Life at the University of Central Arkansas doesn’t slow down after the last degree is

conferred during May commencement. The campus bustles with activity throughout the

summer with academic, music, and sports camps, performing arts programs, and professional development workshops.

FULL STORY, PAGE 4

SUMMERA T U C A

2 | FAULKNER COUNTY BUSINESS JOURNAL

The Conway Area Chamber of Commerce is pleased to announce the newest member of their staff. Adena White joins the chamber as Director of Marketing.

White was previously Public Relations Coor-dinator for the Winthrop Rockefeller Institute. Prior to working at WRI, she was a summa cum laude graduate of Arkansas Tech University. She is currently pursuing her Masters in Applied Com-munications at UALR.

White will help create content for this publication and for a new Conway focused “Field Guide” to be released this fall. She will also help coordinate social media and online initiatives of the Chamber. Chamber President and CEO Brad Lacy says that White is the right person at the right time for the Chamber. “Adena immedi-ately brings us savvy, out-standing communication skills and a background in education, programming and tourism. She’s a per-fect match for our commu-nity and organization.”

White is a native of Center Ridge, AR and has been a Conway resident since 2007.

Chamber adds

direCtor of marketing

For 30 years, the Toad Suck Daze Committee of the Conway Area Chamber of Commerce has held a fun, family-ori-ented festival on the streets of downtown Conway. The food, entertainment and festivities are on display to more than 100,000 visitors over the three day fes-tival. However, what’s less visible is the real mission of Toad Suck Daze, support-ing education in Faulkner County.

Since the Toad Suck Daze Community Service Scholarship Program began, it has awarded $1.2 million to deserving students in Faulkner County. This year, the commit-tee will contribute $74,500 toward scholar-ships and scholarship endowments:

• Two scholarships in the amount of $4,000 to Central Baptist College;

• Two scholarships in the amount of

$4,000 to Hendrix College;• Two scholarships in the amount of

$4,000 to UCA;• Two scholarships in the amount of

$1,500 to the University of Arkansas Com-munity College at Morrilton;

• Four scholarships in the amount of $4,000 for the Get Smart Scholarship Fund at the Community Foundation of Faulkner County;

• $1,500 in scholarship money will be given to the Faulkner County Single Parent Scholarship Fund; and

• An additional $30,000 will be added to the Toad Suck Daze Get Smart Scholar-ship Fund at the Community Foundation of Faulkner County.

Wayne Cox, 2011 Toad Suck Daze honorary co-chairman, said that education has been the cornerstone of Conway and Faulkner County’s economy for a number of years.

“Conway is the ‘City of Colleges,’ and

Toad Suck Daze Festival’s main purpose is to raise money for scholarships to be awarded to Faulkner County students,” Cox said. “I invite everyone to attend to make these scholarships possible.”

Mary Margaret Satterfield, director of events at Conway Area Chamber of Commerce, added that because educa-tion is the heart of Conway, it is fitting that proceeds raised at the city’s largest annual event support this commitment to academ-ic excellence.

“Money raised at Toad Suck Daze has helped nearly 200 students attend local institutions of higher learning,” Satterfield said. “As the festival grows each year, so do the goals for the Toad Suck Daze Com-munity Service Scholarship Program.”

Toad Suck Daze 2011 marks the 30th anniversary of the festival, which will take place April 30 through May 1 in downtown Conway. For more information, visit Toad-Suck.org.

festival to award $74,500 in sCholarships

Conway Public Schools anticipates big changes to its facilities in the year 2012.

A millage increase approved by Conway voters last Sep-tember will finance the con-struction of a new elementary school on Old Military Road and the reconstruction of Con-way High School-West. In ad-dition, Sallie Cone Elementary will transition into a preschool center and an adult education center.

“Student growth and general population growth in Conway has created a need for a new high school building and a new elementary school,” said Dr. Greg Murry, superintendent of Conway Public Schools. “We’re pleased that Conway voters made this possible.”

