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.

Consumers have shown in recent months they are quite willing dole out money for large ticket items such as new cars and even homes, but at the same time retailers and restaurants report mixed results linked to other discretionary purchases.

A recent credit card study by CardHub.com found consumers incurred more than $17 billion in new credit card debt during the second quarter of this year, wiping away more than 50% of the credit pay downs made in the first quarter.

Analysts said it’s not unusual for consumers to pay down debt in the first quarter as that is when bonuses and many tax refunds are received. However, the spending ramp up that followed this year was 75% higher than consumer tabs in 2010 and 2009 during the early phase of an economic recovery.

CardHub is projecting that consumers will end the year with roughly $41.2 billion in new credit card debt. The average household now owes $6,658 to credit card lenders, up from $6,590 after the first quarter.

While consumers are not afraid to spend on key items they want, it appears they are not over-extending their finances as credit delinquencies continue to decline.

“The fact that charge-off rates are near record lows is significant, as it indicates that consumers are no longer leveraging credit card debt in order to meet basic needs during times of financial hardship. Instead, habitual overleveraging now seems to be a choice,” says Odysseas Papadimitriou, CEO of CardHub.com.

Credit advisors warn that there are plenty of consumers who rely on minimum payments and continue charging, an unsustainable pattern.

For long time economic recovery, credit specialists said consumers will have to prioritize sensibility over luxuries.

U.S. consumers have charged-off on more than a quarter of a trillion dollars since the beginning of 2009. The charge-off rate, at 3.86%, is at the lowest point since 2006.


Steak and hamburger lovers will pay more to eat beef in the coming year as the number of cattle imported from Mexico continues to plummet. Consumers may wonder what the two events have in common, but industry analysts said it’s a matter of supply and demand.

Caught in the middle are beef packers like Tyson Foods that rely on Mexican cattle imports to keep a tighter lid on fed cattle prices in the U.S. which they procure, slaughter, process and sell.

“I project that we will import roughly 800,000 head of Mexican cattle for 2013, down from 1.46 million head in 2012. Mexican imports of less than 1 million head are likely for the next two to four years,” said Derrell Peel, livestock marketing specialist at the Oklahoma State University.

He said roughly 1% of the projected 6% decrease in steer and heifer slaughter in 2014 will result from the lack of Mexican cattle.  

“The loss of Mexican cattle contributes to overall declining feeder cattle supplies that will be quite severe from this point on. I expect to see cattle slaughter decrease about 7.5% in the fourth quarter of 2013 and to decrease about 7% for the entire year of 2014,” Peel said.

Discounting for cow slaughter, Peel expects steer and heifer slaughter will be down roughly 6%, which is about 1.5 million head less in 2014 compared to 2013.

The impact for packers like Tyson Foods or Cargill, is that reduced volumes of fed cattle are sure to push up cattle prices, which brings down packer operating margins. Peel estimates fed cattle prices are likely to exceed $135 per hundredweight in the spring of 2014, noting that $140 is possible.

Beef packers have already started to see their margins slowly decline in the past two weeks, falling another $4.17 per head last week to $14.10, according to the Sterling Beef Profit Tracker. While margins are slim, Packers are faring better than this time last year, when they dealt with losses of $33.34 per head, according to Sterling Marketing Inc.

The reason behind fewer Mexican cattle imports is two fold, according to Peel. First the industry dynamics in Mexico have changed from a commodity carcass-based model to a processed boxed beef model. In other words Mexico is processing more of its own cattle and selling that product as boxed beef into the U.S.

Secondly, Peel said the severe liquidation of cattle in Mexico in recent years has resulted in a decrease in Mexican cattle available for export to the U.S. Though data to confirm are limited, Peel said it appears that the shortage of cattle in the Mexican market is very acute.

The underlying economics in the beef industry are complicated as the U.S. relies heavily on beef imports to satisfy its huge demand for hamburger meat and at the same time relied on export markets for higher margin beef products from prime rib to tanned leather.

Peel said most of the hamburgers consumed at restaurants in the U.S. comes from cows raised in Australia and New Zealand, processed into frozen boxed beef and shipped via container to the U.S. Meat sold in food service outlets is subject to Country of Origin Labeling that is required in retail sales.

He said if the U.S. were to try and meet the ground beef demand with only U.S. beef that would be grinding higher value cuts into hamburger – certainly possible but a waste of value.

“It’s like using a Lexus to haul things rather than a pickup truck just because you don’t make enough pickups,” he said.

Peel said the Mexican cattle imports and continued trade with all of the U.S. export partners are crucial to maintaining the balance between supply and demand which keeps packers in the green and consumers buying beef.
 
“We are in rather uncharted territory as far as beef demand is concerned. The supply decrease suggests the potential for retail beef prices to rise 10% to 15% or more but it will be tempered by larger pork and poultry supplies as well as other demand factors,” Peel said.
 
Choice beef set a retail high price in July at $5.35 per pound, according the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The retail price rose 6.86% from a year ago and its up 9.95% from two years ago.

Retail chicken prices have also risen sharply in the past year with skinless, boneless breast meat hitting a high $3.55 per pound in July. The retail price jumped 5.65% from last year its 9.91% more expensive that two years ago, according to U.S. Department of Agriculture data.

Fresh pork cuts retailed for $3.50 per pound in July, down from $3.78 a year ago and flat against prices in the summer of 2011, according to BLS data.

Peel expects the pricing gap between beef and other meat proteins to widen in the coming year.

