A new high-rise building in Oklahoma City is likely to result in a higher utility bill for some Arkansas utility customers.

Oklahoma Gas and Electric confirmed reports that the company would abandon its current downtown Oklahoma City headquarters in order to be the anchor tenant of a new office complex to be built along Sheridan Avenue.

According to spokesman Brian Alford, the company is seeking to consolidate operations and moving into the new building, which he estimates could cost $100 million or more to build, would help the company accomplish that goal.

"Our current headquarters has served us very well for 85 years now, but the time has come to begin to plan for the future," he said. "Today we have more than 1,000 employees in the downtown Oklahoma City area and (they) are scattered in a lot of various locations. It creates a lot of inefficiencies. With this new home, we can put a lot of those employees under one roof."

But by eliminating the company's need to house employees in multiple locations throughout the downtown area, the company is likely to raise rates on its utility customers, he said. As for what those rate increases could be, Alford said that is to be determined.

"There are many variables and decisions that are still to be made. You'll have cost offsets and eliminations of other leases. In the end, the impact will be minimal on customer bills."

As no rate increases have been requested of the Oklahoma Corporation Commission or the Arkansas Public Works Commission, it is still to be determined just how minimal any impacts will be. Alford added that customers would likely see rate increases in three to five years, at the earliest.

The building, which OG&E will lease from Kestrel Investments, will sit at the intersection of Sheridan Boulevard and Walker Avenue. It is now the home of Stage Center, a defunct performing arts venue.

The height of the building has not yet been finalized, but Alford said the company's new headquarters was likely to be 16 stories tall, adding that the building is still in its design phase and heights could change. An initial application has been made with the Oklahoma City Planning Department that requests the razing of Stage Center.

Plans for the site also call for an additional smaller structure to possibly house a hotel. A parking garage will also be built at the site.

Alford said no plans have been made for what to do with the company's headquarters on North Harvey Avenue, but he said no matter what move the company made, the costs would be high.

"With our current facilities, if we stay in them, they are in dire need of investment. That investment is really an investment in continued inefficiency."

Should the company's new headquarters rise at the intersection, it would join Devon Energy Corporation as the second downtown employer to consolidate operations to one structure at the intersection of Sheridan and Walker. Devon's new headquarters, which opened in October 2012, stands at 50 stories tall and is the 39th largest building in the United States.

The NWA StartUp Cup announced its 2013 winners during a celebration held Thursday morning (Dec. 19) at the Bentonville Public Library.


The three finalists come from a list of more than 30 entrepreneurs who originally entered the business model competition that encourages any entrepreneurs with any idea to participate. The winners include:
• 1st place: Rob Turner with Turner Light Covers, which is a company that offers a new, uniquely designed mounted recessed light cover.

• 2nd place: Jared and Sunniva Ritter with Solgave Animal Solutions, a socially-conscious company founded upon four pillars: nature, animals, balance and healing. SAS offers professional pet sitting, house sitting, dog walking, behavior modification, and a variety of other pet-related services.

• 3rd place: Mike Gillespie with Storage in Motion, which is a company that plans to produce a line of superior products for safely and responsibly storing firearms in vehicles and homes.

The winners will receive free professional services with value amounts varying based on how they placed in the final competition. First place will receive up to $7,500 in free services, $5,000 for second place and $2,500 for third place.

Event organizers will meet with the individual winning companies in coming weeks to determine their specific needs and connect the entrepreneurs with a network of professionals volunteering their time and talents for the competition.

The top three winners will also receive a free photo shoot and the first-place winner is eligible to submit an entry to compete in the World StartUp Cup in Yerevan, Armenia this March.

Turner, who earned the top spot said he was determined to maintain a positive attitude throughout the entire process.

“The most helpful aspect was being able to better understand what is necessary to take my business to the next level,” he said.

