Arkansas Business articles from May 2004

Arkansas Business archives from May 2004

More than water is heating up: retail and office development bubbles up in hot springs.
May 3, 2004... GILBERT GARRETT WAS MOSTLY HOPING for some retirement security and maybe a nice place to shop six years ago when he started evaluating 20 acres at the Highway 270/Highway 7 interchange at Hot Springs. He got both--and more. Garrett,...

Breck speed expands his liquid assets.
May 3, 2004... BRECK SPEED REMEMbers a door getting closed in his face early in his career as a bottled-water executive. The Little Rock businessman was interested in buying a small Mountain Valley Water distributor that was for sale. "I was told I...

Browns offer to buy back Afco Steel: new owners claim financial projections were overstated.
May 3, 2004... NEARLY 20 MONTHS AFTER SELLing Afco Steel Inc. of Little Rock for $81 million, Fred I. Brown III and his family are willing to buy it back from W&W Steel Co. of Oklahoma City. The offer surfaced in March as the Browns are in the early...

Foxy lady rejected.(Whispers)
May 3, 2004... Nameloc Inc. and Loretta Lever House sure don't like to quit. But it may be time. The 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals has rejected her appeal of a court order forcing her to sign over the radio station formerly known as KYFX-FM,...

Order up.(Whispers)
May 3, 2004... A west Little Rock eatery rang up a $1.65 million deal. BV Development of Little Rock LLC of Scottsdale, Ariz., bought the Regis Grill at 317 S. Shackleford Road. The seller? Grady's American Grill Restaurant Corp. of Mishawaka,...

Believe it or not.(Whispers)
May 3, 2004... The folks at Ripley's Believe It or Not! are considering opening a museum in Hot Springs. "We're always looking for new sites and we think Hot Springs would be a good market," said a Ripley's spokesperson. "But I don't have anything...

Great White North.(Whispers)
May 3, 2004... The Arkansas Game and Fish Commission's Arkansas Wildlife magazine has a Canadian connection and it's not geese. The magazine printing contract with Point One Graphics of Etobicoke, Ontario, was renewed for 2004--as allowed by the...

Similarly ...(Whispers)
May 3, 2004... Arkansas Department of Parks & Tourism spokesman Jay Harrod confirmed that the department's spring/summer newspaper advertising insert was printed by a Dallas company, Pro-Line. That print job has been coordinated by the department's...

Dismissed.(Whispers)
May 3, 2004... Little Rock businessman W. Anthony Michael's recent request that his Chapter 13 bankruptcy petition be dismissed has been granted. Michael didn't list a reason why he wanted the case dismissed. His attorney, Arnold Goodman of Little...

Hurricane warning.(Whispers)
May 3, 2004... The developer of Hurricane Lake Estates has added more acreage to his residential project near Bryant. The property estimates range from a low of 60 acres to around 150 acres, depending on who is asked. Michael Rogers, the man with the...

Take 2.(Whispers)
May 3, 2004... Let's try this again. Last week's Whisper about the changing name of Cauley Geller Bowman & Rudman law firm was only about half right. The new name of the firm will be Cauley Bowman Carney & Williams. Geller & Rudman will be the...

Edgehill denizens.(Whispers)
May 3, 2004... A pair of Edgehill homes are under new ownership after separate million-dollar deals. Noelle Nikpour bought a 5.000-SF house for $1.3 million from Dr. Ben Johnson. That deal was accomplished through an outfit called Northgate Apartments...

Tough break.(Editorial)
May 3, 2004... MARION--AND THE STATE--got a bad break last month when the Environmental Protection Agency said the air quality of Crirtenden Country has too much ozone. That new designation could end any chance the Marion Railport Industrial Park has of...

100 year survivors.(Letter)(Letter to the Editor)
May 3, 2004... In reading your article of March 1521, we were certainly honored to be listed as one of the oldest businesses in Arkansas. We have been manufacturing hardwood lumber since 1895 and growing hardwood trees since 1950. One thing I noticed in...

Victoria's little secret.(Editor's Note)
May 3, 2004... THE ARKANSAS DEMOCRAT--Gazette's coverage of civil litigation has long been unenthusiastic, a fact staffers have blamed on Editor Griffin Smith's law license, which seems to have convinced him that most lawsuits are frivolous. While...

Let's get real about NCLB.(Commentary)
May 3, 2004... THE NO CHILD LEFT BEHIND Act (NCLB) has caused more consternation among educators than any other act ever passed by Congress. The absolute unfairness of some of its provision when applied in the real world is becoming more and more apparent. It...

