Economic activity drags in state, region
Economic activity is still dragging in Arkansas and surrounding states, weighed down by price increases that are producing cautious consumers wary of spending …
Stories by Andrew Moreau
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Subscriber ExclusiveBusiness woes mount as owners continue recovery from pandemic
Small Business Saturday next weekend offers an opportunity to showcase local businesses and it comes as owners are downcast about their economic opportunities …
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State unemployment rises for fourth month
Unemployment in Arkansas rose in October for the fourth straight month, increasing two-tenths of a point to 3.1%, revealing early indications of weakening econ…
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Subscriber ExclusiveTimber firm rehires workers in Conway
Mercer Mass Timber has rehired roughly half the 140 workers who were laid off abruptly in January when a previous owner of the Conway timber plant unexpectedly…
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Subscriber ExclusiveOPINION | ANDREW MOREAU: Central Arkansas retail vacancy rate drops to 5.4% in 3Q
Retail space began filling up in Central Arkansas in the third quarter, providing a boost to the region's commercial real estate sector that flattened out in o…
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Subscriber ExclusiveWestrock Coffee reports 3Q profit loss
Third-quarter net income picked up at Westrock Coffee Co. though the Little Rock company reported Thursday that gross profits dropped off as consumers turned a…
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Bad Boy Mowers to add 300 jobs
Bad Boy Mowers announced plans Wednesday to continue a series of expansions and will be adding 300 jobs in Batesville. The manufacturer has expanded at least t…
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BSR reports 3Q rise in net operating income
BSR Real Estate Investment Trust reported slight upticks in net operating income and revenue for the third quarter on Wednesday.
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Subscriber ExclusiveHostess revitalizes Clark County with soon to be reopened factory
Hostess has been testing production lines at its newly rejuvenated manufacturing plant in Gum Springs and later this year is scheduled for full production of i…
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Uniti cuts losses by half in 3Q earnings
Uniti Group Inc. is not generating profits for shareholders though the Little Rock fiber provider announced Thursday it cut its losses by about half in the thi…
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Business leader Bill Cravens, dies at 89
"Go fix things" guided Bill Cravens' career.
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Moses Tucker joins 2 firms in housing project close to UA
Moses Tucker Partners of Little Rock announced Monday a collaborative effort with two Colorado-based commercial real estate firms to develop a multi-family hou…
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Fed report highlights pandemic increase in U.S. families’ net worth
The pandemic economy delivered economic prosperity to many Americans, who saw family income jump 15% in one of the largest increases the Federal Reserve Bank h…
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Little Rock seeks to create pathways for jobs
Little Rock outlined a commitment Friday to enhancing workforce development for city residents under age 35, particularly in minority areas, to help them devel…
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Simmons quarter 3 net takes 41% dive
Profits plunged at Simmons First National Corp. in the third quarter, with the Pine Bluff bank reporting Tuesday that net income and earnings per share each no…
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State unemployment ticks up to 2.9%
Arkansas officials on Friday reported a slight uptick in statewide unemployment to 2.9% in September -- the seventh consecutive month of a joblessness rate at …
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Profit up at Bank OZK in quarter
Bank OZK achieved record earnings in the third quarter, recording more than 30% jumps in net income and earnings per share in a volatile environment of soaring…
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Conway bank sees profit dip 9% in 3Q
Bloated interest rates aren't just creating trouble for consumers -- Home BancShares Inc. reported Thursday that rates are eroding earnings, with net income dr…
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Subscriber ExclusiveFed report: Arkansas job market tight
The Arkansas economy is holding steady as it nears the end of a year marked by full employment and a tight labor market, conditions that continue to persist, a…
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Banker reaching by teaching
Just one remarkably memorable event in Darrin Williams' lifetime, in this case flying into his hometown on Air Force One with the president of the United State…
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Subscriber ExclusiveBanks under shadow of interest uncertainty, ebbing confidence
Growing public anxiety over banks' ability to survive hangs over the next two financial-reporting quarters for lenders, who remain challenged by soaring intere…
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Subscriber ExclusiveArkansas Research Alliance quietly delivers big results
The Arkansas Research Alliance is one of those under-the-radar organizations that attracts little attention but delivers a meaningful contribution, creating mo…
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Little Rock real estate firms Flake & Co., ARK will merge
Two Little Rock commercial real estate firms are merging and will operate as Flake & Co. beginning Nov. 1. Flake, founded by Jessica Flake Dearnley, announced …
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ConTech focus on interface of sectors
Strengthening business connections between construction firms and technology providers is the focus of a conference Friday at the University of Arkansas at Lit…
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Dovetail NWA set for Oct. 12 session
Dovetail NWA is returning to Northwest Arkansas for an all-day session Oct. 12, providing a networking opportunity to uplift and empower women in small busines…
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Subscriber ExclusiveFees, shutoffs to begin again for Summit customers
Summit Utilities Inc. is again sending out shutoff notices and charging late-fee penalties for ratepayers behind on their bills after nearly a full year of sus…
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Subscriber ExclusiveSmall-business owners fear repercussions of government shutdown
Small-business owners, already pressured by inflation and swollen interest rates, are fearful a looming federal government shutdown will further erode growth o…
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Subscriber ExclusiveState a natural for Salvadoran Esperenza Massana Crane
Esperenza Massana Crane was drawn to Arkansas from her native El Salvador in 1998 by a newspaper ad pitching a scholarship to Arkansas colleges. Harding Univer…
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Subscriber ExclusiveOPINION | ANDREW MOREAU : Anthony firm succeeds with heavy hardwood mats when others couldn’t
NASA rockets are built to withstand brutal atmospheric conditions shooting through outer space but they couldn't leave Earth without a little boost from a smal…
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Arkansas unemployment rate up slightly in August
Arkansas continues to achieve record employment levels though officials reported Tuesday that statewide unemployment ticked up slightly to 2.7% in August, up o…
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Arkansas unemployment rate rises slightly to 2.7% in August
Arkansas continues to achieve record levels of employment though officials reported Tuesday that statewide unemployment ticked up slightly to 2.7% in August.