Sunniva Ritter said that for her and husband Jared, the most valuable aspect was becoming more focused in their business in regards to what services they offer. They also were able to better differentiate between their business model and goals for a non-profit organization that gives dogs a “second chance” with behavior modification and rehabilitation.

Mike Gillespie said he appreciated being “exposed to a lot of different approaches” to the business and that it was “eye-opening” to see the different way ways that he could take his business to market.

The celebration included comments from Daniel Hintz, former director of Downtown Bentonville Inc. and self-proclaimed serial entrepreneur. He spoke of the hardships and joys that accompany entrepreneurialism.

“It’s your company, your beliefs, your philosophy,” he said in regards to the need for personal and professional branding.

Amy Robinson, director of strategic partnerships and event production with StartUp Cup, also spoke at the celebration.

“We’re solving the challenges we encounter right in front of us,” she said of entrepreneurs all over the world. “This is what you’re a part of on a global scale.”

Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art announced Friday (Dec. 20) a series of new acquisitions of works by artist Andy Warhol that includes two gifts and a recent purchase. Warhol’s Coca Cola, which has resided in a private collections and an untitled work from Warhol’s early career, is part of the new art for the museum.

The works will be exhibited, together with works already in the Crystal Bridges collection, in the museum’s Twentieth-Century Art Gallery, in time for holiday viewing beginning Dec. 26.

Warhol’s Coca-Cola, was painted in 1962 and is one of four Coca-Cola works produced by Warhol during this critical period in his development, in the early days of Pop Art.

“This is one of the great icons of early Pop,” said Crystal Bridges President Don Bacigalupi. “In it, Warhol celebrates Coca-Cola as an ‘equalizer’ – it’s the same product for anyone who drinks it, anywhere in the world, rich or poor. The work presents a bold image at large scale, signaling Warhol’s transition from a commercial illustrator to Pop artist.”

As a counterpoint to this iconic signature image, the second of the recent Warhol acquisitions presents Warhol at an earlier stage. The untitled work, depicting a sleeping woman and man, was created by Warhol as a student at Carnegie Institute of Technology (now Carnegie Mellon University), and has been in a single private collection.

 A classmate of Warhol’s, Martha Sutherland, purchased the painting directly from the artist in 1949, when he still went by the name Andrew Warhola — the work is signed on the reverse with “WARHOLA” in pencil.

“This painting exemplifies the young artist’s capability as a draftsman even before moving into his early career as an illustrator,” explained Bacigalupi. “His consummate skill can be seen in the beautifully drawn hands in the work.”

This painting has never been viewed publicly. Sutherland and Warhol were classmates when she admired his work and bought the completed painting directly from the artist.

“She maintained and cared for the painting for 64 years, and it occupied a place of pride in her home,” adds Bacigalupi. “She did speak with the author of Warhol’s catalog raisonné, but the painting was excluded when the author died before gathering complete information on this work. Now, we have the rare opportunity to share this significant discovery — an extremely early painting by Andy Warhol — with our Crystal Bridges audience.”

Since 1958, Sutherland has kept the painting in the Arkansas home she shared with her late husband Cyrus, professor emeritus of architecture at the University of Arkansas Fay Jones School of Architecture and leader in the movement to preserve Arkansas’ historic buildings. She and her family made the decision to donate the work to Crystal Bridges because they felt strongly that the painting should be publicly seen and appreciated.

“As classmates, I had the personal connection with Warhol, and if we were to pass this painting on to family members, it loses some of that personal meaning,” said Sutherland. “My daughter and I were at Crystal Bridges for the museum’s opening and have since visited many times; we concluded that the best place for the artwork is in a museum, and that a museum in our region seemed like a natural fit.”

The two new additions join the Warhol works already exhibited at Crystal Bridges: Hammer and Sickle (1977), and Dolly Parton (1985).

A third acquisition of Warhol works will not be immediately exhibited, but is another important new addition to the Crystal Bridges collection. The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts has donated to the museum a book of 21 dye diffusion transfer prints (Polaroid Polacolor Type 108) from 1971.