Church expansion.(Real deals: a look at important real estate transactions)
May 3, 2004... CHURCH EXPANSION: An 80,056-SF addition to Pulaski Heights United Methodist Church in Little Rock should be completed in February 2005. The $7.1 million project is at 4823 Woodlawn Ave. The general contractor is East Harding Inc. of Little...

Peck property.(Real deals: a look at important real estate transactions)
May 3, 2004... A near 10.7-acre commercial site in west Little Rock changed hands in a $1.2 million deal. Peck Investments LLC, led by Michael Lasiter, sold the land on the south side of Cantrell Road west of Sam Peck Road to a group of investors. ...

Rainwater purchase.(Real deals: a look at important real estate transactions)
May 3, 2004... An office/condo project and adjoining undeveloped land in downtown Little Rock tipped the scales at $950,00O. Rainwater Holdings LLC, led by Jimmy Moses and Rett Tucker, purchased its namesake 11,000-SF office building at 519 E. Capitol...

Levy transaction.(Real deals: a look at important real estate transactions)
May 3, 2004... A 1.6-acre commercial location in North Little Rock was bought for $361,000. John and Cynthia Reese acquired the property at the northeast corner of Pike Avenue and 37th Street from Levy School Partnership, led by J.D. Ashley St. and...

Goshen acquisition.(Real deals: a look at important real estate transactions)
May 3, 2004... A commercial project in North Little Rock is under new ownership after a $350,000 deal. MJG Family Ltd., led by Michael and Mary Goshen, acquired the 4266 E. 43rd St. property. The seller is Hawkeye Investments, led by David, Alice,...

Hickory Hills home.(Real deals: a look at important real estate transactions)
May 3, 2004... A 4,456-SF home in west Little Rock's Hickory Hills neighborhood sold for $725,000. John and Debra Daller purchased the house from Larry and Janice Walther. The deal is financed with a five-year loan of $725,000 from BancorpSouth Bank of...

Estate sale.(Real deals: a look at important real estate transactions)
May 3, 2004... Two lots in west Little Rock's Valley Falls Estates neighborhood rang up a $570,000 deal. Van and Dana DeBruyn acquired the house from VFE Inc., led by Rick Ferguson. Construction of a new home is financed with a 30-year loan of $1.6...

Chenal abode.(Real deals: a look at important real estate transactions)
May 3, 2004... A 4,200-SF home in west Little Rock's Chenal Valley neighborhood drew a $505,000 transaction. Jeff Neuhauser bought the house from KT Builders Inc., led by Kenny Whitfield. The deal is backed with a one-year loan of $457,640 from...

Multifamily mortgage.(Real deals: a look at important real estate transactions)
May 3, 2004... The owner of a 186-unit apartment complex in west Little Rock picked up a $10.3 million financial package. Arbors of Pleasant Valley LLC, led by Marshall Allan, obtained the mortgage from Wachovia Bank of Charlotte, N.C. The nine-acre...

Surgical loan.(Real deals: a look at important real estate transactions)
May 3, 2004... A surgical hospital development in North Little Rock is backed with a $9.6 million funding agreement. ASH Land & Development LLC, led by Kenneth Martin and James Billie, received the eight-year loan from Stillwater National Bank & Trust of...

Hospice construction.(Real deals: a look at important real estate transactions)
May 3, 2004... Development of a 30,000-SF hospice project in west Little Rock is financed with an $8.25 million mortgage. Hospice Home Care Inc., led by Cecilia Troppoli, secured the loan from Simmons First National Bank. The 8.9-acre property at...

Military funding.(Real deals: a look at important real estate transactions)
May 3, 2004... The owner of a military recruitment center in the Riverdale area of Little Rock landed a $500,000 funding agreement. MSDG Little Rock LLC, led by Darrell Pierce, got the loan from Citizens First Bank of Bowling Green, Ky. The 2.1-acre...

Twin Rivers buys Atkins Dean plant.(Agricultural Business)
May 3, 2004... Poultry processor Twin Rivers Foods of Fayetteville announced on Wednesday that it has bought the former Dean Specialty Foods plant in Atkins to house a meat processing operation that will employ about 450. Dean Specialty Foods closed its...

