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NORTH METRO
NORTH METRO BUSINESS JOURNAL
OCTOBER 2019
BUSINESS JOURNAL
Lindsey’s Resort on the Little Red River:
The three-generation family business is a destination for trout fishing, team building PAID ADVERTISEMENT
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OCTOBER 2019
NORTH METRO BUSINESS JOURNAL
Second annual trick-or-treat event planned for Halloween night Ghosts, ghouls, and goblins of all ages are invited to attend a community-wide Halloween event at Tucker Creek. Organized by the Conway Area Chamber of Commerce and presented by Conway Regional Health System and Conway Corporation, Tucker Creek Trick-or-Treat will take place Halloween night – Thursday, Oct. 31 – from 5-8 p.m. at Pompe Park, located at 2550 Prince Street in Conway. Tucker Creek Trick-or-Treat will feature family- and petfriendly activities such as a costume contest for kids of all ages – from toddlers to teenagers – as well as a costume contest for pets. Plenty of candy and fun activities will be on-site, thanks to Second Baptist Church, City Church, The Church Alive, and Summit Church. Free sample-sized servings of food from local restaurants will be provided to the trick-or-treaters.
In the event of rain, the event will be relocated to the Conway Expo Center. An announcement will be made on the Conway Area Chamber of Commerce’s Facebook page if a location change is needed. The event’s underwriter sponsors are The Reserve at Tucker Creek, Hounds Hideaway, Delta Dental, Urban Air, Biotest, and Car-Son Construction. Supporter sponsors include NextHome Realty Group, Bledsoe Chiropractic, Sherwood Urgent Care, Jim Smith Collision Center & Wrecker Services, Sam’s Club, and Second Baptist Church. The event is free to the public. No RSVP is needed. Contact Ed Linck, chief operating officer at the Conway Area Chamber of Commerce, at ed@conwayarkansas.org for more information.
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NORTH METRO BUSINESS JOURNAL
conwayarkansas.org
OCTOBER 2019
October is National Cybersecurity Awareness Month Conway business owner shares lessons learned from cyberattack A communication failure from a credit card machine was the first sign of a cyberattack that affected a small busines in Conway. “We were looking specifically at the hardware, and by the time a technician would arrive, it would either begin working again or we would have found a solution by tinkering with it,” said the IT professional who is contracted by the small business. Ironically, it was discovered upon calling the manufacturer of the equipment that there was something wrong with it. They thought the issue had been resolved. “We were being led down a road that appeared to be the correct road.” But the problem persisted after the business owner replaced the faulty equipment with new equipment at the end of the workweek. The following Saturday night, the hackers infiltrated the system and locked the business owner out by encrypting the server. It took the hackers approximately three weeks to break into the router, and the business lost three weeks’ worth of inventory and sales data as a result. After several weeks of speaking with a detective, rebuilding the inventory, and establishing tighter controls, the business was able to open its doors to customers again. A year after the cyberattack, the business owner and the IT professional spoke to the Conway Area Chamber of Commerce on condition of anonymity in hopes that their experience would help other small businesses avoid a costly situation.
How to Keep Your Business Safe from a Cyberattack 1. Pay attention to frequent communication failures between your hardware and server. Repeated communication failures from a credit card machine or other hardware could be the result of an equipment malfunction, but it could also indicate that someone is attempting to hack the router. 2. Hire a knowledgeable IT professional to conduct regular checkups on your system. If you do not have an IT professional on staff or under contract, consider hiring one for periodic system maintenance. 3. Lock it down. Ask your IT professional to encrypt your router so that one incorrect login attempt locks out the system. Only the IT professional will be able to unlock it. 4. Reexamine the need for remote access. Remote access is convenient, but business owners should ask themselves if it’s worth it. Businesses without satellite offices may want to reconsider enabling remote logins to a company server. If you need remote access, explore different ways to protect remote logins, such as installing VPN tunneling on internal routers and limiting all external communication to those routers. Invest in a remote login system from a trusted IT provider.
