Manufacturing

Forbes: Arkansas’ richest families see wealth grow

Jim Walton, 75, and his family, which includes sons Tom and Steuart, ranked No. 18 on the Forbes Billionaire List for 2024 at $78.4 billion. Walton is the youngest son…

Manufacturing activity expands for first time since 2022

Economic activity expanded in the manufacturing sector in March after contracting for 16 consecutive months, according to The Institute For Supply Management (ISM). The activity previously expanded in September 2022….

Assembled Products Corp. founder Bill Sage dies at 79

William Lee “Bill” Sage of Bentonville, who founded Rogers-based manufacturer Assembled Products Corp., died Tuesday (March 26) after battling cancer and lung complications. He was 79. The company announced the…

Elopak breaks ground on packaging site at LR Port

Norwegian food packager Elopak broke ground Wednesday (March 20) on its first U.S. production facility at the Little Rock Port Authority. The $70 million plant will produce cartons for milk,…

Steve Clark named CEO of Dallas-based PLA

Steve Clark, founder and former CEO of Fort Smith-based Propak, has been named CEO of Dallas-based PLA, the pallet-management and supply chain logistics company that bought Propak in June 2022….

A-State’s Center for Advanced Materials and Steel Manufacturing receives $10 million

A $10 million Congressional appropriation, led by U.S. Sen. John Boozman, R-Ark., will advance plans for the Arkansas State University Center for Advanced Materials and Steel Manufacturing to support the…

UA–Pulaski Tech advanced manufacturing program awarded $1.7 million grant

Pulaski Technical College’s Advanced Manufacturing Program has received a $1,784,016 grant from the Arkansas Department of Commerce Office of Skills Development to modernize its advanced manufacturing program. The Arkansas Department…

Westrock Coffee posts $34.6 million loss in 2023

Expenses related to investments in its production facilities and expansion weighed on Westrock Coffee’s fourth-quarter and full-year profits, but the company’s CEO believes the money spent will pay dividends in…

Tyson Foods closing Iowa pork plant; company also settles wage-fixing lawsuit

Tyson Foods is closing a pork plant in Perry, Iowa. The Springdale-based meat giant is eliminating 1,200 jobs, with the closure slated for June 28. The plant slaughters about 9,000…

Tyson Foods issues $1.5 billion in senior debt

Springdale-based Tyson Foods issued $1.5 billion in new debt with $600 million of senior notes due 2029 and $900 million in longer-term debt due 2034. Tyson said it will use…

Tyson Foods’ investment arm opens application for next Demo Day

Tyson Ventures, the investment arm of Springdale-based Tyson Foods, is gearing up for its third annual Demo Day on July 17. This year’s event will focus on supply chain technology…

Jotto Desk to consolidate into 80,000-SF Rogers facility

Rogers-based manufacturer Assembled Products Corp. will build a more than 80,000-square-foot building to consolidate operations for its Jotto Desk brand. The brand’s products include rugged, adjustable laptop mounts and other…

Manufacturing sector contracts for 16th straight month

Economic activity in the U.S. manufacturing sector declined in February for the 16th consecutive month, according to the Institute for Supply Management (ISM). Manufacturing activity slowed in February from January….

Jack Grundfest to expand leadership role at Alter Trading Corp.

Little Rock native Jack Grundfest will expand his role with Alter Trading Corp. after the company announced the retirement of two key officers. Alter Trading Corp., which bought Tenenbaum Recycling…

AI, chip manufacturing helping grow Trane Technologies workforce in Fort Smith

The workforce at the Trane Technologies commercial HVAC manufacturing facility in Fort Smith has grown by more than 50% in the past year thanks to unique products made at the…

Westrock Coffee partners with Dallas-based milk cooperative on bottling plant

Westrock Coffee Co. announced Thursday (Feb. 15) it has entered into a letter of intent with Select Milk Producers to establish a joint venture to build a bottling plant in…

Tyson Foods brings back old logo ahead of 90th birthday

Tyson Foods is brandishing a new corporate logo that is consistent with the Tyson Foods chicken brand and is a return to the red and yellow scalloped oval with the…

State of the State 2024: Manufacturing sector faces uncertainty, continued labor challenges in 2024

Editor’s note: The State of the State series provides reports twice a year on Arkansas’ key economic sectors. The series publishes stories to begin a year and stories in July/August…

Tyson execs discuss a year of challenges, plant closings

No frills, no pomp and circumstance and no protestors at the 61st annual Tyson Foods shareholder meeting held Thursday (Feb. 8) morning in Springdale. Board Chair John H. Tyson spoke…

Beta in Bentonville, new lab space at The Collaborative, to help startups build product prototypes

The University of Arkansas recently opened a 6,000-square-foot lab for startups that need product prototypes which are significant for consumer research. The new lab will be focused on metal fabrication….