Arkansas Business articles from July 2003

Arkansas Business archives from July 2003

Families still bank on lending: examples continue to dot landscape around Arkansas.
July 7, 2003... THE NUMBER OF ARKANSAS lenders has dwindled over the years through sales and mergers wrought by consolidation. Fiscal stress during the Great Depression and the S&L crisis also helped prune the state's roster of financial institutions. ...

Cytomedix back in LR with new business plan.(Little Rock)
July 7, 2003... AFTER POSTING $23.7 MILLION in losses since 2001, Cytomedix may have found a way to rehabilitate itself. The wound treatment company emerged from Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection last fall and quietly relocated its headquarters back to...

Some public companies remain 'family' affair.
July 7, 2003... MANY OF THE LARGEST publicly traded companies headquartered in Arkansas -- including Wal-Mart Stores Inc. of Bentonville, the world's largest company -- are still "family" businesses in a very real sense: Members of the founding families are...

Sell or own? (Whispers).(nursing homes owned by the Arkansas Teacher Retirement System)(Brief Article)
July 7, 2003... Remember Alan Kilgore, president of Cornerstone Health Care of Rogers? You might recall that he has pretty much left the picture as a would-be buyer of Woodland Heights retirement center in west Little Rock. We understand that his...

MSA bigger than city. (Whispers).(Fayetteville metropolitan statistical area)(Brief Article)
July 7, 2003... The "Fayetteville" label on northwest Arkansas' metropolitan statistical area is less accurate than it ever was, and there may be an effort launched to get the label changed. The recent announcement from the Milken Institute seems to be a...

"R.N." rollout mode. (Whispers).(pre-paid legal service for nurses)(Brief Article)
July 7, 2003... Springdale's Lisle Law Firm P.A., the statewide provider for Pre-Paid Legal Services Inc., of Ada, Okla., recently announced that its Arkansas customer base has more than doubled from about 6,500 in 1997 to more than 14,000 in June. What...

Moving land. (Whispers).(Alltel Properties purchases land)(Brief Article)
July 7, 2003... Office property connected with Little Rock's Alltel Information Services Inc. was transferred in a transaction valued at $10.7 million. Alltel Properties LLC, an affiliate of Alltel Corp., bought a 16.3-acre undeveloped parcel at the...

Cable case closed. (Whispers).(Brief Article)
July 7, 2003... Developer Michael Todd will get some bucks out of Falcon Cable Media of Rancho Cucamonga, Calif., in a settlement of his lawsuit involving a lease agreement for cable TV lines. The agreed settlement? $212,000. For years, Todd's...

Truck talk. (Whispers).(trucking development changes hands)(Brief Article)
July 7, 2003... Ownership of a North Little Rock trucking development shifted in a $1.1 million deal. McNeill Express Inc., an affiliate of P.A.M. Transportation Inc. of Tontitown, acquired the 15-acre project at 1401 McNeill Road. The seller is...

The halftime show.(stock market performance)(Brief Article)(Editorial)
July 7, 2003... THE YEAR IS NOW HALF OVER, and to the surprise of many, the markets turned in a good half -- the best in several years. The Standard and Poor's 500-stock index turned in its best quarter since 1998. The index was up 14.8 percent for the...

Letter.(Letter to the Editor)
July 7, 2003... Unfair Report I just wanted to set the record straight as to the reporting in this article (Whispers, June 30, "Gribble Faces More Foreclosures"). Joe Gribble is the former operator of Four Oaks Living Center. Our company did manage...

Chenal transformation. (Publisher's Note).(Chenal Valley)
July 7, 2003... IT'S BECOME HARD TO IMAGINE Little Rock without Chenal Valley. Deltic Timber Corp., formerly a subsidiary of Murphy Oil Corp. of El Dorado, launched the development 14 years ago and forever transformed west Little Rock. Residential and...

Your business and the media. (On Marketing).
July 7, 2003... ONE QUESTION I GET FREquently from readers is, "How can I get some publicity and news coverage for my business? We're doing great things, but no one seems to notice." I have been on both sides of the media/business relationship. Sometimes...

