News in brief

Wal-Mart invites firms to Open Call

Wal-Mart Stores Inc. has invited more than 500 businesses to participate in its Open Call event, which will be held next Wednesday in Bentonville.

The businesses will get an opportunity to pitch American-made products to the retailer as part of 750 meetings that have been scheduled with Wal-Mart buyers. It's the fourth year for the event, which is part of Wal-Mart's commitment to source by 2023 an additional $250 billion in products that were made, assembled or grown in the U.S.

This year's attendees will represent 47 states and Puerto Rico, according to the company. The attendees will pitch products ranging from pocket-sized hair gel, bowls designed to keep cereal crisp and photographic mouse pads.

"We are thrilled that entrepreneurs from across the country, including many diverse-owned businesses, continue to respond strongly to the opportunity to participate in Wal-Mart's annual Open Call," said Cindi Marsiglio, Wal-Mart's vice president for U.S. sourcing and manufacturing.

-- Robbie Neiswanger

LR bank finances big-city projects

Bank of the Ozarks, which has more than $19 billion in assets and has loans in 42 states, made recent loans of more than $190 million in two of the largest cities in the country.

The Little Rock bank made two loans this month totaling $117 million to private equity fund Rockpoint Group for the conversion of its Meatpacking District office project in New York, according to Commercial Observer, a New York publication.

Rockpoint is working on a 140,000 square-foot, four-story office building, Commercial Observer said.

In Chicago, Bank of the Ozarks provided a $76.2 million construction loan to Antheus Capital of Englewood, N.J., for a 250-unit, 27-story apartment project in Hyde Park, Crain's Chicago Business reported.

-- David Smith

State index edges up 1.03 to 330.91

The Arkansas Index, a price-weighted index that tracks the largest public companies based in the state, rose 1.03 to 330.91 Thursday.

"Health care stocks rose Thursday following the release of details of the Republican Senate health care bill while volumes remained light in advance of the annual Russell Index reconstitution that will drive outsized market volume today," said Leon Lants, managing director at Stephens Inc. in Little Rock.

Total volume for the index was 21.8 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 06/23/2017

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