• Rubin exits Collective Bias
Ted Rubin, the chief social marketing officer for Collective Bias, has walked away from the company he help build since April 2011.

Collective Bias noted in an email that Rubin’s position will not be replaced at this time.

According to LinkedIn, Rubin parted ways with Collective Bias in August and is a “free agent” at this time. He resides in New York City.

He is second high profile face to exit the social marketing company since it secured a $10.5 million investment from Updata Partners in April, an investment the company said would help it add 50 new jobs, 25 of those in Northwest Arkansas.

In June, CEO John Andrews left the company and was immediately replaced by Bill Sussman, who formerly served as vice president of retail development and marketing at Nickelodeon where he led the consumer products business for Wal-Mart and Sam’s Club.

Co-founder Amy Callahan continues to serve as chief operating officer and earlier this year she was named as one of 11 women entrepreneurs “who started amazing companies” by Forbes.

• Hillshire Brands acquires jerky business
The Hillshire Brands Co. announced the purchase of gourmet jerky maker Golden Island Jerky, a business based in Rancho Cucamonga, Calif.

The financial terms of the agreement were not disclosed. The transaction is expected to close by the end of September and is not expected to have a material impact on this fiscal year’s earnings.

“We are excited to add Golden Island to our strong portfolio of brands, as it provides an entry point into the attractive dried meat snacks category,” said Sean Connolly, president and CEO of Hillshire Brands. “This highly appealing category generates retail sales of more than $2 billion annually and has had 10% volume growth over the past two years.”

Hillshire Brands is a supplier to Wal-Mart Stores Inc. with a local sales office in Northwest Arkansas.
 

Fort Smith attorney Leigh Zuerker announced Tuesday (Sept. 3) she will seek the elected post of Sebastian County Circuit Court Juvenile Judge (Division IV).

“I’ve been blessed to practice in juvenile court for over 18 years,” said Zuerker. “I see how many lives we can affect everyday. I’m excited to run for this position and continue helping children and families move in a positive direction.”

Zuerker graduated from the University of Arkansas with a bachelor’s degree in accounting in 1991 and received her Juris Doctorate from the University of Arkansas School of Law in 1994.

Since 1995, she has served as a deputy public defender in Sebastian County representing juveniles in delinquency cases and Family In Need of Service (FINS) cases. Additionally, Zuerker served as an attorney ad litem representing children in foster care for 16 years.

“Most of these children have no one standing up for their interests. It’s easy to get lost in the system, but I get to help them and make a difference in their lives,” Zuerker noted in a statement.

She is a member of the Sebastian County Bar Association and the Arkansas Bar Association. She was recently selected for the 2014 Leadership Fort Smith class. She is a member of the Junior League of Fort Smith and serves on their Children Aging Out of Foster Care Task Force.

She has volunteered her time as former treasurer for the Orr Elementary School PTA, served on the Immaculate Conception PTO board, as well as the Pi Beta Phi Alumnae Board. She is a member of Immaculate Conception Church.

Zuerker and her husband Scott, have three children.

The Jackson L. Graves Foundation announced today (Sept. 4) the departure of Mitzi Traxson as the organization’s managing director, who is pursuing other opportunities. Traxson has served as managing director since 2007.
 
Audre Darling has been selected to manage the day-to-day affairs of the organization and will carry the title of executive director. Darling is University of Arkansas graduate and has worked closely with charitable organizations such as Feed Fayetteville,. She is the show host of the radio program, Community Matters and works as community affairs coordinator for Cumulus Broadcasting.

Her focus will be on growing the mission of the Jackson L. Graves Foundation and working with a board that will be formed later this year.

Since 2007, Traxson has helped the foundation raise more than $200,000 for charitable purposes.

“Mitzi has not only been a fantastic managing director but she is our close personal friend,” said Angie Graves, “She is responsible for building the foundation into a dynamic and sustainable charity that continues to innovate in the area of neonatal care.”  

