Arkansas Business

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AERT's first-quarter loss bigger than last year's.(Public Company Reports)(Financial report)
Advanced Environmental Recycling Technologies Inc. said it lost $1.6 million in the first quarter, compared with a $1.4 million loss in the same period last year. Sales for the first quarter were . . .

Windstream 1Q profit down 29 pct.; revenue falls 6 pct.(Financial report)(Brief article)
Windstream Corp. reported first-quarter net income down 29 percent to $88 million, or 20 cents a share, from $123.7 million, or 27 cents a share, during the same quarter last year. The telecommuni . . .

Tyson Foods Inc.(Public Company Reports)
Tyson Foods Inc. will pay a 4-cents-a-share dividend to Class A stockholders and a 3.6-cents-a-share dividend to Class B stockholders. Both dividends, unchanged from the previous quarter, will be pa . . .

National Bank of Arkansas enters improvement pact.(BANKING & FINANCE)
National Bank of Arkansas, which is chartered in North Little Rock, has entered an agreement with the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency that requires improvement in lending policies and proc . . .

Stephens hires Texas energy investment team.(BANKING & FINANCE)
Stephens Inc., the Little Rock investment bank, has hired six of eight investment professionals from Energy Capital Solutions LP of Dallas and Houston to form a new energy investment banking group. . . .

Washburn pleads guilty to defrauding bank.(LEGAL)
Dana Washburn of Rogers, former co-owner and leasing manager for Beau Terre office park, waived indictment and pleaded guilty in federal court last week to a single count of defrauding Pulaski Bank . . .

Business brokers see opportunity in layoffs.(NW Journal: A Look at News From Northwest Arkansas)
Business brokers in northwest Arkansas said their traffic had picked up since the middle of the first quarter. Carl Grimes, owner and principal broker of Sunbelt Business Brokers of Lowell, said m . . .

Lazenby gets S2.11 million for 3 liquor stores, parcels.(NW Journal: A Look at News From Northwest Arkansas)
William Lazenby recently sold three liquor stores for a combined value of $2.11 million. Town & Country Liquor Store in Fayetteville, along with adjacent parcels, was purchased by Old Farm Road LL . . .

National Home Centers sues bankrupt builder.(NW Journal: A Look at News From Northwest Arkansas)
National Home Centers Inc. of Springdale is suing bankrupt homebuilder Aaron Nickell and his wife, Tammi Lynn Nickell. In a complaint filed in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Western District of . . .

The Verizon Foundation has given grants totaling $635,000 to four Arkansas nonprofits supporting efforts to improve education an
The Verizon Foundation has given grants totaling $635,000 to four Arkansas nonprofits supporting efforts to improve education and aid teacher training and work force development. The organizations r . . .

Three men from Indiana, contract workers for C&C Welding of Elizabethtown, Ky., were killed May 12 when an empty gasoline storag
Three men from Indiana, contract workers for C&C Welding of Elizabethtown, Ky., were killed May 12 when an empty gasoline storage tank exploded at a Teppco Partners LP facility near Searcy. An inves . . .

CFH Financial Services Inc. of Memphis, a financial planning firm, has opened a second office at Cabot.(Business Briefs)
CFH Financial Services Inc. of Memphis, a financial planning firm, has opened a second office at Cabot. Ryan Boyd, an Arkansas native who has been with CFH for eight years, will now operate primaril . . .

AT&T said it would buy wireless assets from Verizon Wireless for $2.35 billion in cash.(Business Briefs)
AT&T said it would buy wireless assets from Verizon Wireless for $2.35 billion in cash. The deal buys wireless properties, including licenses, network assets and 1.5 million current subscribers in 7 . . .

APAC-Arkansas Inc.'s McClinton-Anchor Division, based at Fayetteville, won two awards recently from the Arkansas Highway & Trans
APAC-Arkansas Inc.'s McClinton-Anchor Division, based at Fayetteville, won two awards recently from the Arkansas Highway & Transportation Department and the Arkansas Asphalt Pavement Association. Th . . .

Little Rock Wastewater recently received the George W. Burke Jr. Facility Safety Award from the Water Environment Federation.(Bu
Little Rock Wastewater recently received the George W. Burke Jr. Facility Safety Award from the Water Environment Federation. Also, Michael Kline, Little Rock Wastewater's environmental health and s . . .

