Arkansas Business back issues from June 2008:
Professionals latch onto LinkedIn: networking finds home online.(Public Relations Society of America)
Jun 02, 2008; ... ONCE A MONTH, NATALIE Ghidotti must organize a meeting for the Arkansas chapter of the Public Relations Society of America. For May, the speaker was Will Robinson, whom Ghidotti found while reading a Washingtonian Magazine story in which Robinson, an expert in new media and its ...
Equity Media searches for stability.
Jun 02, 2008; ... EQUITY MEDIA HOLDINGS CORE HAS A 10-year history of losing money, but that didn't stop insiders from raking in millions of dollars when the private venture converted to a public company last year. A lawsuit challenging alleged insider profiteering at the expense of shareholders ...
Fast-casual restaurants are on the rise.(Overview)
Jun 02, 2008; ... THE MOST OBVIOUS TREND revealed by 2007 restaurant revenue data is the movement of diners away from full-service restaurants to spend their increasingly precious dollars at so-called "fast-casual" establishments, a category that offers higher quality food than fast-food restaurants but ...
Bad research.(Whispers)
Jun 02, 2008 ... We've been telling you about the troubles at Research Solutions LLC of Little Rock, and now here's another piece of bad news: the drug testing company recently filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy protection. Research Solutions listed $7.2 million in debt but only $1.5 million in ...
ANB ownership.(Whispers)(ANB Financial )(Brief article)
Jun 02, 2008 ... Everyone knows a lot of people lost a lot of money in the collapse of ANB Financial of Bentonville. Great Southern Bank of Springfield wrote off nearly $35 million it had in a stock loan to ANB, and almost 650 depositors had $39.2 million in uninsured deposits. But ...
Sale snubbed.(Whispers)
Jun 02, 2008 ... One ANB shareholder not mentioned in the company's annual report is I. Neal Ethridge of Springfield, a retired Archer Daniels Midland Co. exec. He had about 4 percent of the bank's stock and figures he lost about $20 million in the forced closure. We're not exactly sure how he ...
Making hay.(Whispers)
Jun 02, 2008 ... Johnny Allison told us it was coming, so we weren't terribly surprised to see a copy of an ad for Home BancShares Inc. of Conway with this fascinating headline: "Financially troubled companies make the news. Stable ones make the ads." We're not sure where the ad is ...
Grave business.(Whispers)(Gunn Funeral Home )(Brief article)
Jun 02, 2008 ... A Little Rock funeral home found itself in hot water after an embalmer allegedly handled funeral arrangements without a license. Gunn Funeral Home has appealed the decision by the Arkansas State Board of Embalmers & Funeral Directors, which suspended embalmer Derrick Gunn for a ...
The lottery tax.(Editorial)
Jun 02, 2008 ... WE FIGURED LT. GOV. BILL Halter's plan to amend the state Constitution to allow a state lottery would make the Nov. 4 ballot. That still doesn't make us like it. Simply put, it's a bad bet. We've looked at this issue several times over the years and still cannot find a single ...
Toll on truckers.(Editorial)
Jun 02, 2008 ... SMALL TRUCKING OPERATIONS are finding it hard to stay on the road in today's economy. Arkansas has seen its share of truckers shut down their rigs, although solid figures cannot be had. Most of the problem stems from the rising cost of diesel fuel, now more than $4.70 a gallon, ...
[Cartoon].(Editorial)(Cartoon)
Jun 02, 2008 ... ... AND HOUSE SALES ROSE SHARPLY IN MAY OH, ...
Tourist dollars.(Editor's Note)
Jun 02, 2008; ... THE MORITZ FAMILY -- SOON to be renamed Griswold, but I'll get to that--rented a campsite at the Hot Springs KOA on the Friday before Memorial Day. We had intended to go to Lake Catherine State Park, but it was booked up weeks in advance. A temporary neighbor at the KOA said DeGray was ...
A challenging year for retail.(Commentary)
Jun 02, 2008; ... NATIONWIDE, THE SHOPPING center development market has entered a challenging period, with many players in the business facing difficulty. The collapse of the housing market, together with higher fuel and food prices, has placed a tremendous strain on the consumer and driven ...
Dental acquisition.(Real Deals: A Look at Important Real Estate Transactions)(Brief article)
Jun 02, 2008; ... A 40,000-SF office building in east Little Rock tipped the scales at $1.82 million. Delta Dental Plan of Arkansas Inc., led by Ed Choate, bought the 7773 Sloane Drive project. The company will renovate the space and relocate provider relations staff and a portion of its call ...