“These unique works document both the social circle that the artist cultivated, and the individuals who sat for his painted portraits,” says Bacigalupi. “We look forward to sharing this gift with Crystal Bridges’ guests in the near future.”

Dr. Mary Lackie has been named the vice chancellor for university relations at the University of Arkansas, and will begin the job in February.

She replaces Dr. Marta Loyd, who announced her resignation Dec. 17 to take a position at the Winthrop Rockefeller Institute. Lackie is the associate vice chancellor for development.
 
UAFS Chancellor Dr. Paul B. Beran said he feels the university advancement team is in good hands with Lackie.
 
“Dr. Lackie has embraced her role in advancement over the last year, and moving to vice chancellor for university advancement is a logical step,” he said in a statement. “She brings depth and experience in higher education which translates to the kind of institutional understanding that advancement requires.”
 
Prior to coming to UAFS, Lackie served as the senior technical director for policy and planning for the International Affairs Office at Teachers College Columbia University, where she helped manage a $40 million U.S. Agency for International Development project to improve pre-service teacher education in Pakistan.
 
In addition to Pakistan, she has also worked internationally in Poland, United Arab Emirates, Armenia and Germany. She has more than 25 years of experience in higher education, including work at institutions in Arkansas and Louisiana.
 
Lackie holds a doctorate in higher education from the University of Arkansas, a master’s degree in student personnel services from Northwestern State University and a bachelor’s degree in journalism from Arkansas Tech University.
 
Lackie said she is excited to take the position.
 
“In my first year at UAFS, I have been so impressed with the quality of this institution,” she said. “I’m very proud to be associated with the University and the Fort Smith community, and I look forward to using my education and experience to help strengthen the University through the advancement and promotion of UAFS.”
 
More than 30 UAFS employees are housed under the university advancement operation, which includes alumni, development, marketing and communications and public relations. Lackie said she is looking forward to furthering the presence of UAFS in the community.

Lackie is the member of the Fort Smith Noon Exchange Club, the Fort Smith Chorale and Central Christian Church. She lives in Fort Smith with her husband Bill, her daughter Claudia and her mother, Joreen Bane. She has three other children and a grandchild.

Clark Partners Realty Group announced that Scott Cook has been awarded the Accredited Buyer’s Representation designation by the National Association of Realtors.

Cook joins more than 30,000 real estate professionals in North America who have earned the ABR® designation. All were required to successfully complete a comprehensive course in buyer representation and an elective course focusing on a buyer representation specialty.

John Brown University has named nursing educator Dr. Ellen Odell as director of JBU’s new nursing program. Odell will be initially responsible for developing curriculum and recruiting instructors for the university’s nursing program, which will begin admitting pre-nursing students Fall 2014.

Odell has nearly three decades of clinical experience and 15 years of experience as a nurse educator. Most recently, Odell taught nursing at the University of Arkansas, and previously was director of the Har-Ber School of Nursing.

“Dr. Odell has the Christian commitment, administrative and teaching experience, and entrepreneurial spirit required to launch JBU’s nursing program,” Dr. Chip Pollard, JBU president, said in a statement. “I am pleased to have Dr. Odell leading our nursing effort because I know that she will help us educate quality nurses who will serve others for the glory of God.”

JBU announced in September that it had begun steps towards creating a nursing program after receiving unanimous prerequisite approval from the Arkansas State Board of Nursing in Little Rock. JBU’s nursing program will offer a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) degree.

“John Brown University’s head, heart and hand philosophy of education is a great platform for nursing education,” Odell said. “The profession of nursing is a true fusion of the academic, vocational and spiritual — nurses need all three to holistically care for patients.”

The prerequisite approval is the first step in a three-step approval process for new nursing programs. Board approval allows JBU to advertise the nursing program and begin recruiting pre-nursing students for the Fall 2014 semester.

