Business

Fort Smith, Sebastian County officials hear pitch for $1.5 million water park expansion

Rising wear and tear is boosting expenses at the Parrot Island Water Park, and boredom with the same amenities is cutting into income and attendance, members of the Fort Smith…

Bank OZK 3Q financial results below Wall Street views, mall-related charge-offs cut profits

Third quarter results for the Arkansas bank formerly known as Bank of the Ozarks fell well short of Wall Street expectations as the regional banking group incurred charge-offs at commercial…

Cotton crop has done well but dangers loom

At least 67% of the state’s cotton crop has been harvested, well above the 42% average during the last five years through mid-October. But, a significant problem is looming. Perpetual…

Median incomes on the rise in Jonesboro metro

Efforts to attract higher paying jobs to the Northeast Arkansas metro, and to better educate the workforce, are starting to bear fruit. The 2017 median income for the Jonesboro metro…

USA Truck acquires Davis Transfer Company, expands southeast U.S. reach

USA Truck has expanded its business primarily in the southeast U.S. with the acquisition of Carnesville, Ga-based Davis Transfer Co., a regional carrier with $50 million in annual revenue and…

J.B. Hunt to pay 24-cents per share dividend to shareholders

J.B. Hunt Transport Services on Nov. 16 will pay a cash dividend of 24-cents per share to stockholders of record as of Nov. 9. The Lowell-based carrier announced the dividend…

Tyson Foods boosts investment in OneEgg to help hungry in Nepal, Honduras, Ethiopia

Tyson Foods and its subsidiary Cobb Vantress will ramp up their investments and support for OneEgg, a non-profit dedicated to ending child hunger around the world by providing egg protein…

Home Bancshares posts record 3Q profit of $80 million on continued loan growth

Home Bancshares Inc. posted a record quarterly profit of $80.3 million as the Conway-based regional banking group continued to benefit from loan growth across the company’s expanding Southeast U.S. footprint….

Votes on tort reform measure to not be counted, minimum wage proposal passes court muster

Voters will not vote on a proposed amendment to limit lawsuit damages but will vote on raising the state’s minimum wage after the Arkansas Supreme Court released two decisions Thursday…

Little Rock Port, Newport and Russellville receive ‘Select Site’ certification

The Little Rock Port Authority was recognized by Entergy Arkansas’ Office of Business and Economic Development for receiving a Select Site certification for conducting a comprehensive review and documentation process…

Foghorn’s will mark 15th anniversary in 2019 with expansion to Conway

2019 is shaping up as a significant year for Springdale-based restaurant/sports bar chain Foghorn’s. Not only will the company celebrate its 15th anniversary, but there are also plans for an…

Analysts like the direction Walmart is headed

Walmart scored well with Wall Street analysts this week, hosting them in Bentonville for the company’s annual investor conference, a tradition that dates back to the early 1970’s after the…

XNA offers $205,000 annual salary to next CEO, executive director

Northwest Arkansas Regional Airport Authority approved an annual salary of $205,000 for Aaron Burkes, the next CEO and executive director for the Highfill-based airport. Burkes accepted the offer after an…

Meat is the big spend by Arkansas consumers while grocery shopping

Grocery stores around the Natural State sold more meat to consumers in 2012 – the latest available data – than any other category, according to economic census data conducted by…

Energy export value nearing import value

The U.S. trade gap for energy products has become narrower. In 2017, the value of energy imports was about 1.5 times greater than exports, according to data from the U.S….

ArDOT to show findings on possible improvements to U.S. Highway 412 in Springdale, Tontitown

The Arkansas Department of Transportation (ArDOT)will present the preliminary findings for possible improvements to a segment of U.S. Highway 412, between Arkansas Highway 112 in Tontitown and 40th Street in…

Jonesboro is nearing record permit numbers, but a construction decline is possible

Jonesboro is poised to set its all-time building permits record in 2018 fueled by expansions by St. Bernards Healthcare and the hotel/convention center project on the Arkansas State University campus….

First National Bank CEO excited about growth, confident in agri resilience

Donald Guinn is president and CEO of Paragould-based First National Bank. The Northeast Arkansas bank was founded in 1889 as the Bank of Paragould and has expanded in recent years…

Brightwater culinary school executive director Glenn Mack tenders resignation

Glenn Mack has resigned as executive director of Brightwater: A Center for the Study of Food. The culinary school in Bentonville is a division of NorthWest Arkansas Community College, and…

Medical marijuana regulators outsource dispensary scoring, schedule public forum for late October

The state Medical Marijuana Commission agreed after long debate on Tuesday (Oct. 16) to schedule a public meeting at the end of this month so those concerned about Arkansas’ delayed…