New Markets Tax Credit Lenders Invest $46.25 Million in Non-Metro Mexico, Missouri

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Food Manufacturing Project to Expand and Renovate Existing Facility for Rural Community

MEXICO, Mo. (June 30, 2026) – Western Smokehouse Partners (WSP), a food manufacturer specializing in the private label production and co-manufacturing of jerky and meat snacks, has secured $46.25 million in New Markets Tax Credit (NMTC) financing from three lenders to support its expansion project in Mexico, Missouri. The lenders include Rural Development Partners ($20 million), Heartland Renaissance Fund ($13.25 million), and Mid-City Community ($13 million).

The NMTC funding will be used to assist in an expansion that will see 300,000 square feet of renovation done to an existing facility to open 10 new lines for the production of healthy meat snacks, allowing WSP to meet the rapidly growing demand for their products. The project is expected to create 377 new jobs for the rural community. WSP provides high quality jobs, which feature a full benefits package, and a strong preference for upskilling employees and promoting from within.

Peter Sikorski, Chief Financial Officer of WSP, expressed his gratitude for the NMTC program, and commented on the company’s alignment with the goals of the program, stating, “At Western Smokehouse Partners, we are intentional about investing in communities where we can create meaningful, long-term opportunities. This expansion reflects our commitment to supporting local economies, creating quality jobs, and enhancing the lives of the people who live and work in the communities we serve.”

The use of New Markets Tax Credit financing allowed WSP to accelerate both the scale and timeline of their investment in the region, bringing a greater impact to Mexico at an expedited pace. Once fully operational in 2026, WSP is projected to create 377 permanent, full-time jobs and aid with broader regional economic development priorities.

“Heartland Renaissance Fund is proud to join Rural Development Partners and Mid-City Community in providing $46.25 million in New Markets Tax Credits to Western Smokehouse Partners,” said Sam Walls III, Chairman of Heartland Renaissance Fund. “Our investment underscores our commitment to driving meaningful economic growth in rural communities through the creation of quality jobs and long-term opportunities. We believe this partnership with WSP will not only expand production capabilities but also help revitalize the area for years to come.”

The NMTC is a flexible source of financing with better rates and terms than traditional financing for businesses and community organizations in America’s most distressed rural and urban communities. Without the NMTC many projects in these low-income communities would not be able to move forward.

About Heartland Renaissance Fund

Founded in 2003, Heartland Renaissance Fund is an affiliate of ACC Capital and is a certified Community Development Entity focused on revitalizing underserved communities across the American heartland. The organization has deployed over $425 million in NMTC and other community development financing, supporting projects that have created more than 5,000 jobs and leveraged $1 billion in total community investment. Heartland Renaissance Fund specializes in manufacturing and small business development in rural and small metropolitan areas across Arkansas, Oklahoma, Missouri, Tennessee, Mississippi, Louisiana and Texas.

Heartland Renaissance Q & A with Christa Clark

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Heartland Renaissance Q & A with Christa Clark

Arkansas Capital is proud to announce that its CDE, Heartland Renaissance Fund, LLC, has been awarded a $65 million allocation in New Markets Tax Credits to foster investment in businesses and economic activities in low income and underserved communities throughout Arkansas. This allocation is the second-largest amount Heartland has ever been awarded. To learn more about this momentous occasion, we enlisted Christa Clark, Vice President of Heartland Renaissance Fund, to answer a few questions about the allocation, and give some insight on what how this money will change Arkansas communities for the better.

Q: What was your process for receiving the allocation?

A: New Market allocations are awarded by the Dept. of Treasury’s Community Development Institutions Funds in a competitive process each year. Heartland staff spends several weeks completing the application and analyzing the impacts from our prior investments when submitting the application. The applications are reviewed by third parties and by U.S. Treasury staff and scored.  Historically, only about 28% of applicants are awarded allocation in a given year in this highly competitive process. We are always honored when we are selected, as there are always over 200 other CDEs in the applicant pool with us. We are especially thrilled this year that this is our fifth award of allocation.

Q: What areas of Arkansas has Heartland worked most with in the past? What areas do you foresee benefiting from these funds?

A: Heartland focuses almost exclusively on investing in Arkansas’ low-income communities throughout the state.  We focus on areas that are underserved by traditional financing sources and direct our investments in the projects that have the most community and economic impacts to that area. As with prior allocations, Heartland will make investments statewide with at least half of its transactions in rural areas.

Q: What industries typically see the most benefit from these allocations?

A: That is one of the benefits of a flexible lending product like New Markets Tax Credits – we can use the funds to finance a variety of projects.  We have financed a wide range of projects with New Markets, everything from educational facilities to non-profits and large rural manufacturing. We will continue to focus on our three core areas of education, health care, and economic development projects throughout the state.

Q: What has been one of your most rewarding experiences working with Heartland?

A: It is hard to narrow that down to one. We have so many projects that I have been blessed to work with that are improving their communities. There was one manufacturing project that we worked several months to bring to financial closing that was located in a town in the Arkansas Delta with very high unemployment and had several large employers that had closed down in recent years.  When the project was about to open, I was doing a site visit and the company brought in BBQ and we ate with the newly hired plant workers in the cafeteria. The plant manager stood and thanked me, and explained how grateful they all were that they had jobs again and were able to provide for their families.

Q: How have you seen Heartland’s work positively impact the underserved businesses, the communities of underserved businesses and the entire state? 

A: There have been so many benefits to underserved areas from our investments.  Our New Markets financing was used to build a state-of-the-art life skills and work training facility for disabled adults in northwest Arkansas.  We have seen hundreds of first generation students attend college for the first time. There has been thousands of quality jobs created in Arkansas’ manufacturing sector that are located in some of the most economically disadvantaged areas throughout the state. Our investments have enabled environmentally-sustainable products to be produced here in Arkansas and have revitalized Main Streets transforming once shuttered properties into vibrant city centers.We continue to see positive impacts for years after we close a transaction as these investments serve as catalysts for economic growth in these communities.