The Bentonville Beacon

Summary

On this episode of The Bentonville Beacon, host James Bell is joined by Josh Richards, COO at Game Composites LLC, an aviation and aerospace components manufacturer. Josh’s background is rooted in technical excellence, with experience in highly-regulated industries such as aerospace and nuclear power. Throughout the episode, James and Josh discuss Game Composites, the GB1 GameBird, and why Bentonville is the perfect place for advanced manufacturing.

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Show Notes:

(1:27) Introduction to Josh Richards

(1:44) Josh’s Passion for Aviation

(4:17) About Game Composites

(7:21) About the GB1 GameBird

(10:34) The GameBird Building Process

(13:21) Blazing a Trail for Advanced Manufacturing

(18:50) Exposing Customers to the GameBird

(21:06) Growth Plan for Game Composites

(23:07) Game Composites Employee Opportunities

(26:48) Why Bentonville Is Ideal for Game Composites

(31:54) The Bentonville Experience

(34:45) Final Questions and Thoughts

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‍Links

James Bell

Josh Richards

Game Composites LLC

Quotes

“So part of the history that’s important is that the company was never really just founded to build GameBirds. It was always about creating, you know, being a significant player in aviation manufacturing. Maybe not a Boeing right out of the gate, but somebody who makes a difference and really makes a splash in the environment.” - Josh Richards, (5:51)

“We see a lot of customers now that want a really custom experience. So, one of the challenges of running a manufacturing business with an operations mindset is how do you give a custom experience, but in a repeatable fashion.” - Josh Richards, (11:33)

“The expansion does a couple things for us. It helps us vertically integrate some of our products that go into the aircraft. We want to build as much stuff as we can in Arkansas. On the other side of it, we’ve got big plans for the company on what’s next. We’re working on what we call GB2, so the second iteration or second version of aircraft for Game Composites.” - Josh Richards, (21:27)

Summary

On this episode of The Bentonville Beacon, host James Bell is joined by Gary Vernon, a seasoned Sr. Program Officer at the Walton Personal Philanthropy Group. Gary, a key person behind OZ Trails, is the main reason for the explosion of the mountain bike trails in NWA. Throughout the episode, James and Gary discuss the large expansion of trails and what that has meant for the culture and economy in NWA, specifically Bentonville. 

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Show Notes:

(1:57) Introduction to Gary Vernon

(3:04) Walton Family Foundation vs. Walton Personal Philanthropy 

(4:31) The Rise to Mountain Bike Capital of the World

(7:22) About OZ Trails

(9:41) Specialty of the NWA Trails

(15:23) NWA’s E-bike Mentality

(18:09) Why Cycling Companies Are Moving to NWA

(24:45) About the Bicycle Industry Employers Association

(27:05) Economic Impact of NWA’s Trial System

(34:48) Changes in the NWA Region

(43:05) Where Bentonville Is Headed

(45:11) Final Questions

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‍Links

James Bell

Gary Vernon

Walton Personal Philanthropy Group

Quotes

“I can do a nine-mile ride from work on a single track within a block of my house, which is amazing…I think the benefit that we really can’t measure is the mental benefit of being able to get active, and you don’t have to ride a mountain bike to be on [the trails].” - Gary Vernon, (29:35)

“I couldn’t tell you how many people I’ve met in the last year that have moved here, and they can work remote wherever they want and just wanted to be near the trail. The sense of pride in the region is definitely noticeable.” - Gary Vernon, (35:11)

“Sustainability is a big word in the trail building industry because weather and use and all that can wear on a trail and raise the cost of maintaining it. That’s the one thing that we’re always trying to solve is the maintenance conundrum.” - Gary Vernon, (43:10)

Summary

On this episode of The Bentonville Beacon, host James Bell is joined by Dr. Richard Ham, a seasoned transportation executive with four decades of experience in security safety operations and administration compliance and enforcement. Dr. Ham’s list of expertise and accomplishments is long and includes but is not limited to the associate director of the Department of Industrial Engineering at the University of Arkansas, where he co-leads the largest graduate program at the University of Arkansas. Throughout the episode, James and Dr. Ham talked about the progression of drones within the next couple of years and the mobility space in Bentonville. 