U.S. cotton subsidies could be limited.(Inside Business)
May 3, 2004... In a preliminary report from the World Trade Organization, a panel has ruled that U.S. cotton subsidies violate international trade rules. And the ruling could eventually force the U.S. to lower the subsidies it pays farmers to grow most...

Judge reverses Tyson verdict.(Inside Business)
May 3, 2004... A federal judge has reversed a $1.28 billion verdict by an Alabama jury in a cattle-pricing lawsuit against Tyson Foods Inc., the nation's largest meat processor. U.S. Senior District Judge Lyle Strom ruled that the jury's February verdict...

Tyson: going global good, but risky.(Inside Business)
May 3, 2004... John Tyson, chairman and CEO of Tyson Foods Inc., told Arkansas business leaders last week that while globalization presents big opportunities for American businesses, companies must also be aware of the risks involved. Speaking at a...

Murphy Oil 1Q profit up on higher prices.(Public Company Reports)
May 3, 2004... Murphy Oil Corp. of El Dorado reported first-quarter net income of $98.2 million, or $t.05 a share, up from net income of $87.1 million, or 94 cents a share, in the year-ago period. Revenue for the period was $1.65 billion, compared with...

P.A.M.'s 1Q earnings down 28 percent.(Public Company Reports)
May 3, 2004... P.A.M. Transportation Services Inc. reported first-quarter net income of $2.03 million, down from $2.81 million, or 28 percent, for the same period in 2003. First-quarter earnings per share were 18 cents, compared with 25 cents for the...

Earnings down 11 percent at First Federal Bancshares.(Public Company Reports)
May 3, 2004... First Federal Bancshares of Arkansas Inc. of Harrison reported first quarter net income of $1.76 million or 32 cents a share, a decline of 11.3 percent when compared to earnings $1.98 million or 38 cents a share for the first quarter of 2003....

Delta gets $1.1 million in import orders.(Public Company Reports)
May 3, 2004... Delta Systems Inc., the Rogers' automation and motion control software company, has received purchase orders totaling $1.1 million from U.S.-based bakery for European and Mexican facilities. Jake M. Bushey, president and CEO, said one...

Baldor electric chairman to retire.(Public Company Reports)
May 3, 2004... R.S. Boreham Jr., chairman of Baldor Electric Co., will retire at the end of the year Boreham, 79, was re-elected last month during the company's shareholder meeting to what will be his final year on the board. He has been chairman since...

Tyson reports 2Q earnings rise.(Public Company Reports)
May 3, 2004... The second fiscal quarter for Tyson Foods Inc. brought earnings of 33 cents a share, an increase from 20 cents a share in the same quarter of 2003. Earnings totaled $119 million, compared with $72 million in the second quarter of 2003. ...

DAC Technologies sales up 74 percent.(Public Company Reports)
May 3, 2004... DAC Technologies Group International Inc. said first quarter net sales were $1.3 million, up 74 percent over sales of $769,342 for the same period in 2003. Gross sales for March were $561,903, an increase of 45 percent over March 2003...

America's Car-Mart expects 16% growth.(Public Company Reports)
May 3, 2004... America's Car-Mart Inc. of Bentonville released earnings guidance for fiscal 2005 and said it expects revenue growth of 16 to 17 percent next year. The company, which operates 70 automotive dealerships in seven states, said it is targeting...

Calendar.(Calendar)
May 3, 2004... MAY * 4--Supervisory Certificate Program Sponsor:. Pulaski Technical College Time: 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Location: Business and Industry Center, 3303 E. Roosevelt Road, Little Rock Fee: $349 For more information, call (501)...

Tyson airplane, Waltons endow UA Wray Chair.(NW journal: a look at news from Northwest Arkansas)
May 3, 2004... The University of Arkansas announced on April 15 that it had established the Donald "Buddy" Wray Chair in Food Safety in the Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences. The endowed chair is named for the former president and...

Hispanic loans help Arvest Bank-Rogers.(NW journal: a look at news from Northwest Arkansas)
May 3, 2004... During the past decade, Arvest Bank at Rogers has attracted more than $50 million in new business from the area's Hispanic customers, said David Bugea, vice president of marketing and sales support for Arvest Bank-Rogers. Bugea said the...

Mortgage lending climbs steadily.(NW journal: a look at news from Northwest Arkansas)
May 3, 2004... Mortgage lending in Benton and Washington counties totaled more than $825 million in February. Regions Bank topped the list with $76.4 million in Benton County lending while Morgan Stanley Mortgage Capital Inc. of New York City topped...

