Fidelity National Information Services appears poised to add 150 new jobs and invest $3 million at its campus in west Little Rock.

A resolution on the city of Little Rock board of directors agenda indicates that Jacksonville, Fla.-based Fidelity will seek to utilize the state’s Arkansas Tax Back program for a partial sales tax rebate on new technology equipment, HVAC, office equipment and work stations.

The Tax Back program provides a refund of sales and use taxes for building materials and taxable machinery and equipment associated with an approved project that exceeds $100,000.

“The project will result in 150 new jobs and a total investment of Three Million Dollars ($3,000,000.00),” the resolution says.

Fidelity is a technology company that handles payment processing and banking solutions for a broad array of clients in the financial, mortgage, and automotive industries. A Fortune 500 company, Fidelity bought the former Alltel Information Services (Systematics) in 2003 and at one time employed several hundred white-collar workers in Little Rock.

Little Rock Mayor Mark Stodola confirmed the Fidelity expansion and added that it could be closer to 200 new job hires for the company’s call center operations. He said that an effort is being made to possibly hire recently laid-off Hewlett Packard workers for the new jobs.

HP announced last week that it would lay off 500 workers at its Conway facility.

“Fidelity is doing a joint job fair with HP to try to hire as many of those people as they can,” Stodola said.

Gov. Mike Beebe has named Ken Reeves of Harrison as the newest commissioner of the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission.

"Ken grew up hunting and fishing in the natural beauty of North Arkansas, and has experienced our entire State's outdoor destinations that need to be both enjoyed and conserved. His lifetime of legal experience will also serve him well as matters come before the Commission requiring thoughtful and objective review."

Reeves, 65, is a vice president and general counsel for FedEx Freight in Harrison. He earned his undergraduate and law degrees at the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville.

A fisherman on Bull Shoals Lake since childhood, Reeves is also an avid turkey hunter, and enjoys hunting duck, deer, squirrel and quail.

A veteran of the Arkansas Army National Guard, Reeves has been a member of the National Wild Turkey Federation, the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation and Ducks Unlimited.

Reeves' term will expire July 1, 2020. He replaces Ronald Pierce of Mountain Home.

Gov. Mike Beebe today announced the following appointments to boards and commissions:

Glenn Brackman, Bradley, reappointed to the Boll Weevil Eradication Committee. Appointment expires July 1, 2017.

Dixie Bryson, Maumelle, to the Arkansas Psychology Board. Appointment expires Dec. 31, 2017. Replaces Elizabeth Green.

Carole Bulloch, Monticello, reappointed to the Mississippi River Parkway Commission. Appointment expires June 8, 2018.

David Bush, Pine Bluff, reappointed to the Arkansas Student Loan Authority. Appointment expires July 8, 2017.

Gary Campbell, Fort Smith, reappointed to the Arkansas Science and Technology Authority. Appointment expires Jan. 14, 2017.

Ronald Cantrell, Batesville, to the Governor’s Advisory Council on Aging. Appointment expires Jan. 14, 2015. Replaces Ed Haas.

Debbie Carter, Fort Smith, to the Arkansas Apprenticeship Coordination Steering Committee. Appointment expires Dec. 1, 2016. Replaces Mary Ann Shope.

Carol Dyer, Little Rock, reappointed to the Arkansas Tobacco Control Board. Appointment expires July 1, 2018.

Dr. Ginger Fenter, Fort Smith, reappointed to the Arkansas State Board of Physical Therapy. Appointment expires July 1, 2016.

April Jones, Mabelvale, to the State Board of Sanitarians. Appointment expires June 30, 2018. Replaces Raymond Heaggans.

Carlton Jones, Texarkana, reappointed to the State Crime Laboratory Board. Appointment expires Jan. 14, 2020.

Basil Julian, Conway, to the Board of the Division of State Services for the Blind. Appointment expires June 30, 2017. Replaces Gerald Carr.

Jeff Mitchell, Fayetteville, to the Alcoholic Beverage Control Board. Appointment expires Jan. 14, 2015. Replaces Ron Fuller.

Reverend Thurston B. Lamb, Little Rock, reappointed to the Keep Arkansas Beautiful Commission. Appointment expires Jan. 14, 2019.

Phil McBee, Pine Bluff, to the Governor's Advisory Council on Aging. Appointment expires Jan. 14, 2015. Replaces Hodijah Gray.

Michael Perkins, Little Rock, to the Tobacco Prevention and Cessation Advisory Committee. Appointment expires Sept. 30, 2015. Replaces Ronald Rooney.

