The Searcy Regional Chamber of Commerce hosted
the annual White County Business EXPO on July 24th at Harding University’s
Ganus Activities Center. This year’s theme was “Highway to Progress” which is symbolic
of Searcy progressing forward and included highway themed signage throughout
the venue. The Business EXPO consisted of 93 Businesses showcasing their
products and services including businesses on Restaurant Row.
The White County Business EXPO included a
By Invitation Only event for vendors and chamber guests. This year’s event
featured guest speakers Matt Twyford from the Arkansas Economic Development
Commission (AEDC) presenting the Arkansas Competitive Communities Initiative
and Steve Jones discussing what is a Marketable Industrial Site.
According to Matt
Twyford, the AEDC has created a program to help communities in Arkansas market
themselves and their sites to prospective industries. In an effort to help
communities become more attractive for jobs and investment, the AEDC and
utility partners have developed the Competitive Communities Initiative. The
initiative is an evaluation tool that assesses strengths and weaknesses and encourages community leaders to take the next
steps in ensuring their economic success. The goal of the
evaluation initiative is to ensure that all communities in the state are fully
prepared to successfully compete for jobs and investment. 