5. Maintain multiple, historical backups and log out of the server regularly to ensure system backups are successful. Establish protocols for backing up data, which can include physical printed copies and digital copies stored to external hard drives. 6. Don’t charge your phone by plugging it into your laptop or desktop. For example, an Apple iPhone could carry a Windows-based virus that doesn’t affect the phone but could transmit to your Windows-based computer. 7. Check to see if your insurance company has a cyber protection policy. 8.Do not click on suspicious links in emails. Email spammers are becoming more sophisticated, creating messages that can look as if the email is coming from a trusted person. Hover over links to see the path rather than clicking on the link, and double-check the email address in the “from” line. Also consider removing employee email addresses from the company website so they cannot be as easily found and manipulated. “I would hate to see anyone go through what we went through,” said the owner of the business. “But I can tell you that my team of employees and my friends came through to help however they could. It was a challenge, and I wouldn’t want to go through it again, but my faith is stronger, my belief in the good of people is stronger, and my business practices are stronger.”
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NORTH METRO BUSINESS JOURNAL
OCTOBER 2019
conwayarkansas.org
Conway Regional breaks ground on new medical office building In late September 2019, Conway Regional Health System broke ground on a three-story medical office building that will provide 42,000 square feet of space dedicated primarily to women’s health services. “We’ve had expansions on our campus over the years – the latest expansion was in 2013 as many of you know – but this is actually our first ground-floor new building here on this campus in 18 years,” said Conway Regional president and CEO Matt Troup. The building will house two of the three primary obstetrics/gynecology practices in Conway: Conway OB-Gyn Clinic and Conway Women’s Health Center. Dr. Andrew Cole, a doctor of obstetrics and gynecology and a member of the Conway Regional board of directors, said the new facility will streamline their practice and enhance the patient experience. “We currently work out of two offices, so putting everybody under the same roof is something that’s been a dream of ours for a long time,” Cole said. “It’s going to be a state-of-the-art, beautiful facility that will make us a lot more efficient and create a better experience for the patients.” Lindsay Henderson, chief revenue officer at the Conway Area Chamber of Commerce, said the facility marks the beginning of long-term future growth for Conway Regional and for Conway. “When I think of Conway Regional’s ‘Growing Together’ campaign, I think of more than just a building. I think about the people who will visit this building. I think about the doctors and nurses who will care for those patients and offer support for their families. You are all examples of what creates this growth. Growth happens because this system provides exceptional
care. Growth is happening because you are changing lives.” Conway Mayor Bart Castleberry shared his personal experiences with the hospital and said it’s the people working for Conway Regional who make it an attractive option both for patients and for those seeking to build or relocate businesses in Conway. “Wherever I go, I see people who work at and represent Conway Regional. From a patient standpoint, it is comforting for me to know you. From a business perspective, you’ve been a tremendous asset when it comes to bringing new people to Conway. “Whenever someone wants to build, move, or bring a business to Conway, they want to know about the health care options, and they want to know about the schools. When it comes to health care, Conway Regional makes Conway an easy sell.” Henderson also talked about the economic impact of the hospital, from being a major employer to working with a local contractor to complete construction of the new building.
“Beyond providing care for a sevencounty region, Conway Regional is providing an opportunity for our graduates to pursue a career in the health care field,” Henderson said. “For the Chamber and the Conway Development Corporation, this translates into an engaged workforce investing payroll back into our community. “We have a local contractor, Nabholz Construction, building this 42,000-squarefoot facility, and we have the ability to staff this future medical office space with graduates through the partnerships formed between Conway Regional and the University of Central Arkansas, Central Baptist College, and Hendrix College. As a chamber of commerce, this is a story we love telling; it is a story that is hard to beat, and it is a story not many communities can share.” Established in 1921, Conway Regional Health System is approaching its 100th year in Conway. Troup said growth has been a big part of Conway Regional’s focus, and that growth is focused in Conway. “We are not just growing; we’re growing together.”