Real deals.(real estate transactions)
July 7, 2003... Regal Resale A vacant Regal Ware plant in Jacksonville was resold in a $2.65 million deal. Redmond Road Associates LLC, led by Rick Ashley and Ken McRae IV, bought the 640,000-SF facility at 1100 Redmond Road from Regal Ware Inc. of...

Stephens to give UALR $20 million for center. (Education).(Jackson T. Stephens, University of Arkansas at Little Rock )
July 7, 2003... The University of Arkansas at Little Rock will receive $20.4 million from Jackson T. Stephens to construct and equip a special events center on the university campus. The gift from the Little Rock businessman and philanthropist is the...

Wal-Mart changes policy to protect gays. (Retail).(equal opportunity employment policy to bar discrimination based on sexual orientation)
July 7, 2003... Wal-Mart Stores Inc. has changed its equal opportunity employment policy to bar discrimination based on sexual orientation. The amendment comes after two years of discussion between the company and shareholder activist groups, including gay...

Dillon begins as Deltic chief. (Forestry).(Ray C. Dillon takes over as president and CEO of Deltic Timber Corp.)(Brief Article)
July 7, 2003... Ray C. Dillon has taken over as president and CEO of Deltic Timber Corp. Dillon replaces Ron L. Pearce, who is retiring Aug. 1. "I am proud to become associated with Deltic Timber Corp. The company has an impressive ensemble of assets...

Finance department raises revenue report for 2003. (Government).(Arkansas Department of Finance and Administration)(Brief Article)
July 7, 2003... The Arkansas Department of Finance and Administration last week raised the state's net general revenue report for fiscal year 2003. The latest report showed $3.251 billion in net general revenue, a $68.4 million gain -- about 2.1 percent --...

Arkansans paying less for electricity. (Energy).(Brief Article)
July 7, 2003... Electric rates nationwide are expected to rise 4 percent during July-September, representing a 20-year peak. However, Entergy Arkansas reports that its rates remain at an 18-year low. The subsidiary of Entergy Corp. of New Orleans...

Beverly sells 38 facilities. (Health Care).(Beverly Enterprises Inc.)(Brief Article)
July 7, 2003... Beverly Enterprises Inc. has announced the sale of nearly 40 facilities under a previously planned divestiture of nursing homes with high patient care liability. Eighteen facilities were sold June 30 for $73.5 million, and the funds were...

TruService becomes open credit union. (Banking & Finance).(Brief Article)
July 7, 2003... Pulaski and Faulkner counties now have a community-based credit union. TruService Community Federal Credit Union is the first credit union in the two counties to offer memberships to individuals who work, live, worship or attend school in...

Benton County could be most populous. (Population).(Brief Article)
July 7, 2003... By 2025, Benton County will likely become the most populated county in Arkansas, according to a report published by the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville. The report, "Arkansas Population Projections -- 2003-2025," was produced by the...

Cryovac builds new plant at Rogers. (NW Journal).(Brief Article)
July 7, 2003... Cryovac Inc., a subsidiary of Sealed Air Corp. in Saddle Brook, N.J., recently purchased a building permit valued at $ 7.8 million to continue construction on its Rogers plant that began May 2. Dave Swearingen of Crafton Tull & Associates...

Six new flights added at XNA. (NW Journal).(Northwest Arkansas Regional Airport )
July 7, 2003... Six new round-trip flights -- including three to new destinations -- will be added at the Northwest Arkansas Regional Airport in Highfill, bringing the total number of daily round-trip flights to SO, said Scott Van Laninghaxn, executive...

Avow Technology Solutions has been named a Sharp Electronics Corp. (Business Briefs).(digital output dealer)(Brief Article)
July 7, 2003... * Avow Technology Solutions has been named a Sharp Electronics Corp. digital output dealer. Avow will have exclusive sales rights for the digital imagers to a 12-county area in central Arkansas.