Arkansas Children's Hospital has received a distinguished "Race for Results" award from Child Health Corporation of America.(Business Briefs)
May 3, 2004... * Arkansas Children's Hospital has received a distinguished "Race for Results" award from Child Health Corporation of America. The award recognizes excellence in performance improvement within children's hospitals. ACH won the award over 13...

The Arkansas Department of Environmental Quality staff in the Hazardous Waste Division have approved surrogate trial burn reports that Washington Group International, a contractor for the Army, submitted for the Liquid Incinerator System and the Deactivation Furnace System at the Pine Bluff Arsenal.(Business Briefs)
May 3, 2004... * The Arkansas Department of Environmental Quality staff in the Hazardous Waste Division have approved surrogate trial burn reports that Washington Group International, a contractor for the Army, submitted for the Liquid Incinerator System and...

University of Arkansas Cooperative Extension Service.(Business Briefs)
May 3, 2004... * A workshop on the basics of timberland management for forest landowners will be held from 5:30-8:30 p.m. on May 18 at the University of Arkansas Cooperative Extension Service building in Little Rock. Topics covered will include pine and...

Little Rock has been recertified as an Arkansas Community of Excellence.(Business Briefs)
May 3, 2004... * Little Rock has been recertified as an Arkansas Community of Excellence. ACE is the cornerstone of the Arkansas Department of Economic Development's community development efforts. There are currently 78 ACE communities, including 73...

Arkansas State University at Jonesboro last week announced a gift commitment of $1 million by the Judd Hill Foundation to establish the university's third endowed academic chair, the Judd Hill Chair in Agricultural Biotechnology.(Business Briefs)
May 3, 2004... * Arkansas State University at Jonesboro last week announced a gift commitment of $1 million by the Judd Hill Foundation to establish the university's third endowed academic chair, the Judd Hill Chair in Agricultural Biotechnology. The pledge...

The Pine Bluff Chamber of Commerce's Business Expo 2004 will feature hours of networking, fun and food on May 6 at the Pine Bluff Convention Center.(Business Briefs)
May 3, 2004... * The Pine Bluff Chamber of Commerce's Business Expo 2004 will feature hours of networking, fun and food on May 6 at the Pine Bluff Convention Center. Now in its 17th year, the expo will have more than 160 booths, a Health Fair, a Taste of Pine...

Delta Rivers Regional Tourism Council is sponsoring the first Delta Rivers Tourism Expo on May 8, from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. at Phillips Community College in Helena.(Business Briefs)
May 3, 2004... * Delta Rivers Regional Tourism Council is sponsoring the first Delta Rivers Tourism Expo on May 8, from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. at Phillips Community College in Helena. The expo will feature exhibitors from Arkansas, Lee, Monroe and Phillips counties...

Bill Smith, founder of Smith Capital Management Inc. in Little Rock, died April 28 after fighting prostate cancer for 10 years.(Business Briefs)
May 3, 2004... * Bill Smith, founder of Smith Capital Management Inc. in Little Rock, died April 28 after fighting prostate cancer for 10 years. He was 64. Smith, who grew up in Pine Bluff and Stuttgart, worked about 13 years for Stephens Inc., before...

Harding University at Searcy is establishing a masters-level program to meet the need for physician assistants.(Business Briefs)
May 3, 2004... * Harding University at Searcy is establishing a masters-level program to meet the need for physician assistants. The Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts the physician assistant profession will be the third fastest-growing occupation between...

The Arkansas Chapter of American Society of Training and Develop-ment's Carol Glenn Scholarship Fund for 2004 will be awarded to the University of Central Arkansas Foundation Inc.(Business Briefs)
May 3, 2004... * The Arkansas Chapter of American Society of Training and Develop-ment's Carol Glenn Scholarship Fund for 2004 will be awarded to the University of Central Arkansas Foundation Inc. The scholarship fund had been available only to students at...

Bob Russell, chief of staff for Sen. Mark Pryor, D-Ark., will address the Golden Triangle Economic Development Council's fourth-annual dinner meeting at 7 p.m. on May 6, at the C.O. Ross Center in Camden.(Business Briefs)
May 3, 2004... * Bob Russell, chief of staff for Sen. Mark Pryor, D-Ark., will address the Golden Triangle Economic Development Council's fourth-annual dinner meeting at 7 p.m. on May 6, at the C.O. Ross Center in Camden. Before joining Pryor's staff, Russell...

