J.B. Hunt, UA team
on diversity effort
Trucking company J.B Hunt Transport Services Inc. is teaming up with the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville through a $2.25 million grant to improve inclusion, diversity and sustainability in the transportation and logistics sector, according to a Tuesday news release.
To fund the project, Lowell-based J.B. Hunt will gift $1.5 million incrementally to the Sam M. Walton College of Business and reallocate $750,000 from the J.B. Hunt Innovation Center of Excellence.
According to a release, the J.B. Hunt Transport Services, Inc. Inclusion Education and Thought Leadership Fund will encourage diversity through education by assisting the college's staffing and efforts toward diversity, equity, and inclusion in the industry. The J.B. Hunt Transport Services Inc. Sustainable Supply Chain Management Research, Innovation, and Education Fund will support education aimed at sustainable business practices and encourage industry experts to address environmental, social, and corporate governance issues.
"Through this collaboration, we will help educate and promote the value of an inclusive workplace, one that respects the individual and creates a welcoming environment for all ideas, values, and beliefs," John Roberts, chief executive officer of J.B. Hunt, said in a statement.
-- John Magsam
Agribusiness event
online in February
Because of the coronavirus pandemic, the 27th annual Agribusiness Conference at Arkansas State University will go online.
The 2021 conference will be presented live via WebEx, beginning at 8:30 a.m. Feb. 10, the ASU College of Agriculture said.
The conference will open with a presentation on economic and agribusiness outlooks by David Kohl, professor emeritus at Virginia Tech University. Kohl also will have a session at 10:10 a.m. on management issues.
Sara Wyant, president of Agri-Pulse Communications, will speak at 9:20 a.m. on the impact of the 2020 election and the implications for agricultural and trade policy.
Sessions will also include presentations on the issues and outlook for rice and soybeans, cotton, and animal agriculture.
Information on how to register are available at https://bit.ly/37EWc1i.
-- Stephen Steed
State index off 4.29
to wrap up at 474.75
The Arkansas Index, a price-weighted index that tracks the largest public companies based in the state, closed Tuesday at 474.75, down 4.29.
"Weaker than expected economic data forced most U.S. stocks slightly lower on Tuesday as investors await passage of a pandemic relief bill," said Chris Harkins, managing director at Raymond James & Associates.
The index was developed by Bloomberg News and the Democrat-Gazette with a base value of 100 as of Dec. 30, 1997.