Business

Denten Park named CEO of Northwest Health, Sharif Omar takes job out of state

Denten Park has been named market CEO for Springdale-based healthcare company Northwest Health. On Tuesday (June 12), the company announced Park had accepted the position after former CEO Sharif Omar…

Spending to reach $15.3 billion on Father’s Day, still far behind Mother Day’s

Retailers are looking to cash in big as a majority of Americans plan to celebrate Father’s Day this year spending a total of $15.3 billion on dear ole’ dad. The…

Walton-led group announces development timeline for properties in downtown Springdale

In June 2014, a limited liability company tied to the Walton family bought two notable commercial buildings in downtown Springdale for $1.22 million. Four years later, the waiting and wondering…

John Wayne’s son, others attend the Memphis Film Festival

Hollywood movie star Robert Mitchum was on vacation with his wife in New Orleans when he ran into “Colonel” Tom Parker, then a musician talent manager. The couple had listened…

RevUnit joins group developing blockchain standards for transportation industry

Bentonville software company RevUnit has joined the Blockchain in Transport Alliance (BiTA). On Monday (June 11), BiTA announced RevUnit had joined the organization that’s working to develop common blockchain standards….

Jet.com focuses on curated grocery, beauty, home, fashion items, better experience

Jet.com President Simon Belsham has a clear focus for the online retailing business he took over earlier this year. He’s been tasked with integrating customer experiences with grocery and general…

Fort Smith sales tax revenues down more than $500,000 through April

Fort Smith sales tax revenues continue to trail 2017’s numbers as well as budgeted expectations with the city reporting over $500,000 less than expected – $440,588 from the 2% city…

Rock City Harley-Davidson to host groundbreaking for new Little Rock facility at Gateway Town Center

Rock City Harley-Davidson will break ground Wednesday (June 13) at 10 a.m. at the site of its new facility and training center at Gateway Town Center at the intersection of…

64.6 Downtown names Talicia Richardson as new executive director

64.6 Downtown has named Talicia Richardson as executive director of the Fort Smith-based nonprofit. The job search became a focus after 2017’s approval of the Propelling Downtown Forward (PropelFS) downtown…

U.S., Australia increase LNG exports by 2.7 billion cubic feet per day

Globally, the United States and Australia had the largest increases in exports of liquefied natural gas (LNG) in 2017, according to the report by the International Association of Liquefied Natural…

Marion museum to chronicle worst maritime disaster in U.S. history

Underneath a soybean field near Marion lies one of the most under-reported tragedies in the country’s history. On April 27, 1865, the steamboat Sultana exploded on the Mississippi River about…

The Supply Side: Digital grocery shoppers a minority today, maybe not tomorrow

Last year, roughly 31% of U.S. consumers were likely to purchase groceries online. Overall, U.S. grocery stores rang up $641.04 billion in sales last year, with roughly $14.2 billion originating…

Tax reform leaves nonprofits with ‘tsunami’ of challenges

As U.S. corporations and businesses reap benefits from the passage of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 in December, state and national nonprofits across Arkansas are still trying…

Real politics of a fake sport: The history of ‘Nationality, Race and Gender’ in professional wrestling

When Dr. Edward Salo was growing up he loved to watch professional wrestling. During the 1980s the World Wrestling Federation, now World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE), became the dominant wrestling company….

XNA among 4 Arkansas airports to receive nearly $21 million in federal funding

Four Arkansas airports will receive $20.96 million in federal grants, with $13.61 million of the money allocated to repair the taxiway at Northwest Arkansas Regional Airport (XNA) in Highfill. On…

Northwest Arkansas not expected to receive INFRA grant to complete I-49 gap

Northwest Arkansas Regional Planning Commission is not expected to receive funding from a federal grant program that would have provided the money to complete an 18.9-mile segment of Interstate 49,…

Established logistics companies leading technology gains; analyst puts a ‘hold’ on J.B. Hunt

Logistics companies generate the highest financial return across the transportation industry, and many of these companies are leaders in the development of technology and algorithms as startups look to enter…

Walmart execs say the retailer will ‘go hard’ on connecting e-commerce with stores

Walmart executives talk often about “frictionless shopping.” Greg Foran, CEO of Walmart U.S., and Marc Lore, CEO of Walmart U.S. eCommerce, recently told the media the retailer will be more…

Then & Now: Kurt Gibbons shifts from soda to tech

EDITOR’S NOTE: The following story appeared in the May 28 issue of the Northwest Arkansas Business Journal. “Then & Now” is a profile of a past member of the Business Journal’s…

Purchasing Managers Index up again in May

The Institute for Supply Management (ISM) has released its monthly Purchasing Managers Index (PMI) for May, and the story told is another positive one with the PMI at 58.7% —…