CENTERTON — The city will rebrand after about six months of work in an effort to draw in more people and businesses.
The City Council voted 6-0 Tuesday to adopt a new community brand, including a new official logo and related branding elements, such as the tagline, “Community at our core.”
Tara Culpepper-Miller, city planner, said Tuesday she thinks Centerton’s goal is to be recognizable, professional and clearly defined as it continues growing.
“This brand didn’t come just as a marketing scheme of sorts,” she said. “It kind of is there to support economic development and recruitment and long-term planning. This wasn’t just about a quick logo change.”
Centerton is one of the fastest growing cities in Arkansas. The population grew from about 18,249 in 2020 to 25,745 in 2024, according to U.S. Census Bureau estimates — a 41% increase over four years.
Culpepper-Miller said Wednesday she thinks having a specific branding can help with economic growth by providing a sense of cohesion and identity for those considering moving to or setting up a business in Centerton, making the city more attractive for these types of people.
Centerton kicked off the branding initiative June 26 with the University of Central Arkansas Center for Community and Economic Development and Thrive Inc., a Helena-based design firm and nonprofit organization. Culpepper-Miller has said the center reached out to Centerton in late May about whether it would be interested in refreshing its logo.
Kayla Knight, another city planner, has said the Center for Community and Economic Development would cover the costs to create the branding package. The center offers technical and training assistance to the city free of charge as part of her participation in the center’s Community Development Institute training program, she said.
The Center for Community and Economic Development provides community and economic training and technical assistance programs to Arkansas communities, according to the UCA website. The Community Development Institute is a three-year program offering training in community and economic development for professionals to take back to their communities. It includes one week of training per year.
Culpepper-Miller said Tuesday the city, the Center for Community and Economic Development and Thrive worked with stakeholders — including new and long-time community members and people in leadership positions — to create the community brand. They also did research on Centerton’s history, environment and regional context.
Centerton’s now-former logo — which Robert Coffelt with the city Building Safety Department designed and the city used for years — depicts Arkansas with a star showing Centerton’s general location and text proclaiming its 1914 year of establishment.
The new logo consists of two curved arcs — one red, one blue — orbiting a central star made of five green seeds with “Centerton Arkansas” written underneath.
“The primary mark is an apple cross-section referencing Centerton’s agricultural history, with a subtle “c” shape within,” according to a brand guide Thrive prepared.
The curves of the mark and letterforms of the logo flow together and bubble up for McKissic Spring/Creek, according to the guide. It states the central star represents individuals coming together as a community and its five seeds are diamond-shaped, a nod to the Arkansas state flag.
The brand guide also provides an icon for the “Community at our core” tagline that incorporates the apple cross-section and star from the logo and the city’s 1914 year of establishment.
“The tagline takes the visual themes of the logo and makes them text, including the historical reference and emphasis on individuals from all backgrounds coming together to create what Centerton is today,” the guide states. “It tells the audience that even as the region’s growth and the passage of time inevitably change what the town looks like, the people who call it home will always be the heart of what makes it a great place to live and visit.”
The brand guide outlines different versions of the logo and new logos for the city’s various departments, along with logo standards for the city to follow.
Wendy Henson, a City Council member, praised the new community brand as “perfect” for what Centerton is. She said she appreciated all the work that went into it.
Josie Reed, another council member, agreed. She said she really liked the new city department logos, commenting they will bring consistency across the city.
Mayor Bill Edwards said the city will roll out the brand to residents at its Coffee with the Mayor event at 9 a.m. Saturday at 290 N. Main St.
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