The new elementary school will be located on Old Military Road. The $15 million struc-ture will be modeled after Woodrow Cummins Elemen-tary, which was built in 2008, and will be completed in the summer of 2012.

The $40 million Conway High School-West reconstruc-tion project will be completed in two phases. The first phase, which involves the construc-

tion of a three-story classroom building between the current building and Prince Street, is projected to be completed in July 2012.

Superintendent Murry said that the reconstruction of CHSW could be considered “the most significant project the district has undertaken,” as the current “pod” building was built in 1968 as the result of a federal grant.

“Because the current build-ing was originally built as an open classroom, it had to be modified and adjusted in order to create classrooms with walls,” Murry said. “However, it still does not lend itself to effective classroom instruction and is nearing capacity.

“The new facility will provide our students and teachers with appropriate and adequate classroom space and will update and expand our tech-nological capabilities,” Murry said.

The new classroom building has a planned square footage of 165,000, which compared to the current structure, provides an additional 94,260 square feet of space for classrooms, science laboratories, office space, and a lecture hall. The

new facility will replace the pod building, which is nearing capacity at 70,740 square feet.

Phase two of the CHSW reconstruction project has a scheduled completion date of July 2013. This phase includes the construction of a new cafeteria, the demolition of the current pod building, and the addition of walkways to connect all buildings on the campus.

Nabholz Construction Company is the construction manager/general contractor for both the new elementary school and the reconstruction of Conway High School-West.

Clay Gordon, executive vice president at Nabholz, said that both sites are “exciting and significant projects” for the construction company, the city of Conway and for Conway Public Schools.

“These new facilities will provide additional, modernized space for Conway’s students and teachers,” Gordon said. “They are also substantial projects for Nabholz, and we are glad to be a part.”

At peak capacity – the time during construction when most of the electricians, mechanics, plumbers, and other trades-

men are on site simultaneously – there will be approximately 120-150 workers on site at the new elementary school loca-tion and 175-200 workers on site at the high school.

Gordon added that the construction projects are sustainable – from the design elements and materials used in the buildings to the disposal of construction materials.

“Both buildings will have exterior walls and roof sys-tems that exceed installation standards,” Gordon said. “Windows will be high-perfor-mance glazing to cut energy consumption, and the HVAC and other mechanical systems will provide 30 percent more energy efficiency than stan-dard systems.

“There will be multiple levels of lighting in the buildings, which will be operated by oc-cupancy sensors to conserve electricity. Efforts are also being made to conserve water through low-flow toilets and faucets,” Gordon said.

Nabholz Construction is partnering with Conway Public Schools and Waste Manage-ment to separate building materials on site to prepare

See Construction, Page 3

ConstruCtion projeCts under way for Conway sChools

FAULKNER COUNTY BUSINESS JOURNAL | 3

BY ROGER LEWIS

Single family home construc-tion in Conway has fallen by 65 percent in the first three months of 2011 compared to the same period in 2010. There were 28 permits issued for this period in 2011 com-pared to 80 in 2010. The homes being built in 2011 are larger and more expensive; averaging 850 square feet larger and $95,000 dollars more in construction costs.

In Faulkner County, however, the sale of existing homes sold through realtors has improved. For January and February of 2011, there were 141 homes sold in Faulkner County compared to 112 for 2010. (Data on existing home sales by realtors are only available at the county level.)

Conversations with bankers and home builders point to the quali-fications for obtaining financing, not economic conditions, as the cause of the dearth in construction. Conway’s economy is strong with an unemployment rate at 6.1%, well below the national average of 8.9%, and the state average of 7.8%. Foreclosures have been minimal in Faulkner County, and there is no shortage of money by lending institutions for making loans.

Loan requirements have tight-ened, and fewer people, particu-larly first time home buyers, can qualify. Also, it has become more difficult for home builders to obtain construction loans for speculation (spec) homes.

