Best & Worst 2004: From Batman Sperm To Bogus Blind Boys

We’re inclined to say it was a quiet year in business, but such things are subjective at the least. So is this list, for that matter. It’s compiled by our editorial staff and gives us the chance to interject a little bit of opinion (which is a must in business reporting).

Most Accessible Executive

Ray Hobbs, president, chairman and CEO of Daisy Manufacturing Co., was as engaging and candid as it gets. After struggling for years to try to get any cooperation out of Daisy spin-off Brass Eagle Inc., Hobbs was a pleasant surprise.

A veteran of Wal-Mart’s executive wing and the former interim CEO of Bass Pro Shops, Hobbs’ open personality and expertise in merchandising would do Mr. Sam proud. It’s no wonder Daisy is again on target for a double-digit sales increase, and a few other folks we know could learn from this guy.

We were also impressed by Richard Galanti, chief financial officer of Costco Wholesale Corp. in Issaquah, Wash. He returned our calls, saying they don’t have a PR department, and even crunched some annualized sales numbers for a story we were working on.

Best PR People

Elise Mitchell is more of an independent consultant than a public relations executive, and John McIntosh operates his own firm in Fort Smith and Bentonville that primarily emphasizes brand development. But when Mitchell Communications or The McIntosh Group calls the Business Journal, they have our immediate attention.

It’s because they thoroughly understand two things too many others do not: Trust comes from relationships, and niche business publications don’t do grip-and-grin check presentations or ribbon cuttings. We write for business leaders, executives and decision makers who demand more, and these two get that demographic.

Worst PR People

Furniture Row’s PR flacks in Denver nearly had a cow when we wanted to simply list a contact name in an upscale furnishings directory for the firm’s Oak Express store in Springdale. Apparently, FR has some sort of PR rule about keeping its managers incognito.

You’d have thought an out-of-market corporation would be willing to do what ever it could to put a local face on its business, particularly in a publication that caters to business owners who might want to call up a furniture manager and order an office full of desks. Must be the altitude.

Worst New Business Name

& agency. That’s a new advertising firm’s name. Seriously.

Best LLC Name

Six Little Babes LLC, a residential construction firm managed by Shelley Simpson.

Worst Headache for Mayor Coody

Trying to bring a stadium-seating movie theater to Fayetteville. After working on it for two years, Malco Theaters announced its second stadium-seating theater in the area will be built in Rogers, where it already has the Malco Cinema 12 with stadium seating.

Worst Bog-down

The Pinnacle Group announced in 2003 that the upscale Pinnacle Promenade in Rogers would bring big-city retailers the likes of Neiman Marcus and Nordstrom. It’s been more than a year, and we’re still waiting for them to break ground on the project.

Worst Wal-Mart Product

On Jan. 27, during the “Headlines” segment of NBC’s Tonight Show, Jay Leno held up a receipt from a Wal-Mart store.

Listed among the items purchased was “Batman sperm.”

The second worst was “crystal meth,” which Leno showed on a Wal-Mart receipt during the July 19 segment of “Headlines.”

Both were apparently computer abbreviations for other products but were still funny all the same.

Best Sneaky Move

Wal-Mart’s new prototype stores that are 99,000-SF, just small enough to squeeze under the 100,000-SF restrictions some city councils passed around the country to keep the retailer from moving into town.

Best Imitation of the Blind Boys of Alabama

J.B. Hunt, John Q. Hammons and David Glass in a photo for our Feb. 16 issue announcing the Pinnacle Promenade. We don’t know if they can sing, but with J.B.’s shades, they sure looked the part.

Worst Overuse of Exclamation Points

Mari See in her weekly society column in The Morning News!!! Hey, how about those exclamation points!!!!! What a punctuation mark!!!!!!!!

Best Advertising Campaign

Tyson Foods’ $75 million national protein power blitz with the “Powered by Tyson” slogan works. CJRW-NW of Fayetteville was the only local advertising agency hired to help with the campaign. The local arm of Little Rock’s Cranford Johnson Robinson Woods handled retail promotions for the iniative.

Worst Worry Warts

That would have to be the hand-wringing restaurant owners who said sales would plummet after Fayetteville’s smoking ban went into effect in March.