Verizon Communications Inc. will sell rural wireline operations in 14 states to Frontier Communications of Stamford, Conn., in a
Verizon Communications Inc. will sell rural wireline operations in 14 states to Frontier Communications of Stamford, Conn., in a deal worth about $8.6 billion. Verizon plans to sell about 4.3 millio . . .

GIFT College Investing Plan.(Business Briefs)
Families saving in the GIFT College Investing Plan, Arkansas' 529 college savings plan, will receive an expense reduction of 10 basis points. The fee reduction took effect April 1. For more informat . . .

Arkansas Chapter No. 64 of the Institute of Real Estate Management is offering an updated comprehensive week-long program on res
Arkansas Chapter No. 64 of the Institute of Real Estate Management is offering an updated comprehensive week-long program on residential site management June 15-17 and June 22-24 at Trane Arkansas i . . .

Tyson Foods Inc. said its "back to basics" approach had helped its chicken segment return to profitability, Leland Tollett, inte
Tyson Foods Inc. said its "back to basics" approach had helped its chicken segment return to profitability, Leland Tollett, interim president and CEO, told investors and analysts at the BMO Capital . . .

Federal Communications Commission.(Business Briefs)
The Federal Communications Commission voted last week for a one-day time frame to transfer consumers' landline phone numbers from one company to another. Larger carriers will have nine months to com . . .

Dear fellow Arkansans.
Growing up with a mom who worked extremely hard, at home and as a waitress, I know firsthand the difficulty she had in trying to balance the demands of work and family. Add to that the ballooning co . . .

Work-life: a bottom-line boon? Employee flexibility programs can prop up profits, CFOs tell BDO Seidman--including some whose co
[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] While programs offering work-life flexibility for employees have been a staple of public accounting firms' recruiting and retention efforts, other companies could learn from . . .

Striking the best balance: companies receive top award for implementing popular work-life practices.
[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Balancing a job and a home life often can be a struggle that many wish they didn't have. But several companies in the U.S. are doing what they can to decrease employees' str . . .

Ambassadors: leading the way in Arkansas.(WORK-LIFE: AMBASSADORS)
Many companies throughout Arkansas manage to stay as competitive in their work-life practices as larger international corporations. Three companies in Arkansas have such outstanding work-life practi . . .

A quick look at the winners.
SMALL EMPLOYER GOLD: CROSS GUNTER WITHERSPOON & GALCHUS P.C. SILVER: ST. FRANCIS COUNTY EMS, FORREST CITY BRONZE: NAVIGATOR TELECOMMUNICATIONS MEDIUM EMPLOYER GOLD: ARKANSAS EDUCATIONAL TE . . .

Through the years: mature workers boost the bottom line.(WORK-LIFE: MATURE WORKER AWARD)
[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Today's workplace can be an exciting, though not always harmonious, mixture of four generational cohorts: Traditionals, Boomers, Xers and our youngest workers from Generatio . . .

Spotlight awards: recognizing outstanding policies that address the needs of employees and their families.
ARVEST BANK-FORT SMITH AND RIVER VALLEY REGION Arvest uses two programs to aid staff members who run into personal budgetary binds beyond their control. Under one program, employees anonymously fu . . .

Mortgage lenders see help from tax credit.(Mortgage Lending)
MORTGAGE LENDERS AROUND the state agree that the $8,000 tax credit for first-time homebuyers is making a difference, although it will be a couple more months before they know just how much. It's a . . .

Tax credit at a glance.(Mortgage Lending)
WHO IS ELIGIBLE TO CLAIM the tax credit? First-time homebuyers buying any kind of home, new or resale. The home purchase must occur on or after Jan. 1, 2009, and no later than Nov. 30, 2009 Who is . . .

The news gets better.(Mortgage Lending)
And the news kept getting better last week for those looking to buy that first home. The U.S. Department of Housing & Urban Development is going to allow the nation's mortgage lenders to make bridge . . .

Largest mortgage lenders.(Directory)
Largest Mortgage Lenders Ranked by total value of Arkansas mortgages originated in 2008. All dollar values in millions, except average value. Total 2008 . . .

Decline of jumbo loans hurting mortgage lenders.(Mortgage Lending)
AS THE MARKET FOR MORTGAGE-backed securities has dried up, so has that for jumbo loans, and that has siphoned dollars from Arkansas mortgage lenders' bottom lines. The consensus among local mortga . . .