Arkansas Terminaling and Transportation, a division of Truman Arnold Cos., last week opened an expanded fuel terminal and storage facility in North Little Rock.(Business Briefs)
May 3, 2004... * Arkansas Terminaling and Transportation, a division of Truman Arnold Cos., last week opened an expanded fuel terminal and storage facility in North Little Rock. The new additions include two new state-of-the-art 80,000-barrel storage tanks...

The United States Green Building Council/Arkansas Provisional Chapter will hold a Sustainable Arkansas conference to boost energy and resource conservation in commercial and residential building construction.(Business Briefs)
May 3, 2004... * The United States Green Building Council/Arkansas Provisional Chapter will hold a Sustainable Arkansas conference to boost energy and resource conservation in commercial and residential building construction. This year's conference will be...

Lenders take over Wonderland Cave night club.
May 3, 2004... FOR NINE YEARS, LARRY Wilson was plagued by devil worshipers, firebugs and bigoted bankers. At least, that's his take on it. Wilson's saga as one of the owners of Bella Vista's 1 million-SF Wonderland Cave, the "largest underground...

New home construction on record pace in NW Arkansas.
May 3, 2004... LOW INTEREST RATES AND A booming economy have 2004 new home construction on track to easily break 2003's record of 7,000 units in northwest Arkansas. That figure includes both houses and individual apartments, according to the Northwest...

Accounting problems send Blytheville Credit Union up the list.(List Overview)
May 3, 2004... ARKANSAS FEDERAL CREDIT Union of Jacksonville, with nearly $387 million in assets as of Dec. 31, remains the big dog among the state's 74 credit unions. AFCU is two and a half times the size of its nearest competitor, Telcoe Federal Credit...

Arkansas business list: largest credit unions.
May 3, 2004... ARKANSAS BUSINESS LIST: LARGEST CREDIT UNIONS Ranked by assets as of Dec. 31, 2003 Federal Credit Union Address, Phone 2003 Assets Web site Asset Change 2003 Deposits ...

Nancy Martinsen was awarded the Legislative Advocacy Award by the Arkansas Society for Human Resources Management State Council.(Business Services)
May 3, 2004... Nancy Martinsen was awarded the Legislative Advocacy Award by the Arkansas Society for Human Resources Management State Council. Martinsen is the owner and founder of Martinsen Management Inc. of Little Rock.

Denise Fortner has been awarded the MVP Award by the Association of Contingency Planners.(Business Services)
May 3, 2004... Denise Fortner has been awarded the MVP Award by the Association of Contingency Planners. Former currently serves as president of the Arkansas chapter of the ACP.

Johnetta Cross Brazzell, vice chancellor for student affairs at the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville, recently received the Scott Goodnight Award for Outstanding Performance as a Dean and the Pillar of the Profession Award for 2004.(Education)
May 3, 2004... Johnetta Cross Brazzell, vice chancellor for student affairs at the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville, recently received the Scott Goodnight Award for Outstanding Performance as a Dean and the Pillar of the Profession Award for 2004. The...

Board of Certified Safety Professionals.(Engineering)
May 3, 2004... Bert Rhoads has been accredited as a Certified Safety Professional by the Board of Certified Safety Professionals. Rhoads is a system safety engineer in Washington Group International's Safety Department at the Pine Bluff Arsenal.

TME Inc.(Engineering)
May 3, 2004... David E. Lisenbee has been promoted by TME Inc. of Little Rock to director of facility services for its energy division. Lisenbee was also named an associate principal of TME. Scott P. Woodward has been promoted by TME to team leader for its...

First Community Bank.(Financial Services)
May 3, 2004... Jason Taylor was promoted to vice president/finance by First Community Bank of Batesville and Searcy. Candy Calvery was promoted to assistant vice president/branch manager. Kelly Shumate was promoted to assistant vice president/marketing...

Bank of the Ozarks.(Financial Services)
May 3, 2004... Sarah Shaw has been promoted to senior vice president at Bank of the Ozarks in Conway. Shaw previously served as a vice president and commercial loan officer for the bank. Pat Bruich has joined the Conway branch as vice president/commercial...

Sterne Agee & Leach.(Financial Services)
May 3, 2004... James W. Adams Jr. has been named vice president of the Little Rock office of Sterne Agee & Leach. Adams was previously a wealth adviser for the investment firm. W. Kevin Faught has been hired by Stephens Inc. of Little Rock to serve as a...

