Author: Talk Business & Politics

Signature Bank to Open New Office in Siloam Springs

Fayetteville-chartered Signature Bank of Arkansas has received approval to open a full-service office in Siloam Springs.

AEB Investments Focus of Two Lawsuits

First State Bank of Lonoke and Rhino Investment Co. filed separate lawsuits against AEB Investments LLC of Springdale in Washington County Circuit Court in October and November.

VIC Client Receives Research Award

OmniPak LLC, a Fayetteville client of Virtual Incubation Corp., has received a $100,000 Phase I Small Business Innovation Research award from the National Science Foundation.

VeriSource, Advanced Control Solutions Merger Called Off

VeriSource Inc. of Rogers and Advanced Control Solutions Inc. of Bentonville ?revenue sharing arrangement? has apparently fallen through.

AMP to Pursue Classic Acts for 2006 Season

The Arkansas Music Pavilion is pursuing possible acts for its 2006 season, such as Pat Benatar, Lyle Lovett and Hall & Oates, among others.

David Glass, chairman of the executive committee of the board of Wal-Mart Stores Inc., filed a plan with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission to sell 300,000 shares of the company?s stock, worth an estimated $13.54 million.

The Region’s Largest Public Utilities

Southwestern Electric Power Co. and Arkansas Western Gas Co. top the lists of the region’s largest public electric companies and public gas companies.

The Region’s Largest Telecommunications Firms

Southwestern Bell Communications Services Inc. and Southwestern Bell Telephone Co. tops the lists of the regions’s largest local and national telecommunications firms.

The Two Faces of Wal-Mart (Bill Bowden Editor’s Note)

Two documentary films premiered in mid-November presenting both sides of the Wal-Mart argument. In Northwest Arkansas, we?ve heard all this before. Was it really Wal-Mart that put mom out of business, or did the consumers do that?

Technology Advances in Arkansas (Editorial)

Arkansas may be on its way to picking itself up by its economic bootstraps and building the technological utopia scientists and politicians dreamed of.

Banks Battle for Deposits

Northwest Arkansas? deposit market grows 7 percent to $9.18 billion, and Arvest Bank of Bentonville is still No. 1 with 31 percent of the market.

Toxic Mold Can Damage Even Brand New Homes

Building new homes with wet lumber can encase a mold-breeding habitat within the walls. EGIS Inc. of Bentonville works to detect and remove mold from residential and commercial buildings.

Home Sales Jump 13 Percent in 2005

Home sales in Northwest Arkansas increased 13 percent from June through August, according to the November Skyline Report commissioned by Arvest Bank Group Inc.

Commercial Lending Skyrockets While Residential Remains Steady

The dollar value of processed mortgages in Benton and Washington counties increased a whopping 145 percent from about $5.82 billion in calendar 2003 to about $14.26 billion in calendar 2004. But lenders say people are buying homes, too.

Hurricanes Spike Local Material, Housing Costs

Hurricanes Katrina and Rita have affected the cost of construction materials across the nation. In Rogers? Saddlewood Development, house prices have gone up from $3 to $3.50 per SF, largely because of the hurricanes.

Atlas Focus of Lawsuits

Atlas Construction of Arkansas LLC in Fayetteville has been sued by a homeowner and is facing two other lawsuits filed this year. In all, the company has been involved in eight other lawsuits in Washington County since 2001.

Celtic Grill A Breath of Fresh Air (Business Lunch)

The Celtic Grill in Bentonville gets 3.5 stars in our lunch review.

Condo Projects Hit Sweet Spot

Within the next two years, downtown Fayetteville will have at least 236 new condo units. Construction hasn?t even started on The Barber Group?s seven-story Legacy building, but 60 percent of its condos have already been spoken for.)

$1.5B Needed for Road Improvements (Market Forecast)

Figures show that our region?s estimated available funding falls very short of our transportation needs.

Hart, Yazwinski Leaving KNWA

Reporters Sydney Hart and Tom Yazwinski are leaving KNWA to go to work for KARK-TV, Channel 4, in Little Rock.

Fort Smith Metro News Briefs: ACME input now online, UAFS students receive SURF grants

Arkansas to lead National Advanced Manufacturing Apprenticeship expansion

The Supply Side: Boomer generation concedes spending power to young consumers

2nd cohort of new lithium accelerator shows innovations in Bentonville