited builds mobile clinics, provides PPE and medical supplies and builds mobile charging stations.

Aikens founded Med Unlimited in 2016 after more than 20 years in the construction industry. While operating his food truck dealership during the pandemic, he noticed the similarity in the design of food trucks and mobile clinics. To aid in distributing vaccines, Med Unlimited began designing and building mobile clinics.

“I started my business because I think I can be a real difference-maker in the medical industry,” Aikens said.

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Nicole Winstead WoofCat

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Lauren Anderson Calm+Confidence

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alm+Confidence places honeybee hives and native pollinator habitats throughout Arkansas to engage all communities in biodiversity preservation.

Through school collaborations and apprenticing opportunities, the company mentors the next generation of beekeepers to maintain hives, sell bee-based goods and educate the public on the importance of pollinators.

A former teacher, Anderson, is eager to keep educating.

“Calm+Confidence allows me to continue to work in the area of education but be outside of the classroom,” she said. “I can engage and train ages from 3 to 80 and build a welcoming, diverse community of beekeepers.”

Calm+Confidence has placed honeybee hives in private yards, community gardens, schools and other organizations in Central Arkansas. Along with placing the hives, the business maintains the health of the colonies and trains “hive hosts” to manage their hives. Participants receive half of the honey harvested from their property, and Calm + Confidence sells half to the public as “Neighborhood Honey.”

Other local products are also sold containing the beeswax from the hives.

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oofCat is an e-commerce pettreat company specializing in handcrafted, organic, limited-ingredient dog and cat treats.

Winstead founded Woofcat because she believed the strays she rescued deserved healthier treats than the commercial treats available.

“The treats were a hit with every dog I had rescued,” she said. “So, I began selling my treats at farmers’ markets and festivals.”

Since then, her business has grown into a thriving e-commerce business with a mission. She has become an advocate for more resources for minority pet owners in low-income communities and more presence for pet businesses of color within the pet industry.

“I created a WoofCat slogan, ‘We all have pets in common,’ to bring attention to the need for equality through a mutual love of animals,” she said.

Dr. Kristy Carter

Kristy Carter Consults

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risty Carter Consults provides research, marketing and technical assistance services to community leaders by helping them leverage existing resources to bolster community and economic development efforts in marginalized communities.

Carter is a researcher, social scientist and inclusive ecosystem builder who has dedicated her life to helping leaders of marginalized and economically distressed communities. Carter is best known for her research from “Women of Color Business Owners and Entrepreneurs,” a study she conducted for the Women’s Foundation of Arkansas.

Carter is a graduate of the Ph.D. program in Change Leadership for Equity and Inclusion at UCA.

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POLITICS

C A N D I D AT E S P O T L I G H T : WILL JONES, FRANK GILBERT, ANNA BETH GORMAN

By AMP Staff

eading into this month’s primary elections, AMP concludes its monthly look at state and local candidates.

This month, we’ve got Will Jones, running for prosecuting attorney for the Sixth Judicial District, which encompasses Perry and Pulaski counties; Frank Gilbert, a Libertarian running for lieutenant governor; and Democrat Anna Beth Gorman, candidate for secretary of state.

The spotlight includes those candidates who responded to our request and submitted responses by the press deadline. Jones is running against Alicia Walton, Gilbert is unopposed in the primary and Gorman will face Joshua Price in the primary for the right to face incumbent John Thurston or his fellow Republican, Eddie Joe Williams, in the general election.

Will Jones Prosecuting Attorney candidate, Sixth Judicial District AMP: Why are you running?

Jones: To unify our community, continue to protect victims of crime, and make Pulaski and Perry counties safer for us all.

AMP: What experience do you bring to the field?

Jones: I bring over 20 years of experience serving our community as a prosecutor. I’ve tried over 140 jury trials, most of which were crimes against children and homicides. I have been protecting the most vulnerable members of our community and have a reputation for being tough and fair.

AMP: What’s the biggest issue right now pertaining to the office you seek?