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Show Notes:

(1:13) Introduction to Dr. Ham

(3:00) About Dr. Ham

(5:37) Dr. Ham’s Passion for Aviation

(8:36) The Progression of Drones

(25:29) The UP.Summit

(34:17) University of Arkansas Planning Grant

(37:12) Fully Autonomous Trucks

(40:09) Presence of Mobility Companies in Bentonville

(45:39) How to Get Involved in the Mobility Space

(57:13) Closing Questions

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‍Links

James Bell

Dr. Richard Ham

Quotes

“...if you want to deliver something to Jonesborough, there’s just no good way to get there because it’s pretty rural…the ability to have an automated cargo route that would make the flight in an hour and a half and then turn and work it the other way. It starts to connect communities in a way that nobody really thought about.” - Dr. Richard Ham, (16:14)

“If you think of these small towns, it affects how commerce happens. If you can get something in three hours then do you have to have as many brick and mortars? There’s gonna be a discussion about that and some really smart people that think that way in retail and wholesale are gonna think about how we do distribution if this is our model now.” - Dr. Richard Ham, (22:16)

“We’re gonna talk about where we are with our ability to accept manufacturing and workforce readiness…If you don’t have that foundation, you end up with a lot of voices, but there’s never a consolidated voice that people will look to when they are looking to come here.” - Dr. Richard Ham, (32:58)

“Developing that framework and then knowing where to step up from there is really important because if you don’t, then when you start making some decisions later on, you’re going to wish you’d have done that differently because it would have been better.” - Dr. Richard Ham, (38:08)

On this episode of The Bentonville Beacon, host James Bell was joined by Rob Mahler, founder and lead tech for Naz-T’s FloaT Shop, a local onewheel rental and repair shop that specializes in repairing and customizing PEV vehicles. James and Rob talked about the vision, challenges, and future of building Naz-T’s FloaT Shop, the development of NWA, and the growth of onewheels.

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Show Notes:

(1:11) Introducing Rob Mahler

(1:27) A Passion for Onewheels

(4:11) About Naz-T’s FloaT Shop

(7:18) The Growth of Onewheels

(9:22) About FloatLife Fest

(13:23) Challenges with Building Naz-T’s FloaT Shop

(15:55) Development in NWA over the Years

(22:08) Mountain Biking Capital of the World

(24:54) Future of Naz-T’s FloaT Shop

(34:59) Most Important Lesson Learned

(37:59) Closing Thoughts

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‍Links

James Bell

Naz-T's FloaT Shop

FloatLife Fest

Quotes

“They say this is my stomping ground. I wanna show you around so you can connect with us at any time. If you come to town to rent one, they’ll link up with you and they’ll go ride with you. They just want to ride, so they’ll show you around town and the whole piece.” - Rob Mahler, (8:41)

“It started out of a need to do certain things, but then we needed to do certain things for others. So we get paid for a service then go buy some inventory that we might need. So the greatest challenge is keeping inventory on hand so that we can get it out to the customers fast.” - Rob Mahler, (13:28)

“...we’ve taken the time to really build toward quality of life and quality of place for the last 15 years, which really helped us out during the pandemic because we were positioned to take in all those people that wanted to leave places like San Francisco and said ‘I’m done and I’m not going back.’” - James Bell, (24:00)

Show Notes

(1:33) Introducing Morgan and Tyler

(2:41) All about Encore Bike Rentals

(9:22) How the Baumgardners Came to Bentonville

(19:44) The Baumgardners’ GORP Experience

(26:53) Morgan’s and Tyler’s Favorite Trails

(31:42) How Companies Should Be Capitalizing on Bentonville

(40:45) What’s Next for Encore Bike Rentals

(45:00) Because Bentonville 

(49:26) Morgan’s and Tyler’s Favorite Lesson Learned This Year

Links

James Bell 

Morgan Baumgardner

Tyler Baumgardner

Encore Bike Rentals

Quotes

“What we’re trying to do with Encore is capture our experience the first time riding here, simple as that. I want people to rent from us and be able to go out on a bike that’s set up for them, that feels good for them, and will take them where they need to go on these trails and have that spark that we felt when we first rode here.” Tyler Baumgardner, (13:43)

“We just kept coming back to ‘experience.’ We want the experience to be wonderful for cycling and biking and mountain biking, all of it in Northwest Arkansas.” Morgan Baumgardner, (25:33)

“Part of the reason I think these trails are here is talent attraction in some aspects. Because people that have options with their career, they look at where they’re living and their quality of life and they’re like, ‘Hey, I really like mountain biking. I don’t really want to have a job in a place that doesn’t have it [or other outdoor activities].’ You can kind of name one besides snow sports and we’re good to go—we have pretty much everything.” Tyler, Baumgardner (32:57)

