Jan. 15, 2025
Vines Center nabs 5 'Best of Biz' awards
By Tracy Courage
U of A System Division of Agriculture
Fast Facts:
- Vines Center named best place for special event, business conference, company retreat, team building, employee outing
- Programs fit business, education needs
(320 words)
(Newsrooms: Download Vines Center graphic, file art of woman on high ropes course, employee team building)
LITTLE ROCK — The C.A. Vines Arkansas 4-H Center is still the fan favorite for special events, company retreats, team building and business conferences. For the seventh consecutive year, the center has won five Best of Biz titles.
The awards are given annually by Arkansas Business, and winners are selected based on votes from the public. The awards were announced in December. The Vines Center has won these categories each year since 2018.
- Best Place for a Special Event
- Best Place for a Business Conference/Meeting
- Best Team Building Center
- Best Place for a Company Retreat
- Best Place for an Employee Outing.
In the Employee Outing category, the Vines Center finished ahead of Goat Lab Brewery and Topgolf.
"It's an honor to be recognized for these awards, and it says a lot about our team members at the Vines Center who work very hard to make sure our guests receive a great experience in every way,” said John Thomas, managing director for the Arkansas 4-H Foundation. “The added bonus is that every business group that uses the Vines Center is helping to support the 4-H youth who come here from all over the state for camps and other activities. It's a win-win for everyone."
The center, located in Ferndale just a few miles west of Little Rock, was opened in 1980 as a hub for statewide activities for Arkansas 4-H, a program for youth development managed by the Arkansas Cooperative Extension Service, part of the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture. The center is owned and operated by the Arkansas 4-H Foundation.
The center has had several improvements in the past year.
“We recently added two large pavilions, improved the WiFi distribution, and completed several cosmetic renovations and technology upgrades that create more opportunities for adults and youth to experience the 4-H Center,” Arkansas 4-H Center Director J.J. Pitman said.
To learn about the C.A. Vines Arkansas 4-H Center, visit thevinescenter.org.
To learn about extension programs in Arkansas, contact your local Cooperative Extension Service agent or visit www.uaex.uada.edu. Follow us on X and Instagram at @AR_Extension. To learn more about Division of Agriculture research, visit the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station website: https://aaes.uark.edu. Follow on X at @ArkAgResearch. To learn more about the Division of Agriculture, visit https://uada.edu/. Follow us on X at @AgInArk.
About the Division of Agriculture
The University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture’s mission is to strengthen agriculture, communities, and families by connecting trusted research to the adoption of best practices. Through the Agricultural Experiment Station and the Cooperative Extension Service, the Division of Agriculture conducts research and extension work within the nation’s historic land grant education system.
The Division of Agriculture is one of 20 entities within the University of Arkansas System. It has offices in all 75 counties in Arkansas and faculty on three campuses.
The University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture offers all its Extension and Research programs to all eligible persons without regard to race, color, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, national origin, religion, age, disability, marital or veteran status, genetic information, or any other legally protected status, and is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer.
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Media Contact: Tracy Courage
Director of Communications-Extension
U of A System Division of Agriculture
501-658-2044