JUNE 2022/armoneyandpolitics.com
MUSEUM AIMS TO FOSTER LEGACY of PAUL KLIPSCH By Mark Carter
A KLIPSCH LA SCALA SPEAKER ON STAGE AT KLIPSCH AUDITORIUM ATOP HOPE’S CITY HALL
INSIDE: Real Estate | Most Admired Companies | Randy Veach $5 USD
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JUNE CONTENTS
8 | Plugged In 10 | Viewpoint 13 | Discovery Economics 98 | The Digs of the Deal 112 | The Last Word 78 | Hall of famer
Randy Veach, longtime head of Arkansas Farm Bureau, recently was inducted into the Arkansas Agriculture Hall of Fame.
80 | Land and poultry
Gar Lile, president of Lile Real Estate, and Simmons Foods CFO Brian Dietrich join the Exec Q&A this month.
14 | STILL GROWING, AND GROWING, AND… Northwest Arkansas remains in growth mode as new residents arrive from parts north, south, east and west, and real estate professionals work to keep up with demand.
86 | Momentum
Independent Stave’s plans to build a new production facility in Batesville continue the positive momentum in town.
106 | Sam, Nick and Jimbo
With all the drama surrounding other coaches, Arkansas fans should be as grateful as ever for Sam Pittman.
JUNE 2022/armoneyandpolitics.com
MUSEUM AIMS TO FOSTER LEGACY of PAUL KLIPSCH By Mark Carter
A KLIPSCH LA SCALA SPEAKER ON STAGE AT KLIPSCH AUDITORIUM ATOP HOPE’S CITY HALL
INSIDE: Real Estate | Most Admired Companies | Randy Veach $5 USD
ON THE COV E R 24 | THE (GALLO)WAY HOME The Galloway area of Pulaski County is becoming THE place in greater Little Rock for industrial and commercial growth, with several big projects announced or rumored. J U N E 2 02 2
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A classic Klipsch La Scala speaker sits on stage at Hope’s Klipsch Auditorium. The Klipsch Visitors Center now is open in downtown Hope with a mission to tell the story of the “mad genius” who revolutionized audio. Photo by Jamison Mosley.
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ARM ON E YA N D P OL ITIC S.COM
JUNE CONTENTS PRESIDENT & PUBLISHER
Heather Baker | hbaker@armoneyandpolitics.com SENIOR EDITOR Mark Carter | mcarter@armoneyandpolitics.com CONTRIBUTING EDITOR Dustin Jayroe | djayroe@armoneyandpolitics.com EDITORIAL OPERATIONS MANAGER Lindsey Castrellon | lindsey@armoneyandpolitics.com ONLINE EDITOR Jim Miller | jmiller@armoneyandpolitics.com
36 | MOST ADMIRED Horizon Health Solutions was selected by AMP readers as their “most admired” startup for 2022. This year’s list features the UAMS venture among more than 60 honorees.
STAFF WRITERS Emily Beirne | ebeirne@armoneyandpolitics.com Sarah Coleman | scoleman@armoneyandpolitics.com Katie Zakrzewski | katie@armoneyandpolitics.com PRODUCTION MANAGER Mike Bedgood | mbedgood@armoneyandpolitics.com ART DIRECTOR Jamison Mosley | jmosley@armoneyandpolitics.com DIGITAL MEDIA DIRECTOR Kellie McAnulty | kmcanulty@armoneyandpolitics.com GRAPHIC DESIGNER Lora Puls | lpuls@armoneyandpolitics.com SENIOR ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE Greg Churan | gchuran@armoneyandpolitics.com ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES Tonya Higginbotham | thigginbotham@armoneyandpolitics.com Mary Funderburg | mary@armoneyandpolitics.com Tonya Mead | tmead@armoneyandpolitics.com Amanda Moore | amoore@armoneyandpolitics.com Colleen Gillespie | colleen@armoneyandpolitics.com ASSISTANT TO THE PUBLISHER Jessica Everson | jeverson@armoneyandpolitics.com
66 | FIDELITY OR INFIDELITY Adopted Arkansan Paul Klipsch once quipped that “high fidelity” doesn’t really exist. A group in Hope wants to make sure the Klipsch audio legacy is remembered.
ADVERTISING COORDINATORS Austin Castrellon | ads@armoneyandpolitics.com Virginia Ellison | ads@armoneyandpolitics.com CIRCULATION Ginger Roell | groell@armoneyandpolitics.com ADMINISTRATION Casandra Moore | admin@armoneyandpolitics.com
CEO | Vicki Vowell TO ADVERTISE
call 501-244-9700 email hbaker@armoneyandpolitics.com TO SUBSCRIBE | 501-244-9700 ADVISORY COMMITTEE
Joyce Elliott, Gretchen Hall, Stacy Hurst, Heather Larkin, Elizabeth Pulley, Gina Radke, Steve Straessle, Kathy Webb
CONTRIBUTORS
Angela Forsyth, Tina Sewell, Evin Demirel, Kenneth Heard, Dwain Hebda, Carl Kozlowski, Steve Lane
92 | NOT READY TO FADE The movie theater experience isn’t ready to fade into the sunset just yet. Independent theaters like the Riverdale 10 in Little Rock and the Rialto in Searcy are filling specific niches. ARM O N E YA ND P O L I T I C S .COM
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AMP magazine is published monthly, Volume V, Issue 2 AMP magazine (ISSN 2162-7754) is published monthly by AY Media Group, 910 W. Second St., Suite 200, Little Rock, AR 72201. Periodicals postage paid at Little Rock, AR, and additional mailing offices. Postmaster: Send address changes to AMP, 910 W. Second St., Suite 200, Little Rock, AR 72201. Subscription Inquiries: Subscription rate is $28 for one year (12 issues). Single issues are available upon request for $5. For subscriptions, inquiries or address changes, call 501-244- 9700. The contents of AMP are copyrighted, and material contained herein may not be copied or reproduced in any manner without the written permission of the publisher. Articles in AMP should not be considered specific advice, as individual circumstances vary. Products and services advertised in the magazine are not necessarily endorsed by AMP. Please recycle this magazine.
JUN E 2022
PLUGGED IN MAY 2022/armoneyandpolitics.com
Jamison Mosley photographed ArcBest CEO Judy McReynolds for the May cover of AMP at the $4 billion logistics company’s Fort Smith headquarters.
ARCBEST CEO JUDY MCREYNOLDS
adapt & grow
FORT SMITH’S $4B LOGISTICS PROVIDER KEEPS ON TRUCKIN’ By Angela Forsyth
INSIDE: Dynamic Duos | Generational Businesses | Port of LR $5 USD
FEEDBACK LYON COLLEGE VET, DENTAL SCHOOLS TO BE LOCATED AT HEIFER HQ IN LITTLE ROCK “That’s awesome!! The state has needed vet and dental programs for so long!!” Arthur Ross Phillips IT WOULD BE A CRYING SHAME IF THE HOGS BECOME DICKEY-STEPHENS’ ONLY BIG BASEBALL DRAW “Ray Winder field was comfortable for baseball fans. It was designed to keep the sun off and was not all concrete. Dickey-Stephens is a horror in terms of that and I have stopped attending because of it.” Gale Stewart SUMMERVILLE TO LEAD MARKETING, COMMUNICATIONS TEAM AT LITTLE ROCK CVB “Kasey L. Summerville will be fantastic in this role!” Gretchen Hall AMP DYNAMIC DUOS 2022 “Dynamic Duos is such a fun idea! Love it.” Jessica Crum
May 9-13 was Economic Development Week in Arkansas. Gov. Asa Hutchinson met with state and local economic developers to present the proclamation to Mallory Darby, project manager at West Memphis Economic Development and 2022 president of Arkansas Economic Developers and Chamber Executives (AEDCE).
WINTHROP ROCKEFELLER FOUNDATION, FORGE PARTNER TO BRING KIVA LOAN HUB TO LITTLE ROCK “Excited to see a branch of Kiva in The Rock! Lots of opportunities here to help impact the small business community. Welcome!” Randy Williamson
TOP ONLINE ARTICLES April 23 - May 23 1. Maumelle ‘Continuum-Living’ Neighborhood to Break Ground April 29 2. Update: A New Vision for Little Rock’s Breckenridge Village; Deluca’s Reportedly in the Mix 3. Mark Middleton of Central Arkansas’ Middleton Heat & Air Dies Age 59 4. TopGolf Confirms Sports Venue Coming to Little Rock 5. Crumbl Cookies Makes Central Arkansas Sweeter with 3 New Locations 6. Former Oaklawn Hospitality VP Takes Over J&S Italian Villa in Hot Springs 7. Lyon College Vet, Dental Schools to Be Located at Heifer HQ in Little Rock 8. Spotlight on Small Business: El Valle es Grande in Sherwood
Little Rock’s Breckenridge Village is under new ownership. KBKBreck LLC purchased the shopping center, located at Rodney Parham Road and Interstate 430.
9. 4th & 25: The Confession of a Spoiled Arkansas Baseball Fan 10. Walmart Announces 2022 Annual Shareholders’ Meeting Dates
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@AMPPOB ARM ON E YA N D P OL ITIC S.COM
By Mark Carter
EDITOR’S LETTER
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IT’S NOT GOODBYE…
he subject of goodbyes oftentimes delivers me to the Grey Havens of Tolkien’s Middle-Earth. Having now outed myself as a Lord of the Rings geek, I can admit without remorse that the farewell scene from the “shores of the sea” in The Return of the King — film or print — produces that weird, leaky sensation in my eyes. My wife has never seen me cry, by the way. As a matter of fact, no one in my immediate or extended families has. Nor will they. But aside from devastating losses suffered by the Razorbacks over the decades — for which I wailed outright through the age of, well, older than I care to admit — a handful of things has pushed me, perhaps, close to the edge. There’s the beforementioned excerpt from Tolkien’s masterpiece; the hospital room scene in Hoosiers between a prodigal father and his forgiving son; “Opie the Birdman” from The Andy Griffith Show; Linus’ instructional recitation from the Gospel of Luke in A Charlie Brown Christmas; the Band of Brothers epilogue… You get the idea.