The obstacles to obtaining financ-ing are credit ratings, incurred debts and down payments.

Credit ratings, called FICO scores, must be above 619 for

most conventional loans. A credit rating is a numerical rating of one’s creditworthiness created by one of several companies that track credit data on individuals. Scores range from 300 to 850; a score between 750 and 850 is excellent, a score between 660 and 749 is good credit whereas a score between 620 and 659 is considered only fair.

The other factor is income-to-debt ratio, generally interpreted as the percentage of monthly debt service (payments) of income. This includes all debts - credit cards, car payments, student loans and the anticipated mortgage payments. Creditors like this to be 42% or less than the gross monthly income where a few years ago it could be as high as 60%.

Many young people who are po-tential buyers of entry level homes have too much debt to qualify. Often, both husband and wife have student loans to repay. This, coupled with car payments and possibly credit card debt makes it very difficult to qualify. You can also see this played out in the number of multi-family apartments being built. This is the only housing alternative for many young couples.

Purchasing a home through a conventional mortgage requires a 20% down payment and a good credit record to qualify. The 20% down payment can be overcome if the other qualifications can be met. Buyers who have less than 20% are required to purchase Private Mortgage Insurance (PMI) to cover that portion less than 20%. Com-panies offering PMI insurance have dwindled, but PMI insurance is still available to those who qualify. PMI rates have gone up in the last year which adds to the monthly payments and affects the income-debt-ratio.

Financing through the Federal

Housing Authority (FHA) and Veter-ans Association (VA) are still avail-able with down payments as low as 0% for VA and 3.5% for FHA. However, credit requirements have become much stricter for these loans also.

A conversation with a home builder who has built many lower priced entry level homes in Con-way relates the difficulty within the industry. Previously, he operated on lines of credit of several million dol-lars whereby he could buy building lots and develop a number of homes in succession. Now, each house is financed separately, and builders are required to have 20% equity in each house and demonstrate that they have the cash flow to build the home. Lot and construction costs generally exceed 80% of the value of a house resulting in the builder having to put cash into each home built. This severely limits the number of houses a builder can have under construction at one time and has brought the development of spec homes to a near standstill. Most of the homes being built now are presold to owners who have the means to finance. The fact that only 28 permits were issued for single family homes this year and that they average 850 square feet larger and $95,000 more in cost, confirms this.

Maybe the pendulum has swung too far in the opposite direction with qualifications too high for entry level home buyers to attain. This may be a hard case to argue with the number of foreclosures across the nation. But the hard facts are that he American Dream of homeown-ership is slipping away for many families.

More information on building per-mits and the construction industry can be found at PulseofConway.com

Changes in finanCe regs Cause ConstruCtion to plummet

Unemployment RateFebruary 2011

US ....................................8.9%Arkansas ...........................7.8%Faulkner County ............. 7.1%Conway .............................6.1%

Labor ForceFebruary 2011

ConwayEmployed .......................26,398Unemployed ....................1,715Total ...............................28,113

Faulkner County*Employed .......................52,975Unemployed ....................4,075Total ...............................57,050*Includes Conway

Sales Tax CollectionsConway-January

2011........................$1,513,7602010........................$1,579,517Percent Change -4.2%

Conway-Annual*2010......................$21,868,1022009......................$20,825,010Percent Change 5.0%*Tax Rate 1.75

Faulkner County-January2011...........................$574,3392010...........................$554,082Percent Change 3.7%

Faulkner-Annual*2010......................$21,868,1022009......................$20,825,010Percent Change 1.3%*Tax Rate 0.5%

Restaurant Sales*January

2011......................$11,316,7562010......................$10,267,336Percent Change 10.2%

Annual Sales 2010....................$140,014,5312009 ...................$130,911,970Percent Change 7.0%*Includes mixed drink sales

Hotel SalesJanuary

2011........................$1,125,7292010 ...................... $1,129,929Percent Change -2.9%

