Arkansas Business articles from April 2007

Arkansas Business archives from April 2007

The next big thing in e-law? Protecting digital data, then defending the inevitable thefts.
April 2, 2007... IT'S ALMOST A CATCH-22: NEW LAWSUIT discovery regulations are requiring businesses to retain more electronic data at the same time that lawmakers are leaning on them to do a much better job of making sure such data is secure. The legal...

Fate of PB hotel rests in the hands of financial foes.(Pine Bluff )
April 2, 2007... THE FATE OF THE ROYAL ARKANSAS Hotel & Suites, which is attached to the Pine Bluff Convention Center, is in the hands of two owners who clearly don't trust each other. If Gerhardt Becker of International Hotel Management Inc. of Ontario...

Alltel's training program earns recognition.(Job Training)
April 2, 2007... EMPLOYEES AT ALLTEL CORP. MAY BE facing an uncertain future--the wireless carrier is considering options that include selling to an outside buyer--but that's not keeping the Little Rock company from pushing everyone who works there to reach his...

Hospital sale.(Whispers)
April 2, 2007... Last week Management Associates Inc. of Naples, Fla., announced that its deal to sell Summit Medical Center at Van Buren and a West Virginia hospital to Shiloh Health Services Inc. of Louisville, Ky., had fallen apart because Shiloh couldn't...

Double play.(Dickey-Stephens Park)(Brief article)
April 2, 2007... You can't use work as an excuse to get out of catching a ballgame at the new Dickey-Stephens Park on the north banks of the Arkansas River. Laptops are welcome and, thanks to Aristotle.net of Little Rock, the shiny new park will be a Wi-Fi...

Ball-B-Q.(Sherwood supplying Pig'n-Chik to Dickey-Stephens Park)(Brief article)
April 2, 2007... Elsewhere on the Travelers beat... We hear that Sherwood's Pig'n-Chik will be the official barbecue supplier to Dickey-Stephens Park. No word yet on what all will be offered, but BBQ pork piled high on ballpark-style nachos is a tasty...

April discovery.(Lewis & Clark Outfitters opening delayed)(Brief article)
April 2, 2007... This time around, it's the people waiting to discover Lewis & Clark. The Springdale outdoors retailer Lewis & Clark Outfitters, which was originally slated to open in central Arkansas early last fall, will finally debut at the Midtowne...

Funeral director strikes back.(Whispers)
April 2, 2007... Remember a few weeks ago when we told you about the Stuttgart funeral home owner who said he was haunted by a deal he made when he bought his funeral home from Derrick Gunn years ago? Well, Gunn has fired back. He says the deal has haunted...

Arthur's opening.(Arthur's Steakhouse opened by Jerry Barakat)(Brief article)
April 2, 2007... Arthur's Steakhouse, the latest venture of restaurateur Jerry Barakat, is expected to open May 1 in Barakat's bar and restaurant pod off of Rahling Road in west Little Rock, according to Marshall Smith, manager for the new fine dining...

Pryor vote.(Mark Pryor's military policy)
April 2, 2007... WHETHER ONE AGREES WITH his position or not, Sen. Mark Pryor is to be admired for his vote in the Senate last week in a losing effort to remove withdrawal language from a $122 billion war-funding bill. Arkansas' junior senator, a Democrat,...

Dumas and FEMA.(Federal Emergency Management Agency and post disaster reconstruction)(Editorial)(Brief article)
April 2, 2007... LAST WEEK'S HEADLINE IN Arkansas Business said it well: "Dumas Pulls Itself Together." The residents of that southeast Arkansas town can rightly be proud of their effort to overcome the devastation of a tornado that heavily damaged many of...

'What we've got here ...'.(organization leadership and business communications)
April 2, 2007... I AM BETTING THAT ALMOST everyone reading this can finish the headline: "... is failure to communicate." Some even know that it comes from "Cool Hand Luke." If you have ever worked in a business office, whether or not you have seen the movie,...

