The City of Texarkana, Texas was recently awarded a $2 million grant from the T.L.L. Temple Foundation designed to help drive economic development, workforce expansion, and business development in the Texarkana region. The City of Texarkana will manage the grant funds that will support three specific local economic development programs, The Assembly Line, Pitch-It Texarkana, and REDI Set Move-Texarkana.
The Assembly Line is a hub for Entrepreneurs, Small Business Owners and Creative Professionals in Texarkana offering shared workspace, business education, mentorship, events and additional resources to cultivate sustainable businesses in the region. More than a mere co-working space, The Assembly Line is designed to be a comprehensive entrepreneurial ecosystem as well as a dynamic hub for collaboration and business incubation. It addresses a critical gap in the Texarkana region: the absence of a dedicated space to nurture and accelerate entrepreneurial ventures, as well as a critical need to foster and keep businesses within the area. “This $2 million grant will have a profound impact on Texarkana, fueling The Assembly Line and our partners to drive unprecedented growth,” said Dr. Brandy Eldridge, Director of the Assembly Line. “We’re incredibly excited to use these funds to empower entrepreneurs, create jobs, and transform our region into a vibrant hub of innovation.” The Assembly Line is a partnership made up of local institutions and organizations, including the City of Texarkana, Texas, the City of Texarkana, Arkansas, AR-TX REDI, Texas A&M University-Texarkana, Texarkana College, and the University of Arkansas Hope-Texarkana.
Pitch-It Texarkana, initially launched by a dedicated group of local partners, is an annual entrepreneurial competition where local community members present authentic and innovative ideas to win up to $10,000 in funding for their project. Participants have three minutes to present their original idea for a product or service to a panel of judges, as well as answer key questions about target markets, potential market size, competition etc. The grand prize-winning pitch receives $10,000, while second and third place receive $5,000 and $2,500 respectively. Pitch-It Texarkana now falls under the umbrella of programs run by The Assembly Line.
REDI Set Move-Texarkana is an incentive-based program through AR-TX REDI (Regional Economic Development, Inc.) in partnership with Make My Move designed to entice qualifying full-time remote and self-employed individuals to relocate to Texarkana. The incentives include a $5000 cash relocation bonus, discounted tuition and free courses at A&M-Texarkana and the University of Arkansas Hope-Texarkana, a one-year membership to The Assembly Line, A Night at the Symphony by the Texarkana Symphony Orchestra, as well as numerous other benefits and discounts from local businesses.
“We are grateful for the T.L.L. Temple Foundation’s support of economic development in the Texarkana area,” said A&M-Texarkana President Dr. Ross Alexander. “We are heavily involved with all three of the initiatives this grant benefits. As a regional university we have a responsibility not just to educate and award degrees, but to also be a catalyst for economic development and growth. I want to thank Brandy Eldridge from The Assembly Line and Texarkana, Texas City Manager David Orr for their hard work in securing this funding.”
“This generous investment from the T.L.L. Temple Foundation is a game-changer for entrepreneurship in Texarkana USA. With funding for The Assembly Line, we’re creating a launchpad for bold ideas and local startups. Through REDI…Set…Move, we’re attracting remote talent to fuel our innovation economy. And with Pitch It Texarkana, we’re giving aspiring entrepreneurs a platform to turn vision into reality. Together, these initiatives form a powerful ecosystem that’s positioning our region as a magnet for creativity, growth, and next-generation leadership,” said Rob Sitterley, President and CEO of AR-TX REDI.
David Orr, Texarkana, Texas City Manager added, “The support from the T.L.L. Temple Foundation is a game-changer for The Assembly Line, our REDI Set Move remote worker recruitment initiative and the Pitch-It competition. This grant allows us to accelerate entrepreneurship programs in a way that directly benefits local talent and strengthens our regional economy. It’s a meaningful investment not only in innovation but in the people of Texarkana.”
For additional information about the programs in this article visit www.assemblylinetxk.com, www.pitchittexarkana.com, www.artxredi.com, and https://www.makemymove.com/get-paid/texarkana-usa.
About Texas A&M University-Texarkana:
As a member of The Texas A&M University System, Texas A&M University-Texarkana is a comprehensive regional university that provides students with academically challenging, engaging and rewarding educational experiences through quality teaching, scholarship, student support services, co-curricular programming, research and service.