Annual Sales2010......................$17,590,2422009..................... $16,404,114Percent Change 7.2%

Building PermitsSingle Family Residents

January-March2011 ........................ 28 permits2010 ....................... 80 permitsPercent Change -65%

Total for the Year2010 ..................... 223 Permits2009 ..................... 259 PermitsPercent Change -13.9%

Average Construction Cost*January-March

2011.......................... $243,4022010...........................$158,340Percent Change 53.7%*Not including land or lot improvements

Average Square FootageJanuary-March*

2011 ..........................3,1822010 ..........................2,336Percent Change 36.2%*Total under Roof

Lottery SalesFaulkner County

March ......................$1,580,535Annual* .................$16,665,548Annual Per Capita ......$156.01

Total StateJanuary ................$46,829,907Annual* ...............$485,815,500Annual Per Capita .......$160.68*April 1, 2010 – March 31, 2011

Natural GasService Tax Distribution

for 2011Faulkner County ..........$17,639Conway ........................$21,945

2010Faulkner County ........$171,543Conway ......................$221,255

Wellhead Price per MCF*February

2011 ................................$4.232010 ................................$4.892009.................................$4.162008.................................$7.55

Yearly Average2010 ......................... $4.16.......2009 ......................... $3.712008.......................... $8.072007.......................... $6.372006 ......................... $6.402005 ......................... $7.332004 ......................... $5.462003 ......................... $4.882002 ......................... $2.95*1000 cubic feet

Number of Wells*Faulkner County .................257Total in Field ...................3,315*As of Feb. 17, 2011

Estimated Life TimeValue of Production*

Total Field ........$7,968,816,167*As of Dec. 10, 2010

Information provided by pulseofconway.com

Conway Economyat a Glance

Construction, from Page 2for recycling. “This will drastically reduce the

amount of waste that will be sent to a landfill,” Gordon said. “Fur-thermore, the money saved by recycling will go back to the school district.”

As another part of the 2012 plan, Sallie Cone Elementary will

be transformed from an elemen-tary school into a preschool and an adult education center. This will consolidate the 11 preschool classrooms in the Conway School District into a central location. The original wings of the building will provide space for preschool class-rooms, and the back wing of the building would house the Conway

Adult Education Center, which is currently located on Robins Street.

Superintendent Murry said that this project does not have a sig-nificant dollar amount, as there will be no major changes made to the building.

To learn more about Conway School District’s 2012 Plan, visit ConwaySchools.org/2012.

4 | FAULKNER COUNTY BUSINESS JOURNAL

Life at the University of Central Arkansas doesn’t slow down after the last degree is conferred during May commencement. The campus bustles with activ-ity throughout the summer with academic, music, and sports camps, performing arts programs, and professional development workshops.

The wide variety of UCA’s public summer programs exemplify not only the breadth the University’s academic programs but also the depth of its commitment to the youth of Conway and their parents, says Dr. Lance Grahn, Provost and Vice President of Aca-demic Affairs.

“UCA deeply values its roles as a community resource and a community partner,” says Grahn. “Through its many summer programs, UCA proudly enriches Conway’s vibrancy and bolsters its grow-ing reputation as a destination of choice in Arkansas.”

The University lives out its core educational mission by hosting a variety of commu-nity-oriented activities. Here is just a sample of what’s avail-able this summer:

For the youthChildren and adults can

learn a new language such as Spanish, French, or Chinese through the university’s Com-munity Language School. The Youth Theatre of Central Arkansas allows students in grades 3-12 to gain valuable theatrical experience.

The Community School of Music caters to music lovers by offering private lessons in piano and guitar as well as strings camp. Plans are under-way for the fourth annual Rock Camp, an intense five-day camp packed with workshops, jam sessions and performanc-es to foster musical growth for aspiring rock musicians. The camp is open to guitarists,

bassists, singers and drum-mers, ages 12-18.