In October, JBU announced a $6 million lead gift for a new nursing education facility and endowment for JBU’s new nursing program. The gift is part of the approximately $10 million amount that will be raised to launch the nursing program, including $6 million in construction costs and $4 million to endow operations and facility maintenance.

Fort Smith has been named the fifth western town on True West Magazine’s 2014 Top Western Towns.

Dodge City, Kan., won the top award. The towns will be featured in the February 2014 issue, which is scheduled to go on newsstands on Jan. 7.
 
Magazine editors listed the following as some of the reasons for Fort Smith’s western heritage.
• The ghost of Judge Isaac Parker is still around, in places like the “Hell on the Border” jail, a replica gallows, Judge Isaac Parker’s courtroom and a slew of exhibits on outlaws and lawmen at the Fort Smith National Historic Site.

• The Fort Smith Museum of History, located in the 1907 Atkinson-Williams Warehouse Building, holds the original furnishings of Judge Parker, as well as information on legends such as Deputy U.S. Marshal Bass Reeves.

• A good place to start a visit is Miss Laura’s Social Club, a former sporting house that now serves as the town’s official visitors center. The gracious, two-story Victorian “hotel” was the first brothel to be listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

“Fort Smith is a legendary name and place,” True West Executive Editor Bob Boze Bell, said in a statement. “So much Old West history is tied to the town — and is preserved for modern visitors to see. Fort Smith is more than worthy of the designation as a Top Western Town.”

This is the ninth year True West has presented this annual award. Editors base their selection on criteria demonstrating how each town has preserved its history through old buildings, museums and other institutions, events, and promotions of historic resources.

A number of companies that create sugary confections recently announced they are mixing up their brand holdings as 2013 winds to a close. Godiva, DeMet,and Snackwell are among the brands in transition. These candy companies operate sales offices in Northwest Arkansas as suppliers to Wal-Mart Stores Inc.

• Godiva to acquire Turtles from DeMet’s Candy
The Godiva chocolate brand is buying DeMet’s Candy Co. from Brynwood Partners V L.P. for $221 million. The transaction is expected to close in January.

DeMet’s Candy, based in Stamford, Conn., makes chocolate products under Turtles, Treasures and Flipz brands, and was formed in 2007 by Brynwood. All of its brands were acquired by Brynwood Partners from Nestle USA in separate transactions.

Peter Wilson, CEO of DeMet’s Candy, will remain at Brynwood Partners. The rest of DeMet’s Candy’s management team will join Godiva. The company employs approximately 200 people and operates two manufacturing plants in the United States, with a sales office in Bentonville.

“We are delighted to announce the divestiture of DeMet’s Candy,” said Hendrik Hartong III, chairman of DeMet’s Candy. “We originally formed DeMet’s Candy in 2007 to acquire the Turtles brand in the U.S. from Nestle USA and combined it with the Flipz brand, which we had acquired from Nestle USA in 2004. After forming DeMet’s Candy we quickly hired a management team, with whom we have worked collaboratively, to create significant shareholder value. We are grateful to DeMet’s Candy’s management team and all of the hard working employees in the manufacturing plants for their tireless efforts under our ownership. We wish Godiva success with this outstanding company.”

Yildiz Holdings, which owns Godiva, produces a range of food and beverage products, including biscuits, margarine and edible oils, dairy products and baby food, with sales in more than 80 countries.

Mondelez sells Snackwell’s to Brynwood Partners
Mondelez International, which makes snack brands including Oreo, Cadbury and Trident gum, has sold share of the SnackWell's cookie and cracker business to Brynwood Partners VI LP, the private equity firm said on Monday (Dec. 30).

Brynwood did not disclose the financial details of the deal, which was earlier reported by the Wall Street Journal.

“SnackWell's significantly increases our scale in the important cookie and cracker categories,” noted Vincent Fantegrossi CEO of acquiring venture.

SnackWell's, originally launched by Nabisco Inc in 1992 as a brand of reduced fat and fat-free cookies and crackers, also sells pretzels and popcorn aimed at dieters.