During Traxson’s tenure the foundation has added partnerships with Washington Regional Medical Center in Fayetteville, Willow Creek Women’s Hospital in Northwest Arkansas and Lahav Lab at Brigham & Women’s Hospital in Boston, Mass.

These partnerships are in addition to the long term connection to Arkansas Children’s Hospital which began in 2005.  

“We have grown substantially since 2007 and Mitzi has been a huge part of that growth,” said Angie Graves.

The Jackson L. Graves Foundation’s mission is to improve the quality of life for neonatal and pediatric patients and families.

• Kraft taps P&G exec for chief finance post

Kraft Foods Group said Teri List-Stoll has joined the company as senior vice president of finance and will succeed chief financial officer Timothy McLevish in the first quarter of 2014.


List-Stoll has a wealth of consumer packaged goods experience, having worked for nearly 20 years at Procter & Gamble. Since 1994, she has held a number of finance leadership roles in business unit management, supply chain, sales, accounting, and financial planning and analysis.


Most recently, she was senior vice president and treasurer. Prior to joining P&G, List-Stoll was a fellow with the Financial Accounting Standards Board and spent six years at Deloitte & Touche, providing financial counsel to large multinational companies. 


She is also a board and audit committee member of Danaher Corporation and a founding member of the Corporate Women's Executive Forum.


"Teri's financial expertise and deep experience at a consumer- and brand-focused company make her the right choice for our next CFO," said Kraft CEO Tony Vernon. "We'll benefit from her deep commitment to operational excellence and her track record of innovation in company-wide productivity initiatives.”  


In her role as senior vice president of finance, List-Stoll will initially oversee Kraft's business unit finance teams. She'll also work alongside McLevish to ensure an orderly transition of the chief financial officer duties.

Kraft is a supplier to Wal-Mart Stores Inc. and maintains a sales office Northwest Arkansas.

• General Mills affirms 2014 guidance
In remarks this week (at the Barclays Back-to-school Conference in Boston, General Mills discussed its long-term growth prospects and reaffirmed its key financial targets for the fiscal year ending May 2014. 

This includes targeted fiscal 2014 adjusted earnings per share of $2.87 to  $2.90. 



General Mills also commented on the 2014 first quarter which will be reported on Sept.18, The company expects net sales growth in the quarter ended Aug. 25, will include good contributions from new products and three months of incremental contribution from Yoplait Canada and Yoki in Brazil.

First quarter gross margin is expected to be lower, reflecting input cost inflation and the change in business mix. First quarter segment operating profit is expected to grow despite a foreign exchange headwind and higher levels of advertising and media investment. 

General Mills is a supplier to Wal-Mart Stores Inc. and operates a large sales office in Rogers.

Representatives from NorthWest Arkansas Community College, the U.S. Department of Labor Occupational Safety and Health Administration and the Arkansas Department of Labor signed an agreement today (Sept. 5) continuing a safety and health alliance among the three organizations.

An agreement among the organizations was implemented previously in 2005, and since that time, the partnership has allowed thousands of individuals to attend training conferences hosted by the college to improve workplace safety and worker well-being.

David Hartman from the college’s environmental regulatory science faculty said the collaboration between the organizations had allowed an estimated 8,000 to 10,000 workers to attend low-cost or free training that meets the needs of the workforce in Northwest Arkansas and beyond. 


An advisory team made up of representatives from local employers helps to organize those conferences to address specific training needs of area businesses.
In a related initiative, a video library has been established at NWACC’s Pauline Whitaker Library, which allows individuals, including the public, to check out a wide array of DVDs related to workplace safety.

Ricky Belk, director of the Arkansas Department of Labor; Dr. Evelyn Jorgenson, president of NWACC; and Dr. Marvin Galloway, dean of the Division of Math and Sciences, signed the agreement.

Representatives from NorthWest Arkansas Community College, the U.S. Department of Labor Occupational Safety and Health Administration and the Arkansas Department of Labor signed an agreement today (Sept. 5) continuing a safety and health alliance among the three organizations.

