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Retailers Absorb Empty Space

OVERALL VACANCY RATE ABOUT 12.5 PERCENT FOR 2011 IN NORTHWEST ARKANSAS

Subscriber onlyRetailers are on different paths to expansion this year as they balance lower profi t and higher consumer expectations. Continue reading...

By Kim Souza Posted: Jan 8, 2012 at 5:31 a.m.

Tyson Adds 60 Jobs At Tortilla Plant

Subscriber onlyFAYETTEVILLE — Fayetteville celebrates 60 manufacturing jobs being created by Tyson Foods in concert with local and state officials on a mission to improve the regional economy. Continue reading...

By Kim Souza Posted: Jan 6, 2012 at 5:57 a.m.

Tyson Trims Its Forecast

ANALYSTS SAY COMPANY WILL FACE LOSSES IN ITS BEEF OPERATIONS

Subscriber onlyTyson Foods continues to set the bar high among competitors in a race to restore profitability to its chicken segment, reversing an $82 million fourth-quarter loss. Continue reading...

By Kim Souza Posted: Jan 1, 2012 at 5:18 a.m.

LIFELINE TO TEENS: Young Mothers Find Refuge

Subscriber onlySPRINGDALE — Unrestrained bawls of a tiny baby echo down the narrow upstairs hallway just before dawn. Continue reading...

By Kim Souza Posted: Dec 26, 2011 at 5:23 a.m.

Vintage Toys Provide Joy

LOCAL HISTORIAN ENJOYS COLLECTING ITEMS HE LOVED AS A CHILD

Subscriber onlyFew things in life equal the joy and excitement of a wide-eyed child opening his favorite toy on Christmas morning. Unless it’s an aging senior who rediscovered his youth through vintage toy collecting. Continue reading...

By Kim Souza Posted: Dec 25, 2011 at 4:42 a.m.

TURKEY PLANT: Cargill Recalls Workers

PRODUCTION RESUMES AFTER BEING IDLED DUE TO SALMONELLA

Subscriber onlySPRINGDALE — Cargill recalled 50 workers to partly resume ground turkey production at its Springdale plant, idled since Sept. 12. Continue reading...

By Kim Souza Posted: Dec 20, 2011 at 5:17 a.m.

Expansion To Benefit Businesses

ENTREPRENEURS SELL ABROAD WITH HELP OF WORLD TRADE CENTER IN ROGERS

Subscriber onlyDavid Renfroe, a mechanical engineer, never dreamed of designing safer utility terrain vehicles for manufacturers in China and India, much less courting those businesses to move small assembly plants to Northwest Arkansas. Continue reading...

By Kim Souza Posted: Dec 18, 2011 at 5:29 a.m.

Filings Stall Across State

FORECLOSURE BUSINESS DROPS

Subscriber onlyHoliday money is tight for Connie Turner, agent with Coldwell Banker in Rogers, after Freddie Mac pulled four of her pending foreclosure sales in November. Continue reading...

By Kim Souza Posted: Dec 18, 2011 at 5:25 a.m.

Home Sales Show Resilience

Northwest Arkansas Prices Stabilize, Inventory Shrinks

Subscriber onlyNorthwest Arkansas’ economic momentum trudged forward last month with real estate agents reporting a modest improvement in home sales. Continue reading...

By Kim Souza Posted: Dec 17, 2011 at 5:36 a.m.

Cargill May Resume Production

50 LAID-OFF WORKERS COULD BE RECALLED

Subscriber onlySPRINGDALE — About 50 laid-off employees at the Cargill poultry plant could be back to work by Christmas, according to company officials. Continue reading...

By Kim Souza Posted: Dec 13, 2011 at 5:26 a.m.

Owners Support Vintage Inns

BED AND BREAKFAST VENUES STILL AN OPTION IN NORTHWEST ARKANSAS

Subscriber onlyThe days of settling down to run a little bed and breakfast in Bob Newhart fashion faded away in recent years as the economy struggled and travelers sought getaways in shiny new hotels. Continue reading...

By Kim Souza Posted: Dec 11, 2011 at 5:35 a.m.

‘Dirty Jobs’ In Demand

SHORTAGE OF SKILLED TRADE WORKERS PROVIDES OPPORTUNITIES

Subscriber onlyChristopher Reyer and Robin Ford aren’t sitting idle waiting for the economy to produce more jobs. Continue reading...

By Kim Souza Posted: Dec 4, 2011 at 5:43 a.m.

