Remington Arms Co. broke ground on a $32 million expansion in Lonoke that should employ around 60 new workers.

The expansion will include construction of a new building and is expected to be in operation by the second quarter of 2014. The project will allow Remington to produce more ammunition to meet consumer demand, which the firm says is at a high.

Madison, N.C.-based Remington, the oldest gun maker in the U.S., has been in Lonoke sine 1969.

“As we strive to create new relationships with new partners, we must never forget the ones we already have,” said Gov. Mike Beebe in reference to helping an existing manufacturer. “It is so much easier to expand existing business than it is to create new ones.”

“As an avid hunter and gun owner, I’m particularly excited to help announce this expansion,” said Sen. Mark Pryor, who attended the groundbreaking event. “Remington has been an economic engine in our state for years, and this will allow them to bring even more jobs and development to central Arkansas.”

Remington unveiled its plans to expand its Lonoke plant earlier this year.

Arkansas’ two largest metropolitan areas once again find themselves ranked among the nation’s top places to do business.

Forbes magazine on Wednesday placed Northwest Arkansas (No. 28) and Central Arkansas (No.32) near the top of 200 metropolitan statistical areas as “Best Places for Business and Careers.”

“People in both of our regions and around the state are working together to show some of the business advantages to being in Arkansas,” Mike Malone, president and CEO of the Northwest Arkansas Council, said in a statement “In both regions, efforts to create high-paying jobs, improve educational attainment and develop regional amenities are paying dividends. Our economies in Central and Northwest Arkansas are unique enough that we don’t compete, and we can root for the other’s success.”

The Northwest Arkansas economy is recognized as home to Wal-Mart Stores, Tyson Foods, J.B. Hunt Transport Services, Simmons Foods and the University of Arkansas, the state’s flagship institution. In all, there are 30 companies in the region with annual revenue exceeding $100 million.

Central Arkansas’ diverse economy, centered around the state capital in Little Rock, is home to Stephen’s Inc., Windstream Communications, Dillard’s Inc., Acxiom, Dassault Falcon Jet Corp., The William J. Clinton Presidential Center, Winrock International and Heifer International.

Jay Chesshir, president and CEO of the Little Rock Regional Chamber of Commerce said, “Great states have great regions that work together. With global competition, it’s never been more important to combine efforts to amplify Arkansas’ unique position in the world. These rankings are more evidence that our collaborative efforts yield results.”

The top 50 communities listed this year by Forbes as “Best Places for Business and Careers” are widely recognized by economic developers and in many publications as the nation’s elite regions. They provide good jobs, excellent schools and a high quality of life. They are solid communities now, and their leaders are determined to see them keep getting better, said Mike Harvey, the Council’s chief operating officer.

Tyson Foods said this week come September it will suspend the purchases of cattle which have ingested the feed additive Zilmax .

Tyson said it made the decision after recent instances of cattle arriving at some of its plants with difficulty walking or inability to move. The company said it was unsure what caused the problems, but some animal health experts suggested a possible link to Zilmax.

After Tyson’s decision was made public, cattle futures began to rally on the Chicago Mercantile Exchange as removing Zilmax from feed can result in lighter weights.

Cattle futures hit a three-month high fueled by speculation that beef prices could move higher on tighter supplies and lighter weights.    

August live cattle futures ended up $1.45 at $122.765 on Thursday (Aug.8). The October contract closed $2.40 higher at $127.075.

Merck & Co., the manufacturer of Zilmax, said this week the drug was deemed safe for cattle after extensive reviews by regulatory authorities.
 

Ashley Mason, MD, OB/GYN has joined Creekside Center for Women on the campus of Willow Creek Women’s Hospital, in Johnson.

Mason completed her obstetrics and gynecology residency at and earned her doctor of medicine degree from the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS). She earned bachelor’s degree in biology from Arkansas Tech University in Russellville.

“I chose to specialize in OB/GYN because it is a specialty that as a physician, I can build a long term relationship with my patient,” Mason said. “I have the opportunity to play a vital role in a woman’s life through the family planning, birth of their children, and menopause years.”


Newell Rubbermaid Inc. said Friday, (Aug.9 it plans to divest its hardware business. signing an agreement to sell the division to Nova Capital.

The deal includes Amerock®, Ashland®, Bulldog® and ShurLine® brands and the transaction is expected to close within the third calendar quarter, subject to certain customary conditions.