An agreement among the organizations was implemented previously in 2005, and since that time, the partnership has allowed thousands of individuals to attend training conferences hosted by the college to improve workplace safety and worker well-being.

David Hartman from the college’s environmental regulatory science faculty said the collaboration between the organizations had allowed an estimated 8,000 to 10,000 workers to attend low-cost or free training that meets the needs of the workforce in Northwest Arkansas and beyond. 


An advisory team made up of representatives from local employers helps to organize those conferences to address specific training needs of area businesses.
In a related initiative, a video library has been established at NWACC’s Pauline Whitaker Library, which allows individuals, including the public, to check out a wide array of DVDs related to workplace safety.

Ricky Belk, director of the Arkansas Department of Labor; Dr. Evelyn Jorgenson, president of NWACC; and Dr. Marvin Galloway, dean of the Division of Math and Sciences, signed the agreement.

Fort Smith-based First Bank Corp announced Thursday (Sept. 5) it will relinquish its charter for National Bank of Sallisaw and fold the bank operations into the First National Bank of Fort Smith.

No job gains or losses are expected with the move, and signage will not change for the National Bank of Sallisaw.

“We believe this merger will help us operate more efficiently, and allow us to better serve the needs of our customers. We will continue to operate in Roland and Sallisaw, Oklahoma, under the leadership of National Bank of Sallisaw President Michael Neer and direction of a local Advisory Board,” Sam T. Sicard, president and CEO of First Bank Corp, said in a statement.

First Bank Corp is a financial holding company with consolidated assets of $1.5 billion.  Subsidiaries of First Bank Corp also include Citizens Bank & Trust Co. (Van Buren, Arkansas), Brown-Hiller-Clark & Associates (Fort Smith, Arkansas), and Brown-Hiller-Clark & Associates of Oklahoma (Sallisaw, Oklahoma).

“Our affiliation with First Bank Corp. over the last 22 years has brought a tradition of excellence and community service to the Eastern Oklahoma banking market,” Michael Neer, president of the National Bank of Sallisaw, said in the statement. “This merger will allow us to focus all of our time to serving our customers and community. Our Board of Directors, employees, and daily operations will remain the same, with our focus on continuing to provide the best service possible to our customers. The commitment to strengthening our community will continue.”

The First National Bank of Fort Smith has 17 Branches located in Sebastian, Franklin, and Benton Counties in Arkansas with $1.052 billion in assets as of June 30, 2013.  The National Bank of Sallisaw has three banking locations in Sequoyah County, Okla., with $111 million in assets as of June 30, 2013. 

Changing the charter status is subject to regulator approval, and bank officials said the deal should finalize during the first quarter of 2014. At that time, National Bank of Sallisaw will be renamed National Bank of Sallisaw, A Division of The First National Bank of Fort Smith.

Oklahoma Gov. Mary Fallin announced Friday (Sept. 6) that state officials negotiated a one year extension for the Insure Oklahoma program.

The program provides health insurance for nearly 30,000 working, low-income Oklahomans. It is funded by the state’s tobacco tax matched with federal dollars. Earlier this year, the federal government announced it would not continue its support of Insure Oklahoma and the state should expect the program to expire at the beginning of 2014.

After the announcement that Insure Oklahoma would expire, Fallin directly contacted President Obama and Secretary of Health and Human Services Kathleen Sebelius to underscore the importance of the program to the state. Officials with the Oklahoma Health Care Authority, at the governor’s direction, also spent months in negotiations with their federal counterparts. These negotiations have been successful, as an extension has now been agreed to.

“This is a big win for Oklahoma and the tens of thousands of adults and children who currently buy health insurance through Insure Oklahoma,” Fallin said in a statement. “These Oklahomans and their families can now rest easy knowing that they won’t lose their insurance on January 1.”

Insure Oklahoma also serves approximately 4,600 small businesses, which rely on it for assistance in providing employer-sponsored insurance. Fallin said the program has proven to be successful.
 