Goodbyes, you may have noticed, feature prominently in some of these examples. They’re not easy, goodbyes. But, of course, that’s part of the plan. I’m off to a new adventure now, so this will be the last time readers are forced to put up with my ramblings in this space. But I’ll be close and may even pop in to visit AMP from time to time still. Heather, Vicki and John have grown this publication into something of which to be truly proud, and to them, my sincere thanks for trusting me with the wheel. Sometimes, missed left turns in Albuquerque will lead a fellow just
where he needs to go, and I’m grateful the path led me here. To all my AY Media Group colleagues, past and present, from the freelancers to the production team (our industry’s frontline workers) — my hat is tipped to your outstanding work. Of all things, a quote from Charlotte’s Web seems appropriate here, for each of you: “You have been my friend. That in itself is a tremendous thing.” But goodbyes, in this case, well, let’s just forego them. Because, as Mr. Squyres always said, “It’s not goodbye. It’s ‘See you later.’” By Heather Baker
PUBLISHER’S LETTER
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LOTS TO READ IN JUNE
Real estate is the focus of this month’s issue, but there’s lots more inside to whet appetites for stories about Arkansas businesses and the leaders who guide them. The incomparable Dwain Hebda talks with real estate professionals and local officials about the emerging commercial market at Galloway on North Little Rock’s eastern flank. He also visits with industry insiders in Northwest Arkansas about the tremendous growth in the state’s upper left corner that keeps going and going and going… We spent a day in Hope and visited with the folks at the Klipsch Museum of Audio History and the Paul W. Klipsch
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Visitors Center to learn more about the eccentric genius who built an audio empire in southwest Arkansas. And June is Most Admired Month at AMP. Each year, we ask readers to pick their “Most Admired” companies in a range of categories. This year, they selected more than 60. We’ll also hear from the legendary Randy Veach, former leader of Arkansas Farm Bureau and recent inductee into the Arkansas Agriculture Hall of Fame. There’s lots more: New industrial growth in Batesville, Gar Lile, Simmons Foods, Steve Lane, Nick and Jimbo… We hope you enjoy it. Thank you for reading. Send your questions, comments and story ideas to HBaker@ARMoneyandPolitics.com. JUN E 2022
VIEWPOINT
NWA HEALTH CARE ACCESS IS GIVING RESIDENTS NEW OPTIONS FOR TREATMENT WITHOUT TRAVELING By Steve Lane
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can the Northwest Arkansas horizon, and you’ll sports medicine center and orthopedic hospital. The see dirt work and hear plans for new state-ofsite will border Arvest Ballpark and Arkansas Chilthe-art facilities that include a medical school, a dren’s Northwest Hospital. sports medicine center and multiple specialty clinics, The 185,000-square-foot medical center is expectas well as facilities for orthopedic and plastic-surgery ed to cost $85 million, according to announcements experts. made at the time. The development sits in the medical One of the biggest changes to health care availabilcorridor on the west side of Interstate 49. This Springity in the area is the increasing access to specialty care. dale Care Corridor has become home to many of the Northwest Arkansas for decades has had good access world’s leading health care providers, all in about a to affordable primary health care, but it has lacked in 5-mile stretch adjacent to the interstate. specialty care options. That, coupled with a growing A few of the providers include Highlands OncolSteve Lane population, raised questions about the future of NWA ogy, Willow Creek Women’s Hospital, Springdale health care. Center for Health, Hope Cancer Resources, Arkansas To get a better understanding, the Northwest Arkansas Council Blue Cross and Blue Shield, Arkansas Children’s Northwest, Mercy commissioned a study of the region’s health care system and its ecoER and Clinic, Northwest Medical Plaza & Urgent Care, Children’s nomic impact. The 2019 study made several significant findings and Safety Center of Washington County, Creekside Center for Women, defined an action plan. Center for Children’s Health and Wellness and Ozark Guidance. It found that the region has good quality, low-cost primary care UAMS also purchased 48 acres south of Pleasant Grove Road but was deficient in high-level specialty care in almost every catalong I-49 in November, just 11 miles north of its Springdale locaegory, resulting in residents seeking care outside the region. tion, with expansion in mind, although plans and timing have not Additions such as the recently announced Cleveland Clinic will been announced. cut transit time for many residents who currently have to travel out Along with the Cleveland Clinic news, The Alice L. Walton of the region to receive specialty care. Foundation last year announced plans to develop a 75,000-squareThe Alice L. Walton Foundation joined the Cleveland Clinic in foot, multiuse office building that will house the Whole Health Inthe fall of 2021 to announce a partnership focused on improving stitute, the Chopra Library and Art Bridges. The site will be on the the access to specialty health care in Northwest Arkansas. The joint 120-acre Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art property in Beninitiative will partner with Washington Regional Medical Center to tonville. The Whole Health Institute is a nonprofit agency driven to further the goal of bringing world-class specialty treatment and faimprove access to world-class health care in Northwest Arkansas. cilities to the region. The building will open in 2024 according to the Whole Health Also, last fall, Washington Regional purchased 15 acres for $6.6 Institute website. The foundation had already announced plans in million with plans for future expansion. The land purchase is to early 2021 to break ground in 2022 on a new medical school develthe west of the current medical campus in Fayetteville. That same opment in Bentonville. This will be an independent nonprofit, sismonth, officials announced plans for a new medical office building ter component to the Whole Health Institute. in the west Rogers area, off South Champion Drive in the Pinnacle The Whole Health School of Medicine and Health Sciences is Hills submarket. expected to be finished in 2024. This four-year medical school is The three-story, 45,780-square-foot building is being developed part of Walton’s greater Whole Health Initiative in place to drafor Advanced Orthopedic Specialists and Northwest Center for matically improve access to affordable health care in Northwest Plastic Surgery and will feature a surgery center on the first floor. Arkansas. The second floor will be shared by Advanced Orthopedic SpecialAll of these projects add up to an unprecedented focus on health ists and Northwest Center for Plastic Surgery, and the third floor care that’s poised to turn our area into what some are calling a will have medical office space available for lease. The building is “health care mecca.” Look for NWA to become the place people slated to be completed by August. travel TO instead of from for all of their health care needs. Before the fall flurry of announcements, the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) made its own announcement of a 31-plus-acre purchase for $13.6 million at the corner of WatSteve Lane is the managing director of the Northwest Arkansas office kins Avenue and Gene George Boulevard in Springdale for its new of Colliers International.
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VIEWPOINT
SKY-HIGH HOME PRICES AND SELLER’S MARKETS: WHAT HOME BUYERS AND SELLERS NEED TO KNOW By Tina Sewell
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f you’ve glanced at the news lately, you’ve probably seen the many headlines about the economy that impact home buyers and sellers. This data indicates that mortgage rates are trending up and home prices are on the rise, and the real estate markets in Central and Northwest Arkansas are no exception. While the northwest region of the state is well-known as a rapidgrowth seller’s market, smaller communities throughout the state are also seeing similar market conditions. Both Central Arkansas and Northwest Arkansas were seller’s markets in April 2022, which means that there are more people looking to buy than there are homes available. The challenge for homebuyers is finding a home in a market that lacks inventory, where they will likely pay a premium to acquire that home. In Central Arkansas, there were 1,175 active home listings and 146 new homes for sale in May 2022. Homes were averaging 40 days on the market compared to 50 days last year. There were 1,202 homes sold in Central Arkansas in April 2022, up from 604 in April 2021. Meanwhile, Northwest Arkansas’ population growth has rocketed in the past five years, resulting in a much higher housing price increase during this same time in comparison to other areas of the state. In April, there were 1,755 active home listings and 144 new homes for sale in Northwest Arkansas, and homes were averaging 49 days on the market compared to 28 days last year. There were 1,009 homes sold in Northwest Arkansas for April 2022, up from 355 in April 2021. Residents of Northwest Arkansas are experiencing an unprecedented housing market, as the region’s quality of life and employment opportunities continue to draw population. The great success of global companies, national operations and regional ventures based in the area has for several decades driven Tina Sewell its economic engine. That’s a double-edged sword, of course, as the record number of homes sold during the second half of 2021 — at recordhigh prices — creates new pressures on affordability
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and costs of living. After the biggest surge in mortgage rates in 40 years, houses are now less affordable than they were at the peak of the 2006 housing bubble. This is likely to affect home sales and cool the pace of homebuilding for the remainder of 2022, according to a report from Fannie Mae. Not until next year do economists with Fannie Mae’s Economic and Strategic Research Group expect to finally see a “a large deceleration in home price growth,” with some regions likely to see price declines. While there’s a chance of a “modest recession” later this year or next, Fannie Mae economists don’t see a downturn of the magnitude of the Great Recession of 2007-09 on the horizon. Across the state as well, a seller’s market continues to prevail. The median time that a property is on the market in the state is now 41 days. This represents a decrease of 13 percent in a year-over-year comparison; in 2017, the average number of days on the market was 110. This relatively short time on the market allows the seller to retain more control over the sale price with a higher demand for available inventory. Feeling the need to act quickly, buyers are continuing to see relatively tight inventory in Arkansas, with properties being snatched up in little over a month’s time. On the bright side, homeowners in Arkansas have been able to realize a healthy 10.4 percent median home-value appreciation over the past year. While this increase is positive and reflects continued growth in the market, this increase in Arkansas real estate is approximately 5 percent slower than the average increase across the United States during the same period — approximately 16 percent. This modest one of the remaining affordable markets overall, this modest increase indicates that the real estate market in Arkansas has plenty of room for growth in the coming years, but for now, remains a relatively affordable housing mecca. Tina Sewell is the branch manager and a loan officer with Rock Mortgage in Fayetteville.
JUN E 2022
VIEWPOINT
PROTECTING THE DATA ENVIRONMENT FROM YOUR DATA EXHAUST By Mark Hodges
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ron Eyes Cody is not a name most people remempick up something for dinner on the way home. We ber, but you likely remember his tear. He appeared stream data that resolves to images and sound on our on television paddling his canoe down a river, television. We send data that resolves to images on which becomes increasingly polluted until the next another phone or in an app. scene shows him walking alongside a freeway — only The characteristics of data are much like oil. There to have a bag of trash thrown at his feet. seems to be value in nearly every part of its utility, yet A close-up of Cody looking into the camera with it creates byproducts when used and often results in a the most iconic tear in American television history “data exhaust,” which can choke people and organizarolling down his cheek became part of a relentless tions alike. It is increasingly legislated but can be as campaign to “Keep America Beautiful.” combustible as any other volatile substance buried in The last 50 years have spawned multiple social the ground. With the right ignition source, data can movements that gave us a chance to clean up after cause damage. And data exhaust can blow back into Mark Hodges ourselves. In recent decades, this has become a cry our lives and cause problems. that focuses on protecting the environment. That consumer awareAll these factors coalesce and form a coming data crisis with a ness and impact of the narrative seem to be having a significant efsimilar necessary outcome as crafted by the “Keep America Beautifect on the level of personal responsibility. ful” message: personal responsibility. Privacy legislation has been In 1970, at the height of what most at that time considered helpful, but it has also given consumers a false sense of security a “crisis” period, 112,590,000 tons of solid waste went to landand diminished proactive personal responsibility of their own data. fills with 8,020,000 tons were recycled. In 2018 (the latest year Legislation feeds the notion that a consumer can create as much of statistics recorded by the Environmental Protection Agency), data as they like and someone else gets punished if it is misused. 146,120,000 tons of solid waste went to landfills; 69,090,000 tons There is a growing societal need for every consumer to understand were recycled; 24,890,000 were composted; 34,550,000 were comand curate their data. busted to energy recovery; and 17,710,000 were accounted for with Every data breach reminds us that we cannot rely on others to “other food management.” manage our data waste. So, what can any smart consumer do to The total measured during the 1970 timeframe: 88,120,000 tons. manage their own data exhaust? Consider these three practices: 2018, though, represented a 331 percent increase in total waste: 1) Understand your data: Every adult must understand 292,360,000 tons. 2018’s number seems to represent a more “curatwhat parts of their information they should protect. ed” waste profile — one that hides the fact that we generate way 2) Curate your data: Pay attention to who is capturing your more trash than at any time on record. In our 2022 reality, there is personal information and what they are getting. Treat it another source of waste, albeit an invisible one. like a house key. If it does not feel right to hand it over, DATA then don’t. Privacy legislation is rapidly evolving to allow consumers to have access and retain rights to their perHumans are creating data at an exponential rate, faster than any sonal data. society has ever created any amount of other type of waste. And we 3) Protect your data: Ask yourself — what information talk about it in terms that don’t stink: Megabytes, gigabytes, teraabout me is truly necessary to accomplish what I am trybytes, petabytes, exabytes, zettabytes…yottabytes. Words like this ing to do? Learn to manage privacy preferences, especialmay sound like COVID-19 subvariants, but these descriptors are rely in all your social media. ally the measuring sticks of our digital lives. While the exact numbers are still being quantified for 2021, It is not rude to protect your data. For anyone to learn to swim there is a projection that humans created, captured, copied and in the ocean of information being transmitted around (and in some consumed more than 79 zettabytes of data worldwide. Few people cases, through) us, managing your personal information is one gitalk in zettabytes, so here is the conversion: ONE zettabyte = one ant step toward better security and a giant leap toward better digital TRILLION gigabytes. citizenship. Active data generation occurs with nearly every move we make. We check email, check social media, go to work with our phones Mark Hodges is vice president of sales and client management for connected to Bluetooth streaming content to our cars, work in conEdafio Technology Partners, headquartered in North Little Rock with nected environments, conduct transactions at lunch or when we offices in Rogers and Conway.