Quapaw Quarter United Methodist Church. (Business Briefs).(Vic Snyder marriage)(Brief Article)
July 7, 2003... * Rep. Vic Snyder, D-Ark., will marry the Rev. Betsy Singleton, pastor of Quapaw Quarter United Methodist Church, July 6 during the church's normal 11 a.m. worship service.

Central Arkansas Veterans Healthcare System. (Business Briefs).(Brief Article)
July 7, 2003... * Central Arkansas Veterans Healthcare System has received an Energy Star award for its energy efficiency at the John L. McClellan Memorial Veterans Hospital. The award is given to buildings with energy performance in the top 25 percent of all...

Teledyne Technologies Inc. of Los Angeles said Teledyne Brown Engineering Inc. has been awarded a contract valued at $20.4 million to support the U.S. Army. (Business Briefs).(Brief Article)
July 7, 2003... * Teledyne Technologies Inc. of Los Angeles said Teledyne Brown Engineering Inc. has been awarded a contract valued at $20.4 million to support the U.S. Army with the destruction of binary chemical warfare material in storage at the Pine Bluff...

U.S. Army's Pine Bluff Chemical Agent Disposal Facility began a trial burn of two substitute chemical compounds in the facility. (Business Briefs).(Brief Article)
July 7, 2003... * The U.S. Army's Pine Bluff Chemical Agent Disposal Facility began a trial burn of two substitute chemical compounds in the facility's liquid incinerator on June 28. PBCDF is scheduled to begin destruction of stockpiled chemical agents in...

Terra Industries Inc. (Business Briefs).(indefinitely suspended ammonia and urea production at its Blytheville, Arkansas, plant)(Brief Article)
July 7, 2003... * Terra Industries Inc. of Sioux City, Iowa, has suspended ammonia and urea production indefinitely at its Blytheville plant. Terra will lay off 60 employees -- about 65 percent of its work force there. Terra said it expects the layoff to last...

National Center for Appropriate Technology and the University of Arkansas Department of Horticulture are cosponsoring the 2003 Southern Regional meeting of the Association of Specialty Cut Flower Growers Inc. (Business Briefs).(Brief Article)
July 7, 2003... * The National Center for Appropriate Technology and the University of Arkansas Department of Horticulture are cosponsoring the 2003 Southern Regional meeting of the Association of Specialty Cut Flower Growers Inc. to be held Aug. 9-10 in...

Tyson Foods Inc. has signed an exclusive license to produce and market cartilage products with Active Life Foods Inc. and Active Life Pet Products Inc. (Business Briefs).(Brief Article)
July 7, 2003... * Tyson Foods Inc. has signed an exclusive license to produce and market cartilage products with Active Life Foods Inc. and Active Life Pet Products Inc. of Bouldei; Cob. The products will be marketed to manufacturers of human supplements as...

Sparks Health System. (Business Briefs).(Michael D. Helm resigns as president)(Brief Article)
July 7, 2003... * Michael D. Helm, president of the Sparks Health System at Fort Smith, has resigned because of health reasons. He served as EVP for 20 years and the past six years as president. He will continue to serve as an adviser to the board for the next...

Beall Barclay & Co PLC and Beall Barclay Wealth Management LLC of Fort Smith are holding a reception from 2-6 p.m. on July 10. (Business Briefs).(Brief Article)
July 7, 2003... * Beall Barclay & Co PLC and Beall Barclay Wealth Management LLC of Fort Smith are holding a reception from 2-6 p.m. on July 10. The public accounting firm is celebrating its 40th anniversary, while the wealth management company is celebrating...

Wal-Mart Stores Inc. (Business Briefs).(ordered to pay $130,000 to woman wrongly reported for writing bad check)(Brief Article)
July 7, 2003... * Wal-Mart Stores Inc. has been ordered to pay $130,000 to Mary Waddle of Kentucky who sued the company after being wrongly reported for writing a bad check. The jury ruled WalMart willfully violated fair credit reporting laws and awarded...

