LITTLE ROCK — Firm sues Tyson over fats-to-fuels patent
Tyson Foods Inc., the largest U.S. meat processor, was sued by Finland’s Neste Oil Oyj, accused of infringing on a patent on motor fuels made partly from chicken fat.
Neste contends that Dynamic Fuels LLC, a joint venture between Springdale-based Tyson and Tulsa-based Syntroleum Corp., is making a product that violates a new patent for NExBTL diesel fuel.
“Defendants have no license or other authorization to use the inventions” and owe damages, Neste said in a complaint filed Tuesday in federal court in Wilmington, Del.
The Espoo, Finlandbased company has invested $1.86 billion in diesel production, according to a prepared statement.
Spokesmen for the companies were not immediately able to comment on the case, Neste Oil Oyj v. Dynamic Fuels LLC, 12-cv-662, U.S. District Court, District of Delaware (Wilmington).
7 state metro areas see jobless-rate dips
The unemployment rate in all seven Arkansas metropolitan areas fell in April compared with a year earlier, the U.S.
Bureau of Labor Statistics said Wednesday.
Pine Bluff had the biggest drop, falling from 9.8 percent unemployment in April last year to 8.8 percent last month.
Northwest Arkansas had the lowest unemployment rate of 5.3 percent, down from 5.9 percent in April last year.
Other April unemployment rates in Arkansas’ metropolitan areas, compared with April 2011, were:
Little Rock, 6.2 percent, down from 6.7 percent.
Texarkana, 6.2 percent, compared with 7.1 percent.
Jonesboro, 6.5 percent, down from 7.4 percent.
Hot Springs, 7.2 percent, compared with 7.9 percent.
Fort Smith, 7.3 percent, down from 8.2 percent.
Arkansas’ unemployment rate was 7.2 percent in April, and the nation’s rate was 8.1 percent.
Arkansas Index falls as 15 stocks decline
The Arkansas Index, a price-weighted index that tracks the largest public companies based in the state, lost 3.63 to 223.13 Wednesday.
“U.S. stocks traded sharply lower on Wednesday as concerns surrounding Spain, dampened expectations of fiscal stimulus out of China and disappointing pending home sales data in the U.S. pressured markets,” said John Blackwell, senior vice president and managing director of equity trading at Stephens Inc. in Little Rock. “The Arkansas Index moved lower as 15 stocks declined and oneadvanced.” The index was developed by Bloomberg News and the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette with a base value of 100 as of Dec. 30, 1997.
Business, Pages 25 on 05/31/2012