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DISCOVERY ECONOMICS
RESHAPING THE WORLD BY UNDERSTANDING AND ENGINEERING NANOSTRUCTURES By AMP Staff
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he development of instruments to observe the atomic structures in atomic and molecular level has changed the science and development of the materials forever. The properties of these materials depend not just on the structure of the substance, but also the size of the same atomic combinations which changes its properties in nano-scale size. Arkansas Research Alliance Fellow Dr. Mansour Mortazavi, vice chancellor of research, innovation and economic development and a professor of quantum optics at the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff, is leading a team of Arkansas researchers in a quantum-foundry research project funded by the National Science Foundation. The team includes Dr. Hugh Churchill, physics professor at the University of Arkansas, and Dr. Sanjay Behura, chemistry and physics professor at UA-Pine Bluff. The project, the MonArk Quantum Foundry, is led by Montana State University and the University of Arkansas. Its mission is to accelerate two-dimensional (2D) materials research for quantum computing in the United States. UAPB’s inclusion into the project offers an opportunity to both broaden participation within the MonArk ecosystem and provide crucial pathways toward new markets for quantum photonic products, benefitting Arkansas’ economic growth. This alliance is expected to strengthen research of quantum 2D materials and integrated photonics at UAPB and will significantly expand quantum career-path opportunities for UAPB students. Arkansas team members are working on two specific goals — expanding the way 2D material research is conducted and how it applies to quantum computing, and the development of new materials for lasers and detectors working in the mid-infrared region of the spectrum, which are used in a wide range of applications including medicine, communications and defense. At first glance, there is not much substance to a nanoscopic 2D material. The diminutive material is named for only two dimensions: length and breadth. Its third dimension, height, is negligibly small. As it turns out, hosting a “negligibly small” dimension is a hugely beneficial aspect, one that is reshaping industries like solar energy and quantum computing. “In a 2D material, charge carriers [a mobile electron or hole by which an electric charge passes through a semiconductor] are confined only in two dimensions, implying unique electrical and optical properties,” Behura said. “Owing to the atomically thin structure and unique properties, the 2D materials play
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Dr. Mansour Mortazavi
Dr. Sanjay Behura
important roles in building quantum information science [QIS] technologies such as quantum computers, quantum networks and quantum sensors.” Behura and his team at UAPB work to synthesize quantum materials and discover new structures with on-demand properties by stacking, twisting and wrapping one material onto another. They then study these engineered structures to develop next-generation solar cells and advanced quantum technologies. The advancement of quantum computing is an ongoing mission of UAPB research, and 2D materials have already contributed to the development of next-generation solar cells. The research ultimately results in enhanced optical absorption and high-charge carrier transport, which Behura and his students believe will be transformational in 2D materials-based photovoltaic energy conversion. “Our team’s advances in solar energy research and the collaboration with MonArk speaks volumes to UAPB’s growing capabilities in quantum optics physics,” Mortazavi said. “We look to recruit and foster more post-doctoral researchers, undergraduate students and graduate students to the project, which means more intellectual capital invested here in Arkansas.” Discovery Economics is a monthly feature highlighting the work of the ARA Academy of Scholars and Fellows, a community of strategic research leaders who strive to maximize the value of discovery and progress in the state. ARA recruits, retains, and focuses strategic research leaders to enhance the state’s competitiveness in the knowledge economy and the production of job-creating discoveries and innovation. Learn more at ARalliance.org.
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JUN E 2022
REAL ESTATE
TRUE
North(west)
NWA officials work to manage, leverage explosive growth By Dwain Hebda
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hen Crystal Ude-Stall and her husband, Alan, relocated to Northwest Arkansas from their native Nebraska five years ago, they did so seeking the tranquility of an empty nest home by the water. What they found was an exciting second act to their lives that has been anything but slow-paced, launching a Scoot-
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er’s Coffee franchise that has blossomed into three locations since 2018. “Could we have started at any worse time? We had COVID, and now we have all of this crazy stuff that happens in the world,” Ude-Stall said with a laugh. “But we could see the potential of this community, and we thought it would be
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The downtowns (clockwise from far left) of Bentonville, Rogers, Springdale and Fayetteville; the 21c Hotel (below) in Bentonville. (Photos provided)
a great place. The founder of Scooter’s even came down and saw what was going on here, and he could see also that it was a growing area.” The couple, who lives in Rogers, has also reveled in the area’s recreational amenities, which Ude-Stall says rounds out the quality-of-life picture in ways few other places can. “The draw of the music, the bike paths, the outdoor activities, the independent restaurants, that’s what I get excited about,” she said. “There’s always something to do here. You can’t sit here and say, ‘Boy, I’m bored;’ at least, I can’t. You can go to something every night if you want to.”
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Ude-Stall’s comments could have come straight from a regional chamber of commerce video, so closely do they reflect the hopes officials have long had for the region. And the Cornhusker entrepreneurs are not alone — the Northwest corridor’s pace of growth continues to capture attention, as ex-pats from Omaha to Ocala and Petaluma to Pittsburg continue to set a course for the Boston Mountains. “NWA provides folks with an opportunity to pursue their goals, and I would say there’s multiple reasons for that,” said Caleb Talley, director of Startup Junkie Foundation in Fayetteville. “One, there’s a template. Folks had
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JUN E 2022
REAL ESTATE
The 2018 construction of Arkansas Children’s Northwest in Springdale provided the region with its first pediatric hospital and helped alleviate some of the area’s growing pains related to specialty health care.
“We’re very attractive from a cost-of-living and cost-ofdoing business perspective.”
J.R.Shaw
J U N E 2 02 2
to be scrappy and build, because up in the Ozarks there were limited resources back in the day. Yet, you’ve got some of the biggest, most prominent companies in the world, built from nothing, here in Northwest Arkansas. “Once those opportunities have grown, expanded, generated wealth and brought in talent, a number of other things feed off that. Arkansas, in general, can be [considered] a flyover state. When people think entrepreneurship, they think Silicone Valley or Boston, so there’s a movement Steve Case, founder of AOL, started calling ‘Rise of the Rest.’ Jeff Amerine, our founder, said we’re more like ‘Rise of the Best,’ because in order to grow and shine in middle America, you’ve got to be the best, and you’ve got to continue to recruit the best, and you’ve got to continue to enable and support the best in order to beget success.”
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On May 26, the U.S. Census Bureau released data that again told the nation what Arkansans already know — that waves of modern-day prospectors continue to stream into the region seeking gold in them thar emerald hills. Benton County led all counties in Arkansas in population growth since 2010, jumping 28.5 percent to 284,333 residents. Washington County grew by 21 percent to 245,871. By comparison, Pulaski County, the anchor of the Central Arkansas metro, grew 4.3 percent to 399,125 people. What’s even more telling about the NWA region is the rate at which it is generating jobs. According to data presented May 27 by the University of Arkansas Center for Business and Economic Research, the region has been responsible for all of the state’s net job growth over the past two years. Statewide, Arkansas
ARM ON E YA N D P OL ITIC S.COM
created 15,000 jobs in that time period, overlaying almost exactly with the region’s rate of job growth. “The opportunities are even more present right now, coming out of the pandemic,” said J.R. Shaw, executive vice president of the Rogers-Lowell Chamber of Commerce and executive director of Visit Rogers. “We’ve seen the way people work and the advances in technology. Every day, we hear people say they can live anywhere they want to from a work standpoint. “We’re very attractive from a cost-ofliving and cost-of-doing business perspective; we hear that all the time from people who walk into our office or people we interact with elsewhere. That’s a big plus for NWA, for Rogers and our cities,
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to have the quality of life that’s there.” Shaw added such quality of place doesn’t just happen but is the result of strategic thought and collaborative planning on the part of all the communities in the corridor. This cooperation continues to pay dividends for the area, as a whole. “The environment here has been built intentionally, and these things have gone a long way toward growing businesses, growing communities and creating destinations for our cities,” Shaw said. “It ben-
17
Bentonville’s ascendance has paced the region’s growth. The FreshGrass festival draws thousands to The Momentary (top): Walmart associates from across the globe visit each year for the annual shareholders meeting.
JUN E 2022
REAL ESTATE
J.R. Shaw
Suzett Sparks
efits everybody. When I say a destination, people always think of that just being for visitors, but it’s a destination for visitors as well as business investment and young families wanting to move and build a better life for themselves. It’s a destination for fill-in-the-blank. I think that’s what’s attracted business here; it’s what attracts locals and really, all of the above.” With such a rapid influx comes challenges, not the least of which is the impact on the very feel of the place, an ethos that has played such a significant role in the area’s success to begin with. Bill Rogers, president and CEO of the Springdale Chamber of Commerce, said retaining community identity has remained a priority, even as cities have welcomed hordes of new residents. “Our ethos has evolved,” he said. “For example, in Springdale schools, the larg-
est school district in the state, there are 54 different languages spoken in the homes of our 23,000 students. You can’t help but change. We’ve continued to take this melting pot approach to our region, that we’re a friendly state, and this is a friendly place, and I think it’s holding its own. “When you’re trying to attract top talent, you want to be a place people will come to and not leave once they get here, because they fall in love with the place. There’s no question that that’s happening here, and it’s a big part of how we’ve been able to keep that ethos.” Of course, even the friendliest places on earth eventually will need to upgrade capacity and infrastructure, and to a person, these are listed as the central challenges for the region. Rogers said the best thing the communities in the area did to keep up with these needs is
Top Golf’s Rogers location was the first in Arkansas.
J U N E 2 02 2
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investing in themselves versus waiting for the feds to do it. “There’s a recognition of the choke points, and this region has had exceptional leadership when it comes to identifying and plotting out solutions and securing municipal and regional solutions to those problems,” he said. “In Springdale alone, we’ve had more than $700 million in bonds issued in the last 20 years. Those are bonds that our voters went to the polls for, and we’ve never had one defeated. “There was that recognition, certainly in the early days, that it was going to be difficult to get what we felt was our fair share of infrastructure dollars. Meanwhile, the need is not going away, and if we’re waiting on federal dollars to come build that road, it’s going to stifle our growth. So, we’re going to pay for it ourselves. That’s an approach the region has had no problem supporting, and that extends to fire stations and all the things municipalities have to do. I think that’s a big part of it.” Housing is a particularly thorny issue, especially in the larger communities, said Suzett Sparks, managing broker with Lindsey & Associates in Rogers and a native of the area. “The big thing with NWA is the price appreciation,” she said. “I just talked to an agent whose daughter bought a house in January, and it’s appreciated $65,000 since she bought it. My own daughter and son-in-law bought a house last January, 1,800 or 1,900 square feet, three bedrooms, two baths and a two-car garage, and they paid $258,000. The house across the street, very similar in size and finish, just sold for over $400,000. That’s in a year.” Such economics are causing more people to look farther afield for housing. Elm Springs, Cave Springs, Tontitown, Centerton and other small communities are all attracting increased interest in their respective listings. “Anything that’s centrally located, that’s prime, obviously,” Sparks said.
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Activities, amenities and cultural activities are constantly evolving in NWA. Brightwater: A Center for the Study of Food (top) is a groundbreaking program from Northwest Arkansas Community College and the Walton Family Foundation. The University of Arkansas consistently works to keep up with record growth and accommodate on-campus students. The new Adohi Hall residence facility was completed in 2019.
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JUN E 2022
REAL ESTATE
City officials across the region try to maintain infrastructure needs as demands increase, such as the new bridge on Pump Station Road in Springdale (top); Steve Clark, president of the Fayetteville Chamber; Razorback basketball player Kamani Johnson and Michelle Smith of the Fayetteville Chamber at the chamber’s Professionals Night Out event.
“We don’t want to be somebody else. We think we have things that a lot of other people don’t have.”
J U N E 2 02 2
“Then, as you get away from that central location, there’s more land, it’s less expensive to build, and developers are going to that area. Right now, we’re seeing Gentry, Pea Ridge and Bella Vista growing at a larger rate per capita than most areas in NWA.” One phrase that keeps popping up in discussions about NWA is the well-worn concept that the region is the next Austin, Nashville, Raleigh or other boom area. Locals up here bristle at that phrase, even as they use it to their advantage to give
20
the uninitiated a mental image of what’s going on up here. We’re not the next anything, most will say; we’re the first, best and only Northwest Arkansas. “We don’t want to be somebody else,” said Steve Clark, president of the Fayetteville Chamber of Commerce. “We think we have things that a lot of other people don’t have.” Clark said in studying these other areas, it quickly becomes apparent that the secret to maintaining the appeal of a
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Thaden Fieldhouse, Bentonville
boom town is not to resist change, but to invest in the mundane services and amenities — streets, sewer, etc. — that aren’t often discussed, but when lacking are always felt. For these, he gives city and area leadership high marks. “I spent 12 years in elected office. I ran five statewide campaigns,” he said. “I’ve seen a lot of leaders at various levels, and I would rate the mayors of all of these cities A-plus, and I would rate their city councils the same. Because the bottom line is, we’re getting it done. All the cities
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up here since 2000 have built a new high school, at least one, plus middle schools and elementary schools. All of them have built new hospitals or expanded their health care. And those are big issues in any community.” Above all, he said, the cities here have not, and cannot, impede change because to do so is to impede progress. “I moved to Austin, and I lived there from 1995 to 2005. While we were there, we could hear from the locals, ‘All these damn people moving in here from
21
California and New York. We don’t like ῾em.’” he said. “‘They’re driving up housing costs. They can’t do that. They can’t change our town.’ “Well, change is hard for people. Necessary, but hard. We’re not poised to say we have control of every issue in the region or here in the city, but we’re poised to say we are working, and we are making progress each day. We acknowledge problems and then develop solutions that work today and will work for tomorrow.”
