Chamber of Commerce members from the Flint Hills region traveled to the Fayetteville, Arkansas area this week to earn about regional partnerships and economic development.

The CEO for the Junction City Area of Commerce Dennis Beson participated in the trip. “We had about 50 regional folks go down to Fayetteville, Arkansas just to get an idea of what another town is doing that has a college and that has regionalism going.” Beson said they call their regional partnership Northwest Arkansas.  He also noted, “Everybody down there speaks about Northwest Arkansas. They don’t  speak about their one town.”

Beson said he learned about how the younger work force needs to be targeted here in Kansas, and how some younger workforce need to be brought to this area. He sees a need for creating better quality of life items, “things to do that would actually stimulate the younger families, younger workers.”

The tour also included a stop in Bentonville, Arkansas, home of Walmart.

Chamber of Commerce members from Junction City, Manhattan and Wamego made the trip.