Author: Talk Business & Politics staff

Talk Business & Politics staff

OZ Trails bike park to open on June 12

OZ Trails plans to open the OZ Trails Bike Park on the Bentonville-Bella Vista border on June 12. It will be the state’s first chairlift-served mountain bike park comprising more…

Goodcents opens Fayetteville location

Fast-casual restaurant Goodcents recently opened a 2,740-square-foot shop at 3061 N. College Ave. It’s the third Goodcents location in Arkansas, with others in Bentonville and El Dorado. Business owners Cory…

ASU System trustees appoint Shane Broadway as interim Three Rivers chancellor

The Arkansas State University System Board of Trustees voted Monday (April 27) to appoint Shane Broadway, system vice president for university relations, to the additional role of interim chancellor of…

Northwest Arkansas Council CEO talks about key strategies, vision

The Northwest Arkansas Council recently released six strategy documents related to the group’s regional vision. A discussion of those key strategies, which include a big focus on supporting population growth,…

Harps announces partnership with DoorDash for grocery delivery

Springdale-based Harps Food Stores has partnered with DoorDash to handle on-demand grocery delivery from its 140 stores across six states. Texas-based Brookshire Grocery, FreshDirect and Market of Choice grocery stores…

Arvest fund hits milestone, bank launches fundraiser

The Arvest Opportunity Fund, a non-bank subsidiary of Fayetteville-chartered Arvest Bank, recently provided its 1,000th business loan. The bank also recently kicked off its annual Million Meals campaign, a two-month…

UA reaches a new record in research expenditures

The University of Arkansas has set a new record of $252.9 million in research expenditures in 2025, an increase of more than $90 million in four years. UA Chancellor Charles…

Heartland Forward appoints John Bailey as first AI fellow

Heartland Forward, a Bentonville-based think-and-do tank, said Monday (April 27) that John Bailey, a nationally recognized leader on technology and public policy, will be the organization’s first artificial intelligence (AI)…

The Compass Report: Economic activity moderates in Arkansas metro areas

The fourth quarter of 2025 saw a decline, or moderation, in economic activity in the four Arkansas metro areas covered in The Compass Report. Higher unemployment numbers and less construction…

Connections: Tyson Foods appoints chief accounting officer

Springdale-based meat producer Tyson Foods Inc. has named Phillip Thomas as its new chief accounting officer and controller effective April 6. He replaces Lori Bondar, who is stepping down and…

Fort Smith Metro News Briefs: ArcBest to issue dividend, Leadership Crawford County goes to the farm

Following are recent news brief items from the Fort Smith metro. ArcBest Dividend The board of directors at Fort Smith-based ArcBest have declared a quarterly cash dividend of 12 cents…

Teslar Software opens in new office building

Teslar Software, a fintech company serving community financial institutions, recently opened its new headquarters at 2140 Orange Drive in Springdale. The three-story, 50,000-square-foot class A office building was developed through…

Excel by Eight achieves nonprofit status, names board

Excel by Eight (E8) officially received its 501(c)(3) nonprofit designation and announced the first three members to its Board of Directors: Linsley Kinkade, chief program officer at the Arkansas Community…

Southern Bancorp Community Partners names entrepreneurship leader

Southern Bancorp Community Partners (SBCP), the nonprofit loan fund and financial development organization of Southern Bancorp, Inc., announced that Jorge González has joined the institution as an Entrepreneurship Development Officer….

Electric vehicle test, cancer support part of ArcBest ‘Impact Report’

Fort Smith-based ArcBest on Wednesday (April 22) made public its 2025 Impact Report which identifies the shipping and logistic company’s environmental programs and “key initiatives” focused on employee safety and…

Bass Pro Shops store in Fort Smith to open April 29

The long-awaited opening of a Bass Pro Shops in Fort Smith is set for April 29, with the Springfield, Mo.-based retailer including a “Day of Conservation Celebration” with 15% of…

Single Parent Scholarship Fund reaches 55% of goal

Bentonville-based Single Parent Scholarship Fund of Northwest Arkansas recently reached 55% of its challenge grant goal after receiving a $200,000 gift from First National Bank of NWA (F1RSTNB). In June…

CACHE invested $495,000 in 2025

The Creative Arkansas Community Hub & Exchange (CACHE) invested more than $495,000 in area artists and arts organizations in 2025, according to its new annual report. The report shows that…

Arkansas job numbers up 0.7% in February, jobless rate rises

A more than 3% gain in tourism jobs and an almost 2% gain in health care jobs helped with a gain of 9,100 estimated new Arkansas jobs in February compared…

Anonymous donor offers $3 million challenge grant to keep Arkansas affiliated with PBS

The Arkansas TV Foundation announced Tuesday (April 21) that it received a $3 million challenge grant from an anonymous Arkansas funder to support the PBS Dues Fund. The grant provides…