JUN E 2022
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JUN E 2022
REAL ESTATE
Land is being prepared for another project at Galloway. (Photo by Ebony Blevins)
go-go-
Galloway North Little Rock area quietly develops into prime location By Dwain Hebda
J U N E 2 02 2
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R
obert Birch, director of development for North Little Rock Mayor Terry Hartwick, is Dogtown to the bone. North Little Rock born and raised, he’s served since 2018 under two city executives — Mayors Joe Smith and Hartwick — providing a key link between the two growth-minded administrations. As such, he’s enjoyed a ringside seat as NLR steadily moved up in economic weight class, going toe-to-toe with its larger neighbor city to the south, delivering new development, enhanced amenities and palpably fresh energy. Now, Birch and other North Little Rock officials are once again setting the pace for economic development in Central Arkansas in what might seem an unlikely location. The Galloway district, a yawning stretch of ground on the city’s eastern front, is fast coming into ARM O N E YA ND P O L I T I C S .COM
The old Galloway landmark, the Jimmy Doyle Country Club. (Photo provided)
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JUN E 2022
REAL ESTATE
A rendering of the CRG-developed project planned for Highway 70 and I-40. (Courtesy of CRG)
Robert Birch
J U N E 2 02 2
its own among manufacturers, warehousing interests and even residential development. “The east end of North Little Rock is becoming a great opportunity area,” Birch said. “It started years ago with Caterpillar and Ben E. Keith both moving out there. Caterpillar has since expanded. We’ve had some other businesses that have opened up and moved out there. You look at the bookends of Highway 391, you have Galloway at one end that pretty soon will be home to close to 3,000 jobs.” Once best known for a defunct golf course (Stone Links) and the area’s largest honkytonk haven for passing-through truckers (the late, great Jimmy Doyle’s Country Club), Galloway has reinvented itself seemingly overnight, under cover of darkness. In December, Dollar General announced building a 1 million-square-foot distribution center in the neighborhood, creating 300 jobs. Rumors swirl about other big warehouse names, including Lowe’s, moving in as well. On June 7, national real-estate development firm CRG announced that it was developing a 1.2 million-square-foot project on 115 acres at Highway 70 and Interstate 40 — otherwise known as the Galloway exit — for a “national Fortune
26
500 home-improvement company.” And to top it all off, houses and multifamily units by the thousands are growing up out of the ground to help lure the necessary workers to the area, along with a portion of the golf course reimagined with disc golf and walking trails. Which means the influx of retail is all but a foregone conclusion for the not-so-distant future. All of which has many scratching their heads as to how the area could have stayed dormant for so long, only to come alive during the most challenging supply chain environment since the days of steamboat and oxcart. For Birch, the appeal of the district for warehousing companies starts with three simple, if unsexy elements — location, location, location. “The one thing about North Little Rock is, we sit at the corner of I-30 and I-40, and you can get anywhere in the country from there,” he said. “We sit at a perfect spot to allow for distribution facilities such as this. We also sit well because we have access to the river, we have access to air, and we have a very strong rail access. You put all those things together and we are a transportation community.
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The east end of North Little Rock continues to be a draw for industrial and commercial developers.
“North Little Rock was started as a train city. You go back and look at the history of Iron Mountain Train Works, all of that was here, and that’s what North Little Rock was. By leaning into that history and those capabilities, we still are.” Of course, merely having ground around you doesn’t win the development race alone. The city has invested considerable time and resources to bring as many parcels into play as possible, efforts that are now paying off. “The city continues to make significant investment in that area,” Birch said. “We’ve bought the corner of Highway 165 and Highway 70 to put in a much-needed health clinic there in partnership with Baptist Health and the state health department. We’re investing money that we’ve taken from some of the other properties we’ve sold around the city, buildings that aren’t being used, land that all we’re doing is constantly cutting grass on. “We’ve sold a lot of that property, close to $1.8 million worth, and we’re investing that right back into that Rose City and East Broadway area. When a city makes an investment as we have done, it’s to see that community investment come back. Public investment spurs
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JUN E 2022
REAL ESTATE
Dollar General will build a 1 million-SF distribution center at Galloway.
Brooks McRae
Derrell Hartwick
J U N E 2 02 2
private investment.” North Little Rock-based realtor McKimmey Associates has been an early taker on the promise of Galloway, said Brooks McRae, executive broker. He said the area’s newfound popularity stems from several commercial planets aligning. “The availability of abundant, level, flat land that doesn’t have flood plains or wetlands and has utilities to it and is priced somewhat reasonably, that’s really what’s been the catalyst for the growth over there,” he said. But more than that, McRae said, is the level of service after the sale an incoming company gets from the city and the Chamber of Commerce that sets North Little Rock apart from other contenders. “[Those entities] assist new companies at a very high level in obtaining their zoning, helping them get the utilities, which is a huge piece of it, and they help coordinate with those utility providers on a confidential basis,” he said. “They don’t tell the brokerage community that they’re dealing with Dollar General; instead, they’re quietly assisting that company in getting their building permits, their zoning, their utilities, even contributing toward some of those costs when they can. If there’s road widening or extension of sewer or something that they can do to help entice growth, they
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are very good about doing that.” Derrell Hartwick, president and CEO of the North Little Rock Chamber of Commerce and son of the mayor, said one thing his organization does particularly well in these deals is act like a corporate welcome wagon, advocating for the new entity and helping it settle into its new home as quickly as possible. “We’re very unique in that we are a city chamber first, we take care of our city, but we also assist in Central Arkansas, at the regional level, effectively,” he said. “And we’re also a state chamber as well, with events that are all over the state. We fit all three categories, which not all chambers do. “At each level, I would also say we are one of the best relationship-driven chambers I’ve ever been a part of or seen. If you ask anybody in the chambers of commerce around here about what North Little Rock does best, they’ll tell you we build relationships. Our new slogan is, ‘Our Community is Your Business,’ and that’s what we mean. It’s about getting everyone integrated and invested.” Birch said city leadership reflects this thinking as well, then turns it up to full speed. The swiftness with which new development goes from an idea to reality is another of North Little Rock’s distinguishing characteristics. “Mayor Hartwick goes full speed ahead at all times and that doesn’t always happen
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Mayor Terry Hartwick (in bulldozer) and chamber officials are big on North Little Rock. (Photo provided)
It takes the entire community getting involved, and that’s what continues to happen here. in government,” he said. “When somebody comes up and says, ‘Hey, we’re going to do this development,’ he’s like, ‘All right, get it done. Let me know what you need from us.’ If you don’t move at his speed all the time, you’d better learn to move faster.” More than just about any community in Arkansas, North Little Rock is a city defined by its neighborhoods. To a native like Birch, it’s gratifying to be in a role to help in the many diverse communities that makes the city what it is. “As a lifelong North Little Rock person, it’s fun to see what’s going on because I grew up going to all areas of the city,” he said. “I played basketball over at Sherman Park, played base-
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ball out at Rose City and at Burns Park. It’s neat to start seeing some of these areas that haven’t always gotten the love, so to say, get their fair share and seeing what they can do with it. “When I was growing up, for instance, you didn’t go downtown. Downtown North Little Rock was a ghost town. But the city didn’t make Argenta, that’s a big misconception. That was a group of people that had the idea of moving down there and seeing what it could be and then they started doing it. The biggest thing out of all this is, it takes the entire community getting involved, and that’s what continues to happen here.”
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PROMINENT RESIDENTIAL REAL ESTATE FIRMS IN ARKANSAS 501 Professionals Realty & Investments
Jon Underhill Real Estate
Arkansas ELITE Realty
Keller Williams Market Pro Realty
Arlene Urquizu and Associates
Keller Williams Platinum Realty
Aspire Realty Group
Keller Williams Realty - Little Rock
Bailey and Company Real Estate
Limbird Real Estate Group
Bassett Mix & Associates
Lindsey & Associates
Baxley-Penfield-Moudy Realtors
Main St. Real Estate
Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate Journey - Bentonville
Market Edge Realty - NWA
Bradford & Udouj Realtors
McNaughton Real Estate
Brown & Company Realty
Michele Phillips & Co.
Burnett Real Estate Group
Motus Group
Capital Sotheby’s International Realty
NWA House Hunters
Century 21 Legacy Realty
NWA Metro Group
Century 21 Wright-Pace Real Estate
NWA ProTeam
Coldwell Banker Harris McHaney & Faucette
NWA Real Estate HUB
Coldwell Banker RPM Group
PorchLight Realty
Coldwell Banker Village Communities
Prestige Management & Realty
Collier & Associates - Bentonville
Prowell Team
Crye-Leike Realtors - Bentonville
RE/MAX Advantage Realtors - Searcy
Crye-Leike Realtors - Kanis Branch
RE/MAX Associates - Fayetteville
Crye-Leike Realtors - Pleasant Grove
RE/MAX Elite
Crye-Leike Realtors - Siloam Springs
RE/MAX of Hot Springs Village
District III Real Estate Group
RE/MAX Real Estate Results
ERA Team Real Estate
RE501 Partners
eXp Realty - Centerton
Sapphire Realty
eXp Realty - NWA Branch
Sun Realty
eXp Realty - Rogers
The Charlotte John Co.
eXp Realty Arkansas
The Duley Group
Five Doors NWA
The EJ Johnson Group
Hartwick & Associates
The Hagan Group
Hayley Harper Wreyford
The Home Team
Heartfelt Homes
The Janet Jones Co.
HomeQuest Realty
The Property Group Real Estate
Hot Springs 1st Choice Realty
Thrive Real Estate
iRealty Arkansas
Trademark Real Estate
Johnson Smith Team
Weichert Realtors - The Griffin Company
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McKimmey Associates Realtors
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TOP COMMERCIAL BROKERS IN NWA, MAY 2021-MAY 2022 TRANSACTIONS
TRANSACTED SF
AVERAGE SF
CAP RATE
RETAIL
SALES VOLUME
PRICE/SF
CBRE
$31,900,000
1
10,000
10,000
4.60%
$3,190
Kelley Commercial Partners
$23,155,820
18
122,730
6,818
3.60%
$189
Marcus & Millichap
$22,749,884
5
60,886
12,177
6.50%
$374
Jordan Jeter
$21,465,820
17
119,696
7,041
3.60%
$179
Lindsey & Associates
$16,283,912
6
61,262
10,210
—
$266
Cushman & Wakefield Sage Partners
$14,958,106
5
86,297
17,259
—
$173
Colliers Moses Tucker Partners
$13,660,000
9
58,686
6,521
$9,743,978
9
119,905
13,323
7.00%
$233
—
$81
TD Commercial Group
$8,125,000
2
15,042
7,521
5.80%
$540
Sands Investment Group
$7,730,909
4
10,780
2,695
5.50%
$717
$30,257,473
8
121,157
15,145
$19,671,465
10
139,294
13,929
—
$141
$18,707,908
1
44,754
44,754
—
$418
—
$1,295
OFFICE CBRE Colliers Cignus Real Estate JLL Cushman & Wakefield Sage Partners
$17,867,686
1
13,795
13,795
$16,800,040
7
149,820
21,403
Lindsey & Associates
$11,005,000
6
58,668
9,778
Steve Fineberg & Associates
$10,496,150
6
66,700
11,117
Moses Tucker Partners
$8,575,000
4
64,717
16,179
Focus CRE Group
$7,275,000
3
70,048
23,349
Schmelzle & Associates
$6,750,000
1
18,800
18,800
$50,154,023
1
1,011,787
168,631
—
$250
6.00%
$112
—
$188
7.50%
$157
—
$132
7.90%
$104
—
$35
INDUSTRIAL Cushman & Wakefield Sage Partners Moses Tucker Partners
7.20%
$50
$23,601,022
5
1,076,512
215,302
—
$22
$22,500,000
1
175,000
175,000
—
$129
$3,855,000
3
29,100
9,700
—
$132
Nunnelee & Wright Commercial Properties $3,782,500
1
384,500
384,500
—
$10
NAI Global Keller Williams Realty International Savills
$3,782,500
1
384,500
384,500
—
$10
Prime Real Estate & Development
$3,675,000
3
40,440
13,480
—
$91
Legend Realty Inc.
