NCARED Accomplishments and Opportunities

Six Key Reasons Why Communities and Counties Need to be Involved
in NCARED

• A regional approach is often most effective because the opportunities and challenges facing communities and counties across the region are very similar and even overlap. Example – a single artist in a rural county can benefit greatly from being a part of a regional creative economy marketing initiative.
• The future of our communities and counties are dependent on each other – Baxter County relies on surrounding counties for part of its work force, and the surrounding counties depend on Baxter County to provide employment for some of their citizens.
• More and more grants and resources from foundations and government agencies are tied to involvement in regional organizations.
• Businesses interested in relocating look at a whole region, not just a single community or county, because businesses attract their workers from multiple counties.
• The Arkansas Economic Development Commission, the Governor’s Office, and other organizations in the state support a regional approach to economic development.
• NCARED represents over 150,000 people and serves to connect business, organizational, and local government leaders from across the region, to stay informed and to take action on priority issues.
  

NCARED Background

Formed in 1991 as an outgrowth of the Mountain Home Area Chamber of Commerce, the North Central Arkansas Economic Development Corporation (NCARED) was created with the purpose of promoting and developing economic growth of existing and new industry, and to enhance employment opportunities for citizens in the area. Since then NCARED has grown to include eight counties: Baxter, Marion, Fulton, Searcy, Stone, Izard, Sharp, and Van Buren Counties. The focus of NCARED has also grown to include multiple economic development strategies, education, and quality of life issues that are important to successful economic development.

Strong Connections With Elected & Appointed Officials at the
State and Federal Level

Through its annual summit and regional forums, NCARED has hosted events that featured these important public leaders:

• U.S. Senator Blanche Lincoln
• U.S. Senator Mark Pryor
• Congressman Marion Berry’s Office
• Governor Mike Beebe
• State legislators
• Maria Haley, Executive Director, Arkansas Economic Development Commission
• Joe Dillard, Congressman Marion Berry’s representative

Two years ago, NCARED developed a legislative agenda and presented it to state legislators serving the region.

Connected to State and Multi-State Organizations and Agencies

NCARED is an active member of these organizations:

• Arkansas Community Development Society
• Arkansas Economic Developers
• Southern Growth Policies Board (which was chaired by Governor Beebe last year)

NCARED has involved these agencies and organizations in its activities:

• Arkansas Arts Council
• Arkansas Association of Two Year Colleges
• Arkansas Coalition of Housing and Neighborhood Growth for Empowerment (ACHANGE)
• Arkansas Department of Emergency Preparedness
• Arkansas Department of Parks and Tourism
• Arkansas Economic Development Commission
• Arkansas Office of Rural Health
• Arkansas Science and Technology Authority
• Highway 412 Now Association
• Northwest Arkansas Economic Development District
• Small Business Technology and Development Centers – Little Rock, Jonesboro, and Fayetteville
• University of Arkansas Cooperative Extension Service
• University of Arkansas Agricultural Law Center
• U.S.D.A. Rural Development Division
• White River Planning and Development District

21st Century Vision – a Regional Blueprint and Economic Analysis for
the Region

Over the last 3 years, NCARED contracted with the University of Arkansas Cooperative Extension Service to develop a regional blueprint for the future of the region. This initiative involved over 300 citizens, leaders, and youth in the eight county region, included five workshops and a regional working session, and led to the development of:

• a North Central Arkansas Regional Profile with up-to-date socio-economic data readily available for use by individuals, businesses, local governments, and organizations as they seek to make strategic decisions or seek funding for local projects,
• A Report From the People – a report that describes the highest priorities of community leaders, citizens, and youth in the eight counties,
• NCARED Region Target Industry Study – identifies the industry clusters that have the greatest potential for growth in the region,
• North Central Region Economic Development Opportunities Report – provides an analysis of the region’s economy and recommendations for growth, and
• NCARED Regional Blueprint: A Call to Action – provides recommendations for development of the region, based on strategies developed by community leaders in the region.
• All of these reports are available on the NCARED website, www.ncared.com.

NOTE: Other regions in the state are now seeking to develop these kinds of studies in their own regions, because they demonstrate commonalities across the region, and enable community, county, and regional leaders to focus on the greatest opportunities for the region.

NCARED Priorities

The NCARED board then set these five priorities:

• entrepreneurship and business development,
• education
• tourism and attracting retirees,
• value added agriculture
• creative economy.

In addition, a leadership development team is being formed.

NOTE: As the NCARED region lost 6 manufacturing plants in recent years with an annual economic loss of $13.8M, the following initiatives are important, and impact the five priorities.

