Business

Opinions differ on use of former ACME Brick property

An effort to develop a master use plan for more than 100 acres of former ACME Brick property in Fort Smith has drawn criticism from those who don’t think the…

Jones Center raises $310,000 at ‘Big Night’

The Jones Center in Springdale recently announced its 2025 Big Night fundraiser raised $310,000 to support the nonprofit’s scholarship program. More than 350 people attended the event, which featured a…

Colliers | Arkansas to manage Regions Center; firm closes 2 major deals for $10.7M

Woodcrest Capital, LLC, the new ownership group for downtown Little Rock’s Regions Center, awarded Colliers | Arkansas the property management contract for the iconic high-rise office building effective Dec. 15,…

Architect Reese Rowland honored with AIA Arkansas E. Fay Jones gold medal

AIA Arkansas awarded its highest professional honor — the E. Fay Jones Gold Medal — to Reese Rowland, FAIA, principal at Polk Stanley Wilcox Architects. The award recognizes a career…

Westerman’s SPEED Act accelerates to the Senate

U.S. Rep. Bruce Westerman, R-Hot Springs, has been working on a regulatory reform bill for years, and this week, he saw the culmination of his efforts take a giant leap…

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

Following are news brief items from the Fort Smith metro. ACME Property Planning The city of Fort Smith, working with Des Moines, Iowa-based RDG Planning and Design, have launched a…

Arkansas to lead National Advanced Manufacturing Apprenticeship expansion

Arkansas has been awarded a four-year, $35.8 million cooperative agreement from the U.S. Department of Labor to lead a nationwide expansion of registered apprenticeship programs in advanced manufacturing through the…

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

The baby boomer generation is about 73 million consumers between the ages of 60 and 79 and makes up about 33.7% of total U.S. sales annually, according to a report…

2nd cohort of new lithium accelerator shows innovations in Bentonville

The second round of a multiweek lithium accelerator wrapped Wednesday (Dec. 17) with Demo Day in Bentonville. The Arkansas Lithium Technology Accelerator (ALTA) is the first program of its kind…

Weekly wages up 4.2% in Arkansas, Benton County leads with 13.4% wage gain

Average weekly wages rose 4.2% in Arkansas during the 2025 second quarter compared with the same quarter in 2024, and all but one of the state’s top five counties in…

UAMS announces 40 new full-tuition scholarships for Fall 2026

The University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) announced Friday (Dec. 19) a new initiative to provide full tuition and fees for 40 exceptional students entering UAMS, including 15 for…

Entergy Arkansas unveils ‘Next Generation’ plan; will seek to extend nuclear licenses

Entergy Arkansas officials held a high-profile press conference at the state capitol Thursday (Dec. 18) to unveil aspects of a comprehensive state energy plan for the future called Next Generation…

Fort Smith business leader John Taylor has died

John Taylor, who built a successful career in accounting and investments and had a key role in the creation of the Fort Smith-based Arkansas Colleges of Health Education (ACHE), has…

Car-Mart completes $161.3 million securities transaction

Rogers-based America’s Car-Mart Inc. announced Thursday (Dec. 18) that it has completed a $161.3 million securities transaction. The asset-backed notes have an average coupon of 7.02%. According to a news…

Officials ask public to be on the lookout for bird flu in flocks

Waterfowl fall migration continues to peak, and there is a greater risk of spreading the Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI), or bird flu, as well as sick and dying birds….

Arkansas Department of Agriculture proposed regulatory changes to feral hog bait

The Arkansas Department of Agriculture is proposing changes to regulatory rules, including amendments to the Arkansas Rules on Pesticide Use that would establish a new classification of pesticide commonly used…

Tyson Foods’ boss sees a more than 50% pay raise in fiscal 2025

Tyson Foods’ CEO Donnie King and Chief Financial Officer Curt Calaway were paid well despite a more than $1 billion loss in the beef segment business, according to a Dec….

UAFS nearing ‘Intrepid’ campaign goal of $85 million

The University of Arkansas at Fort Smith’s (UAFS) Intrepid Ambition fundraising campaign tally is up 13% since university officials on April 2 announced the effort. The campaign is set to…

Real Deals: Rogers townhomes sell for $14.85 million

Nearly 70 units in a two-story multifamily development east of Interstate 49 in Rogers recently changed hands for $14.85 million. The purchase price equals $218,382 per unit. An affiliate of…

Potbelly opens first Northwest Arkansas shop in Bentonville

Sandwich shop Potbelly has opened in Bentonville and is expected to open in Springdale. The Bentonville shop at 909 S.E. J St., along the street-level retail space of Parking Deck…