Client Becky Jones
Business White Myrtle Event Center
Website facebook.com/WhiteMyrtleEventCenter
Jones Prepares to Launch White Myrtle Event Center Inside Historic Magnolia Building
Becky Jones purchased the McAlester Building in Magnolia and is turning a portion of the facility into an event center with help from the Southern Arkansas University ASBTDC.
Jones’ first contact with the center was in April 2015. At the time, she was exploring several potential business opportunities.
SAU ASBTDC Business Consultants Megan Whitehead and Julia Nipper walked Jones through the different options, sharing market research and demographic data for the area. Jones ultimately decided to purchase the historic McAlester Building in downtown Magnolia, where she has operated her law practice since 1994.
The building was constructed in 1947 as the local headquarters for Oklahoma-based McAlester Fuel Company. It is a 38,820 square-foot office building with a large, sound-proof conference room and professional office space for rent.
Whitehead assisted Jones with analyzing the property’s financials and projecting cash flow. They also discussed a variety of options for the downstairs “showroom” area where a car dealership once operated.
Jones decided to create the White Myrtle Event Center in the large, open space downstairs. Since closing on the building purchase in August 2015, she has completely remodeled the downstairs area and the first-floor exterior facade.
As a mother and practicing attorney, Jones has a lot on her plate. She credits the ASBTDC with helping to turn her vision into a reality. “Without the experience and expertise of the ASBTDC, I would probably still be a dreamer instead of a doer,” she said.
ASBTDC’s Nipper continues to work with Jones on the marketing, pricing, and planning for White Myrtle.