Business and Industry | Featured | NewsAugust 02, 2021

Sabo to Lead ASBTDC at The Bakery

The University of Arkansas - Fort Smith has a new resource for small businesses and entrepreneurs in the Arkansas River Valley.

The Arkansas Small Business and Technology Development Center (ASBTDC)’s Fort Smith office is officially open after a nationwide search for its regional office director. The new center will serve businesses in Sebastian, Crawford, and Scott counties under the leadership of Bill Sabo. Sabo most recently worked in economic development in New Orleans before moving to Fort Smith in 2021.

“It’s an exciting time for the River Valley. There is a lot of growth and a very entrepreneurial spirit,” Sabo said. “Our office will provide a wide range of support for starting or expanding a business.”

UAFS joins nine other universities and colleges in ASBTDC’s statewide network.

The ASBTDC is the state’s premier business assistance provider, bringing higher education together with economic development practices that assist entrepreneurs, both new and seasoned, with every aspect of business creation, management, and operation. Its one-on-one consulting services are confidential, tailored to each individual business, and provided free of charge.

Part of the university's College of Business & Industry, the ASBTDC office is currently housed on the main UAFS campus and will move into a state-of-the-art facility in the Bakery District in Downtown Fort Smith later in the year.

Before taking on the role of ASBTDC director at UAFS, Sabo owned his own marketing company and spent more than 20 years in media that included Gannett, Knight-Ridder, and E.W. Scripps. In New Orleans, he worked in the mayor’s office leading the Tech Hire initiative for the Obama White House. He then was director of Food, Music, & Technology for the New Orleans Business Alliance, the city’s economic development organization.

To begin consulting with the ASBTDC to take your business to the next level, contact Sabo via email at bill.sabo@uafs.edu or by phone at 479-424-5146

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