Show Notes

(1:45) Introducing Rich Drew

(4:45) How Rich Ended Up in Bentonville

(6:59) Rich’s Ride Series

(18:55) Mountain Biking and the Brain

(34:00) Nutrition and Riding 

(41:04) Rich’s Favorite Trails

(47:55) How Cycling Companies Should Be Taking Advantage of Bentonville

(57:13) What’s Next for Rich and The Ride Series

(1:04:55) Rich’s Favorite Lesson Learned This Year

(1:09:00) Because Bentonville 

Links

James Bell 

Rich Drew

The Ride Series

Rich Drew Youtube

Quotes

“The success of our YouTube channel for me doesn’t come from views or subscribers, it comes from the feedback, the comments, some of the relationships we have built through that. It’s exciting because I’ve been able to try to stay true to what we wanted in the beginning, and that was making things that were positive, things that were educational, things that were entertaining, and something that I would always be ok with my son watching.” Rich Drew, (14:40)

“The idea is we want to remove all the impediments. We want you to just be able to focus on the technique. If you can focus on the technique, you can have time under task. You can be doing it right. And then you can go to the trail and potentially do it right. So…should you just go ride? You should, but you should just go ride doing things properly.” Rich Drew (20:19)

“When you come here you realize the vast majority of mountain bike riders, they don’t want to ride mountains. They want to ride trails that are accessible, that aren’t dangerous, but that are exciting for them and their level. They want to do it in the vicinity of amenities that are world-class and abundant. And nowhere in the world does it like this place.” Rich Drew (50:01)

“When I’ve had the opportunity to have conversations with those business leaders, all I’ve said to them is ‘do something that makes an impact.’ If you come in and your efforts are to make a positive impact on the community, I think everything else will take care of itself because people here can see through that.” Rich Drew, (51:32) 

“All I did was highlight what so many amazing people have poured into. The amount of people that have put effort into making this place what it is, to be able to showcase that, and have people [and their] kids see it and come here, that’s just a true honor, and it’s a responsibility that I relish.” Rich Drew, (1:10:43)

Show Notes

(2:47) Introducing John Walker and Tom Vernon

(4:39) Learning about DroneUp and What They Do 

(6:04) What Challenges DroneUp Has Faced to Get Where They Are Today

(9:17) The Benefits and Practicality of Drones

(15:01) All about the Safety Measures and Best Practices of Drones 

(31:09) What Made NWA Ideal to Build DroneUp

(35:53) What’s to Come for DroneUp

(48:58) Because Bentonville

(55:06) Tom’s and John’s’ Favorite Lessons Learned This Year and Closing Thoughts

Links

James Bell 

Tom Walker

John Vernon 

DroneUp

Quotes

“[NWA] gave us a huge opportunity to expand, very much a crawl-walk-run approach to how we were going to move this. And to learn all of the lessons, not just about the drone, those are the things we kind of knew…You can build all of these amazing technologies and apps, but like any other agile and innovative company, all of the lessons you learn actually happen when you start doing it.” John Vernon, (31:27)

“Our culture really aligns well with Walmart’s. Ours is about doing it safely and then growing it appropriately…By being associated with Walmart, I don’t think we were looked at as sort of this rogue drone company that’s going to start flying all over, but we were partnered with Walmart and therefore we were expected to behave like Walmart, and just by virtue of our culture and how we operated, we did.” Tom Walker, (32:48)

“Make no mistake about it…Northwest Arkansas is very very innovative. It’s interesting because in some ways it still has the laid back feel of the parts of Arkansas that I used to really like; it wasn’t a super fast-pace; it didn’t feel that way. But if you look at the innovation that’s going on around here…It’s almost like this subtle underground community of hyper-innovation that’s super impressive for the area.” Tom Walker, (34:33)

“I think that sense of accomplishment overcomes the fear, uncertainty, or doubt of what’s going to be next. Focusing whatever you can do to be the best that you can be in the moment that you’re in has really been an enriching experience for everybody involved, and I think in emerging industries, it’s another drawing factor that brings people in and helps people feel like they’re a part of something that’s more than just a day-to-day job.” John Vernon, (52:15) 

“Keep humble. I wouldn’t say ‘Be humble,’ it’s ‘Keep humble.’ We’ve come a long way but we’ve got a long way to go…I think more than anything, especially with the growth that we’ve experienced over the last year, it’s very easy to get caught up in the big number that you see around growth and people count, but its also very humbling.” John Vernon, (55:06)

Show Notes

(2:07) Introducing Cyrus Sigari

(3:35) Deep Dive into Up Partners and Everything They Do

(18:21) All about Flying Cars

(24:40) Future Mobility Council of Arkansas

(32:59) Arkansas as a Major Player in the Future of Mobility

(42:37) Because Bentonville

(46:05) Cyrus’ Favorite Lesson Learned this Year and Closing Thoughts

Links

James Bell 

Cyrus Sigari

Up Partners

Future Mobility Council of Arkansas

Game Composites

Fly Oz 

Quotes

“We believe that we’re at this really unique point of the existence of humanity where mobility is changing very rapidly and in such a way that it can really increase the quality of life for humanity.” Cyrus Sigari (3:59)

