Business

DHS adds telephone helpline for Arkansas Works requirement

Arkansas Works recipients who are subject to a work requirement will be able to call a new helpline from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. seven days a week, the Department…

Sam’s Club finding success with private brand push

Following in the footsteps of competitors Costco and Trader Joe’s, Sam’s Club set out to streamline its 27 private brands into one back in 2015. In early 2017, Sam’s Club…

Manufacturers expect revenue to rise 5.7% in 2019

The manufacturing sector is optimistic about growth in 2019, and revenues are expected to rise in 17 manufacturing industries, according to the Institute for Supply Management (ISM). Expectations for growth…

Downtown Fort Smith booster wouldn’t mind a ‘little faster’ pace

In the six months since Talicia Richardson was named executive director of 64.6 Downtown, things have been moving very fast in Fort Smith. “Though it could be moving a little…

Retail food prices unchanged in November

Consumer prices for food in the U.S. were largely unchanged in November as inflationary pressures softened due to lower gasoline and energy costs, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The…

U.S. exports of crude oil, petroleum products exceeds imports

The United States, in the week ending Nov. 30, exported more crude oil and petroleum products than it imported for the first time in weekly data dating back to 1991,…

TheatreSquared to begin ‘phased move-in’ this winter

Performing arts company TheatreSquared will soon start to move into a $31.5 million venue that will combine multiple facets of the business under one roof at the corner of Spring…

Marshals Museum tax proposal to be considered by Fort Smith city board, directors offer thoughts on special election

The Fort Smith Board of Directors will consider a special election for a one-time, non-renewable, nine-month, one-cent sales tax to benefit the U.S. Marshals Museum at its regular board meeting…

Trump administration rolls back Clean Water Act rules, environmental groups condemn action

The Trump administration Tuesday (Dec. 11) moved forward with a promise to repeal Obama era rules that expanded federal authority under the U.S. Clean Water Act despite criticism from environmental…

Visibility tracking to help control carrier costs, benefit e-commerce shippers

Supply chain visibility has become an increasingly important technology as carriers look to control costs, improve efficiency and address consumer demands that have risen along with e-commerce sales. Visibility between…

Vote on federal Farm Bill could come by the end of the week

The newly proposed Farm Bill will include a provision that legalizes industrial hemp and does not include work requirements for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program known as SNAP. Dealmakers from…

The Jersey Tomato Co. lands on Walmart shelves

New Jersey, the Garden State, is famous for its Jersey tomatoes, which have been recognized for quality around the world since 1934. But none of the commercial tomato sauces sold…

Arkansas ranks No. 9 on utility affordability list

Arkansas has the ninth most affordable utilities in the United States, and the average utility bill in the state is $388.28 per month, according to a Move.org report. The website,…

FDIC looks to streamline deposit insurance application process for new banks

The Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. (FDIC) recently moved forward with multiple initiatives to improve the nation’s deposit insurance process for organizers of new banks. FDIC officials said regulators are looking…

Little Rock fintech MediPays awaits medical marijuana industry startup, changes name to Abaca

MediPays, the Little Rock-financial technology firm that emerged nearly a year ago as the state’s first banking option for the fledgling medical marijuana industry, announced Tuesday (Dec. 11) a name…

Arkansas cannabis groups announce merger

Two cannabis industry trade associations in Arkansas have merged to form a single organization. The merger of Arkansas Cannabis Industry Association (ACIA) and Arkansas Medical Marijuana Association is effective immediately,…

Arkansas Children’s wage increase sets pace among other healthcare organizations

Little Rock-based healthcare organization Arkansas Children’s, one of the state’s largest healthcare systems with roughly 4,300 workers, made a significant announcement last month: Starting Jan. 1, the minimum wage for…

Fort Smith Chamber to add $500,000 for regional workforce development

A workforce development initiative in Fort Smith will get added leverage through the Fort Smith Chamber of Commerce with the addition of a vice president and an additional $500,000 dedicated…

Former Acxiom subsidiaries now headed in different directions

Going on 2-1/2 months after selling off its legacy data marketing business for $2.3 billion to New York-based Interpublic Group (IPG), the former Acxiom Corp. has quickly regrouped with a…

UAMS receives $1.5 million gift for tuition scholarship

The University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) received a $1.5 million gift from the estate of Carl R. Stout to create the R. Louise Stout Simmons, M.D. Endowed Scholarship…