When we checked a few months later, sales at Fayetteville’s restaurants were up 8 percent, which was more than the previous year’s sales growth. Of course, they say the real dip won’t hit until winter, and we haven’t seen those numbers yet, so the smoke hasn’t quite settled.

Best Reopening

The Fancher family of Flippin opened Sodie’s Fountain & Grill in the Old Post Office building on Fayetteville’s downtown sqare.

The historic building had been empty since Hog City Diner was evicted on June 1, 2002. Finally, there’s ice cream downtown.

Worst Case of Overcoverage

The number of stories the local daily newspapers did about the opening of a Krispy Kreme doughnut shop in Bentonville was downright obscene.

It’s just a doughnut shop, but the dailies — in particular The Benton County Daily Record — caked the coverage on thicker than icing on a bear claw. Must have been a PR man’s dream.

Best Headline

On the front page of the July 15 issue of The Benton County Daily Record: “Sheriff: No Mo. Nudity.”

The story was about Sheriff Robert M. Evenson of McDonald County, Mo., banning nudity on the county’s rivers and creeks, which are popular for canoeing.

Worst Headline

“Pubic Shaming Ruled Appropriate For Sentencing.” That was from the Aug. 11 issue of The Morning News. We’re pretty sure they meant “public shaming.”

Worst On-air Comment

“Coach Houston Nutt’s Arizona Razorbacks.” That’s from ESPN sideline eye-candy commentator Erin Andrews during the Arkansas-Texas football game on Sept. 11. Clearly, she was as lost as three geese.

Best Non-published Quote

“I can break any security system in the world with a cart full of ribs.” — Ed Knight, owner of Penguin Ed’s Barbecue in Fayetteville, talking with us over lunch one day.

Best Published Quotes

This one was a tie.

“Infrastructure is going to be the death of us,” — Jeff Collins, director of the University of Arkansas’ Center for Business and Economic Research, at the second quarter regional economic forecast breakfast in Rogers, talking about highway congestion.

“It’s an honor to be considered a bad guy by a company that has consistently shown itself to be an immoral, unethical and, at times, illegal operation. I can only assume that these cretins who suppress free expression don’t understand. They always help boost the sales of the things they ban. Thank you, Wal-Mart. Merry Christmas.” — Comedian George Carlin on Wal-Mart refusing to sell his book, “When Will Jesus Bring the Pork Chops?” in its stores.

Biggest Bellyflop

The on-again, off-again life of the now defunct Makahiki Beach Adventure Waterpark in Lowell was a $12 million disappointment. We hope the Pinnacle gang will continue pursuing this kind of fun venue. For an increasingly metropolitan area of more than 400,000 people, we’re seriously lacking in the touristy/entertainment department.

The apparently mutual decision to abandon plans for an operating agreement between Triad Hospitals Inc. and Sparks Health System in Fort Smith also seemed like a missed opportunity to leverage some synergies.

Best Belt-tightening

Blake Russell, general manager of KNWA, the NBC affiliate in Fayetteville, cut the Nielsen ratings and The Associated Press wire service to save money.

Although heads have been rolling since Nexstar of Irving, Texas, took over KNWA operations this year, the station still has the most professional, polished look in the market.

Worst Anniversary

It’s been 35 years since “the Big Shootout,” when the nation’s No. 1 Texas played No. 2 Arkansas in the last game of the regular 1969 season. The Razorbacks lost 15 to 14, and the idea of having an anniversary celebration at this year’s Sept. 11 Texas game rankled UA Athletic Director Frank Broyles to a point somewhere near combustion. So the party was axed.

Best Reason to Watch Fox

Ed Wilson of Rison, a University of Arkansas graduate, was named president of Fox Television this past spring.

We remember when Eddie led the chapter meetings at the Sigma Alpha Epsilon house in an era that has since been spoofed by Fox’s “That ’70s Show.”

Best Deal on a Hotel Room

Bentonville on a weekend. It’s like a ghost town after the Wal-Mart vendors head out on Friday.

Best Facelift

The construction of new sidewalks and lighting for Fayetteville’s Dickson Street wasn’t completed until the tail end of 2003, but we’ve got to say, the place sure looks better. Of course, the Razorback logo in the intersection of Dickson and Arkansas will have to be repainted regularly, but that’s what you get when you decide to be cheap and not make a brick inlay of the Hog as planned. Oh well, at least it’ll keep the economy churning.