“Insure Oklahoma has been around since 2005. It’s been a success for thousands of small businesses that have used it to help their employees purchase insurance,” said Fallin. “It’s been a success for tens of thousands of families of modest means, who would be uninsured without it. It’s also been the beneficiary of popular support; the people of Oklahoma even voted on a 2004 ballot initiative to fund it through tobacco taxes.”

Continuing, Fallin said it “does not make sense to undercut a program that has been working so well and helping so many Oklahomans and small businesses.”
 
“Moving forward, I strongly encourage our federal partners to review Insure Oklahoma’s many successes and announce their support for a permanent, ongoing program.”

The employer-sponsored insurance (ESI) component of Insure Oklahoma is a premium assistance program for the purchase of private market health insurance policies.  The Oklahoma Health Care Authority sponsors 60% of the premium, participating employers pay at least 25% of the qualified employee’s monthly premiums, the employee pays no more than 15% of their health premium. The program also assists with premiums for the employee’s spouse.

Link here for more information about the program.

America's Car-Mart Inc. announced the opening of its 128th dealership on Friday (Sept. 6).

The dealership is located in Meridian, Miss., and it’s the company’s fifth car lot  in Mississippi and the fourth new store opening for fiscal year 2014. 

Car-Mart is on track to expand its dealership base by 10% this year as it gains some density throughout the southeastern U.S.

Shares of Car-Mart were trading at $41.48 on Friday morning (Sept. 5). The stock was up 35% from the previous days close. In the past 52 weeks the share price has ranged from $35.89 to $50.59.
 

Gov. Mike Beebe on Monday (Sept. 9) announced the following appointments to boards and commissions:

Richard Anderson, Little Rock, reappointed to the Arkansas Athletic Commission. Appointment expires July 15, 2015.

Kathryn Blackman, Jonesboro, reappointed to the Governor's Trauma Advisory Council. Appointment expires July 1, 2015.

Herbert Coleman, Mabelvale, reappointed to the Grade "A" Milk Program Advisory Committee. Appointment expires July 31, 2019.

Drew Crawford, Sherwood, reappointed to the Arkansas Building Authority Council. Appointment expires July 22, 2016.

Dr. Martin Eisele, Little Rock, reappointed to the Arkansas State Board of Acupuncture and Related Techniques. Appointment expires July 31, 2016.

Sen. Joyce Elliott, Little Rock, reappointed to the Southern Regional Education Board. Appointment expires June 30, 2016.

Dru English, Little Rock, to the Elevator Safety Board. Appointment expires July 1, 2017. Replaces Kenneth Dryden.

Carroll Guffey, Sheridan, reappointed to the Arkansas State Board of Registration for Foresters. Appointment expires July 18, 2018.

Jerry Halsey, Jr., Jonesboro, reappointed to the Arkansas Building Authority Council. Appointment expires July 22, 2016.

Marvin Helms, Arkadelphia, reappointed to the Grade "A" Milk Program Advisory Committee. Appointment expires July 31, 2019.

Kenneth Jones, Harrison, reappointed to the Governor's Trauma Advisory Council. Appointment expires July 1, 2015.

Evan Lindquist, Jonesboro, as Artist Laureate for the State of Arkansas. Appointment expires Aug. 15, 2017. This is a new position.

Rebecca Lynn, Heber Springs, to the Cleburne County Quorum Court, District 7. Appointment expires Dec. 31, 2014. Replaces Bobby Mooney.

Gil Mayer, Ward, reappointed to the Criminal Detention Facility Review Committee, Judicial District 23. Appointment expires Jan. 14, 2017.

Edouard "Marc" Oudin, White Hall, to the Southeast Arkansas College Board of Trustees. Appointment expires July 1, 2016. Replaces Judi Norton.

Genine Perez, Little Rock, reappointed to the Tobacco Prevention and Cessation Advisory Committee. Appointment expires Oct. 1, 2016.

Rebecca Pittillo, White Hall, to the Southeast Arkansas College Board of Trustees. Appointment expires July 1, 2017. Replaces Ronnie Jones.

