Harps Food Store Bringing Brookland, Ark., a Grocery Store

Residents of Brookland, Ark., can soon spend less time commuting between Paragould or Jonesboro to do their grocery shopping thanks to a new location from Harps Food Stores Inc. coming to their town.

Springdale, Ark.-based Harps purchased the land at 8107 Highway 49 North, with the intent to build a new Harps Food Store.

“We are so excited to be a part of this development," said Gary Harpole, managing partner and director of development for Halsey Thrasher Harpole Real Estate Group, in a statement. “Working with the landowner, Mayor [Kenneth] Jones and Harps to put together this project was a wonderful experience. This is a big day for the city of Brookland.”

The company said the new 32,000-square-foot Harps store will offer residents of Brookland and the surrounding community a variety of fresh fruits and vegetables, Harps Black Angus beef, all-natural pork and poultry, deli and bakery products, and health and beauty care, dairy and frozen departments.

Due to nationwide shortages in construction material, the company said in a statement that there is no set grand opening date at this time.

“The city of Brookland and its citizens are excited to have a new grocery store located in our city,” said Jones, Brookland mayor.

Earlier this month the retailer named J. Max Van Hoose as its president. “I am very happy to see this well-deserved promotion take place,” Kim Eskew, chairman and CEO of Harps, said in a statement.

Harps is a 100% employee-owned company which operates 135 stores in four states: Arkansas, Oklahoma, Missouri and Kansas. It is the largest employee-owned company in the state of Arkansas. Founded by Harvard and Floy Harp in Springdale, Ark., in 1930, the company has grown to employ over 6,900 associates.