Arvest Bank.(Financial Services)
May 3, 2004... Karolyn Ziemer has joined Arrest Bank as a mortgage loan originator for its Conway branch. Ziemer was previously a mortgage loan processor with Simmons Bank of Conway. Joe Stockton has been named a commercial loan officer for Arvest in Conway....

TruService Community Federal Credit Union Board of Directors.(Financial Services)
May 3, 2004... Harold G. Simmons has been selected to serve a three-year term on the TruService Community Federal Credit Union Board of Directors. Simmons currently serves as chairman of the board. Jeff Arnette and Terry Williams were also selected for...

PC Assistance.(Technology)
May 3, 2004... Rex Easter has joined PC Assistance of Little Rock as a customer relations manager. Easter was previously a supervisor at Best Buy in west Little Rock.

Hot Springs Convention and Visitors Bureau.(Tourism)
May 3, 2004... James K. Sample has been named sales manager for group sales by the Hot Springs Convention and Visitors Bureau. Sample previously served as manager for the visitor information center in Hill Wheatley Plaza in downtown Hot Springs. Jennifer...

Stock summary.
May 3, 2004... STOCK SUMMARY 4/28/04 Weekly YTD Arkansas Public Company Stocks Close Change Change Acxiom Corp. (ACXM) 23.78 0.76% 28.19% A.E.R.T. (AERTA)...

Newscast wars III.(Outtakes: an inside look into Arkansas media)
May 3, 2004... KARK-TV, Channel 4, might not have top-rated newscasts, but the NBC affiliate must be doing more right than its Neilsen Media Research ratings indicate if you take a look at the 2003 Arkansas Associated Press Broadcasters Association awards....

AB and KTHV.(Outtakes: an inside look into Arkansas media)
May 3, 2004... Media convergence has come to Arkansas with a news reporting and gathering partnership between Arkansas Business and KTHV. The new partnership will allow delivery of in-depth business news during KTHV newscasts, while readers of Arkansas...

Where's the Seal?(Outtakes: an inside look into Arkansas media)
May 3, 2004... The weather segment of Fox affiliate KLRT-TV, Channel 16's new hour-long 9 p.m. newscast has generated some controversy. It seems the American Meteorological Society sent a letter asking about the station's use of its AMS Seal of Approval...

Shaken, not ...?(Outtakes: an inside look into Arkansas media)
May 3, 2004... It sure sounds like a shakeup is going on over at At Home In Arkansas magazine. First, Arkansas Business reported the resignation of publisher Rebekah Hardin a few weeks ago. Now, Editor Laura Keech, who started at the magazine as an...

Borer destruction could chew $1B out of forests.
May 10, 2004... MORE THAN $1 BILLION worth of red oak trees in the Ozark Mountains could be destroyed if researchers don't find a way to squash a one-inch long beetle. Since 1999, red oak borer beetles have killed 50 million oak trees along some of the...

LaFrance looks for sales growth prescription: firm ranks 14th among state private concerns.(75 Largest Private Companies)
May 10, 2004... COMPETITION HAS CAUGHT up with Stephen L. LaFrance Pharmacy Inc. of Pine Bluff. Industry estimates reflect a 10 percent drop in annual sales by the company, which operates a regional chain of drug stores. 2003 sales were pegged at $356...

Tappan tapped.(Whispers)
May 10, 2004... Have you heard who the new "sales leader" is at Mountain Valley Spring Co. in Hot Springs? That's the official job title for Philip Tappan, former president and CEO of Quality Foods in Little Rock. Tappan, who is also an investor,...

Age claim.(Whispers)
May 10, 2004... Marlow Morgan, a 59-year-old Little Rock man who was the Southern regional vice president for A.G. Edwards & Sons Inc., said he was demoted to stockbroker in July 2003 because of his age. Morgan now is suing the St. Louis-based firm for age...

Estate sale.(Whispers)
May 10, 2004... A 6,600-SF home in west Little Rock rang up a $2.8 million deal. Kevin and Sharon Lamb bought the house in the Valley Falls Estates neighborhood. Seller? Rick Ferguson Inc., developer of the subdivision.

Room service.(Whispers)
May 10, 2004... It looks like the bell clerks might be wearing black at the La Quinta Inn at 2410 W. 65th St. in Little Rock. BLX Capital LLC, formerly BLC Capital Corp. of New York City, and the Business Loan Center Inc. of New York City, are suing the...