From automotive and aerospace to consumer products, Metro Little Rock manufacturers are leveraging the region’s competitive, pro-business environment to produce a supply chain of unsurpassed success. Manufacturing in Arkansas is made easy in Metro Little Rock, where farmland, greenspace, industrial and warehouse space converge to form an affordable and convenient industrial hub. The area’s well-connected transportation network offers manufacturers – Caterpillar and Remington, to name two – unrivaled access to markets. Airports, river ports, railways and major interstates are all within easy reach. The Harbor Industrial District at the Port of Pine Bluff and the Port of Little Rock are among the region’s great assets.
The region’s skilled engineering and production workforce is bolstered by 20 colleges and universities, many of which offer manufacturing-focused programs.
Establishments
579
Average Employment
20312
Average Salary
$53426
North Little Rock is home to L’Oréal USA’s largest global manufacturing plant. The 800,000-square-foot facility, is a model of eco-friendly manufacturing. The company’s energy conservation plan, which includes the third-largest commercial solar panel project in Arkansas, resulted in an 84 percent reduction in CO2 emissions. Behind the L’Oréal plant are more than 450 workers and professionals, many of whom come from Metro Little Rock’s deep and skilled manufacturing workforce.
Founded in Arkansas, Tyson Foods is the second-largest food production company on the Fortune 500 list. With a workforce of 1,500 across multiple plants, Tyson is one of Metro Little Rock’s largest food processing employers. The company’s facilities in Metro Little Rock include a $40 million processing plant at the Harbor Industrial District in Pine Bluff and a plant in North Little Rock, which celebrated 50 years of continuous operation in 2018.