Clark County is recognized throughout Arkansas and surrounding states as a dynamic center of higher education, the forest products industry, technology manufacturing, outdoor recreation & tourism and retirement living. Clark County is a stimulating and fun community for residents of all ages from birth through retirement, with attractive neighborhoods, premier health care, rich cultural and intellectual opportunities and exceptionally low crime, supported by prepared leadership that anticipates change and plans for the future. Citizens of the county enjoy a wide variety of shopping and restaurant venues. Adults and children alike enjoy indoor and outdoor public sports centers and complexes. Clark County’s educational institutions, because of their excellence in teaching and research, provide future leaders for Arkansas and the region. Ample job opportunities are available for all including college educated citizens. The county has become a magnet for office activities serving Southwest Arkansas, supported by landscaped office parks, and is an emerging center for research in alternative fuels and natural resources.
Clark County in 2017 - Vision Story:
Businesses flock to Clark County to take advantage of the vibrant business environment, and Clark County has a healthy and diverse economy. Technology and manufacturing companies have grown and thrived in the county, aided and actively supported by government and the industrial commission. Call and insurance claims centers have been attracted to capitalize on the region’s pool of part-time college workers. The county has become an important national center for research, development and commercialization of ethanol from cellulose and other renewable energy technologies. The new riverfront complex has become an important regional retail sector with upscale antique shops, restaurants and night life that attracts residents from surrounding counties. The airport has expanded to include regional jet service and aircraft maintenance activities. The Gum Springs exit has become an important regional trucking center that includes truck stops, maintenance and dispatching centers. The skilled workers needed at these businesses in its base of technology and manufacturing businesses can be trained or retrained at a state-of-the-art Vo-Tech training center combined with a countywide educational and career center.
The natural features of Clark County have been developed and the beauty of nature is preserved for all to enjoy. The county has achieved its aims and become an important statewide outdoor recreation center. Tourists are attracted to an interconnected complex of outdoor attractions including hiking trails along the Ouachita and Caddo Rivers, a memorable nature center and an award winning botanical garden. Retirement developers have recognized these assets and attracted large numbers of active-adult retirees to amenity rich subdivisions they have constructed for this market. Retirees have stimulated the demand for medical services and Clark County has enhanced its medical presence with more specialists, community clinics and school based health care. Part of the appeal of Clark County stems from its novel and award winning Comprehensive Retirement Servicing Center.
The universities in Clark County are vibrant sources of the arts and culture and produce graduates with degrees in high demand that choose to stay and apply their gifts to the many opportunities available to them in Clark County. Clark County’s universities have enhanced their role in the local economy with dramatic increases in enrollment stemming from more graduate programs, larger technical programs in nursing, aviation, computer science and engineering and a scholarship program that pays the tuition of any Clark County high school graduate enrolling in one of the two universities. Universities have added research functions to their campuses and this has created more opportunities for professional employment in Clark County.
Tourists and visitors from across the U.S. and around the world come to Clark County to see the local sights and take part in a variety of recreational opportunities, particularly outdoor recreation and sports. The diverse economic growth in Clark County has led to more emphasis on appearance and cleanliness and stimulated the construction of new facilities. Visitor information centers are located in each of the major cities, and new interchanges on I-30 have been developed to service the traffic needs of the larger population. A 1000 person convention center is hosting statewide meetings and attracting significant pools of new visitors. Residents now have access to state-of-the-art childcare facilities and children have enhanced recreation activities.
Young families and children of all ages flock to Clark County to thrive in the balanced, renewing and fulfilling quality of life. The older sections of the towns have been revitalized, and new high quality mixed-use planned developments that are environmentally friendly continue to be constructed. Local housing, in clean and attractive neighborhoods, is available for the wide spectrum of employment in the County from starter homes for working class families to upscale developments for retirees. The upscale nature of new developments in Clark County has reinforced the need to maintain the cleanliness and natural beauty of community streets and neighborhoods, and residents feel safe and secure in these neighborhoods and throughout the County. The primary and secondary education system is a leader in the State and produces graduates with competitive skills that meet the key needs of technology-based employers. State-of-the-art medical facilities provide the latest in medical technology and have virtually eliminated the need to travel elsewhere for medical care. A wide variety of recreational and cultural facilities and activities have established the County as an entertainment center for the region. Clark residents have responded in such a positive way that the County is recognized in national publications as among the best places to live, work or retire.