USeeWildLife.
[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] USeeWildLife Owner: Matt Taylor Address: P.O. Box 924, Cabot Phone: (501) 843-1069 Startup: December E-mail: malvin@useewildlife.com Web site: www.useewildlife.c . . .

Guillermo's Coffee House.(New Businesses: A Listing of Business Start-Ups in Arkansas)
Guillermo's Coffee House Owner: Hans Oliver Address: 10700 N. Rodney Parham Road, Little Rock Phone: (501) 228-4448 Hours: 7a.m.-8 p.m. Mon.-Thurs., 7a.m.-10 p.m. Fri.-Sat. Startup: July . . .

Ross energy vote urged.(LETTERS)(Letter to the editor)
Rep. Mike Ross, you are behind the times on the need for urgent, assertive action regarding the nation's energy situation. We cannot rely on new coal plants for our future energy needs because they . . .

Richard Harp, owner of Richard Harp Homes in Little Rock, has received his certified graduate builder designation from the Natio
[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Richard Harp, owner of Richard Harp Homes in Little Rock, has received his certified graduate builder designation from the National Association of H . . .

Kameri Christy-McMullin, an associate professor at the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville's School of Social Work, has been
Kameri Christy-McMullin, an associate professor at the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville's School of Social Work, has been awarded a 2009 Faculty Gold Medal. The medals are given to faculty mem . . .

National Center for Reliable Electric Power Transmission.(ENERGY/UTILITIES)
T.A. Walton has been hired as the new managing director of the National Center for Reliable Electric Power Transmission at Fayetteville. Walton has experience in account, operations and personnel ma . . .

Viridian.(ENGINEERING)
Gustavo Perez-Sandi recently was hired as an energy engineer for Viridian, a sustainable energy design firm based in Little Rock. Perez-Sandi previously worked for Caterpillar Inc. in Peoria, Ill., . . .

Mortgage Bankers Association of Arkansas.(FINANCIAL SERVICES)
[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Michael Stewart of Regions Mortgage has been elected 2009-10 president of the Mortgage Bankers Association of Arkansas. . . .

Arvest Bank.(FINANCIAL SERVICES)
[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Britton Nowell has been hired as private banking financial executive at Arvest Bank of Little Rock. Nowell has been in financial services for 15 years. He previously was man . . .

Arkansas Bankers Association.(FINANCIAL SERVICES)
[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] John R. "Reynie" Rutledge, chairman of First Security Bancorp of Searcy, has been installed as the . . .

Dr. B. Lawrence Riggs of Hot Springs will receive the Legends of Osteoporosis Award from the National Osteoporosis Foundation of
Dr. B. Lawrence Riggs of Hot Springs will receive the Legends of Osteoporosis Award from the National Osteoporosis Foundation of Washington, D.C. Riggs, 78, returned to Arkansas in 2006 after retiri . . .

Arkansas Trial Lawyers Association.(LEGAL)
Chris Heil of the Brad Hendricks Law Firm of Little Rock has been named 2009-10 president of the Arkansas Trial Lawyers Association of Little Rock. Heil specializes in personal injury litigation, em . . .

Stuart S. Mackey of Coldwell Banker Commercial Hathaway Group in Little Rock has achieved the SIOR designation (specialist, indu
Stuart S. Mackey of Coldwell Banker Commercial Hathaway Group in Little Rock has achieved the SIOR designation (specialist, industrial and office real estate) awarded by the Society of Industrial & . . .

Crye-Leike.(REAL ESTATE)
[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Art Brunje has been hired at Crye-Leike's new Bella Vista branch office. Brunje has been a real estate agent since 2004, having recently transferred from Remax Real Estate R . . .

Stock summary.
Stock Summary 5/14/2009 Weekly YTD Arkansas Public Company Stocks Close Change Change Acxiom Corp. (ACXM) 9.32 . . .

Public notice.(Legal Notices)
The Keep Arkansas Beautgul Commission is accepting proposals from interested applicants for review in evaluating the award of its Statewide Cleanups Coordinator services contract for the period July . . .

Calling the Kettle Riveria.(Brief article)
A new Little Rock restaurant will be filling the old Kettle restaurant building next door to the La Quinta Inn at 901 Fair Park Blvd. The new eatery will be called the Riveria Maya. Owner Manuel . . .

Spatial consideration.(Whispers)
No formal decision is in place. However, expectations are that New York's Verizon Communications Inc. eventually will pare its Little Rock office holdings by 230,000 SF to 425,000 SF. That range . . .