Arkansas has an abundance of resources to help food processing companies succeed. The Arkansas Economic Development Commission works directly with food processing companies looking to start-up, expand or relocate. In addition, we assist companies with finding the best incentives so companies are able to make money quickly and efficiently.
There were 522 food and beverage companies in Arkansas at the end of 2022. These companies employed 55,130 people. Arkansas is home to Tyson Foods and numerous other food processing facilities, including Nestle, JBS USA, Kraft Heinz, Mars Inc., Cargill Inc., Hormel Foods Corp, Riceland Foods, Pilgrim’s Pride, ConAgra Brands Inc., Land O’ Frost and Frito-Lay, Inc.
Arkansas has the 5th largest percentage of food processing workers in the United States. The growth rate of the food and beverage industry from 2017 to 2022 was 6 percent in Arkansas.
The food processing industry is booming in Arkansas and continues to grow exponentially. Eight of the top 10 food and beverage companies by revenue in the world have manufacturing facilities in the state.
Arkansas is meeting the workforce needs for food processing companies. The state now has the second-largest number of food processing workers in the US and Arkansas has responded to industry growth by modernizing the workforce.
Apptegy, an education technology startup based in Little Rock, Arkansas, is a true technology success story. In April 2015, Jeston George founded Apptegy to bring creative, accessible communications solutions to schools. Through in-state venture capital funding, George was able to launch what has become one of the fastest growing digital companies in the state.
With the help of a close-knit community interested in fostering startups and helping them succeed, George was able to prove a viable market existed that would be interested in using the product. The supportive market helped secure funding from Hayseed Capital, a Fayetteville-based capital investment firm; and Five Elms Capital, a Kansas City-based venture capital firm. George was also concerned with finding talent, but he was able to find success in-state and from developers willing to move to Arkansas, saying, “There are a lot of really talented people who are looking for work in a place with a great quality of life and cost of living.”
“Apptegy’s story shows the power of Arkansans coming together,” Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson said. “The school leaders who chose to work with an Arkansas-based company helped pave the way for high-paying technology jobs in the state. In a few years, we’ll see today's students in the Computer Science Initiative working in companies like Apptegy.”
Apptegy Case Study
