Gary Troutman, president and CEO of the Greater Hot Springs Chamber of Commerce and the Hot Springs Metro Partnership, told the Hot Springs City Board on Nov. 10 that the Partnership has several active business and workforce developments that could affect local employment and investment.

Troutman said one of the month's biggest items was a pending acquisition: "Molecular Processing, a company out of Southern California is buying ORG chemical," and he described the transaction as "an injection of over $9,000,000 in the deal and 50 new employees." He said he would meet the buyer at the plant and report back to the board about hiring and construction opportunities.

Troutman also said that Primo Brands and Mountain Valley Water plan a sizable facility on Highway 7 North that he described as approximately 200,000 square feet; he said precise job and investment figures will be announced in May when the companies plan a formal opening.

On workforce development, Troutman reported outreach with 20 local companies at Lake Hamilton to identify hiring needs, ongoing partnerships with National Park College (which he said is seeing enrollment growth in workforce programs), and school career-day participation across Hot Springs High School, Lake Hamilton and other district schools. He also credited a scholarship golf tournament that allowed the Partnership to award $1,000 scholarships to each of seven local schools.

On marketing and recruitment, Troutman said the Partnership maintains billboards near the Saline County line and near Fisherman's Wharf to encourage relocation and supports the moveToHotSprings.com website; he said the Partnership spends more than the $12,500 line item often cited for relocation guide printing. He added that the Partnership is ramping up outreach tied to Issue 3 and will host site consultants from the Dallas-Fort Worth area in spring 2026.

Troutman said the committee and staff will follow up on details for hiring pathways and project timelines for items announced.

What comes next: Troutman said the Partnership will provide more detail on hiring and construction after site visits and will continue to coordinate with city staff and local schools.