George Tidwell, Carlisle, reappointed to the State Plant Board. Appointment expires Sept. 30, 2015.

Dr. Eric Wailes, Fayetteville, to the Committee to Study the Concentrated Animal Feeding Operation Procedures. Appointment expires Aug. 15, 2014. This is a new position.

John Paul Wells, Paris, to the Arkansas Judicial Discipline and Disability Commission. Appointment expires June 30, 2019. Replaces Chuck Dearman.

Christi Whatley, Hot Springs, reappointed to the Governor’s Trauma Advisory Council. Appointment expires July 1, 2015.

To the Arkansas Alcohol and Drug Abuse Coordinating Council:
Kimberly Brown, Jonesboro. Replaces Norith Ellison.
Chief Everett Cox, Dumas. Reappointment.
Judge Joe Griffin, Texarkana. Reappointment.
Gail Stith, Pine Bluff. Replaces Katrina Cavaness.

These appointments expire July 1, 2016.

To the Emergency Medical Services Advisory Council:
Denise Carson, Morrilton. Reappointment.
Sheriff Jody Dotson, Smithville. Replaces Norbert Gunderson.
Doug Duerr, Russellville. Reappointment.
Charles "Tony" Hickerson, Fayetteville. Reappointment.
The Reverend Mark McDonald, Jacksonville. Replaces Billy Artis.
Sidney Ward, Belleville. Reappointment.

These appointments expire July 1, 2016.

Poultry companies like Tyson, Simmons and O.K. Foods should benefit from the U.S. government’s stepped up purchases of dark meat chicken that is now sitting in cold storage.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture reported as of June 30 there were 138.7 million pounds of chicken leg quarters sitting in cold storage and the surplus was putting downward pressure on chicken prices for the poultry industry.

The USDA announced last week it would purchase frozen drumsticks and leg quarters to help ease the surplus. The dollar amount was not disclosed.

 “While the over-supply of dark meat is a burden to producers / processors, it is, at the same time, an excellent opportunity to provide high-quality, wholesome protein to recipients who may not be economically able to benefit from this product,” said Mike Brown, president of the National Chicken Council.

He said a timely purchase program will prove to be a worthwhile measure to help balance the white meat/dark meat situation for the chicken market

USDA officials.said the solicitation will be issued for deliveries from Nov. 1, 2013, through Feb. 28, 2014.

Shares of Tyson Foods Inc. rose 1% on Monday (Sept. 9) trading at $29.81 in the afternoon session. 

Import volume at the nation’s major retail container ports is expected to grow 5.1% in September over the same month last year as retailers head into the holiday season, according to the monthly Global Port Tracker report released today by the National Retail Federation and Hackett Associates.
 
“Retailers are making up for the slow imports seen earlier in the year,” NRF Vice President for Supply Chain and Customs Policy Jonathan Gold said. “It’s too early to predict holiday sales, but merchants are clearly stocking up.”
 
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 followed by Global Port Tracker handled 1.43 million cargo containers in July, the latest month for which after-the-fact numbers are available. That was a 5.4% increase over June and up 1.1% from July 2012, and follows year-over-year declines in three of the four previous months.
 
August was estimated at 1.48 million containers up 4.1% from last year. September is forecast at 1.48 million, up 5.1%, with 1.46 million containers in October, up 9 percent.

For the first half 2013 cargo rose 1.2% and total year projections are 16.2 million containers, up 2.5% from last year.
 
“The U.S. economy is on the road to sustained growth,” Hackett Associates founder Ben Hackett said. “Second-quarter GDP was well above expectations and surprised most forecasters, the unemployment picture is improving, and we believe consumer confidence will translate into increased sales during the fourth quarter.”
 
 

Smart phone users are continually being wooed to trade up to the latest version rolled out by Apple or Samsung and the world’s largest retailer is trying to sweeten the deal.

Wal-Mart announced Tuesday (Sept. 10) that consumers can get immediate credit from $50 to $300 applied to the purchase a new smartphone starting Sept. 21, with a two-year contract extension with the wireless provider — ATT, Verizon or Sprint.
 