Residential projects.(Real Deals: A Look at Important Real Estate Transactions)(Brief article)
Jun 02, 2008; ... Two residential subdivisions in Sherwood are in motion after property transfers valued at a combined $1.9 million. Sherwood Development LLC, led by Byron McKimmey, Billy Morden, Steven Deere, Michael Marlar and Randy Wiggins, acquired the 33.89-acre tract on the west side of the ...
Nothing but word.(Real Deals: A Look at Important Real Estate Transactions)(Nothing But Word Ministries Inc. acquires Wilson-Calhoun Funeral Home )(Brief article)
Jun 02, 2008; ... A former mortuary in southwest Little Rock sold for $363,000. Nothing But Word Ministries Inc., led by Victoria Atkins-Robinson and Roosevelt Lewis Sr., bought the Wilson-Calhoun Funeral Home at 9612 Geyer Springs Road. The sellers are Blackburne & Brown Mortgage Co ....
Parkstone buy.(Real Deals: A Look at Important Real Estate Transactions)(Brief article)
Jun 02, 2008; ... A commercial project in North Little Rock changed hands in a $356,000 deal. Jerry and Karen Harrod purchased the 6 Parkstone Circle property from S&D Realty Corp., led by David Cone. The ...
Creative purchase.(Real Deals: A Look at Important Real Estate Transactions)(Brief article)
Jun 02, 2008; ... A commercial property in east Little Rock rang up a $280,000 sale. CreativeEngineering Consultants Corp., led by Bruce Winn, acquired the 1901 E. 17th St. project. The seller is McCulloch Investments LLC, led by Amos ...
Chenal sale.(Real Deals: A Look at Important Real Estate Transactions)(Brief article)
Jun 02, 2008; ... A 5,019-SF home in west Little Rock's Chenal Circle neighborhood drew a $723,333 transaction. Scott and Denise Carle bought the house from Daniel Benson. The deal is funded with a 30-year loan of $417,000 from Bank of Little Rock Mortgage Corp. and ...
Ridge residence.(Real Deals: A Look at Important Real Estate Transactions)
Jun 02, 2008; ... A 5,025-SF home in The Ridge neighborhood in west Little Rock is under new ownership after a $660,000 deal. Stephen and Mary Hickman purchased the house through Sirva Relocation LLC of Chicago from Gregory and Jennifer Barnes. The deal is financed with a ...
Ridge point abode.(Real Deals: A Look at Important Real Estate Transactions)
Jun 02, 2008; ... A 3,930-SF home in west Little Rock's River Ridge Point sold for $500,000. Jose Romero acquired the house from E.W. and Tamara Moore. The deal is backed with a 20-year loan of $360,000 from Summit Bank of Arkadelphia. ...
Niksefat refinance.(Real Deals: A Look at Important Real Estate Transactions)(Brief article)
Jun 02, 2008; ... A retail project in Jacksonville was refinanced with a $1.7 million funding agreement. The Niksefat Family Trust, led by Salim and Faouzieh Niksefat, obtained the three-year loan from First Arkansas Bank & Trust of Jacksonville. ...
Construction mortgage.(Real Deals: A Look at Important Real Estate Transactions)
Jun 02, 2008; ... The owner of a 40-acre tract on the edge of Maumelle picked up an $870,000 financial package. Arkansas Construction & Excavation LLC, led by Kenneth Norman, received the one-year loan from Metropolitan National Bank of Little Rock. The land ...
P&H funding.(Real Deals: A Look at Important Real Estate Transactions)
Jun 02, 2008; ... A small office project in downtown Little Rock is backed with a $750,000 mortgage. P&H Investments LLC, led by John Perry and Robert Hester, got the five-year loan from Jonesboro's Liberty Bank of Arkansas. The ...
Office financing.(Real Deals: A Look at Important Real Estate Transactions)(Brief article)
Jun 02, 2008; ... The owner of an office project in downtown Little Rock landed a $713,000 refinancing deal. WER Holdings LLC, led by Terry Rasco, David Sargent, Eldon Bock, Aristo Brizzolara and John Greer, got the five-year loan from Pulaski Bank of New Iberia, La. ...
Duralor plans Springdale, HQ, to add 110 new jobs.(MANUFACTURING)
Jun 02, 2008; ... Duralor LLC, which makes coatings for cutting tools and machine parts, broke ground last week on its internationalheadquarters in the Springdale Technology Park, a move company officials said will create 110 jobs. The company said it will hire 10 employees in its first year and ...
