Renovation to begin
at Chenal 9 theater
The long-delayed $3 million renovation of the Chenal 9 theater complex at the Promenade at Chenal is finally set to begin.
A building permit was issued in September, but work has not started on the nine-screen movie theater at 17825 Chenal Parkway.
That's about to change, according to Ryan Noonan, a spokesman for AMC Theatres of Leawood, Kan., the largest movie-theater chain in the world. It acquired the property from B&B Theatres of Gladstone, Mo., last year
"We're preparing to start construction at the end of the month" and anticipate a reopening in the spring, Noonan said in an email Wednesday.
AMC operates about 1,000 theaters, with 11,000 screens around the globe, including more than 200 in the United States. It has theaters in Batesville, Bella Vista, Fayetteville, Fort Smith, Harrison and Hot Springs.
-- Noel Oman
Yeti again files suit
against Wal-Mart
Yeti Coolers LLC has filed another lawsuit against Wal-Mart Stores Inc., alleging the Bentonville retailer continues to sell drinkware products that violate patent, trademark and copyright laws.
The Austin-based company's claims were filed in Western District of Texas last month, about nine months after the two sides reached a settlement agreement on a lawsuit filed in April 2016.
Yeti said in its latest claim that Wal-Mart has breached the March 2017 agreement by continuing to advertise, market, promote and sell the similar products, which include 20- and 30-ounce Rambler tumblers as well as a beverage holder that keeps drinks cold. Yeti said it has lost "one or more sales" and will continue to do so as a result of Wal-Mart's breach, according to the lawsuit.
Wal-Mart spokesman Randy Hargrove said the retailer is not selling the products.
"We've worked hard to comply with the settlement agreement," Hargrove said. "Any Yeti-branded products on Walmart.com are sold and fulfilled by third parties, not Wal-Mart. We intend to vigorously defend ourselves."
-- Robbie Neiswanger
State index up 0.92
to close at 409.25
The Arkansas Index, a price-weighted index that tracks the largest public companies based in the state, rose 0.92 to 409.25 Wednesday.
"Stocks advanced sharply for the second consecutive day boosted by a strong December Institute for Supply Management [ISM] manufacturing index report as the energy sector outperformed while the telecommunications sector underperformed," said Leon Lants, managing director at Stephens Inc. in Little Rock.
The index was developed by Bloomberg News and the Democrat-Gazette with a base value of 100 as of Dec. 30, 1997.
Business on 01/04/2018