FORT SMITH, Ark.— Leaders from Hytrol Conveyor Company offered advice and guidance during a summit focused on the manufacturing industry. 

The Western Arkansas Regional Manufacturing Council held its inaugural Western Arkansas Manufacturing Summit on Oct. 11. According to the Fort Smith Regional Chamber of Commerce, the event was brought together to examine the current and future manufacturing landscape in the region. Manufacturing professionals, education administrators and other distinguished guests attended the event. 

Hytrol leadership including, Chief Development Officer Phillip Poston, Chief Operating Officer Jason Peters, Vice President of Operations – Fort Smith Will Mangrum and Operations Manager – Fort Smith Logan Long attended the event. Mangrum is also a board member for the manufacturing council. Poston, Peters and Long served as panelists covering various topics in the manufacturing sector and offered valuable industry insights. 

Poston said, “This event was a wonderful opportunity to highlight the importance of manufacturing for the Fort Smith area. I enjoyed getting to reflect on details from our early days and illustrate how different community members have helped Hytrol to succeed in Western Arkansas in 2021 and are still contributing to our success today.” 

Mangrum said, “We’re proud to partner with the Western Arkansas Regional Manufacturing Council and participate in this summit to bring together manufacturing-focused leaders to advance the success of the industry throughout the region. The event embodied Hytrol’s core value of community as we collaborated with talented leaders to strengthen connections and drive growth within the Western Arkansas manufacturing sector.”

The summit is expected to be an annual event. Hytrol joined the Fort Smith community during the company’s expansion in 2021. 

About Hytrol: 

Hytrol Conveyor Company Inc. is a world leader in the design and manufacturing of material handling systems for a variety of industries. Since its founding, the company has been dedicated to pushing forward the material handling industry. Hytrol is the largest conveyor manufacturer in the United States. It designs, develops, and delivers the most advanced material handling systems and includes a network of more than 100 independent businesses worldwide. For more information on Hytrol, visit hytrol.com.