Ciber Inc. expanding office in Little Rock.(TECHNOLOGY & COMPUTERS)
Jun 02, 2008; ... Ciber Inc., an information technology company, announced last week the expansion of its Little Rock office to include a commercial division. Ciber's office at 1501 N. University provides state and local government entities with services including software application development and ...
New York fund takes 5% stake in Acxiom.(Inside Business)
Jun 02, 2008; ... A New York institutional investor that started buying Acxiom Corp. stock last fall has increased its ownership to 5.3 percent, according to a Securities & Exchange Commission disclosure. Glenhill Advisors LLC, formerly known as Krevlin Advisors LLC, disclosed last week that it ...
Maumelle Co. told to stop promoting CDs.(Inside Business)
Jun 02, 2008; ... Three insurance agents and a Maumelle company at which they worked have been ordered to stop offering to sell certificates of deposit by claiming a higher yield than the buyer actually receives. The cease-and-desist order by Arkansas Securities Commissioner Heath Abshure names ...
Stephens Group partners with technology co.(Inside Business)(Acute Technological Services LLC )
Jun 02, 2008; ... The Stephens Group LLC and Acute Technological Services LLC of Houston have completed a recapitalization deal that gives the Little Rock equity firm majority interest in the deepwater technology company, according to a news release. The Stephens Group is headed by Witt Stephens ...
Fueling change.(Inside Business)(Survey)
Jun 02, 2008 ... <Pre> Fueling Change What changes are workers making because of the higher gasoline prices? Increasing carpooling or ridesharing 46% Driving a more fuel-efficient car 33% Telecommuting more frequently 33% Looking for a new job ...
Dillard's first-quarter earnings decline sharply, to $2.7 million.(Public Company Reports)(Financial report)
Jun 02, 2008 ... Dillard's Inc. said. first-quarter net income dropped to $2.7 million, or 4 cents a share, compared with $42.9 million, or 53 cents a share, a year ago. Wall Street analysts had projected Dillard's would earn 21 cents a share. Sales were down 6 percent in stores open ...
Zacks downgrades shares of Arkansas best to sell.(Public Company Reports)
Jun 02, 2008 ... Zacks.com, in its latest analyst interview, downgraded Arkansas Best Corp. Senior analyst Ann Heffron, who has a sell recommendation for Arkansas Best, had this to say: "Arkansas Best is a diversified transportation company headquartered in Fort Smith, Arkansas. The ...
Acxiom Corp.(Public Company Reports)
Jun 02, 2008 ... Acxiom Corp. declared a quarterly cash dividend of 6 cents a share payable ...
Children's Hospital places 24th in U.S. news rankings.(HEALTH CARE)
Jun 02, 2008; ... Arkansas Children's Hospital ranks 24th in U.S. News & World Report's 2008 edition of America's Best Children's Hospitals. Online, the complete list is at www.usnews. com/pediatrics. It also will appear in the magazine's June 9 issue. This year's ranking is the third time in ...
Eureka Springs Bank plans expansion, changes name.(NW Journal: A Look at News From Northwest Arkansas)
Jun 02, 2008; ... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The 96-year-old Bank of Eureka Springs has changed its name to Cornerstone Bank, according to the current listing by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. The name change is part of a strategy for the bank to expand regionally, said Charlie ...
Two $2.4 million hotels planned for Van Buren.(NW Journal: A Look at News From Northwest Arkansas)
Jun 02, 2008; ... Van Buren will be getting two new hotels soon, bringing the total number of rooms in the city to 355, a 37 percent increase from the 259 rooms available now. Rupe Building Co. of Tulsa is constructing a Sleep Inn. The 31,120-SF project is valued at $2.4 million and will be three ...
Mathias Properties gets loan to build Fayetteville project.(NW Journal: A Look at News From Northwest Arkansas)
Jun 02, 2008; ... Mathias Properties signed a $2.26 million loan from Arvest Bank for the development and construction of Phases I and II of The Shoppes at the Bluff on north Steele Boulevard in Fayetteville's CMN Business Park. MP Construction of Springdale Inc. is the general contractor for ...
Home BancShares Inc. of Conway has approved the combining of the Bank of Mountain View into Community Bank.(Business Briefs)
Jun 02, 2008 ... Home BancShares Inc. of Conway has approved the combining of the Bank of Mountain View into Community Bank. This decision is based in part on the banking company's efforts to improve efficiency ...
