Happy Holidays!

CNNMoney: NWA Top Place to Start Business

MSA: Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers, AR-MO
Best places ranking: #13 among midsize metro areas
Population: 443,976

Locals love Fayetteville, which lies 1,400 feet above sea level in the foothills of the Ozark Mountains. There's plenty to do: football fanatics go crazy for the University of Arkansas Razorbacks, flooding the city during home games. Outdoor enthusiasts fish in nearby lakes and bike and hike in the Ozarks. But culture isn't lost on this diverse area: The university brings art, theater, and music to the city. And then, of course, there's the Walton family's Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art, currently under construction in nearby Bentonville. It's one of the nation's first new art museums in 30 years.

Big businesses, too, like the Fayetteville area: It's home to Tyson Foods and to J.B. Hunt, the nation's largest transportation company. Wal-Mart, headquartered in Bentonville, has grown an ecosystem of business by encouraging its vendors -- at last count, more than 1,300 of them -- to open local offices. That's created a thriving business community that has cushioned the area somewhat from the recession. Unemployment is at 6.2%, more than a point lower than the state's rate.

Newcomers flooded the area over the past several years, pushing house prices up and enticing real estate developers to build. Many developers who jumped in at the peak have gone under. The area is dotted with empty commercial buildings, bringing lease and purchase prices down to more affordable levels.

-Elaine Appleton Grant

NWACC - Entrepreneurship Week

Presented by NWACC SIFE

Monday, November 16, 2009

7:00 pm (Reception 6:30 pm)

NWACC Shewmaker Center

Wal-Mart Auditorium

Free to the Public

Guest Speaker - Don Soderquist

A Leaders Journey. . . From Grassroots to Global

Don Soderquist was a driving force behind Wal-Mart’s rise to greatness. He was Vice Chairman and Chief Operating Officer and ultimately became Senior Vice Chairman as Wal-Mart rose to become the largest company in the world. Known as the “Keeper of the Culture” after Sam Walton passed away, Don firmly believes that business ethics are not a luxury, but an essential element in creating a high-performance organization; he also knows that responsibility for creating an ethical organization belongs to its senior leaders.

In 1998, John Brown University created the The Soderquist Center for Leadership and Ethics (SCLE) in his honor. As an Executive in Residence, Don provides direction and inspiration to the SCLE team. The Center provides ethical leadership training for corporate, not-for-profit, and student organizations around the world. Don also serves on numerous charitable boards.

NWACC - Entrepreneurship Week

Triumphant at the Top: The Women of Business Today

The Northwest Arkansas Community College will be hosting a Brown Bag Lunch event, presented by NWACC Students in Free Enterprise (SIFE). Feel free to bring your own lunch Wednesday, November 18th at 12:00pm! The event will be held in the Wal-Mart Auditorium of the Shewmaker Center on-campus. This event is free to the public!

Featuring

Carol Spieckerman, President, CEO—newmarketbuilders

Co-author of Ready, Set, Whoa! Are You Really Ready for Retailers?

Lisa Carver, Managing Partner, Founder—newmarketbuilders

Co-author of Ready, Set, Whoa! Are You Really Ready for Retailers?

newmarketbuilders is a retail-focused strategy firm that collaborates with companies on long-term corporate planning, strategic positioning, brand strategy, new product development, market segmentation, relationship building and organizational development.

Marvelyn Stout, President, Founder—Stout Executive Search

Stout Executive Search is a Northwest Arkansas firm focused exclusively on recruiting professionals for the Walmart/Sam’s Club supplier community.

Panama Trade Mission

October 13th marked a five day Trade Mission to Panama sponsored by the ARWTC. This Mission included a private meeting with the President of Panama, Ricardo Martinelli, and key members of his Cabinet. President Martinelli graduated from the University of Arkansas in 1973 with a degree in Business Administration. He won the election by the largest margin by any president in the history of Panama after only receiving 5% of the votes in the previous election. He assumed office in July of 2009. The ARWTC was able to have David Gearhart, Chancellor of the University of Arkansas, join the delegation.