DISCRIMINATION ALLEGATION: Cargill Faces Charges

DEPARTMENT OF LABOR THREATENS TO PULL FOOD CONTRACT

Subscriber onlySPRINGDALE — Cargill disputes allegations of hiring discrimination at its Springdale turkey processing plant. Continue reading...

By Kim Souza Posted: Nov 30, 2011 at 5:23 a.m.

Labor Department: Cargill Discriminated

Cargill Disputes Claim

The U.S. Labor Department accused Cargill Meat Solutions of hiring discrimination in its Springdale turkey processing plant. Cargill disputes the claim. Continue reading...

By Kim Souza Updated: November 29, 2011 3:08 p.m.

Litigation Stalls Foreclosures

JUDGE’S RULING QUESTIONS NONJUDICIAL PROCESS

Subscriber onlyHundreds of local homes making their way through the foreclosure pipeline have been stalled by pending litigation in federal court in Jonesboro. Continue reading...

By Kim Souza Posted: Nov 27, 2011 at 5:01 a.m.

No Deal To Sell Bank

FAYETTEVILLE OPERATION TO REMAIN INDEPENDENT

Subscriber onlyFAYETTEVILLE — The Bank of Fayetteville will remain an independent community bank but entertained recent offers to sell. Continue reading...

By Kim Souza Posted: Nov 24, 2011 at 5:34 a.m.

FISCAL FOURTH QUARTER: Tyson Optimistic For 2012

EXECUTIVES EXPECT STRONGER MEAT PROFIT DESPITE RECENT LOSSES

SPRINGDALE — Tyson Foods expects stronger meat profit in 2012 because of recent improvements in its chicken segment, but jittery investors aren’t so sure. Continue reading...

By Kim Souza Posted: Nov 22, 2011 at 5:39 a.m.

Angel Investors Help Startups Flourish

Subscriber onlyFAYETTEVILLE — Angel investors are sparking a business boom in Northwest Arkansas. Investors agree real estate sucked up most of the local investment dollars for more than a decade, but a new generation of business opportunities has emerged since that bubble burst. Continue reading...

By Kim Souza Posted: Nov 20, 2011 at 5:50 a.m.

Analysts Predict Tyson Shortfall

HIGHER GRAIN COSTS, EXCESS SUPPLIES EXPECTED TO RESULT IN LOSS

Subscriber onlyWall Street thinks Tyson Foods pocketed about $119 million in fourth-quarter profit, about half the net income earned a year ago. Continue reading...

By Kim Souza Posted: Nov 20, 2011 at 5:41 a.m.

Banks Secure Net Profit

OFFICIALS SAY RESULTS SHOW REGION’S ECONOMY ON THE MEND

Subscriber onlyNorthwest Arkansas banks raked in $122.98 million in net profi t during the first nine months of 2011, nearly double the cumulative earnings from the same period in 2010. Executives say it’s another sign the region’s economy is on the mend. Continue reading...

By Kim Souza Posted: Nov 20, 2011 at 5:39 a.m.

Home Sales Stall

EXPERTS CITE WANING CONSUMER CONFIDENCE

Subscriber onlyNorthwest Arkansas home sales stalled in October as agents closed 398 transactions, down 8.2 percent from a year ago, according to MountData, a fi rm that tracks and provides local residential real estate statistics. Continue reading...

By Kim Souza Posted: Nov 20, 2011 at 5:38 a.m.

Big Sugar To Be Sold

MINIMUM BID SET AT $199,000

Subscriber onlyPEA RIDGE — With $200,000 in hand, local consumers could buy a comfortable new home in several Northwest Arkansas neighborhoods, a top-of-the-line 2011 Fleetwood motor home, or a 162-acre golf course and clubhouse in Pea Ridge. Continue reading...

By Kim Souza Posted: Nov 6, 2011 at 5:25 a.m.

Companies Find Opportunities

BUSINESSES ANSWER CONSUMERS’ FOOD DEMAND

Subscriber onlyConsumers are spending more for fresh food at convenience stores and the businesses are responding to the demand. Continue reading...

By Kim Souza Posted: Oct 30, 2011 at 5:20 a.m.

Parkway Bank Free From Regulatory Sanctions

Subscriber onlyROGERS — Parkway Bank of Rogers recently got good news from federal regulators that ended tighter scrutiny and heavy oversight. A “cease-and-desist” order the bank has been operating under has been terminated. Continue reading...

By Kim Souza Posted: Oct 29, 2011 at 5:45 a.m.

Cargill Recalls Some Workers

Ground Turkey Unit Still Shuttered

Subscriber onlySPRINGDALE — About 40 of the 130 workers laid off earlier this month have been rehired to work at Cargill’s Springdale processing facility, according to spokesman Michael Martin. Continue reading...

