Talk Business & Politics-Fort Smith & Northwest Arkansas

05/11/2024

The National Institute of Standards and Technology has awarded $5 million to researchers at the University of Arkansas to develop a center for large-scale testing of seismic systems, the university announced Tuesday (Nov. 5). The new center is expected to test systems to improve the performance of civil infrastructure, such as buildings and bridges, in the event of an earthquake. The money will allow for the purchase of hydraulic loading equipment, materials testing equipment, data acquisition devices, and upgrades to the existing 37,400-square-foot facility, the Grady E....

The National Institute of Standards and Technology has awarded $5 million to researchers at the University of Arkansas to develop a center for large-scale testing of seismic systems, the university...

05/11/2024

Arkansas Attorney General Tim Griffin announced Monday (Nov. 4) that Arkansas will receive up to $13,535,086.30 as its share of a $1.37 billion settlement with Arkansas, 29 other states, and Kroger over its role in the opioid crisis: “Opioid addiction continues to be a scourge in Arkansas and our nation. I am pleased with this settlement as the funds will go to opioid abatement....

Arkansas Attorney General Tim Griffin announced Monday (Nov. 4) that Arkansas will receive up to $13,535,086.30 as its share of a $1.37 billion settlement with Arkansas, 29 other states, and...

04/11/2024

Frisco, Texas-based medical real estate company Prime Healthcare Properties recently broke ground on a 15,000-square-foot medical office building at Promenade Boulevard and Oak Street in Rogers. It’s the first phase of a 100,000-square-foot medical office development there. Prime Healthcare Properties is a medical facility developer focused on specialty outpatient facilities. Since 2006, Prime has delivered more than 1 million square feet of projects across 10 states, from development to acquisitions, and partnered with more than 350 physicians, according to a news release....

Frisco, Texas-based medical real estate company Prime Healthcare Properties recently broke ground on a 15,000-square-foot medical office building at Promenade Boulevard and Oak Street in Rogers. It’s the first phase...

04/11/2024

Fort Smith metro building permit values down more than 54%

Building activity in the Fort Smith metro in October dropped yet again with totals for the year falling more than 50% below that of the record-breaking 2023. All three of...

04/11/2024

Area executives recently discussed some of the projects their companies are investing in to support entrepreneurs and innovation. The panel discussion was part of a Fayetteville luncheon that included the release of the annual State of the Northwest Arkansas Region Report. Panelists included Stuart Scott, chief innovation officer and executive vice president at Lowell-based J.B. Hunt Transport Services, Heidi Soloman, vice president of global strategy at Springdale-based Tyson Foods, and Chris Sultemeier, operating partner at New Road Capital Partners....

Area executives recently discussed some of the projects their companies are investing in to support entrepreneurs and innovation. The panel discussion was part of a Fayetteville luncheon that included the...

04/11/2024

Lowell-based carrier J.B. Hunt Transport Services Inc. has made three changes to its executive team, effective Dec. 1, the company announced Monday (Nov. 4). Hunt President and CEO Shelley Simpson said the company is preparing for a freight industry turnaround. Nick Hobbs, chief operating officer and president of final mile services, will add the responsibilities of president of highway services. Brad Hicks, executive vice president, has been named president of dedicated contract services....

Lowell-based carrier J.B. Hunt Transport Services Inc. has made three changes to its executive team, effective Dec. 1, the company announced Monday (Nov. 4). Hunt President and CEO Shelley Simpson...

04/11/2024

Arkansas’ fiscal year-to-date (July 2024-October 2024) tax revenue is down 3.2% compared with the same period in the previous fiscal year, but is 1.1% above budget estimates. October collections were down 4.8% with the decline largely from lower income tax revenue. Total revenue in the first four months of the fiscal year was $2.631 billion, down 3.2% compared with the same period in the previous fiscal year, but 1.1% above the budget forecast, the Arkansas Department of Finance and Administration (DFA) reported Monday (Nov....

Arkansas’ fiscal year-to-date (July 2024-October 2024) tax revenue is down 3.2% compared with the same period in the previous fiscal year, but is 1.1% above budget estimates. October collections were...

03/11/2024

Summit Utilities Arkansas has filed 2024 winter cost of gas rates with the Arkansas Public Service Commission (APSC) with the lowest winter season cost of gas since 2021. Summit owns Arkansas Oklahoma Gas Corp., which has around 60,000 residential, commercial, industrial and agricultural customers in Arkansas and Oklahoma. The proposed cost of gas that residential customers will pay is 78 cents per ccf for winter natural gas usage....

Summit Utilities Arkansas has filed 2024 winter cost of gas rates with the Arkansas Public Service Commission (APSC) with the lowest winter season cost of gas since 2021. Summit owns...

