Arkansas Accelerator Graduates 25 Manufacturers in First Class
The free Reel program, backed by $200,000 each from the state and the Walton Family Foundation, is accepting applicants for a second cohort.
By Priya Raman
· 1 min read
Reel Advanced Manufacturing Program held graduation on Oct. 8 in Bentonville for its first group of 25 Arkansas manufacturers, Talk Business & Politics reported. The accelerator operates in Northwest Arkansas and Little Rock. It started in April and closed with a pitch contest, where each winner took home $2,500.
Sponsors were the Walton Family Foundation and the state's Arkansas Economic Development Commission, at $200,000 apiece. The U.S. Small Business Administration also backed the effort and helped find participants statewide. Participants paid nothing to take part.
Corichia Brisco, program administrator and founder and chief executive of ReeLyfe Solutions, a Little Rock human resources firm, said recruiting centered on manufacturing executives whose companies had $5 million to $10 million in revenue. Coursework covered leadership, capital, SBA lending and government contracting. The companies make goods ranging from coffee to drum motors to sweet potato pies.
Each company pitched a three-year growth plan, and judges picked winners by which plans were likeliest to lift revenue and add jobs. The winning firms were Pink House Alchemy and Jamm Fabrication, along with Say McIntosh Restaurants and TechRoll Manufacturing.
The keynote speaker was David Brogdon, a founding member of Bad Boy Mowers in Batesville. Brisco said applications are open for a second cohort that will begin in 2027.
This story was first reported by Talk Business & Politics.
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