HARRISON -- A $1 million gift from two businessmen will create an endowment supporting business education at North Arkansas College.
The Lain & Turner School of Business at the two-year college in Harrison has been named after donors Stephen Lair and Steve Turner following a vote by the college's trustees.
Until earlier this year, Lair and Turner co-owned Harrison-based motor fuel distributor Petromark Inc. and the affiliated Petromark Transportation, LLC, with the business sold to Denver-based Offen Petroleum.
The gift was announced as the largest donation to North Arkansas College in the school's history. The college enrolled about 1,200 students this fall, not including concurrently enrolled high school students, according to state data.
"New experiences, programs and enhanced business offerings will directly stem from Mr. Turner and Mr. Lair's gift," Rodney Arnold, the college's vice president of institutional advancement, said in a statement.
"Stephen and I believe the future economic growth of Harrison, the state of Arkansas and America is educating the talent of tomorrow; hopefully, our investment will have an impact," Turner said in a statement released by the college.