The 2013 sales for the Newell Rubbermaid's hardware business are estimated to be approximately $255 million, according to the release.

Gross proceeds from the transaction are expected to be $214 million, which includes the retention of accounts receivable. 

The company anticipates after-tax cash proceeds of approximately $175 million.

“The successful sale of our hardware business will leave us with a focused, cohesive portfolio of brands in five core business segments, each of which have significant
potential to grow through innovation, brand development and selective emerging market expansion. That’s the growth game plan in action,” said Michael Polk, Newell
Rubbermaid President and CEO.

Newell Rubbermaid is a supplier to Wal-Mart Stores Inc. with a local sales office in Bentonville.
 

Officials with Vikon Farms, a poultry processing company based in Azusa, Calif., announced Monday (Aug. 12) plans to locate a new processing facility in Arkadelphia, which will employ more than 172 people within four years.

Vikon will invest $5.4 million in the facility, formerly home to Petit Jean Poultry. In addition to the jobs created directly by the new processing facility, Vikon will also contract with a significant number of growers from El Dorado and Union County along with a Vikon supported hatchery in Prescott, according to a statement from the Arkansas Economic Development Commission.

Vikon produces a specialty breed of chicken that serves numerous Asian markets.

"We are excited to be here,” said Quan Phu, president and CEO of Vikon Farms, said in the statement. “We appreciate the extensive amount of support from the Arkadelphia Economic Development Alliance and Arkansas Economic Development Commission. Our expansion to Arkansas could not have been done without the unwavering assistance of the Arkadelphia, El Dorado, and Prescott communities.”

Vikon Farms raises chickens that are free-range and naturally grown. The poultry maintains an all grain diet with no hormones or antibiotics added.
 
“Vikon Farms is doing more than bringing jobs to Arkadelphia; they’re building agricultural partnerships with growers in our region,” Gov. Mike Beebe said.  “I know they will be satisfied with the dedicated workforce they will find in Arkadelphia and Clark County as they establish their Arkansas operation.”
 
Vikon Farms will be the first company to locate in Arkadelphia and Clark County since the passage of the community’s Economic Development Tax.

The Fayetteville Chamber of Commerce and Leadership Fayetteville Chairperson Leah Spears have announced the 2013-14 Leadership Fayetteville Class.

Leadership Fayetteville program has graduated more than 575 business leaders since its inception 26 years ago. The mission of Leadership Fayetteville is to produce a continuous stream of concerned, motivated and educated individuals of diverse talents and interests eager to pursue and assume leadership roles and volunteer opportunities within the Fayetteville community.

The Leadership program consists of nine full-day sessions that begin in September and end in May, including an overnight trip to Little Rock for a State Government session.

The daily sessions include: Healthcare, Education, Social Services, Government, Economic & Personal Development, Northwest Arkansas Day, Call to Action and Quality of Life.

New class members are:
Alex Blass, Sage Partners

Matt Bumgarner, Arkansas Army National Guard

Nate Carbaugh, Pinnacle Foods

Adam Caudle, Bank of Arkansas Mortgage

Chance Chapman, Saatchi & Saatchi X

Nicole Chapman, Smith Hurst, PLC

Suzanne Clark, Clark Law Firm, PLLC

Tim Cornelius, Northwest Arkansas Community College

Jay Downing, Downtown Properties Real Estate

Tim Doyle, WACO Title Company

Will Gladden, Signature Bank

Nathan Harris, Liberty Bank

Eileen Jennings, Arvest Bank

Stephanie Lovell, Arvest Bank

Hal Marshall, Greenwood Gearhart, Inc.

Sasha Mayo, Arvest Bank

TJ Mohler, Coldwell Banker/Harris McHaney

John Newman, Life Styles, Inc.

Ryan Noble, CR Crawford Construction

Jodi Northcutt, Haas Hall Academy

Melania Powell, Hogan Taylor

Curtis Spatz, Simmons First bank

Sarah White, NWA Media

Deb Williams, University of Arkansas Graduate School of Business

Pinnacle Foods said it will pay $580 million for the Wish-Bone salad dressings business from Uniever.

“The acquisition of Wish-Bone is a perfect fit with our successful strategy of ‘Reinvigorating iconic brands,’” said Bob Gamgort, CEO for Pinnacle Foods. “In addition to enabling significant cost synergies and tax benefits, the transaction enhances our ability to offer consumers meal solutions and recipe ideas across our broad portfolio of brands. We are excited to apply our innovation capabilities to this great brand.”


