Do you think Mena needs a new industry?

Do you have something in mind? :scratch:

Yes, we definitely need more jobs

“Do you think Mena needs a new industry?”

Not just the City of Mena, but the County of Polk and all of Southwest Arkansas.

A new industry holds no interest for many who have retired and moved here. It holds no interest for many who have lived here all their lives, worked here all there lives and retired here for the rest of their lives. Unless they are seeing their children or their children’s children bound by the same low wages and poor working conditions offered by most employers in this area, as they were, simply because they want to live here.

New industry holds no interest for those business owners who run small little sweat shops and pay even smaller wages. It holds no interest for the merchant’s of the area. They know they have a captive clientele.

New industry holds no interest for those who are willing to live on the dole or make money in illegal ways.

But, for those hard working citizens who are employed in low paying jobs, trying to better their lot in life, those HONEST working people who must accept low pay for hard work, often in dangerous situations, the possibility of a new industry that will pay decent wages, offer at least minimum benefits like health insurance or retirement, or even just a healthy working environment, certainly must peek their interest.

Don’t expect the Chamber of Commerce to recruit, or solicit new industry. Remember, the Chamber is made up of business owners who don’t want new industry to move in and pay better, offer better benefits or treat their employees better. Because, they’d have to compete. The Chamber doesn’t care about the working folks, as long as they work for the low wages offered, keep their mouths shut and spend their hard earned money in their establishments.

I’ve said before, “Keep the Chamber of Commerce out of it!”

So. Who’s left to recruit new industry for the area?

The Mayor of Mena? G.L.M asserted during his campaign for office that he would recruit industry to Mena. That man has his hands full thanks to that thing that happened in the spring. I really believe G.L.M. would if he could.

The County Judge. He can’t even fix a pothole. Enough said.

The Advertising and Promotion Commission? The Advertising and Promotion Commission was established 4/23/2003 to advertise and promote Mena. What have they done besides give a bunch of money to a local businessman to give to one of his friends, never to be seen or heard from again?

The city of Mena owns an 80 acre industrial park. It’s mostly swamp land and the only advertising and promotion of the industrial park is a couple of street signs. The industrial park is a real sight to see. It’s a bunch of overgrown, un-maintained waste land. And the one road into and out of the park is un-drivable.

The city of Mena says they can’t afford to maintain the industrial park. Then sell off some of the approximately 1200 acres of tax exempt property owned by the city. Collect the taxes and do something about the park!

The Mena Intermountain Regional Airport encompasses over 660 acres of mostly undeveloped property. Who owns the airport? The city of Mena. Do something with it. Hell, give away some of it, if that’s what it takes to get some decent paying jobs in here! And, they don’t even have to be aviation related jobs.

The naysayer’s would have everyone believe that we don’t have the infrastructure in place to support industry. True, we don’t have the interstates and navigable rivers to support heavy industry. But, all industry is not “heavy” industry. The electronics industry is not “heavy” industry. The biomedical industry is not “heavy” industry. The pharmaceutical industry is not “heavy” industry. Research and Development is not a “heavy” industry.

The naysayer’s would have everyone believe we don’t have the natural resources to support industry. It’s true that we don’t have vast reserves of untapped oil and natural gas. We don’t have large coal beds, or even commercially viable bodies of ore. But we do have a tremendous amount of unpolluted water available to support say, the food processing industry. And I don’t mean poultry and meat processing. Correct me if I’m wrong, but wasn’t Polk County once being considered a possible site for a major brewery? And were we not being looked at by a major baby food company, once upon a time? Once upon a time before Irons Fork Reservoir was built and potable water made available for practically the whole county?

The naysayer’s would have everyone believe we don’t have a trained labor pool to support technically oriented industry. Is it not the commission of the local community college to provide that training? They can and will if industry tells them what they (industry) want.