Faculty and staff in the Col-lege of Natural Sciences and Mathematics host numerous camps, seminars and work-shops in the areas of science, technology, engineering and mathematics. High school students interested in learning more about careers in Infor-mation Technology can attend a camp sponsored by UCA and Axciom.

The UCA Reading Success Center provides students in grades kindergarten through eight skills needed to improve in reading and language arts.

For those interested in exploration, meteorology or space, the College of Educa-tion’s Super Kids camp offers a one-week science-based program for children enter-ing first, second and third

grades. The college’s Summer Enrichment program meets an individual child’s instruc-tional needs in an enjoyable and motivating environment. Summer Enrichment serves students in grades kindergar-ten through eighth with mild disabilities currently receiving special education services.

UCA Athletics provide op-portunities for young athletes to develop their talent through its team, elite, youth, training, day, and residential camps.

For Adult leArnersSummer Sessions at UCA

allows individuals to further their education or obtain their college degree faster. May In-tersession begins May 16 and the ten-week summer session starts June 6. Visit uca.edu/summer for more information.

Continuing education

classes for adults range from getting tips on how to sell a home in a challenging market to a seminar that promotes competent and responsible participation in local and state government.

Exciting summer profes-sional development work-shops, such as the Biotech in a Box, allow science teachers to learn about DNA fingerprint-ing, electrophoresis separation of molecules and biotechnol-ogy careers.

For those interested in the arts, the Arkansas Shake-speare Theatre, Arkansas’s only professional Shake-speare Festival will kick off its fifth season at UCA. This year, the professional theatre in repertory will run June 16-July 3 at multiple venues: Donald W. Reynolds Performance Hall on the University of Central Arkansas campus and The Vil-lage at Hendrix Greenspace, both in Conway, as well as the newly-renovated Argenta Community Theatre on Main Street in North Little Rock. The season will include As You Like It, Othello, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, and the children’s show, The Tortoise and the Hare.

The College of Liberal Arts has launched a new seminar series called “Exploring Our World.” The series provides an array of topics from the perspectives of the humanities and other disciplines. Each topic is designed to engage the mind and ignite discussion among participants. Those who have a love of all things Shakespeare will enjoy the seminar’s summer lecture, “Shakespeare In and Out of the Classroom.”

“Education, whether it be in learning to be a better football player or to speak Spanish, is part of a life-long process of learning that occurs year round,” Grahn says.

“UCA embraces its op-portunities to strengthen the exemplary quality of life in ‘The City of Colleges’ through

its summer programs.”

To learn more about summer programs at UCA, contact:

Community Education Courses, UCA Academic Outreach at academicoutreach@uca.edu or (501) 450-3118.

Community Language School, Sera Streiff-Vena, director, at serav@uva.edu or (501) 450-3168.

Community School of Mu-sic, Jann Bryant, director, at jannb@uca.edu or (501) 450-5755.

The Youth Theatre of Central Arkansas, Liz Parker, Youth Theatre Coordinator, at LizP@uca.edu or (501) 450-5092.

Super Kids, Dr. Mark Coo-per at (501)450-3171 or mcooper@uca.edu or Keisha Mattox at (501)450-5460 or kmattox@uca.edu .

UCA Reading Success Center, Dr. Mary Mosley, director, at (501) 450-5461 or marym@uca.edu.

University Challenge, a one-week science based summer program for students entering fourth, fifth, and sixth grade. Lisa Herrington at (501) 450-5453 or lisah@uca.edu.

Summer Enrichment, Dan Bar-rington at (501)450-5476 or danb@uca.edu .

Tutoring for Middle Level Students, Dr. Tammy Benson, Teaching and Learning De-partment Chair, tammyb@uca.edu or (501) 852.2965.

We the People Summer Insti-tute, a two-day professional development program on the U.S. Constitution and Bill of Rights, http://uca.edu/out-reach/profdev/wethepeople.php.

STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) Summer Camps and Professional Development Workshops for Teachers, Dr. Uma Garimella, UCA STEM Institute, director at ugarimel@uca.edu or (501) 450-5663.

