The Texarkana of Tomorrow
/AR-TX REDI Guides the Region’s Rise
Texarkana USA is on the move, and it’s a sight to behold. A gleaming new airport terminal welcomes newcomers, a fiber optic network will soon pulse underground, and three megasites stand ready to redefine the future. In 2024, the Arkansas Manufacturing Center earned a rare Silver Grade from the Site Selectors Guild, the East Texas Logistics Center landed a $1.5 billion data center prospect, and the TexAmericas Center was ranked third nationally by Business Facilities Magazine. This isn’t just progress—it’s transformation, and Texarkana’s people are driving it. Since 2019, Rob Sitterly, AR-TX REDI’s president and CEO, has been the guide, steering the region with a multi-pronged plan that’s turning potential into prosperity, one bold step at a time.
When Rob arrived in 2019, he saw a region brimming with promise.
“I could sense the spirit and legacy of this wonderful place created through generations of hardworking individuals,” he said. The challenge? To unlock that potential with unity. In a community where business and government once stood at odds, Texarkana USA now thrives on collaboration—loyal, dedicated folks coming together with one voice. That spirit shone through in the 2019 Texarkana Aluminum expansion, shepherded by the Nash city manager, which sparked hundreds of millions in investment and hundreds of jobs. It proved the region could win through partnership, a spark that ignited a renaissance blending grassroots grit with big ambition.
Rob Sitterley saw great potential in the Texarkana area, and that potential is now becoming reality. submitted photo.
Texarkana’s megasites are the backbone of this rise, and Rob’s guiding hand keeps them humming. The REDI Arkansas Manufacturing Center (which occupies 1,350 acres along I-30 and Highway 67) hit a milestone in 2024 with its Silver Grade certification—elite status for industry readiness. Just 300 miles from eight major cities such as Dallas and Houston, it’s drawn heavy hitters, including a near-miss electric vehicle plant.
“This isn’t just land—it’s a launchpad in an incredibly aggressive state,” Rob said. Municipal partners like the City of Texarkana, Arkansas, and Miller County bolstered it with infrastructure, crafting a blueprint for growth.
Across the border, the REDI East Texas Logistics Center and TexAmericas Center match that promise. Spanning 847 acres and 12,000 acres respectively, with I-30 frontage and I-49 nearby, both are primed for action, thanks to Texas Department of Transportation and EDA upgrades. A $1.5 billion artificial intelligence data center campus (350 jobs) is being planned on the REDI site, while TexAmericas chases multiple impressive projects. “We’re talking advanced manufacturing, logistics, and tech that put us on the map,” Rob beamed.
submitted photos.
Together, these sites—manufacturing muscle in Arkansas, shipping and tech savvy in Texas—showcase Texarkana USA’s dual-threat prowess, guided by a leader who sees the whole board.
Rob’s plan doesn’t stop at megasites; it’s a full-spectrum push. In late 2024, a 131-mile fiber optic network deal with Bowie County, Texarkana College, and Four States Fiber was inked, with construction days away. “It’s a necessary utility for survival in the digital age,” Rob insisted.
TerraVolta Resources’ $1.2 billion lithium project, spanning Miller and Bowie Counties, landed a $225 million Department of Energy grant with REDI’s partnership, promising 125 jobs.
The Texarkana Regional Airport’s transformation is a crown jewel; its new terminal opened in July 2024, boosting first-class amenities and connectivity. But it didn’t stop there. REDI’s vision to lengthen and strengthen the runway, taxiways, and aprons has secured $31.2 million from federal sources, $16.8 million from Arkansas leadership, and $22 million in the works from Texas—nearly $70 million total, unattached to a single project yet poised to create over 300 aerospace jobs in phase one.
The Texarkana regional Airport. Photo by nichole Holze.
Texarkana College, Texas A&M–Texarkana, and the University of Arkansas Hope-Texarkana keep talent flowing—like reviving the airport’s airframe and powerplant school—while both Cities of Texarkana ensure the infrastructure holds strong.
Then there’s The Assembly Line, Texarkana’s answer to entrepreneurial dreams, modeled after South Florida’s thriving 1909 creator space. Set to open in late 2025, this hub—backed by $2 million from the City of Texarkana, Texas, and $300,000 from Texas A&M–Texarkana for staff—will offer coworking spaces, business accelerator programs, and mentorship to spark homegrown innovation. “We’re nurturing the next big idea right here,” Rob said. Partnering with the 1909 Foundation, REDI is building an ecosystem where startups thrive, proving Texarkana can innovate from within.
The REDI-Set-Move program, powered by MakeMyMove, turbocharges that momentum. In 2024, it racked up over 5,400 applications to move to Texarkana USA, relocated seven families by December, and notched over 860,000 impressions—making Texarkana a top performer on the platform. Targeting remote workers and entrepreneurs with incentives, it’s diversifying the talent pool while showcasing the region’s appeal.
“Rob’s leadership has sparked significant investment—hundreds of jobs across tech, manufacturing, logistics, and energy—lifting the region skyward.”
“We’re building tomorrow’s Texarkana today,” Rob declared in REDI’s latest year-end report. It’s a multi-faceted play—enterprise infrastructure meets grassroots spirit—guided by a vision that balances big wins with local roots.
Even more is on the horizon. Project HT USA is exploring a $700 million textile plant that could bring 3,000 jobs across 4.5 million square feet—talks are simmering, not sealed. A wood products firm is eyeing a $225 million investment for 150 jobs, with a final visit slated within the next 30 days. An IT company has purchased 600 acres in Bowie County, focusing on artificial intelligence tech growth. And after years of courtship with REDI, Amazon’s $20 million last-mile facility (100 jobs) is rising at the Robert Maxwell Industrial Park.
“Rob’s leadership has sparked significant investment—hundreds of jobs across tech, manufacturing, logistics, and energy—lifting the region skyward,” said Jerry Kenney of the T.L.L. Temple Foundation.
As 2024 fades, Texarkana’s ascent is undeniable, powered by a unified community effort. From the Arkansas Manufacturing Center’s industrial might to the East Texas Logistics Center and TexAmericas Center’s high-tech hustle to a reimagined airport, this region’s firing on all cylinders. The Assembly Line and REDI-Set-Move add the human spark—talent, innovation, community—while Rob guides it with a steady hand. He’s quick to share credit: “I’m just a cog in a powerful machine, fueled by leaders like Sonja Hubbard, Cary Patterson, Dean Barry, James Henry Russell, and Steve Ledwell, alongside our academic and municipal partners,” he said.
Texarkana’s not just on the map—it’s rewriting it, and the future is unmistakably bright.