Manufacturing Week

Each year, we host events & activities to celebrate National Manufacturing Day, held on the First Friday of October.

Manufacturing is very important to our Region, so we host a week full of opportunities for our members to participate in tours & educational sessions. This year, members toured Silgan, Mars Petcare, QualServ International Solutions, Peak Innovation Center, Magnera, Georgia-Pacific, and ABB. The University of Arkansas - Fort Smith hosted a “Hire to Inspire” class. We had over 140 attendees that joined us for tours through out the week with over 200 at our Manufacturing First Friday Breakfast event!

Thank you to all of our sponsors for making these events possible!

2025 Annual Meeting

On October 7th, the Fort Smith Regional Chamber of Commerce held our Annual Meeting. This event brought together Chamber members, community leaders, and international delegates to celebrate our year and highlight the incredible things happening in Fort Smith! It was an honor to hear from Her Excellency Leena-Kaisa Mikkola, Ambassador with the U.S. Embassy Finland. We also highlighted accomplishments important to our members, including economic development, milestones, and awards.

Thank you to all of our sponsors and attendees for helping us celebrate another amazing year!

First Friday Breakfast

Our First Friday Breakfast on October 3rd featured a Women in Manufacturing Panel.

Our panel was facilitated by Stephanie Freeman with Fort Smith Public Schools and featured Ada Hernandez with Stryten Energy, Alison Mathieu with ABB NEMA Motors Division, Jessica Stewart with QualServ Solutions, and Paige Phillips with Hytrol Conveyor Company. These women gave fantastic insights into the value and importance of the manufacturing industry in our region. 

Thank you to our sponsors for making this event possible!

Presenting Sponsor: Cromwell Architects Engineers

Hosting Sponsor: QualServ

Buffet Sponsor: ABB Motors and Drives US

Coffee Bar Sponsor: United Way of Fort Smith

Incentive Sponsor: Choctaw Casinos & Resorts

Location Sponsor: University of Arkansas - Fort Smith

Business Brew

Our Business Brew on October 21st was a blast! Attendees made great connections, marketed their businesses, and won some door prizes!

A special thank-you to our sponsors for making this event possible!

Presenting Sponsor: Red River Credit Union

Hosting Sponsor: CCOA

Breakfast Sponsor: The Fort Smith Convention Center

Location Sponsor: Arvest Bank

Business 2 Business Luncheon

We had a fantastic time networking and enjoying lunch at our last Business 2 Business Luncheon of the year on October 10th.

Thank you to our sponsors for making this event possible!

Presenting Sponsor: Arkansas Blue Cross and Blue Shield

Hosting Sponsor: ACHE Research Institute Health & Wellness Center

Lunch Sponsor: Express Employment Professionals, Auto Plex Collision Repair

Junior Leadership & Career Academy

Our JLCA Class had a great day exploring several of Fort Smith’s Advanced Manufacturing operations touring companies ABB Motors, Georgia Pacific/ Dixie, and Rheem.

We also explored ArcBest and heard about their student work opportunities. 

Over lunch, we heard from Owens Corning on their company culture and why they chose to expand in Fort Smith.

Thank you to our Sponsors for making this program possible!

Presenting Sponsor: OG&E  

Annual Lunch & Break Sponsor: Georgia-Pacific  

Platinum Sponsors: AT&T, Silgan Plastic Food Containers- Fort Smith AR

Gold Sponsors: ABB Motors and Drives US, Hytrol, First National Bank of Fort Smith, RightFiber, Mercy Hospital

Session Sponsor: Owens Corning

Leadership Fort Smith

The K-12 Education session was a blast thanks to our Session Sponsor, ArcBest!

We started the day exploring the newest additions to Southside High School Mavericks, learning about their student-led coffee shop, and athletic programs! The class even tested their luck in a quiz bowl competition, and learned a bit of Spanish. 