Learn to see the signs.
April 2, 2007... WHY IS 1T THAT SEEMINGLY thriving businesses suddenly begin to struggle with cash flow, lose good customers and employees and become troubled companies, reaching the point where their actual survival comes into question? The answer is...

Bank of the Ozarks ends Jacksonville branch fight.(BANKING & FINANCE)
April 2, 2007... Bank of the Ozarks and First Arkansas Bank & Trust have resolved a long-running dispute with Bank of the Ozarks bowing out of plans to build a bank branch at Jacksonville. Bank of the Ozarks originally filed the branch application with...

Arkansas's 2007 technology report card.(Inside Business)
April 2, 2007... Arkansas's 2007 Technology Report Card How did the average Arkansas state score? Access to technology C C Use of...

Arkansas overall technology score.(Inside Business)
April 2, 2007... Arkansas Overall Technology Score Arkansas points Average state awarded points awarded ...

ADFA bond issue to aid 5 manufacturers in state.(Inside Business)
April 2, 2007... The Arkansas Development Finance Authority has closed an $11,585,000 pooled bond issue to provide permanent long-term financing for five manufacturers locating in or expanding their facilities in Arkansas. The companies were financed...

HMA cancels deal to sell two hospitals to Shiloh.(HEALTH CARE)
April 2, 2007... Health Management Associates Inc. of Naples, Fla., has terminated an agreement to sell two hospitals to Shiloh Health Services Inc. of Louisville, Ky., after Shiloh was unable to obtain financing to complete the deal. Health Management...

Wal-Mart, UA, Blue Cross to research health care.(Inside Business)
April 2, 2007... Wal-Mart Stores Inc. will partner with the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville and Blue Cross Blue Shield to create a research center to focus on "improving the health care delivery system with the use of information technology." The...

Arkansas gets $2 million from oil-gas auction.(ENERGY)
April 2, 2007... The U.S. Department of Interior's Bureau of Land Management brought in about $12 million on 236 parcels during a competitive auction of oil and gas leases on national forest land in Arkansas, Alabama, Michigan, Mississippi and Louisiana. ...

2007 Arkansas Realtors Association housing market report.(Inside Business)
April 2, 2007... 2007 Arkansas Realtors Association Housing Market Report Most Units Sold for the Month County Feb '07 Feb '06 % Change 1 Pulaski County 409 433 2.00% 2...

Magic Springs: deal to create growth, jobs.(TOURISM)
April 2, 2007... Magic Springs Development Co., which owns the Magic Springs & Crystal Falls theme park at Hot Springs, said it has signed a refinancing deal that will pour $10 million into the park for new attractions over the next two years. Dan Aylward,...

Wildwood Park founder, director Chotard retires.(ENTERTAINMENT)(Ann Chotard)(Brief article)
April 2, 2007... Ann Chotard, executive director and artistic director of the Wildwood Park for the Performing Arts, is retiring. Chotard founded the Arkansas Opera Theatre in 1973, and it became known as the Wildwood Park for the Performing Arts in 1989....

G&D Fiberglass making mark in films, on farm.(Brief article)
April 2, 2007... Glynn Samuels has elephants and dinosaurs in his workshop. Samuels owns G&D Fiberglass in Hindsville and G&D Fiberglass Inc. of Sun Valley, Calif., fiberglass fabrication businesses that produce everything from tractor tops to fake...

Fairchild entering rubber Mulch market.(NW Journal: A Look at News From Northwest Arkansas)
April 2, 2007... Nathan Fairchild, owner of Fairchild Construction Inc. of Bentonville, is moving into the rubber mulch business. Fairchild recently purchased an International Mulch Co. franchise and will sell the patented Rubberific mulch made from...

Risk Management group forms Arkansas chapter.(NW Journal: A Look at News From Northwest Arkansas)
April 2, 2007... James Wiggins, senior vice president of Benefit Bank of Fort Smith, has been named head of the board for the newly formed northwest Arkansas chapter of the Risk Management Association. Founded in 1914 and headquartered in Philadelphia, RMA...

