Rick Hall did not set out to manufacture water repellents. His background is in marketing and branding, and Eco Advancements, the company he founded in Kensett, Arkansas, started as something else entirely — a business idea tied to graphic arts. But in the process of building it, Hall stumbled onto a water-based chemistry that changed his direction.
“We tinkered around with that for a little bit and in doing that I stumbled across this chemistry and just kept working with it,” Hall said.
That work led to a line of Siloxane water repellents for exterior wood, concrete, and masonry. Many traditional products rely on solvents that can damage grass, landscaping, or glass during application. Hall’s formula removed those solvents without sacrificing performance — and a company was born.
Today, Eco Advancements manufactures, bottles, and distributes its products from the small White County community of Kensett, just outside Searcy in Central Arkansas. Its consumer brand, Eco Advance, is sold through Amazon, Home Depot, Lowe’s, Menards, Walmart, Zoro, True Value, and Do it Best, alongside a professional line called Water-SIL for contractors.
“When we started, we started out with the contractor line and we realized there’s nobody really selling anything like that to the general consumer,” Hall said.
In 2025, a major online retail partner changed how it worked with Eco Advancements, temporarily pausing sales while existing inventory cleared. The result was roughly four and a half months without revenue from that channel.
The experience forced Hall to take a hard look at the company’s strategy.
“We discovered last year our largest customer was a big dot-com, and when that relationship changed, it made us realize we needed to branch out and find other ways to sell our products,” Hall said. “Kind of the whole putting all your eggs in one basket.”
Looking for a path forward, Hall connected with the U.S. Small Business Administration’s (SBA) Arkansas District Office, which referred him to Jerry Talbert in Little Rock. Talbert connected Eco Advancements to the Lending Team at Communities Unlimited (CU).
Hall began working with Candence Brooks, an Economic Development Loan Officer with CU. Together, they structured two loans to stabilize the business during the transition.
The first, funded through CU partner Sachs Family Foundation, allowed Eco Advancements to refinance high-interest debt. The second, funded through Hope Credit Union / State Small Business Credit Initiative, provided working capital for inventory, supplies, advertising, and operations as the company prepared for its busy season.
The financial support created room to move. Eco Advancements has since grown its presence with Do it Best and True Value and has additional meetings planned with major hardware retailers. A new line of eco-friendly, biodegradable cleaners is in development.
But Hall said the process delivered something beyond capital.
“I can’t say enough about how impressed I’ve been working with Communities Unlimited,” he said. “They want to know all about your business. And in doing that, we learned a lot about our business that we didn’t know.”
Working alongside Brooks pushed the company to better understand its margins, expenses, and long-term strategy.
“It’s given us a better playbook moving forward,” Hall said. “Just sitting down and putting things on paper really gives you a game plan. I feel like we’re a better company because of that.”
Brooks said Eco Advancements reflects what is possible when rural entrepreneurs have access to the capital and expertise to act on their ideas.
“Small businesses like this matter because they employ the local community,” Brooks said. “They’re located in a rural area — it’s not a big town — but they’re still able to create jobs.”
"It fills a need in small communities. And it gives people the opportunity to create a living and be part of the American dream.”
— Candence Brooks, Communities Unlimited
For Hall, the road ahead looks different than it did a year ago. He credits Eco Advancements’ partnership with CU for making that possible.
“Funding for any business, especially a smaller one like ours, is crucial,” he said.
"If you don't have the funding in place, you don't keep your doors open very long. It's been highly beneficial, especially coming off a transitional year. It's meant the world to us."
— Rick Hall, Eco Advancements
And for Brooks, she will be watching Eco Advancements’ progress closely in the future.
“I love working with Eco Advance,” she said. “They have some strong plans for expansion, and I’m excited to see that growth.”
