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SBA "Made in America" tour highlights UA - Pulaski Tech student talent

The US Small Business Administration (SBA) has been actively involved in Arkansas with the Made in America Manufacturing Initiative. The SBA visited Arkansas during a multistate "Made in America Roadshow" on June 26, 2025.

These sessions involve roundtable discussions to gather feedback from small manufacturers, share information on funding and contracting opportunities, and discuss how the SBA is working to support growth and investment in the manufacturing sector.

During the Roadshow in Arkansas, UA-PTC participated in one of the visits with Arcturus Aerospace for a tour that included a manufacturing demonstration from a recent UA-PTC graduate who interned at Arcturus while finishing his Technical Certificate in Machining. UA-PTC Alumni, Conner Teague and current student, Dallas Cherry, showcased the skills they learned at UA-PTC and through the internship with Arcturus. The tour provided a great opportunity to showcase student internships and industry partnerships in an effort to build a strong pipeline for manufacturing jobs.

US Small Business Administration representatives included Adriene Brown, District Director, Jerry Talbert, Deputy District Director, and Lisa Shimkat, Associate Administrator for the US Office of Field Operations and Acting Associate Administrator of the Office of Manufacturing and Trade.