From the State Capital to the Mountain Biking Capital: Greater Bentonville's Role in Arkansas's Growth and Prosperity with Secretary Hugh McDonald

Summary

On this episode of The Bentonville Beacon, host James Bell is joined by Arkansas Department of Commerce Secretary Hugh McDonald for a fascinating conversation about the state’s economic growth initiatives and the role Greater Bentonville plays in the state’s success. The Arkansas Department of Commerce’s mission is to champion economic opportunities through strategic initiatives and an equitable regulatory environment that attracts and grows businesses, safeguards consumers, enhances workforce quality and energizes the state’s infrastructure, creating a better quality of life in Arkansas. Throughout the episode, James and Secretary McDonald discuss Arkansas’s diverse economy, the importance of supporting its small businesses and entrepreneurs, the state’s booming outdoor recreation industry and much more.

Show Notes

(0:57) Introducing Arkansas Department of Commerce Secretary Hugh McDonald

(3:23) Arkansas’s Diverse Economy

(6:43) How Bentonville Can Inspire the Rest of Arkansas

(9:28) Supporting Small Businesses and Entrepreneurship in Arkansas

(15:14) Arkansas’s Booming Outdoor Sector

(19:25) Workforce Development

(23:00) Economic Development Initiatives across the State

(26:17) Creating a Unified, Prosperous Arkansas

(31:38) Secretary McDonald’s #Because Bentonville Story

(34:12) Closing Questions

Links

James Bell

Bentonville Economic Development

Arkansas Department of Commerce Secretary Hugh McDonald

Arkansas Department of Commerce

Quotes

“If you look around the state [at] all the activity that’s been happening. Northwest Arkansas—it’s been a twenty-plus year phenomenal story of growth, from Fortune 500 companies entrepreneurs.” - Arkansas Department of Commerce Secretary Hugh McDonald, (5:21)

“Quality of life is just as important to be able to attract the right kind of talent, no matter where you are in the state. And I think the Bentonville and Northwest Arkansas [area] probably recognized that sooner than most folks in Arkansas. People talked about it all over the state, but you guys actually did it and made it a concerted strategy and put a lot of resources behind it.” - Arkansas Department of Commerce Secretary Hugh McDonald, (7:46)

“I’ve always supported regionalism. Whether you’re in Little Rock, Northwest Arkansas or Northeast Arkansas, you cannot do economic development right if you’re focused on your boundaries.” - Arkansas Department of Commerce Secretary Hugh McDonald, (26:57)

“Let’s try to bring down our barriers. Don’t get sidetracked with artificial boundaries, but break down silos. Work together in a partnership. Find, collaborate and solve big problems. You just can’t solve big problems if you’re doing it by yourself. You’ve got to find partners to do big things.” - Arkansas Department of Commerce Secretary Hugh McDonald, (37:05)