Chancellor Gearhart showed President Martinelli how proud the University of Arkansas is of one of its many brilliant alumni, which has now yielded two presidents. On Thursday, October 15th, Chancellor Gearheart and other members of the delegation joined President Martinelli for a private meeting and a Luncheon at the Presidential Palace. Chancellor Gearhart presented President Martinelli a framed rubbing of his name on the ‘Senior Walk’ and Old Main, a Razorback helmet signed by Bobby Patrino, and a Razorback Football Jersey with the number 99 (Super 99 is the name of the supermarket chain owned by the president). Chancellor Gearhart also met with other Chancellors and Presidents of local universities and Lucy Molinar, Minister of Education.

Chancellor Gearhart (left) President Martinelli (middle in white shirt)

Lucho Moreno (middle right) Calling the Hogs

The mission of the delegation was to open up more opportunities for Arkansas – Panama trade, especially with a pending Free-Trade Agreement on the floor of the Senate. The U.S.-Panama Trade Promotion Agreement eliminates tariffs and other barriers on most U.S. goods, increasing export opportunities for agricultural products. In order to take advantage of this opportunity the ARWTC extended an invitation to Randy Veach and Stanley Reed as well as two other members of the Arkansas Farm Bureau. The Arkansas Farm Bureau met with key members of the President’s Cabinet, including Víctor Manuel Pérez, the Minister of Agriculture. The Farm Bureau also visited local farms in Panama. This can help provide an excellent opportunity for Arkansas farmers to expand their products on a larger scale which will continue to bring higher revenues to the Arkansas economy.

Randy Veach (left) Stanley Reed (left Middle)

Panamanian Farmer (middle) Jeffery Hall (middle white shirt)

Steve Eddington (right yellow shirt) Herbert Morales (right)

BLN Hosts Second Seminar

In September, the Bentonville Leadership Network met once again for the second leadership seminar this year, held in Bentonville, Arkansas. This most-exclusive network, founded by Coleman Peterson, Mel Redman and Steve McPheeters, was created to bring leaders together, to learn, interact and inspire others more effectively.

The Bentonville Leadership Network could accurately be described as a global leadership network bringing together business leaders and individuals from various industries and parts of the world. A vision for an exclusive leadership network based in Bentonville, Arkansas has quickly evolved into much more of a diverse and far-reaching group than ever expected. This diversity has created an environment of creativity and innovation, inspiring quality leadership, unparalleled in today’s business society.

Members benefit from private leadership seminars, exclusive online forums and insight into new best business practices. The setting is intimate, allowing for personal as well as professional growth. For more information about the Bentonville Leadership Network or questions about membership, contact the network administrator at 1-888-681-7776.

Picture above: Left, Seminar held at Doubletree Bentonville; Right, ARWTC Boon Tan Speaks with Coleman Peterson

U.S Trade Symposium Series

Arkansas World Trade Center
U.S Trade Symposium Series
An effort to help you increase your international sales

September 23, 2009
Ualr Institute for Economic Advancement
Little Rock, Arkansas

September 24, 2009
Jonesboro Chamber of Commerce
Jonesboro, arkansas

The Arkansas World Trade Center along with the U.S. Department of Commerce, US Small Business Administration and U.S. Export-Import Bank will conduct a U.S. Trade Symposium Series throughout the state of Arkansas the week of September 21st. The agenda for each event will encompass the following:

8:30 to 9:15am Registration and Continental Breakfast
9:15 to 9:30am Welcoming Remarks and Introductions
9:30 to 10:15am Finding International Partners and Buyers to Expand Your Business
10:15 to 10:30am Break
10:30 to 11:15am How to Obtain Pre-Export Financing for Small Business Exporters
11:15 to 12:00pm Increasing Your Export Sales and Minimizing Risk
12:00 to 12:15pm Panel Question & Answers
12:15 to 12:30pm Closing and Adjournment

Speakers will include John Johnson, Business Development Officer for Ex-Im Bank, Patricia Gonzales of the US Department of Commerce and John Blum of the Small Business Administration. Discover how to find international buyers and use trade finance tools to win international sales and grow your business. Let trade and export professionals guide you through the maze of export challenges and demonstrate how to obtain valuable trade research, minimize risks, improve cash flow and enter new markets. This event is FREE for you to capitalize on! For more information, please contact Scott Van Asche at the Arkansas World Trade Center.

Arkansas World Trade Center Office: (479) 418-4800