Business

Walmart nails comp sales, raises guidance heading into holiday season

Walmart Inc. reported solid third-quarter earnings on Thursday (Nov. 15) thanks in part to a healthy U.S. economy and the highest consumer sentiment levels in 20 years. For the quarter…

Walmart, Ford and Postmates partner to test autonomous grocery delivery

Walmart continues to look for ways to test the latest technologies that can enhance shopper convenience. The latest example is underway in Miami-Dade County, Fla. Ford, announced Wednesday (Nov. 14)…

J.B. Hunt opens office at Arkansas Research and Technology Park, to hire up to 60 interns

Lowell-based carrier J.B. Hunt Transport Services has opened a 6,100-square-foot internship office at the Arkansas Research and Technology Park in south Fayetteville. The research park is managed by the University…

Arkansas economy expands by 4.4% in second quarter, 10th in the nation

Arkansas’ economic fortunes blossomed in the second quarter as the state’s Gross Domestic Product accelerated to 4.4%, the 10th-highest growth rate in the nation, according to the newly released U.S….

Simmons Bank to be title sponsor for Youth Entrepreneur Showcase

Simmons Bank will be the first-ever title sponsor of the Youth Entrepreneur Showcase (Y.E.S.), a business plan competition for fifth through eighth graders in Arkansas. The entrepreneurial education program has…

Little Rock Tech Park to unveil Phase II blueprints in December

The Little Rock Technology Park Authority will soon unveil Phase II architect renderings on the city’s downtown startup village, a larger but unfinanced five-story planned development next to the current…

Arkansas State University reaches deal with University of Miami

Arkansas State University ended its lawsuit against the University of Miami after a financial agreement was reached in connection to a canceled college football game between the schools slated for…

REVEL restaurant to open in The HUB, employ 15-20

A new dining experience is on its way to Fort Smith. REVEL, an upscale dining venue, is scheduled to open Aug. 1, 2019, in The HUB at Providence in the…

The Supply Side: Walmart automating more jobs, high-tech distribution center on tap

Walmart continues to invest in technology that increases efficiency in the supply chain and lowers costs of the system with fewer employees as machines do more of the work. The…

Real Deals: CrossMar Industrial Park growing with $15.4 million permit

CrossMar Investments, a commercial development group in Bentonville led by Chris Crossland and Phil Martz, recently paid the city of Bentonville for a building permit valued at $15.4 million. The…

Growing IT firm in Bentonville rebrands

After two decades of operating as L.J. Smith & Associates, an IT consulting firm in Bentonville has changed its name. President and CEO Jared Smith says the agency is now…

Gov. Hutchinson outlines $5.75 billion biennial budget, teacher raise and tax cuts chief priorities

Gov. Asa Hutchinson on Wednesday (Nov. 14) laid out his budget priorities for the upcoming 2019 legislative session that includes an average $4,000 annual raise for Arkansas teachers and a…

John Brown University creates online path for RNs to earn nursing degrees

John Brown University in Siloam Springs will launch an online degree program in the spring semester that will create a path for registered nurses to earn a Bachelor of Science…

Walmart estimated to post solid third-quarter earnings, continue same-store gains

Equity analysts are looking for solid third quarter financials on the top and bottom lines from Walmart when the retail giant reports earnings early on Thursday (Nov. 15). Walmart is…

Arkansas Fintech Accelerator startups garner investments, international acclaim

Two startup firms that participated in the Venture Center’s 2018 Fintech Accelerator program have garnered significant early stage seed investments and international support to allow those companies to scale up…

BancorpSouth expands southern footprint into Alabama market

Tupelo, Miss.-based BancorpSouth Bank announced after the close of markets Tuesday (Nov. 13) that it has reached a deal to expand its southern footprint with the purchase of Merchants Trust…

Number of wells falls but crude oil production rises

The number of wells producing crude oil and natural gas in the United States declined 4.6% to 991,000 in 2017, from a peak of 1.039 million in 2014, according to…

Arkansas Heart Hospital breaks ground on Bryant Encore hospital

Officials with Arkansas Heart Hospital broke ground Thursday on a four-story hospital in Bryant that will focus on patients who can’t be treated by medications. The Arkansas Heart Hospital Encore…

Medical marijuana regulators ask cultivators to provide update on pot-growing process

More than two years after voters approved a constitutional amendment to legalize marijuana, state regulators will ask the five selected pot cultivators to provide a post-Thanksgiving progress report on when cannabis…

Fort Smith may acquire 330 acres near downtown for trails

The Fort Smith Board of Directors agreed to consider the purchase of 330 acres from Kansas City Southern Railroad Company for soft surface trails. The Board on Tuesday (Nov. 13)…