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.”
 
 

As Thermold Magazines President Sylvan Bednar made his way up to address a crowd of about 75 gathered Tuesday morning (Sept. 10) at the Fort Smith Regional Chamber of Commerce, Gov. Mike Beebe broke the silence with a request.

“Well, how ‘bout some applause?”

The crowd acquiesced, and Bednar followed the applause by announcing that the company would relocate its operations and headquarters from North Carolina to Fort Smith. The deal will create an estimated 65 new jobs and the company plans to invest $7.14 million in the move.

Thermold Magazines began in the 1960s as a molded plastics injection manufacturer serving the automotive industry, according to a statement from the Arkansas Economic Development Commission. The company later began producing weapons magazines using a nylon resin known as Zytel that “resisted heat and corrosion while functioning with high reliability.” The company now produces magazines for military personnel, law enforcement officers, and sport shooters worldwide.

In an unusual twist for a new jobs project, Thermold will locate within the River Bend Industries plastics molding plant in Fort Smith. River Bend will produce components of Thermold products, and Thermold employes will handle assembly and distribution.

“We’re not only helping bring a new company to town, but we’re also helping an existing company that has been through some of the rough times with offshoring ... and with that plant (Whirlpool) closure,” said Tim Allen, president of the Fort Smith chamber.

River Bend was a supplier to Whirlpool for many years. Whirlpool closed its refrigerator manufacturing plant in Fort Smith in June 2012. In early 2011, River Bend employed about 120 in Fort Smith. The company now employs about 85 in Fort Smith. River Bend also has plastics molding plants in Iowa, and the company has about 365 employees.

Bednar said part of Fort Smith’s attraction was being able to partner with River Bend. According to the AEDC, River Bend custom molds thermoplastics and engineering resins. The company has three facilities in two states housing 108 molding machines in 444,000 square feet of manufacturing space.

“It’s a nice marriage. It makes sense,” Bednar told the crowd.

In a statement issued by the AEDC, Bednar noted: "The entire Thermold team is excited to establish our North American headquarters in Fort Smith. Governor Beebe, the AEDC, and the Fort Smith Chamber of Commerce have worked tirelessly to make this happen and we appreciate all of their combined efforts. Thermold Magazines is committed to helping get people back to work and being a positive influence within this great community."

Joining Bednar were Thermold CEO Joe Vaughan and Michael Todd, Thermold vice president of sales.

Ron Embree, president of River Bend, said he is glad to see manufacturing jobs return to Fort Smith because the spirit of America “is in making things.” It was a theme Beebe continued in his remarks, adding that he is “starting to see a reversal” of the trend to take manufacturing out of the U.S.

“A country has to make stuff,” Beebe said. “If you don’t make things, ultimately your society is going to suffer.”

The Arkansas economy has suffered as the result of manufacturing job losses.

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics estimated there were 154,300 manufacturing jobs in Arkansas during June 2013. Employment in the sector is down 24.6% compared to June 2003, and is down almost 38% compared to the sector high of 247,300 set in February 1995.

Arkansas’ three largest metro areas have seen double-digit percentage declines in manufacturing job levels between June 2003 and June 2013. Jobs in the sector are down 23% in central Arkansas, down 34.16% in the Fort Smith region, and down 20.8% in Northwest Arkansas.

During his remarks, Beebe also took a shot at some who suggested the Governor’s reserve of money used for economic development incentives should be used to ease a $53 million deficit in the Public School Health Insurance program that is threatening near 50% increases in premiums to be paid by teachers and other plan participants.
www.thecitywire.com/node/29467

“(I)f you do that, we don’t have these (new job) announcements,” Beebe warned.

As to future announcements, Beebe said Arkansas is one of many states actively recruiting companies in the growing firearms industry. The National Shooting Sports Foundation reported that the 2012 economic impact of the U.S. firearms industry was $31.8 billion, with more than 26,000 new jobs in the sector between 2011 and 2012. Sales of weapons and ammunition have risen dramatically in recent years in response to concerns about tighter federal gun control laws.

Thermold will be used by state officials to market to other companies in the industry.

“We’re going to put you on our list of success stories,” Beebe said, pointing to the Thermold executives.

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.

Gov. Mike Beebe said in late August he was optimistic Arkansas would soon see results from job recruitment efforts associated with the Wal-Mart manufacturing summit. The optimism was not unfounded.

Grant Tennille, executive director of the Arkansas Economic Development Commission, told The City Wire that an announcement is likely before the end of the month on one company planning to set up manufacturing operations in Northwest Arkansas. Tennille said a second company is “really, really close” to making a commitment to Arkansas.

Beebe was one of eight state governors to attend the “U.S. Manufacturing Summit” in Orlando, Fla., that was held Aug. 22-23. The event connected economic development officials from 36 states with about 600 Wal-Mart suppliers and retail vendors.

The summit was the first high-profile public event held by Wal-Mart following the Jan. 15, 2013, company pledge to purchase in the next 10 years an additional $50 billion in U.S.-made goods. Company officials have said they hope to boost U.S. manufacturing – often referred to as “onshoring” – by purchasing more sporting goods, apparel basics, storage products, paper products, textiles, furniture and higher-end appliances.

Tennille said the two manufacturing companies are in the plastics extrusion/molding sector and “do a lot of high-volume work” for Bentonville-based Wal-Mart Stores Inc. And while there will be a “relatively smaller number of jobs” with the two deals, Tennille said they are “good-paying jobs.” He also said the jobs number could grow if and when the companies move more of their operations to the U.S.