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OCTOBER 2019
NORTH METRO BUSINESS JOURNAL
conwayarkansas.org
Lindsey’s Resort on the Little Red River
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OCTOBER 2019
The three-generation family business is a destination for trout fishing, team building Lindsey’s Resort is one of the oldest and most respected names in the Arkansas tourism industry. The resort is also one of the most important destinations in the South for trout fishing, occupying a substantial length of Little Red River shoreline just above the dam in Heber Springs. But spend any time at Lindsey’s Resort and you’ll realize that “tourism” and “fishing” aren’t what makes this family-run business special. When you read the testimonials and reviews about Lindsey’s Resort, a few words and phrases keep popping up. The words “family,” “traditions,” “memories,” “comfort,” “peaceful,” and “relaxing” are all repeated over and over. After talking to Lindsey’s Resort staff, you start to figure out why. Words and phrases like “reputation,” “family,” “service,” and “care” drive the conversation. Visitors aren’t thought of as “tourists” and “customers” but guests and that makes a difference. General Manager Lindsey White represents the third generation of his family to work at the resort. He says the resort was focused on hospitality from day one. “Bill and Mavis Lindsey worked hard to build a reputation for taking care of guests and making them feel like family. This is the same attitude we have today.” Lindsey’s Resort has been helping people catch trout on the Little Red River for as long as there have been trout in the Little Red River. For more than 50 years, Lindsey’s has employed a team of full- and part-time guides dedicated to helping guests of all kinds have fun on the river. The resort also has a comprehensive bait shop and dock for those wanting to go fishing on their own. But it’s the variety and quality of the amenities beyond fishing that make Lindsey’s Resort a destination. In 2015, the resort underwent a multimillion dollar renovation. The cabins were
updated with new appliances, bedding, TVs, and LED lighting. White says the resort works hard to maintain the tradition of service and hospitality but that they work just as hard to keep things fresh. “We are always improving the resort and adding new things. It might be new experiences or décor and seasonal specials.” With more than 40 rooms and cabins, Lindsey’s Resort can accommodate groups as large as 160. And not all of them are coming to “get away from it all.” Many are coming to conduct business or planning. The resort has a 2,100-square-foot “conference lodge” with Wi-Fi and a 60” LED screen for groups doing more than just relaxing during their stay. White says that incorporating fishing into corporate retreats is an increasingly popular way to “team build.” Another amenity unique to Lindsey’s is the full-service “Pot O’ Gold Restaurant.” One of the few restaurants on the Little Red River, the Pot O’ Gold offers steaks, seafood, and other American pub fare in addition to the great views. It’s cliché to say, but there really isn’t a bad time to visit Lindsey’s Resort. Steady water temperatures and flows from the dam make fishing fairly consistent all 12 months of the year. However, fall does have a reputation for some of the most productive brown trout fishing. White says fall is also a busy time at the resort. “During the fall we host many weddings and retreats. It’s a beautiful time to visit us and to be on the river. And closer to the holidays you’ll see us light up the dock and surrounding areas with Christmas lights.” Lindsey’s Resort is conveniently located in central Arkansas. It’s only 90 minutes from downtown Little Rock. It’s only 90 minutes from Russellville. And it’s only an hour from
Conway. That location makes day trips to Lindsey’s for a work retreat or day away from work well within reach. For those returning to Lindsey’s after some time away, a visit is a chance to reconnect with fond memories while enjoying new comforts and amenities. For those who have never been, a visit might be the start of an annual trip for your family or business. But no matter what brings you to the resort, once you get there you’ll be treated like family. It’s a tradition. For more information or to book your trip to Lindsey’s Resort visit www.LindseysResort.com or find them on Facebook.
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NORTH METRO BUSINESS JOURNAL
OCTOBER 2019
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Potential changes loom for 2nd Congressional District
AR02 For the last 10 years, Arkansas’s population has been slowly Arkansas’s 2nd Congressional District has a surplus of residents growing, becoming more suburban, and shifting from the southeast to the northwest. The effects have been broad and although it has grown at a much slower rate than the 3rd. The 2nd obvious. But they have taken place over time. After a new census district will need to shrink by approximately 16,500 residents. A convenient place to find those 16,500 folks is Van Buren County. in 2020, Arkansas will experience a more abrupt change… Van Buren County could then join its neighbor, and Greers Ferry congressional and legislative redistricting. Lake oriented counterpart, Cleburne County, in AR01 adding a Redistricting is--to put it very mildly--complicated. At its portion of their needed population. heart, it is a counting exercise with the goal of