$2 million awarded for innovative economic development in Texarkana
TEXARKANA, USA (KTAL/KMSS)—The T.L.L. Temple Foundation has awarded a $2 million grant to fuel economic development in Texarkana. The City will distribute the funding to three interconnected local economic development initiatives.
'We use it for REDI Set Move, which is moving remote workers to the Texarkana area. So we'll be able to expand that program as well,' says Brandy Eldridge, Director of the Assembly Line.
The entrepreneurial competition Pitch It Texarkana will also get a share of the money.
Eldridge says, 'Pitch It Texarkana will be able to reach more people, more entrepreneurs.'
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Entrepreneurs like Amber Adams and Chloe Young, who took home the grand prize of $10,000 at this year's competition for Split Vending, which will add tourism vending machines on Stateline Avenue.
'The really cool thing about Pitch It Texarkana is that even if you don't win, there are so many partnerships and people in the room who are willing to help,' says Adams.
One of the many perks of the competition, aside from the prize money and a custom-designed logo from Fab/co, is that contestants get access to the upcoming small business incubator, The Assembly Line, which will also receive support from the grant.
'It'll allow us to create a co-working space for more people to come in, more small businesses to start providing education and mentorship programs to our region,' says Eldridge.
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The Assembly Line's downtown Texarkana home in the old Discovery Place children's museum is still under construction. They say the foundation grant is a game changer for them and the city.
'This is the first time they have invested in an incubator co-working space. They've never done that before, but when you look at all the development that we are seeing in Texarkana and the economic ecosystem that we're developing here, the assembly line is going to be a hub for that,' says Eldridge.
They expect the Assembly Line to be ready in early 2026.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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