This deal also allows consumers to use their trade-in value to join Straight Talk, a prepaid wireless product sold exclusively at Wal-Mart.
 
"Smartphones have become a part of our customers' everyday lives and as new devices launch more frequently, trade-in programs are becoming more popular,” said Steve Bratspies, executive vice president of general merchandise for Walmart U.S.

"More and more, customers are choosing where they purchase new smartphones based on where they'll get the best value for their trade-ins. Our goal is to give them more value for their old devices and the lowest price for their new one – all part of our promise to be the best destination for wireless.”

Best Buy has been offering a trade-up program of its own for the past couple of years and analysts expect other phone retailers will follow-suit as consumers aren’t necessarily compelled to upgrade their phones as often as the new versions are released.

Cell phone sales have been a bright spot in Wal-Mart’s entertainment division, that otherwise posted negative same-store sales in the recent quarter.

Bill Simon, CEO of Walmart U.S., recently told analysts that Wal-Mart’s performance was pressured by soft sales in electronic, media and gaming. 

He said while the retailer lost market share in its TV category during the quarter there was a bright spot in wireless sales. He said Wal-Mart is the number one handset retailer in unit share, according to NPD.

Last month Wal-Mart unveiled its “Gadgets to Gift Cards” program that offers consumers the opportunity trade their electronic devices for gift cards. The program accepts a wide range of working and nonworking items such as tablets, smartphones, laptops and cameras, offering a “pay-me-now” option for those consumers who fill out a credit application.

For the second year in a row, U.S. News and World Report has named John Brown University as the “Best Value” among regional colleges in the South.

Tuition and fees are estimated $22,734 for the 2013 - 2014 school year, The college reported 2,004 students at its Siloam Springs main campus.

The magazine also named JBU the No. 2 overall college in the South, making this the fifth year in a row the Siloam Springs-based college has held the first or second ranking.
 
The rankings released today (Sept. 10) will be published in the U.S. News Best Colleges 2014 issue. JBU is ranked against 99 Southern regional college peers. This was the tenth consecutive year JBU was ranked in the top 10.

“Our U.S. News ranking is one example of the recognition that JBU has received for bringing the highest caliber of Christian higher education at the best possible value to students and their families,” said Dr. Chip Pollard, JBU president. 

The ranking echoes the positive momentum underway at JBU. This month, JBU announced a $2 million endowment to support the newly renamed Donald G. Soderquist College of Business.

This summer the university opened the 17,000-square foot Simmons Great Hall, and the Northslope Apartments student housing complexes.

Additionally, the JBU Graduate School counseling program opened a new CARE Clinic with cutting edge facilities for its play therapy program.

“Attending college is a significant investment of time and resources,” said Don Crandall, vice president for enrollment management.

“Having this great endorsement from the top college ranking instrument reinforces our message for prospective students and parents that JBU is one of the best buys in Christian higher education today.”
 
 

FDA Commissioner Margaret A. Hamburg, M.D. and Arkansas Research Alliance (ARA) president and CEO Jerry Adams signed a partnership agreement that is intended to spur on economic growth opportunities for Arkansas businesses.

The agreement was inked on Monday (Sept. 9) at an event hosted by Gov. Mike Beebe in Little Rock and is seen as a good faith effort for state and federal agencies seeking collaboration on common issues like economic growth.

FDA is entering into an agreement with ARA to provide technology-related assistance to Arkansas-based research institutions and to identify agency-developed technology that may be potential candidates for commercialization.

The FDA’s National Center for Toxicological Research (NCTR) in Jefferson will administer the program, according to the release.
 
“Being in a position to help FDA with technology transfer efforts accelerates our effort to strengthen economic development locally, nationally and globally. This is an innovative agreement with wide-reaching potential for all partners involved,” Adams said in the release.
 
The ability to strengthen economic development opportunities was central to framing the agreement, the release notes.

