Business

Arkansas home sales tepid in February

Home sales in Arkansas’ four largest markets during the first two months of 2013 are up more than 8%, and the value of homes sold are up more than 10%,…

Northwest Arkansas Council Leader On Big River Steel: No Risk, No Reward

Mike Malone, President and CEO of the influential Northwest Arkansas Council, tells Talk Business Arkansas that lawmakers need to act favorably on the $1.1 billion Big River Steel Mill superproject….

Marketing Expert Shares Basics On Business Growth

If you’re a small business owner or a solo entrepreneur, you rarely if ever get everything checked off your to-do list. What can you do daily to make sure you’re…

Gas discounts return at Wal-Mart

Wal-Mart said Monday (April 1) customers can save 10 cents per gallon on fuel purchases when they use the retailer’s gift card. Savings are bigger for shoppers who pay with…

Johnny Allison Buys Bank Of America For ‘Chump Change’

In a mega-move described by one Wall Street analyst as “un-friggin-believable,” Home Bancshares Chairman Johnny Allison announced he has acquired Bank of America for $75 billion. Conway-based Home Bancshares (NASDAQ:…

Accident At Arkansas Nuclear One Leaves One Dead

One person is dead and three others are injured after an accident described as “significant” occurred at Arkansas Nuclear One near Russellville. Entergy officials said there was no danger to…

Dining Dialogue: Working in a ‘progressive’ county

Fort Smith native Travis Stephens says the Clarksville-Russellville area of Johnson and Pope County is an economic island between Fort Smith and central Arkansas. But that’s not necessarily a disadvantage….

Car-Mart opens new dealerships in Alabama, Missouri

America’s Car-Mart continues to expand its reach outside the Natural State announcing two new dealerships opening in Florence, Ala., and Kirksville, Mo., on Friday (March 29). This mark dealerships No….

The Weekend Digest: Easter Edition

For our weekend business and political readers: LESSONS FROM A YOUNG MAVERICK Mark Cuban is the young out-spoken billionaire owner of the NBA Dallas Mavericks. His antics and outrage between…

Arkansas’ jobless rate at or above 7% for 49 months

February marks 49 consecutive months that Arkansas’ jobless rate has been at or above 7%. February also continued a trend in which the jobless rate improves but declines in the…

February Jobless Rate Holds Steady At 7.2%

The Arkansas Department of Workforce Services reported a drop-off in the civilian labor force, which led to fewer employed and unemployed Arkansans in February.

Local stocks bode well in first quarter of 2013

When the closing bell rang on Thursday (March 28) on Good Friday eve, shareholders from shore to shore were surely smiling from ear to ear. Widespread profits abound. And with…

NWA construction sector rebound continues

Construction is the livelihood for several thousand local residents who are happier to see the building pace accelerate from what was deemed a decent 2012 by most. The region’s four…

UA researchers apply video tech to retail

The RFID Research Center and the Center for Advanced Spatial Technologies (CAST) at the University of Arkansas have partnered to conduct research that will integrate emerging visual identification technologies to…

Fort Smith sales tax revenue on four-month decline

Fort Smith sales tax collections continue to run in the wrong direction, with the February report showing a 5.5% decline for the city’s 1% taxes compared to the 2012 period….

Wal-Mart ‘leveraging its scale’ to reach consumers

For years Wal-Mart Stores has followed a somewhat conservative track with respect to its overall operations. But times are changing for the retail behemoth, with company execs potentially embracing a…

Bankshares of Fayetteville declares dividend

Bank of Fayetteville shareholders will get paid a cash dividend for the first time in four years as the bank’s profits have strengthened, according to president and CEO Mary Beth…

State Chamber Of Commerce, AIA Endorse Private Option Path

The Arkansas State Chamber of Commerce/Associated Industries of Arkansas are throwing their weight behind the “private option” plan to move Medicaid expansion dollars into a legislative plan that would subsidize…

Marshals Museum Groundbreaking Set For 2014

If all goes according to plan, the U.S. Marshals Museum may break ground on its riverfront location in downtown Fort Smith on Sept. 24, 2014, the 225th anniversary of the…

Big River Steel Recycling Tax Credit Leads To Questions

A recycling tax credit that could save the Big River Steel plant $260 million over 14 years is leading to questions by lawmakers about its cost and scope. The director…