Simmons First National Bank broke ground recently on a new 1,700-SF University Financial Center next to the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff. (Business Briefs).(Brief Article)
July 7, 2003... * Simmons First National Bank broke ground recently on a new 1,700-SF University Financial Center next to the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff. The bank branch, expected to be finished in March, will have three teller windows, private...

Cauley Geller Bowman & Coates LLP of Little Rock against ConAgra Foods over misreported earnings at a subsidiary, United Agri Products. (Business Briefs).(Brief Article)
July 7, 2003... * A federal appeals court has ordered a trial in a lawsuit filed on behalf of shareholders by Cauley Geller Bowman & Coates LLP of Little Rock against ConAgra Foods over misreported earnings at a subsidiary, United Agri Products, that resulted...

Furniture manufacturing is a family affair. (Family-Owned Businesses).(House of Oak)
July 7, 2003... THE LES LANE FAMILY OF southern Pulaski County is relatively well known in central Arkansas. But not a week goes by that the small furniture manufacturing and retail company doesn't get a call from someone outside the state needing a Lane...

Fifth generation set to take helm of PB funeral home. (Family-Owned Businesses).(Pine Bluff )
July 7, 2003... WHAT SOON WILL BE FIVE generations of the same family will have helped arrange the funerals of a large segment of the population of Pine Bluff at Ralph Robinson & Son Funeral Directors. Ralph Robinson originally came to Pine Bluff as a...

Shores is sure return home to Cave Springs was right. (Family-Owned Businesses).(Gary Shores of Shores Enterprises)
July 7, 2003... GARY SHORES, PRESIDENT OF Shores Enterprises Inc., was dying to get out of Cave Springs in 1975. Now, he'll probably be buried there. Under its third generation of family ownership, Shores Hardware is one of only three stores in this Benton...

Local programming boost state's ABC affiliates. (List Overview).
July 7, 2003... LOCAL TELEVISION PROgramining apparently made up for poor network programming for ABC affiliates across the state, according to the latest Nielsen Media Research rankings. For the Nielsen's May 2003 book, Little Rock's KATV-TV; Channel 7,...

Arkansas Business list: Television Stations.(Directory)(Illustration)
July 7, 2003... ARKANSAS BUSINESS LIST: TELEVISION STATIONS Ranked by Nielsen household rating/share for May 2003 Little Rock Television Stations Station 2003/2002 2003/2002 Address, Phone ...

Arkansas Business list: Radio Stations.(Directory)(Illustration)
July 7, 2003... ARKANSAS BUSINESS LIST: RADIO STATIONS Little Rock Metro Area Radio Stations Ranked by share of winter 2003 Little Rock market Winter 2003 */ Station Spring 2002...

New businesses.(All About Priorities)
July 7, 2003... ALL ABOUT PRIORITIES Owners: Lesley Nalley and Amy Hoggard Address: 18024 Cameo Road, Bigelow 72016 Phone: (501) 425-6953 Hours: Varies, based on client's needs Startup: May 12 Web site:...

Engineering. (Movers & Shakers).(Fred Hegi joins I.C.E. Inc. as principal/senior structural engineer)(Brief Article)
July 7, 2003... Fred Hegi has joined I.C.E. Inc. in Little Rock as principal/senior structural engineer. Hegi has more than 37 years of experience in structural design. Also joining the firm is Matthew Spond as a structural engineer, Melba J. Shapley as a...

Finance. (Movers & Shakers).(announces various promotions and appointments)(Brief Article)
July 7, 2003... Pam Gathright has been promoted to assistant vice president of consumer lending at Simmons First National Bank in El Dorado. Gathright has worked for Simmons since 1984. Darlene Nash was promoted to branch supervisor for the Southeast branch....

Government. (Movers & Shakers).(George H. Gray Jr. receives award)(Brief Article)
July 7, 2003... George H. Gray Jr. has received a presidential rank award for 2002 from the Department of Veterans Affairs. Gray is the director of the Central Arkansas Veterans Healthcare System in Little Rock.