Cranford Johnson Robinson Woods has named Donna Williams creative director for its Northwest Arkansas office.

Williams comes to the agency with more than 25 years of award winning executive creative management experience.

“Donna Williams is a true professional and a master of her craft,” said Jay Cranford, senior vice president and chief creative officer for Cranford Johnson Robinson Woods. 

“She is an expert brand developer and strategist and is recognized nationally, regionally and locally for creating groundbreaking advertising and shopper marketing campaigns. Her experience in creative strategy, execution and management will further enhance and grow the client services our agency offers,” Cranford said.

Williams will lead the agency’s creative team in the Northwest Arkansas office. She will be actively involved in creative direction, copywriting, art direction, broadcast production, brand development and creative strategy.

She succeeds Bryan Gott who has shifted into a creative strategy role and now serves as senior creative strategist focusing on building holistic, innovative value in clients’ brands.

Prior to joining CJRW, Williams was a founding partner and executive creative director at Thompson-Murray, which was later acquired by the international advertising agency Saatchi & Saatchi. 

Williams has received more than 200 industry awards including Addy, AIGA, Graphis, Telly, POPAI and Effy Awards. 

Her clients have included Coca-Cola, Energizer Batteries, Hanes, Gillette, Smucker’s, Wal-Mart, Michelin Tires and Procter & Gamble.
 

Members of the Arkansas River Valley were on hand Tuesday at Arkansas Tech University-Ozark Campus to celebrate its 10th anniversary of joining the Arkansas Tech System.

Students, faculty, staff and guests gathered into the Student Services Conference Center for a formal program featuring Arkansas Tech President Robert Brown as the keynote speaker, followed by a lunch outside.

Brown said, since the merger, the campus has awarded to students 3,963 degrees and certificates, all of which are aimed to “lift dramatically” family income prospects.

“Education is the key to our future, and we’re in the business of changing lives,” he said. “We’re only getting started. The best days [for both Arkansas Tech campuses] lie ahead of us.”

Arkansas Tech-Ozark was established in 1965 as Arkansas Valley Vocational Technical School (AVVTS). In 1975, the Arkansas State Board of Education/Vocational Education granted accreditation to AVVTS, making it the first school of its kind in the state to receive that distinction. In 1991, the campus was renamed Arkansas Valley Technical Institute (AVTI). On July 1, 2003, AVTI merged with Arkansas Tech to become Arkansas Tech-Ozark.

The following year, ADHE approved 13 technical certificate programs for the campus. In 2005, ADHE approved three Associate of Applied Science programs. Today, Arkansas Tech-Ozark offers 11 associate degrees and 15 technical certificates with 27 total program options.

When the campus merged with Arkansas Tech, it had an enrollment of around 300 students. This fall, Arkansas Tech-Ozark is anticipating an enrollment of more than 2,100 – which would make it the ninth consecutive fall enrollment record.

Brown said, while academic offerings have increased, the campus’ core service – “technical education” – has been preserved.

Several prominent figures in the AVTI-Arkansas Tech merger were present for the ceremony, including Phil Jacobs, Arkansas Tech vice president for government relations; Arkansas Tech Board of Trustees members Leigh Burns Whiteside and Eric Burnett; and Arkansas Tech-Ozark Board of Directors members Jim Rofkhar, Bruce Coleman and C.A. Kuykendall.

Also in attendance was Carl Jones, the first chancellor of Arkansas Tech-Ozark. Dr. Brown recognized and thanked the efforts of another former chancellor, Dr. Jo Alice Blondin, who succeeded Jones in 2006 and held the position until earlier this year.

Ozark Mayor Carol Sneath proclaimed Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2013, as “Arkansas Tech University-Ozark Campus Day” in Ozark.

The University of Arkansas moved up four places among public universities in the U.S. News & World Report list of “Best National Universities.” The ranking appears in the magazine’s “Best Colleges 2014” consumer guide book.

The UA was ranked No. 63 among public universities, a slight improvement from a year ago. The university is up six places in the overall ranking of 201 top-tier national universities – from No. 134 in 2012 to No. 128 this year.