Jack Robertson, Ph.D., to the Health Services Permit Commission. Appointment expires April 9, 2014. Replaces Dewery Watkins.

Kevin Robertson, Little Rock, to the State Board of Pharmacy. Appointment expires June 30, 2019. Replaces Ronald Norris.

John Scott, Fayetteville, reappointed to the Northwest Technical Institute Board of Directors. Appointment expires June 30, 2018.

Thad Scott, Ph.D., Fayetteville to the Arkansas-Oklahoma Joint Study Committee. Appointment expires Feb. 20, 2016. This is a new position.

Sam Stathakis, Jr., to the Arkansas Tobacco Control Board. Appointment expires July 1, 2018. Replaces Danny Tate.

Marvin Steele, Sr., West Memphis, to the Arkansas Student Loan Authority. Appointment expires July 8, 2017. Replaces David Craig.

Alicia Story, Jonesboro, to the Breast Cancer Control Advisory Board. Appointment expires Jan. 1, 2017. Replaces Tammy Gavin.

Andy Sustich, Ph.D., Jonesboro, to the Arkansas Science and Technology Authority. Appointment expires Jan. 14, 2017. Replaces Collis Green.

Phil Taylor, Jonesboro, reappointed to the State Board of Education. Appointment expires June 30, 2020.

Christopher Tebbetts, Mountain View, reappointed to the Governor’s Developmental Disabilities Council. Appointment expires June 30, 2018.

To the Arkansas Legislative Task Force on Abused and Neglected Children:
Kathy Brownlee, Arkadelphia.
Harry "H.G." Foster, Conway.
Jamie Scott, North Little Rock.
Dr. Angie Waliski, Sherwood.

These reappointments expire June 30, 2015.

To the Arkansas Rice Promotion Board:
Marvin Hare, Jr., Newport.
Richard Hillman, Carlisle.
Bobby Hoard, Marianna. Replaces John Alter.
Mike Sullivan, Burdette.
Wayne Wiggins III, Jonesboro.

Unless otherwise noted, these are reappointments and expire June 30, 2015.

Michael Tarvin was recently named director of chaplain services for Springdale-based Tyson Foods.

Tarvin will be responsible for leading more than 120 workplace chaplains employed by the multinational meat giant. He replaces Chaplain Rick McKinnie, who is retiring.

Tarvin is a U.S. Army veteran with more than 30 years of service, serving as a chaplain with the 82nd Airborne Division and the 25th Infantry Division.

He was a also senior chaplain of Multi-National Corps in Iraq, where he supervised more than 300 chaplains in combat operations.

In addition to multiple military certifications, Tarvin also holds graduate degrees from Boston University, Brite Divinity School and the U.S. Army War College.

Tarvin previously worked as chief of pastoral care at military hospitals at Fort Carson, Colo., and Fort Lewis, Wash.

Simmons First National Corp. posted second quarter 2013 net income of $6.58 million, a slight increase from the $6.54 million it reported one year ago.

The Pine Bluff-based financial institution pointed to several improvements in its metrics.

“Considering interest rates continue at historical lows, we were pleased with our 5.3% quarterly EPS increase. More so, we were pleased with the positive trends in our balance sheet, as reflected in our normalized organic loan growth of approximately 3%, which enabled us to produce a net interest margin of 3.96%. The organic loan growth, coupled with strong asset quality, bodes well for the balance of the year,” said George Makris, CEO-Elect.

Makris also noted that loan growth was improving, but he stopped short of declaring a full-blown rebound in lending activity.

“This was the third consecutive quarter of organic loan growth. While still not enough to call a trend, we believe it is very positive in that the growth is coming throughout our markets in Arkansas, Kansas and Missouri. Needless to say, the economy remains in a slow recovery, which makes this growth even more significant,” Makris said.

Key operational highlights from the quarter include:
• Total loans were $1.9 billion at June 30, 2013, an increase of $149.7 million, or 8.8%, compared to the same period in 2012.

• Loans acquired in FDIC-assisted acquisitions grew $113.0 million, net of discounts, and legacy loans (excluding acquired loans) grew $35.7 million.

• At June 30, 2013, total deposits were $2.8 billion, an increase of $183.8 million, or 7.0%, compared to the same period in 2012.

• Net interest income for the second quarter of 2013 was $29.6 million, an increase of $2.3 million, or 8.6%, from the same period of 2012.

• Non-interest income for the second quarter was $11.3 million, an increase of $180,000, or 1.6%, compared to the second quarter of 2012.

Simmons First (NASDAQ: SFNC) shares closed trading on Wednesday at $27.95. During the past year, the company’s stock has ranged between a low of $22.36 and a trading high of $28.00 per share.

