BY RENEE HENDRIX – Peachtree Assisted Living was established in Mena with the hopes of bringing quality care to the people in Polk County. Peachtree is currently one of six Arkansas assisted living facilities owned by the Shephard Group. They currently have 54 patients living in their facility and have several open apartments for new residents. Carla Tenbrook has been ...
February, 2016
- 3 February
Strother-Bilt – A Family Team Approach
BY RENEE HENDRIX – Tim & Jewel Strother talked and dreamed of owning and operating their own business, even before their wedding vows were spoken. In 1992 they were joined in marriage, and set out to pursue the American dream. Their first attempt at business came when they purchased a small sawmill and operated it on their property in Yocana. ...
January, 2016
- 19 January
Ouachita Wellness and Sports Center, LLC
BY MELANIE BUCK – Bringing health and fitness to others is the passion of Larry Wood, owner of Ouachita Wellness and Sports Center, LLC, located at 400 Crestwood Circle, in Mena. Larry, along with his wife, Sherry, purchased the business in 2010 and made it their mission to educate their clients about health and wellness. Both Larry and Sherry grew ...
- 12 January
Beasley-Wood Funeral Home – Adding a Personal Touch
BY MELANIE BUCK – Beasley-Wood-Geyer-Quillin Funeral Home first opened its doors in 1928 and has served the families of Polk County ever since at their location on the corner of Janssen Avenue and 7th Street in Mena. Current manager, Sonja Kesterson, explained their history and how the business has idled through the ages to maintain their comfortable atmosphere in a ...
December, 2015
- 29 December
Shoe Craze – Pairing Up Polk County’s Feet
READER’S CHOICE 2015 BUSINESS OF THE YEAR: BY JACLYN ROSE – Both natives of Polk County, Tim and Tara Milham married 24 years ago. Together the couple has three children, Timrie, Taryn, and Tanner, and two grandchildren, Raelynn and Allie. “Tim is the hardest working husband ever. He has always worked more than one job to support us and he ...
- 16 December
First Financial Bank – Farm Friendly Banking
BY JACLYN ROSE – First Financial Bank was opened in El Dorado, Arkansas in 1934 and is a locally owned bank that has a Board of Directors with roots in their hometown. They are a completely Arkansas owned bank. With several branches in Arkansas, their Mortgage Branch also serves the state of Mississippi, while their Agriculture Branch has offices in ...
- 9 December
Serendipity Salon – ‘A Happy Accident’
BY JACLYN ROSE – Nancy Williams and her husband Martin moved to Mena from Bakersfield, California in 1999. Already a licensed nail technician (nail tech), Williams’ family moved to Arkansas to slow their lives down and have the ability to get ahead. “We worked crazy, long hours in California and we were never able to save money or take a ...
- 2 December
The Corner – Serving Residents Much More than Fuel
BY JACLYN ROSE – The Corner located at 1100 Highway 71 North, in the Atwood’s Shopping Center is a full service gas station and convenience store that offers both E10 and gas without ethanol. The service goes beyond your average gas station with a large, fresh, hot, and homemade breakfast menu and a daily hot plate lunch special. Ronnie and ...
November, 2015
- 24 November
Edward Jones – Investing in You
When Ginger Sterner’s father, Forest Ogden retired from the United States Air Force, he moved his family to Mena, the town he grew up visiting during the summer, and where he had originally met his wife, Shirley. Sterner graduated from Mena High School in 1977 and spent some time attending what is now the University of Arkansas Fort Smith. In ...
- 17 November
The Space Center – Keeping Your Treasures Safe
BY JACLYN ROSE – Loren and Linda Whisenhunt met in Mena and married in 1968, together they have two daughters, Lenisa and Stacy, both graduates of Mena High School, and nine grandchildren. “Mena is a great place to raise kids,” said Whisenhunt. In 1986, when the storage industry was relatively new to Polk County, the Whisenhunts bought their first building, ...