ASU board OKs bonds for rec center.(NE Journal: A Look at News From Northeast Arkansas)(Arkansas State University)(recreation center)(Brief article)
April 2, 2007... The Arkansas State University board of trustees recently approved issuing $17 million worth of bonds to construct a recreation center for the Jonesboro campus. The ASU students at Jonesboro will pick up the tab for the new center by paying...

Julio's restaurant fighting fine, suspension.(NE Journal: A Look at News From Northeast Arkansas)(Brief article)
April 2, 2007... Julio's Mexican Restaurant in downtown Jonesboro said it would fight an Alcoholic Beverage Control fine of $2,000 and 30-day suspension of its private club license. Julio's could have paid the fine and agreed to the suspension, but it has...

Jonesboro sales taxes slip after record month.(NE Journal: A Look at News From Northeast Arkansas)
April 2, 2007... Jonesboro's sales tax receipts hit a record high in February with more than $1 million collected, but then slipped 24.2 percent in March. The drop was to be expected because the February numbers actually account for December sales, since...

U.S. Commerce Department.(Business Briefs)(Brief article)
April 2, 2007... Arkansas' personal income grew 4.7 percent to $27,935 from 2005 to 2006, but the state still fell one spot to 48th in per capita income among states, according to figures from the U.S. Commerce Department. Arkansas ranks above Mississippi and...

Sen. Blanche Lincoln, D-Ark., said Arkansans traveling outside the country could expect delays in receiving a passport.(Business Briefs)
April 2, 2007... Sen. Blanche Lincoln, D-Ark., said Arkansans traveling outside the country could expect delays in receiving a passport. The State Department advises travelers to allow 10 to 12 weeks for routine passport processing and to allow four weeks,...

Stanley Inc., a passport services company, opened last week at Hot Springs to help meet the increased demand from travelers for passports because of new regulations that require Americans to have passports when traveling by air to any country.(Business Briefs)
April 2, 2007... Stanley Inc., a passport services company, opened last week at Hot Springs to help meet the increased demand from travelers for passports because of new regulations that require Americans to have passports when traveling by air to any country....

The Situs Cos., a Houston-based real estate services firm, has opened a Little Rock office.(Business Briefs)
April 2, 2007... The Situs Cos., a Houston-based real estate services firm, has opened a Little Rock office. Cindy Seay Webb will serve as vice president and manage the office. Sims has hired 10 other people and expects to expand in Little Rock, where it will...

American Trucking Associations'.(Business Briefs)
April 2, 2007... Trucking shipments in the United States were down 1.7 percent in February, according to the American Trucking Associations' monthly report. Shipping volume has declined on a year-over-year basis for eight straight months, but is expected to...

Conway Corp., which operates the electric, water, wastewater and cable television utility services for the city of Conway.(Business Briefs)
April 2, 2007... Conway Corp., which operates the electric, water, wastewater and cable television utility services for the city of Conway, has placed a second order with Nighthawk Systems Inc. of San Antonio for its CEO700 meter-based, whole-house disconnect...

Distilled Spirits Council.(Business Briefs)(Senate Bill 795)(Brief article)
April 2, 2007... The Distilled Spirits Council said that Senate Bill 795, which calls for a 5 percent excise tax on all off-premise wine and distilled spirits, would punish small businesses and harm the hospitality industry, despite Arkansas' nearly $850...

Gwatney Chevrolet of Jacksonville has been recognized by GMAC Financial Services as one of the top 100 automotive dealers in the United States for its outstanding achievements in 2006.(Business Briefs)
April 2, 2007... Gwatney Chevrolet of Jacksonville has been recognized by GMAC Financial Services as one of the top 100 automotive dealers in the United States for its outstanding achievements in 2006. It is the only dealer in the state to be named to the GMAC...