Health care. (Movers & Shakers).(personnel changes and awards )(Brief Article)
July 7, 2003... Dr. Louis M. Fink has received the 2003 Gerald T. Evans Award from the Academy of Clinical Laboratory Physicians and Scientists for outstanding leadership and/or service to the society. Fink is vice chairman of the department of pathology in...

Insurance. (Movers & Shakers).(Sherry Jaggers awarded the Charlotte Patterson Memorial Award by the Independent Insurance Agents of Arkansas; Robbi Davis of Little Rock received the Golden Eagle award from the National Association of Health Underwriters)(Brief Article)
July 7, 2003... Sherry Jaggers of Little Rock has been awarded the Charlotte Patterson Memorial Award by the Independent Insurance Agents of Arkansas. Jaggers is the vice president of operations for Ramsey Krug Farrell and Lensing. Randy Allison of McGehee has...

Stock summary.(stock prices of various companies)(Illustration)
July 7, 2003... STOCK SUMMARY 7/2/03 Weekly YTD 52-Week Arkansas Public Company Stocks Close Change Change High Acxiom Corp. (ACXM) 16.51 10.07% 7.84% 19.66...

More CSI woes. (Whispers).(CSI Group eviction)(Brief Article)
July 7, 2003... Remember we told you a landlord was trying to evict the CSI Group LLC from its Little Rock office? Well, CSI owner Brian Shaddock took the unusual step of trying to block the move by asking for a hearing on the writ of the possession. It...

Outtakes. (Whispers).
July 7, 2003... Multiplying Formats An easy way to get in that light-headed, eyes-glazed-over fog is to peek at the list of radio programming formats. A quick look reveals 38 formats, according to 100000 Watts, a U.S. radio and TV directory. From...

Relief, at long last.(telemarketing do not call list)(Brief Article)(Editorial)
July 7, 2003... FORGET TAX CUTS. FORGET prescription drug help for those on Medicare. The federal government has finally given us something of value. No, it's not the much-needed legislation that would eliminate much of the spain that clogs offices and...

Interstate construction 'necessary evil'.
July 14, 2003... ARKANSAS' MASSIVE RENOVATION of its highway system has left some truckers stuck in first gear. While the exact dollar amount lost by truckers creeping along the Interstate is difficult to determine, many truckers have learned to live with...

Bumpy road for truckers: Arkansas Best's Young hopes for end to 'blue funk'.(Robert Young III)
July 14, 2003... THE PROLONGED DOWNTURN IN The economy has been rough on the trucking industry, one of the state's largest sectors. "The trucking industry has been in a blue funk for three years," said Robert Young III, president and CEO of Arkansas Best...

Former Tyson attorney reflects on his long, strange trip.(Jim Blair)
July 14, 2003... JIM BLAIR IS STARK naked. He's smiling, healthy and happy in the photograph on the wall of his office lobby. It was taken in Greece in 2001. Blair was 65 years old. He's standing on a nude beach in a Charles Atlas pose, hand holding...

Less Landers country. (Whispers).(Steve Landers' work for United Auto Group)(Brief Article)
July 14, 2003... Rumors that Steve Landers is breaking ties with United Auto Group are greatly exaggerated, he said last week. The only change in his relationship with the company that bought Landers Auto Sales in 1995 is a reduction in how many dealerships...

Grass farm's troubles grow. (Whispers).(Winrock Grass Farms Inc.)(Brief Article)
July 14, 2003... It seems financial troubles continue to plague Winrock Grass Farms Inc. in Little Rock like a field of dandelions. In the latest suit, Winrock is being sued by Citicorp Leasing Inc. of Arlington, Texas, for failing to make payments on a 1995...

Doctor's fight. (Whispers).(Karen Pickett sues for severance pay, stock)(Brief Article)
July 14, 2003... When Dr. Karen Pickett told the doctors and staff of the Market Place Medical Clinic in Little Rock that she was leaving at the end of May, everything seemed fine. "I have enjoyed my employment at Market Place Medical Clinic," Pickett said...