Following our high school lesson, we went to one of the Health Science Academies designed for middle school students interested in healthcare professions, inside of Mercy Hospital Fort Smith! 

After a great lunch with administration, board members and students from Fort Smith Public Schools, we learned about the opportunities elementary students have at Woods Elementary, including the Kindergarten Bike Program!

We closed the day with an Educational Choices Panel hearing from various Private/Charter Schools in Fort Smith. Thanks, 1st Lutheran School, for the awesome afternoon fuel..

Thank you to our annual program sponsors for their support:

Presenting: Arkansas Colleges of Health Education

Partner: BHC Insurance, Mercy Fort Smith

October Ribbon Cuttings

Congratulations to the members who held ribbon cuttings with us this month! We are thrilled to celebrate these milestones with you! 

New Members in October

We are so excited to welcome these businesses as members!

Casa B&G Co

Harps Food Store, Inc

Chick-fil-A, Century Drive

Renner Eye Care

CATX Construction LLC

Greg's Too Auto Repair & Towing

TSC Digital Entertainment 

Bin Sanitized LLC

Total Holistic Institute DBA Total Glow Clinic

Fairway Lawns Fort Smith

Arkansas National Guard Foundation

AMBASSADOR OF THE MONTH

September 2025

We would like to congratulate Sterling Henderson with ClearCreek Wealth Management on being chosen as our September Ambassador of the Month

We would also like to recognize and thank the companies that allow their BEST to be a part of our ambassador team!

Listed are the TOP 5 out of 55 ambassadors who were extremely engaged with our new members, volunteered at events, and had a great online presence this month!

Sterling Henderson - ClearCreek Wealth Management

Ben Brown - Bullfrog Bouncers LLC

Monica McCollum - Arvest Bank

Steve Jackson - Lamar Advertising of Fort Smith

Derek Dixon - Logistics Warehouse

Sterling Henderson recently relocated to Fort Smith in March of this year from a small town in the Texas Panhandle. He moved to join his grandfather, Randy Welborn, at Clear Creek Wealth Management. Sterling has been married to his wife, Savannah Henderson, for a little over two years. He’s excited to now call Fort Smith home and looks forward to growing his business alongside his grandfather.

Congratulations to Sterling and all our Ambassadors on another great month

Does your business offer a military discount?

Does your business offer a military discount? Fill out the form linked above and your business will be listed on our website and will receive a window sticker!

View our military discount directory here: https://www.fortsmithchamber.org/military-discounts/.

Thank you to all of our area businesses who offer discounts and support our military members!

2025 First Friday Breakfast Series: November 7th

Join us on November 7th at 7:30AM at the University of Arkansas Fort Smith in the Smith-Pendergraft Campus Center! This month our featured guest speaker is Colonel (Ret) Robert A. Ator II. Whether you're looking to expand your network, gain valuable insights, listen to an informative program, or simply enjoy a delicious breakfast among peers, this event is for you. 

Seats are limited, so don't miss this opportunity to connect with fellow business professionals and community leaders. We look forward to seeing you there! 

2025 Business Brew Series: November 18th

Join us at our November Business Brew: Your Monthly Morning Networking Hub!

Held every third Tuesday, our monthly Business Brew event happens from 8:00AM to 9:00AM at a new space each month. This month, we will be at Peak Innovation Center. This casual event provides a refreshing way to kick off your day and expand your network! The goal of our Business Brew event is to create an inviting space where you can meet other members, discuss your business, share your goals, and forge meaningful relationships. Conversations flow easily over a light breakfast and fresh coffee, helping you to connect authentically.

Feel free to bring your business cards, brochures, and any materials that tell your story! Wear your name tag and bring a door prize (optional).

Submit Your News

Share your news with us and it could be included in the next Chamber Connections newsletter!

This feature is to celebrate company milestones, employee recognition, promotions, or other accomplishments. Please utilize your Chamber Master account for events, deals, or general news releases.

Registration is Open for 2025 Women's Leadership Summit!