Some operations – especially those that are high-volume providers to Wal-Mart or suppliers to the retailer – that move back the U.S. will have to do so in a way as not to disrupt the supply chain.

“Hopefully, as they are able to move that (production) back in stages, then we are able to see that (jobs number) grow,” Tennille explained.

Beebe, following a Tuesday jobs announcement in Fort Smith, said he spoke Monday afternoon to representatives of the company planning to move some production to Arkansas.

“Oh yeah,” Beebe said emphatically when asked if the Wal-Mart onshoring effort will produce results for Arkansas. Later in the interview, Beebe said, “I’m very proud of Wal-Mart and Bill Simon.”

Simon is the president and CEO of Walmart U.S.

Tennille is not surprised two announcements may happen in the next few weeks. He said Wal-Mart is working with suppliers and in some cases agreeing to longer-term contracts for companies that move production back to the U.S.

“I’m not surprised that we’re getting results so quickly because what Wal-Mart is doing is not window dressing. This is real. They are looking at all suppliers, from top to bottom, and figuring out what may work. ... They might, just as an example, move them (supplier) from a one-year to a three-year contract if they bring some of that (production) back over here,” Tennille explained.

Randy Hargrove, director of national media relations for Wal-Mart, confirmed that the retailer is working with suppliers to incentivize onshoring. Hargrove provided the following statement to The City Wire:
“We can collaborate with manufacturers, make longer term product commitments on basic goods and help connect them with the best resources so they can make the most informed decisions about capital investments. One of the benefits to producing closer to home is responding to trends and seasonal business trends and customer demand changes. Having that flexibility is great for the customer, supplier and meeting customer needs.”

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.
 

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.
 

Sticking with its low price strategy, Walmart U.S. CEO Bill Simon said the back half of this fiscal year will deliver improved financial results, led by rapid growth and strong comparable sales from the Neighborhood Market formats and several other initiatives on tap at the nation’s largest retailer.

Simon spoke to investors Wednesday at the Goldman Sachs retail conference in New York.

“We will continue to deliver low prices on the things people want. We did so on adult beverage alcohol products and have since gained marketshare in this category,” Simon said in his opening remarks. “We know being aggressive on price is key to driving store traffic.”

He said the rapid scale up in the Neighborhood Market format to 500 stores in the next 18 months is key to the company’s growth strategy as these stores are delivering mid single-digit positive same-store sales in a category that returned a 60% net sales growth in the past two years. The Neighborhood Markets are also key in the company’s ability to accelerate its online sales with the site-to-store pick-up option which is gaining traction, according to Simon.

Simon also said the Neighborhood Market and smaller format stores are stocked more heavily with general merchandise than in years past. He said the company’s Presidential Towers store in Chicago at any time could contain up to 30% of general merchandise from the site-to-store option.

“Our customers are using this option, many times ordering online then paying with a credit card when they pick it up in the store,” Simon added.

Wal-Mart also is using more stores to fill online orders, after piloting that program in recent months. He said the number of stores filling online orders are in the double digits and growing. The locker tests have also been well received as Simon told investors it’s been interesting to see the users’ inclinations to repeat purchases.

When asked about price leadership, he said Wal-Mart gets better separation from competitors when prices are moving up or down related to inflation or deflation. Simon said when prices are moving higher Wal-Mart can hold prices down longer because of the scale on which it procures product. Likewise, he said when prices are moving down, Wal-Mart can drop the prices ahead of other retailers because it moves more product faster.

He said Wal-Mart will lower the price if that added value pushes more sales, otherwise it doesn’t make sense.

PRODUCE GAINS
Simon said Wal-Mart will continue to capitalize on the success it is seeing in its fresh produce category spurred on by its “fresh audit” initiative that has improved the quality while also produced a 10% price gap between major competitors leading to solid marketshare gains in the past two quarters.

Carol Spieckerman, CEO of New Market Builders in Bentonville, has said the “fresh” category is an important element from big box retailers to convenient stores. She said companies that can figure out to deliver the freshest product for the best prices in convenient formats are bound to capture marketshare. Spieckerman said “fresh” is also an important traffic driver, but the one thing a retailer can’t afford to do is to disappoint a shopper who goes into a store looking for fresh items that are not there.

Wal-Mart’s “fresh audit” program uses a third party auditor who routinely checks on every store selling fresh produce. Simon said the auditor checks for quality and other specifications and scores the products according. He said if an auditor is checking tomatoes and three of them fail to meet the guidelines, that whole product group receives a failing score. If three different products fail, the entire store has failed.

“We are teaching the test and we expect them to pass. Our stores have a mid-90% pass rate,” Simon said, adding that the pass rate is 20% higher than the competition.

The results have meant improved comp sales of roughly 5.5% to 6% over the past two quarters. Comp sales in the fresh produce category rose from 1% to 6% in the year-over-year period, according to Wal-Mart.

HOME & APPAREL
Simon said the story of the year could be improving momentum seen in the retailer’s home and apparel divisions.

“We have always had strong basics and we continue add exciting national brands to our assortment mix. In the third quarter you will see Calphalon and Russell Athletics as two new brands. Russell athletic wear, new to the stores, is already selling very well,” he said.

The company also is offering Sealy mattress sets in a select number of stores. The product has been sold at Sam’s Club and online, but twin, full and queen mattress sets are now sold inside various supercenter locations.