• Mars to expand chocolate plant in Waco
Mars Chocolate said it will invest $11.7 million to upgrade its candy facility in Waco, Texas in 2014.

The plant makes most of the nation’s Starburst, Skittles and Snickers, and approximately $4 million of the investment will be used to add an enrobing machine that coats candy in chocolate.

Cal-Maine Foods, the largest egg distributor in the U.S. announced an 8% increase in net sales for its second quarter ended Nov. 30. Cal-Maine owns Benton County Egg company located outside of Siloam Springs and is a major supplier to Wal-Mart Stores Inc.

Net sales for the second quarter of fiscal 2014 totaled $354.3 million, this compared to $328.9 million for the second quarter last year. The company reported net income of $26.1 million, or $1.08 per diluted share, versus $14.3 million or 60 cents a share in the year-ago period.

Through the first half of fiscal 2014, Cal-Maine had sales totaling $673.8 million compared with net sales of $601.8 million for the prior-year period. Net profits were $34.9 million, up from $23.7 million from the prior year.

“We are pleased with the continued growth in sales and improved operating performance for the second quarter of fiscal 2014. These results reflect the additional volumes related to the Maxim acquisition, completed in November 2012, which contributed to the 6.2% growth in dozens sold during the quarter. Average selling prices were up 1% compared with the second quarter of fiscal 2013,” said Dolph Baker, chairman and CEO.

Baker said specialty egg sales continue to trend higher, accounting for 16.4% of the dozens sold and 23.7% of the total shell egg revenue for the quarter.

Specialty eggs are an important area of focus for Cal-Maine Food’s growth strategy as they gain popularity and support higher margins with less cyclical tendencies found in typical shell eggs.

On Nov. 15, 2012, the company purchased the commercial egg assets of Maxim Production Co. Excluding the acquisition, net sales for the second quarter of fiscal 2014 were $323.4 million, an increase of 1.6% compared with the prior-year period.

Dozens sold, excluding the acquisition, were 227 million for the second quarter of fiscal 2014, a decrease of 1.3% compared with the second quarter of fiscal 2013.

On a comparable basis, excluding the acquisition, net sales for the first half of fiscal 2014 were $615 million, an increase of 4% and dozens sold were 445.2 million, an increase of 1.2%, over the same period last year.

Tontitown-based P.A.M. Transportation continues to move closer toward private ownership as the dry van carrier, already a thinly traded and closely held company, recently completed a $13.8 million tender offer.

The company announced the “Dutch tender” offer earlier this month as it sought to repurchase roughly 7.8% of its outstanding shares with its free cash.

The self tender offer expired Dec. 30 at midnight with 758,864 shares put up for tender at a price of $20.50 per share. The company capped the tender offer at 675,000 shares, which is roughly 88.9% of those submitted ahead of the deadline.

The total amount of shares expected to be purchased in the tender offer includes the company's right to increase the tender offer by up to 2% of its outstanding shares. The final count of shares actually redeemed should be released by Jan. 3, at which time the payment to shareholders will be made.

Shares of P.A.M. Transportation were trading at $20.55 in the open market on Tuesday morning (Dec. 31). The stock price was down 1.49% from the prior-day’s close. Over the past 52 weeks the share price has ranged from $8.85 to $20.99.

Pork is one, if not the most popular meat choices across the globe, particularly in China and throughout South America, which has helped buoy the demand for U.S. pork producers in recent years.

But a recent from the U.S. Department of Agriculture indicates that domestic pork supplies continue to shrink amid the porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDv). The government said inventory of all hogs and pigs on Dec. 1 was 65.9 million head, down 1% from a year ago, and 2% less than the Sept.1 count.

The virus which is deadly to piglets was first detected in U.S. herd in mid-May.

While feed costs are receding, farmers are still holding back herd expansion at this time. USDA reports market hog inventory slipped 1% to 60.2 million head. The inventory also declined 2% from the previous quarter.

