Business

Centennial Bank names Orr to head trust division

Kevin Orr has been hired as senior vice president trust manager of Centennial Bank according to Davy Carter, Regional President of Centennial Bank. Orr has over 23 years of experience…

Tyson Foods to donate 1 million meals to Northwest Arkansas school districts

Springdale-based Tyson Foods is giving 240,000 pounds of food to the five largest school districts in Northwest Arkansas. This is the equivalent of one million meals to be delivered to…

Economists are bullish on strong economic rebound this summer

The U.S. economy is poised for its fastest growth in more than three decades as more businesses are reopening and bringing employees back to work, according to Jack Kleinhenz, chief…

First National Bank of Paragould acquires Tennessee bank

Paragould-based First National Bank will expand into the Nashville, Tennessee market after signing a definitive agreement to acquire Citizens Bank. Citizens Bank is based in Hartsville, Tennessee and operates three locations…

Art installation, collaboration program emerge from UAFS Community Leadership program

University of Arkansas at Fort Smith students engaged in an upper level leadership class that works to develop community improvement didn’t just come up with ideas to benefit the region,…

ASU’s ‘Day of Giving’ nets more than $1 million in gifts and pledges

Arkansas State University’s inaugural Day of Giving raised more than $1 million in gifts and pledges to support the university, Chancellor Kelly Damphousse said. Held April 27, the event totaled…

CACHE panel considers reopening venues safely; Northwest Arkansas joins nationwide initiative

A lot of unknowns remain on how to reopen event venues safely, but some have started to reopen in Arkansas or are looking to do so soon, panelists said. Northwest…

Arvest Bank selected for Fed pilot program

The Federal Reserve Bank has selected Fayetteville-chartered Arvest Bank to participate in a pilot program for a new real-time payments system. FedNow is a new instant payment service that will…

Gov. Hutchinson sets vaccination goal; state to expand number of pop-up vaccine clinics

Gov. Asa Hutchinson wants more than 50% of Arkansans to receive at least one COVID-19 vaccination dose by early August, and state officials will pursue the goal by using pop-up…

Former pro cyclists open Springdale retreat

Former UCI road cyclists Ernie and Scotti Lechuga recently opened cycling retreat Natural State Rock & Republic in downtown Springdale. The Lechugas spent about two months renovating the former Magnolia…

Commercial floor space to grow faster than energy use through 2050

Commercial floor space is expected to increase significantly over the next 30 years in the United States, while energy use rises at a slower pace, according to the U.S. Energy…

Arkansas tax revenue surplus more than $700 million; year-to-date collections up 11.1%

Calendar shifts with tax filing, an improving economy and federal stimulus payments helped boost April tax revenue almost 20% more than the forecast, and pushed the state’s year-to-date revenue surplus…

Improving consumer demand helps ArcBest quarterly revenue and income beat estimates

More consumer demand and not enough equipment to ship what the consumer demands helped Fort Smith-based ArcBest boost first-quarter revenue by more than 18% and post earnings per share of…

NARIFA report notes ‘milestones’ to boost regional job growth

The COVID-19 pandemic wreaked global economic havoc in nearly every economic sector during 2020. It fueled the worst U.S. recession since the Great Depression as unemployment soared and the country’s…

Alec Farmer elected to Arkansas Blue Cross and Blue Shield board of directors

The Arkansas Blue Cross and Blue Shield board of directors announced the election of Alec Farmer of Jonesboro, president of Farmer Enterprises, Inc., to its board on Monday (May 3)….

Gray Television to acquire Meredith Corp.

The parent company of television station KAIT in Jonesboro is set to become the second largest broadcast company in the U.S. after a major acquisition announced on Monday (May 3)….

Mother’s Day spending estimated to reach record $28.1 billion

Consumers flush with cash are expected to push Mother’s Day spending to a record $28.1 billion this year with 83% of consumers telling the National Retail Federation they plan to…

Windgate Foundation gift to aid UAFS art and design students

The University of Arkansas at Fort Smith has received a nearly $8 million gift from the Windgate Foundation for student scholarships and internships, an artist in residence program and continued…

Manufacturing sector growth slows in April; PMI falls 4 points

Economic activity in the manufacturing sector increased at a slower rate in April, while the overall economy grew for the 11th consecutive month, according to the Institute for Supply Management…

Central Arkansas law firm rebrands to Hilburn & Harper, Ltd.

Hilburn, Calhoon, Harper, Pruniski & Calhoun, Ltd. announced Monday (May 3) it has rebranded to Hilburn & Harper Ltd. “We strongly feel this refreshed brand helps identify who we are…