When asked about its competitors, Simon praised Costco on its merchandising efforts, saying the retailer had long recognized the value of having veteran merchants. He said retaining retail experience is why Wal-Mart recently restructured the buyers’ salary and bonus incentives.

“It takes some time, particularly in the home and apparel categories to understand that those markets fully,” Simon said.

The buyers need to merchandise through several seasons, year over year to spot the trends, he added.

For anyone who has ever been involved with filmmaking, the process often times is long and tedious with hours spent filming a single scene and months of editing. Not to mention the writing of scripts and securing capital just to be able to get the project off the ground.

But a group of Fort Smith residents, along with about 29 other filmmaking crews across the state, have turned the filmmaking process upside down with their participation in the 48 Hour Film Project.

The project pits teams of filmmakers against each other in an attempt to write, shoot, edit and score a movie – all in two days. No more. No less.

The project's website said the goal of the event is to promote filmmakers and also advance the art of filmmaking.

"Through its festival/competition, the Project encourages filmmakers and would-be filmmakers to get out there and make movies. The tight deadline of 48 hours puts the focus squarely on the filmmakers — emphasizing creativity and teamwork skills. While the time limit places an unusual restriction on the filmmakers, it is also liberating by putting an emphasis on 'doing' instead of 'talking.'"

Locally, groups competed in the Little Rock-area competition. The top films from each American competition site will be featured at an event in New Orleans next year called Filmapalooza. And though groups from around the world are competing in local competitions, only the best from the various worldwide locations will be chosen to compete for the ultimate $5,000 prize in at the Cannes Short Film Corner in Cannes, France, a city known the world over for its very own international film festival.

‘METAFLOOR’
In Fort Smith, a group of more than 20 individuals came together to compete, having to incorporate various components, according to Heather Carter, whose husband Jeff directed the final product, named "Metafloor."

"(It) had to have a plumber in the film named Annie or Andy Benoit, (it) had to have a horn of some kind visually in the film somewhere, (and it) had to have the line 'Tell me the truth' in the film somewhere," she said.

The film also had to be a science fiction flick, she said, adding that the group did not know any of what would appear in their film and what genre it would have to be until they picked up their information in Little Rock on Aug. 17.

So how does a group of actors, writers and cinematographers even begin to come up with a concept with so little to go on?

Charlie Ryan, an editor and director of cinematography for the short film, said the key to getting started was just figuring out what was available to the crew.

"The first thing you really have to think about is working around what you have. In a situation like that, you don't have time to put together a prop list and possibilities. You have to look at what you have," he said, adding that special effects and other features were not possibilities with only 48 hours to work with.

"The people in the room each had really good input and we each thought differently. Everyone brought something fresh to the table, especially (since) every (did not know) each other. It was really cool how it all worked together."

The group eventually decided on a short film that takes viewers on a journey.

"Metafloor is science fiction film about a man's elevator journey through the decisions he has made in his life," Carter said.

Ryan elaborated, saying that the film is about a man who makes a deal.

"He sells his soul and doesn't realize the consequences until it's too late," he said.

RAW AND INSPIRED
Levi Agee, the Little Rock City Producer for the 48 Hour Film Project and a programmer with the Little Rock Film Festival said the various films that result from the competition are unique stories moviegoers won't find anywhere else.

"I think it's a good display of all the ranges of talent in Little Rock and represents more than just filmmakers, but also hobbyists and people from all walks of life. You get a lot of good storytelling going on that you can't get in Hollywood or multiplexes," he said. "You can't get anything else like it anywhere else. It's raw. It's inspired. Despite the short time frame, there's a lot of effort and fun put into each project."

And even though each group only has 48 hours to create their film, Agee said the impact can go on for months, as happened with last year's winner, "La Petite More."

"(It) was about two singers who murdered their audience members who weren't paying attention. It was sort of a dark comedy, a music video done stylishly. It was a huge hit and I think the biggest reason was because a song performed in the film was extremely catchy. I remember people humming the song for months after it screened."

A FORT SMITH FILM FESTIVAL?
It is that kind of impact that the "Metafloor" crew, also known as the Fort Smith Mafia, is hoping to have when awards are given out Saturday (Sept. 14) in the three categories the short film are nominated in – best film, best cinematography and best editing. The award ceremony will be held in Little Rock. (Link here for the list of nominations.)

"Metafloor" Director Jeff Carter said competing this year was about more than winning a contest or awards. He decided to get involved in the competition as a way to bring awareness to filmmaking in Fort Smith and hopefully start a movement here at home, with the hope of bringing a film festival to downtown Fort Smith by Labor Day 2014.

It is projects like this that he hopes can bring a local interest to the field and make a festival next year a reality.

"We need a film festival in Fort Smith. We need to bring real actors, and Arkansas films, and we need to bring them to Fort Smith. That's what we need to do."

Foreclosure activity in Northwest Arkansas and the Fort Smith metro area was mixed in August, according to Irvine, Calif.-based RealtyTrac.

Benton and Washington counties had 136 foreclosure filings last month, down 28% from the prior month. Also In August, foreclosures rose 21% in Benton County from a year ago, while filings decreased 34% in Washington County compared to August 2012.

Jim Long, agent with Crye-Leike Real Estate, said the foreclosure listings have slowed somewhat in recent weeks. He said there are 373 foreclosed homes for sale in the Multiple Listing Service, which includes Northwest Arkansas as well as Crawford and Sebastian counties.