$81,000 Grant to Grow Businesses in the Region

Because of NCARED’s 21st Century Vision Initiative, UALR’s Small Business Technology and Development Center applied for and received an $81,000 grant from the Small Business Administration to grow businesses in the NCARED region using technology. NCARED’s regional blueprint and economic analysis were instrumental in supporting this grant, only one of five in the nation out of the 100 applications. This project provided to the NCARED region:

• competitive intelligence projects for over 20 businesses, including GIS marketing maps, demographic research, mailing labels, and design of marketing pieces,
• a web portal for NCARED that includes collaborative tools including blogging, forums, chat rooms, polls, and news aggregation. During the grant period, there were 1,240 unique visits resulting in 6,016 page views.
  NOTE: The Arkansas SBTDC learned that information posted on this web page directly influenced an out-of-state company to relocate into the region. The business then used the web page to advertise for employees, hiring at least 12 people.
• six website design courses for emerging or existing businesses were held in the region, training 109 people,
• four website marketing courses for emerging or existing businesses, training 75 people,
• development of a web optimization assessment tool and web optimization training (which is critical for websites to be effective) - reached 29 individuals,
• web optimization analysis for 22 businesses in the region,
• business consulting and capital acquisition assistance to 11 businesses
• access to 20 online business courses (at no charge during the project period), and
• an outreach presentation in each of the 8 counties to business, professional, or civic groups to explain its services.

Creative Economy Initiative

A Creative Economy Initiative that includes artisans, music and performing arts, unique lodging, agri-tourism, and related businesses, and:

• draws from an amenity-based economic development study which included 8 focus groups in the region and led to recommendations for branding the region,
• builds on the creative economy work and organizations that have been active in the individual counties of the region,
• received a $2,000 grant from CenturyTel’s Clark Williams Charitable Trust to begin work on an artist’s directory for visual and performing artists and crafters in the region.
• creating an artists’ directory for visual and performing artists and crafters in the region,
• developed a Naturally Ozark logo,
• contracted with UALR Development Information Network of Arkansas to develop the Naturally Ozark website
• are beginning to plan for Naturally Ozark branded products and services
• has generated a great deal of visibility for NCARED in the region, state, and nation:

• several press releases about the progress of this initiative,
• Creative Economy Team Chairman Rich Fischer spoke about this initiative at the recent state-wide Breakthrough Solutions Conference, and
• the NCARED Creative Economy Initiative was featured at a recent national webinar for state arts agency professionals from 38 states.

A member of the NCARED Creative Economy Team recently stated that he knows 113 artists that want to participate in the NCARED Naturally Ozark website and branding of their products.

NOTE: A recent study by Regional Technology Solutions of North Carolina reveals that the creative economy is the third largest economic sector in Arkansas, and that the creative economy is considered a keystone economic sector because of the major impact it has on other economic and social aspects of a community.

Regional Forums - Informing Community Leaders of Opportunities and Issues

One of the crucial roles that NCARED has played has been informing the region about issues and opportunities. In addition to the ones already mentioned, NCARED has sponsored educational events to equip community leaders with the knowledge and skills they need to move forward:

• Two housing information seminars held to acquaint developers, realtors, and business leaders of the financial opportunities and programs available to support housing development in the region,
• Workshops on fund raising, harnessing information technologies, asset based development, and leadership skills,
• A regional workshop on Attracting Retirees as an Economic Development Strategy,
• A Telecenter Information Meeting, featuring a representative from e-NC, the internet authority from North Carolina,
• A Virtual Tourism videoconference, sponsored by the Hope – Hempstead Connected Communities and the U of A Cooperative Extension Service,
• A Local Government Seminar and Highway 412 Now Meeting took place featuring faculty from the University of Arkansas, and representatives from the Information Network of Arkansas and the Northwest Arkansas Development Council,
• Marketing the Region’s Tourism Assets – seminar provided by a representative of the Arkansas Department of Tourism
• Representatives from the Arkansas Economic Development Commission discussing the new Arkansas Site Selection Website,
• A Local Government Fiscal Crisis Seminar, featuring representatives from the UALR Institute of Government, the U of A Cooperative Extension Service, the White River Planning and Development District, the Northwest Arkansas Economic Development District, the Baxter County Judge, and the mayor of Mountain Home.
• Housing Opportunities in Arkansas – Martie North, Bank of the Ozarks and board member of ACHANGE, a state-wide housing coalition.
  

NCARED Leadership Program

NCARED is about to launch a regional leadership program, in cooperation with ASU – Mountain Home. As there are only two community/county leadership programs in the region at this time, this will fill a vital need to equip emerging leaders with the skills to move our communities, counties, and region forward.

NCARED Website – www.ncared.com
NCARED has a website that contains valuable information for business, education, health, local government, and tourism leaders. The website includes a section for properties available for commercial and industrial development. The development of the Naturally Ozark website will be a valuable addition to this on-site presence.

Newsletter

During the contract period with the Extension Service, a regional newsletter, 21st Century Vision Voice, reached over 400 people involved in the NCARED 21st Century Vision program with 40 issues of the newsletter. NCARED newsletter is now available via email, if interested in joining the email distribution list please email Eddie Majeste at emajeste@enjoymountainhome.com.

Action Steps – How Your County and Community Can Benefit From NCARED:

1. Identify artisans and creative economy organizations that would benefit from being listed on the Naturally Ozark website.
2. Consider who you would like to represent your community or county in the upcoming regional leadership program.
3. Identify vacant commercial and industrial buildings and industrial sites and forward this to NCARED for listing on the NCARED website and Arkansas Site Selection website.
4. Discuss what are your greatest opportunities and challenges, and forward your suggestions for regional forums that feature these issues with speaker from in or outside of the region.
5. Collect names and addresses of community and county leaders and forward them to Eddie Majeste (emajeste@enjoymountainhome.com)to receive updates from NCARED and the upcoming NCARED newsletter.