State-produced book a 128-page invitation

Photos, facts of Arkansas laid out for businesses

All About Arkansas is a 128-page image and information book designed to help recruit new businesses and promote tourism.
All About Arkansas is a 128-page image and information book designed to help recruit new businesses and promote tourism.

Tight time schedules rarely allow Little Rock Port Authority Executive Director Bryan Day to show economic-development prospects as much of the city or state as he would like.

Business executives and other economic development officials in the state can relate. While they can tell prospective clients, investors or employees about the natural beauty to be found in the state or amenities such as Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art in Bentonville, showing those attractions off is preferable.

That's where businesses and economic-development officials in the state are counting on All About Arkansas, a 128-page image and information book published by CJRW on behalf of the governor's office, the Department of Parks and Tourism and the Arkansas Economic Development Commission. Total cost of the project was in the neighborhood of $900,000 and a mix of 35 public and private entities contributed an average of about $50,000 to offset the cost.

"We get the opportunity to meet and great visitors from around the world. I can't show visitors Crystal Bridges. I can't take them to see a sunset in the Delta," Day said. "I can give them the book. It's a way to tell our story and give them a look at why they should consider Little Rock and Arkansas. This is a beautiful town. It's a beautiful state."

Nearly 50,000 copies were printed of the book, viewed by Gov. Asa Hutchinson as a tool in helping recruit new businesses and promoting the state's second-largest industry, tourism, according to a Parks and Tourism news release. Governors over the past 35 years have pushed for the project every eight to 10 years.

Each participating business was given copies -- sometimes numbering in the thousands -- featuring personalized covers. Big River Steel, for example, has information about its business on the inside cover of the book, which the company plans to use as a recruiting tool. Other books include a letter from Hutchinson on the inside cover.

"The curious historical mixture of Frontier West, Old South and Independent Mountaineer cultures has produced a state unique to the Union, a state which claims the country's very first national river, North America's only diamond producing mine, the world's largest retailer and a host of other bragging rights," a portion of the letter reads. It concludes with Hutchinson writing, "The Natural State is indeed a very special place of beauty, hospitality, diversity, culture, opportunity and economic dynamism. Y'all come see us; we're open for business."

Mercy Health in Rogers was approached by the governor's office to participate and the hospital saw it as a "natural fit because community and economic development is close to our hearts in Catholic health care," spokesman Jennifer Cook said in an email. "... We want to help the governor be successful. Job growth is good for Mercy and it's good for the people we serve."

Visiting physicians and hospital board members and guests will receive copies of the book.

Big River Steel will similarly use the books and the company has already sent some to potential international investors. The manufacturer also donated a number of them back to the state for Arkansas' economic-development efforts.

"We're putting our stake in the ground here. We're proud of the state," chief operating officer Mark Bula said. "We're proud of what we're trying to help the state accomplish, particularly here in the Mississippi Delta. There's a real opportunity. For us to be part of the book, I thought, made a lot of sense. Arkansas has a lot to offer."

The news release on the project notes that more than 200 "facilities and attractions" were added to the Arkansas economy since the book was last produced under the Mike Huckabee administration. Among the notable additions was Crystal Bridges, which opened in 2011.

Coordination on the project began about a year ago. CJRW CEO Darin Gray said the project was a "labor of love" for his firm.

"More and more, Arkansas is in the national and international spotlight and All About Arkansas shows in very compelling form why," Gray wrote in a text message. "So much of the credit goes to the partners who invested in making it possible. It will be a great marketing and recruiting tool for them as well as for the state as we work together to attract visitors and business and tell the Arkansas story."

SundayMonday Business on 04/24/2016

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