Stuckey, Fricke get Plant Board terms
Gov. Asa Hutchinson on Thursday announced he has appointed Sam Stuckey of Clarkedale, in Crittenden County, and John Fricke of Pine Bluff to two-year terms on the state Plant Board.
Stuckey, who farms soybeans, rice, cotton, wheat, corn and grain sorghum in Poinsett and Crittenden counties, replaces Danny Finch of Jonesboro. Fricke, who is president of Planters Cotton Oil Mill in Pine Bluff, replaces Larry Jayroe of Forrest City.
Finch, a Plant Board member since 2009, and Jayroe, a member since 2000, told the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette on Tuesday that the governor had chosen not to reappoint them. Both were instrumental in various Plant Board decisions the past two years in restricting the in-crop use of dicamba, a herbicide linked to crop damage in Arkansas and other states.
Fricke started at Planters in 1998 as a commodity merchandiser and became president and CEO in 2007, according to the governor's office. Stuckey has been mayor of Clarkedale since 2001. Hutchinson said the two "will bring a fresh perspective" to the Plant Board's work.
-- Stephen Steed
USA Truck names exec's replacement
USA Truck Inc. has named Tim Guin its executive vice president and chief commercial officer.
The Van Buren company said Guin, 53, will replace Jim Craig, 58, who is retiring as chief commercial officer and president of USAT Logistics, at the end of the month.
Guin joins USA Truck with more 30 years of transportation sales experience, including his most recent role as executive vice president of sales and marketing at Swift Transportation. Guin previously was president of Arnold Transportation.
Guin's compensation package includes a base salary of $300,000 and a $300,000 cash bonus, according to a filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. He'll also receive a $100,000 equity bonus of restricted shares that vests on the anniversary of his starting date.
-- Robbie Neiswanger
Arkansas Index dips 0.96; ends at 401.33
The Arkansas Index, a price-weighted index that tracks the largest public companies based in the state, fell 0.96 to 401.33 Thursday.
"Falling U.S. Treasury yields and strong earnings reports in the technology sector encouraged investors as equities rallied sharply," said Leon Lants, managing director at Stephens Inc. in Little Rock.
Volume was 15.6 million shares.
The index was developed by Bloomberg News and the Democrat-Gazette with a base value of 100 as of Dec. 30, 1997.
Business on 04/27/2018