SPRINGDALE, Ark. (AP) — Gov. Mike Beebe says nanotechnology research at the University of Arkansas could provide a major boost to the state's economy.

Beebe spoke Friday at the dedication of a plant that will produce extremely hard coatings engineered at the molecular level.

The Duralor plant will produce TuffTek coatings developed at the University of Arkansas and licensed to Duralor's parent company, NanoMech LLC of Fayetteville. NanoMech designs and makes applicationspecific nanoparticlebased coatings and coating deposition systems, according to the company's web site.

"Diamonds are the only cutting surface harder" than products treated with Duralor coatings, according to a company news release.

The 8,500-square-foot building dedicated Friday could have 300 people working there in the next five years, the company said — 100 employed by Duralor, another 200 by NanoMech.

Beebe said the university's decision years ago to put talent, time and money into nanotechnology research and development made the NanoMech and Duralor operations possible.

The governor said the cooperation between the university, Duralor and NanoMech is a "living, breathing example" of the marriage of education and economic development.

"This type of innovation is tomorrow's Wal-Mart, tomorrow's J.B. Hunt, tomorrow's Tyson," Beebe said, citing other major companies with headquarters in northwest Arkansas.

Northwest Arkansans know "you can't sit still without losing ground and this is an example of not sitting still," he said.

Steve Voorhies, chief spokesman for the Fayetteville campus who attended the ribbon-cutting, said he was pleased with Beebe's remarks.

"I was not expecting that kind of recognition," Voorhies said. "We know that we've helped projects like this from research to producing a product, but to hear it was really gratifying."