Booming Technical Industries in Arkansas: Where to Train, Where to Work

By Arkansas Next staff on Tuesday, September 3, 2019

MANUFACTURING

154,774
Arkansans employed in manufacturing.

1,977
The estimated number of jobs Arkansas’ manufacturing industry added between 2017-2019.

15%
The percentage of Arkansas’ total earnings that come from the manufacturing industry.

Top 15 Manufacturing Companies with the Most Arkansas Employees

1. Tyson Foods
24,500

2. Simmons Foods, Inc. & Affiliates
4,400

3. George’s Inc.
4,200

4. Peco Foods Inc.
2,500

5. Georgia-Pacific LLC
2,310

6. ABB
2,300

7. O.K. Industries Inc.
2,215

8. Nucor Corp. (Nucor-Yamato Steel)
1,900

9. Conagra Brands
1,750

10. Cooper Tire & Rubber Inc.
1,735

11. McKee Foods Corp.
1,650

12. Butterball LLC
1,621

13. Lennox International Inc.
1,580

14. Pilgrim’s Pride Corp.
1,470

15. Riceland Foods Inc.
1,406


CONSTRUCTION

Construction is considered the fastest-growing super sector in the state — with an estimated 2,327 new jobs added between 2017-2019.

52,700
Arkansans employed in construction.

10 Largest Commercial Contractors in Arkansas
Ranked by 2018 Revenue

1. VCC, Little Rock

2. Nabholz Construction Corp., Conway

3. Baldwin & Shell Construction Co., Little Rock

4. CDI Contractors LLC, Little Rock

5. C.R. Crawford Construction LLC, Fayetteville

6., Clark Contractors LLC, Little Rock

7. Flintco LLC, Springdale

8. Bailey Construction, Little Rock

9. Kinco Constructors LLC, Little Rock

10. Huffman & Co., Little Rock

BIG YEAR!

In the first half of 2019, the construction super sector grew 6.3%.


ENERGY, UTILITIES
& TELECOMMUNICATIONS

Top 3 Arkansas Electric/Utility Companies by Number of Employees

1. Entergy Arkansas Inc.
2,791

2. Electric Cooperatives of Arkansas
2,269*

3. Southwestern Electric Power Co.
352

*Reflects employee totals at 17 co-ops statewide

NOTABLE JOB!

Telecommunications Line Installers and Repairers

What they do: Install and repair telecommunications cable, including fiber optics.

What they make: $56,520 average annual wage in Arkansas.


380
Annual projected job openings for telecommunications/fiber optics line and equipment installers.

15%
Projected employment growth by 2026 for computer user support specialists and audio and video equipment technicians in Arkansas — trades that only require a high school diploma and training certificate.


TRANSPORTATION

Heavy- and medium-duty truck drivers have the fifth most job openings among all careers in Arkansas.

6,860
Trucking industry jobs in Arkansas. That’s 1 in 12 jobs in the state!

$4 billion
Trucking industry wages that support Arkansas families annually.

4,850
Trucking companies located in Arkansas (primarily small, locally-owned businesses).

$46,112
Average annual trucking industry salary in Arkansas.


Top 15 Transportation Companies with the Most Arkansas Employees*

1. UPS Freight
434,000

2. FedEx Freight
40,000

3. YRC Worldwide Inc.
32,000

4. J.B. Hunt Transport Services Inc.
27,670

5. XPO Logistics
21,000

6. ArcBest
13,000

7. P.A.M. Transport Inc.
2,409

8. USA Truck Inc.
2,273

9. Maverick USA Inc.
2,056

10. Southern Refrigerated Transport Inc.
1,052

11. Rich Logistics
845

12. Oakley Trucking Inc.
800

13. CalArk International Inc.
761

14. Hines Trucking Inc.
273

15. Dancor Transit Inc.
165

*Reflects total company employees, including those in Arkansas.


86.8%
of Arkansas communities depend on trucks to move their goods


Sources: Arkansas Business; Arkansas Department of Workforce Services; Arkansas Labor Market Report, April 2019; Arkansas Trucking Association, U.S. Department of Labor