HOMEBANCSHARES
Home BancShares, Inc., parent company of Centennial Bank, saw second quarter net income rise to $17.7 million, up from $15.5 million one year ago.

The Conway-based bank holding company recently acquired Jonesboro-based Liberty Bancshares for $280 million.

“The second quarter’s record net income is another exceptional achievement for Home BancShares,” said John Allison, Chairman. “We also continue to exhibit strong capital levels, which remain considerably above the regulators’ capital requirements. These strong reserves placed us in a position to participate in an opportunity like the recently announced Liberty Bank market acquisition. Merging these two similarly sized Arkansas-based companies with comparable cultures and history is a game-changer for Home BancShares. We are confidently optimistic of the company’s continued bright future when Liberty gets on board.”

Key operational highlights from the quarter include:
• Net interest income for the second quarter of 2013 increased 14.5% to $44.8 million from $39.2 million during the second quarter of 2012.

• Non-interest income fell to $9.8 million compared to $11.1 million for the second quarter of 2012.

• Total non-covered loans were $2.34 billion at June 30, 2013 compared to $2.33 billion at Dec. 31, 2012.

• Total covered loans were $329.8 million at June 30, 2013 compared to $384.9 million at Dec. 31, 2012.

• Total deposits were $3.33 billion at June 30, 2013 compared to $3.48 billion at Dec. 31, 2012.

• Total assets were $4.09 billion at June 30, 2013 compared to $4.24 billion at Dec. 31, 2012.

“For the ninth consecutive quarter in the company’s history, we have again reported the most profitable quarter, increasing net income by $111,000 or 0.6% from our previously reported record earnings,” said Randy Sims, Chief Executive Officer. “Not only did the company display an outstanding return on average assets of 1.71% for the second quarter of 2013, but we also improved our net interest margin by 53 basis points when comparing the second quarter of 2013 to the second quarter of 2012.”

Home Bancshares (NASDAQ: HOMB) closed trading on Wednesday at $27.23 per share. The company’s stock has traded between $14.75-$27.93 in the last 52 weeks.

BancorpSouth, which has operations in the Fort Smith and Northwest Arkansas areas, reported second quarter net income of $20.75 million, slightly ahead of the $20.62 million for the same quarter of 2012.

For the first half of the year, the Tupelo, Miss.-based bank company posted income of $41.6 million, down from the $43.5 million in the first half of 2012.

"Much progress was made during the second quarter towards improving our cost structure and turning our attention toward growth," noted Dan Rollins, BancorpSouth CEO, in the earnings statement. “We are also pleased to report quarter-over-quarter loan growth for the first time in over three years. We've consistently communicated to our team the importance of growing our Company while improving operating efficiency."

Reducing the bank’s portfolio of problem loans is also helping the bank’s ledger. The second quarter report included only $3 million in a provision for credit losses, better than the $6 million in the second quarter of 2012. Non-performing loans held by the bank have declined from $266.9 million as of June 30, 2012, to $167.9 million as of June 30, 2013.

The bank also said a “Voluntary Early Retirement Program” cost the bank $10.9 million in the quarter, but is expected to result in pre-tax annual savings of $9 million.

Following are other key items in the earnings report.
• The bank generated net loan growth of $97.2 million, or 4.5% annualized.

• Mortgage production of $435 million and mortgage sales of $424.4 million, contributed to mortgage lending revenue of $17.9 million for the quarter.

• Insurance commission revenue was $25.9 million, which represents an increase of $2.9 million, or 12.6%, on a comparable-quarter basis.

• Net interest revenue was $98.2 million for the second quarter of 2013, a decrease of 6.2% from $104.7 million for the second quarter of 2012.

• Non-interest revenue was $76.1 million for the second quarter of 2013, compared with $66.5 million for the second quarter of 2012.

BancorpSouth is a financial holding company with $13.2 billion in assets. The company operates 292 commercial banking, mortgage, insurance, trust and broker/dealer locations in Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Tennessee and Texas, including an insurance location in Illinois.

BancorpSouth shares (NYSE: BXS) closed Monday at $19.07. During the past 52 weeks the share price has ranged from a $20.42 high to a $12.55 low.

Lowell-based J.B. Hunt Transport Services Inc. on Tuesday (July 23) announced a quarterly cash dividend payable to its shareholders on August 16.

The company’s board of directors declared a cash payment of 15 cents per common share for stockholders of record on Aug. 2.