By Kim Souza Posted: Oct 28, 2011 at 5:54 a.m.

Bank Plans Sale To First National Fort Smith

Subscriber onlyFAYETTEVILLE — The Bank of Fayetteville is being purchased by the First National Bank group of Fort Smith and the two banks plan to have joint operations by the end of the year. Continue reading...

By Kim Souza Posted: Oct 28, 2011 at 5:46 a.m.

Builders’ Sentiment Improves

RESIDENTIAL PERMITS INCREASE

Subscriber onlyHomebuilders are less pessimistic about the struggling economy because more new houses were sold and building permits jumped 34 percent in the third quarter in the region’s four largest cities. Continue reading...

By Kim Souza Posted: Oct 23, 2011 at 5:47 a.m.

REAL ESTATE MARKET: Region’s Home Sales Post Gain

MEDIAN PRICE FALLS IN AREA

Subscriber onlyNORTHWEST ARKANSAS — The Northwest Arkansas real estate market posted a 6 percent jump in September home sales and analysts said it’s another sign the economy is marching forward. Continue reading...

By Kim Souza Posted: Oct 18, 2011 at 5:15 a.m.

Fewer Housing Defaults Reported

PACE REFLECTS IMPROVEMENT

Subscriber onlyNORTHWEST ARKANSAS — The ongoing real estate recovery marched a couple of steps forward in September as fewer homes fell into foreclosure. Continue reading...

By Kim Souza Posted: Oct 17, 2011 at 5:32 a.m.

Customer Savings Drive Deposit Growth

ARVEST COMMANDS LION’S SHARE

Subscriber onlyNorthwest Arkansas residents buffeted by a recession and the prolonged economic recovery are spending less and saving more. Continue reading...

By Kim Souza Posted: Oct 16, 2011 at 5:41 a.m.

Paperless Payroll Wave Of Future

WALMART CONVERTED TO E-PAY SYSTEM TWO YEARS AGO

Subscriber onlyThe paper paycheck may soon be a relic as more local companies require employees to use electronic payroll options such as direct deposit or reloadable debit paycards. Continue reading...

By Kim Souza Posted: Oct 9, 2011 at 5:35 a.m.

Expert Warns Consumers About Finance Fraud

Subscriber onlyIt’s been nearly three years since the $20 billion ponzi scheme — the largest on record — unraveled for the infamous fraudster, Bernie Madoff. Continue reading...

By Kim Souza Posted: Oct 7, 2011 at 5:55 a.m.

SUSPENDED PRODUCTION: Cargill Lays Off Workers

MEAT RECALLS COST COMPANY AT LEAST $2.4 MILLION A WEEK

Subscriber onlySPRINGDALE — Two product recalls that suspended ground turkey production at Cargill in Springdale sent 130 plant workers to the unemployment line Monday. The layoff affected nearly 11 percent of the plant’s work force of 1,200. Continue reading...

By Kim Souza Posted: Oct 4, 2011 at 5:19 a.m.

Cargill turkey recall results in 130 local layoffs

SPRINGDALE — Sprindale’s Cargill turkey plant sends 130 workers to the unemployment line. Continue reading...

By Kim Souza Updated: October 3, 2011 2:52 p.m.

Area Lumberyards Hold On

INDUSTRY REPORTS BOOST IN SALES BECAUSE OF REPAIRS AFTER STORMY SPRING

Subscriber onlyLocal lumberyards report a recent uptick in sales because of a stormy spring, but overall business is expected to remain tepid into 2013. Continue reading...

By Kim Souza Posted: Oct 2, 2011 at 5:30 a.m.

PEOPLE & PLACES

Subscriber onlyWilliams Marks 98th Birthday Continue reading...

By - STAFF REPORT Posted: Oct 2, 2011 at 4:45 a.m.

Arkansas World Trade Center Receives Grant

Subscriber onlyGlobal exports total about $4.6 billion a year for 1,500 Arkansas companies that sell goods abroad. “It’s an impressive number, but there are 66,000 Arkansas companies and we see lots of untapped potential,” said Dan Hendrix, chief executive officer of the Arkansas World Trade Center in Rogers. Continue reading...

By Kim Souza Posted: Sep 30, 2011 at 5:56 a.m.

UNEMPLOYMENT: Job Concerns Linger

RATE INCREASES 0.1 PERCENT IN AUGUST FROM A YEAR AGO

Subscriber onlyNORTHWEST ARKANSAS — Unemployment affects 66 out of 1,000 people in the Northwest Arkansas work force and continues to be a drag on the region’s economic recovery efforts, according to employment analysts. Continue reading...

