In the late 1980s, West Pine Exxon of Arkadelphia was a customer-focused station where someone would pump your gas and wash your windshield free of charge, you could choose from a small selection of snacks, and have your car fixed in one of the two auto bays. That’s where many people met the store’s mechanic, 18-year-old Bill Rogers.
A 1993 Ouachita graduate, Rice is part of a family with deep ties to the university. Remembering how much his parents valued higher education and the Arkadelphia school’s reputation in the state, Rice noted that 10 of his 11 siblings attended Ouachita.
Through the program, students will move entrepreneurship beyond the classroom by launching startups, competing in pitch competitions, securing seed funding, and working directly with mentors and regional business leaders
From a major job announcement to some permanent and temporary business closings, Arkadelphia has gone through some changes in 2022.
Selected startup founders will participate in a small cohort of entrepreneurs in a 6-week program that will take them through essential business planning for new business owners and those hoping to start a new enterprise.
The Diamond Agency publishes several community guides in El Dorado, Magnolia and Arkadelphia.
The company joins 19 leading food, beverage and quick-serve restaurant companies participating in the program.