Foreclosure listings are down from 393 last month, but still considerably higher than six months ago, when the MLS showed 222 foreclosures for sale.

Long sald in the past 10 days there have been 44 new listings of foreclosure.

“The good ones are sold fast,” he said.

In the Fort Smith area, the two counties reported 30 new foreclosure listings in August. In Crawford County, the 7 filings last month were down sharply from July and 12% lower than a year ago.

Sebastian County had 33 new filings in August, up 37% from the prior month and year-ago period.

Statewide, foreclosure filings rose 16% from a year ago with 638 new cases reported in August. Arkansas ranked No. 33 in foreclosure activity, down several places from prior months.

Throughout the U.S. foreclosure activity taped downward in August, led by fewer starts which are triggered by defaults. RealtyTrac reported 128,560 U.S. properties were in one of the three phases of foreclosure last month. That equates to one in every 1,019 homes.

Bank repossessions rose slowly in the four counties covered in this report, following a national trend. Local real estate agents agree that banks are slowing putting their backlog of foreclosed properties on the market and expect this will continue into next spring.
 
“The foreclosure floodwaters have receded in most parts of the country, but lenders and communities continue to clean up the damage left behind, which means the recent uptick in bank repossessions is a trend that will likely continue into next year,” said Daren Blomquist, vice president at RealtyTrac. “Meanwhile foreclosure flash floods will continue to hit some markets over the next few months as delayed foreclosure starts are quickly pushed into the pipeline.”

Economists with Wells Fargo Securities give housing a positive outlook, diminishing the impact of foreclosures through 2014. They site low overall home inventories and pent-up buyer demand which is pushing home values higher.

Real estate agents across the region concur with the Wells Fargo positive assessment. In Northwest Arkansas, agents report strong sales, heightened activity which is producing multiple offers and higher overall prices. Realtor Clif Warnock, principal broker at Warnock Real Estate in Fort Smith, said the recent jump in local home sales was due to increasing interest rates.


"The difference has been movement in those interest rates. It's not been good that interest rates have gone up slightly, but any movement in interest rates prompt people to take action," he said.


With interest rates still near historic lows, many buyers are not only jumping due to the expected rise in interest rates, but they are also jumping to buy more home at a lower monthly cost, Warnock said.


The agents were quick to put the foreclosures into perspective as they make up just a tiny fraction of the overall markets in Northwest Arkansas and the Fort Smith metro area.


In the Fort Smith area 0.06% of the households are distressed and facing possible foreclosure. Sebastian County has roughly 54,200 households. In Crawford County that distressed rate was 0.03% of its 25,790 households.

Benton County reports 0.04% of its 92,000 households are facing foreclosure. In Washington County foreclosures accounts for 0.06% of 86,500 households.

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.
 

Walmart U.S. CEO Bill Simon said Wednesday (Sept.11) that the retailer enlisted the help of more than 1,000 kids to test and play with this year’s toy selection ahead of the holiday season.


Today (Sept. 12), Wal-Mart unveiled its “Chosen by Kids” top toy list to the public. The retailer said the list is not only kid tested, but it’s also child preferred. Children between the age of 18 months to 10 years gave their input on this year’s toy selection. 


Simon said those selected items were ordered deep the company has rolled back prices on hundreds of dolls, action figures, ride-on toys and more.


This year’s favorites include a few newcomers such as VTech Go ! Go! Smart Wheels Train Station Playset, Sofia the First Talking Doll and Animal Friends and Flutterbye Flying Fairy Doll.


The retailer also said classic toys like the Barbie Dreamhouse is expected to be a girl’s favorite again this year, while Elmo and a Furby product are also likely high on kid’s wish lists.


“We are taking the guesswork out of customers’ holiday toy shopping by turning to kids to tell us what the real top toys are,” said Scott McCall, senior vice president of toys and seasonal at Walmart U.S.
 “Kids told us they want interactive toys as well as classic brands. After hearing this feedback, we did what we do best. We made price investments to offer absolutely great savings on these holiday toys and more for our customers.”   


Wal-Mart said all of its kid-approved toys are eligible for layaway which launched in stores on Friday, Sept. 13. 


This year’s favorite toy list can be viewed online.


Toys are an important segment for holiday sales and the largest toy retailers continually seek to increase their marketshare of this $24 billion industry. The showdown occurs between Oct. 1 and Dec 24, the period with the majority of toys are sold
.

Wal-Mart and Toys R Us have already said they will match competitor prices, both offer layaway and special online deals and Toys R Us is expected to utilize pop-up stores to boost its physical presence while also providing convenience for consumers.

Wal-Mart Stores won a major victory against labor groups when Washington D.C. Mayor Vincent Gray vetoed a municipal bill that would have required big box retailers to pay a minimum wage of $12.50 per hour.

“Mayor Gray has chosen jobs, economic development and common sense over special interests – and that's good news for D.C. residents. Now that this discriminatory legislation is behind us, we will move forward on our first stores in our nation's capital,” said Wal-Mart spokesman Steve Restivo. “We look forward to finishing the work we started in the city almost three years ago: a plan to bring more jobs, shopping options and fresh food choices to Washington, D.C. residents."

Wal-Mart officials said in July the company was halting its expansion plan in the nation’s capitol after the city council pushed through a bill that required larger retailers to raise the starting wage by more than 50% over the city’s minimum. The Bentonville-based retailer announced plans to expand into Washington D.C., in late 2010 planning six stores that would have brought roughly 1,800 retail jobs to the city, according to the retailer’s website.