Best PR Blitz

Following a flurry of news articles noting a flock of Arvest Bank execs leaving to start their own ventures, the Bentonville banking behemoth did damage control by obsessively calling attention to each new hire and promotion through paid advertising and press releases — as many as three a day — by its PR firm Sells/Clark.

Best Budding Building

The neatest office building we’ve seen open in a long time was the Innovation Center at the University of Arkansas’ Research and Technology Park.

Its supreme enviro-friendliness goes far, but we have to couple it with Fayetteville’s long awaited Blair Library for a cool space factor that’s simply off the charts.

Best Biker

Male model Fabio, whose new clothing line hit Sam’s Club stores this year, made the morning radio show rounds during a December publicity tour. While on the air with KAMO-FM radio personality Big Dan Hentschel, Fabio talked about his love for motorcycling and riding down Arkansas Highway 23, commonly known as “The Pig Trail.”

Fabio said he had “done the Pig Trail” twice this year and also enjoyed biking to Eureka Springs.

We figure the folks down in Cass just thought it was Little Rock media personality David Bazzel passing through.

Worst New Disease for Computer Geeks

“Mouse elbow.” A lot of Wal-Mart employees have this problem, said Mike Booker, an occupational therapist with the Northwest Health Rehabilitation Therapy Agility Center in Bentonville.

Best Beating

The original plastic, PhoneMate telephone used by executive recruiter Cameron Smith, owner of Cameron Smith & Associates Inc. in Bentonville, has been used so much the numbers are worn off.

The world’s largest executive search firm specializing in vendors to Wal-Mart Stores Inc., Smith has helped bring hundreds of retail suppliers to Northwest Arkansas during the last decade.

He’s on the front line of Benton County’s upscale influx. As of July when Smith sat down to talk about his business, he was working on bringing in another dozen vendor teams.

Best Casual Dress

Developer Richard Alexander wears Hawaiian shirts and shorts pretty much year round. Must be a rough life.

Best Restaurants and Bars

Best Barbecue

Penguin Ed’s in Fayetteville for chicken. Famous Dave’s in Rogers for beef brisket. For pulled pork, it was a tie between Lucky Luke’s and Red Robin, both in Fayetteville.

Coldest Beer

U.S. Pizza has forever reigned as the frostiest in the land. But Grub’s Bar & Grill recently added cold frosted mugs to its offerings. Both Fayetteville establishments have no competition in this category.

Best Burger

Ron’s Hamburgers & Chili in Bentonville won by a narrow margin. Others receiving votes were Grub’s Bar & Grill (which also got praise for the $2 Guinness drafts) and Red Robin, both in Fayetteville, even though Red Robin burgers are about twice as expensive, starting at $9 with tax.

Best New Bars

Hog Haus Brewing Co. and Stir are helping to revitalize Fayetteville’s Dickson Street after months of sidewalk construction clogged commerce.

Best Pizza

U.S. Pizza in Fayetteville won by a smidgen. Others receiving votes were Tim’s and Cable Car, both in Fayetteville.

Most Romantic Restaurant

Bordino’s in Fayetteville. Hey, in the dark with a bottle of good wine, everybody looks better.

Best New Restaurant

Oscar’s Prime Rib Steak House in Rogers.

Best Overall Restaurant

A Taste of Thai in Fayetteville. Reasonably priced, consistently great Thai food.

Best Steak

Herman’s in Fayetteville. Hey, even Fabio says it’s the best steak he’s ever had.

Best Executive Lunch

Herman’s in Fayetteville. The Plaza in Rogers, which will soon move to Bentonville, was a close second.

Best Sandwich

Common Grounds in Fayetteville.

Best Weekend Brunch

Ella’s Restaurant in Carnall Hall at the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville.

Most Family-Friendly Restaurant

This was a tie between Red Robin in Fayetteville and the Marketplace Grill in Springdale.

Top 10 Northwest Arkansas Business Stories of 2004

• 1— Rogers and Fayetteville jumped on the idea of establishing tax-increment financing districts to pay for development.

Rogers’ proposed TIF would provide about $50 million for new commercial development along the Interstate 540 corridor.

