JAN. 29-FEB. 4, 2024 SPRINGFIELD BUSINESS JOURNAL · 29 NEWS by Geoff Pickle · gpickle@sbj.net The owners of a nearly 2-year-old mobile ice cream venture have put the business up for sale. The Swirly’s Ice Cream & Waffles food trailer owned by Jack and Kenzie Powderly announced it’s seeking new ownership in a Jan. 22 Facebook post. “While we’re thankful for the time we’ve owned Swirly’s – and all the joys that have come with it – we’ve decided that it’s best to sell the business,” the post reads, citing health issues and the addition of another child. “Simply put, we know what it is going to take to make this business successful but can’t give it at this time.” Swirly’s, which is currently closed for winter, does not intend to reopen this spring without new ownership, said Jack Powderly. He said a business prospectus on the potential sale would be available soon. Swirly’s opened in July 2022, and the business has been regularly parked at 3867 S. Campbell Ave. in the Parkcrest Center, according to past Springfield Business Journal reporting. The ice cream machine used by Swirly’s mixes dozens of ingredients into a chocolate or vanilla base to craft its frozen concoctions, and the eatery sells “bubble” waffles that can serve as a cone substitute or as a standalone item. Jack Powderly previously told SBJ that startup costs were $40,000, which included $30,000 for the trailer. • Mobile ice cream business put on market particular number of staff, it says the organization should have enough staff and volunteer resources to meet its goals. Other recommendations include having the strongest, most engaged leaders possible, as well as a clear strategic plan and transparency to all members and investors. Thompson said it will be of key importance to get the right people on board to transform the region. At the outset, he envisions eight executives making up the organization. Later, paid membership tiers could be offered. “In my 30 years of working in public and private sectors, I have never seen faster response to solving issues than a group of CEOs,” he said. “They can do that because they can move faster.” He gave the example of storm preparation: When a hurricane is ready to come ashore and 65,000 line workers are already pre-staged and ready to move in to repair downed powerlines. “That’s because CEOs are around the table saying, ‘I’m going to get these trucks down to Florida,’” he said. “To me, there’s no reason we can’t do that with a group of CEOs here, where they are very nimble, they have the resources, and they have the connections to make things happen.” Momentum building Erin Danastasio, executive director of the nonprofit Hatch Foundation, was one of the 82 people who attended the chamber-sponsored Community Leadership Visit to northwest Arkansas, including visits to the cities of Bentonville, Fayetteville, Rogers and Springdale. She returned with a fervor for regional collaboration and a newfound knowledge of the Northwest Arkansas Council. “Northwest Arkansas made it very clear to me that when communities come together to work alongside each other and support one another – sometimes even putting their own needs aside for the greater good – it is a long-term win for everyone,” she said. “That’s why Hatch decided to invest in this project: because we believe that this is the beginning to a better future for our area.” Danastasio said she wasn’t sure what Abernathy would recommend when the conversation about regionalism began, but she likes where the study ended up. “I am confident that with the guidelines he has laid out for us, we can make great strides for our community,” she said. Matt Morrow, president and CEO of the Springfield Area Chamber of Commerce, called the study a starting point. “There’s a lot of work still to figure out there, but one of the things I love is that there’s a mechanism to tackle some of the big opportunities and big challenges that potentially either get in the way of or advance development, tourism – all the things that those of us who do this can’t really focus our day-to-day attention on,” he said. He added that big ideas are one of the things he likes best about the Community Leadership Visit program. “A lot of the things that we sort of take as part of who we are and what we do now started out that way,” he said. “If we can tackle some of those big stones in the stream, then that can really help all of us work on what our community and region need to be doing better.” •
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