LR firm's chief is Person of the Year
The U.S. Small Business Administration has named the president of a Little Rock-based consulting company as its 2017 Arkansas Small Business Person of the Year.
Victoria Washington is president of Vision Information Technology Consultants LLC of Little Rock, a worldwide provider of logistics and maintenance support for the military with experience working in remote, dangerous, and austere environments. It has 21 employees and reported sales exceeding $3 million in 2015.
She and other agency honorees will be recognized at the 27th Annual Small Business Awards Luncheon on May 4. Hosted by the Arkansas State Chamber of Commerce/Associated Industries of Arkansas, the luncheon will be held from 11:45 a.m. to 1:15 p.m. at the Embassy Suites.
-- Noel Oman
LR partnership sets April 27 Alley Party
A new series of free events to highlight the more obscure parts of downtown will kick off April 27 in East Village, the Downtown Little Rock Partnership announced.
The first Alley Party -- featuring live music, craft beer, locally produced spirits and a food truck -- will last from 5:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. at 1212 E. Sixth St.
"This is a beautiful city, with incredible and unique architecture," Gabe Holmstrom, the partnership's executive director, said in a news release. "We are excited to show off another side of Little Rock, the Little Rock tucked-away, off the beaten path.
Additional Alley Parties will be held on May 18 and June 15, according to the release.
-- Noel Oman
State index off 3.88; Tyson climbs 2.2%
The Arkansas Index, a price-weighted index that tracks the largest public companies based in the state, declined 3.88 to 341.39 Wednesday.
"Equities slumped Wednesday as the Chicago Board Options Exchange Volatility Index rose on heightened geopolitical concerns to levels not seen since November," said Leon Lants, managing director at Stephens Inc. in Little Rock. "The materials and industrials sectors underperformed the broader market."
All but three stocks lost ground.
ArcBest had the biggest drop, 4.3 percent on average volume.
Windstream shares fell 2.7 percent in below average volume.
Tyson Foods rose 2.2 percent in active trading.
Total volume for the index was 22.7 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 04/13/2017