Keeping up with Jones. (Whispers).(Steven W. Jones lawsuits)(Brief Article)
July 14, 2003... Little Rock businessman Steven W. Jones scored some major legal victories and defeats in the past couple of months. First, remember that case Regions Bank filed against Jones alleging that he cooked up a scheme to switch his assets around...

All the news. (Whispers).(problems with Stephens Media web sites)(Brief Article)
July 14, 2003... You may have noticed a few problems lately with Stephens Media Group's news Web sites. So has Gov. Mike Huckabee. After announcing last week the relaunch of the state's redesigned Web site, www.accessarkansas.org, the governor joked...

So what's up? (Whispers).(problems with Stephens Media web sites)(Brief Article)
July 14, 2003... Arkansasnews.com is on the same Web server equipment with that of The Morning News, and a "major crash" took several days to fix. Stephens' online division also acknowledged recurring problems, which Al Gibes, executive director of Stephens...

Tee time. (Whispers).(golf course planned for Village Creek State Park)(Brief Article)
July 14, 2003... Construction of a $25 million golf course and more in Village Creek State Park in Gross County could start in February. The project will boast a 27-hole course designed by Andy Dye, a 124-room lodge with a convention center equipped with...

Doing the right thing.(ending sexual orientation discrimination)
July 14, 2003... WAL-MART STORES INC. DID the right thing last week in changing its equal employment opportunity policy to bar discrimination based on sexual orientation. Regardless of one's personal feelings about gays and lesbians, there's no place in a...

Clark for president?(Wesley Clark )(Brief Article)(Editorial)
July 14, 2003... COULD ANOTHER ARKANSAN defeat another president named Bush? Suddenly Wesley Clark is being discussed as perhaps, just perhaps, the only potential candidate who could defeat George W. in 2004. The retired four-star Army general, who was...

Propaganda time. (Editor's Note).(education in Arkansas)
July 14, 2003... SOMETIMES TAKING A vacation just isn't worth it. When I arrived back in the state last week, I found that the inert legislators who have dedicated themselves to preserving this state's abysmal educational system have declared victory even...

State Workers' Comp rates see increase. (Insurance).(Brief Article)
July 14, 2003... State Insurance Commissioner Mike Pickens has announced an overall loss increase of 1.8 percent in the State Workers' Compensation voluntary insurance market, which includes companies with a low risk that qualify for the best rates. The...

Wes-Pak introduces new container line. (Industry).(Brief Article)
July 14, 2003... Wes-Pak Inc., the Little Rock manufacturer and distributor of corrugated specialty containers, has introduced a new product line. Its most recent development is called "My First Toy Box." The boxes, pink for girls and blue for boys, are 16...

Forestry Commission selling seedlings. (Forestry).(Brief Article)
July 14, 2003... The Arkansas Forestry Commission is accepting tree seedling orders for the 2003-2004 planting season. Order forms are available at any Arkansas Forestry Commission office, Natural Resources Conservation Service, County Agent's Office or...

SBC unveils plan for small businesses. (Communications).(Brief Article)
July 14, 2003... SBC Communications Inc. of San Antonio is targeting small-business owners for new flat-rate telecommunication services. Named "Business Unlimited," it will feature an access line, unlimited local and long-distance calling, and call...

Fortune article explores 'women vs. Wal-Mart'. (Retail).(Brief Article)
July 14, 2003... The July 7 issue of Fortune magazine explores the culture of Wal-Mart Stores Inc. and how that culture might have contributed to the sex discrimination suit it faces in a district court in San Francisco. Dukes vs. Wal-Mart's lead plaintiff,...

BancorpSouth buys Ramsey Krug Farrell & Lensing. (Inside Business).(Brief Article)
July 14, 2003... BANCORPSOUTH INC. OF TUPELO, MISS., CONfirmed that it has bought one of Arkansas' largest insurance companies, Ramsey Krug Farrell & Lensing Inc. of Little Rock. Terms of the sale weren't immediately released. Ramsey Krug CEO Tad Krug...

