Arkansas native and legendary coach Bear Bryant said, “It is not the will to win, but the will to prepare to win that makes the difference.” The Economic Development officials at the City of West Memphis along with the City of Marion and Crittenden County, have both the will to win and the will to prepare for the creation of jobs and attraction of capital investment to eastern Arkansas.
Economic Development officials at the City of West Memphis along with the City of Marion and Crittenden County were recognized during the presentation of a $17,500 check by Entergy Arkansas’ Office of Business and Economic Development for receiving a Select Sitecertification for conducting a comprehensive review and documentation process for their 1,800-acre industrial site fronting I-40 in Crittenden County, making the site shovel-ready for particularly large manufacturing or distribution projects.
“Anytime we have the chance to take advantage of a program that raises the bar, we’re ready to participate. I want to thank Entergy Arkansas for the opportunity and thank all the people who put in hard work to get us to today’s success,” said Phillip Sorrell, West Memphis Director of Economic Development.
In July, the cities of West Memphis and Marion and the Crittenden County Quorum Court passed a joint resolution committing to work together to develop and promote the large site due west of the I-40 and I-55 interchange. Parts of the site rests in both the West Memphis and Marion city limits. The southern boundary fronts I-40 for 1.6 miles.
Entergy Arkansas works with communities to help them implement an assessment tool that allows communities to certify their sites and communicate the prepared status to the Arkansas Economic Development Commission, site location consultants and company decision makers.
“Along with providing reliable and affordable power with rates among the lowest in the country, Entergy Arkansas works to prepare the communities we serve for attracting new business and encouraging business expansions that result in new jobs, investments and economic growth,” said Danny Games, Director of Business and Economic Development for Entergy Arkansas.
The Select Siteprogram helps communities better prepare their sites as winning candidates for high-tech, manufacturing and distribution projects. Preparedness is a necessity for economic development success in today’s business environment. Site location consultants and prospective companies require immediate response times and communities must be able to respond effectively and efficiently on very short notice. Through the Select Siteprogram and the Arkansas Site Selection Center, Entergy is helping to meet those needs.
Mike Preston, executive director of the Arkansas Economic Development Commission said, “We now have a certified mega-site that will position Arkansas as a prime location for large manufacturing facilities. Coupled with support from Gov. Hutchinson and our state legislature, West Memphis is one step closer to going after the next North American super project.”
Entergy Arkansas provides electricity to approximately 700,000 customers in 63 counties. Entergy Corporation is an integrated energy company engaged primarily in electric power production and retail distribution operations. Entergy owns and operates power plants with approximately 30,000 megawatts of electric generating capacity, including nearly 9,000 megawatts of nuclear power. Entergy delivers electricity to 2.9 million utility customers in Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas. Entergy has annual revenues of approximately $11 billion and more than 13,000 employees.