01/11/2024

The news of a new prison being built in Charleston has not been a welcome revelation to many in the area with almost 1,700 people signing a petition asking state officials to build a planned 3,000-bed prison somewhere else. Tonya Carruth started a petition opposing the construction of a prison in Franklin County/Mill Creek Mountain on Change.org Thursday (Oct. 31) stating that “residents of Franklin county, Sebastian county, and Logan county, urgently request your support in opposing the construction of a prison within our beloved community.”...

https://talkbusiness.net/2024/11/petition-launched-opposing-planned-state-prison-near-charleston/

The news of a new prison being built in Charleston has not been a welcome revelation to many in the area with almost 1,700 people signing a petition asking state...

01/11/2024

Gary Wayne Jackson, founding partner of Rogers architecture and engineering firm Hight Jackson Associates, died Wednesday (Oct. 30) at Washington Regional Medical Center in Fayetteville. He was 83. Jackson was partner of architectural firm Charles W. Hight and Associates in Coffeyville, Kan., when he opened the branch office of Hight Jackson in Rogers in 1974. Over the past 50 years, Hight Jackson has offered architecture, engineering, planning, and interior design services across Northwest Arkansas and the neighboring states of Kansas, Missouri and Oklahoma....

Gary Wayne Jackson, founding partner of Rogers architecture and engineering firm Hight Jackson Associates, died Wednesday (Oct. 30) at Washington Regional Medical Center in Fayetteville. He was 83. Jackson was...

01/11/2024

The Arkansas Department of Transportation (ArDOT) is seeking feedback on plans to rework the interchange at U.S. Highway 412 and Interstate 49 in Springdale. A public meeting on the 0.72-mile project is scheduled for Thursday (Nov. 7). An online presentation shows ArDOT job 040984 is expected to improve traffic flow and safety on Highway 412 at the I-49 interchange. The project spans from just west of South Gene George Boulevard to Modern Drive on the east side of I-49....

The Arkansas Department of Transportation (ArDOT) is seeking feedback on plans to rework the interchange at U.S. Highway 412 and Interstate 49 in Springdale. A public meeting on the 0.72-mile...

01/11/2024

Gov. Sarah Sanders announced Friday (Nov. 1) that she has appointed Gary Arnold to serve on the Arkansas State Board of Education. This is Governor Sanders’ third appointment to the Board of Education. Arnold, whose term will expire on June 30, 2027, is replacing Steve Sutton. “Gary is a longtime education leader and was one of our key allies in the LEARNS implementation process as part of the Rules and Regulations Taskforce," said Gov....

Gov. Sarah Sanders announced Friday (Nov. 1) that she has appointed Gary Arnold to serve on the Arkansas State Board of Education. This is Governor Sanders’ third appointment to the...

01/11/2024

Weakness in the manufacturing sector and too much shipping equipment chasing fewer shipments contributed to lower quarterly revenue and operating income declines for Fort Smith-based ArcBest. The shipping and logistics company early Friday (Nov. 1) posted third quarter net income of $100.314 million, well ahead of the $34.917 million in the same quarter of 2023. However, an after-tax benefit of $69.1 million boosted the net income....

01/11/2024

When you think of lithium, what comes to mind? Perhaps you think of the element from your high school science class or the critical component of modern batteries that power everything from your TV remote to your car. While both of those are certainly true, here in Arkansas, lithium is starting to mean something else entirely. For us, lithium means jobs, investments, and a bright new future for our state – if we get certain steps right....

31/10/2024

Catering plan requested to help reduce Fort Smith Convention Center deficit

The Oak View Group (OVG) which operates the Fort Smith Convention Center is hoping to expand its catering operation outside of the convention center in an effort to reduce the...

31/10/2024

Rogers-based Harvest Group, a national integrated commerce agency, has acquired Rogers-based e-commerce marketing firm Bold Strategies, a company founded in 2017. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed. According to the company, the acquisition expands Harvest Group’s marketing and digital commerce capabilities and increases its managed media spend by 20%. “Our customers consistently tell us they need a unified approach to navigate today’s complex retail landscape,” said Ross Cully, founder and CEO of Harvest Group....

Rogers-based Harvest Group, a national integrated commerce agency, has acquired Rogers-based e-commerce marketing firm Bold Strategies, a company founded in 2017. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed. According...

31/10/2024

September enplanements at Northwest Arkansas National Airport (XNA) in Highfill exceeded Clinton National Airport (LIT) in Little Rock, which XNA officials say is the first month this has happened. Enplanements comprise passengers flying out. Enplanements at XNA, the state’s second-largest commercial airport, jumped by 20.06% to 101,840 from 84,824 in the same month last year. Enplanements at LIT, the state’s largest commercial airport, rose by 1.19% to 97,820 from 96,673....