The transaction is expected to close before the end of the year. The deal includes the range of liquid and dry-mix salad dressing flavors sold under the Wish-Bone and Western brands, according to the release.



Annual sales for the brands being acquired are about $190 million.

Unilever has been actively shedding several business units in recent years. In 2012, Unilever sold Bertoli and P.F. Chang’s Home Menu frozen meals business to ConAgra Foods for $267 million.

Earlier this year Unilever agreed to sell the Skippy peanut butter to Hormel Foods for $700 million.

Pinnacle Foods manufactures products under the following brands: Duncan Hines, Vlasic, Log Cabin, Armour, Birds Eye, Van de Kamp’s and Hungry-Man.

“Wish-Bone is an iconic brand and the No. 1 Italian dressings brand in the U.S.,” said Kees Kruythoff, president of Unilever North America. “We believe the potential of both the Wish-Bone and Western brands can now be more fully realized with Pinnacle Foods. As we continue to shape our portfolio to deliver sustainable growth for Unilever, this change will give us the focus to drive growth behind our core foods portfolio."

Pinnacle Foods has a manufacturing facility in Fayetteville. Unilever and Pinnacle Foods are suppliers to Wal-Mart Stores Inc. and each operate local sales offices in Northwest Arkansas.

• Dole CEO to take company private
David Murdock, chairman and CEO of Dole Food Co. aims to take the company private. The cost for all outstanding shares is roughly $1.6 billion. He has entered an agreement to acquire the stock for $13.50 a share and assume the company’s debt.

Murdock holds roughly a 40% stake in Dole Food Co. The transaction, which is subject to stockholder and regulatory approval, will be financed through cash and equity from Murdock who has lined up financing with Deutsche Bank, Bank of America and The Bank of Nova Scotia.

The agreement also includes a 30-day period during which other proposals may be considered. Pending no competing bids, the deal is expected to close during the fourth quarter of this year.

Murdock first offered $12 a share in June and a committee of directors unanimously approved the agreement.

Dole posted 2012 revenues of $4.2 billion, but in April the company sold its worldwide packaged goods and Asia fresh businesses to Itochu Corp. for $1.685 billion.

Dole is a supplier to Wal-Mart Stores Inc.

• J&J LaBerge hired by Mars Chocolate
Rick LaBerge, who spent two decades at Johnson & Johnson, recently assumed the role of vice president of sales at Mars Chocolate North America.

LaBerge will oversee the strategy and execution of retail management, customer account teams, field sales and customer development for the chocolate maker.

At J&J LaBerge recently served as the general manager of the Walmart Global Cross Functional team for the health care company’s consumer product’s segment.  In that role, LaBerg oversaw a mix of brands and segments across the consumer sector representing $1.6 billion in sales.

Johnson & Johnson and Mars Chocolate are suppliers to Wal-Mart Stores Inc. with sales offices in Northwest Arkansas. LaBerge spent 14 months with Johnson & Johnson in Rogers before assuming the Mars position in New Jersey.
 

Feeder cattle prices have risen about $20 per hundredweight since late May, according to Derrell S. Peel, analyst with Oklahoma State University.

He said after being on the defensive during the first half of 2013, feeder cattle markets are poised to hold stronger for balance of this year. 

Peel credits good prospects for a large corn crop and lower commodity prices in conjunction with significantly improved forage conditions for the better feeder prices and more marketing options for cow-calf producers.
 
Calf prices are about $25 per hundredweight above this time last year.

Peel said last year calf prices increased $20 to $22 per hundredweight between August and November. The feeder futures price would indicate that 500 pound steers in Oklahoma City would be at least $172 per hundredweight in November but the strong basis this month suggests that the price could be $180 per hundredweight or higher this fall.

Both the cash market and the feeder futures indicate that cow-calf producers should expect calf prices that are $10 to $15 per hundredweight higher than last year come November.
 

Outspoken board member and J.C. Penney investor Bill Ackman called it quits on Tuesday, (Aug. 13), as he suddenly resigned from the board.

Ackman released this statement: "At this time, I believe that the addition of two new directors and my stepping down from the board is the most constructive way forward for J.C. Penney and all other parties involved."

Replacing Ackman on the board will be Ronald Tysoe, former vice chairman of Federated Department stores, which is now Macy's, along with "another highly qualified new director in the near future," according to the corporate press release.

