Author: Talk Business & Politics staff

Talk Business & Politics staff

Forty Under 40: Ben Buergler

Ben Buergler lived in New York City and worked in global corporate investments when he decided 2018 was the time to return to Northwest Arkansas and work for a bank…

Forty Under 40: Buckley Bridges

Buckley Bridges has the opportunity to help Northwest Arkansas grow through his work at Waco Title. Buckley said the company “greases the wheels of real estate” to keep transactions moving….

Forty Under 40: Bailey Brandon

A summer job in 2009 blossomed into a satisfying career for Bailey Brandon, who serves as assistant to the three top-producing brokers at Sage Partners in Rogers. Brandon graduated from…

Lauren Blanco merged her many eclectic interests into a blossoming career manufacturing chocolate. She maintains a focus on supporting cacao farmers through fair and environmentally sustainable practices. Her bean-to-bar enterprise,…

Forty Under 40: Kassidie Blackstock

One year after stepping into a newly-created role for the Razorback Foundation, Kassidie Blackstock is considered a “communications quarterback” and trusted senior adviser by her boss, Scott Varady. Blackstock’s early…

Forty Under 40: Andrew Barker

Andrew Barker was a University of Arkansas student with a passion for aviation when he started as the first employee of autopilot maker TruTrak Flight Systems in 2000. “I just…

Forty Under 40: Max Avery

Max Avery earned a general contractor’s license after overseeing several construction projects and being frustrated with the quality of work and the communication he received. He established Bolding Construction in…

Forty Under 40: Joshua Allen

Joshua Allen is an expert in risk and crisis: making plans to avoid risks and managing dire situations when they arise. He honed these skills in the military and applied…

Forty Under 40: Austin Albers

Austin Albers has increased revenues 150% for the Buffalo Outdoor Center since taking over for his father-in-law, founder Mike Mills, eight years ago. The $10 million river outfitter offers a…

Arkansas Tech University receives $1.55 million endowment from former textbook company CEO

The Arkansas Tech University Board of Trustees and ATU President Dr. Robin E. Bowen recognized C. LeMoyne Smith of Little Rock for establishing a new $1.55 million endowment with the…

Five from Arkansas graduate from DRA Delta Leadership Institute

There are five new Arkansas graduates of the Delta Leadership Institute (DLI) Executive Academy who now have the tools to support the Delta Regional Authority’s efforts to create jobs, build…

Connections: Highlands Oncology adds 2 physicians

Highlands Oncology Group has hired two new physicians. K’Anne Cash Arthur attended medical school at Louisiana State University-Shreveport and completed her residency in internal medicine at LSU Health Science Center….

Arkansas jobless rate sets new low at 3.4% in July

Arkansas’ jobless rate fell to a record low of 3.4% in July from the 3.5% in June, and below the 3.6% in July 2018. Year-over-year, the state economy added 15,625…

Industrial production, manufacturing output decreased in July

Industrial production fell 0.2% in July, according to the Federal Reserve. Manufacturing output declined by 0.4% in July and has decreased more than 1.5% since December 2018. In July, mining…

Energy expenditures rose in every state in 2017

In every state, total energy expenditures and total energy expenditures as a percentage of gross domestic product (GDP) rose in 2017, from 2016, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration…

Henderson State private giving tops $2 million for first time in nearly 20 years

Henderson State University officials announced Thursday (Aug. 15) the school’s foundation received $2.27 million in private gifts in the 2018-2019 fiscal year that ended June 30. The last time fundraising…

Reports show gains in Fort Smith metro tourism and travel sector

Several key tourism and travel numbers indicate growth in the Fort Smith metro leisure and hospitality sector, with Fort Smith Regional Airport enplanements up almost 5% between January and July….

New president named for Arkansas Development Finance Authority

Bryan Scoggins has been named president of the Arkansas Development Finance Authority (ADFA). Scoggins comes from his present position as Arkansas Economic Development Commission (AEDC) director of Business Finance. Both…

UAMS researcher receives $1.2 million grant

Researcher Dr. Robert Eoff has received a $1.2 million grant from the National Science Foundation to continue his work at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) on DNA…

The Conductor receives ‘Open Grant’

The Conductor has been awarded the 2019 Inclusion Open Grant from the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation. The Inclusion Open Grant was created by the Kauffman Foundation to find uncommon solutions…