Exploring Our World, UCA Ac-ademic Outreach at profdev@uca.edu or (501) 450.5261.

Sports Camps, UCA Athletics, at (501)450-3150.

summer events heating up on uCa Campus

Middle and high school students participate in the Math and sci-ence Investigator summer program sponsored by the department of Mathematics at uCA. the program is designed to enhance stu-dents’ interests in mathematics, physics, and biological sciences.

FAULKNER COUNTY BUSINESS JOURNAL | 5

TOP 5 RESIDENTIAL hOmE SALES IN fAuLkNER cOuNTy mARch 2011

Tupelo Bayou Site One Reservoir

Days Lake

Fork LakeBeaver

Gentry Lake Robins Lake

an

Laurel Park

Mountain View Park

Airport Park

Gatlin Park

Fifth Avenue Park

CollegeHendrix

Central ArkansasUniversity Of

Baptist CollegeCentral

Cad

Cantrell FieldDennis F

ClubValley GolfCentennial

Cadron ValleyCountry Club

ClubCountryConway

Oak Grove Cemetery

Tyle

r St

Skyline Dr

E Oak St

S Sa

lem

Rd

Caldwell St

S Harkrider St

Oak St

Don

aghe

y Av

eD

onag

hey

AveMeadowlake Rd

Ar-365 S

Highway 60 W

Sale

m R

d

Harkrider St

Beaverfork Rd

Prince St

Old Morrilton Hwy

Dave Ward Dr

60

365

266

25

365

365

286

60

60

286

286

65

64

65

65

65

64

64

65

65

40

40

40

40

Brumley

Gleason

4605 Sawgrass Cove

5135 Bay Town Dr.

170 Castleberry

1805 Summerbrook

Parks Lake

Blacks Lake Number TwoBlacks Lake

Blacks Lake

58 Pruett Road

4605 SawgrassConway

$542,000, Built in 20004 bed, 4 bath

Centennial Valley4,836 square feet ($123.86/sq. ft.)

5135 Bay TownConway

$378,500, Built in 20074 bed, 4 bathThe Fairways

3,371 square feet ($118.63/sq. ft.)

58 Pruett RoadConway

$330,000, Built in 20054 bed, 2 and 1/2 bath

n/a2,778 square feet ($124.19/sq. ft.)

170 Castleberry DriveConway

$299,229, Built in 20114 bed, 3 bathChapel Creek

2,700 square feet ($108.52/sq. ft.)

1805 SummerbrookConway

$265,000, Built in 20044 bed, 3 bath

Summerbrook2,681 square feet ($104.07/sq. ft.)

t

The April 12th Conway City Council meeting could mark the next mile-stone event in the success of the Conway2025 strategic plan.

The city council will consider a reso-lution adopting Conway2025 as the strategic plan and community vision for Conway. While the resolution itself would not legally obligate local govern-ment to any specific goal or measure, Conway2025 steering committee member Charles Nabholz is hopeful that the council will consider the plan

when making future decisions. “So many people put so much time and effort into this plan. I hope the council will put this plan to use and honor its quality and intent.”

Jamie Gates, Sr. Vice President of the Conway Area Chamber, thinks that the plan offers some additional benefits to the city beyond the 132 stated goals. “The value of this plan is in how repre-sentative it is of our entire community’s vision. Conway is going to continue growing and developing. A roadmap like Conway2025 is invaluable as the council sets budgets and policy.”

The Conway City Council does have some history of adopting outside stra-tegic plans as an aid in policy and bud-get discussions. In 2001, a study from Sakal Hood Architects was adopted as a plan for the redevelopment of downtown. What followed was tens of millions of dollars in private and public investment. Mayor Tab Townsell said that it’s important to have touchstone efforts like Conway2025 when plan-ning for inevitable growth. “Conway has grown at roughly the same pace since the 1940’s. We fully expect that growth to continue. However, as bud-

gets and populations become larger the stakes also get higher. We can’t afford to not proceed very thoughtfully and intentionally.”