In the September-November period the pig crop was down slightly at 29.3 million head. Sows farrowing during the period also declined slightly to 2.88 million head. The sows farrowed during the quarter represented 50% of the breeding herd.

Through the first quarter of 2014, USDA expects actual farrowings to dip 3% from the levels in 2012, while the demand for pork continues to escalate in China.

Roughly 23% of U.S. pork is exported, a number that is expected to rise in the next few years. Robust global demand and shrinking supplies are a perfect recipe for higher pork prices well into 2015.

Wholesale pork cutout prices for the week ending Dec. 27 were up 4% from a year ago. Tenderloin prices were up 14%, while ham prices were 13% higher than in December 2012, according to the USDA.

On Monday (Dec. 30) Walgreens announced it would provide 30-day supplies of free prescriptions to the backlogged Obamacare customers who have not yet received a plan identification number.

A day later, Wal-Mart also stepped up to the plate offering the same deal for those enrollees in the new healthcare exchanges made unavailable in recent weeks as part of the new law which kicks in Jan. 1.

“Customers who have signed up for the public health exchanges should be able to access their benefits immediately. That’s why, starting tomorrow(Jan. 1) through the end of January, we will fill up to a 30-day supply of prescriptions with no upfront cost to customers who have enrolled but have not yet received their plan identification information from their insurance providers, said John Agwunobi, president, health wellness for Walmart U.S.

Both retailers said their pharmacists could also provide assistance in verifying enrollment


The Campbell Soup Company announced late Tuesday (Dec. 31) a voluntary recall of 300 cases of 24-ounce jars of Prego Traditional Italian sauce because they habe been linked to possible spoilage.

The affected product was manufactured on Dec. 15 in Paris, Texas and can be identified by the “Best By” date of June 16, 2015 and a four-digit, military time code ranging from “CT BJ ZV 0330” through “CT BJ ZV 0449.” This information is printed on the top of the lid
  
The product subject to the recall was shipped on Dec. 21 to retailer distribution centers that serve the following seven states: Arizona, Arkansas, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, New Mexico and Oklahoma. This recall is limited to the U.S.

The potential spoilage was discovered as a result of the company’s routine quality control testing. This recall does not affect any other Campbell products. No consumer illnesses have been reported to date in connection with this recall.

Consumers who have purchased the product should not eat it. Consumers should return the product to the store where the product was purchased for a full refund.

For more information consumers can also call Campbell at 866-270-9303.

Wal-Mart Stores Inc. issued a recall for donkey meat sold in China at some of its retail outlets, after tests showed it contained DNA of other animals, namely fox.


The retail giant said it will reimburse customers who bought the “Five Spice” donkey meat as it works with local and federal authorities to investigate its Chinese supplier.


"We are deeply sorry for this whole affair," said Wal-Mart's China president and CEO, Greg Foran. "It is a deep lesson (for us) that we need to continue to increase investment in supplier management."


Industry experts said fox meat has a wild taste and smell that is very different to the more expensive donkey meat.


Also on Thursday (Jan. 2)  Wal-Mart issued a recall of approximately 73,400 Mainstay padded folding table and chair sets after safety concerns were raised.
 The retailer said the chairs can unexpectedly collapse, posing a fall hazard and injury.


The Consumer Product Safety Commission said Thursday that Wal-Mart has received 10 reports of injuries, including one finger amputation, three fingertip amputations, sprained or fractured fingers and one report of a sore back.


The recall includes the Mainstays card table sets with a black padded metal folding table and four black padded metal folding chairs. "Made by: Dongguan Shin Din Metal & Plastic Products Co," the company that made the chair cushions, is printed on a white label on the bottom of the chairs.

The sets were sold at Wal-Mart stores across the U.S. and on its website from May 2013 through November 2013 for about $50.


Consumers should immediately stop using the set and return it to Wal-Mart for a full refund. Individuals may contact the retailer at 800-925-6278.