The firm’s largest individual shareholder is Johnelle Hunt, will receive more than $2.8 million from this quarterly dividend. She is widow of the corporate founder Johnnie Bryan Hunt Sr,, who died in 2007 at age 79.

According to federal filings Hunt’s estate still owns 18,785,085 shares of stock with a street value in excess of $1.4 billion. These shares are registered to J.B. Hunt LLC.

Roughly 22% of the company’s outstanding shares are held by insiders. About 73% of the company shares are owned by 342 institutional investors and mutual fund owners.

CEO John Roberts holds 239,837 shares with a street value in excess of $17.89 million.

Shares of J.B. Hunt Transport closed today at $74.60, down 28 cents. The company has a market capitalization of $8.73 billion.

Arvest Bank announces that Kim Peters recently accepted a position as a private banking officer in its Benton County division.

Peters previously worked at Arvest Bank in Springdale in 2004 and 2005 as a vice president and corporate services sales associate. Afterwards she worked for other banks in the region garnering experience in commercial lending and credit risk management. 

Prior to moving to Northwest Arkansas, she worked for the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, Little Rock branch.

Peters will report to Robyn Breshears, regional private banking manager.

“Kim’s expertise and knowledge of Northwest Arkansas’ business and banking community will be a great benefit to our private banking customers,” said Breshears. “She is focused on providing the best of her experience to her customers’ advantage.”

Peters earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration from the University of Arkansas in Little Rock.

Within the community, Peters serves on the leadership council for Single Parent Scholarship Fund of NWA and on the Walton Arts Center’s “Art of Wine” committee.

The Northwest Arkansas Regional Airport (XNA) will receive a more than $3.43 million grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation.

Also, six other Arkansas airports will receive almost $1.5 million in federal grants.

The funding for XNA will be used to continue upgrades at the airport, including the widening of a taxiway near Concourse A for larger aircraft to access the backside of the concourse and the purchase of a power sweeper to keep the airfield clear.

Funds will also be used to update the existing master plan and identify future growth and development needs. Finally, the grant will be used to reimburse costs expended during the expansion of the terminal building.

“Northwest Arkansas Regional served over 1.1 million passengers last year,” U.S. Rep. Steve Womack, R-Rogers, said in a statement. “This grant funding will ensure that XNA can continue to provide safe and efficient trips for these and the growing number of travelers who visit Northwest Arkansas for business, for leisure, or for both.”

U.S. Sen. John Boozman, R-Ark., said the XNA grant will help the region’s economy continue to grow.



“As Northwest Arkansas continues to grow, the infrastructure must be able to sustain the region’s rapid transformation. This grant will help move the recent expansion at XNA, which has already improved efficiency and safety for travelers, to the next level and, in turn, bring additional economic development to the area,” Boozman said in the statement.

Kelly Johnson, director of the Northwest Arkansas Regional Airport Authority, said the grant is “much-needed” at the airport.

For the first six months of the year, XNA enplanements total 285,183, up 3.18% compared to the same period in 2012. Traffic gains are trending positive at the airport. Enplanements were up 2.42% during the first quarter of 2013 compared to the 2012 period.

Enplanements could tick higher,  American Airlines is adding non-stop flights from Northwest Arkansas Regional Airport to Los Angeles International Airport in Southern California starting Aug. 27.

"Our sincere thanks go to our Congressional delegation and our partners at the FAA for their continued support,” Johnson said.

An ongoing runway reconstruction project at XNA is on schedule with a targeted completion in the spring of 2014. The project includes replacing the original runway and making other drainage and lighting improvements. The project was initially funded through three, $10 million federal grants.

Following are other airports receiving federal funds according to the Tuesday announcement from Arkansas’ Congressional delegation.
• Benton
Saline County Regional Airport will receive $350,000 to rehabilitate, rejuvenate, and seal coat the runway and general aviation apron.



• Brinkley
The Frank Federer Memorial Airport will receive $388,124 to rehabilitate its apron. The existing pavement has reached the end of its useful life.



• Heber Springs
The Heber Springs Municipal Airport will receive $265,937 to update its runway lighting system, which is needed for safe airfield operations during low visibility conditions.  Funding will also be used for a new runway vertical/visual guidance system to make the airport more accessible.



• Helena-West Helena
The Thompson-Robbins Airport will receive $180,000 to rehabilitate the current taxiway lighting system.



• Mena
The Mena Intermountain Municipal Airport will receive $212,130 to rehabilitate its connector taxiway pavement.



• Stuttgart
The Stuttgart Municipal Airport will receive $92,232 to rehabilitate the apron pavement. Funds will also be used for drainage improvements, which will help the airport better handle storm water runoff.