Fayetteville’s TIF would revamp part of downtown and help developers build a $22 million, 12-story hotel where the Mountain Inn now stands. Even the smaller towns like Goshen and Johnson have been looking into TIFs.

But some state legislators say the TIF districts are only for “blighted areas,” so there could be fireworks during the Legislature’s spring session.

• 2 — The first news of a banking shuffle came in March when Joe Mills resigned from Simmons First Bank of Northwest Arkansas. Then ex-Arvest bankers Gary Head and Jerry Carmichael revealed plans for two separate banks. And investor Gary George grabbed Don Gibson from the Bank of America to start a Springdale bank.

All told, two new banks opened (Pinnacle Bank in Bentonville and Parkway Bank in Rogers); two more are expected to open in early 2005 (Fayetteville’s Signature Bank of Arkansas and Legacy National Bank in Springdale); two have already or will change hands (Arkansas State Bacshares in Siloam Springs was bought by Liberty Bancshares in Jonesboro and Russellville Bancshares in Russellville; and pending approval, First Bank Corp. in Fort Smith will purchase the Bank of Rogers); Bank of the Ozarks and Metropolitan National Bank, both of Little Rock, and BancorpSouth Bank of Tupelo, Miss., announced plans to move into the two-county area; and Community Bank of North Arkansas re-branded itself as Chambers Bank of North Arkansas.

• 3 — Commercial development in Benton County kept growing at an unprecedented rate, particularly along Rogers’ I-540 corridor with the Pinnacle Group’s more than 400 acres, and the BOS Group and Charles Reaves developing the 345-acre Pleasant Crossing. They add up to more than 2 million SF of retail space.

• 4 — More prominent executives shuffled from one company to another or retired in 2004 than in other years in recent history. A chunk of the executive team at Northwest Health System jumped ship to Washington Regional Medical Center. Wal-Mart Vice Chairman Tom Coughlin retired, and Tyson Foods Chief Financial Officer Steve Hankins left.

• 5 — In April, Wal-Mart Stores Inc. of Bentonville launched its pilot radio-frequency identification program, which uses microchips to transmit serial numbers to a scanner. The retailer asked its top 100 vendors to have RFID tags on crates and forklift pallets going to three Dallas area distribution centers by January 2005. Another 37 vendors participated voluntarily. The top 300 vendors are required to be on board by January 2006.

• 6 — The price of real estate in Northwest Arkansas continues to increase. Creekside Development LLC paid more than $106,000 per acre in January for its 90-acre pad off New Hope Road in Rogers.

Realtors say raw, undeveloped residential land was selling for as much as $45,000 per acre this year. Two years ago, that land would have cost $20,000 to $25,000 per acre. Land prices have quadrupled during the past decade.

• 7 — Although Nolan Richardson has appealed U.S. District Judge William Wilson’s ruling, the former University of Arkansas basketball coach lost his racial discrimination lawsuit against the UA in July. After publicly inviting the UA to fire him, the school took Richardson up on his offer in February 2002.

• 8 — Fort Smith’s rally to keep Graphic Packaging, a paperboard packing firm that was bound for Monroe, La., and its 165 jobs in town was a landmark effort. State and local groups worked together to come up with an incentive package that not only got the firm to stay, but inspired Graphic to build a new 300,000-SF manufacturing plant and add another 135 jobs creating what leaders estimated to be a $16.4 million economic impact.

• 9 — KNWA, the NBC television affiliate in Fayetteville, was sold to Nexstar Broadcasting Inc. of Irving, Texas, in 2004, although they may still be awaiting the rubber stamp of FCC regulators. The station, previously known as NBC 24/51, was owned by JDG Television Inc. of Muskogee, Okla. Neither party would reveal the financial details of the sale.

• 10 — Stock prices for most of the area’s publicly traded transportation companies saw improvement in 2004. J.B. Hunt Transport Services Inc. of Lowell was up 46.8 percent from $27.34 on Jun. 2 to $40.14 as of Dec. 8. Arkansas Best Corp. of Fort Smith and USA Truck Inc. of Van Buren also had increases in the 40, percent range. P.A.M. Transportation Services Inc. of Tontitown had a 5.5 percent decrease in stock price.