Arvest Bank promotes Tiffany Schmidt to consumer lender in Springdale. She will report to Janet Erwin, senior vice president in the Springdale market.

Schmidt has been a consumer loan assistant with Arvest Bank in for the past year after previously working for U.S. Bank in Springfield, Mo., for more than four years.


Erwin said Schmidt has a great rapport with Arvest customers.


“She embodies the Arvest goal of customer-focused banking on a daily basis. We believe our customers will appreciate and enjoy working with her,” Erwin said.


Schmidt received her associate’s degree in 2010 and is working with Drury University to complete her bachelor’s degree. She and her husband Tim live in Pea Ridge.

Attorney General Dustin McDaniel (D) approved the ballot title for an effort to raise the minimum wage in Arkansas from $6.25 per hour to $8.50 per hour by 2017.

The “Act to Increase the Arkansas Minimum Wage” would be an initiated act – not a constitutional amendment – which requires a lower threshold for signature collection and allows the Arkansas General Assembly to modify aspects of the law if approved by voters.

The proposal outlines a three-year process for incrementally raising the state’s minimum wage.

If approved, the state minimum wage would increase from $6.25 per hour to $7.50 per hour on Jan. 1, 2015, to $8 per hour on Jan. 1, 2016, and to $8.50 per hour on Jan. 1, 2017.

“Having analyzed your proposed act, as well as your proposed popular name and ballot title under the above precepts, it is my conclusion that the ballot title and popular name are sufficient as submitted. They are therefore hereby certified as submitted,” McDaniel’s opinion said.

Give Arkansas a Raise Now, which submitted the ballot proposal, now has until July 7 to gather more than 62,000 valid voter signatures in order to qualify for the Nov. 4 general election ballot.

Dr. John David Terrell has joined Sparks Urology Group, which is located at 5500 Ellsworth Road in Fort Smith.

A native of Murfreesboro, Ark., Terrell graduated with honors from medical school at University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences. In 2011, he completed his urology residency in a chief resident role at University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center.

Terrell was inspired to become a physician when his cousin was diagnosed with Ewing’s Sarcoma, a type of childhood bone cancer. Though his cousin eventually lost his battle with the cancer, Terrell wanted to become a physician to help people, like his cousin, who suffered from serious medical conditions.

Terrell works in pediatrics and adult urology and his work includes kidney and prostate cancer, surgical removal of the kidney, treatment of kidney stones, treatment for erectile dysfunction, penile implants, and prostate enlargement. He is also trained in da Vinci surgical procedures and plans to do prosthesis and slings in his practice. Terrell previously worked with Arkansas Urology, P.A. in Little Rock. 

He and his wife Andrea were born and raised in Arkansas. The couple has an 18-month-old son.

Acxiom Corp. began a round of layoffs this week that corporate leaders suggested would be forthcoming when they last reported earnings.

According to Talk Business sources, roughly 50 workers – some in middle management positions – are part of this round of layoffs, although less than half are in Arkansas. A smaller contingency of upper management personnel were let go last year after Acxiom announced a “restructuring program,” and more job cuts may be forthcoming before the end of March when the company’s fiscal year ends.

A spokesperson for Acxiom said the Little Rock-based data marketer would not comment on moves related to what was outlined in the November earnings announcement.

“As communicated in our last earnings call, Acxiom has embarked upon an initiative to increase efficiencies and further improve performance. This is a company-wide, multi-phased approach, and our goal is for all associated actions to be completed by end of this fiscal year. We don’t intend to provide comments at every step,” said Acxiom’s director of corporate communications Ines Gutzmer in an email response to Talk Business.

“It is important to keep in mind that as the market and our industry transforms, Acxiom is required to do the same to remain competitive and continue to lead with innovation and customer service,” she added.

A PREVIOUS HINT
In its second quarter earnings report in November, Acxiom disclosed:
“The company expects over the next 6 to 12 months to reduce its annual cost base by roughly $20 to $30 million. These reductions will not impact the company’s ongoing investment in the Audience Operating System or the continued investment in innovation.”