equal population While the 2nd district will likely change the least among apportionment per legislative district. But layered on top of Arkansas’s four congressional districts, its small changes still all that is a healthy dose of federal and state case law, issues have political consequences. Most recently, AR02 has been the surrounding race, and electoral politics—even considering the most politically “competitive” district. In 2018, Congressman home addresses of incumbent politicians. French Hill netted 4,500 votes in reliably republican Van Buren Preparation for the 2020 decennial census is well underway. County. Under this scenario those votes would leave, making the But the date that populations will be based on is April 1, 2020. seat more competitive. However, those 4,500 votes only made up Final population figures have historically been delivered to the legislature early the following year (2021). These are the numbers about a quarter of his 16,000 vote margin of victory. Another option for shrinking the 2nd District will also be one of that state legislators will be held accountable to throughout the most politically contentious issues to watch during the 2021 the process. Arkansas law doesn’t establish a hard deadline for session. The legislature may attempt to send Pulaski County adopting new congressional boundaries, but there is substantial votersCaroll to the 1st District. ThisBaxter would mean motivation to settle on boundaries during the regular session in Fulton some Little Rock and Clay Benton Randolph Boone North Little Rock voters would live in the 1st District and others plenty of time to plan for the next election cycle. Marion in the 2nd. The motive for that move would be purely politicalGreene and As a rule, congressional districts may differ by no more than Izzard Sharp Lawrence almost definitely invite a legal challenge. 1% in population to withstand legal challenge. For the next Madison Washington Searcy redistricting this is going to equal a number very close to 760,000 Stone Newton Craighead Independence residents per district. For growing districts (AR02 and AR03 this means shedding residents and becoming more compact. Van Buren Poinsett Jackson For districts with a declining population (AR01 and AR04), itCrawford Franklin Johnson Cleburne Pope means adding those same residents and continuing to sprawl Crittend Conway across the state. Cross Sebestian
3rd
1st
Logan
Population Change Required Scott (estimated)
Congressional District
2010 Population
2020 Population (estimated)
AR01
729,859
719,775
Add 40,000 residents
AR02
728,909
776,500
Subtract 16,500 residents
AR03
728,602
840,300
Polk Subtract 80,500 residents
AR04
728,548
700,250
Add 60,000 residents
Total AR Population
Howard
2,915,918
3,036,825 Sevier
White
Faulkner
Yell
2nd
Perry
Woodruff Saint Francis
Pulaski
Lonoke
Prairie
Saline Montgomery
Lee Monroe
Garland
Phillips Hot Springs
Grant
Jefferson
Arkansas
Pike A new look for Clark the 2nd Congressional Dallas District?
4th
Cleveland
Lincoln Desha
North Metro Economy at a Glance Population US ..........................325,719,178 Arkansas ....................3,004,279 Conway ...........................65,782 Cleburne County...............25,048 Conway County................20,916 Faulkner County.............123,654 Perry County....................10,348 Van Buren County.............16,506 Civilian Labor Force July-2019 Seasonally Adjusted US ..........................163,351,000 Arkansas ....................1,381,647 Not Seasonally Adjusted US ...................... 164,941,000 Arkansas............. 1,381,647 Conway................ 34,613 Cleburne County ... 9,328 Conway County .... 8,300 Faulkner County .. 63,433 Perry County ......... 4,405 Van Buren County . 5,668 Unemployment Rate July-2019 Seasonally Adjusted US ..................................... 3.7% Arkansas ........................... 3.5% Not Seasonally Adjusted US ..................................... 4.0% Arkansas............................ 3.6% Conway.............................. 3.2% Cleburne County ................ 4.5% Conway County ................. 4.9% Faulkner County ................ 3.2% Perry County ...................... 4.4% Van Buren County .............. 5.3%
Bank Deposits June Conway 2019........................... $1,831,875 2018............................$1,827,728 Percent Change .................0.23%
Percent Change................ 6.99% Tax Rate ......................... 1.625% Conway County 2019.............................$484,408 2018.............................$441,508 Percent Change................ 9.72% Tax Rate ........................... 1.75%
Cleburne County 2019...............................$556,687 Faulkner County 2018...............................$554,248 2019.............................$868,151 Percent Change .................0.44% 2018.............................$802,791 Percent Change................ 8.14% Conway County 2019...............................$364,163 Tax Rate ........................... 0.50% 2018...............................$358,473 Perry County Percent Change .................1.59% 2019.............................$137,373 Faulkner County 2018.............................$140,643 2019............................$2,224,629 Percent Change...............-2.33% 2018............................$2,192,595 Tax Rate ........................... 2.50% Percent Change .................1.46% Van Buren County Perry County 2019.............................