Three of those stores are already under construction, one recently opened and the a second is slated to open this fall.

Mayor Gray reportedly called the measure a “deal-killer” as the reason he chose to the veto the bill.

The flat-to-downward trend continued into July for hospitality tax collections in Fort Smith and Van Buren, although sector employment was up in July compared to July 2012.

Collections in Van Buren during the first seven months of 2013 total $251,764, down 0.02% from the $251,824 collected during the same period of 2012.

July collections were $36,380, down 2.6% from the $37,339 in July 2012. The city collects a 1% tax on lodging and a 1% prepared food tax.

“July numbers were significantly off from July of last year. Restaurant numbers are off by about 1% from last year and deli and convenience store prepared food sales are off by 4%,” said Maryl Koeth, executive director of the Van Buren Advertising & Promotion Commission.

However, hotel receipts were up 3.75%.

“People are still traveling, but are eating out less and not spending as much at fuel stops on food items. This has been the trend for most of 2013 and I see no indication that this spending pattern will change for the remainder of the year. I think the fall travel season will see a slight increase in the number of vacationers, but again their spending will be on the light side,” Koeth explained.

During 2012, Van Buren hospitality tax collections totaled $425,554, up 5.2% compared to the 2011 collections. Hospitality tax collections in Van Buren during 2011 totaled $429,561, up 2.34% compared to 2010. The 2011 collections ended a two-year skid in Van Buren.

FORT SMITH
Collections in Fort Smith for the first seven months of 2013 totals $439,845, down 3.1% compared to the same period in 2012. The year-to-date decline has improved through the year. The first quarter collections were down more than 6% compared to the 2012 quarter.

July collections were $69,254, up 1.2% compared to July 2012. The city collects a 3% tax on lodging.

Claude Legris, executive director of the Fort Smith Convention & Visitors Bureau, said it was the best month of collections for the year. The July revenue was supported by two large Jehovah’s Witnesses conferences, the AME 12th District Youth Conference and the Arkansas Sheriff’s Association annual convention.

During 2012, Fort Smith hospitality tax collections totaled $746,182, up 5.37% compared to the 2011 period.

TOURISM EMPLOYMENT, ARKANSAS COLLECTIONS

Employment in the region’s tourism industry was 9,500 during July, down from 9,600 in June and above the 9,100 in July 2012. The sector reached an employment high of 9,800 in August 2008.

Average monthly employment in the Fort Smith metro tourism sector ended a two year decline in 2012. During 2007, 2008 and 2009, the average monthly employment was 9,300. That fell to 8,700 during 2010, 8,500 during 2011, but rose to 9,000 during 2012. The sector reached an employment high of 9,800 in November 2008.

Arkansas’ tourism sector (leisure & hospitality) employed 101,500 during July, down from revised 102,000 during June, and below the 102,100 during July 2012. At a revised 103,700, January 2013 marked a new employ

Arkansas’ 2% tourism tax receipts totaled $6.287 million for the first half of 2013, up 1.9% compared to the $6.169 million during the same period of 2012.

Arkansas’ 2% tourism tax receipts totaled $12.405 million during 2012, up 3.16% compared to the $12.025 million during 2011. The gains marked the third consecutive year of improving tourism tax revenue and was a record total for the tax.

Simmons First National CEO George Makris said the $53.6 million bid for Metropolitan National Bank was grounded in thorough due diligence conducted by 10 of its veteran loan specialists who spent four days combing through the bank records.

He said the deal was financially attractive on several levels, with expectations of 25% earnings per share accretion in fiscal 2014 and 35% by 2015 after the first full year conversion. The internal rate of return for this deal is a projected 27% with a three-year payback.

There is no expected headwinds from federal regulators, and Makris expects the merger to close by the end of this year. He said at that point there will be branch consolidation in both Northwest Arkansas and Little Rock. He said the banks’ staffs will work together between now and the end of the year to assess the best course of action for the branch consolidation.

“It will be at least April of next year before we could do that, because we have to wait for the merger to close and then give 90 days notice to the customers at those closing branches.” Makris said during the Thursday afternoon’s conference call.

The $53.6 million in cash will go a long way in repaying the creditors listed in Rogers Banchsares’ bankruptcy. The most recent schedule on file with the federal court noted the bank holding company owed $52.938 million to several institutions who provided capital to Metropolitan in recent years.

Not named as a creditor is the U.S. Treasury who made $25 million available to Metropolitan National in exchange for preferred shares in the holding company as part of the TARP program. That is money that will not be recovered by U.S. taxpayers.

Simmons projects a one-time merger cost of $8.8 million related to court fees and other acquisition charges.

Makris also said the Simmons Northwest Arkansas bank charter would be consolidated with the Pine Bluff charter once the deal is complete, giving Simmons seven bank charters in all.

The win for Simmons is a major boost in deposit marketshare in the Little Rock and surrounding market. The pro forma bank will top $1.032 billion in deposits in the Little Rock metro area, some 7.4% of that marketshare. This will rank them fifth behind First Security Bank and one spot ahead of Arvest.

Statewide, the pro forma bank will have $3.457 billion in deposits with 6.49% of the marketshare. This ranks them fourth behind the pending Home Bancshare/Liberty consolidation, Regions and Arvest.

“Metropolitan has a strong brand with some 90,000 retail customers in the state’s two largest markets,” Makris said. “We look forward to merging these two banks.”