Jones: The COVID backlog and the rise in violent crime are equally our biggest issues. Each year, the prosecutor files approximately 5,000 felony cases. Because of COVID, courts were hesitant to conduct jury trials in 2020 and 2021. As a result, very few cases were resolved, causing the caseload for each deputy prosecutor to increase dramatically, with some deputy prosecutors having over 700 cases. Additionally, since January 1, 2019, there have been over 180 homicides in Little Rock alone. With such an increase in caseloads and violent crime, we need someone with a long record of prosecuting complex cases and holding people accountable.

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AMP: What will you do to address rising crime rates in central Arkansas and across the state?

Jones: First, we need to take a tougher stance on the illegal possession of weapons. If we can prevent illegal gun possession, we can greatly reduce the amount of violent crime in our community. Second, it is imperative that we address the immediate need for safety by keeping those who commit violent crime in custody, while simultaneously implementing long term solutions such as intervention and rehabilitation. Finally, we must utilize juvenile court programs to ensure that juveniles and teens are getting the support and services that they need to become strong, responsible adults and not adult offenders.

Frank Gilbert Libertarian candidate for lieutenant governor AMP: Why are you running?

Gilbert: I am running for lieutenant governor because, like most Arkansans, I believe there is something very wrong in our state and nation. Street violence and crime, government corruption and incompetence, profligate public spending and inflation, and a global pandemic (and our government’s reaction to it) have us concerned and looking for better choices. As a Libertarian, I believe that our problems are exacerbated, and sometimes caused, by the hyper-partisan, tribal politics of the old parties. They use anger and fear to demonize their opponents and to whip up their bases.

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It is an effective strategy for them but dangerous for the state and nation. Most of us don’t fit well in Tribe Blue or Tribe Red, but for too long, there have been no other choices. I believe the Libertarian Party can give the broad center of the electorate a way to counter the extremes of the radical right and the loony left. I think it is also important to mention motivations that do NOT move me to run for this office. I am not using it as a way to stay in government while waiting for my turn at a higher office. I am not running because I want to impose a moral or ethical code on anyone. I am not running to use your taxes for social engineering and experimentation.

AMP: What do you bring to the field?

Gilbert: I have been elected three times to municipal and county offices. I was elected once as a Republican, once as an independent and once as a Libertarian. Service is important to me; parties, not so much.

Two of the offices I held were uncompensated. The other one paid the princely sum of $300 per month. My public service is about doing the job, not about money.

Four years in the U.S. Navy, more than a decade in public service, 20 years working in private business, then retiring from a local school district and now driving for Uber and Lyft for the past eight years, give me depth and breadth of real-life experience that helps me understand what most Arkansans face every day.

AMP: What’s the biggest issue right now pertaining to the office you seek?

Gilbert: Political intrigue and grudges have gutted the office of lieutenant governor of any meaningful purpose. The lieutenant governor just waits for the governor to die or be indicted and serves as the purely ceremonial president of the Senate. It seems silly to pay someone $44,674 a year for that work. Perhaps it is time to give the job some real responsibilities or just abolish it.

If elected, I will use the position to reach out to average Arkies. Folks who have a way to make Arkansas a better place to live, work and play deserve a willing listener and advocate in Little Rock.

The same is true for those who have problems with state government. I look forward to helping folks who are not lob-

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byists, large contributors, party bosses or powerful politicians.

Anna Beth Gorman Democratic candidate for secretary of state AMP: Why are you running?

Gorman: I am running to be the top opportunity advocate for all Arkansans. I believe that Arkansas is the land of opportunity, but we need leaders who know how to create access to opportunities that allow the people of our state to live full lives. There are real barriers to starting businesses and participating in elections in Arkansas. We must elect leaders that are ready to work hard to address these issues.

AMP: What do you bring to the field?

Gorman: My career as a nonprofit executive has provided me with skills and experience in bringing innovative solutions to systemic problems and driving positive change with a collaborative approach. I know how to build coalitions of bipartisan stakeholders that work together to advance impactful solutions to real problems.

AMP: What’s the biggest issue right now pertaining to the office you seek?

