Author: Jeff Della Rosa

Fast 15: Kimberly Norris

Kimberly Norris always knew she wanted to have a business. “My dad had always had a business,” she explained. “So I grew up seeing that and … he was a…

Fast 15: MacKenzie Allison

MacKenzie Allison loved math from an early age, mostly because she was good at it. In high school, her calculus teacher suggested that she consider an engineering career. The Rogers…

America’s Car-Mart to buy Texas Auto Center dealerships

Rogers-based America’s Car-Mart Inc. will acquire the dealership assets of Texas Auto Center, a used car dealership with two Texas locations, according to a Thursday (May 2) news release. Financial…

Area CDL training demand remains robust amid freight recession

According to a new report from the National Transportation Institute, companies are pausing training programs and hiring partnerships with commercial driver’s license (CDL) schools as a downturn in the freight…

ISM report: manufacturing activity contracts in April

Economic activity in the manufacturing sector reversed course in April as it contracted after expanding in March, according to the Institute for Supply Management (ISM). Before the March expansion, the…

P.A.M. seeks name change, conversion to Nevada corporation

According to recent filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, Tontitown-based carrier P.A.M. Transportation Services Inc. wants to change its corporate name to PAMT CORP and convert from a…

Electric cooperatives highlight economic impact in new study

Electric Cooperatives of Arkansas recently announced the results of a study showing that the state’s electric cooperatives have contributed an average of nearly $2 billion annually to the state. According…

Winrock invests in Xtremis’ high-tech lab in Washington County

A startup fund of Little Rock-based Winrock International will back a project to build a high-tech telecommunications laboratory in southern Washington County. The investment amount was not disclosed. According to…

J.B. Hunt shareholders appoint Shelley Simpson to company board

Lowell-based carrier J.B. Hunt Transport Services Inc. hosted its annual shareholders meeting on Thursday (April 25) in less than nine minutes. Shareholders approved three items, including President Shelley Simpson’s appointment…

Texas business advisory firm opens Bentonville office

Dallas-based business advisory firm Embark has opened an office at Ledger in downtown Bentonville amid rapid growth. The 500-square-foot office is the firm’s 18th office nationwide and the first in…

JLC Second Chance Trucking offers new opportunities for previously incarcerated

JLC Second Chance Trucking recently opened a Siloam Springs office. The nonprofit established the office to help those with criminal records to become truck drivers. Jerry Cox of Siloam Springs…

UA student grows tutoring company

RyLeigh Werner, a University of Arkansas student, started a tutoring company last year to help students with their business classes. Werner is director of the student advisory board and program…

Then & Now: Rob Woods treasures longtime relationships

Editor’s Note: The following story appeared in the April 8 issue of the Northwest Arkansas Business Journal. “Then & Now” is a profile of a past member of the Business…

P.A.M. Transportation Q1 profit craters 94%; revenue down 17%

Tontitown-based carrier P.A.M. Transportation Services Inc. posted double-digit declines in earnings and revenue in a challenging first quarter as the company’s stock fell to a 52-week low. After the markets…

ArDOT kicks off $310M in road projects in Benton, Washington counties

Northwest Arkansas will add about 11 miles of interstate-style freeway to the region when nearly $310 million in highway projects are completed over the next three years. On Wednesday (April…

J.B. Hunt Q1 earnings plunge 35%; revenue dips 8%

Lowell-based carrier J.B. Hunt Transport Services Inc. posted declines in earnings and revenue in the first quarter as freight market softness persists. After the markets closed Tuesday (April 16), J.B….

Xtremis to open high-tech telecommunications lab in Washington County

Technology startup Xtremis, in collaboration with the University of Arkansas, has plans to open a first-of-its-kind innovation campus for the rapid advancement of electromagnetic spectrum technologies. It’s expected to position…

Deb Williams leads annual startup competition Heartland Challenge, which begins Thursday

Deb Williams has spent most of her career in higher education, beginning in the late ‘90s when she was a graduate student at the University of Arkansas. She started in…

Analysts predict slump in Q1 earnings for J.B. Hunt

Analysts said Lowell-based carrier J.B. Hunt Transport Services Inc. is expected to post first-quarter declines in earnings and revenue amid freight market challenges. After the markets close on April 16,…

Used car prices fell nearly 15% in March

Used vehicle prices in the United States declined in March amid strong sales and higher supply levels, economists said. The prices were down by 14.7%, the highest year-over-year decrease since…