He said Metropolitan is roughly half the size it was a few years ago as the bank had no choice but shrink itself in light of capital shortfalls. However, the bank was still able to hold on to a loyal customer base, which speaks highly of a well-qualified staff. Makris said Simmons is solidifying the capital needs of Metropolitan with this acquisition, but more importantly, “we want those sales people to be able to hit the road and build that business back up again.”

Together the bank will have $2.376 billion in loans producing a yield of 6.01%. Prior the merger, Simmons portfolio is yielding 6.27% against Metropolitan’s yield of 4.98%.

Simmons also will pick the management of $370 million in trust assets, according to the supplemental documents provided by Simmons on Thursday.

Makris the capital ratios for the pro forma bank is a Tier 1 leverage ratio of 8.03%. The risk-based capital ratio will be 13.38% with the total risk-based capital ratio at 14.45%.

He said stock buybacks are on hold at this time, as the holding company will focus on this merger.

Simmons projects a cost savings of $15 million when the merger is completed. He said FDIC insurance cost savings will be roughly $1.6 million, while reduced legal fees and IT expenses will save $2.4 million. Makris said those savings will be phased in at 60% this first year and 100% thereafter. He expects Simmons will see the full benefit in the third quarter of 2014.

Garland Binns, an attorney with Dover, Dixon and Horne, said acquisition though bankruptcy proceedings are fairly rare, citing about 10 in the U.S. overall. Binns applauded the Simmons purchase as a great deal for both banks as well as a way to help the creditors listed in the bankruptcy regain a fair amount of the money they are owed.

He said Metropolitan worked together with the Ford Financial Group to get the ball rolling, and it is highly unusual for an outside bidder to stake their claim. But in this case the higher bid offered by Simmons, someone who already knows the market, looks like the best deal possible.

In the five years through 2013, revenue for China’s poultry farming industry has grown at an average annualized rate of 7.7% to $75.3 billion and two U.S. meat giants are in the thick of it. Tyson Foods and Cargill each want their share of this burgeoning market expected to produce 20 million tons of chicken this year with revenue growth of nearly 10%, according to IBIS World.

The research firm anticipates over the next five years this industry transitioning to vertical integration will mature with revenue of $105.8 billion as China’s 1.3 billion consumers eat more chicken. In vertical integration the poultry company controls the chicken from the egg though processing and contracts with growers who house the birds during their maturation phase which is typically 47 to 50 days.

TYSON’S VENTURES
Springdale-based Tyson Foods has worked toward complete vertical integration of its China operations for more than a year. It's a move the company said will improve food safety standards in China while also helping grow topline sales.

Tyson CEO Donnie Smith recently said that roughly 50% of its chicken business in China is vertically integrated, and by the end of 2014 it should reach 100%.
 Tyson operates three ventures and employs about 4,300 people in China. The first venture, established in 2001,Tyson Dalong Food Co., operates two modern processing plants and a separate marinating facility.

In 2008, Jiangsu Tyson Foods Co. was formed near Shanghai, which is a fully integrated poultry complex where the company is sharing food safety and efficient processing methodology with Chinese consumers.

In 2009, Tyson acquired a majority interest in three poultry plants in the Shandong province. In 2011, Tyson purchased the remaining 40% bring the company’s total investment of $115 million with another $93 million for capital needs. Those facilities are known as Tyson Rizhao and Tyson Weifang.

Tyson Rizhao is a fully integrated poultry complex located in Juxian Industrial Park. Earlier this year, Tyson said it sold Welfang, one of its smaller chicken operations that processed fully cooked chicken products and exported to Japan and Korea.

Smith said the investment needed to bring Weifang inline with Tyson’s operational goals was too great and the best alternative was to sell it.

In China, Tyson processes chicken sold wholesale into food service for clients such as Yum Brands! and McDonalds as well fresh chicken sold in retail groceries like Wal-Mart and Sam’s, extending those longtime U.S. relationships abroad.  

Tyson said it is processing about 1.3 million birds per week with a goal  to reach 3 million per week by late 2014.
 
“We’re expanding the volume of company-controlled birds we produce for our poultry operations.  This includes both company-owned birds raised by contract farmers and company-owned birds raised on Tyson-owned and operated farms,” Tyson spokesman Gary Mickelson said.

CARGILL CHICKEN
Like Tyson, Cargill has made substantial investments in China. Known for beef and turkey in the U.S., Cargill stretched its wings into chicken production with a $250 million green field investment last year in Anhui, China.

The large broiler facility includes a feed mill, farms, hatchery and processing plants, according to Michael Martin, Cargill spokesman. He said the facility will raise 65 million birds a year, one of the largest integrated plants in China when production is running a full capacity in the next couple of years.

Construction was completed this summer and production kicked off last month. The chicken raised by Cargill’s China operations are being sold via food service channels. The company estimates by 2015 the complex will employ 3,500 people.

“In a country that consumes about a third of the world's animal protein, we believe the product quality and integrity made possible through this model operation will help build confidence in China's food supply,” Cargill noted in a release.

Cargill said China’s chicken industry is beginning to modernize, much like the pork sector did 20 years ago.

FOOD SAFETY
The timing for Tyson and Cargill couldn’t be better given that China’s image has suffered from multiple food safety gaffes in recent years and these two International meat companies have strong food safety records, analysts said.

Earlier this year an Avian Influenza outbreak known as the H7N9 virus, devastated flocks, sickened more than 100 people and caused more than $6.5 billion in losses to China’s economy. Smith said the outbreak was troubling and detrimental to protein consumption in the short run. However, he said the unfortunate event had “absolutely validated our model for extreme biosecurity.”

