Business

Dangerous beetles found in multiple counties in Arkansas

During two aerial surveys, 102 Ips beetle spots were identified in areas of Clark, Pike, Dallas, Hot Spring, and Ouachita counties by the Agriculture Department’s Arkansas Forestry Commission (AFC). The…

Farm bill, agri trade part of Arkansas State University’s Agribusiness Conference

The next farm bill, agriculture trade, challenges in the cotton industry and other agriculture topics will be discussed at the 24th annual Arkansas State University’s Agribusiness Conference slated for Feb….

Class 8 truck production not expected to peak in 2018, analyst says

The outlook looks great for truck manufacturers and component suppliers as order season jumped to a quick start, large fleets returned to equipment markets and contract rates have increased, said…

Fort Smith Riverfront Drive park/skate park leads planned 2018 spending for parks department

Riverfront Drive Park/Skate Park leads the pack for 2018 spending out of Fort Smith’s 1/8-cent sales and use tax approved by voters in 2012 for the purpose of capital improvements…

Consultant pleads guilty to $1 million kickback scheme; unnamed former Arkansas lawmaker named as conspirator

Federal court documents made public Monday (Dec. 18) cite an unnamed former Arkansas legislator and a Northwest Arkansas businessman as accomplices in a scheme with a New Jersey political consultant…

Sherwood Urgent Care opens second location in Conway

Sherwood Urgent Care opened a second location at 1065 Skyline Drive in Conway. The location, which is adjacent to Starbucks, opened Monday (Dec. 18.) Its other location on Dave Ward…

Wal-Mart’s global governance director to retire Jan. 31

Jeff Gearhart, executive vice president, global governance and corporate secretary at Wal-Mart Stores, will retire from the retail giant effective Jan. 31, according to an internal memo sent by CEO…

Then & Now: Swope always knew: ‘I wanted to be a banker’

EDITOR’S NOTE: The following story appeared in the Dec. 11 issue of the Northwest Arkansas Business Journal. “Then & Now” is a profile of a past member of the Business Journal’s…

Dillard’s CEO says family’s retail chain is a survivor

Department store retail is a business in transition and barely a month goes by without news of store closures leaving shopping malls with empty space. This year through Nov. 17,…

XNA to add 2 gates, generic gate system at a cost of $1.9 million

Northwest Arkansas Regional Airport will add two gates to the B concourse and establish a generic gate system for them. On Dec. 13, the Northwest Arkansas Regional Airport Authority approved…

FCC’s net neutrality repeal gets strong backing from Arkansas ISPs; consumer groups fear higher broadband charges

One day after the Federal Communications Commission rolled back net neutrality rules established during President Barack Obama’s administration, critics are concerned that Internet providers will begin throttling back service as…

Court decision could impact loan agreements between bankers and customers

In an opinion delivered on Dec. 7, the Arkansas Supreme Court determined, for the first time, that pre-dispute contractual waivers of the right to a jury trial are unenforceable under…

UA Global Campus to offer drone operation class in January

The University of Arkansas Global Campus is offering a four-session course to teach best practices and practical, hands-on skills for flying unmanned aircraft, or drones, safely and legally. The class…

WWI centennial prompts statewide events through 2018

The state of Arkansas continues to commemorate the centennial of World War I with a series of events in December and 2018, in addition to new educational materials on its…

Mainstream Technologies wins contract from South Carolina Department of Education

The South Carolina Department of Education (SCDE) has awarded a multi-year contract to the software solutions unit of Little Rock-based IT service company Mainstream Technologies. The goal is to create…

SEC Commissioner says Razorback sports, college athletics bring economic value

Southeastern Conference Commissioner Greg Sankey told an overflow audience at the Little Rock Chamber of Commerce’s 152nd annual meeting that collegiate athletics brings great “economic value” to major universities such…

Jonesboro hotel tax collections slightly dip in 2017; no word on new hotel/convention center work

Jonesboro will have to collect a record number of hotel taxes in December if it hopes to keep pace with the number of collections in 2016. The city has collected…

The Supply Side: Robots seen as enhancing retail store operations

Consumers shopping in brick-and-mortar stores could see more robots at work as the cost of technology has come down and the industry struggles to find labor. Since Amazon first began…

Wal-Mart unveils money management app for its U.S. employees

The 1.4 million employees of Wal-Mart Stores will soon have a new tool to help them manage their income as well as provide on-demand access to earned wages ahead of…

In challenge to Amazon, Target acquires Shipt for $550 million

Given Amazon’s strong commitment to same-day delivery service, that benefit is becoming a must-have for retailers like Wal-Mart Stores and Target. On Wednesday (Dec. 14), on the heels of Wal-Mart’s…