Equity Media Holdings Corp.(Business Briefs)
Jun 02, 2008 ... Richard C. Rochon, a member of the board of Equity Media Holdings Corp., has been named chairman. He previously was chairman and CEO of Coconut Palm Acquisition ...
The Heritage Co. of Sherwood, is celebrating its 50th anniversary on June 7.(Business Briefs)
Jun 02, 2008 ... The Heritage Co. of Sherwood, is celebrating its 50th anniversary on June 7. The company that began in the home of Lee Keenihan, a single mom in Sherwood, in 1958, was a pioneer in the direct marketing industry. Heritage is now one of the ...
Wal-Mart Stores Inc.(Business Briefs)
Jun 02, 2008 ... Wal-Mart Stores Inc. will Webcast its annual shareholders' meeting on June 6 along with its same-day question-and-answer session with analysts and investors. The live webcast will be available at www.walmartstores ....
The Baptist Health Medical Center-North Little Rock Auxiliary will host its 14th annual Team Scramble Golf Tournament on June 6 at the Championship Golf Course at Burns Park in North Little Rock.(Business Briefs)
Jun 02, 2008 ... The Baptist Health Medical Center-North Little Rock Auxiliary will host its 14th annual Team Scramble Golf Tournament on June 6 at the Championship Golf Course at Burns Park in North Little Rock. Registration fees are $260 per three- or ...
Nominations are being sought for the Arkansas Business Hall of Fame.(Business Briefs)
Jun 02, 2008 ... Nominations are being sought for the Arkansas Business Hall of Fame. The deadline for the nominations is July 1. The Sam M. Walton College of Business at the University of Arkansas established the Business Hall of Fame in 1999 to recognize Arkansans who have been successful business ...
Barbara Cansler, store manager of JCPenney at Conway Towne Center, has been given the Chairman's Award, the company's highest honor for performance excellence.(Business Briefs)
Jun 02, 2008 ... Barbara Cansler, store manager of JCPenney at Conway Towne Center, has been given the Chairman's Award, the company's highest honor for ...
J.B. Hunt Transport Services Inc. has been recognized by the Arkansas Trucking Association as the 2007 Corporate Fleet Safety Grand Champion.(Business Briefs)
Jun 02, 2008 ... J.B. Hunt Transport Services Inc. has been recognized by the Arkansas Trucking Association as the 2007 Corporate Fleet Safety Grand Champion ....
Blue & You Foundation for a Healthier Arkansas.(Business Briefs)
Jun 02, 2008 ... The Blue & You Foundation for a Healthier Arkansas is accepting applications for grants ranging from $5,000 to $150,000 to fund health improvement programs in the state. The foundation awards about $1 million in grants annually ...
Five new stores have opened or will soon in McCain Mall in North Little Rock, which has more than 80 stores.(Business Briefs)
Jun 02, 2008 ... Five new stores have opened or will soon in McCain Mall in North Little Rock, which has more than 80 stores. They are Aeropostale, Justice just for girls!, Kay Jewelers, Whitehall Jewelers and First Wok. Aeropostale, which targets 14- to ...
Kelyniam Global Inc., a Little Rock engineering consulting firm, has completed its purchase of M2-Systems LLC of New Britain, Conn., according to a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.(Business Briefs)
Jun 02, 2008 ... Kelyniam Global Inc., a Little Rock engineering consulting firm, has completed its purchase of M2-Systems LLC of New Britain, Conn., according to a filing with the ...
ZaZa: great salads and the chance to watch pizza-making.
Jun 02, 2008 ... ON ENTERING THE NEW ZaZa Fine Salad & Wood-Oven Pizza Co., we nearly stumbled into the gelato line, which has the tendency to blend into the salad line. However, we certainly won't argue with the point-of-sale--paying before you eat--which cuts about 10 minutes off order time ....
Human billboard dances, attracts restaurant customers.(Business Lunch Review)(Kevin Johnson)
Jun 02, 2008; ... KEVIN JOHNSON IS NORMALLY y. But strap a cardboard guitar his neck and he dances for all of Sherwood. Johnson, 27, is a "shaker"--someone hired to hold a sign and dance in front of businesses to attract customers. He works for Little Caesar's in Sherwood, and when Johnson ...