BancorpSouth and Regions Financial Corp., both with branches in Arkansas, along with Wachovia Corp. and SunTrust Banks Inc.(Business Briefs)
April 2, 2007... BancorpSouth and Regions Financial Corp., both with branches in Arkansas, along with Wachovia Corp. and SunTrust Banks Inc. are participating banks in AT&T Inc.'s development with Firethorn Holdings LLC that allows bank customers who are using...

Murphy Oil Co.(Business Briefs)
April 2, 2007... Murphy Oil Co. of El Dorado has sent out more than $60 million to more than 6,000 victims of damages when Hurricane Katrina broke a tank holding nearly 1 million gallons of oil at its refinery at Meraux, La. It was the first installment of a...

Imagine: where execution, imagination go hand-in-hand.(Business Lunch Review)
April 2, 2007... CHEF ADAM ROSENBLUM AND his wife, Christina Latendresse, have a dream: a warm, classy restaurant serving simple dishes made from wholesome local ingredients. Our first visit to Imagine A Restaurant made us glad they're sharing the dream...

E-discovery rules not such a big change, lawyer says.(electronically stored information regulations)
April 2, 2007... NEW COURT RULES RARELY CONCERN anyone except lawyers, but the addition in December of new Federal Rules of Civil Procedure concerning electronic data made headlines. The idea that businesses now need to preserve e-mails and even voice...

Marriage training workshop goal is better workers.(Job Training: Notes)
April 2, 2007... Through a contract from the Arkansas Transitional Employment Board and the Department of Workforce Services, the Arkansas Healthy Marriage Project aims to build stronger marriages, which makes for better workers. Wallace Goddard and James...

UAMS luncheon to support geriatric nurse training.(Job Training: Notes)
April 2, 2007... Jo Ellen Ford and her brother, Randy Wilbourn, will be guest speakers at a luncheon on April 26 to raise money for a University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences nursing program that specializes in elderly care. Ford, wife of Alltel Corp....

Breakthrough Solutions Conference set for May 1.(Job Training: Notes)
April 2, 2007... The third annual Breakthrough Solutions Conference will be held May 1 at Next Level Events in the Union Train Station in Little Rock. The theme of the conference is "Boast Town or Ghost Town: Who Will Come, Who Will Go, Who Will Be Left...

Multilingual employees, Mandarin keys to prosperous future.(Job Training)
April 2, 2007... BY THE TIME ESPERANZA Massana, a native of El Salvador, finished college at Harding University in Searcy nearly five years ago, she was fluent in three languages and could get by in a fourth. In a global economy and an increasingly...

Government, Wal-Mart, Tyson still top largest employer list.(Job Training: List Overview)
April 2, 2007... WAL-MART, TYSON AND the state and federal government continue to dominate Arkansas Business's annual list of Largest Arkansas Employers. The combined work force of those four entities, roughly 140,000, is more than the combined work force...

Alaska frontier.(Whispers)
April 2, 2007... An Alaska businessman moved to Searcy recently and then filled for Chapter 7 bankruptcy protection. Larry Don Crabtree listed more than $1.5 million in debt and nearly $800,000 in assets. Crabtree's bankruptcy attorney, G. Gregory...

EEOC files suit.(Whispers)
April 2, 2007... The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission last week filed a lawsuit against an El Dorado company for firing black employees just because of their race. The EEOC said in the lawsuit filed in U.S. District Court in El Dorado that the...

Still waiting.(prenvention of embezzlement)(Brief article)
April 2, 2007... Nothing official here, but we're hearing that action is impending in a big case of embezzlement that we first told you about last summer. The victim is Forklift Systems of Arkansas of Little Rock. The amount in question is now said to be...

Who's watching what.(demand for television viewing)(Brief article)
April 2, 2007... The much-anticipated February Nielsen's Media Research ratings book is in, and, as usual, we'll do our best to translate the tangle of numbers and charts and trendy television lingo to reveal where the local affiliates stand. Again, the...

