Business

‘Chat Heap’ public art on display in Rogers

A new art installation on a fence in the outdoor beer garden at Ozark Beer Co. in downtown Rogers recounts a complex event in the history of the Quapaw Nation…

May jobless rates rise in 4 Arkansas metro areas, down in 3

At 2.5% and 1.2%, respectively, the Northwest Arkansas and Jonesboro metros posted the largest year-over-over percentage job gains in May, according to federal data. The Northwest Arkansas metro set a…

NEA Regional Archives touts importance of archives, need for more support

William Nix wanted to start a ferry on the Black River in Lawrence County. A bond for the ferry business was written and signed more than 200 years ago. Around…

FNBC Bancorp acquires RiverWind Bancshares

FNBC Bancorp, the bank holding company for FNBC Bank, has entered into an agreement and plan of merger to acquire RiverWind Bancshares. RiverWind will be merged with and into FNBC,…

Fort Smith sales tax revenue beats budget estimates in May report

City of Fort Smith tax revenue posted healthy gains in the May report, with the city’s portion of the Sebastian County 1% tax up more than 7% and more than…

Prime Day events fueled 9.3% growth in online sales

Amazon Prime Day, which took place June 23-26, generated $26.4 billion in online sales, up 9.3% from a year ago, according to Adobe Analytics. The marketing firm had forecast Amazon…

UA receives $350,000, names property manager

The University of Arkansas recently received $350,000 in gifts and selected a property manager for some of its campus-adjacent assets. Nick and alumna Carolyn Cole have pledged an additional $250,000…

JBU expands career learning to area high school students

John Brown University in Siloam Springs will use a grant from the Walton Family Foundation to provide $294,941 to support equitable access to computer science programs and $146,870 to expand…

Baptist Health plans to sell Fort Smith area clinics

Little Rock-based Baptist Health on Tuesday (June 30) announced that they have signed a letter of intent with Springdale-based Community Clinic to operate Baptist clinics in Alma, Fort Smith, Greenwood…

New trade association wants to improve dialogue on data centers, AI

The Arkansas Connected Communities Association, or the ARCC, announced in early June its formal establishment as a trade association dedicated to advancing data center and artificial intelligence infrastructure policy in…

Bank OZK authorizes $200 million stock repurchase program

Bank OZK announced Monday (June 29) that its board of directors has approved a stock repurchase program authorizing the purchase of up to $200 million of outstanding common stock. The…

First Community Bank buys naming rights for Ridge Athletics Center

The Jonesboro Advertising & Promotion Commission and First Community Bank have reached a naming rights partnership that will officially rename the Ridge Athletics Center as the First Community Bank Sportsplex….

Retailers prep for SNAP junk food limits; app will help

More than 2,500 Arkansas retailers along with beneficiaries are preparing for the state’s ban on Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits being used to purchase soft drinks, candy and other…

Walmart to acquire connected TV platform Vibe.co for $1.4 billion

Walmart is again expanding its connected TV business, having signed a deal to acquire Vibe.co, a self-service connected TV advertising platform for an estimated $1.4 billion. The deal, first reported…

Kemp-McLintock named to lead Bentonville Library Foundation

Kelly Kemp-McLintock, former chief advancement officer at the Jones Center in Springdale and a consultant for the Peel Compton Foundation in Bentonville, has been named executive director of the Bentonville…

Sales tax revenue growth pace weakens in top Northwest Arkansas cities

The top four Northwest Arkansas cities saw a combined sales tax revenue decline in the June report. The total monthly revenue among the cities was $9.037 million, down 9.19% from…

Fort Smith church to host Freedom Truck after history museum cancellation

A Freedom Truck, one of six created by the Freedom 250 group, has found a new site for a Fort Smith stop after being booked and then cancelled by the…

Arkansas led country in farm bankruptcies in 2025

Arkansas led the entire country in Chapter 12 farm bankruptcies last year, and if projected net-income this year is an indicator that problem may only get worse. The state had…

Hybar to open second mill in Osceola

Hybar has raised $1.1 billion to expand its scrap metal recycling steel rebar mini mill in Osceola, the company has announced. Hybar’s existing steel rebar mini mill is completing its…

Executive Summary: Slowing down, listening a part of Gehrig’s leadership

Editor’s note: The Fort Smith Metro Daily News Executive Summary series is focused on looking under the title, so to speak, of a business, government, and non-profit executive in the…