Business

Arkansas banks lead ROA rankings in 4Q 2016

In the fourth quarter of 2016, the average return on assets (ROA) for Arkansas banks was 1.33%, ranking the state’s lenders as the top performers among the seven states that…

Kata principles and practices could reshape manufacturing in Arkansas

A worker operating one of the lines inside a MPG Gear Technologies plant had an epiphany. The line would stall eight or 10 times per shift, and the restarts hurt…

USA Truck proxy shows executive pay, transitions, board candidates

The top two paid executives for USA Truck in 2016 no longer work for the Van Buren-based carrier, according to its proxy statement filed Tuesday (April 4) with the U.S….

Northwest Arkansas residential building permits up 21.4% in first two months of 2017

Permit values for residential construction in the region’s four largest cities were up through the first two months of the year compared to 2016. Residential permit values from January and…

Fayetteville tourism bureau reveals new branding, ad campaign

Experience Fayetteville has a new logo and website, and it will soon launch a new marketing campaign aimed at attracting more tourism to the city. Agency officials revealed the updated…

Jamey Johnson, Gov’t Mule headline 3rd Annual Peacemaker Music & Arts Festival

The 3rd Annual Peacemaker Music & Arts Festival will hit downtown Fort Smith on July 28 and 29 with headlining acts Gov’t Mule and Jamey Johnson leading a lineup of…

U.S. natural gas storage capacity narrowly rises in 2016

The amount of underground natural gas storage in the lower 48 states has slightly increase over the past three years, but the rise isn’t a result of new storage facilities….

Arkansas tax collections tank in March, worries abound ahead of April tax season

One day after the 91st General Assembly approved the state’s $5.5 billion biennial budget, Arkansas’ March revenue report shows tax collections are well below expectations and year-ago levels with only…

Used car prices decline 8%, to continue falling in April

An index for used vehicles prices has fallen 8% since February 2016, and the decline was attributed to car manufacturers increasing incentives by 18%, a 6% rise in auction sales…

Fort Smith metro building activity up over 58% through first quarter of 2017

Fort Smith, Van Buren, and Greenwood, posted building permit value gains through the first three months of 2017 compared to the same period last year. Overall the three cities added…

Jonesboro, Craighead County on pace to shatter last year’s sales tax collections records

Momentum is a key ingredient to the success of any organization, and the most populous city and county in Northeast Arkansas are once again collecting sales tax receipts at an…

Arkansas Children’s exec corrects record on next plans, says it’s too early to discuss Phase II

Marcy Doderer, president and CEO of Arkansas Children’s Hospital (ACH), said news of Phase II in Springdale was announced prematurely on Friday (March 31), and not everything told to the…

Lawmakers reject Amazon tax bill, enter recess

Lawmakers on Monday closed out the 2017 session by rejecting the so-called Amazon tax bill, which would have allowed remote retailers to collect and remit sales and use taxes from…

Sam’s Club exec says the retailer is gaining traction with ‘club pickup’

Sam’s Club has installed drive-through pickup lanes in 60 of its clubs, with plans to expand to 100 clubs by year end, according to Jamie Iannone, president and CEO of…

Oil producers invest 72% more in capital in 4Q

U.S. oil producers increased capital expenses by 72% or $4.9 billion in the fourth quarter of 2016, compared to the same period in 2015, according to U.S. Energy Information Administration….

Dates set for Main Street Food Festival and Food Truck Fridays in Little Rock

The Downtown Little Rock Partnership announced on Monday (April 3) the dates for the upcoming event series, Main Street Food Truck Fridays, and also for Main Street Food Truck Festival…

J.B. Hunt expected to report lower 1Q earnings amid competitive bidding season

Halfway through a competitive bidding season, the trucking transportation industry saw business rise in March after a lackluster February, but carriers have been securing rates on the low end of…

HomeGoods coming to Jonesboro

HomeGoods, an off-price home fashions retailer, will open a store in Jonesboro. The company has agreed to lease a 23,250 square-foot store in the Caraway Plaza, according to information from…

Business leaders raise money, awareness for Boys and Girls Club of Benton County

Northwest Arkansas leaders such as J.B. Hunt, Sam Walton, Alice Walton, Don Tyson and Pauline Whitaker built a strong foundation of leadership and philanthropy for the region, Larry Young, CEO…

Home Bancshares John Allison on Dodd-Frank, Cuba, and the possibility of a merger of equals

Home Bancshares Chairman John Allison says his bank’s growing footprint in Florida has positioned the Conway-based bank enterprise for more regional growth as well as new opportunities depending on the…