Magnolia Living 2022 - 15

MARKET-Ready
Alabama Company Brings Amenities to Magnolia
Photography by: Greg Owens
ONE MORE vital step Magnolia is taking to
prosper life for its citizens includes a partnership
with Retail Strategies out of Birmingham,
Alabama. It's important to remember that quality
of life not only derives from good, high-paying
jobs but by providing a variety of shopping,
dining and other retail outlets to meet the daily
needs of Arkansans.
Clay Craft is vice-president for an innovative
organization that has partnered with Magnolia
Economic Development to bring in retailers
from across the nation to provide the amenities
that add a greater degree of enjoyment to
the experience of living and working in the
community.
" We've been doing this now for 12 years and
are the leading retail consulting firm in the U.S.
We partner with cities all across the country to fill
in the gaps that economic development normally
doesn't focus on, " Craft says.
" Working with Columbia County, we first
develop demographics of the community and
then create a strategic recruitment plan to take
to potential retailers considering expanding
into the region. We do this by spending time
in Magnolia 'jobbing' the market. We talk to as
many property owners as we can and take a full
inventory of properties that have retail potential.
These include both existing, vacant brick and
mortar locations as well as one and two acre
undeveloped lots, " he continues.
" We attend up to 25 retail, real estate trade
shows annually. Two of the largest are the Red
River show in Fort Worth in March and the Las
Vegas International show in May. We promote
the communities we work with to a vast array
of potential retailers at all these venues, "
Craft says. He further states that their years of
experience have established numerous deepseated
connections that allow them to pick up the
phone and reach out to individuals in important
positions to promote a potential client they find
MAGNOLIA LIVING 2022 15
Magnolia Living 2022

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