Westside Community Guide

20 – 2022 Westside Community Guide ■ These towns mean business By Brittany Smith Small towns do not equal small business, and Gentry, Gravette, and Decatur have become hubs of industry and home to booming big businesses in Northwest Arkansas. Here are just a few of them. McKee Foods McKee Foods Corporation established a manufacturing facility in Gentry in 1982 as a result of outgrowing their plant in Southeast Tennessee. ey chose Gentry to better serve more states in the West. McKee Foods, most well-known for their Little Debbie Snack Cakes, is a "privately- held, family-run company with a history of innovation and a deeply held belief in the importance of doing business with integrity." It was founded in 1934 by O.D. and Ruth McKee. O.D. previously sold 5-cent cakes from the back seat of his 1928 Whippet but when he bought a small bakery in Tennessee, the dynasty began. McKee has continued to grow under the leadership of O.D. and Ruth's children and grandchildren, who have followed the ethical and responsible business practices of their predecessors. Today McKee Foods still manufactures America's number-one snack cakes and has facilities in Tennessee, Virginia, and right here in Arkansas. ere are also two Little Debbie bakeries in the area, one in Gentry and one in Springdale, where you can shop for your favorite baked goods at a great price. e Gentry Plant serves as the city's largest employer, employing more than 1,500 people. "e facility in Gentry has been expanded several times to meet ever-growing demand for our products." ey also play an active role in the community by supporting United Way and local schools through time, money, and products. Simmons Foods Simmons Foods is a family-run company that began small and is now one of the pillars of the community. Simmons started as a small poultry company in 1949 in Decatur and quickly grew, building a second processing plant in Siloam Springs in 1952, which transitioned to become the company's headquarters. Simmons Foods is a farm to fork poultry producer that supplies premium chicken products to the foodservice industry, and in addition is also an animal nutrition and pet food manufacturer. It contributes to the community as one of the largest employers in the city, with over 8,000 team members spanning from here to Canada. Simmons has a new facility centrally located along Highway 59 between Gentry and Decatur. e 315,000 square foot facility sits on 870 acres and is the largest expansion in the history of the company. e expansion is a response to increasing and growing customer demand and is a $300+ million investment that provides more than 1,500 new jobs. e company operates three hatcheries, two feed mills, and six processing plants that supply to the world's largest retailers and food chains. Simmons prides itself on its "Put People First" philosophy that includes healthcare, education, and job opportunities as well as supporting the local community and economy. Ozarks Community Hospital Ozarks Community Hospital is one of the primary medical facilities in Gravette and as a privately owned safety net provider who receives no public or private support, it is the lowest cost healthcare system in the nation. e hospital employs nearly 1,000 people and strives to provide exceptional, affordable care to all patients and serves both urban and rural communities. e hospital's primary goal has always been "providing exceptional healthcare and preventive services to all patients in an atmosphere of compassion, respect, and dignity, with a commitment to care for the underserved and to improve access to care." e history of OCH dates back to the 1930s with the Springfield Osteopathic Hospital and then in 1951 Dr. Billy V. Hall started Gravette Medical Center on Main Street with a 14-bed hospital. Since then, OCH has seen significant growth every decade to become a bi-state healthcare provider and network of clinics. OCH is staffed with medical professionals in numerous fields and is equipped with a 25-bed inpatient floor and a 24-hour emergency room to provide the community with a diverse range including pediatrics, surgery, behavioral health, geriatric care, emergency medicine, and physical, speech, and occupational therapies for both children and adults. e hospital is in Gravette but they have a number of clinics in Southwest Missouri, Oklahoma, and the Northwest Arkansas area that reach countless communities. R&R Solutions R&R Solutions is a women-owned, family-owned, veteran-owned client- focused solutions provider that is based out of Gravette and was founded in 1997 as a packing and logistics company , evolving into a total solutions provider. e mission of the company is "To be the best supplier of versatile and flexible technology solutions to our customers at a fair price, and to provide a workplace for our employees to grow and thrive." ey act as Solutions Concierge to work with clients in identifying and developing solutions to their problems, no matter how complex or custom. ey work with numerous businesses ranging from start-ups to Fortune 500 companies. e core values of R&R Solutions are diversity, integrity, and community, while maintaining a balance between technology, innovation, and sustainability. ey are committed to social responsibility with their company Green Initiatives, as well as donating time and resources to numerous local charities and streamlining custom solutions for projects while protecting the environment. "As an industry leader, we're committed to working with every client to identify useful purposes for their discarded IT assets." R&R Solutions can both manage and maintain data-bearing devices for disposition and disposal. In 2020, their impressive efforts of sustainability managed to divert 4,500,000 pounds of landfill, reduce 143,000,000 pounds of greenhouse gases, and save 5,500,000 gallons of fuel. Insul-Bead Insul-Bead is a manufacturing company based in Gravette and has a remarkable reputation for the most extensive catalog of both commercial and residential dock products in the country. e company's history dates back to 1948 when the company was created as a manufacturer's firm for different kinds of building materials and was originally named e Ralph Jones Company. rough the decades Insul-Bead has seen changes in ownership and innovation resulting in an expansive product line, ten- acre facility in 1997, state-of-the-art plant in 1999, expanding to another large facility in 2007, and in 2012 they launched an online webstore, HarborWare, to market their own and other manufacturers products. eir products include decking, boat li, bumpers, cables, buoys, dock cleats, dock storage, solar lights, ladders, winches, and more. Local industry leaders are the backbone of cities by not only providing thousands of jobs, but also by giving back to the people and community in exemplary ways.

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