“Arkansas’s rural communities rely on their local airports for business and travel,” U.S. Sen. Mark Pryor, D-Ark., said in a statement. “These grants will ensure our airports have the resources they need to provide safe, efficient, and accessible transportation.”

• J.C. Penney hires brand strategist from Kraft
J.C. Penney recently tapped Kraft Foods marketing executive Debra Berman as its senior vice president of brand strategy.

Berman has extensive experience in brand strategy during the three and half years she spent with Kraft Foods, where she rose the ranks of chief marketing officer.

Berman also spent time Saatchi & Saatchi and DDB Worldwide where she oversaw planning for Clorox brands.

She has an master’s degree in business administration from University of California and a bachelor’s degree from the University of Pennsylvania.

The role she is assuming at J.C. Penney has been vacant for 13 months, after Michael Frances left the retailer.

The timing of this move is critical as retailers are finalizing their holiday campaigns in the next few weeks.
 

• Dr. Pepper Snapple abandons vitamin additive
Beverage maker Dr.Pepper Snapple Group will pay $5,000 to the Center for Science in the Public Interest and $237,500 in attorney’s fees to settle a lawsuit over vitamin E additives in some of its 7-Up products.

The company said it will begin removing the antioxidant additive to make the formula and label consistent with the rest of its 7-Up products.

The company also agreed to halt claims that the product has antioxidants. They had been infusing small amounts of vitamin E into some varieties of 7-Up under these labels: Regular, Diet Cherry Antioxidant, Mixed Berry Antioxidant and Pomegranate Antioxidant.
          
The Center for Science in the Public Interest took issue with the images of berries and pomegranates on the soda's labels, saying it gave the impression that the antioxidants came from fruit instead of the added vitamin E.

• Technology helps Kroger reduce wait at checkout
Kroger recently began using new computer sensor technology in its grocery stores to reduce the time customers must wait in checkout lines.

The grocery retailer expects to have the technology sensors in more than 2,400 stores by the year’s end.

Que Vision, a new technology developed by a British firm, counts the number of customers entering a store, standing in checkout lines and then leaving.

The system predicts how many checkout registers will need to be open at any given time of the day based on the real time store traffic.

Kroger said it has reduced the waiting time from 4 minutes to 27 seconds. Waiting time is defined as the period between when a shopper gets in line and begins putting groceries on the conveyor belt.

The retailer said the technology does not invade shopper privacy, nor does it track the shopping habits once in the store. It merely tracks incoming and outgoing traffic and constantly recalculates the number of checkout lines needed presently and the expected need in 30 minutes.

The Schmieding Center of Bella Vista has a full slate of health screenings scheduled throughout the month of August.

There is no charge for the services offered at the health resource center at 1801 Forrest Hills Blvd. in Bella Vista.

Aug. 1 - Memory screening - 10 a.m. to noon.
Aug. 3 - CPR for caregivers - 9 a.m. to noon
Aug. 6 - Blood pressure check-up - 10 a.m. to noon
Aug. 13 - Blood pressure check-up - 9 a.m. to 11 a.m.
Aug. 15 - Hearing aid adjustments - 1 p.m. to 3 .p,m.
Aug. 21 - Blood pressure check-up - 9 a.m. to 11 a.m.
Aug. 28 - Elder law review for veterans and spouses - 9 a.m. to 11 a.m.

For more information call the Schmieding Center at (479) 876-2335.

Mitchell Communications said Wednesday (July 24) it is opening new offices in New York and Chicago to facilitate its expanding customer base.

The agency has experienced a 530% growth rate over the past five years, according to founder and CEO Elise Mitchell.

“We’re so proud of the opportunities we have to serve our clients – to help them grow their businesses, and connect and engage with their audiences in new and exciting ways,” Mitchell said. “This is what we see as the greatest potential for our future.”

Mitchell Communications Group was acquired last year by the Dentsu Network.

“As part of the Dentsu Network, Mitchell Communications Group can expand its reach and accelerate its growth, serving more clients in more places with their best-in-class approach. The New York and Chicago offices are two great steps forward,” said Tim Andree, president and CEO at Dentsu.

The opening of offices at 32 Avenue of the Americas in New York and at 515 N. State St. in Chicago establishes an on-the-ground presence and closer collaboration with partner agencies mcgarrybowen, 360i and others, as Dentsu builds out a full-service offering that now includes public relations.

To staff its new offices, Mitchell has made the following new hires.

• Sarah Larsen, a former senior vice president with Ogilvy Public Relations, will serve as general manager and senior vice president for the Chicago office.