Smith said, while many chickens in China are still raised by small farmers, Tyson is bringing technology and practices common in the U.S. to the Asian country. To keep birds healthy, Tyson uses ventilation systems in the houses, mills its own feed, controls access to farms and requires anyone entering or leaving the buildings to shower, he said.

Customers in China are willing to pay more for added food safety Tyson provides, he added.

Martin said the Chinese government continues to encourage the modernization of the poultry supply chain, including the construction of modern housing complexes, in order to improve food safety and disease prevention.   

While China’s consumers are receptive to these brands, Tyson and Cargill each said expansion there has had its challenges.

Mickelson said the acquisition of land rights is vital for Tyson’s ability to expand and is not a simple process. He said Tyson has received great support from local and provincial governments in their efforts to virtually integrate all of their operations in China.

Martin said Cargill spent a considerable sum constructing roads and bringing the power infrastructure into Anhui before they could began building their complex operations.

Despite some hurdles, Tyson and Cargill are confident their recent and ongoing investments in China will pay off. Much of the growth will come from the burgeoning quick service restaurants (QSR) sector and emergent frozen/processed food sectors. QSRs are the major driving force for poultry demand thanks to a double-digit growth rate and menus biased to poultry, according to IBIS World.

YUM Brands and McDonald’s are the two fastest growing QSRs in China. Each have publicly said in recent months their business in China has been adversely impacted because of the food safety gaffes in the country’s poultry industry.

Tyson said chain restaurants are opening in China at a rate of more than 1 per day, which provides a substantial opportunities for them and other U.S. companies.

“China remains one of our key markets for international growth ... Per capita poultry consumption in China is lower than it is in the U.S.; however, when you consider the overall size of the population in China, any increase is substantial,” Mickelson said.

Tim Ramey, an industry analyst for D.A. Davidson, said American processors like Tyson have a great story to tell about what they are doing to advance food safety practices in China.

John Brown University announced this week that it has begun steps towards creating a nursing program after receiving unanimous prerequisite approval Wednesday (Sept. 11) from the Arkansas State Board of Nursing in Little Rock. JBU’s nursing program will offer a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) degree.
 
The prerequisite approval is the first step in a three-step approval process for new nursing programs. Wednesday’s board approval allows JBU to advertise the nursing program and begin recruiting pre-nursing students for the Fall 2014 semester.
 
“Prospective students ask about nursing more than any other major not currently offered at JBU. Moreover, there is a critical need for BSN-trained nurses in Arkansas and throughout our region,” said Dr. Chip Pollard, JBU president.
 
Dr. Ericson, vice president for academic affairs, and Dr. Brian Greuel, chair of the division of natural and health sciences, have led JBU’s efforts to develop the new nursing program.
 
“Because of the shortage of bachelor-trained nurses, we feel creating a nursing major is a healthy move for JBU and will present a highly-sought after option for our students,” Ericson said.
 
After completing the next step in the process, initial approval, JBU could begin admitting students into its nursing program as early as the Fall 2016 semester. Final approval of the program must be obtained before graduating the first class of nursing majors.
 
“Obtaining prerequisite approval for a nursing program was the hardest step in the three-step approval process and was the culmination of a detailed feasibility study and a lot of personal lobbying,” said Greuel. “Our next task is to hire a nursing director and to get to work on planning the curriculum and establishing affiliation agreements with various clinical agencies.”
 
The pre-nursing curriculum usually takes two years to complete and is required before a JBU student could be admitted into a JBU nursing program as a junior. Assuming that the university completes the next step of the approval process, by the time the first pre-nursing students complete their sophomore year, the nursing program will be ready to admit its first students. Completing the pre-nursing phase and the nursing program is expected to take, on average, about four years, said Greuel.
 

Six teams in the NWA StartUp Cup competition were announced on Thursday (Sept. 12).

The teams faced the judges Thursday and got the nod to move on the next round which is slated for November. The next phase of judging will produce three finalists announced Nov. 20, the release said.

Tonya Nkokheli, president of Innovative Markets, which holds the NWA StartUp Cup license, is the chief event coordinator. She said all of the existing teams will receive two levels of coaching, which happens in the weeks between the judging sessions.

StartUp Cup began in Tulsa in 2007 and has become a global network of locally-driven business model competitions with 52 StartUp Cups in 44 countries.

Each competitor is paired with a mentor that helps the business owner modify and further develop the business model between each competition round. This increases the participant’s chances of winning the competition, but also increases their ability to have a successful venture after the competition.

The teams moving on include:
Turner Light Covers — Rob Turner innovated no-pest lighting covers for outdoor fixtures. These patented insect resistant covers are manufactured in Northwest Arkansas.

Umoja Soul Publications — Leora Jackson operates a publication company that produces the Black Business Directory of Northwest Arkansas and maintain a website that provides stories and events related to the African-American community.

Storage in Motion — Mike Gillespie makes a line of products for safely and responsibly storing firearms in vehicles and homes.

Your Move Managers — Kathleen Thompson operates a service business that helps senior citizens downsize and relocate.

Solgave Animal Solutions — Jared and Sunniva Ritter run a socially conscious company that offers pet sitting, house sitting, dog walking, behavior modification and a variety of other pet-related services.

Wise Custom Realty — J. Grant Wise is a new locally-owned real estate firm that focuses on residential property.