Public Relations

Crossland Construction Delivers Replica
of Bella Vista Stables to Cooper Elementary

            BELLA VISTA (Tuesday, June 10, 2008)– Crossland Construction Carpentry Class at NorthWest Arkansas Community College delivered to Cooper Elementary School Tuesday, June 10, a “school store” replica of the Bella Vista Stables that once sat on the property where the school now sits.

            A short donation ceremony followed at Cooper Elementary School.

            Crossland Construction built the school in Bella Vista and operates a carpentry school inside the NWACC Shewmaker Center for Workforce Technologies.

            Cooper Elementary School Principal Ryan Oswaldt approached Crossland Carpentry Program Director Bob Thompson to construct the school store.

            Crossland Construction set up the “store” prior to donating it to the school.

            Thompson and NWACC Skilled Trades Coordinator Rick Mayes thought it would be appropriate to construct a replica of the stables that sat on the property, Mayes said.

            The store sets inside the school’s main entryway and will sell school supplies. Crossland management decided to take it one step further and donate the store as community service.

            “Even though school is out now, the store will be ready for business next school year,” Mayes said.

            Crossland Construction has a strong presence in the area contracting large scale projects that many commuters see as they drive around our communities in northwest Arkansas, Mayes said.

            “What many people don’t see is the behind the scenes development of Crossland’s employees education that helps fuel productivity of these projects,” he said. “Crossland holds construction classes at NWACC’s Corporate Learning year round. These classes are open to the public but are mandatory for employees of Crossland.”

            Mayes said the general public does not realize how involved Crossland is with the education of its employees and developing their education in relationship to sound construction practices.

            “They want to educate their employees though a nationally recognized curriculum in the class and utilize the Shewmaker Center’s bay to train the employees in hands-on,” Mayes aid. “This involves safety training and good work ethics, not just how to use a hammer.”

            Thompson is a Crossland employee who instructs the classes.

            “The construction industry has changed so much in the past 10 years with new methods and materials that education is important to keep up with new trends as well as how things are done properly, the first time,” Thompson said. “The construction trade has become so competitive in the area that doing the job safely and properly the first time is one of the keys to making this business profitable instead of loosing time and money fixing mistakes.”

            Crossland carpentry classes work on a variety of projects thought out the year such as play houses and cabins that either get sold at material cost or donated to community organizations such as schools.

            Thompson designed a miniature version of the stables.

            Crossland’s head of education, Clay Kubicek, decided to donate the project to the school.

            “Crossland built the school and we feel we are a part of the community as many of our employees’ children attend school there, it’s the right thing to do,” Kubicek said. “People from this area will appreciate what we were trying to do with the store as we do not want to forget the history of the area.”

            “We did not paint the store so the teachers and kids can help get involved by adding a personal touch to it by painting it as they see fit,” Thompson said. 

            For more information about the carpentry classes or other questions, contact Rick Mayes rmayes@nwacc.edu or (479) 936-5162.

For questions/comments on this content, please contact Rick Mayes.

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