Ackman’s action comes just days after he went public a letter to other board members that the time had come to replace interim CEO Mike Ullman.

Ackman, still owns an 18% stake in Penney's.

Shares of J.C. Penney were trading heavily falling 2.5% in the morning session priced at $12.84. In the past 52-weeks the share price has ranged from $12.34 to $32.55.

Following negative numbers in four of the last five months, import volume at the nation’s major retail container ports is expected to grow 1.7% in August, over last year, according to the National Retail Federation’s monthly global port tracker data compiled by Hackett Associates.

The report also expects to see modest gains continue through the holiday season to the of 2013. The year is expected to end with a 2.4% increase over 2012.



“As the economy continues to slowly improve, retailers are stocking up for their most important sales season of the year,” said Jonathan Gold, vice president for supply chain policy at NRF.

He said merchants have been very cautious so far this year, but their forecasts show that retailers plan to make up for it in the next few months.



Cargo import numbers do not correlate directly with retail sales or employment because they count only the number of cargo containers brought into the country, not the value of the merchandise inside them. But the amount of merchandise imported nonetheless provides a rough barometer of retailers’ expectations.



U.S. ports have seen year-over-year declines in cargo every month since March with the exception of May, which saw a 1.6% increase. In June, the latest month for which after-the-fact numbers are available, the cargo was down 2.7% from May and 1.8% lower than in June 2012.

July was estimated at 1.4 million cargo containers, down 0.6% from a year ago. 
But the trend is expected to change in August, which is forecast at 1.45 million containers, up 1.7% from last year.

Trade at the ports continues to remain positive, confirming our view that the economy remains on a slow but steady course of recovery,” Hackett Associates Founder Ben Hackett said. 



“The question is whether importers are building up stock ahead of expected sales demand or in response to recently announced freight rate increases,” he added.

Fall Forecast

September: 1.43 million containers, up 1.9%

October: 1.45 million containers, up 8.3%
November: 1.37 million containers, up 6.7%

December: 1.34 million containers, up 3.5%

Those numbers would bring 2013 to a total of 16.2 million containers, up 2.4% from 2012. During the first half of 2013 ports handled 7.8 million containers, up 1.2% from same period in 2012.
 

Christian Hofer, associate professor of supply chain management at the Sam M. Walton College of Business at the University of Arkansas, has won the Journal of Operations Management Jack Meredith Best Paper Award.

Hofer received the award for his paper "The Competitive Determinants of a Firm's Environmental Management Activities: Evidence from U.S. Manufacturing Industries" published in the Journal of Operations Management, Volume 30.

"This is quite remarkable given that last year his paper "Lean, Leaner, Too Lean? The Inventory-Performance Link Revisited" was one of three finalists for the award," said Matt Waller, chair of the supply chain management department and holder of the Garrison Endowed Chair in Supply Chain Management.

Hofer earned his Ph.D. from the Robert H. Smith School of Business at the University of Maryland after receiving a bachelor's degree with honors in general and international business from the European School of Business in Reutlingen, Germany, and Reims Management School in France.

His research focuses on competitive dynamics in supply chain management and operations, inventory management and aviation economics.

His work also has been published in the Journal of Business Logistics, Journal of Retailing, International Journal of Production Economics, Journal of Transport Economics and Policy, Transportation Research Part E, International Journal of Logistics Management, Transportation Journal, Transportation Research Part D and Journal of the Transportation Research Forum.

Prior to returning to academia in 2003, Hofer worked as a management consultant with Booz & Company in Munich, Germany.

Mercy in Fort Smith now has three new primary care clinic locations in the Fort Smith region.

Mercy Convenient Care-Zero Street is now open. Mercy Clinic invested $2.6 million in building renovations, and the 5,614-square-foot clinic includes 13 exam rooms with fully integrated electronic health record capabilities, a comfortable waiting room and new exterior.

The facility, located at 3503 S. 79th St., is open Monday-Friday, 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., open Saturday between 9 a.m. and 6 p.m., and open Sunday 1 p.m. to 6 p.m.

“This clinic is a real investment in the health of our community,” Dr. John Weddle, Mercy Clinic Convenient Care physician, said in a statement. “We’re now open 74 hours a week at two different locations. Patients can walk right in days, nights and weekends and get care for their minor illnesses and injuries.”