Rise and shine.(demand for KARK-TV (Little Rock, Arkansas) programs and services)(Brief article)
April 2, 2007... KARK learned a lesson in chemistry. A new team of veteran personalities assembled last November to compete in the mornings is beginning to show results. KTHV is still the overall leader at 5 a.m. and 6 a.m. (4.2 rating, 26 share and 8.4...

Evening shade.(KATV-TV (Little Rock, Arkansas) and demand for its programs)(Brief article)
April 2, 2007... Though showing some signs of slippage across most demographics at both 5 p.m. and 6 p.m., KATV still holds a strong slice of the overall pie in those time slots. A 12.2 rating and 26 share at 5 p.m., along with a 14.9 rating and 27 share...

Night moves.(Outtakes: An Inside Look Into Arkansas Media)(Brief article)
April 2, 2007... We've grown accustomed to finding different ways to report a virtual tie at 10 p.m. over the past five or six books, but this time KTHV has made it a little easier to decipher. Channel 11 brought in a 12.5 rating and 25 share weekdays at 10...

Nine lives.(Outtakes: An Inside Look Into Arkansas Media)
April 2, 2007... KLRT'S 9 p.m. effort is inching closer to the kind of numbers third place puts up at 10 p.m. with yet another growth spurt from the three-year-old newscast, no doubt helped along by the return of the ratings juggernaut "American Idol." ...

Keeping 'em down on the farm: DeWitt family concern produces seeds, crops and now fuel.(Hornbeck Agricultural Group )
April 9, 2007... THE BROTHERS HORNBECK COME across as typical Arkansas farmers, but there s nothing typical about their operation. The three brothers have quietly built an integrated farming operation at DeWitt that extends the growing season into an impressive...

Funeral home family feud draws blood.(Family-Owned BIZ)
April 9, 2007... ON A SATURDAY MORNING IN February, Dwight Olmstead, the 55-year-old owner of Olmstead Funeral Home in Heber Springs, called police and said someone was trying to kill him. As officers raced to the funeral home, they received another call:...

Poultry-litter power generates debate: just how 'clean'?(Family-Owned BIZ)
April 9, 2007... IT SOUNDS LIKE GARRISON KEILLOR'S "Prairie Home Companion" shtick: Foreigners arrive in Minnesota selling a plan to burn turkey poop to generate electricity. "It does sound funny until you find out it's true," said Rupert Fraser, chief...

Tontitown bankers.(Whispers)
April 9, 2007... A group of investors is seeking $10 million in private stock subscriptions so they can purchase an unidentified south Arkansas bank and relocate its headquarters to Tontitown. One of the organizers is Jim Oldham, senior vice president with...

Long, hot bath.(Whispers)
April 9, 2007... After nearly a decade of frustration, a couple of Hot Springs architects and two more partners are scheduled to sign on Tuesday a lease on the historic Quapaw Bathhouse in Hot Springs. Architects Robert Kempes and Anthony Taylor have spent...

Signature closing.(Whispers)(Signature Bank of Arkansas)(White River Bancshares Inc. acquired Bank of Brinkley)(Brief article)
April 9, 2007... White River Bancshares Inc., the holding company for Signature Bank of Arkansas, has received its final approval from the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. to acquire the Bank of Brinkley and is set to close the deal on Monday. Gary Head,...

Bikini lawsuit.(Glove Corp. Heber Springs Div. accused Bennett Productions Inc. for using Bikini Destinations name for calendar)(Brief article)
April 9, 2007... A California company is accusing a Heber Springs man of crossing the line when he published his swimsuit calendar in 2006. Bennett Productions Inc. of Los Angeles said it owns the rights to the name Bikini Destinations, the same name that...

Home bust.(Whispers)
April 9, 2007... Did you know a Rogers businessman recently filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy protection and listed $1.5 million in debt? William Kealy also listed $1.5 million in assets, according to his bankruptcy petition. Kealy, who was a 50 percent...

