Originally posted by the Voice of America.
Voice of America content is produced by the Voice of America,
a United States federal government-sponsored entity, and is in
the public domain.


Arkansas Cotton Town Still Waiting for Chinese Textile Factory Announced in
2017

Ping Zhang

   When the Chinese company Shandong Ruyi Technology Group announced in
   May 2017 that it would invest $410 million in a textile factory in the
   town of Forrest City, Arkansas, which would create 800 local jobs,
   Larry Bryant, then the mayor, said he "jumped with joy."

   Three years later, however, "disappointment" is the refrain most
   commonly heard from locals.

   Kay Brockwell, CEO of the local consulting firm Future Focus
   Development Solutions, is the key coordinator for the project. She told
   VOA that Ruyi had sent a team from China to Forrest City to plan the
   initial project after announcing the investment in 2017. The team left
   six months later, saying they were "going back for meetings" ... and
   never returned.

   Brockwell said that there has been no construction or renovation at the
   $6 million site since 2018. There are also no jobs for the town of
   14,000 located on the Mississippi River Delta.

   "Everyone is tremendously disappointed. They were looking forward, we
   were looking forward to the boost it would be to the economy. We were
   certainly looking forward to the influx of 800 new jobs in the economy.
   And that just hasn't happened," Brockwell said.

.