$396,833 2019.................................$65,345 2018.............................$352,481 2018.................................$72,986 Percent Change.............. 12.58% Percent Change ............. -10.47% Tax Rate ........................... 2.00% Van Buren County Restaurant Sales* 2019...............................$278,929 Year to Date (September) 2018...............................$276,171 Percent Change .................1.00% Conway 2019......................$158,424,648 Sales & Use Tax Collections 2018......................$149,814,461 Percent Change................ 5.75% September *Includes mixed drink sales Conway 2019...........................$2,849,938 2018...........................$2,619,461 Percent Change................. 8.80% Tax Rate .......................... 2.125% Cleburne County 2019.............................$610,792 2018.............................$570,890
Hotel Sales Year to Date (September) Conway 2019........................$14,553,743 2018........................$14,060,286 Percent Change................ 3.51%
Residential Building Permits Year to Date (September) Conway 2019......................................217 2018......................................151 Percent Change.............. 43.71%
Values of Residential Units Sold** Year to Date (September) Conway 2019......................$114,497,306 2018......................$114,987,149 Percent Change ..............-0.43%
Residential Units Sold** (New and Existing) Year to Date (September Conway 2019......................................585 2018......................................606 Percent Change ..............-3.47%
Year to Date (May) Cleburne County 2019........................$23,770,450 2018........................$20,758,198 Percent Change .............14.51%
Year to Date (May) Cleburne County 2019......................................160 2018......................................160 Percent Change ............... 0.00% Conway County 2019........................................71 2018........................................49 Percent Change ............. 44.90% Faulkner County 2019......................................627 2018......................................646 Percent Change ..............-2.94% Perry County 2019........................................22 2018........................................30 Percent Change ............-26.67% Van Buren County 2019........................................95 2018........................................97 Percent Change ..............-2.06%
Conway County 2019..........................$8,401,501 2018..........................$5,465,313 Percent Change ............. 53.72% Faulkner County 2019......................$113,500,167 2018......................$112,349,090 Percent Change ............... 1.02% Perry County 2019..........................$2,547,886 2018..........................$4,289,670 Percent Change ............-40.60% Van Buren County 2019........................$10,627,555 2018..........................$9,671,482 Percent Change ............... 9.89% Average Price of Residential Units Sold** (New and Existing) Year to Date (September) Conway 2019.............................$195,722 2018.............................$189,748 Percent Change .................3.15% **Includes sales of residential units
Year to Date (May) Cleburne County 2019.............................$191,874 2018.............................$178,034 Percent Change ............... 7.77% Conway County 2019...............................$80,778 2018.............................$109,425 Percent Change ............-26.18% Faulkner County 2019.............................$192,903 2018.............................$178,554 Percent Change................ 8.04% Perry County 2019...............................$50,000 2018.............................$132,559 Percent Change ............-62.28% Van Buren County 2019.............................$149,606 2018...............................$83,116 Percent Change ............. 80.00%
Proud sponsor of Pulse of Conway Sources: 2012-2016 ACS 5-Year Data Profiles, Arkansas Department of Workforce Services, C2ER, Sperling’s Best Places, Arkansas Department of Finance & Administration, Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, Cooperative Arkansas Realtors’ Multiple Listing Services, Arkansas Realtors Association, and City of Conway. **Includes sales of residential units only.
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NORTH METRO BUSINESS JOURNAL
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Minority business leaders recognized at annual awards event Dr. Charlotte Green receives Lifetime Achievement Award John Quiñones of ABC News addressed the attendees at the Minority Enterprise Development awards reception before giving a lecture at UCA’s Reynolds Performance Hall.
The 2019 MED award recipients are pictured with representatives of the event’s sponsors (from left): Marcus Elliott, Conway Regional Health System – Minority Executive of the Year; Meryll Soriano, Sam’s Club – Awards Sponsor; Dr. Charlotte Green, University of Central Arkansas – Lifetime Achievement Award; Dr. George Parks Jr., New Hope Baptist Church – Outstanding Young Minority Professional; Chris Hervey, Christopher Hervey: Allstate Insurance – Minority Business of the Year; Bunny Adcock, Opportunity Matters Arkansas – Advocate for Opportunity; and Jessica Clawson, Northwestern Mutual – Presenting Sponsor.
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NORTH METRO BUSINESS JOURNAL
OCTOBER 2019 11
