Mike Nabors has always been more than a resident of Harrison, Arkansas — he is a force of good. Known for his unassuming demeanor and deep-rooted love for the town, Mike’s contributions to the community have woven a legacy that will be told for generations.
When I first met Mike Nabors, Mass Merchandisers — the largest non-food distributor in the world, located right here in Harrison — had recently acquired a company I worked for in Lincoln, Nebraska. We were honored because Mass Merchandisers purchased several companies then, but they offered positions to nearly ten of us from Central States Distributors. In 1980, many of us, including myself and my family, moved to Harrison.
At that time, Mike was involved in various roles, initially in HR and later working across multiple areas of Mass Merchandisers. I joined the marketing department. Mike and I worked together periodically until 1983 when I left Mass Merchandisers. I wanted to stay in Harrison because our daughter was still in high school, and I needed a new career direction. I met with Mike for advice over lunch at Taco Bell. He suggested I go into real estate — a career path I had never considered. However, since it would allow me to remain in town, I took his advice, supported by my wife, and it was an excellent decision. I’m unsure if I would have chosen real estate or stayed in Harrison without Mike’s recommendation.
Later that year, Mike left Mass Merchandisers, wanting to venture into the restaurant business. Mike and his wife, Karen, had restored a 100-year-old cabin they had moved from Kansas to a nearby mountain. In my first year in real estate, I had the privilege of selling the Dairy Queen to Mike and Karen, along with their cabin, which they operated as a bed-and-breakfast. Karen prepared breakfast, and they rented the cabin nightly, making it a popular regional destination.
Later, I sold the cabin to the Garrison family, freeing Mike and Karen to focus on Dairy Queen. They transformed it into the top-performing Dairy Queen in the region, mastering the food business in the process. Their dream, however, was to open their own restaurant, and about 30 years ago, they accomplished that with Neighbor’s Mill.
Over the years, Mike and I have worked together on various projects, including a $25 million bond issue to fund a new hospital wing. We handled the marketing side of the campaign, combining our strengths — Mike’s calm, professional demeanor and my energy — to great effect. It’s remarkable: every time I worked with Mike, we succeeded. That’s why I’ve always valued his collaboration.
Mike also encouraged me to run for mayor, lending his experience in campaign strategy to help me get started. With his guidance and my branding experience from real estate, we both felt we could make a difference in city government. Since retiring from Neighbor’s Mill, Mike has remained active in our community, taking on a volunteer role I created for the city: chairing the committee to revitalize downtown Harrison. With Creekside opening, we recognized the importance of enhancing our downtown, and putting Mike in charge of this initiative was one of my best decisions. Over the past eight months, he’s built a dedicated team of six to eight local business owners and has been diligently gathering insights to shape our vision.
We share a common goal for downtown: to attract more businesses, create a lively pedestrian atmosphere, and encourage people to live downtown, just like in the past. It’s a challenging goal, but we believe we’ll get there. Recently, Mike took on the role of interim CEO of the Chamber of Commerce, where he’s done a fantastic job. He held the organization steady while searching for a new CEO. His leadership continued to move the Chamber forward, and now he’s removed that hat as Jeff Nielsen has accepted the position. When Mike gets involved, things happen — and they happen with such professionalism. He’s a great friend and a critical ally when I want to accomplish something. More often than not, we succeed. I can’t emphasize enough how much the Harrison community values Mike Nabors.
Thank you, Mike, for your friendship and dedication to this community.
Jerry Jackson moved to the community in 1980 and was voted Mayor in 2018. He ran and won re-election in 2022. Email info@harrisonar.gov to contact the mayor’s office.
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