September enplanements at Northwest Arkansas National Airport (XNA) in Highfill exceeded Clinton National Airport (LIT) in Little Rock, which XNA officials say is the first month this has happened. Enplanements...

31/10/2024

Gov. Sarah Sanders, Arkansas Department of Corrections Secretary Lindsay Wallace, Arkansas Board of Corrections Chairman Benny Magness, and other state and local officials announced Thursday (Oct. 31) that the state has purchased land in Charleston, Arkansas to build a new 3,000 bed prison. The state purchased the 815-acre property for $2,950,000 after a months-long search. According to the governor's office, this parcel offers the infrastructure needed for a new prison, including cell phone reception, water lines, electricity, and a nearby fire department....

Gov. Sarah Sanders, Arkansas Department of Corrections Secretary Lindsay Wallace, Arkansas Board of Corrections Chairman Benny Magness, and other state and local officials announced Thursday (Oct. 31) that the state...

31/10/2024

The American Customer Satisfaction Index’s (ACSI) Retail Holiday Preview, indicates customer satisfaction with the retail sector overall is 78.5 out of 100. Sam’s Club, Pet Supplies Plus and Tractor Supply were among the leaders in their categories. “In a climate of economic uncertainty, consumers are laser-focused on finding the best deals, whether they’re shopping online or in-store,” said Forrest Morgeson, associate professor of marketing at Michigan State University and director of research emeritus at the ACSI....

The American Customer Satisfaction Index’s (ACSI) Retail Holiday Preview, indicates customer satisfaction with the retail sector overall is 78.5 out of 100. Sam’s Club, Pet Supplies Plus and Tractor Supply...

31/10/2024

Matt Crafton, president and CEO of Rogers-based engineering and design firm Crafton Tull, has been named a fellow of the American Council of Engineering Companies. According to a news release, the fellowship is the highest honor awarded by the association and is presented to those who have demonstrated exemplary leadership, commitment to excellence, and significant impact in the engineering field....

Matt Crafton, president and CEO of Rogers-based engineering and design firm Crafton Tull, has been named a fellow of the American Council of Engineering Companies. According to a news release,...

31/10/2024

Small, nonfarm businesses in seven Arkansas counties can apply for low-interest federal disaster loans from the U.S. Small Business Administration. The loans will offset economic losses caused by the drought that started on Oct. 15, according to a news release. Affected businesses in the following counties can apply for the loans: Newton, Boone, Carroll, Johnson, Madison, Pope and Searcy. SBA working capital loans become available when farmers face crop losses, and the U.S....

Small, nonfarm businesses in seven Arkansas counties can apply for low-interest federal disaster loans from the U.S. Small Business Administration. The loans will offset economic losses caused by the drought...

30/10/2024

Healthcare was one of three topics discussed at the Northwest Arkansas Tech Summit held in Rogers, Oct. 28-29. It was the 11th year for the annual event that drew more than 1,200 people to discuss technology impacts on healthcare, retail and supply chain. Marcus Osborne, chairman of RightMove Health, spoke about the challenges around delivering health care at a value despite the $3.8 trillion spent annually....

Healthcare was one of three topics discussed at the Northwest Arkansas Tech Summit held in Rogers, Oct. 28-29. It was the 11th year for the annual event that drew more...

30/10/2024

The Fort Smith Police Department is asking for $1.25 million from the city’s general fund to renovate the former Crane Kia property on U.S. Highway 71 into a training center. The request is part of the department’s capital improvement plan (CIP) The plan, presented to the Fort Smith Board of Directors at a study session Tuesday (Oct. 30), also looks at using $290,400 from business license fees to go with the $2.58 million from the one-eighth cent sales tax dedicated to the police department to fund police raises in 2025....

The Fort Smith Police Department is asking for $1.25 million from the city’s general fund to renovate the former Crane Kia property on U.S. Highway 71 into a training center....

30/10/2024

Fort Smith metro annual job numbers up in September, jobless rate dips to 3.2%

The Fort Smith metro posted year-over-year net job gains of almost 2% in September, with job numbers up almost 4% in the past five years, but 4.4% below record metro...

30/10/2024

Murphy USA, Inc. reported Wednesday (Oct. 30) lower revenue and profits in its third quarter compared to a year ago, in part due to a share buyback program, higher industry breakeven margins, and accelerated plans for growth based on market conditions. The company also made an upward revision to its guidance. The El Dorado-based convenience store chain reported third quarter net income of $149.2 million versus $167.7 million one year ago....

Murphy USA, Inc. reported Wednesday (Oct. 30) lower revenue and profits in its third quarter compared to a year ago, in part due to a share buyback program, higher industry...