Manufacturing

Tyson Foods’ first fiscal quarter net income down more than 70%

Tyson Foods posted a net income of $316 million, or 88 cents a share, for the first fiscal quarter that ended Dec. 31. That was down more than 70% from…

Manufacturing, overall economy softens in January

Economic activity in the U.S. manufacturing sector moderated for the third consecutive month, while the overall economy contracted for the second month in a row in January, according to the…

Tyson shareholders to convene in Springdale, mark 88 years

Tyson Foods will hold its annual shareholder meeting at 10 a.m., Feb. 9 at the company’s offices on Emma Street in downtown Springdale. It is the company’s 88th year, dating…

State of the State 2023: Arkansas’ manufacturing sector should remain ‘healthy’ in 2023

There are valid concerns about Arkansas’ overall economic health during 2023, but the manufacturing sector is expected to remain “healthy” even with some areas of the sector slowing down. That’s…

Westrock Coffee to build $70 million distribution center in Conway

Westrock Coffee Co. announced Tuesday (Jan. 31) an agreement to develop a $70 million, 530,000-square-foot distribution center with Tempus Realty Partners, an Arkansas-based real estate investment partnership that was represented…

Walton-backed airplane manufacturer Game Composites offers job interviews for UA course completion

General aviation airplane manufacturer Game Composites in Bentonville is offering guaranteed job interviews to people who complete a course in aerospace composite manufacturing offered by the University of Arkansas Global Campus’ professional…

UPDATE: Structurlam suspends operations, cuts jobs in Conway after Walmart contract abruptly ends

Structurlam Mass Timber Corp., a Canadian mass timber manufacturer, announced Wednesday (Jan. 18) it is temporarily suspending operations and reducing staff at its 288,000-square-foot Arkansas plant in Conway due to…

Lexicon promotes Steve Grandfield to COO

Lexicon Inc. announced Monday (Jan. 16) the promotion of Steve Grandfield as chief operating officer. Grandfield has served in several management positions, most recently serving as president of Prospect Steel,…

Prairie Grove-based PolyTech Plastic Molding has a new owner

Arcane Capital Partners, a private family office in Little Rock led by Michael Hickmon, Sam Ford and Will Ford, announced Thursday (Jan. 12) that it is the new owner of…

Tyson Foods invests $180 million in Illinois plant, will add 400 jobs

Tyson Foods continues to add capacity across its expansive U.S. processing business with plans to invest $180 million in its Caseyville, Ill., prepared foods plant that makes Hillshire Farm deli…

Central States Manufacturing acquires Georgia business

Tontitown-based Central States Manufacturing Inc. closed a deal recently to acquire Storage Structures Inc. in Villa Rica, Ga. Financial terms of the deal, which closed on Dec. 30, were not…

U.S. economy, manufacturing sector shrank in December, ISM data show

Economic activity in the U.S. manufacturing sector and the overall economy contracted in December, according to the Institute for Supply Management (ISM). December was the first month that ISM data…

Tyson Foods’ CEO pay up 33%; company makes management changes

Tyson Foods, the largest U.S. meat processor, reported a record fiscal revenue of $53.28 billion and net income of $3.249 billion, which led to higher pay for most company’s executives,…

Gränges breaks ground on aluminum plant expansion in Newport

Gränges, a a Swedish company that specializes in the production of rolled aluminum products for heat exchanger applications and other niche products, broke ground Monday (Dec. 19) on an expansion…

Lifeplus investing $24 million in Batesville to grow 150 jobs

Lifeplus International, a creator of wellbeing products, broke ground Friday (Dec. 9) on the first of four new buildings at its flagship manufacturing facility in Batesville. The company plans to…

The Stephens Group acquires Quality Valve

Little Rock-based The Stephens Group, LLC announced it finalized its acquisition of Quality Valve, Inc. from Pfingsten, a Chicago-based private equity firm formed in 1989. Terms of the transaction, which…

Hytrol Conveyor promotes six in Jonesboro

Hytrol Conveyor Co. announced Thursday (Dec. 1) a change in its leadership structure moving several employees into C-suite positions and promoting others. The company said the change will open mid-…

Manufacturing sector contracts for first time in more than 2 years, ISM says

Economic activity in the manufacturing sector contracted in November for the first time since May 2020 after 29 consecutive months of growth, according to the Institute for Supply Management (ISM)….

$35-$40 million manufacturing workforce center to locate in Conway

Gov. Asa Hutchinson announced Tuesday (Nov. 15) the creation of the Arkansas Manufacturing Workforce Training Center, a joint venture between the Arkansas Office of Skills Development and the Conway Development…

Peak Center receives $500,000 grant from OGE foundation

Fort Smith Public School’s Peak Innovation Center, which opened in March, has received a $500,000 grant from the OGE Energy Corp. Foundation to support the new OG&E “Live Safely” initiative…