$2,952,000
3
41,633
13,878
—
$71
Colliers
$2,475,000
2
25,422
12,711
—
$97
Steve Fineberg & Associates
$2,252,000
2
36,880
18,440
—
$61
Sources: Colliers/CoStar
PROMINENT LAND BROKERAGE FIRMS DOING BUSINESS IN ARKANSAS •W hite Land Co. Wynne
•K ingwood Forestry Arkadelphia
•D avis Dubose Knight Forestry & Real Estate (United Country Realty) Little Rock
•G laub Farm Management Jonesboro
•N eeley Forestry (United Country) Camden
•L ile Real Estate Little Rock
•S tuttgart Land and Farm (Mossy Oak) Stuttgart
•O utdoor Properties Mountain View
•W hitetail Properties Pittsfield, Ill.
•J .P. King Auction Co. Gadsden, Ala. ARM O N E YA ND P O L I T I C S .COM
•D elta Land Management (Mossy Oak) North Little Rock •M id-Ark Properties England
•H abitat Land Co. Searcy
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•C ache River (Mossy Oak) Searcy •N atural Farms and Wildlife (Mossy Oak) Fayetteville •W ellons Land Little Rock •N ational Land Realty Little Rock
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MO 2022
ADMIRED
ST COMPANIES BY AMP STAFF
Business success is measured in many ways.
Arkansas Money & Politics asked its readers, once again, to tell us which were the most admired companies in The Natural State. Using a criteria that includes financial soundness, bold innovation, brand awareness, quality of product, outstanding people and social responsibility, they did just that in the 62 categories that follow.
We hold all businesses in high esteem, especially after the roller coaster ride of the last two years, and we tip our hat to those owners who managed to adapt, navigate and survive. But this particular year, readers told us who they admired most. And here they are. Enjoy the 2022 list of Arkansas’ Most Admired Companies. J U N E 2 02 2
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ACCOUNTING FIRM EGP EGP PLLC, opened its doors in 1981 in North Little Rock, and has since grown to open additional offices in Little Rock, Heber Springs and Bryant. The firm’s growth is due in part to its ability to attract highly talented associates. Bruce Engstrom, founding partner, along with the firm’s Executive Partner Committee, credits this growth to the firm’s philosophy: “We work with people, not just numbers.” This philosophy derives from a belief that the commitment to clients and to associates of EGP is a top priority. EGP provides services in accounting, audit and assurance, business consulting, estate planning, litigation support, personal advising, taxation and wealth management. It serves the agriculture, banking, construction, financial planning, health care, manufacturing and nonprofit industries.
AGRICULTURAL BUSINESS GREENWAY EQUIPMENT Greenway Equipment Inc. is a recognized John Deere equipment dealer with locations in 32 communities throughout Arkansas and Missouri. Since 1988, Greenway Equipment has provided customers with innovative product and service offerings, expert advice and a passion for exceptional customer service. Today, Greenway Equipment is still committed to being a trusted equipment supplier and makes it the company’s mission to support local operations, no matter the need.
AUCTION COMPANY BLACKMON AUCTIONS Blackmon Auctions, based in Little Rock, is a third-generation family business founded in 1938. Led by Thomas Blackmon, who took over from his father, Tom Blackmon Sr., the firm conducts auctions of all sizes throughout the United States. In the past 24 months, it has conducted more than 150 auctions in more than 25 states — as close to home as its own auction complex in Little Rock and as far away as Wyoming, Florida, New York, California, Ohio, Louisiana, Kansas, Texas, Tennessee, Missouri, Alabama, Mississippi, Georgia and Oklahoma. Although Blackmon Auctions has grown into one of the largest equipment auction companies in the country, it still specializes in one-owner, on-site auctions, regardless of size.
ARCHITECTURAL FIRM POLK STANLEY WILCOX
ADVERTISING FIRM GWL Over the past 29 years, GWL Advertising has acquired a diverse group of individuals to help take the agency to the top. GWL describes itself as “creative masterminds with a true passion for innovation and strategy.” From branding and logo design to full-service digital marketing, television, radio, media buying, video production, social media and more, GWL Advertising will take a brand to the next level. Since 1993, GWL has served as a creative powerhouse in the Central Arkansas advertising industry. It prides itself on never sticking to the status quo and constantly pushing industry boundaries, which alone gives them a huge advantage, while simultaneously setting its work apart from the competition. ARM O N E YA ND P O L I T I C S .COM
Polk Stanley Wilcox is a full-service programming, architectural, planning and interior design firm with offices in Little Rock and Fayetteville. The firm has extensive experience in corporate/commercial, health care, educational, master planning and renovation/adaptive reuse projects. Polk Stanley Wilcox seeks appropriate solutions focused on quality and value for each project and is committed to client service and follow-through. The firm’s staff includes licensed architects, registered interior designers, construction administrators, specification writers and administrative support personnel. The firm is devoted to an uncompromised commitment to both quality design and excellent value and shattering the preconception that these concepts are mutually exclusive.
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AUTOMOBILE DEALERSHIP EVOLVE AUTO Evolve Auto, located in North Little Rock, is the first exclusive electric-vehicle (EV) dealership in the South. Evolve has two goals: increase the availability of EVs to the public and educate people about the benefits of switching from fuel-powered vehicles. EVs produce zero emissions and contribute significantly fewer greenhouse gasses and air pollutants compared to gasoline engines. Evolve Auto is looking toward a greener future with electric vehicles. The team at Evolve Auto wants to make the transition to plug-in vehicles smooth and easy with a relaxed, no-pressure buying experience for customers through transparency, competitive prices in the EV market and personable relationships. JUN E 2022
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BANK SOUTHERN BANCORP Southern Bancorp is a Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI) with 51 locations across Arkansas and Mississippi. Founded in 1986 by some of the nation’s leading political, business and philanthropic leaders, Southern Bancorp has grown into a $2 billion asset organization with a unique array of financial products and services designed to help individuals at all stages of life’s financial journey. Headquartered in Arkadelphia, Southern Bancorp combines traditional banking and lending services with financial development tools, as well as public policy advocacy to help families and communities grow stronger. Southern Bancorp’s approach to creating economic opportunity in the most persistently impoverished areas is rooted in the belief that net worth drives economic opportunity, and its strategic framework provides individuals an opportunity to build net worth through homeownership, entrepreneurship and savings.
BLACK/MINORITY-OWNED BUSINESS THE DESIGN GROUP The Design Group is more than a mere creative boutique. It is a full-service, multicultural communications company that provides market expertise to clients who want to reach Black, Hispanic, urban and youth consumer audiences. The company is focused on results. The Design Group is the collective effort of some of the Mid-South’s most progressive veteran segmentation specialists, who are aggresJ U N E 2 02 2
sively developing innovative communications that speak to the new “diversityrich” marketplace. From brand strategy and public relations to creative development, advertising and grassroots outreach, they build campaigns that change behavior. At The Design Group, these professionals are committed to marketing communications that are authentic, culturally relevant as well as intellectually and emotionally engaging. They ask every prospective client…is your brand culturally connected?
but across the United States, and offers expertise in project planning, construction management, general contracting and design-build. Founded in 2006, C.R. Crawford is known for its pre-construction services and ability to successfully execute an aggressive project schedule. The company has experience in myriad industries from banking and finance, K-12 and higher education, to office, retail and more. However, with specialized experience in health care, industrial and multifamily — the industries that are driving construction activity in Northwest Arkansas and across the state — C.R. Crawford has played a significant role in transforming the area’s landscape.
BOUTIQUE HOTEL ALOFT ROGERS-BENTONVILLE Aloft Rogers-Bentonville, part of Marriott Bonvoy’s portfolio of 30 brands, is a loft-inspired, pet-friendly boutique hotel. Filled with vibrant decor, collaborative workspaces and plush bedding, the 130-room hotel follows a “different by design” philosophy that creates a bold environment. Located off Interstate 49 near the Pinnacle Hills Country Club, Aloft Bentonville-Rogers is minutes away from Boar’s Nest, Monte Ne Inn, The Rail, Hobbs State Park, The Walmart AMP, Crystal Bridges and The Walmart Museum. The hotel is complete with a 24/7 grab-and-go, Re:fuel market, the W XYZ bar and cooked-to-order breakfast. With 595-square-foot meeting facilities, Aloft Rogers-Bentonville is an awardwinning hotel, most recently named a “2021 Health Safety Hotel.”
CHAMBER OF COMMERCE CONWAY AREA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE The Conway Area Chamber of Commerce has been the voice of business in Conway for more than 130 years. Economic development, government affairs, education and community vision are the foundation of its success and the core of its mission. With more than 1,600 members, the Chamber offers businesses an unmatched opportunity to engage with Arkansas’ best economy. The Chamber is the voice of economic growth in Faulkner County, facilitating a constant conversation with its members, the public and those seeking to do business in the area.
BUILDING CONTRACTOR C.R. CRAWFORD CONSTRUCTION C.R. Crawford Construction, headquartered in Fayetteville, has grown to be the state’s largest commercial construction company and established itself as a distinct leader in the industry. The company serves clients not only in Arkansas 38
COLLEGE, FOUR-YEAR UNIVERSITY OF CENTRAL ARKANSAS Academic excellence, a vibrant campus, Division I athletics and an energetic ARM ON E YA N D P OL ITIC S.COM
college town all help prepare University of Central Arkansas students for success. Students may choose from more than 160 degree and certificate options, including undergraduate, graduate and doctoral programs offered in person and online. The university’s innovative academics feature hands-on opportunities and professors who invest in their students. The UCA campus provides an active community of more than 200 clubs, service organizations and opportunities for students. These include learning, leadership, community building, creative expression, volunteerism, mentoring and more. UCA’s broad and diverse network of local, regional, national and international community partners offers a variety of volunteer opportunities for students.
COLLEGE, TWO-YEAR UNIVERSITY OF ARKANSAS COMMUNITY COLLEGE AT MORRILTON The University of Arkansas Community College at Morrilton is a two-year college within the University of Arkansas System that offers a comprehensive curriculum of university-transfer and career-specific training programs, as well as adult education, concurrent education and training, as well as non-credit workforce training programs. The college has served west-central Arkansas since 1963 and has an enrollment of approximately 2,000 credit students per semester. UACCM’s skilled training programs offer certificate of proficiency, technical certificate and associate degree options to accommodate students with a variety of career goals. The Associate of Arts and Associate of Science degree programs allow students to complete the first two years of a bachelor’s degree before transferring to a four-year university.
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CONSTRUCTION COMPANY HYDCO CONSTRUCTION Hydco is an Arkansas company that started in the corner of the home of Barry Hyde in 1987. Hyde’s idea was to create a stable company that was relationship driven, included the highest quality work, and incorporated the latest technology into the business plan. While Hydco has grown and developed its capabilities over the years, the company has worked to adhere to this defining set of values. Hydco consistently monitors construction trends as well as marketing trends for all types of business and industry. The company has taken great pride in offering its clients a solid history of quality performance, turn-key service and customer satisfaction. Hydco’s mission is to provide the highest level of quality in every construction project that it undertakes, in both those areas that are easily seen and those that cannot be seen. Hydco prides itself on displaying a level of professionalism and efficiency unequaled in the marketplace.
CONVENTION AND VISITORS BUREAU LITTLE ROCK CONVENTION & VISITORS BUREAU The Little Rock Convention & Visitors Bureau (LRCVB) serves as the official destination marketing organization for Little Rock. The LRCVB is responsible for promoting the city as a destination to leisure travelers and as a group meeting destination across the United States and worldwide. Aside from its offices in downtown Little Rock’s Cromwell building, the LRCVB manages Robinson Center, the Statehouse Convention Center,
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the First Security Amphitheater, Ottenheimer River Market Hall and multiple downtown parking facilities. Using the iconic “Big on Little Rock” tagline, the LRCVB’s advertising efforts bring millions of visitors to the capital city each year and inspire travelers to discover the pleasant surprise of Little Rock. LRCVB is primarily funded by a hotel, motel, and restaurant tax. Though 2021 began on the heels of the greatest disruption to the travel industry in decades, the advent of vaccines allowed for a resurgence of leisure and business travel. Little Rock advertising & promotion (A&P) tax collections rose to $14.8 million, a 23 percent increase over 2020.
