Tyson to close plant
but add Georgia jobs
Tyson Foods Inc. is closing one Georgia plant while expanding another.
The company said Friday that it is closing its Buena Vista, Ga., poultry plant at the end of May and ending a third shift at its Dawson location on April 10.
About 190 people will be affected by the decisions. Tyson said the closure was due to a combination of factors, including changing product needs, the age of the facility and renovation costs.
Despite the layoffs, Tyson is expanding its presence in Georgia. In January, the company said it is expanding its Vienna location and will add 700 jobs.
"Our business needs have changed in southern Georgia, so after a great deal of consideration, we've decided to take these steps in order to best serve our customers," said Noel White, president of poultry for Tyson.
-- Brian Fanney
Windstream spinoff
names CFO-treasurer
The new company being formed by Windstream Holdings Inc. has named Mark Wallace as its senior vice president, chief financial officer and treasurer, Windstream announced Monday.
Wallace, 57, will join the new company, Communications Sales & Leasing Inc., on Wednesday.
He previously served as managing director at Fortress Investment Group Inc.
Windstream announced last year that it was forming an independent, publicly traded real estate investment trust. Communications Sales & Leasing will own Windstream's copper and fiber networks and other assets, and it will lease them back to Windstream.
"I'm delighted that Mark is joining CS&L as our chief financial officer and treasurer," Kenny Gunderman, president and chief executive officer of the new company, said in a prepared statement. "He is a seasoned CFO with extensive [real estate investment trust] and capital markets experience."
-- Jessica Seaman
Index rises to 400.15
after Fed remarks
The Arkansas Index, a price-weighted index that tracks the largest public companies based in the state, rose 4.63 to 400.15 Monday.
"The major market indexes closed sharply higher despite mixed economic data reports as investors responded positively to Friday's comments by Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen that rate increases would be slow and data dependent throughout 2015," said Bob Williams, senior vice president and managing director of Simmons First Investment Group Inc. in Little Rock.
"Murphy USA Shares hit a new 52 week high before pulling back during the afternoon to close with a gain of 3.26 percent," he said.
Simmons First National Corp. hit a 52-week high of $46.38 during intraday trading.
The index was developed by Bloomberg News and the Democrat-Gazette with a base value of 100 as of Dec. 30, 1997.
Business on 03/31/2015