I want to thank each of the leader participants in our recent blog series in which they took the time and effort to give us a brief discussion of their view of the area which is their specific focus. For those who did not have the opportunity to visit these brief discussions, you will find them posted on our web page. I believe that you will find them interesting and informative. This brings me to my recent thoughts below.
Northwest Arkansas is just an amazing place to live, work and play, and so much of our individual success, in whatever the field we may participate, is interdependent and intertwined with those energies, ambitions and skills of those around us.
Northwest Arkansas is blessed with an aggregate combination of leadership and community participation which contribute to quite an economic engine, a bourgeoning interest and attention to the arts, exemplified with the recent opening of the Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art. Hand in hand with the arts is an increasing interest in the culinary arts demonstrated by the announced partnership between Downtown Bentonville Inc. and the James Beard Foundation, based in New York.
To further elaborate on Northwest Arkansas’ good fortune, I point to our corporate population where approximately 125 of the Fortune 500 companies and corporations have offices in Northwest Arkansas. How about our active small business leadership that is visible in each of the five area chambers of commerce, our academic competiveness in our public schools and higher education institutions, i.e. the University of Arkansas, John Brown University and the Northwest Community Junior College.
I can continue. Northwest Arkansas is blessed beyond expression to be the corporate home of the largest retailer in the world, Wal-Mart, Tyson Foods Inc., one of the largest poultry and beef processors in the world and J.B. Hunt, one of the largest trucking companies in the world. We are the home of NanoMech Inc., a local private company that you will want to watch as it graces the covers of some the leading publications that cover the Nano sciences. I must mention XNA Regional Airport that has direct flights to many of our nation’s metro areas, and that is constantly on the march to improving the facility and service to the Northwest Arkansas region.
I must mention the athletic success and prowess of the Razorbacks in almost every collegiate sport in the mighty South Eastern Conference. I want to mention the Naturals in Springdale, the farm team of the Kansas City Royals.
My point is simply this Northwest Arkansas is an amazing conglomeration of people, visions, energy and ambitions.
Whether your interest is in a place to invest, work, or live, Northwest Arkansas has a very strong menu to consider, whether it is in the corporate arena, small business opportunities, academic opportunities, arts, sports entertainment and as an example I will mention the LPGA, and access to other areas of the country through flight, how can Northwest Arkansas not be highly visible on your radar screen.
Come join the excitement, join the march, get in this game, come invest, work, live and play in this geographically beautiful area. Did I mention that we have lakes?
