Business View Civil & Municipal | Volume 2, Issue 8

93 CIVIL AND MUNICIPAL VOLUME 2, ISSUE 8 INDEPENDENCE COUNTY , ARKANSAS with a pilot’s license. And within the last 18 months, UACCB even opened a Workforce Training Center, where students can be educated in specific trades like welding. “If you don’t have a good school system, it’s hard to do anything else and grow,” admits Mitchell. “I’ve noticed the backbone of a vibrant community and economy is a good school system. Our school districts are foreword thinking, leading to our thriving industries.” Cole emphasizes, “That’s why there’s so many entrepreneurs in the area. We have good solid businesses that are constantly growing. We’ve got progressive people wanting to do business and our solid banks can provide capital.” Independence County has a diverse range of industries, which not only strengthen the economy but also provide local jobs. Some of the largest industrial companies are Peco Foods, Inc. with 1,211 employees, Ozark Mountain Poultry with 1,000 employees, Bad Boy Mowers with 840 employees, and Future Fuel Chemical Company with 465 employees, and Intimidator has 431 employees. Non-manufacturing companies include White River Health System (WRHS) with 1,686 employees, White River Area Agency on Aging, Inc. with 641 employees, and the Batesville School District with 511 employees. Independence County’s economy is so robust that in 2019 the county deposits were $987,741,000, but in only 12 short months that number grew to $1,141,767,000. “Really, truly, you have great community partnerships here, across many spectrums,” states Griffin. “Our community service program is short of workers for the recycling program. So, I reached out to my Recycling Manager and told him to contact the Batesville School District about the Jobs for Arkansas Graduates (JAG) program to potentially hire some students for the summer. We all work together on a daily or Courtesy of Kris Caraway