Interview: In Hope, A Regional Approach to the Lithium Extraction Industry
Hempstead County may sit outside the Smackover Formation’s lithium extraction zone, but Anna Lee Powell says that doesn’t put it outside Arkansas’ lithium future.
In this week’s Lithium Link interview, Powell, president of Hempstead County Economic Development, points to the county’s strengths in logistics, manufacturing support and regional coordination as the industry begins to scale.
As major lithium projects advance in South Arkansas, communities beyond the brine fields are positioning themselves for supplier growth, workforce expansion and related investment. Powell said that Hope, the county seat, is about 25 miles from the Smackover Formation, at the intersection of five major highways — including Interstate 30 — giving it a strategic advantage.
SADA and the Regional Approach
Powell also framed the opportunity as bigger than any one county. Through the Southwest Arkansas Development Alliance, regional leaders are aligning workforce, sites, buildings, rail access and other assets to market the area as a unified industrial ecosystem.
“We see that we are stronger together, and we see that the opportunities are greater when we’re united,” Powell said.
That message will be on display April 10, when SADA hosts its State of the Southwest event, which Powell said will spotlight the region’s shared economic vision and competitive advantages.
Arkansas Secretary of Commerce Hugh McDonald, Arkansas State Chamber of Commerce CEO Randy Zook and other regional industry and utility leaders are scheduled to attend.
For more on Hempstead County’s role in the lithium economy — and to hear Powell discuss the regional strategy in full — watch the complete interview.
Plus: Learn more about SADA’s State of the Southwest event and register to attend.