Mercy also operates Mercy Clinic McAuley Family Medicine at 3420 S. 74th St., in Fort Smith. The clinic provides health care for Medicaid patients needing to establish with a primary care provider, and is open weekdays between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m.

Also open is Mercy Clinic Primary Care-Sallisaw.

“It is the first Mercy Clinic Fort Smith location on the Oklahoma side of the border allowing Mercy to work toward its goal of providing care to people where they live,” noted the Mercy statement. 

Mercy Clinic now includes 12 total primary care locations and 20 specialty locations. 

Washington Regional Medical Center again recently achieved full accreditation as a “Chest Pain Center with PCI” (percutaneous coronary intervention).
 
The hospital first earned the PCI accreditation in 2010, which is given out by the Society of Cardiovascular Patient Care. With this recent renewal, Washington Regional has demonstrated its expertise and commitment to quality patient care by meeting or exceeding a wide set of stringent criteria and undergoing an onsite review by an accreditation team.

As an accredited center, Washington Regional ensures that patients who arrive at the hospital complaining of chest pain or other symptoms of a heart attack receive the treatment necessary during the critical window of time when the integrity of the heart muscle can be preserved.

Washington Regional’s Walker Heart Institute is the site of more than 10,000 surgical, diagnostic and interventional procedures each year as well as comprehensive education, research and cardiac rehabilitation programs.

Walker Heart Institute not only offers a staff of nationally recognized cardiologists and cardiovascular surgeons, but also features a dedicated chest pain center located in the Washington Regional Emergency Department.

The New School, located in Fayetteville and housing students in Washington and Benton counties, has launched a $14 million fundraising effort that includes expansion of facilities, new equipment and an endowment.

Founded in 1971, The New School had 407 students in grades pre-school through 7th grade during the recent school year.

“To continue The New School's commitment to excellence in education, additional space, technology and enhanced capabilities were needed,” school officials said in a statement.

Expansions and renovations on the 25-acre campus include:
• New, state-of-the-art preschool building with larger classrooms and increased space for learning activities;
• Performing arts center and auditorium;
• Expanded classroom technology;
• Indoor play areas with a discovery museum feel;
• Space for the inclusion of younger students, as well as room for the addition of 8th grade in 2014;
• New spaces for administrative staff, parent events and teacher training; and
• Enhancement of the K-7 program with additional spaces for art, music, foreign language, science classes and library

The capital campaign, co-chaired by Josh & Stacey Allen and Amy Merryman, is also funding an endowment to provide money for maintenance of the new space.
 
"We are thrilled to be able to proceed with this exciting project," Bill Mandrell, director of Advancement, said in the statement. "The New School will continue to have a positive impact on students, teachers and families for generations to come thanks to the generosity of our supporters."

The architectural firm for the project is Allison Architects and the construction firm is FLINTCO Constructive Solutions. The projected completion date is mid-August 2014.

The H.J. Heinz Co. announced it will eliminate 600 office positions as it transitions to a private company. These cuts have been initiated after an investment consortium comprised of Berkshire Hathaway and an investment fund affiliated with 3G Capital on June 7 cemented the acquisition of HJ Heinz in a transaction valued at $28 billion.

“After a comprehensive evaluation process, the company has developed a new streamlined structure for Heinz North America,” said Michael Mullen, senior vice-president of corporate and government affairs. 

“Unfortunately, this process resulted in a number of difficult but necessary organizational changes, including the elimination of 600 office positions across the US and Canada, including 350 in Pittsburgh,” Mullen noted in the release.

The company will remain headquartered in Pittsburgh, as it has been for 144 years. Heinz will continue to employ 800 people in the Pittsburgh region and 6,000 across North America, Mullen said.

“The difficult actions we are taking now will better position the company to support and fund our next chapter of growth while further strengthening our world-leading brands,” Mullen added.

He said the new organizational structure will simplify, strengthen and leverage the company’s global scale while enabling faster decision-making, increased accountability and accelerated growth.

Heinz operates a sales office in Rogers as a supplier to Wal-Mart Stores Inc.

Arkansans Against Big Government, a group formed to push for a repeal of the legislature’s recent private option health insurance plan, failed to get the 46,880 signatures needed to qualify a ballot measure for voter consideration.

The group needed to collect 46,880 signatures by a Thursday, Aug. 15 deadline, but Glenn Gallas, who headed the group and is active in the Garland Co. Tea Party, says just more than 30,000 signatures have been collected.