• Tracy Shea, who has designed digital and social strategies for household brands such as Disney, General Mills, Hard Rock and Pfizer, is vice president of digital and social strategy for the firm. He is in the New York office.

• Dee Bhambhani, previously a senior account supervisor with Hill+Knowlton Strategies, has been named director in the New York office.

The agency will also continue to draw upon the broad expertise of its client service and shared service teams based in Northwest Arkansas, according to the release.

Mitchell’s client base includes Wal-Mart, Sam’s Club, Procter & Gamble, HIlton Hotels, Southwest Energy, Tyson Foods and J.B. Hunt.

Walmart Labs continues to expand in San Bruno, Calif., and confirmed with The City Wire on Wednesday (July 24) the acquisition of Torbit, a company that will help increase the speeds across all of its e-commerce platforms.

Ravi Jariwala, a spokesman for Walmart Labs, said Torbit is a front-end optimization platform that will help the retailer provide faster and smoother search processes regardless of whether the shopper is browsing from a mobile phone, tablet or computer.

The terms of the deal were not disclosed, but Jariwala said four technology professionals with Torbit are joining the Walmart Labs team.

“We also continue to search for other technology engineers and have more than 100 jobs open at this time,” he said.

Torbit co-founder Jon Fox noted in a blog on Wednesday, “We’ll be using our cutting edge (Dynamic Content Optimization) technology to enhance the performance and shopping experience for all of Walmart.com’s many online shoppers. We’re exited to help make the Walmart online experience even better by optimizing for your device and improving the performance of all of their existing and future sites.”

Torbit joins a short list of other recent acquisitions by Walmart Labs including: Inkiru, OneOps and Tasty Labs, which are all part Wal-Mart’s efforts to operate in simultaneous retail channels.

Shelby Woods and Wayne Woods of Little Rock-based advertising/PR giant CJRW have been selected by the Tenth District of the American Advertising Federation (AAF) for the Southwest Advertising Hall of Fame’s 2013 class of inductees.

The Woods brothers of Cranford Johnson Robinson Woods (CJRW) – a full service advertising, marketing and public relations agency – will be two of the seven honorees in the hall’s class. The Tenth District of the AAF covers Arkansas, Louisiana, Oklahoma and Texas.

Shelby and Wayne Woods cut their teeth with their small agency, The Woods Brothers Agency, which was founded in 1967. One of the firm’s earliest clients was the Arkansas Parks and Tourism Department, which the brothers helped grow through research and successful advertising and marketing campaigns. In part, their efforts helped Arkansas tourism emerge into a nearly $6 billion industry.

In 1990, The Woods Brothers Agency merged with then Cranford Johnson Robinson and Associates to become Cranford Johnson Robinson Woods (CJRW). Today, Wayne Woods serves as chairman and CEO of CJRW and Shelby Woods serves as Chairman Emeritus of the board of directors.

“On behalf of CJRW I can say we are all very proud of our colleagues Shelby and Wayne,” said Wayne Cranford, founder of CJRW and member of the 2008 inaugural class of the Southwest Advertising Hall of Fame.  “Their contribution to the overall advertising profession has been profound and while Shelby and Wayne would never say so, Arkansans owe these gentlemen a debt of gratitude for their tenacity and tireless passion that helped create the booming Arkansas tourism industry.”

“This is a great honor for me and my brother,” said Shelby Woods. “When we started this business in 1967 with the idea to showcase Arkansas and all of her beauty and opportunity we had no idea the tourism industry would be what it is today. We owe our success to the hundreds of talented professionals who we have worked with over our careers. We are very blessed.”

The Woods brothers will officially be inducted into the Southwest Advertising Hall of Fame on Monday, October 21 at 11:30 a.m. in Dallas at the Brookhaven Country Club.

The Board of Directors at Fort Smith-based Arkansas Best Corp. have declared a quarterly cash dividend of 3 cents per share to be paid Aug. 22 to shareholders of record on Aug. 8.

Arkansas Best is a transportation holding company, and it’s largest subsidiary is less-than-truckload carrier ABF Freight System.

Arkansas Best is scheduled to announce second quarter earnings on Aug. 9. The company reported a first quarter loss of $13.4 million. The consensus of the 17 analysts who follow the company is that per share income will be 20 cents, with topline revenue estimated to reach $571.94 million.

Arkansas Best shares (NASDAQ: ABFS) closed Wednesday at $21.32. During the past 52 weeks the share price has ranged from a $24 high to a $6.43 low.

Elasticsearch, an open-source search and analytics software firm, and StackSearch Inc., announced a partnership to jointly promote and expand the adoption of Elasticsearch within the growing international community of developers with big data search problems.


