BENTONVILLE, Ark. — DroneUp has delivery hubs at Walmart stores in Bentonville, Rogers, and Farmington, allowing the company to deliver items within 30 minutes for just four bucks.
“It’s a new mobility, it’s the future of mobility and delivery,” said Alex Buckley, Business Development, DroneUp.
And that was on full display Thursday as the company showcased what else its drones can do.
“Being a resource for things like construction monitoring, property management oversights, aerial photography, kind of those drone services where we can support the community,” Buckley said.
It's also the type of innovation community leaders are eager for.
“We’re the home of the world’s largest retailer, and so having them see success with these new technologies is exciting for not only Bentonville but really for the region,” said Stephanie Orman, Bentonville Mayor.
DroneUp hopes to be that partner in making Northwest Arkansas into the technology hub it can be.
“As Northwest Arkansas cities aspire to be more tech-forward, smart cities, we can help support them in those areas too,” Buckley said.
The launch pads have pilots, visual observers, and delivery specialists. The drones aren’t able to fly in stormy or windy weather yet, but they are constantly working to innovate.
“I kind of joke, because DroneUp was talking about us sort of being the Silicon Valley of air mobility and innovation, and I said, let’s call it Bentonville Valley or Benton County Valley or Northwest Arkansas Valley,” Orman said.
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