Acxiom confirms earnings guidance. (Technology & Computers).(Acxiom Corp.)(Brief Article)
July 14, 2003... Acxiom Corp. said it expects to meet its revenue and, earnings guidance for the first quarter of fiscal 2004, which ended June 30. The information management services company reaffirmed its revenue, earnings per share and free cash flow...

Stephens' team slips in ranking. (Banking & Finance).(Stephens Capital Management )(Brief Article)
July 14, 2003... Along with other fund managers, Stephens Capital Management slipped in return rates for the period ending March 31 through a five-year period. SCM, a division of Stephens Inc., posted a return rate for fixed-income portfolio management of...

Arkansas Exports by Country.(Brief Article)(Illustration)
July 14, 2003... Arkansas Exports by Country Ranked by 2002 dollar value % Change Country 2002 from 2001 1 Canada $811,086,589 -11.51% 2 Mexico ...

SmitCo to open Popeyes in Springdale. (NW Journal).(Brief Article)
July 14, 2003... SmitCo Eateries Inc. of Pine Bluff plans to open a Popeyes Chicken & Biscuits restaurant at 538 E. Robinson Ave. in Springdale by July 21 and eight more in northwest Arkansas by 2008. Rodney Coats of Pine Bluff and Brian D. Smith of...

Auto Master goes north to Missouri. (NW Journal).
July 14, 2003... Auto Master, a buy-here/pay-here vehicle chain, will, in September open a. new retail facility in Joplin, Mo. Locally, the Farmington Auto Master facility is combining with the Fayetteville site to make seven locations total in and around...

Whitewood Industries adds 25 workers. (NW Journal).(Brief Article)
July 14, 2003... The Whitewood Industries plant in Pocahontas recently added back about 25 employees to meet increased orders for its dining tables, chairs and bar stools. The Thomasville, N.G.-based company now has about 50 employees and was still looking...

Terra Industries lays off 60. (NW Journal).(Brief Article)
July 14, 2003... Terra Industries Inc. of Sioux Gity, Iowa, recently announced it will lay off about 60 employees and halt production of ammonia and urea at its Blytheville plant. Blytheville Plant Manager Clyde Knoxsaid the company stopped production of...

ASU raises tuition by 5 percent. (NW Journal).(Arkansas State University )(Brief Article)
July 14, 2003... Tuition at Arkansas State University at Jonesboro will rise by 5, percent for the fall semester to help offset a $2.8 million cut in state support. The tuition increase is expected to raise about. $1.2 million annually for the school. ...

The Arkansas Electric Cooperative Corp. (Business Briefs).(overhauls generating station)(Brief Article)
July 14, 2003... * The Arkansas Electric Cooperative Corp. has invested $66 million in overhauling its oldest generating station, the Thomas B. Fitzhugh station, which opened near Ozark in 1963. The updated plant nearly tripled its output -- from 59 megawatts...

Cequent Towing Products of Plymouth, Mich., a subsidiary of TriMas Co. (Business Briefs).(closes Sheridan plant)(Brief Article)
July 14, 2003... * Cequent Towing Products of Plymouth, Mich., a subsidiary of TriMas Co., says it is closing its manufacturing plant at Sheridan because of excess competition and difficult market conditions. About 140 employees will be out of work. The closure...

National Lieutenant Governors Association. (Business Briefs).(Brief Article)
July 14, 2003... * The annual meeting of the National Lieutenant Governors Association will be held July 15-19 at The Peabody Little Rock. Host Lt. Gov. Winthrop Rockefeller said the group would focus on education and economic development.

Civil Justice Reform Act of 2003. (Business Briefs).(Brief Article)
July 14, 2003... * State Insurance Commissioner Mike Pickens is urging insurance companies to consider the Civil Justice Reform Act of 2003 when submitting rate filings with the Insurance Department. In a bulletin, he said the department expects insurance...