So. Who’s going to do the recruiting? Will the collective you? If so, who, what, when, where and how?

observer has made the best most accurate post I have read on this site

I am a low man on the social totem pole. A hard worker that only knows how to work (but that doesn't make me stupid!). I have no ideal how to get industry to the city of Mena. But, we do need it. I don't know if it is because there is no industry out there or if our town leaders are blocking it, or just not trying (which to me is the same thing). All I know is we need more access to jobs. When I go out to eat fast food, I see adults working...flipping burgers. No shame in that, but I bet they think there should be new jobs here to.
There is a lot I don't know...such how new jobs will hurt the retirement here in Mena. Wouldn't new jobs in Mena mean more money for Mena...And more improvements for Mena...
If everyone went somewhere else and left Mena...what would retirment be like then? No money for good roads, no money for sidewalks, for all the stuff I don't know about. Surely the retirment money here is not enough to support Mena...IS it? I don't understand why people would block money coming into Mena. So, is it possible that there is not industry out there to attract? IDK...
But if it's out there, and our town leaders are not busting their butts trying to get it here...they need to be replaced. Period. I wish they would let us know what they are doing. What advances they have made to companies. Even if they have been shot down...I would like to know they are trying. The last I heard about any business coming to town was Campbells Soup. Boy, were we all excited about that!...even if it didn't come to town we knew they were trying. But, that has been long ago!!! How about now??? What do ya'll think?

There is no interstate, to move a product is one reason. The fathers of the community do not want it bad enough for bringing in more races of people into the community. All the parents wonder why there kids leave and don't come back. Noone wants a wet county but all drink. It goes on and on.

Arby.

I understand where you‘re coming from. It almost seems as if there is a caste system at work here.

The main problem is that most of our community leaders are comfortable with their lot. “To hell with the working folks, let‘s play politics.”

Arby, we don‘t need politicians running this community. We need STATESMEN! Statesmen who are more interested in the welfare of their community than in their own personal agendas.

The last community leaders I can remember who had the interests of the community foremost in their minds were Lee McMillan, Landers Morrow and C. S. “Shorty” Williams. There were many more. But, the operative word here is WERE. As in the past.
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To Eric1 I must reply:

“There is no interstate, to move a product is one reason.”
100 miles to I-30 at Texarkana via U.S.71.
86 miles to I-30 at Arkadelphia via Ark. 8.
82 miles to I-40 at Fort Smith via U.S. 71.

Commercial vehicles and trucks are not confined to the interstate system. High tech industry doe’s not require interstate highways. If rapid transport of their materials and goods are a requisite, then consider that Mena Intermountain Regional can handle aircraft as large as a Boeing 767. The airport has an instrument landing system (ILS) that gives pilots the ability to land on Runway 27 (the new one that runs east to west ) day or night in any weather where a pilot can see the runway 3/4 of a mile away and 300 feet above the ground. 

“The fathers of the community do not want it bad enough for bringing in more races of people into the community.”
How many citizens of Polk County can boast that they are 100% Native American? How many citizens of Polk County are descended from mixed races?

“All the parents wonder why there kids leave and don't come back.”
Sadly, because there are no decent paying jobs! No benefits. No future.

“No one wants a wet county but all drink. ----.”
Don’t think for a minute that Polk County is dry. I drink beer, wine and even the hard stuff, on occasion. I haven’t been to a liquor store in years. I get it right here in Mena. And the taxes go out of county or out of state!
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Folks, I’m not trying to stir up trouble here. I guess I’m just venting my frustrations. If I had all the answers, I’d share them. But I don’t. If I had some of the answers, I’d put them into action. But, I can’t. I’m just trying to make people think. Trying to break the cycle of complacency I see and hear every day.

Polk County can’t.
Mena can’t.
I can’t.
And, you’d better not try!!!!!

Yes, but the powers that be do not want new industry in Mena. They also are not any way engaged in trying to make an attempt at going after new industry.

Had some additinal thought on this subject. It got my brain now thinking now..damn that strange.

This topic is a sad one. IMO, the powers to be would not even care if US Motors leaves yesterday, and it still might IMO. They have no plan nor do they care to replace it in the event that it dose (well yes they do but that is another topic). I feel that the powers to be care about one thing, their bottom line. They care about the $ that they can get when retired TX, CA, and other either retired or well to do people from out of state that move in here and spend their $. Folks you are seeing it now if you just look.

The people for the most part (not a brush for every one) that moves in here, come here because of the way our community is, friendly, social, accepting. When they get here however, they quickly want to change it to fit them, and the life style they are use to. Which has and will continue to change us as a community. This IMO is the way that I see it.