HP jobs mark 'transformation' of Arkansas economy, officials say

By Jason Wiest
Arkansas News Bureau

CONWAY - The type of jobs Hewlett-Packard will bring to Arkansas, not the number of them nor their wages, make the company's plans historical, economic development officials said Thursday.

One of the world's leading technology companies, HP announced plans to build a $28 million customer service and technical support center here, creating up to 1,200 new knowledge-based jobs with starting salaries paying better than $40,000 a year.

"It represents the marriage of education and economic development that is the cornerstone of where we in America, and specifically we in Arkansas, need to be in this century," Gov. Mike Beebe said at a news conference on the University of Central Arkansas campus.

The center, to be housed in a 150,000-square-foot structure on 12 acres in the Meadows Office and Technology Park, signifies "a whole new dimension of economic development" for the state, said Becky Thompson, deputy director of the Arkansas Economic Development Commission.

"It's part of the transformation of the economy and it helps us to further diversify our economic base," Thompson said following the announcement.

Economic development experts outside of Arkansas agreed."I think it will be seen as a signal," said Jon Roberts, managing director of TIP Strategies Inc., an Austin-based business and economic development consulting firm.

As the world's largest information technology company, many other companies in the sector closely track HP, known for having a different tradition and history than other companies that includes strong commitments to the places they locate, he said.

"I don't know if it's transformative, but it's a coup for them (Arkansas) to get HP," said Roberts, who was hesitant to use a strong word like transformative but said that if any technology company could make that type of a wave in Arkansas, it is HP. More here.