Arkansas governor, business leaders tout economic development in Phillips County

For the second time in seven months, Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders spent the day in Helena-West Helena, beginning with an event to celebrate millions of dollars in new investment through expansions at four agribusiness companies.

Sanders also met privately with city and other local officials to discuss possible long-term water system improvements to prevent drinking water problems that affected the municipality last month. And she and Education Secretary Jacob Oliva held one of their town hall meetings to talk up the governor’s signature legislation, the LEARNS Act.

Sanders, who is no stranger to Helena, told a packed Community Room at Phillips Community College of the University of Arkansas that she makes sure to get some of City Councilman Joe St. Columbia’s world-famous Pasquale’s Tamales each time she comes. 

“It’s great to be in Helena and have good news to share. This is one of the most culturally rich parts of the state with one of the finest harbors on the Mississippi River. The companies we celebrate today will make Helena a focal point in agriculture… . We want to make these kinds of announcements routine for Helena.”

Those companies — Poinsett Rice and Grain, Scates River Terminal, Scoular and Helm Fertilizer Corp.  — each have invested millions in their operations and increased employment in Helena within the last 12 months. 

Poinsett Rice and Grain’s Brian Caldwell told the 300 or so people in the audience that the company, based in Arkansas, had invested $9 million at its Helena location and could process 60 million bushels per hour. He also thanked Sanders for coming, saying, “We appreciate you coming here and visiting with us about our expansions.”

Michael Payton, president of Helm America Crop Nutrition, said his company had invested $12 million to double its storage capacity at Helena Harbor, thanked Sanders and discussed future plans.

“The next step is to extend the rail line to our facility,” he said.

The money for that rail spur comes in part from a $6,412,652 grant from the U.S. Maritime Administration awarded in October. The grant also will help fund a new water tower at the Helena port. The Helena-West Helena Port Authority also received a $2.8 million America’s Marine Highway grant that same month for development of a container-on-barge terminal, according to the Waterways Journal Weekly.

Pat Scates, whose company bought the old Griffin Grain Terminal at Helena, is becoming one of the region’s leaders in distributing dry and liquid fertilizer, along with processing grain.

“Sometimes we feel forgotten [in Phillips County] and we appreciate you coming,” he told Sanders. “It means a lot.”

Scates also lauded Helena as a great place to do business as well saying, “Helena has been very good to us and we plan to be announcing more upgrades soon.”

Bill Davis of Scoular Grain, which purchased a former biodiesel facility, told the crowd that his company is expecting to create 10 new jobs in the next few months beyond current employment levels. 

Former State Rep. John Edwards, who is director and general counsel of Helena Harbor, the area’s economic development group, expressed appreciation to Sanders and her team for their assistance with these and other economic development projects and extolled the virtues of the harbor and doing business in Helena and the Delta. 

“Today is about celebrating real investments in Phillips County that will retain and create jobs now and in the future. Helena harbor has access to the mighty Mississippi, good roads and rail service. When it comes to rail, our next goal is to increase the weight limit on the tracks that serve Phillips County.”

Edwards also praised Sanders’  economic development team: Secretary of Commerce Hugh McDonald and Arkansas Economic Development Commission Executive Director Clint O’Neil as “strong advocates for our region.”