Van Buren Firm to Build River Dock Project

Five Rivers Distribution of Van Buren will be building a $3.1 million terminal on the Arkansas River that will be the first of its kind in the state.

Construction began April 11 on the only covered dock and warehouse operation on the river.

The project will be off Arkansas Highway 59, just south of Interstate 540 on property formerly occupied by a wood chip mill. The effort is both a public and private partnership.

It will include a covered dock to allow the loading and off-loading of barges in any type of weather. Attached to the dock will be a 76,500-SF climate-controlled warehouse. Also, there will be a 30-ton overhead, cantilevered crane with two 15-ton hooks. Another 15-ton overhead crane will be installed to transfer containers to and from barge, rail or truck, all at the same time when necessary.

Five Rivers will lay 1,100 feet of rail with one switch alongside another 1,100 feet of rail and a switch to be constructed by the Van Buren Public Facilities board. Five Rivers is donating right-of-way for the second length of rail to the City of Van Buren. With the two lengths of rail, the facility will have full truck-to-rail transfer capabilities.

Five Rivers already serves customers in southwest Arkansas, southern Missouri and eastern Oklahoma.

The new terminal will require up to five new employees, bringing Five Rivers’ total employment to about 20.

This is phase I of Five Rivers’ plans. Once the new warehouse is full, another 50,000 SF will be added.

Luke Gordy, chairman of the Van Buren Public Facilities board, said the project’s capabilities will benefit both the River Valley and Northwest Arkansas. He said both large and small manufacturers that use the facility will realize lower shipping costs as well as more consistency of service from transportation providers, particularly rail service.

Buck Shell, president of Five Rivers, and his son Marty have been planning the river terminal for more than a year.

Arvest Adds Another Rogers Location

Arvest Bank has submitted a plan review valued at $800,000 for a new branch bank.

The fifth Arvest location in Rogers will be at 700 W. New Hope Road next to the new Wal-Mart Neighborhood Market and only about 600 feet off Eighth Street.

Nabholz Construction Corp. of Rogers will be the general contractor on the project.

Arvest has existing locations in Rogers at 201 W. Walnut Ave., 1801 W. Walnut Ave., 2110 W. Walnut Ave. and 5201 Village Parkway.

Roger Wilkins Continues Fayetteville Home Projects

Roger Wilkins of Fayetteville has purchased five building permits valued at $653,080 to build new homes at different Fayetteville subdivisions.

Wilkins also got three loans on March 4 totaling $360,000 from First State Bank of Huntsville to build more homes.

The loans are for homes at phase II of Quail Creek subdivision south of North Hills Medical Park. One of the permits was for a 2,183-SF house on Quail Creek Drive.

One permit was for a 2,440-SF house on Hartford Drive in Barrington Park subdivision.

Three permits were for homes in phase V of Bridgeport subdivision in west Fayetteville. They are on Constitution Drive and range from 2,182-2,272 SF.

Upchurch Completes Renovating Financing

Upchurch Electrical Supply Inc. of Fayetteville on March 5 secured a $500,000 loan from Arvest Bank of Fayetteville for the completion of renovation to its headquarters.

Located at 2355 N. Gregg Ave., Upchurch added about 4,200 SF to its existing building. About 3,800 SF of old office space was turned into a warehouse, while the new addition became the new office area. It also features a new classroom.

Founded in 1955, Upchurch was the first electrical supply wholesale distributor in Northwest Arkansas to get into automation.

Jeff Koenig is president and CEO of Upchurch.

Commerce Construction Co. of Springdale was the general contractor on the project.

Residential Real Estate Additions, Corrections

Despite a record number of real estate firms and agents participating in our annual list of residential firms and agents in the April 1 issue of the Northwest Arkansas Business Journal, some agents were still inadvertently omitted from our list.

Rogers Land Co./GMAC Real Estate also had three agents left off the list. Ken McKenzie had $3.9 million (No. 82) in sales volume, Steve Roberts had $3.5 million (No. 97) and Vicki Lehman $2.9 (No. 135).

Century 21 Metro Realtors Inc. of Fayetteville had two agents that would have qualified for our minimum $1 million in sales volume. Leon Bland had $2.6 million and Morris Lawson had $2.5 million, which would have placed both agents in the top 150.

Also, we misread a fax from RE/MAX Associates Realtors and short-changed the Fayetteville company’s total sales volume in 2001. It should have been $79.7 million, which would have ranked it fourth among Northwest Arkansas real estate firms. Twenty of that company’s 23 agents were members of the million dollar club.