Gallas says the next step is to show the amount of signatures as a sign that the public wants the private option defunded during next year’s fiscal session at the state capitol.

On the LibertyPatriot.net web site, where Gallas posts news and opinion, he said that delays from the Attorney General’s office cost his group days to potentially qualify signatures for a referendum effort.

“According to the Arkansas Constitution Amendment 7 regarding initiative and referendum the citizen must be filed 90 days after the final adjournment of the legislative session. However, in this case the signature gathering process was reduced to only 52 days because of changes made to the rules regarding the referendum process and the failure of the state Attorney General’s office to approve the Popular Name and Ballot Title. This reduction of time needed to collect the required signatures severely hampered and limited the citizens of Arkansas right to petition their government, thus opening the door for a legal challenge by the group,” Gallas said.

He revealed that AABG collected signatures from 73 of 75 Arkansas counties. Gallas also said that “all options are on the table” on moving forward with efforts to “stop Obamacare in Arkansas.”

He said those options include a legal challenge to the current law, preparing another initiative campaign, and applying pressure on current legislators to defund the private option during the upcoming fiscal session.

“We know now, more than ever that the majority of Arkansans do not want the federal government making our health care choices for us,” Gallas said. “The costs for this expansion will fall back on Arkansas taxpayers after 3 years, and Arkansas taxpayers simply cannot afford it.”

Dress for Success Northwest Arkansas will hold a grand opening of the nonprofit's boutique at 11:15 a.m., on Saturday, Aug. 17 at Frisco Station Mall, 100 N. Dixieland Road in Rogers.

The boutique is where Dress for Success Northwest Arkansas will meet with and service clients by appointment only. 

”The organization’s mission is to empower women coming out of disadvantaged situations by providing professional attire, a network of support and career development tools with the ultimate goal of bringing economic independence through successful, sustainable employment. Helping women in disadvantaged situations obtain work-appropriate attire is the organization’s first step in helping clients develop economic independence,” said Dana Engelbert, Dress for Success volunteer. “What follows for each client is training, support and mentoring as she succeeds.”

Donations of clothing and other items will be accepted during the open house, and community members can learn more about the Dress for Success mission. Information about potential volunteer opportunities and boutique tours will also be available.

“We are thrilled with the opportunity to establish a Dress for Success boutique to help women achieve their career goals in Northwest Arkansas,” said Jane Behrends, co-founder, Dress for Success, Northwest Arkansas affiliate. “With strong support from donors, strong partnerships within our community and the generous gift of time and energy from our core project team, we are ready for a successful start-up launch. Our goal is to help hundreds of local women transition into meaningful careers.”

As the first Arkansas affiliate for the global nonprofit, Dress for Success Northwest Arkansas received its charter in February and has since been raising funds and spreading awareness about its mission. The Wal-Mart Foundation supported the efforts with a $25,000 startup grant, and many individuals have also donated time, money and clothing.
Dress for Success serves clients by referral only, and women must have an interview scheduled before receiving clothing.

“Our clients will come to us from a continually expanding and diverse group of nonprofit and government agencies, including homeless shelters, immigration services, job training programs, educational institutions and domestic violence shelters, among many other organizations,” said Krischelle Tennessen, co-founder, Dress for Success, Northwest Arkansas affiliate. “On her initial visit, a woman receives a suit appropriate for the industry in which she is interviewing and, if available, accessories.”

After a woman finds a job, she returns to Dress for Success for additional clothing that can be mixed and matched to make several outfits, providing her with the foundation for a professional wardrobe.

With a local poverty rate at nearly 19% and an unemployment rate of 5.7% Dress for Success leaders believe Northwest Arkansas is a an important location for the organization's first affiliate in Arkansas.

Aimee Arzoumanian is now serving as assistant administrator for Sparks Health System in Fort Smith.

With more than a decade of experience in the healthcare industry, Arzoumanian began her career at Montefiore Medical Center in Bronx, N.Y., as a physician assistant in the hospital’s emergency room, the second busiest emergency room in the nation.

She then worked for the Myeloma Institute for Research and Therapy at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences in Little Rock, Ark., serving cancer and transplant patients.  Most recently, she has served as a member of the hospitalist group at Sparks.  

Arzoumanian earned a master’s degree in physician assistant studies from Mercy College in New York and a master’s degree in health care administration from Trinity University in San Antonio.