COSMETIC SURGERY PRACTICE DR. SUZANNE YEE Dr. Suzanne Yee’s practice, Cosmetic & Laser Surgery Center, is one of Little Rock’s leading cosmetic surgeons. With passion and artistic sensibilities, Yee has been leading the industry of cosmetic surgery for more than 20 years as a tripleboard certified cosmetic surgeon. With years of extensive study in medicine and continued education, Yee founded her practice on the principles of artistry and innovation, offering full-body surgical and nonsurgical procedures. Yee performs treatments ranging from advanced laser therapy to comprehensive “mommy makeovers,” priding herself and her practice on the ability to help patients feel comfortable in their decision to undergo any procedure. Yee offers a variety of options such as Botox, dermal fillers and laser treatments as well as nonsurgical options for weight loss and clear skin. As the first surgeon in Arkansas to offer QWO Cellulite treatment, BTL Emsella and NeoGraft, Yee has long been an innovative force in Little Rock’s cosmetic surgery community. JUN E 2022
Trucking connects businesses big and small to customers across town and across the country. Whether they are crafted in a factory or a small shop, over 92% of products find their way to customers with the help of truck drivers. Between buyers and sellers, there are over 3 million professional drivers proudly delivering.
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CREDIT UNION ARKANSAS FEDERAL CREDIT UNION Arkansas Federal Credit Union has been making a difference in the lives of employees, members and the communities it serves since 1956. With more than $1.5 billion in total assets and more than 300 employees, Arkansas Federal is the largest credit union in Arkansas. As a notfor-profit financial institution, Arkansas Federal invests profits back into benefits for members through higher dividends and lower loan rates. Both consumers and businesses entrust the credit union to get competitive rates and reduced fees on accounts and loans. Founded in Jacksonville but now based in Little Rock, Arkansas Federal has 18 branches throughout Arkansas that serve more than 120,000 members.
to constantly invest in its team by striving to uphold the industry’s top certifications and training. With two certified restorers on staff, Metro is qualified to handle a loss of any size. As a proud member of the Restoration Industry Association, Metro is an advocate for best industry practices.
DISTRIBUTION COMPANY MYERS SUPPLY As a family-owned distributor of quality cleaning products, Myers Supply appreciates the challenges its customers face on a daily basis. The company is constantly adding innovative product systems supported by a professional sales team and outstanding training materials to ensure customers’ success. The experienced chemical and technical staff at Myers Supply is always finding new ways to make cleaning and sanitation easier and safer. With vast resources and facilities in Hot Springs and Little Rock, Myers Supply is in a position to supply Central Arkansas with the finest facility products at competitive prices. Since 1955, the success of Myers Supply has been the direct result of its philosophy of developing and nurturing long-term business partnerships.
DISASTER RESTORATION COMPANY METRO DISASTER SPECIALISTS Metro Disaster Specialists is a proven leader in all disaster situations, with a long history of professional approach and practical knowledge applied as an essential source for both property owners and insurance professionals. Based in North Little Rock, Metro Disaster Specialists is a licensed disaster general contractor providing 24-hour emergency service response to their clients. Metro specializes in providing rapid and reliable services, handling virtually any circumstance to secure clients’ property and contents against further damage. Metro has a proven portfolio of more than 20,000 completed projects and 275 years of combined restoration and reconstruction experience. Metro continues
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vices both new construction and existing structures needing electrical repair or being remodeled. The majority of its work comes from repeat customers, whose relationships the company strives to build and maintain. In addition to commercial and residential electrical services, Gary Houston offers facility maintenance and emergency electrical services.
EMPLOYMENT STAFFING AGENCY PREMIER STAFFING Premier Staffing, a BelFlex company, recruits, places and manages workers for clerical and professional positions including call center, data entry, human resources and accounting in a range of industries. It also provides commercial staffing workforce solutions in the light industrial sector. Through its offices in Little Rock and Conway, Premier delivers deep industry knowledge, recruiting expertise, commitment to compliance and a partnering approach to improving productivity. It also has access to BelFlex’s network of resources and experts from the company’s 29 branches throughout the Midwest and Southeast. With its professional team and thorough procedures, Premier maintains a reputation as an honest, reliable and professional business partner. The company is driven by a passion for creating success for its employees, clients and communities — what it calls “succeeding together.”
ELECTRICAL CONTRACTOR GARY HOUSTON ELECTRIC CO. For more than 35 years, Gary Houston Electric Co. has served Central Arkansas with affordable, quality and timely commercial and residential electrical contracting services with a strong emphasis on customer service. Constantly looking for opportunities to serve new customers, its areas of expertise include homes, retail spaces, restaurants, offices and warehouses among others. The company ser-
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ENGINEERING FIRM CRAFTON TULL Crafton Tull is a civil engineering, surveying, architecture, landscape architecture and planning firm with more than 300 employees working across Arkansas and Oklahoma. Crafton Tull’s
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IT’S STILL ABOUT SERVING THE CUSTOMERS.
Since 1938, Better Auctions Have Always Been Blackmon Auctions. ARM O N E YA ND P O L I T I C S .COM
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5423 Kavanaugh Blvd / Little Rock, AR 501-664-4526 / blackmonauctions.com
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MOST ADMIRED dedication to client service began in 1963, with founding partners Bob Crafton and Lem Tull. After eight years with the Arkansas Highway and Transportation Department, Crafton and Tull set out to build their own firm. As a direct result of the firm’s commitment to its clients, Crafton Tull quickly experienced growth, adding new office locations and expanding its service offerings. Jim Tull joined the company his father, Lem, cofounded in 1993 and eventually rose to the position of CFO. In 1998, Bob’s son, Matt Crafton, transitioned from his civil engineering role in the U.S. Air Force to the Air Force Reserve and joined Crafton Tull. Matt eventually rose to the position of COO before the Crafton Tull board of directors appointed him to the position of CEO in 2009. For more than 50 years, Crafton Tull has sought to improve communities through design, planning and surveying. That mission is carried out through the firm’s work still today across a wide variety of project types and services.
ENVIRONMENTAL CONSULTING FIRM ECCI ECCI is a Little Rock-based engineering and environmental consulting firm with 21 in-house professional engineers and experienced environmental scientists. Founded in 1993, ECCI has followed a path of controlled growth, adding skilled and experienced mechanical, chemical, civil and environmental engineers and scientists as the professional reputation of the firm has grown. ECCI’s success relies upon the breadth of knowledge of their employees in very specialized areas of both the environmental and engineering fields, in order to best serve The Natural State. ECCI employees are devoted to being the best advocate and resource for clients in any situation. For these reasons, ECCI also is a strong proponent of continuing education, so that staff remains at the forefront of ever-changing rules, regulations and new technology.
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FINANCIAL PLANNER CONWAY WEALTH MANAGEMENT Committed to maintaining the highest standards of integrity and professionalism with clients, Conway Wealth Management endeavors to know and understand its customers, financial situation, providing them with the highest quality of information, services and products to help pursue their goals. With knowledge surrounding the complex financial world, Conway Wealth Management understands that individuals face unique challenges when it comes to making financial decisions. To help clients take the mystery out of preparing for today and tomorrow, Conway Wealth Management works to help clients with all aspects of their financial life that may include investing for retirement, college savings or doing some estate planning. Conway Wealth Management has personalized service to focus on its client’s wants, needs and financial goals and objectives. In providing comprehensive financial planning, Conway Wealth Management helps people make informed financial decisions with the aim of providing the best outcome possible. Securities and Financial Planning offered through LPL Financial, a registered investment advisor. Member FINRA/SIPC.
FINTECH FIRM SMILEY TECHNOLOGIES Based in Little Rock, Smiley Technologies Inc. is a core and digital provider for community banks. The firm was founded in 2002 to serve a need for better software and superior service. Smiley’s mission is to be a trusted provider of security, innovative banking solutions and exceptional customer service to its valued partner banks. Smiley’s core banking platform is a vertically inte-
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grated solution, allowing bankers better access to information, more simple business processes and a more secure product. With high-touch customer service and continuous innovation, the Smiley team understands core banking and how to provide value to community banks.
FLORIST TIPTON & HURST Since 1886, Tipton & Hurst has been committed to fulfilling its promise of “guaranteed satisfaction” with every flower, plant, event and gift it delivers. Consistently voted Arkansas’ Best Florist, this family-owned and -operated business has blossomed from a floral shop in downtown Little Rock to a fullscale, specialty retailer with four Central Arkansas locations.
HEALTH CARE SYSTEM UNITY HEALTH The Unity Health System is the Searcy area’s largest employer with more than 2,300 associates. Its facilities offer a combined total of 571 licensed beds and a medical staff of more than 160 physicians who specialize in various areas of healthcare. Unity Health facilities include White County Medical Center in Searcy, Unity Health-Newport, Unity Health Specialty Care in Searcy, and coming later this year, Unity HealthJacksonville. Unity Health associates and partners strive to create a healthy community by creating a healing environment that enables people to reach the highest potential for health care.
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throughout Cleburne, Conway, Faulkner, Perry, Pope, Van Buren and Yell counties as a “Best Place to Work.”
HEALTH INSURANCE PROVIDER ARKANSAS BLUE CROSS AND BLUE SHIELD As Arkansas’ oldest and largest health insurer, Arkansas Blue Cross and Blue Shield has been helping improve the health, financial security and peace of mind of the people of Arkansas for more than 70 years. The company and its family of affiliates are leaders in health insurance innovation and provide a full spectrum of health and dental coverage plans for individuals and groups. Arkansas Blue Cross employs more than 3,200 people in about a dozen locations throughout Arkansas. The company serves nearly 800,000 people in Arkansas and another 1.2 million through national accounts. As a private, not-for-profit, mutual health insurance company, the company stands apart because its policyholders own the company entirely. Its commitment to the health of Arkansas and its people is unmatched.
HOSPITAL CONWAY REGIONAL MEDICAL CENTER Conway Regional Health System demonstrates the value that it places on the community by empowering a medical staff of more than 200 physicians and an employee staff of 1,500 in crucial decision-making that impacts patients every day. These crucial stakeholders are energized through an accountable clinical management model for physicians and a patient care governing congress for the staff. As a result, Conway Regional’s patient experience, employee and physician engagement scores in the Press Ganey survey soared into the 95th percentile in 2020. Conway Regional has been recognized nationally, statewide and locally
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HVAC COMPANY POWERS OF ARKANSAS Powers is the premier commercial building HVAC, controls and service company in Arkansas, offering a full range of heating, ventilation and air conditioning technologies and services to manage all of its customers’ HVAC needs. Representing Siemens Building Technologies, Powers specializes in building automation and control systems. This specialty allows customers to manage energy costs while maintaining the right comfort level. Powers works with building owners, facility managers, engineers, contractors and architects, providing design assistance on equipment, installation of controls and service on the whole HVAC system of the building or campus. Powers’ expertise is delivered to health care, education, government, commercial buildings, laboratories and industry. Headquartered in North Little Rock, Powers covers all of Arkansas. Additionally, it has offices in Oklahoma, Mississippi and Louisiana.
ing companies with A ratings or better. Southeast Insurance’s motto is “Providing Extraordinary Service and Solutions to Extraordinary Clients.” And it is more than a motto; it is something the firm believes in. In the over-65 market, Southeast Insurance specializes in Medicare supplements and drug plans. In the under-65 market, it specializes in individual health plans on and off the exchange. In addition to health, it offers life, dental, vision, cancer and accident coverage.
INSURANCE AGENCY, PROPERTY AND CASUALTY JAY VAN DOVER, SHELTER INSURANCE Jay Van Dover is a licensed agent with Shelter Insurance; his office is located in the Riverdale section of Little Rock. Van Dover is one of the top Shelter agents in the state and is licensed in Arkansas, Colorado, Illinois, Mississippi, Missouri, Oklahoma and Tennessee. His product offerings include auto, home, life, renters, personal articles, business, ATV, boat, motorcycle, RV and farm.
