Silicon Valley buy is Wal-Mart Labs' 15th
Wal-Mart Global eCommerce has purchased PunchTab, a Silicon Valley company focused on customer interaction.
Both companies announced the acquisition in blog posts. This is the 15th acquisition by Wal-Mart Labs, the technology division of Wal-Mart Global eCommerce.
"We'll use the technology to enhance our existing 'customer relationship management' tools, or the technology behind how we reach customers across email, on our websites, on mobile phones and in our physical stores," wrote Jeremy King, head of Wal-Mart Labs.
PunchTab's technology is part of the deal with Wal-Mart, along with six employees who will work as part of the customer acquisition and retention team.
PunchTab will begin its work with helping Sam's Club better tailor its offers to shoppers online, in stores and on its mobile application.
-- Chris Bahn
J.B. Hunt partnering with NASCAR's Petty
J.B. Hunt Transport Services Inc. is teaming with Richard Petty Motorsports for a yearlong partnership intended to enhance driver recruiting, retention and customer outreach.
Thousands of drivers from the Lowell-based company will have opportunities to meet Hall of Fame NASCAR driver Richard Petty, according to a news release. Petty's team also will host J.B. Hunt drivers and customers during race weekends as part of the partnership, providing them with a firsthand look at the logistics required to transport race vehicles throughout the 38-week NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season.
J.B. Hunt's logo will be displayed on the No. 9 car during select races in 2015 and 2016, while Richard Petty Motorsports will play a "significant" role in J.B. Hunt's driver-recruitment activities.
"This is a partnership where both of us can learn how to better ourselves in our business," Craig Harper, J.B. Hunt's executive vice president of operations, said in a statement.
-- Robbie Neiswanger
Arkansas Index off 2.11, ends at 322.34
The Arkansas Index, a price-weighted index that tracks the largest public companies based in the state, dropped 2.11 to 322.34 Wednesday.
"U.S. stocks ended slightly lower on Wednesday in a choppy trading session as weak manufacturing data out of China put a lid on stocks," said John Blackwell, senior vice president and managing director of equity trading at Stephens Inc. in Little Rock.
Bear State Financial rose 2 percent in light trading and USA Truck fell 8.7 percent on low volume.
Total volume of the index was 17.2 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 09/24/2015