“The partnership enables us to further empower our customers and developers to get the most out of their Elasticsearch deployments by offering dedicated instances, professional support, and professional services. We are honored to partner with this forward-thinking company, and we look forward to supporting and promoting Elasticsearch adoption to our customers around the world,” StackSearch CEO Mark Brandon.


Global production of data is exploding, and the necessity for retrieving, storing, analyzing, and making searchable all types of structured and unstructured data is promoting the need for fast, filterable, and facetable search to mission critical status for all enterprises.


Together these two firms will provide various industries with the tools they need to overcome big data challenges.


Steven Schuurman, CEO of Elasticsearch said, “By providing a hosted solution, StackSearch is lowering the barrier to entry for Elasticsearch with a professionally managed, hassle-free solution.  We look forward to supporting their success as they accelerate the adoption of Elasticsearch."
 

• Underwear merger announced
Hanes said it will acquire Maidenform for approximately $547.6 million, adding to its underwear garment business.

Hanes will pay $23.50 per share for Maidenform, roughly a 23% premium over the closing price of $19.09 on Tuesday, ahead of the announcement.

Hanes CEO Richard Noll said in the business is a natural fit, no pun intended.

Maidenform CEO Maurice Reznik said that the deal was appealing in part because it provides the necessary infrastructure and resources to help grow its business.

Last year 57% of Maidenform's revenue came from bra sales and about 35% of revenue was comprised from foundation shapewear sales.

The deal will also allow Maidenform to take advantage of in-house manufacturing, owned by Hanes.

Within three years Hanes expects the buyout will add $500 million in annual sales, or roughly 60 cents per share in earnings.

The deal is expected to close before the end of this year, but Maidenform shareholders still have to approve the buyout.

• Cereal and soda weigh down profits
PepsiCo said this week its Quaker Oats business and North American beverage divisions faced challenges in the recent quarter.

CEO Indra Nooyi, addressed the weaknesses during the company’s earnings call.

Nooyi said. “The beverage category in the U.S. has its challenges, especially around carbonated soft drinks.”

She said calories and ingredients such as artificial sweeteners are the key issues that concern consumers.

A different set of problems faced the Quaker North America segment, where operating profit dropped 14% during the quarter.

“A good deal of this business lives in the center of the store and the center of the plate, and that makes it a challenge to grow, especially as consumers increasingly seek convenience,” Nooyi said.

PepsiCo Inc. reported earnings per share of $1.28 for the second quarter, an increase of 36% from a year ago. Revenue grew 2.11% to $16.807 million in the quarter.

• Neilsen tracks new product winners
Hershey, Del Monte, Nestle, Kraft and Colgate-Palmolive were among the companies launching the most successful consumer products in the last two years.

Neilsen’s “Breakthrough Innovation Report for 2013” tracked more than 3,400 new product launches in 2011 through two years on the shelves and released the following results.

Hershey’s release of Reese’s Minis help raise revenue by roughly $235 million in the two year period. The “mini” candy segment is growing in popularity as it removed the individual wrappers and give consumers an easier way to indulge on the go.

‘Milo's Kitchen Home-Style Dog Treats” a product from Del Monte, raked in roughly $180 million in revenue during its first two years on the market.


Nestle launched “Skinny Cow Candy” it’s own brand of lower calorie chocolates that brought in $120 million in added sales over the two-year period.


Kraft Foods had winners in its “Milo Liquid Water Enhancer” which brought in $270 million in revenue and its “Velveeta Cheesy Skillets” garnered $175 million in revenue and forced General Mills, maker of Hamburger Helper to push out new products to keep pace.


Colgate-Palmolive launched “Colgate Optic White” toothpaste which brought in $255 million in revenue in the two-year period, according to Neilsen.

A Pilgrim’s Pride processing plant in DeQueen, Ark., was cited for 11 safety violations by the U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration.

The poultry processing plant was found to have exposed workers to hazardous chemicals and faces proposed penalties of $170,000, according to an OSHA press release. 

The violations were revealed in a January inspection conducted by federal agents. At that time, the company received a citation for failing to document that an emergency shutdown system was activated by an ammonia leak. That violation carries a $70,000 fine, according to the release.

The company also received citations for nine serious violations for deficiencies of relief valves and failing to provide process hazard analysis, operating procedures, testing procedures and management of change procedures. Fines for the serious violations totaled $61,500.

The repeat violation, which carries a $38,000 fine, was cited for failing to ensure the adequate frequency of self-inspections and tests of ammonia refrigeration equipment and vessels.