The Conway2025 plan was devel-oped using survey input from over 1,400 Conway area residents. Over 300 volunteers were used to de-velop 132 goals that address a broad spectrum of community issues. The entire plan is available online at www.Conway2025.com. The April 12th city council meeting will be held at the Jack Roberts District Court Building at 810 Parkway St.

CounCil to Consider formal adoption of Conway2025

6 | FAULKNER COUNTY BUSINESS JOURNAL

Is Conway a company town? Not hardly. We’re too diverse economically and growing in too many ways to be pigeon

holed in that fashion. However, it is almost impossible to overstate the importance of Acxiom to our local economy. So any time there is a change in leadership or change at all there will be rumors and rumblings. After all, it’s hard to imagine a gathering of 4 or more people in Conway where some-one doesn’t have a connection to Acxiom.

We think the more you look at the facts surrounding recent Acxiom activities, the more reas-sured you will be in their (and our) future.

The week the recently departed CEO, John Meyer, took the helm in January of 2008 Acxiom stock was trading for $9.38. At the time this editorial was written, Acxiom stock was at $15.18. Somewhere in be-tween I remember hearing about a “great recession.” Improving the financial standing of this company in such economic times was and is no small feat. Good sign.

Let’s not take for granted that Acxiom is still here and still mak-ing money. Most companies like Acxiom are in Silicon Valley or on the east coast. Acxiom has a more than 40 year history in Arkansas. They have stayed true to their roots, bucked the trend and thrived. Good sign.

We take seriously job losses of any size in our community whether from a layoff or reorganization. But Acxiom has notably limited job losses during an economic downturn that affected everyone, particularly companies within the marketing industry. This minimized disruption of their employees’ lives while still managing to reduce debt and improve cash flow. As a result, Acxiom now has a strong balance sheet and a strong work-force. Good sign.

Acxiom leadership will tell you that they succeed daily in the global marketplace because of their skilled and talented employ-ees. You know the quality of these folks. Many of them were raised and educated not far from here. That may be the most reassuring sign of them all.

our ‘bell Cow’n EDITORIAL

Will “tech addicts” from around the country come to Conway, Arkansas to hear speakers and share ideas? A working group of central Arkansas tech savvy professionals think so. “Central Interactive” may be in its infancy, but it already has the support of more than two dozen individuals and businesses. On March 28th the Conway Chamber hosted a planning meeting for the fall technology confer-ence.

Organizers and local tech entre-preneurs Cotton Rohrschieb and Arlton Lowery say that the demand for such an event was evident after last summer’s successful “BarCamp” event at UCA. “I think last year’s BarCamp opened our eyes to the possibility of having a large technology event in Central Arkansas. We saw a huge turnout and amazing feedback from the attendees and community. It just made sense for us to take what we did with the 2010 BarCamp Conway to the next

level” said Lowery.Rohrscheib says that what that “next

level” looks like is still up in the air. “It’s hard to say, I don’t think our vision is nailed down completely at this point. Obviously we want the event to be an educational experience for all of us, but I would also like to see small busi-nesses and enterprises embedded in what we are doing. I would love to see entrepreneurs launch their dream idea using tools that they learned during Central Interactive, and that could very easily happen.”

Establishing central Arkansas as a hub for innovation is obviously not an easy task. Central Interactive is just one step towards creating a regional culture that can sustain professionals who want to make technology a focus of their career. Lowery says that, in spite of some challenges, Arkansas has the critical mass and attitude needed. “There are challenges working as a de-signer, or developer, in Arkansas. There are limited resources for jobs locally, but that doesn’t mean that there is a lack of entrepreneurial spirit. There are a lot of great people in Arkansas with amazing ideas. We want to encourage

and foster that spirit at Central Inter-active. This conference isn’t just for tech folks. It’s for people who want to change the world around them through technology.”

