UACES Facebook Arkansas Procurement Technical Assistance Center to open satellite office in Newport
skip to main content

May 26, 2021

Arkansas Procurement Technical Assistance Center to open satellite office in Newport

By Tracy Courage
U of A System Division of Agriculture 

Fast Facts:

  • Arkansas APEX Accelerator set to open satellite office in Newport
  • Ribbon cutting set for June 2 at 10 a.m.
  • Office will serve clients in Jackson County, surrounding counties
  • Newport office is third APEX Accelerator site in Arkansas

(370 words)

NEWPORT, Ark. — The Arkansas Procurement Technical Assistance Center will soon have an additional home in the northeastern area of the state.

A ribbon-cutting and grand opening are set for 10 a.m. on June 2 at the Newport Economic Development Commission Building, located at 201 Hazel St. Area business owners are invited to attend and learn about free services available.

“We are excited to welcome the Procurement Technical Assistance Center,” Jon Chadwell, executive director of the Newport Economic Development Commission, said. “This center will provide assistance to our local and regional companies that are trying to expand their businesses by obtaining federal, state and local government contracts.” 

The Arkansas Procurement Technical Assistance Center — or APEX Accelerator — is part of the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture. It offers free services to Arkansas business owners interested in expanding their respective businesses through government contracts. In 2020, APEX Accelerator’s clients received more than $204 million in federal, state and local government contracts. Of that amount, $9.4 million were from state and local contracts.

“Sometimes the most difficult part of selling to the government is understanding what each government agency’s preferred process is for vendors,” APEX Accelerator director Melanie Berman said. “We help connect our small business clients to purchasing officials within the federal, state and local government and support business through the entire process.”

APEX Accelerator program associate Debra Garcia will work in the Newport office, assisting small business owners in Jackson County and surrounding counties. She already has several clients in northeast Arkansas who can be served closer to home by using the Newport office.

“We’re grateful to the Newport Economic Development Commissions for partnering with us,” Garcia said. “This site enables us to serve more clients, particularly in Northeast Arkansas.”

The Newport site is the third location for APEX Accelerator, which serves businesses in all 75 Arkansas counties. The other sites are in Little Rock and Bentonville. County extension agents in each county help to connect the program to the local communities.

Arkansas APEX Accelerator is part of the Community, Professional and Economic Development Department of the Cooperative Extension Service, part of the Division of Agriculture. The center is funded in part through a cooperative agreement with the Defense Logistics Agency. To learn more, visit www.uaex.uada.edu/APEX Accelerator.

To learn about extension programs in Arkansas, contact your local Cooperative Extension Service agent or visit www.uaex.uada.edu. Follow us on Twitter at @AR_Extension.

 

About the Division of Agriculture

The University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture’s mission is to strengthen agriculture, communities, and families by connecting trusted research to the adoption of best practices. Through the Agricultural Experiment Station and the Cooperative Extension Service, the Division of Agriculture conducts research and extension work within the nation’s historic land grant education system.

The Division of Agriculture is one of 20 entities within the University of Arkansas System. It has offices in all 75 counties in Arkansas and faculty on five system campuses.

The University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture offers all its Extension and Research programs and services without regard to race, color, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, national origin, religion, age, disability, marital or veteran status, genetic information, or any other legally protected status, and is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer.

# # #

Media contact:
Tracy Courage
Director, Communications Services
U of A System Division of Agriculture
Cooperative Extension Service
(501) 671-2126
tcourage@uada.edu 

Top