IT CONSULTING FIRM NETWORK SERVICES GROUP
INSURANCE AGENCY, HEALTH SOUTHEAST INSURANCE Kristi Stocker has been the owner of Southeast Insurance in Crossett for more than 25 years. Her team includes Pam Culp, who has been with her for 18 years; Denise Hudson, 13 years; Norma Bailey, five years; and Whitney Gill, three years. The company is contracted with some of the largest insurance companies in the industry and prides itself on represent-
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Network Services Group provides IT support to thousands of customers in Arkansas. Starting in 1989 in North Little Rock, the company has delivered quality products and outstanding customer service. NSG founded Network Data Services, a managed service provider, administering support for banks, medical firms, car dealerships, lawyers, manufacturers, staffing agencies and service companies. Services may include installing a new phone system or setting up a computer network, while fostering the com-
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• Commercial
• New Construction
• Residential
• Custom Lighting
CENTRAL ARKANSAS’ TRUSTED RESIDENTIAL AND COMMERCIAL ELECTRICIANS SINCE 1978 Thank you for honoring us as one of AMP’s 2022 Most Admired Companies. J U N E 2 02 2
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1922 West 3rd Street Little Rock, AR 72205 (501) 375-8330 / (501) 374-1263 service@ghec.us ARM ON E YA N D P OL ITIC S.COM
THANK YOU
for honoring The Janet Jones Company as
“MOST ADMIRED RESIDENTIAL REAL ESTATE COMPANY”
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MOST ADMIRED pany’s award-winning support. The firm remains based in North Little Rock, but now has a second location in Fayetteville. As it grows, NSG strives to “continue to focus on delivering incredible outcomes for you and your business.”
strategically developing knowledge in evolving industries to meet the demands of the business community. Recent developments include an ongoing focus on COVID-19’s impact on businesses; Name, Image and Likeness (NIL) partnerships; a public-facing women’s initiative, Woman-Run; WLJ Tech Law, focused on startups and small businesses; and medical cannabis in Arkansas.
ness and private banking, with housing mortgage representatives in 85 locations across 12 states. IberiaBank Mortgage offers fixed-rate mortgages and adjustablerate mortgages, including affordable housing loans and rural development. The mortgage company offers industryleading competitive rates and continues to fit a variety of financial needs. As a local mortgage lender, it takes pride in the ability to approve and fund local loans.
JANITORIAL SERVICES COMPANY JAN-PRO Dave Hughes opened Jan-Pro of Arkansas in 2005, the same year his son, Nolen, was a senior in high school. Nolen worked in the business during its first few years, learning how to clean and eventually becoming a floor care technician, in addition to taking care of various customer needs. After graduating from the University of Central Arkansas, Nolen started his own venture with College Hunks Hauling Junk and Moving. He owned the business for nine years before eventually selling it in 2018. For customers tired of commercial cleaning vendors who are long on promises, but short on performance, Jan-Pro is the solution.
LAW FIRM WLJ With more than 120 years of experience from 80 attorneys, Wright Lindsey Jennings (WLJ) remains committed to community, innovation, diversity, collaboration and professionalism. More than half of firm attorneys have been named among The Best Lawyers in America©, with 16 being recognized as “Lawyer of the Year” in their respective practice areas. As one of the three largest law firms in Arkansas, WLJ has an established history of excellence in representing the businesses, organizations and industries that make up the fabric of the Arkansas and regional economies across a full range of litigation, corporate and transactional service areas. WLJ is rooted in tradition and focused on innovation,
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MANUFACTURER U.S. STEEL Steel production is heating up in Arkansas, and U.S. Steel has been at the forefront. In January 2022, Arkansas unveiled the biggest economic development deal by capital investment in the state’s history: U.S. Steel’s announcement of its $3 billion “steel mill of the future” in Osceola. This 6.3-million-ton mega mill will feature two electric arc furnaces with 3 million tons of annual steelmaking capability, along with a state-of-the-art endless casting and rolling line and finishing capabilities. U.S. Steel President and CEO David B. Burritt said Arkansas offered a prime location for its steel mill that will allow U.S. Steel to grow and meet the needs of its customers.
MORTGAGE LENDER IBERIABANK MORTGAGE Founded in 1887 in New Iberia, La., IberiaBank Mortgage continues serving Arkansans across the state. Powered by a trustworthy team, the mortgage lender delivers better technology, broadening lending capabilities and expanding financial networks. IberiaBank entered the Arkansas market in 2009, when it acquired Little Rock’s Pulaski Bank & Trust. With 322 locations, IberiaBank meets the financial services of customers in retail and commercial, along with busi-
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NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION ARKANSAS GAME AND FISH FOUNDATION Created in 1982 through the efforts of former Arkansas Game and Fish Commission director Steve N. Wilson, the Arkansas Game and Fish Foundation is a nonprofit organization for people passionate about promoting hunting, fishing and conservation education for Arkansas youth. The foundation is known as a leader in the state for supporting the acquisition of property for hunting and fishing opportunities, creating and supporting conservation education. As a partner with the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission, providing creative opportunities to develop young Arkansans’ interests in fishing and hunting, informing and educating the public on a variety of issues important to the future of hunting, fishing and wildlife conservation as well as supporting other related programs.
NURSING HOME PRESBYTERIAN VILLAGE Presbyterian Village is owned and operated by a nonprofit organization, Presbyterian Village Inc., and is sponsored by 11 Presbyterian churches in the greater
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Little Rock metropolitan area. Presbyterian Village has provided 50-plus years of housing and services to the community. Its mission is to provide comprehensive continuing care for older adults that promotes health, comfort, security and spiritual well-being in a living environment that fosters personal dignity and independence.
OFFICE DESIGN COMPANY EVO BUSINESS ENVIRONMENTS Evo Business Environments LLC helps design spaces for businesses, health-care organizations and institutions of higher education. Its passion is to help create beautiful looking spaces, but also spaces that impact the culture and efficacy of the groups that inhabit them. Ideally, Evo’s involvement impacts profitability, promotes better healing and fosters more effective learning. Specifically, Evo has teams that help with everything from furniture and decor to architectural products like solid and glass walls, millwork, raised-access flooring and acoustical treatments. Working alongside other design professionals, Evo provides design concepts, budgets, technical drawings, renderings and virtual reality tours, all while being onsite from the beginning stages of the design process until the final finish-out onsite.
OFFICE SUPPLY COMPANY GOVERNMENT SUPPLY SERVICES Government Supply Services (GSS) is a facilities supplier serving the federal, state and private sector to meet diverse small-business goals since 2009. GSS provides a huge selection of more than 1 million products from trusted distribu-
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tor-alliance partners. Product categories include industrial-grade maintenance, repair and operating supplies (MRO), safety products, janitorial and sanitation supplies, breakroom supplies, technology supplies, office supplies as well as first aid and health supplies. GSS is formally aligned with Grainger Inc. and Staples Inc., adding credibility to the products and services that customers want to buy. Gregory Modica, a service-disabled veteran founded Government Supply Services (GSS) in El Dorado with the vision to establish a company that would provide independent employment opportunities for people with disabilities or unique challenges. Modica also wanted to provide hands-on mentorship opportunities to young entrepreneurs by working with their college administrators and community outreach organizations.
in the country, provides industry-leading branded communication and communication-protection solutions to mobile carriers and businesses. The company is headquartered in North Little Rock and has offices in Seattle, London and Dubai. Its branded communication solutions, INFORM® and ENGAGE®, empower consumers to connect over a branded and verified call and are used by hundreds of companies worldwide. In addition, First Orion’s Communication Protection suite offers scam, fraud and spoof protection solutions to hundreds of millions of consumers and processes more than 100 billion calls annually for T-Mobile, Metro by T-Mobile and Boost Mobile Networks. First Orion is a multiyear certified Great Place to Work and maintains a 4.7-star Glassdoor rating. The company was also named one of the most distinguished companies by Arkansas Money & Politics and has received multiple national workplace awards.
PAYROLL COMPANY COMPLETE PAYROLL SERVICES Complete Payroll of Little Rock began as Combined Financial Services, founded by Guy Dillahunty in 1992. When he retired in October of 2000, the company was purchased by Betty Jo King, who continued to grow the company with the same principles on which it was founded. Eventually, the company became Complete Payroll Services and moved forward by adding services such as online payroll, web-based time-keeping administration, biometric time clocks, pay cards and more. Staying on top of technological advancements in the industry, Complete Payroll is proud to offer the very best from HR services to 401(k) management.
PRIVATELY OWNED COMPANY FIRST ORION First Orion Corp., one of the fastestgrowing telecommunications companies
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PROFESSIONAL ASSOCIATION ARKANSAS TRUCKING ASSOCIATION The Arkansas Trucking Association promotes the health of the Arkansas trucking industry on issues that directly impact member companies and our state and national economies. Shannon Newton, who has been behind the wheel of the ATA since 2014, has worked hard to make sure the association works like a well-oiled machine. The ATA is owned and governed by more than 300 trucking companies and important industry suppliers. Members range from firms with five or fewer trucks to some of the nation’s largest freight and logistics companies. The ATA’s mission is to advance the trucking industry’s image, efficiency, competitiveness and profitability. ATA’s comprehensive range of services, products and member benefits are designed to help members compete and succeed. The association was started in 1932 as
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Building Communities Since 2007 Sandy Dixon founded Turn Key Construction Management as a one hundred percent woman owned business with construction, construction management and architectural expertise all in one company. We bring multiple years of experience to all projects, large or small, and have successfully worked with government agencies, school districts, private companies, and religious organizations. Offices in Fort Smith and Bentonville TurnKeyConstructionManagement.com
FEARLESS IS TAKING OUR JOB SERIOUSLY. SERVING OUR CUSTOMERS ENTHUSIASTICALLY. PROTECTING YOUR HEALTH FERVENTLY. GIVING BACK GENEROUSLY. BEING GRATEFUL GENUINELY. THANK YOU! For trusting us for more than 70 years to bring you, your loved ones, your company, your community peace of mind. 00130.01.02-0522
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A century of accomplishments. A future to believe in. Arkansas is what we accomplish together – the momentum that carries us into tomorrow. It’s that collective spark that has allowed Entergy to power our communities for over a century, and we’re committed to the next 100 years with reinforced infrastructure and renewable energy. Entergy is honored to be named one of Arkansas’ Most Admired Companies. Together, we’ll create a brighter future full of more accomplishments and collaboration.
A message from Entergy Arkansas, LLC ©2022 Entergy Services, LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Thank you for voting us one of AMP’s Most Admired Companies!
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MOST ADMIRED the Shippers and Carriers Association of Arkansas. Ninety years later, the Association is still around promoting and supporting the trucking industry and all the ways it has flourished in the state.
Trivia Marketing is a one-stop shop, starting with personal marketing experts who will brainstorm with clients. Its onsite graphics department will create the perfect look for a business. Its in-house screen printing and embroidery production departments will make it happen. Trivia Marketing has the largest showroom of its kind in Arkansas and more than 30 years of experience.
PROFESSIONAL SERVICES PROVIDER ACXIOM Founded in Arkansas more than 50 years ago, Acxiom designs and delivers customer intelligence solutions for the world’s most successful and trusted brands. Acxiom’s solutions use marketing data and technology to help companies better understand their customers to deliver better experiences for people and growth for the brand. As the world’s leading provider of customer data management, identity management and ethical data use, Acxiom helps brands meet people’s unique needs respectfully and with relevance. Acxiom’s associates and their commitment to innovation, diversity, equity and inclusion have helped the company earn several workplace awards, including Great Place to Work, Fortune’s Best Workplaces in Technology, Fortune’s Best Workplaces for Women and People’s Companies That Care. Acxiom has been part of the Interpublic Group of companies since 2018.
PUBLIC COMPANY J.B. HUNT TRANSPORT SERVICES A Fortune 500 transportation leader, J.B. Hunt Transport Services started in 1961 in Lowell as a people-first company founded on innovation, disruption and service – working daily on creating the most efficient transportation network in North America. With great customer service as a bedrock value of J.B. Hunt, the company prides itself on doing what it says it would. The logistics hub provides intermodal, truckload, final mile, fulfillment, LTL and outsourced fleet operations for its customers, including flatbed, temp-controlled, international, managed logistics expedited deliveries and more. J.B. Hunt works with technology to bring freight forward with online shipping booking, and Carrier 360, an online platform for customers to keep up with its loads. The company employs more than 24,000 workers, operates more than 12,000 trucks and more than 100,000 trailers and containers.