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Subscriber ExclusiveJack Thomas wins for state businesses
"Game on" is a competitors' call to action, the moment when they realize there is an opponent who needs to be defeated outright -- nothing short of victory is …
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Subscriber ExclusiveOPINION | ANDREW MOREAU: Westrock Coffee makes plans for ‘mad-scientist lab’ to create products
Westrock Coffee Co. has gained a lot of attention for creating thousands of jobs in Conway with an investment that will reach hundreds of millions of dollars. …
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Subscriber ExclusiveLR Regional Chamber hosts annual development week
Central Arkansas business leaders this week are celebrating the important contributions and achievements minority businesses deliver to the regional economy.
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Subscriber ExclusiveFed: State economic conditions are steady
Statewide economic conditions continued at a steady jog over the summer as spending in Arkansas was helped by vacation travelers looking for value and convenie…
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Subscriber ExclusiveStephens analysts foresee brighter days ahead for Arkansas banks
Banks have endured a rocky 2023 as profits declined, though the road ahead, while still bumpy, should level out and become smoother next year.
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Subscriber ExclusiveYelp report: Arkansas is keeping pace with national business growth
Business growth so far in 2023 has exceeded every month compared with a record-breaking 2022 and pre-pandemic levels -- an indication that small businesses are…
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Subscriber ExclusiveOPINION | ANDREW MOREAU: Dreams rise on supersite at Little Rock port
The standard industry term is "supersite" -- but that doesn't quite capture what Central Arkansas leaders are assembling at the Port of Little Rock. It's more …
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Subscriber ExclusiveRankings see climb by Entergy Arkansas
Entergy Arkansas Inc. was ranked as the top-performing electric utility in the Southeast region, and a national leader, in promoting energy efficiency, accordi…
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Subscriber ExclusiveLR-area real-estate sector bounces back after devastating March tornado
The Central Arkansas real-estate market has survived the wallop delivered by the March 31 tornado that gashed Little Rock and North Little Rock, severely damag…
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PSC: Summit Utilities did not violate regulations or overcharge for natural gas
The Arkansas Public Service Commission has cleared Summit Utilities Inc. of any violation of commission regulations and also ruled Friday that the utility did …
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Arkansas unemployment holds steady at 2.6% in July
Statewide unemployment held steady at a record low 2.6% in July, with more Arkansans holding jobs during the month than ever before, leaving the state with a j…
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Business leaders urged to build on downtown Little Rock growth
Civic and economic development executives urged business leaders on both sides of the Arkansas River to capitalize on the $1.25 billion in ongoing projects tha…
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Little Rock Venture Center program cohort featured at annual summit
The Little Rock Venture Center on Monday introduced its newest internationally flavored financial technology cohort to a receptive audience of bankers looking …
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Subscriber ExclusiveFintech Summit to highlight banking industry innovation
Global leaders in technology and banking are returning to Little Rock this week for two days of speed-dating-like meetings and open sessions that connect banke…
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BSR Real Estate Investment Trust reports 9.7% jump in net income for 2Q
Income increases from same-community properties boosted second-quarter earnings for BSR Real Estate Investment Trust, with the Little Rock company reporting a …
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Westrock posts net 2Q loss of $26.8M as expansion, upgrades continue
Westrock Coffee Co. dropped to another net loss in the second quarter as the coffee and tea provider continued its expansion in Conway and raised about $119 mi…
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Subscriber ExclusiveSummit Utilities needs to do business with an eye to customer relations
It's a good time to sum up the fiasco that Summit Utilities Inc. stirred up over the past eight months now that the natural-gas provider has been cleared of wr…
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Uniti’s 2Q profit drops to $25.6M
Second-quarter earnings were sliced in half at Uniti Group Inc., with the fiber provider reporting Tuesday that net income dropped to $25.6 million and earning…
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Clarksville HanesBrands plant to shut
Clarksville will lose 200 jobs next month with the announced closing of a HanesBrands Inc. hosiery manufacturing plant in the Johnson County city.
