Greenville-based The Iron Yard will be closing its Little Rock, Ark., campus after a year, saying Little Rock isn’t the best fit for the international coding school right now, according to the company’s CEO Peter Barth. The Little Rock campus launched in June 2015 and has graduated 33 students.
“In Little Rock, it became clear to us that what is working in our other 22 markets is not working as well there,” said Barth in an emailed statement. “Unfortunately, that meant we had to make the tough decision to teach out our last cohort in Little Rock.”
In an April interview, Barth told UBJ that the company was on pace to open 10 to 12 locations a year, and that each new campus requires a host of market assessments, regulatory approvals and research before launch.
“As The Iron Yard grows, we constantly take a close look at the health of each of our campuses, including job demand in the local market, to determine how our model is working and if it is still the best fit for each market’s needs,” stated Barth about Little Rock. “The Iron Yard will still have a presence in Little Rock through our hiring partners and alumni who we know will continue to have a positive impact on strengthening the local tech industry and encouraging tech education.”
Founded in Greenville, The Iron Yard operates 23 campuses and has graduated nearly 1,000 software engineers so far. The company launched its first international location in London in June 2015, following an investment from University of Phoenix owner Apollo Education Group.