Gorman: This office lacks innovation and initiative to make the changes necessary to improve upon and execute its primary functions. We need modern and forward-thinking approaches on how to support the business community and the business of running elections in Arkansans.

Arkansas does not have to be last in the country for registered voters and voter engagement. We need a secretary of state who advocates for individuals wanting to start businesses in our state. We need a secretary of state who will elevate and champion the brand of Arkansas.

M AY 2022

THE LAST WORD

IT WAS A GOOD DAY

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By Randy Ort

Wednesday, May 4, 2022, was a good day.

As a 34-year veteran of state government in Arkansas, I’ve seen a little bit of everything. Some pretty, some not so pretty. Some good, some…. well, you get the picture.

And I’ve always been careful to differentiate between government and politics. I’m extremely proud to say I work in government, but politics and personal opinions have had little bearing in my role as a state employee. There’s no doubt in my mind that staying neutral and impartial has helped me throughout my 34 years with the Arkansas Department of Transportation (ARDOT).

So, May 4 was a good day.

In Arkansas City, a boat ramp was dedicated. The boat ramp was a project of the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission (AGFC). And from my perspective, the day was about much more than the boat ramp.

Gov. Asa Hutchinson was the featured speaker at the event, the purpose of which was to dedicate and name the boat ramp in honor of former Gov. Mike Beebe. Yes —parts of two decades, two governors, two administrations and two political flavors, if you will.

The project was initiated during the tenure of Beebe. Robert S. Moore Jr. of Arkansas City was Rep. Moore, Speaker of the House Moore, during that time. Now Moore is chairman of the Arkansas Highway Commission, and his passion for southeast Arkansas in general, Arkansas City in particular, is undeniable. But it was Gov. Hutchinson and his administration that continued, and ultimately completed, this part of Moore’s vision.

Not only were two governors involved in the project, but there were also three state agencies: • ARDOT has an agreement with AGFC that identifies gas-tax revenue that generated from boat motors as opposed to cars and trucks. That’s where the funding for the new ramp came from, so those two agencies have been involved since the beginning.

• The ramp and scenic overlook are accessed from the Delta Heritage Trail State Park, the most unique park in the state park inventory, so the Arkansas Department of Parks, Heritage and Tourism also is involved.

Let’s count again. That’s two governors, three state agencies, three governor-appointed commissions, at least six state agency directors, all from varying perspectives and backgrounds, and about 16 years.

From my historical viewpoint, those are the ingredients for a challenging project.

And there were others involved who were not even part of the program on May 4. Approvals from the Southeast Arkansas Levee Board and the U. S. Army Corps of Engineers were needed along the Delta Heritage Trail to provide access to the new boat ramp. That adds a local and a federal aspect to this project.

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Gov. Asa Hutchinson, Chairman Robert Moore and Gov. Mike Beebe on May 4 at the dedication.

But there they were on May 4, two governors and representatives from all the entities involved. No political talk. No debates. Just honorable individuals celebrating the completion of a worthy project and recognizing all those involved in the process. I couldn’t have been more proud to be a state government employee on that day. I was continually reminded of a famous quote, which I’ll paraphrase — “It’s amazing what good can be accomplished when no one cares who gets the credit.”

I’m happy to say I have been involved in many successful projects in my time, so May 4 wasn’t unique. But it was special and very gratifying. So many entities and people involved.

I can see why Robert Moore and his wife Beverly (and many others) are so passionate about the new ramp and the area. And it’s all adjacent to the Delta Heritage Trail and Choctaw Island Wildlife Management Area. Google ‘em when you have time.

They’re amazing.

Some of you astute readers have probably picked up on the fact that I said earlier in this article that I attribute part of my longevity in state government to keeping my opinions to myself — and then I write this article, a reflection of my personal thoughts. But I couldn’t help myself in this case…

Wednesday, May 4, was a good day.

Randy Ort is the Deputy Director and Chief Operating Officer for the Arkansas Department of Transportation. He spent most of his 34-year career in the ARDOT Public Information Office, where he took part in hundreds of public meetings and served as primary spokesperson for the agency.

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