Arkansas APEX Accelerator Success Story: The Ashings

William Ashing and his wife Helen have enjoyed camping at Blue Mountain Lake near Mount Magazine for the past 10 years. During one of their excursions, the couple from Mulberry encountered another couple at the park working as park attendants.

It was from this couple that they learned of an opportunity to serve as relief park attendants. They considered the opportunity, decided to do it, and expressed happiness with their decision.

The Ashings became clients of the Arkansas Procturement Technical Assistance Center in December 2018. The center came highly recommended to them from the couple that also made them aware of the opportunity. The fellow park attendants informed them, “AR APEX Accelerator staff are the best ones we ever talked to regarding the park attendant government contracts.”

The Ashings' first government contract, awarded in early 2019, entails working four days a week at two different parks. Duties include gate attendant relief as well as maintenance/janitorial type relief. This allows the full-time staff to enjoy some breaks.

We chose to highlight the Ashings as this month’s success story because they are deriving supplemental income from an activity they love, at a place that they love. The Ashings enjoy all of the new friends that they meet while attending the parks. They plan to continue this endeavor as long they are able to do so and as long as the parks will contract with them.

“AR APEX Accelerator staff was there for anything that we needed; not just the paperwork aspect. They were there 100% of the way,” William Ashing said.

Connect with our Arkansas APEX Accelerator counselors at 501-671-2390 to learn how you may also be able to turn your hobby into some extra income.