Business

Fort Smith area jobless rate falls to 8.3%

Fort Smith’s metro area unemployment rate declined in March to 8.3%, but remains as one of the highest rates among Arkansas’ metro areas and has topped 8% for four consecutive…

Fort Smith airport gambles with $35,000

story by Marla Cantrell [email protected] The Fort Smith Airport Commission is willing to take a $35,000 gamble to seek a $500,000 paving grant from the Arkansas Department of Aeronautics. The…

More top management changes at Arkansas Best Corp.

More key Arkansas Best Corp. management changes within the past six months were announced late Tuesday, and appear to be caused by the resignation of Chris Baltz, the former senior…

Passion, communication and equity sharing are keys to business success

Stockman reminds that successful entrepreneur Bill Gross says passion can overcome a businesses “near-death experience.”

HMA reports income and revenue increases; boosts earnings guidance

The new owner of Sparks Health System in Fort Smith on Monday reported first quarter net income of $46.94 million, up 2% compared to the first quarter 2009 net income…

Wal-Mart takes hit with federal court ruling

What has been billed as the largest potential class-action lawsuit — Dukes v. Wal-Mart Stores — in the country was certified today (April 26) by the Ninth Circuit of Appeals….

Whirlpool reports surprise income gain; raises outlook on shipments

Whirlpool Corp. reported first quarter 2010 gains in North American sales and units shipped and raised the outlook on future shipments. While corporate success is never a guarantor of job…

Arkansas tops in broadband competition; public funding concerns remain

The first national study of broadband service finds that Arkansas has the most competitive environment among all 50 states — but at least two Arkansas-based companies have issues with taxpayer-funded…

Slow times continue for Fort Smith hoteliers

Reporting on Fort Smith hospitality tax collections is beginning to sound like a broken record — not that anyone remembers the sound of a brok-the sound of a brok-the sound…

Ad hoc group seeks more info on convention center funding, operations (with video)

Members of an ad hoc group charged to analyze funding and/or operations options for the Fort Smith Convention Center ended the first meeting Friday (April 23) with a list of…

Arkansas Best posts $21.4 million loss; internal memo paints tough future

Fort Smith-based Arkansas Best Corp. reported early Friday (April 23) that it lost $21.4 million in the first quarter of 2010, and a recent internal memo to company employees suggests…

FCRA preps for Mitsubishi, water lines and subdivisions

story by Marla Cantrell [email protected] When the Mitsubishi plant comes to Chaffee Crossing, Arkansas Oklahoma Gas Corp. will be ready. At Thursday’s (April 22) meeting of the Fort Chaffee Redevelopment…

Ad hoc group begins process to tackle thorny convention center funding issue

An 8-member ad hoc committee recently appointed to consider and recommend funding and/or operations options for the Fort Smith Convention Center will meet for the first time Friday to handle…

Regional bankruptcies and incorporations

Following are recent bankruptcy and incorporation filings from Crawford, Franklin, Logan and Sebastian counties. The information is provided by The Daily Record. a Little Rock-based news and legal information publisher….

Area home sales see big March gains

March saw impressive gains in home sales in Crawford and Sebastian counties, reversing a troubling trend that saw January and February sales down compared to 2009. Realtor Ernie Schimmelman reported…

USA Truck posts $2.9 million quarterly loss; revenues gain

Early signs of recovery in the national trucking industry have yet to help the bottom line of Van Buren-based USA Truck Inc., with the company citing rising diesel fuel prices…

Teamsters, Arkansas Best agree to wage cuts (Updated)

The International Brotherhood of Teamsters is reporting that it and Fort Smith-based Arkansas Best Corp. have reached a tentative agreement on 15% pay cuts through 2013 for the roughly 6,000…

Oxane plant ‘substantially’ ahead of schedule

story and photo by Marla Cantrell [email protected] Work is “substantially” ahead of schedule on the new Oxane Materials plant in Van Buren’s Industrial Park. Mayor Bob Freeman met with representatives…

Area cities, chamber agree to create development alliance

More than 40 Oklahoma and Arkansas business and political leaders gathered in the Fort Smith area on Tuesday (April 20) took the first formal steps to try for a third…