New Greek.(Whispers)
Jun 02, 2008 ... A new Greek restaurant, Taziki's Greek Fare, is headed for the Cantrell Heights Shopping Center near Arkansas Rod & Reel around Aug. 1. Amy and Keith Richards (not that one) started Taziki's in Alabama and are now pursuing their first franchise. Jim Keet and his sons, Tommy and ...
Correction.(Whispers)(Correction notice)
Jun 02, 2008 ... The name of Debbi Brawley, principal broker of Brawley & Associates Real Estate in ...
Gridiron competition.(Outtakes: An Inside Look Into Arkansas Media)
Jun 02, 2008; ... Hooten's Arkansas Football has reigned supreme for 15 years as the only annual football preview for Arkansas. In its 16th season, Hooten's will face competition for the first time. Both ArkansasSports360.com--published by Arkansas Business Publishing Group--and a company based in northwest ...
Fuel efficiency.(Outtakes: An Inside Look Into Arkansas Media)
Jun 02, 2008; ... It's cheap and it's close. The 2008 advertising campaign for Magic Springs & Crystal Falls in Hot Springs kicked off recently, and this year's theme emphasizes the money saved by visiting the in-state amusement park rather than vacationing out of state. "We began ...
From the publisher.(planning launch of www.ArkansasSports360.com )(Editorial)(Brief article)
Jun 02, 2008; ... At this time a year ago, we were planning an August launch of ArkansasSports360.com with Editor Jim Harris, who was already blogging his "Playing Field" sports coverage on the Arkansas Business Web site. By mid-October, more than two months after launching with our Darren McFadden cover ...
'Major' win for Shumate.(THE PLAYING FIELD)
Jun 02, 2008 ... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Caption: 'MAJOR' WIN FOR SHUMATE: Bryon Shumate of Fort Smith kicked off the state's "major" amateur championship season by winning the Maumelle Classic by one stroke May 4. It marked ...
When will hoop coaches start robbing the cradle?(THE PLAYING FIELD)
Jun 02, 2008 ... As long as the Arkansas Razorbacks play basketball, there will never be a player that meant as much as Larry Batch to the 1979 Hogs ... oh wait, that was Sidney Moncrief, not his junior high school teammate Larry Batch, who was part of the famed "Triplets" in 1977-78, led Arkansas to an ...
Speaking out.(THE PLAYING FIELD)(Quotation)
Jun 02, 2008 ... "He has that old-man strength that kind of threw me down." --New Orleans Hornets and former Arkansas Razorback guard Jannero Pargo on being flipped to the floor by Jason Kidd of the Dallas Mavericks, told to the Dallas Morning News during the Hornets-Mavs NBA playoff series. ...
Where was the love eight years ago?(THE PLAYING FIELD)
Jun 02, 2008 ... While Bonnie Richardson made national headlines, Antisha Anderson was quietly training behind the scenes. Richardson's story made a big splash recently when she won the Texas University Interscholastic League (UIL) 1A team title by herself. Richardson of Rochelle High School, 85 ...
Scott Norwood.(Penthouse & Outhouse)(University of Arkansas at Little Rock)(Brief article)
Jun 02, 2008 ... The Ouachita Baptist University base-bar coach picked up a new job at UALR and also guided his Tigers to the school's first NCAA Division IT Cortege World Series. Before Norwood arrived, OBU couldn't manage 50 wins total in five seasons; he guided the Tigers to 50 wins in 2007. Then, ...
Darren McFadden.(Penthouse & Outhouse)(NFL Draft)(Atlanta Falcons)(Brief article)
Jun 02, 2008 ... There are 35 million reasons, or so, to forgo your senior year in college when you're 6-foot-2, 210 pounds and run about 4.3 seconds in the 4D-yard dash. When Boston College quarterback Matt Ryan, the third pick in the ...
Casey Dick.(Penthouse & Outhouse)
Jun 02, 2008 ... The senior Arkansas Razorbacks quarterback from Allen, Texas, put up 404 passing yards in the UA's Red-White ...
Dave van Horn.(Penthouse & Outhouse)(Brief article)
Jun 02, 2008 ... Without the pitching of 2007--which included first-round and second-round Major League Baseball draft picks--the veteran Razorback coach's program took a precipitous drop to mediocrity in 2008, culminating with two blown losses on ...
Ryan Wedel.(Penthouse & Outhouse)
Jun 02, 2008 ... Rather than sticking it out and playing for new coach John Brady, who said he wanted the little shooting guard to return, the top returning scorer for the Arkansas State ...