By Kim Souza Posted: Sep 29, 2011 at 5:26 a.m.

Home Rental Market Booms

MORE CONSUMERS ACROSS UNITED STATES DECIDE TO AVOID HOMEOWNERSHIP

Subscriber onlyHome ownership has long been linked to the elusive American Dream, but high foreclosure rates, sinking real estate values and aging population has more consumers across the country choosing to rent. Continue reading...

By Kim Souza Posted: Sep 25, 2011 at 5:35 a.m.

Tyson Settles Lawsuit

COMPANY TO PAY $32 MILLION TO WORKERS

Subscriber onlySPRINGDALE — Some Tyson poultry plant workers could soon get a special $1,000 payday, thanks to a $32 million settlement the Springdale meat giant reached in federal court. Continue reading...

By Kim Souza Posted: Sep 20, 2011 at 5:26 a.m.

Filings Decrease In Area

FORECLOSURES DOWN; REGION STILL LEADS STATE

Subscriber onlyNORTHWEST ARKANSAS — The region’s foreclosures filings fell more than 55 percent from August a year ago, and were 30 percent lower than in July, according to Irvine, Calif.-based RealtyTrac, a national real estate marketing firm. Continue reading...

By Kim Souza Posted: Sep 19, 2011 at 5:20 a.m.

Salmonella Enemy No. 1

GOVERNMENT, INDUSTRY STEP UP FOOD SAFETY PROTOCOL

Subscriber onlyThe local poultry industry has one common enemy — salmonella. Continue reading...

By Kim Souza Posted: Sep 18, 2011 at 5:44 a.m.

August Homes Sales Jump

Northwest Arkansas’ Average Price Was $71 Per Square Foot

Subscriber onlyLocal agents got a back-to-school boost in their August paychecks when home sales increased 25 percent from a year ago, according to Paul Bynum, statistician with Mountdata, a residential real estate data analysis firm. Continue reading...

By Kim Souza Posted: Sep 16, 2011 at 5:56 a.m.

SECOND INCIDENT: Ground Turkey Recalled

SALMONELLA FOUND IN SAMPLE; CARGILL SUSPENDS PRODUCTION

Subscriber onlySPRINGDALE — Cargill indefinitely suspended ground turkey production at its Springdale plant following the second salmonella-related recall in just more than a month. Continue reading...

By Kim Souza Posted: Sep 13, 2011 at 5:22 a.m.

Retailers Find Ways To Last

FAMILY-OWNED BUSINESSES CARVE OUT NICHE MARKETS TO KEEP CUSTOMERS

Subscriber onlyMax Ryan, Liz Fulton and Bruce and Brent Parker know a thing or two about survival. Continue reading...

By Kim Souza Posted: Sep 11, 2011 at 5:39 a.m.

E-Waste On The Rise

Subscriber onlyA Rogers company works to keep electronic waste out of the area’s landfill, despite the steady increase in obsolete and unwanted products related to rapid technological advancement. Continue reading...

By Kim Souza Posted: Sep 4, 2011 at 5:02 a.m.

Leaner Economy Favors Recyclers

TWO LOCAL SCRAP METAL BUSINESSES EXPAND TO MEET DEMAND

Subscriber onlyRecycling for budget-conscious consumers coupled with rising industrial demand prompted major expansion projects for two local scrap metal businesses. Continue reading...

By Kim Souza Posted: Sep 4, 2011 at 5:01 a.m.

Allens, Seneca Foods Merger Off

Subscriber onlyA proposed merger between Siloam Springs-based Allens Foods and Seneca Foods of New York was terminated, according to a one-sentence statement released Friday. Continue reading...

By Kim Souza, Christie Swanson Posted: Sep 3, 2011 at 5:34 a.m.

LACKING LICENSES: State Halts Illegal Business

OFFICIALS SHUT DOWN MORTGAGE GROUP

Subscriber onlyFAYETTEVILLE — Bentonville resident Rinda Underwood and Texas-based Budget Repaired Inc. were recently cited with a “cease and desist” order by the Arkansas Securities Commission for running a mortgage modification business without the proper licenses. Continue reading...

By Kim Souza Posted: Aug 31, 2011 at 5:38 a.m.

Banks Work For Capital

EFFORTS TO STAY SOLVENT INCLUDE SHRINKING ASSETS

Subscriber onlyBank earnings are slowly improving but regulators are keeping a close eye on institutions operating under enforcement actions. Continue reading...

By Kim Souza Posted: Aug 28, 2011 at 3:53 a.m.

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