Currently, organizers are design-ing curriculum “tracks” to appeal to a broad audience. There will be in depth seminars for experienced developers but also introductory level dialogue for small business owners just looking for new markets and applications. The event is scheduled as a two day confer-ence that will take place some time from late September to mid October. If you are interested in helping orga-nize Central Interactive 2011 you may contact the Conway Area Chamber of Commerce.

While organizers hope to draw as many as 300 attendees from all over the mid-south, Rohrschieb says that the event is a success if local attend-ees simply come together, learn from each other and leave inspired. “I would not be surprised in the least if the next big idea in technology came from right here in Central Arkansas. We have that many talented people.”

‘teChies’ unite to plan fall ConferenCe

what’s that gonna be?Golden CorralBuffet and Grill

Golden Corral Buffet and Grill will be opening their fifth Arkansas location this July. The 9,000+ square foot restaurant will seat 340 and employ approximately 100. Director of Op-erations for Golden Partners, Roger Schmidt said that the restaurant will serve lunch and dinner seven days a week and breakfast on Saturday and Sunday. Schmidt said the restaurant would begin taking applications in early June.

Where is that?Intersection of Oak Street and Interstate 40. Next door to the Best Western.

Who’s building it?Golden Partners currently operates 3 Golden Corral fran-chise locations in Arkansas. This will be their fourth.

When will it be completed?July 2011

FAULKNER COUNTY BUSINESS JOURNAL | 7

Crain Automotive of Conway and Southwestern Energy have partnered to underwrite the “Official Vehicle of the Conway Area Chamber of Com-merce.” The 2011 GMC Yukon is powered by compressed natural gas.

Crain converted the vehicle to CNG. As a dual-fuel vehicle, it has the ability to run on both compressed natural gas and gasoline.

Jay Myers, general manager at Crain Automotive, said that the company is committed to working with South-western Energy to ensure that more vehicles are CNG compatible. Crain has invested $200,000 so far into

equipment and staff training related to retrofitting conventional gasoline-pow-ered vehicles for CNG.

“Crain is the only dealer in Arkansas that has installed CNG conversion kits, and we are committed to increasing awareness about the benefits of this al-ternative fuel,” Myers said. “Natural gas is cheaper than gasoline, it’s cleaner, and it’s produced right here in the U.S.”

According to FuelEconomy.gov, the official U.S. government source for fuel economy information, natural gas is one of the cleanest burning alternative fuels. It contains 60-90 percent less smog-producing pollutants and 30-40 percent less greenhouse gas emis-sions than a vehicle powered exclu-

sively by gasoline. Natural gas is also less expensive

than gasoline. CNGnow.com, a website advocating the use of compressed natural gas, estimates that CNG is priced at roughly half the cost of a per gallon equivalent of regular gasoline.

In addition, the U.S. Department of Energy says that nearly 87 percent of natural gas used in the U.S. is do-mestically produced. The Fayetteville Shale natural gas field, which includes approximately 25,000 square miles stretching across eight counties in north-central Arkansas, is now rec-ognized as one of the 10 largest gas fields in the U.S.

Brad Lacy, president and CEO of the

Conway Area Chamber of Commerce, said that the Chamber will use the vehicle to create awareness about the use of CNG in Arkansas.

“It was important to the Chamber that we “live our brand,” Lacy said. “That means getting smart with our fuel choices, supporting local businesses and becoming an informed advocate for natural gas in the marketplace.”

The official vehicle of the Conway Area Chamber is easily recognizable, as it is adorned with a vehicle wrap that features the Chamber’s signature green color and Get Smart logo as well as information about the its clean energy fuel source. Target Wraps of Sherwood created the custom design.

Chamber reCeives natural gas-powered vehiCleJay Myers (left) watches as a CNG powered Yukon is unveiled as the “Official Vehicle of the Conway Area Chamber of Commerce.