Correction.(Correction notice)
April 9, 2007... Pulaski County Realtors sold 409 units in February, according to the latest Housing Market Report from the Arkansas Realtors Association. That was a 2 percent gain over February 2006 when 401 were sold. In last week's issue, Arkansas Business...

Big pat on the back: (and a small Kick in the butt).(Editorial)
April 9, 2007... MOST OF THE STATE LEGISLATORS were giving themselves a big pat on the back when the 86th General Assembly recessed last week after its 86-day session. With a couple of major exceptions, we agree that it was a remarkable session. We also...

Immigrants' impact.(Editorial)
April 9, 2007... A STUDY PRODUCED BY THE Winthrop Rockefeller Foundation gives a detailed look at how Arkansas' growing immigrant population is impacting the state, now and in the future. The report concludes that although 51 percent of the state's...

Observations du jour.(Mike Beebe policies and efforts towards economic development)(Little Rock School District accused for race discrimination)(Dana Altman resigned from University of Arkansas in 24 hours leaving university searching for coach again)
April 9, 2007... TOO MUCH GOING ON AND too little space, so here's my take on recent events: * The Arkansas General Assembly wraps up. At the end of the day, this group of legislators and Gov. Mike Beebe reduced the state sales tax on groceries by 50...

Construction of the 18-story 300 Third Tower in downtown Little Rock should be completed later this month.(Real Deals: A Look at Important Real Estate Transactions)
April 9, 2007... Construction of the 18-story 300 Third Tower in downtown Little Rock should be completed later this month. The $30 million project at 300 Third St. has 210,000 SF under roof. The general contractor is a joint venture with East-Harding Inc. of...

Apartment transaction.(Real Deals: A Look at Important Real Estate Transactions)(Juniper Reservoir LLC acquired Whispering Oaks complex from TVO Whispering Oaks LLC)(Brief article)
April 9, 2007... A 202-unit apartment project in west Little Rock is under new ownership after a $7.7 million deal. Juniper Reservoir LLC of Bellaire, Texas, acquired the Whispering Oaks complex at 1812 Reservoir Road from TVO Whispering Oaks LLC, led by...

Pool purchase.(Real Deals: A Look at Important Real Estate Transactions)(John Hayes HI acquired the property from Pool Development LLC)(Brief article)
April 9, 2007... A North Little Rock pool supply enterprise changed hands in a $1.65 million deal. John Hayes HI bought the 2.4-acre South Central Pool Supply development at 7610 Northshore Place from Pool Development LLC, led by Manuel Perez de la Mesa,...

Office land.(Real Deals: A Look at Important Real Estate Transactions)(Center 3 Investments LLC purchase the land)(Brief article)
April 9, 2007... A two-acre office site in west Little Rock sold for $601,000. Center 3 Investments LLC, led by William Almand, purchased the location on Executive Center Drive on the east side of the former Fairfield Communities headquarters. The seller is...

Industrial land.(Real Deals: A Look at Important Real Estate Transactions)(acquisition of land)(Brief article)
April 9, 2007... An eight-acre industrial site in North Little Rock rang up a $295,000 sale. Ben and Diane Davis acquired the location at the northeast corner of U.S. 165 and Fiber Optic Drive from I-440 Business Fiberpark LLC, led by Shirley Wilcox. ...

Commercial land.(Real Deals: A Look at Important Real Estate Transactions)(Krishman Properties LLC acquired the commercial land from J&B Revocable Trust )(Brief article)
April 9, 2007... A 0.6-acre commercial site in west Little Rock drew a $225,000 transaction. Krishman Properties LLC, led by Sunder Krishnan, bought the location at 14918 Cantrell Road. The seller is J&B Revocable Trust, led by John and William Cloud. The...

Rural site.(Real Deals: A Look at Important Real Estate Transactions)(Brief article)
April 9, 2007... A two-acre parcel in north Pulaski County is under new ownership after a $215,000 deal. Jeremy Greer purchased the land at the northwest corner of Highway 5 and Cleland Road from the International Church of the Foursquare Gospel. The deal...

