Author: Roby Brock

Roby Brock

LR Port elects Bobby Brown as chairman

The Little Rock Port Authority board of directors elected Bobby Brown as chair of the board. His term will run from July 2022 through June 2023. Brown was first appointed…

U.S. Rep. French Hill focused on inflation-reducing efforts

U.S. Rep. French Hill, R-Little Rock, is juggling many of his Congressional duties, but finding solutions to reduce inflation may be the most urgent priority for the four-term representative. A…

Broadband CEO: Arkansas far ahead of other states with expansion investments

Alan Morse, CEO of Jonesboro-based Ritter Communications, a regional telecom and broadband provider, said Arkansas is well ahead of surrounding states when it comes to investing in high-speed Internet fiber…

St. Louis Fed names Matuschka Lindo Briggs as regional executive in Little Rock

The Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis on Tuesday (June 21) named Matuschka Lindo Briggs as vice president and regional executive for the Little Rock Branch, which serves the majority…

Banker: Feds must use interest rate hikes to contain inflation

Davy Carter has a pretty good seat to gauge the local, state and national economies. From his perch as Northeast Arkansas regional president for Centennial Bank and as a director…

Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Natalie James on guns, reproductive rights, and living wage

Natalie James, the Democratic nominee for U.S. Senate, expressed a wide variety of opinions in her first Talk Business & Politics interview since winning on primary election night. She defeated…

Jones: ‘All of us want safe communities’

Democratic gubernatorial nominee Chris Jones, who cruised to victory on primary election night, said he will listen to all voices in the debate over safer schools – from gun access…

Griffin: Schools, sensitive targets need ‘hardened’ protection

In the wake of the Uvalde school shooting, Lt. Gov. Tim Griffin, the GOP nominee for Attorney General, said he wants more answers about the incident. But he said more…

Lockheed Martin, Airbus to locate new aerospace facility in western Arkansas, if contract awarded

If Lockheed Martin and Airbus win a U.S. Air Force award for an aerial refueling system, the two companies plan to locate the manufacturing facility for the project in western…

Keet family, Kelley Group, partners buy Breckenridge Village, plan revamp

KBK-Breck, LLC, purchased the local shopping center known as Breckenridge Village in west Little Rock and plan a multi-million dollar redevelopment, according to a press release made public on Monday…

Broadband study leader talks price tag, remote delivery

Lou McAlister has been traveling Arkansas for months and he knows a thing or two about who has broadband, who needs broadband, and how hard it will be to deliver…

Clark Contractors hires CFO, two additional managers

Clark Contractors has hired Chris Shepard as Chief Financial Officer. In addition, the company added Travis Henry as safety director and Daniel Hunt as senior project manager. Shepard will manage…

Dillard’s Q1 net income rises 58% over year ago

Dillard’s Inc. reported first quarter net income of $251.1 million, or $13.68 per share, on sales revenue of $1.612 billion. One year ago, the Little Rock-based department store and online…

Swindle promoted to COO at AgHeritage Farm Credit Services

AgHeritage Farm Credit Services (AFCS) announced Thursday (May 12) the promotion of Blake Swindle to Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer. Swindle, who joined AFCS in 2001 in the…

Senate candidate Jake Bequette to file lawsuit over wrong name on ballot

Republican U.S. Senate candidate Jake Bequette announced Wednesday (May 11) that he has filed a lawsuit against election officials for his name appearing incorrectly on ballots in Craighead and Phillips…

Jeff Pitchford named Arkansas Farm Bureau EVP

Jeff Pitchford has been named as Arkansas Farm Bureau’s executive vice president. He replaces Warren Carter, who is retiring May 31, 2022. Arkansas Farm Bureau’s executive vice president serves as…

Governor appoints interim Health secretary, new director of Health Department

Gov. Asa Hutchinson on Thursday (May 5) announced that Renee Mallory will serve as interim Secretary of Health, while Dr. Jennifer Dillaha will serve as director of the Department of…

Topgolf bringing venue to Little Rock

Topgolf Entertainment Group said Wednesday (May 4) it has “set plans in motion” to locate a venue in Little Rock, its second venue in Arkansas. Topgolf has a high-tech entertainment…

Murphy USA Q1 profits nearly triple

Murphy USA Inc. reported first quarter net income of $152.4 million, nearly three times higher than a year ago when profits topped $55.3 million. On Tuesday (May 3), the El…

Export leader sees opportunity for Arkansas agriculture, aircraft

Jonathan Bricker, a banker with Arvest Bank, began his finance career working as an international business development representative. The economic development side of the business stuck with him and now…