Pilgrim's Pride, which is based in Greeley, Colo., is a subsidiary of the Brazilian meat giant JBS SA and a major competitor of Tyson Foods Inc.

Former Sebastian County Circuit Clerk Ken Blevins filed a lawsuit against County Judge David Hudson last week, accusing Hudson of causing him to lose his bid for re-election last year to fellow Republican Denora Coomer.

In the complaint filed on July 24, Blevins claims that the county's former grievance policy, which included a hearing before a grievance board, was illegal and used to undermine his bid for re-election following the accusations of six employees that Blevins sexually harassed them in the workplace. Two of the employees were terminated by Blevins on Nov. 16, 2011, though the employees were eventually reinstated following grievance hearings with the county.

"The illegal grievance processes supervised by the Defendant, Hudson, as well as the Motion to Enforce the County Court Order of Hudson, were all used to undermine public confidence in the Plaintiff and to replace the Plaintiff in his duly-elected position, either by recall or in an election."

The grievance board Blevins refers to in the lawsuit is no longer in use by the county. Instead, the county has implemented a new policy that states terminated employees may submit grievances directly to the director of human resources, Steve Hotz.

When the new policy went into affect in June, Hudson was asked whether the Blevins situation played into the decision to make the change.

"We've been working on the revision that was in process when Ken Blevins was the circuit clerk. This review was initiated prior to all of those issues arising in the circuit clerk's office," he said. "This is not a reaction to that. This preceded that matter."

The lawsuit filed by Blevins claims loss of employment, in addition to legal costs and emotional distress, as damages incurred due to the process.

Blevins is seeking "compensation for his damages against the Defendant in the amount in excess of that required for diversity jurisdiction in federal court, punitive damages in an amount sufficient to punish the Defendants and to deter the Defendants and others from similar conduct, for a jury trial, for costs, interest, attorney fees, and for all other relief to which he is entitled."

Mercy Fort Smith has received a $150,000 contribution to assist with purchasing critical care equipment for the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU).

The grant – which was given to the non-profit organization through the Walmart Foundation’s State Giving Program – will launch the hospital’s “Making Babies Healthy” program designed to reduce the number of days infants spend in the NICU.

Mercy Fort Smith operates the only Level III equivalent NICU in the Fort Smith area. Last year, the 25-bed unit provided care to nearly 800 premature and critically ill newborns. In the last three years, 11% of infants admitted to the NICU at Mercy have had either a primary or secondary diagnosis of neonatal abstinence syndrome (NAS) a term for the problems a baby experiences when withdrawing from exposure to narcotics. It’s a significantly higher percentage than the national average of 3-5%.

“Infants with NAS require intensive medical care and an extended stay in the NICU,” said Ryan Gehrig, president of Mercy Hospital Fort Smith, said in a statement. “This grant will allow us to purchase new technology, improve infant nutrition by using donor breast milk and offer educational programs for parents to help us decrease the time babies spend in the NICU and give them better long-term outcomes.”

The grant was presented to Mercy during a check presentation ceremony held today (July 29) in Mercy’s NICU department. During the ceremony, Walmart Store Manager Kelly Clark presented the check to Ryan Gehrig, CEO of Mercy Hospital in Fort Smith.

The hospital will use the grant money towards several pieces of technology including:
• Additional Giraffe Omnibeds to provide infants a totally safe and quiet environment with integrated equipment to monitor vitals;
• I-Stat blood analyzers to allow clinicians to access key results on the spot rather than waiting for results from the lab; and,
• Vapotherm high flow nasal canals to reduce the need for infants to be put on a ventilator.

“The Walmart Foundation is very pleased to be supporting Mercy, and are committed to helping those in need in the communities where we serve,” said Kelly Clark, local Walmart Store Manager. “Through this grant, we are hopeful that residents in the state of Arkansas will find easier access to important technology for newborn children.”

The contribution to Mercy was made possible through the Walmart Foundation’s Arkansas State Giving Program. Through this program, the Walmart Foundation supports organizations that create opportunities so people can live better. The Walmart Foundation State Giving Program strives to award grants that have a long-lasting, positive impact on communities across the U.S.
 
Last year in Arkansas, Walmart, Sam’s Club locations and the Walmart Foundation awarded more than $72 million to local organizations.

Mercy Fort Smith includes a 365-bed hospital, three critical access hospitals in Paris, Waldron and Ozark as well as Mercy Clinic with more than 100 providers across the region. Mercy employs more than 2,100 co-workers. It is part of St. Louis based Mercy, the nation’s sixth largest Catholic health care organization.