The university is the only public institution in the state to be ranked among the top tier schools.

“This is great news for the University of Arkansas,” said Chancellor G. David Gearhart. “It is our goal to be ranked as a top 50 public research university by 2021. Our students, our faculty, our staff and our administrators are all working very hard to meet this goal. The U.S. News survey shows that we are clearly moving in the right direction.”

The “Best Colleges” ranking is based on a variety of factors, including retention rate, graduation rate and class size, as well as the ACT scores and grade point averages of incoming freshmen.

“These are all areas in which the university has been steadily improving,” said Provost Sharon Gaber. “We have increased our graduation rate to 60% and our freshman retention rate to 83% These improvements are a result of our quality educational enhancements, including adding more faculty, adding class offerings and intersessions, adding student finance seminars, and recruiting students with strong academic backgrounds.”

On the individual college level, the Sam M. Walton College of Business was ranked No. 27 among the public business schools and 47th among national undergraduate business programs.
 

• Tesco sells Fresh & Easy
Britain’s Tesco will lend U.S. billionaire Ron Burkle’s Yucaipa investment company roughly $126 million to acquire Fresh & Easy stores, which have been a disappointment  over the past six years, according to Reuters.

Yucaipa said Tuesday (Sept. 10) it will acquire more than 150 of the California-based Fresh & Easy's stores as well as its Riverside distribution and production facilities. Also 4,000 Fresh & Easy employees will transfer to the new business.

Tesco continues to shrink its international footprint, divesting from the U.S. after pulling out of Japan and more recently said it will exit an unprofitable operation in China.

• Amazon adds flower sales of its own
Last month Amazon began selling and shipping flowers of its own to online customers. The e-tail giant previously used third party sellers to fulfill online flower orders.

The Seattle-based retailer refers to this offering as the Amazon Curated Flower Collection, which features roughly a half dozen arrangement as well as cut flowers.

Delivery is free for Amazon Prime customers in the 48 contiguous states.

Amazon is working toward allowing customers to schedule a delivery date in the near future, according to note on the company’s website.

• Wal-Mart de Mexico divestiture
Wal-Mart’s Mexican business unit this week announced plans to sell its restaurant operation for $626 million.

The Vips restaurant chain owned by Walmex is being acquired by Alsea, a peer operator, according to the Wall Street Journal.

The restaurant  chain generated revenue of $473 million last year, and comprised just 1.7% of the retailer’s consolidated sales.

J.B. Hunt Transport Services Inc. announced it has joined the Habitat for Humanity’s Adopt A Home program and will be supporting construction of a new home in Benton County early next year.

“J.B. Hunt has for many years been a great supporter of Habitat, with many people and teams participating in our home builds and fundraisers,” said Debby Wieneke, executive director, Habitat for Humanity of Benton County.

She said the local transport and logistics firm embodies the spirit of giving and community support and Habitat is blessed to have them adopt a home in the coming months.

This fiscal year which ends June 30, the local chapter expects to complete 5 homes in Benton County. Wieneke said Hunt’s sponsorship is for home No. 3 and the organization is still seeking sponsors for the other two builds.

“J.B. Hunt understands the needs of the communities where we live and work,” said John Roberts, CEO, of J.B. Hunt Transport. “The opportunity to support Habitat’s mission and work alongside our neighbors to construct homes for local families shows us firsthand the impact Habitat makes on people’s lives every day.”

A home sponsorship is roughly a $75,000 financial commitment as that money will be used to acquire the land and materials for the build, Wieneke said.

“With land costs rising in Benton County, we try very hard to get the infill lots donated, otherwise the land takes a $45,000 to $48,000 bite out of our $75,000 budget,” she said.

When the construction is completed, she said the new homeowner will secure a mortgage for the $75,000 which is repaid at 0% interest over a 25-year period.

“Because the labor is donated, most of these homes appraise for $100,000 or more upon completion,” Wieneke said.