“This is the greatest place to be an entrepreneur, to be an investor, to be a capital deployer in commercial for-profit businesses in the world,” said Scott Ford, the CEO and cofounder of Westrock Coffee.
Ford knows what he is talking about – his family launched Alltel into an industry leader in telecommunications, and he served as President and CEO of the company from 2002 to 2009. Seeking a new challenge after his tenure at Alltel, Ford and his father Joe Ford started a coffee business: Westrock Coffee.
In the years since its founding, Westrock Coffee has experienced explosive growth. Westrock Coffee announced that it would be opening the nation’s largest roasting to ready-to-drink packaging facility in Conway in November 2021. In 2023, the company announced that it would be expanding its Conway facility, investing more than $300 million and creating 600 jobs in Central Arkansas.
Westrock Coffee held the grand opening of its Conway facility in June 2024, unveiling its state-of-the-art, 570,000-square-foot facility that positions the company at the forefront of its industry.
“The opening of the Conway facility marks a critical milestone for Westrock Coffee,” said Scott Ford at the time of the opening. “In line with our commitment as a world leader in beverage innovation, today we launch the largest integrated beverage facility in the Americas. This uniquely positions us as a leading force in beverage production across any channel and beverage format. Moreover, this facility extends our commitment to sustainability and responsible sourcing for our customers, farmer partners and the communities we serve.”
This is just one company’s success story in Arkansas – there are many more in every corner of the state.
Why Are Businesses Choosing Arkansas?
Arkansas has low costs, a low regulatory environment, low taxes and a business-friendly climate that supports the growth of companies. Arkansas has an experienced workforce and a strong talent pipeline that is bolstered by industry-driven workforce development efforts.
These advantages led Faymonville Group, a Luxembourg-based trailer manufacturer, to establish its first U.S. manufacturing facility in Little Rock. Faymonville announced the $100 million project in October 2024, and once completed, the facility will create 500 new jobs.
“We explored numerous states, yet nothing truly resonated with us until we discovered Arkansas,” said Anne Faymonville, Team Leader for Marketing, Faymonville Group. “After my initial visit, I was truly blown away. The economic and political advantages are impressive, and it’s the beautiful surroundings, the vibrant community and the warmth of the people that truly captivated me.”
This economic development win was an example of what sets Arkansas apart; aside from all the project necessities – real estate, low costs and infrastructure – Arkansas provides best-in-class customer service for companies looking to grow.
Faymonville conducted a nationwide site selection search, hunting for sites for their prospective facility. One of their distributors, Hale Trailer Brake & Wheel, suggested that they learn more about Arkansas, and that’s when the project was put in motion. The teams from the Arkansas Economic Development Commission and the Little Rock Regional Chamber hosted Faymonville executives for a tour in June 2024, followed by a meeting between Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders, Secretary of Commerce Hugh McDonald, Little Rock Regional Chamber President and CEO Jay Chesshir and company executives at the Farnborough International Airshow in July. There was one more site visit in August, and the Arkansas team pulled out all the stops: Governor Sanders arranged for a classic car to chauffeur the Faymonville executives during their trip, and they visited several Arkansas landmarks – and ate at Wright’s Barbecue – in between site visits.
Arkansas was also competing for a new manufacturing facility from Tate Inc., and the local team in Pocahontas invited Tate executives to a duck hunting lodge for dinner, sharing a great meal and jokes. In Walnut Ridge, executives at tech company Provalus were also treated to a fine dining experience at the local mayor’s house, giving them a taste of what life in Arkansas is like. Ultimately, Tate located in Pocahontas and will create 148 jobs, and Provalus will create 200 jobs in Walnut Ridge.
Experiences and top-tier service – in addition to available real estate, low costs and a favorable business climate – have helped Arkansas win projects across the state. Throughout the year, new projects have been announced in some of the state’s rural communities.
Similar to Tate Inc. and Provalus, companies like White River Energetics and G&H Decoys have found that rural communities in Arkansas can offer unique opportunities for business success. White River Energetics announced plans to expand in Des Arc with a $10 million investment in its existing facility and intent to build a new $60 million single base smokeless propellant factory. In total, White River Energetics is investing $70 million in rural Des Arc and creating 100 new jobs.
Meanwhile, G&H Decoys announced that it would relocate its headquarters and manufacturing operations to Corning in northeastern Arkansas. The move will create 77 jobs in the local area.
“When Rob Hansen, Owner of Leg Iron Outfitters, approached me about the idea of taking on G&H Decoys, we decided early on that if we weren’t doing it to change people’s lives – ours, our employees and the communities – then it wasn’t for us,” said Brent Sawyer, general manager and chief financial officer of G&H Decoys. We wanted to be part of something spectacular, but we also wanted to be an outlet for lifestyle improvement within Northeast Arkansas. We believe in American-made products and we believe in the American worker. Arkansas has a long history of pride and excellence both in manufacturing and in waterfowl hunting. We are excited to fire up operations in Corning because we know we are in good company.”
Both the White River Energetics and the G&H Decoys announcements highlight Arkansas’ rural winning streak and the state’s focus on growing entrepreneurs. White River Energetics was co-founded by a Des Arc local – an experienced executive in the ammunition industry – who decided that he wanted to invest in his hometown.
“We are proud of all the people and employees who have worked tirelessly to support WRE and make this happen,” said BJ Rogers, Vice President of Operations, D&M Holding Company, Inc. “Having grown up in Des Arc, I’m personally proud to see the successes that have been made with primers and look forward to continued success in the future production of propellant.”
Arkansas capped off 2024 with a pair of significant investments from the timber and forestry industry. In November 2024, Weyerhaeuser Company announced that it would be investing an estimated $500 million to build a new, state-of-the-art TimberStrand facility near Monticello and Warren, creating 200 new jobs in the region. This new facility will produce engineered wood products, adding approximately 10 million cubic feet of annual production capacity for Weyerhaeuser.
“I’d like to thank the State of Arkansas and local officials for working with Weyerhaeuser to site this facility,” said Devin W. Stockfish, CEO and President of Weyerhaeuser, in a company release. “We look forward to building on our long history in the state and providing new employment opportunities in the Monticello community.”
A few weeks later, Georgia-Pacific announced another investment in southeastern Arkansas. Georgia-Pacific will be expanding its existing facility in Crossett, investing $90 million to grow its retail consumer tissue business. Currently with 400 team members at the Crossett location, Georgia-Pacific expects the expansion to add 50 new jobs in Arkansas.
With all of these wins, it’s clear that Arkansas has significant economic momentum that is carrying over into 2025. There’s no single reason why companies are choosing Arkansas – it’s the full package of all the necessities that companies look for, as well as the intangibles that make our state a great option for long-term growth and success.
Once companies visit the state, they realize that Arkansas is the natural choice for their business. T&ID