Community Renewal Good Stories - Pulaski County

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Empowering Employers "One at a Time" in Pulaski County EZ

Pulaski County, Arkansas, EZ

After Pulaski County received its EZ designation from HUD in January 2002, representatives from the public and private sectors needed an effective way to inform local businesses about the value of the EZ tax incentives and how they could enhance their bottom line. In a novel marketing strategy, the Pulaski County EZ and the Downtown Partnership of Little Rock launched a campaign to personally visit the top 100 employers in the EZ. As a result, businesses in the EZ are now reaping the benefits of meeting one-on-one with EZ Manager Terri Hollingsworth and Downtown Partnership Executive Director Sharon Priest. Some businesses are learning about the EZ employment credits for the first time and are excited about using the credits.

"Because the success of the EZ is based on the business taking advantage of the credits, we felt that it was important to provide personal visits to help the business community understand these important economic incentives," says Hollingsworth. "Since this valuable economic tool is not widely used, our goals are to make the business community more aware and to make a real impact upon revitalizing our community."

One EZ success story is the Community Bakery, a popular spot for Little Rock residents to satisfy their carbohydrate cravings. The bakery has two locations in the EZ and one in West Little Rock. Community Bakery owner Joe Fox employs between 200 and 300 workers every year, and nearly 55 cents of every dollar earned is spent on payroll. Because his business is so labor intensive, Fox was quick to take advantage of the tax incentives, which allow him to receive up to $3,000 in tax credits annually for every new and current employee who both lives and works in the EZ. He applied the credit to 39 employees in 2002.

Fox wants to ensure that more employers know about the tax advantages of locating within the EZ. "It certainly makes it more financially attractive to be operating a business in the EZ, particularly a business that hires a lot of employees," he says.

For more information on the Pulaski County EZ, please contact EZ Manager Eyona Scott at (501) 375-0121.