Talon acquisitions.(Real Deals: A Look at Important Real Estate Transactions)(Talon Property Management Inc.)(Wadley-Johnson Enterprises Inc.)(SSS Investments LLC)(Brief article)
April 9, 2007... Property in southwest Little Rock was assembled in two purchases totaling $192,500. Talon Property Management Inc., led by Maurice Mahmoud, acquired the Graves Insulation location at 12300 Chicot Road in a $160,000 foreclosure sale. ...

Southwest property.(Real Deals: A Look at Important Real Estate Transactions)
April 9, 2007... A 6.2-acre property in southwest Little Rock changed hands in a $500,000 deal. James and Kimberly Gray bought the property west of Foxmoor Drive from Matthew and Kelly Ross. The deal is backed with a 30-year loan of $360,000 and a...

Leasehold mortgage.(Real Deals: A Look at Important Real Estate Transactions)(WCP Wireless Lease Subsidiary LLC got finance from Bayerische Hypo- und Vereinsbank AG)(Brief article)
April 9, 2007... Leased commercial space in Maumelle was used to help secure an $85 million funding agreement. WCP Wireless Lease Subsidiary LLC of Santa Monica, Calif., obtained the mortgage from Bayerische Hypo-Und Vereinsbank AG of Munich. The space...

Sweet financing.(Real Deals: A Look at Important Real Estate Transactions)(Sweet P Investors Inc. and Popeyes Chicken & Biscuits got finance from Chambers Bank of Danville)(Brief article)
April 9, 2007... Two fast-food projects in Pulaski County are helping back a $2.49 million financial package. Sweet P Investors Inc., led by Donald Gililland, received the loan from Chambers Bank of Danville. The Popeyes Chicken & Biscuits at 200 E....

Dream funding.(Real Deals: A Look at Important Real Estate Transactions)
April 9, 2007... A 10.7-acre commercial tract in North Little Rock is backed with a $1.39 million note. Dream Big Investments LLC, led by Marsha Martin, landed the three-year loan from Pulaski Bank & Trust of Little Rock. The land on the south side of...

Acxiom buys two firms--technology and marketing.(TECHNOLOGY & COMPUTERS)
April 9, 2007... Acxiom Corp. made a couple of deals recently, picking up a technology company and a marketing firm. It bought Harbinger Technologies Group, an ICx Technologies Co. based in McLean, Va., with an office in Starkville, Miss., on March 30. ...

Acxiom announces division restructuring.(Inside Business)
April 9, 2007... Acxiom Corp. informed employees last week that the publicly traded data-mining company would be reorganized into three divisions that would operate fairly independently, spokesman Kelley Bass said. Bass described the changes as "inside...

Convicted lawyer's partner indicted.(LEGAL)
April 9, 2007... Little Rock tax lawyer Barry Jewell, former partner of convicted lawyer Keith Moser, was indicted Wednesday by a federal grand jury on three counts of money laundering, one count of income tax evasion and one count of conspiracy to defraud the...

Arkansas' jobless rate drops to 5% in February.(ECONOMIC)
April 9, 2007... Arkansas' seasonally adjusted unemployment rate declined one-tenth of a percentage point to 5 percent in February, according to labor force data produced by the U.S. Department of Labor's Bureau of Labor Statistics and released by the Arkansas...

Murphy Oil CEO got $8.7 million in 2006.(Public Company Reports)
April 9, 2007... Murphy Oil Corp.'s president and chief executive officer, Claibome P. Deming, received total compensation last year valued at $8.7 million, including option awards valued at $1.98 million, according to the company's proxy statement filed with...

Gardner earned $3.8 million in 2006.(Public Company Reports)
April 9, 2007... Jeffery Gardner, president and CEO of Little Rock-based Windstream Corp., received total compensation valued at $3.8 million last year, including $1 million in stock awards, according to the company's proxy statement filed with the Security &...