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ARKANSAS SPOTLIGHT
It's a Natural Thing
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hen Americans eat chicken or bite into a loaf of bread, chances are the products were either produced in Arkansas or shipped through the state.
"The food processing industry continues to grow and expand in Arkansas," notes Jim Pickens, director of the Arkansas Dept. of Economic Development.
The Natural State leads the nation in rice production, and runs a close second in poultry and catfish production. The largest state employers are ConAgra and Tyson Foods. The state's location, at the geographic center of the U.S., makes it an ideal site for warehouse and logistics locations. So it comes as no surprise that food and related products are the state's largest export.
Dr. Justin Morris, distinguished professor at the Institute of Food Science and Engineering at the University of Arkansas, is a former president of the Council of Agriculture Science and Technology, and has seen the food industry evolve in dramatic fashion ever since earning his degree in the state some 45 years ago.
"A lot of it is real simple," he says. "We are centrally located for distribution after manufacturing. That is critical to the food industry. Not only have we grown our own major processors, but a lot of national processors have chosen to locate here. A lot of them have located in the past because of available labor, and this is still true in certain parts of the state. But there are parts where unemployment is extremely low ... labor pools, you search them out just like you would a raw product."
Morris and his university colleagues are doing their part to train those pools.
"We are a factor in the mix, because we train food science students, as well as students in the supporting areas like accounting and business," he says. "And our youngsters love to stay in Arkansas -- it's a wonderful place to live, and very few people realize that."
Morris says the outdoor points of attraction are just as important to corporate leaders when it comes to quality of life. Meanwhile, his department is growing to try and serve those corporate needs.
"We're forming alliances with researchers," he says. "If our scientists go out and get a grant for doing research in an area in which a processor has a need, we will match that, and this makes for a real bargain for the food processor. I don't know anywhere else where this is being done."
"The food processing industry continues to grow and expand in Arkansas," notes Jim Pickens, director of the Arkansas Dept. of Economic Development.
The Natural State leads the nation in rice production, and runs a close second in poultry and catfish production. The largest state employers are ConAgra and Tyson Foods. The state's location, at the geographic center of the U.S., makes it an ideal site for warehouse and logistics locations. So it comes as no surprise that food and related products are the state's largest export.
Dr. Justin Morris, distinguished professor at the Institute of Food Science and Engineering at the University of Arkansas, is a former president of the Council of Agriculture Science and Technology, and has seen the food industry evolve in dramatic fashion ever since earning his degree in the state some 45 years ago.
"A lot of it is real simple," he says. "We are centrally located for distribution after manufacturing. That is critical to the food industry. Not only have we grown our own major processors, but a lot of national processors have chosen to locate here. A lot of them have located in the past because of available labor, and this is still true in certain parts of the state. But there are parts where unemployment is extremely low ... labor pools, you search them out just like you would a raw product."
Morris and his university colleagues are doing their part to train those pools.
"We are a factor in the mix, because we train food science students, as well as students in the supporting areas like accounting and business," he says. "And our youngsters love to stay in Arkansas -- it's a wonderful place to live, and very few people realize that."
Morris says the outdoor points of attraction are just as important to corporate leaders when it comes to quality of life. Meanwhile, his department is growing to try and serve those corporate needs.
"We're forming alliances with researchers," he says. "If our scientists go out and get a grant for doing research in an area in which a processor has a need, we will match that, and this makes for a real bargain for the food processor. I don't know anywhere else where this is being done."
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