“[We ask the question] ‘Is it needed? Is this something that’s going to make the world a better place?’ I’m not interested in investing in another social media company or something else that’s just trying to steal peoples’ eyeballs to try and sell them something. Deeply in our hearts, we want to be supporting entrepreneurs and companies that are creating technologies that are increasing the quality of life for humanity.” Cyrus Sigari, (11:22)

“Mobility, and in particular aeromobility, makes the world a lot smaller. It brings people together and it makes borders disappear.” Cyrus Sigari, (21:47)

“[We need to move in the] right direction when it comes to educating our children around things that really matter, [like not] telling them to go sell stuff instead of go build stuff and create a future that’s worth getting up and excited about. That’s pretty darn important, and I’m really excited to see the outcome of that set of initiatives.” Cyrus Sigari, (30:20) 

“Silicon Valley is no longer a place, it’s a headset around innovation and disrupting what was in the past for a greater future. It’s no longer a thing that is completely monopolized by the coasts anymore. The heartland is really getting the opportunity to be a home for innovation and technology and support humanity in a very different way.” Cyrus Sigari (33:59)

Show Notes

(1:24) Introducing Kris Adams

(2:07) Kris’ Passion for Technology and His Role in It

(3:01) All about the NWA Technology Summit

(13:32) Pitch Competition Information

(20:48) Kris’ Journey to the Summit

(25:16) Because Bentonville

(32:02) How to Sign Up for the NWA Technology Summit

(33:30) Superpowers and Closing Thoughts

Links

James Bell 

Kris Adams

NWA Tech Summit

Quotes

“[The NWA Tech Summit] is the premier technology conference here in the heartlands. And we believe that because of our size, pulling in about 1,400 in-person participants in 2019, and then over the last couple of years virtually, about 1,200, that size alone makes us unparalleled in the region for technology conferences.” Kris Adams (3:04)

“If you have a cool toy to bring with you, bring it and show it off. Because now that we’re back in person, we’re not stuck in the confines of being behind a screen for a virtual event. If you have something flashy and exciting and fun that you  can show us, that we can touch and see, that’s what we want to have at the Tech Summit this year.” Kris Adams, (19:35)

“This is the way I [can] have my cake and eat it too. I could get to play with all of this fun tech, and then use it as a way to continue to help make Bentonville and the surrounding area better.” Kris Adams, (22:00)

“You know, when you move somewhere, you move with some hopes and expectations for what the local area will be like. We knew what we had seen on paper and what we’d seen on a screen, and then to really come and experience it in person, it just blew away even our wildest expectations.” Kris Adams, (24:05)

This year, the Northwest Arkansas Tech Summit will be returning for an exciting in-person event all across Downtown Bentonville October 16-18, 2022. The event will focus on technological advancements in five different tracks: Mobility & Supply Chain, Health & Wellness, Entrepreneurship, Cybersecurity, and Web3. Click here to register today! We hope to see you there!

Show Notes

(1:12) Introducing Pedro Somarriba

(2:21) Pedro’s Passion for Climbing

(7:42) The Climbing Scene in Arkansas

(12:14) Introducing Lacaida Ropes

(17:02) Lacaida Ropes Product Launch Announcement

(18:10) All about Tarps and Their Upcoming Interform Collaboration

(22:02) Plug for GORP: Greenhouse Outdoor Recreation Program

(23:31) Pedro’s #BecauseBentonville Moment

(29:16) Superpowers and Closing Thoughts

Links

James Bell 

Pedro Somarriba

Lacaida Ropes

Arkansas Climbing Coalition

GORP

Quotes

“You have organizations like the Arkansas Climbers Coalition, so the development, adding new routes, making routes safer by rebolting and putting up new cleaner, more safe hardware attracts more people to the state, people come to the state and see what it has to offer in terms of climbing, and ideally they spend dollars here.” Pedro Somarriba, (10:27)

“[We’re] making a life-saving device here. This is something that people will trust their lives with. [we] need to lean into that. How do you make a lifesaving device safer and not just more aesthetically pleasing by putting cool designs on it? So that’s why we leaned into the metered ropes.” Pedro Somarriba, (13:12)

“These outdoor rock climbing routes are within a 15 minutes drive of downtown Bentonville. The accessibility is a game-changer.” Pedro Somarriba, (23:47) 

“We realized that the same trail we hiked in on is a mountain biking trail. So [we] have mountain bikers zooming past the rocks that we’re climbing on. Where else are you going to find that, like back-to-back rock climbers and mountain bikers using the same natural resources and just enjoying the outdoors?” Pedro Somarriba (24:38)