In a subsequent SEC filing, Acxiom disclosed:
“The initiative seeks to improve the company’s performance by simplifying the company’s management structure, centralizing duplicative efforts and standardizing workflows. The components of the restructuring program are not finalized and actual total savings and timing may vary from those estimated due to changes in the scope or assumptions underlying the restructuring program.

The restructuring program will occur in a number of phases, and the company is unable to make a determination of the estimated amount or range of future costs and cash expenditures. The company will file an amendment to this report upon the determination of such amounts.”

While alluding to a workforce “reduction,” company leaders never specifically stated that employees would be laid off but the suggestion was clear. Internal sources later confirmed that layoffs were part of the initiative.

Acxiom CFO Warren Jenson said in an earnings call with investors and the media in November that it would not be a “slash and burn” effort.

Jenson said there would be “measurable actions before year-end.” In a subsequent question, he declined to give a timeline stating that the reductions would be “linear not back-end loaded.”

He reiterated that areas where the company has duplication and a need for centralization would be a focus, as would a longer-term rethinking on work flows, particularly in engineering, that could be reconfigured by workforce and processes.

The company said that client losses in its ITO (Information Technology Outsourcer) area were partially attributable for the workforce reduction. Acxiom previously reported in its first quarter that its ITO division had a string of “bad luck.”

The $20-$30 million in savings from the cost reduction effort will be reinvested in other areas of the business, Jenson and CEO Scott Howe said at the time.

Fort Chaffee Redevelopment Authority Executive Director Ivy Owen has been appointed alternate Arkansas state director on the board of the Southern Economic Development Council, according to a press release.

Owen was chosen by a group of his peers within Arkansas, the release said, with his one-year appointment having become effective Jan. 1 and expiring on the first day of 2015.

The FCRA executive director, who has been a member of SEDC for almost five years, was praised by Hal Johnson, incoming chairman of the SEDC board.

"Ivy Owen is a consummate professional, his experience and leadership will not only help us meet our goals, but also continue our efforts in raising the bar for SEDC and our membership."

Owen said he was thankful for the appointment, adding that the honor from his peers in economic development was touching.

"I am honored to be appointed to the Board of the SEDC. This honor means more because it's by recommendation of my peers that this appointment happened," he said. "I will work diligently through the SEDC Board to promote economic development in Fort Smith and the region."

According to the press release, the SEDC is a 950 member, non-profit organization composed of a broad cross-section of active and influential industrial economic developers from business and industry, utilities, transportation, financial and education institutions, chambers of commerce, and local, regional and state development agencies.

John Brown University report its online bachelor program has been named one of the top 100 programs in the nation by U.S. News and World Report.


The magazine released the “2014 Best Online Program” rankings on Wednesday, Jan. 8.  More than 1,000 online programs were considered for ranking, according to the report. John Brown University tied with two other universities at No. 77.

“From the very beginning of our online programs, our goal was to bring the quality of JBU’s traditional classroom experience to the digital realm,” said Dr. Ed Ericson, vice president for academic affairs. “This endorsement from U.S. News putting us in the top 10% of online programs nationally speaks to the quality education our online students receive.”

Several factors are incorporated into the U.S. News ranking, including student engagement, faculty credentials and training, peer reputation, student services and technology.

“We hear a lot of feedback from our online students about the rigor of our online classes, which they appreciate,” said Susan DeWoody, dean of degree completion and non-traditional programs. “More importantly, our students value the responsiveness of our faculty and the integration of faith into our classes, which is the same for online students as in our physical classrooms.”

JBU offers online bachelor’s degrees in business administration and liberal arts through its degree completion program. JBU offers five online graduate degree programs: MBA in Leadership and Ethics; MBA in International Business; MBA in Global Continuous Improvement; Master’s in Leadership and Ethics; and Master’s in Higher Education Leadership.