PROMOTIONAL/MARKETING COMPANY TRIVIA MARKETING It’s said that it only takes nine exposures to move someone to action. For pennies per “look,” promotional products keep a business’ name and message in front of its target market. Little Rock’s
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PUBLIC RELATIONS FIRM SIXTYONE CELSIUS An award-winning, full-stack creative communications agency, SixtyOne Celsius proudly partners with businesses,
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nonprofit, and organizations that span a variety of industries including (but not limited to) education, economic development, banking, tourism, hospitality, health care and more. The agency also supplies photography and video services to a variety of clients, including Visit Hot Springs. Since 2016, SixtyOne Celsius has helped to secure $75 million in community improvement projects for the City of Hot Springs and Garland County through ballot initiative campaign consulting. From highway infrastructure projects that will improve transportation throughout the county to expanded museum facilities, plus a state-of-the-art baseball complex, the firm partnered with community leaders and local advocates on ballot issue campaigns that seek to improve the quality of life for both residents and visitors. In 2022, SixtyOne Celsius became a certified Minority and Women-Owned Business Enterprise through the Arkansas Economic Development Commission.
PUBLIC UTILITY, ELECTRIC ENTERGY Entergy Arkansas is a division of the Entergy Corporation, an integrated energy company engaged in electric power production, transmission and retail distribution operations. Entergy delivers electricity to 3 million utility customers in Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas, in addition to owning and operating one of the cleanest large-scale U.S. power generating fleets as well as nuclear power options. Entergy has annual revenues of $10 billion and more than 13,000 employees. At Entergy, you’ll find a corporation that consistently strives to create sustainable value for customers, employees, communities and owners. That concentrated focus drives the way Entergy thinks as an organization, allowing the company to effectively navigate through numerous transitions, both revolutionary and evolutionary, and still deliver on its commitments to their stakeholders.
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Force Base. CAW was recently named a Leading Utility of the World, which is the gold standard for utility performance. CAW has also been recognized as top five best drinking water in North America by the American Water Works Association. PUBLIC UTILITY, GAS SUMMIT UTILITIES Summit Utilities Inc. is the new gas provider for the state of Arkansas. The Little Rock firm purchased assets from CenterPoint Energy in an April deal worth $2.1 billion. The acquisition covered customers in Arkansas, Oklahoma and Texarkana, Texas. Summit now serves 525,000 customers and operates 17,000 miles of gas main pipeline across three states. Its mission is to provide clean-burning, safe and reliable natural-gas service to residential and commercial customers as well as to support economic development through reliable energy solutions.
PUBLIC UTILITY, WATER CENTRAL ARKANSAS WATER Serving one in every six Arkansans, Central Arkansas Water and its more than 300 employees provide water service to almost 500,000 customers across eight counties. Direct service boundaries include the communities of Little Rock, North Little Rock, Alexander, Brushy Island Public Water Authority, Cammack Village, College Station, Maumelle, Paron, Sherwood, Wrightsville, 145th Street Water and Sewer Improvement District and unincorporated Pulaski County. Central Arkansas Water also provides treated water supply for the cities of Shannon Hills and Bryant in Saline Country as well as Ridgefield Estates Public Facilities Board, and provides supplemental supply to Cabot, Salem, Sardis, North Pulaski Water Works Association, Woodland Hills and Jacksonville, whose service area includes the Little Rock Air
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ta, farmland or timberland in the Ozarks. The company’s agents are trained in all aspects of rural real estate and have the equipment and expertise to effectively help you buy or sell. Mossy Oak Properties-Delta Land Management also has a full management team that includes wildlife and farm managers who can help take property to the next level. As landowners, hunters and real estate professionals themselves, the folks at Mossy Oak Properties-Delta Land Management understand their clients’ goals.
REAL ESTATE, COMMERCIAL HATHAWAY GROUP The Hathaway Group story begins in 1976 with the founding of Hathaway-Moore & Associates on two desks and a card table at 312 W. Capitol Avenue in downtown Little Rock. The business was built on integrity and innovation, characteristics that continue to define the team, and it developed strong ties throughout Arkansas. The firm is blessed to have the wisdom and counsel of founder Jim Hathaway, even now. Today, Hathaway Group remains an independent commercial real estate company serving property owners, businesses and investment groups.
REAL ESTATE, LAND BROKER MOSSY OAK PROPERTIES-DELTA LAND MANAGEMENT CO. The professionals at Mossy Oak Properties-Delta Land Management Co. have been the leading real estate brokers of farmland, hunting properties and natural places since 2005. A family owned and operated business, Mossy Oak Properties-Delta Land Management Company has agents throughout Arkansas who are ready to help you buy or sell, whether it’s a duck/deer hunting property in the Del-
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REAL ESTATE, RESIDENTIAL THE JANET JONES COMPANY Over the years, The Janet Jones Company has consistently ranked as the top real estate agency in Central Arkansas, both in the dollar volume of homes sold and residential market share. Janet Jones, who founded the company in 1980, continues at the helm, and her original guiding philosophy has never changed: The Golden Rule. The company remains locally and family-owned, and proudly independent. With 37 agents and a support staff of 11, The Janet Jones Company thrives in its family-like environment. Culture is its strongest asset, where team members support each other’s efforts, share ideas openly and collaborate to provide clients with their signature “legendary service” across Central Arkansas. Well-trained and experienced agents at The Janet Jones Company are renowned as the best of the best and consistently rank among the top producers in Arkansas.
RESTAURANT DOE’S EAT PLACE LITTLE ROCK Before Doe’s Eat Place became a Little Rock landmark, the name and menu
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A Growing Health System for a Growing Community
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Named “Most Admired Hospital” in Arkansas At Conway Regional, we are committed to providing high-quality, compassionate health care to the communities we serve. We are growing to bring innovative services, more specialists, new medical offices, and expanded access. We are honored to have been named “Most Admired Hospital” for two consecutive years in addition to being voted "Best Hospital" in the state by the readers of AY magazine.
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MOST ADMIRED dwelled in Greenville, Mississippi. George Eldridge, east Arkansas restaurateur and hobby pilot, periodically flew friends and clients to Doe’s Eat Place in Greenville for the legendary food, but he soon decided it would be easier to bring Doe’s to Arkansas. After acquiring the rights to the name and menu, Eldridge opened Little Rock’s location of the humble steakhouse on the corner of Ringo and West Markham in 1988. After years of local success, the Little Rock Doe’s Eat Place gained national recognition during the 1992 presidential election campaign when Bill Clinton and staff made the restaurant a frequent hangout spot. Doe’s has since been a regular stop for athletes, race car drivers, entertainers and other professionals. Under the ownership of Eldridge’s daughter, Katherine Eldridge, Doe’s Eat Place has maintained that original Doe’s spirit.
SOLAR COMPANY ENTEGRITY ENERGY PARTNERS Founded in 2007, Entegrity started as a consulting firm, focusing on building sustainability, building performance and energy efficiency. By the early 2010’s, several key technologies started to advance, giving Entegrity the opportunity to combine existing energy-engineering expertise with construction and implementation experience to assist clients with turn-key energy projects. Entegrity joined forces with Nabholz, a construction and facility maintenance company with more than 70 years of experience, bringing a new business model to market with wide-ranging expertise in sustainability, building performance and energy efficiency. Uniquely qualified in delivering innovative and sustainable solutions to optimize building performance, Entegrity helps clients realize long-term operational savings by focusing on all of their needs – selecting the most cost-effective scope, contract structure, financing strategy and tying it all together with a performance-based guarantee.
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tional Title was formed in June of 1997 and has since grown from two to roughly 250 employees in 26 locations across the state. The company’s experienced team of closers and title examiners close real estate transactions promptly, professionally and accurately. First National Title closes both residential and commercial real-estate transactions as well as loan refinancing transactions.
STARTUP HORIZON HEALTH SOLUTIONS Horizon Health Solutions is a pharmacy enterprise software startup located in Little Rock. The startup provides software and database tools to help its customers, independent pharmacy owners and decision makers improve their profit margins. PriceView, the first product Horizon Health Solutions is bringing to market, made one pharmacy an additional $800,000 in reimbursement revenue in 2021. In recognizing the immense financial pressure that pharmacy owners face, Horizon Health Solutions doesn’t charge an upfront cost in using its software – meaning the company doesn’t make money until their clients do. With a mission to protect patient access to care through their local pharmacies, Horizon Health Solutions is focused on helping independent pharmacies maximize their margins through software solutions.
TRUCKING COMPANY CALARK
TITLE COMPANY FIRST NATIONAL TITLE
TRUST DEPARTMENT SIMMONS WEALTH MANAGEMENT
First National Title Company is an independent, locally owned-and-operated company serving Arkansas. First National Title has put together a complete team of experts in the title industry. Its services are professional, efficient and customized to client’s needs. First Na-
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CalArk is a family-owned company, just the right size to be directly involved in meeting customer needs and exceeding expectations. The Little Rock-based company offers third-party logistics, including equipment leasing, less-than-truckload shipping, last-mile distribution, dry van trucking, warehousing, cross-border business and brokerage. Tom Bartholomew began CalArk in 1975 with just three trucks and the belief that growth and success would happen through honesty, integrity and a never-ending commitment to customer satisfaction. Today, the company works with hundreds of CalArk company drivers and independent owner-operators (under the business name Central Hauling) to keep the wheels of American business turning.
For generations, the knowledgeable team at Simmons Bank Wealth Management has been a premier provider of trust, investment management and fiduciary services. Generation after generation, Simmons Bank has been trusted for what mat-
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ters. Its wealth professionals have deep industry experience and are ready to provide the personalized solutions to help you build and manage your wealth, provide for your family and protect your legacy.
Today, Turn Key continues to offer construction services to clients in Arkansas and surrounding states. With offices in Fort Smith and Bentonville, Turn Key strives to engage its clients throughout the entire construction process. Turn Key offers both general contractor and construction management services for a variety of building types and clients. Howev-
er, most of its work has been with public clients such as cities, states and other government entities. Over the years, the scale and complexity of Turn Key’s projects have grown from a few hundred square feet and a few thousand dollars in construction costs to projects such as the Arkansas State Police Headquarters, 46,000-SF and $14 million.
WEALTH MANAGEMENT FIRM LEGACY CAPITAL The team at Legacy Capital in Little Rock strives to gain an in-depth understanding of all facets of clients’ financial, tax and planning life – including estate plans, corporate and entity structure (if relevant), income tax considerations as well as investment and insurance portfolios. The in-house team at Legacy Capital includes a variety of professionals with different areas of expertise – attorneys, CFPs, an LLM in tax and an FALU, as well as investment professionals and insurance experts. Instead of one person trying to meet every need, the professionals at Legacy Capital function as a team, which ensures that each member serves in their area of highest competence. Having a team mentality, the firm also values clients’ other trusted professionals, including accountants, lawyers, trust officers and other family members. Everyone typically sees things from a different perspective, and working together as a team delivers better results for clients.
WOMAN-OWNED COMPANY TURN KEY CONSTRUCTION MANAGEMENT Sandy Dixon founded Turn Key Construction Management Inc. in 2007 as a woman-owned construction company.
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Proud of our legacy. Focused on yours. Voted as One of 2022’s Most Admired Companies by Arkansas Money & Politics
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Thank you for voting us Most Admired Chamber. Our goal is to make Conway and central Arkansas a nationally competitive, economically diverse region and your support means so much to us.
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MOST ADMIRED
FOR INDEPENDENT PHARMACIES,
BIGGER PROFITS ON THE HORIZON
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By Angela Forsyth Photos by Ebony Blevins
ince winning several awards for its excellent business plan, the team of Horizon Health Solutions is ready to take it to the next level. Up until this year, the founders – a group of UAMS students – had been using UAMS-based technology to discover moneymaking opportunities for the school’s pharmacy. After making the pharmacy hundreds of thousands of dollars, the recent graduates decided to launch the technology as a business outside of academia. Now, the team is offering its unique program to pharmacy owners. Not the Walgreens or CVSs of the country, but the smaller ones, to help them maximize profit margins. By reaching out to local independent pharmacies, Horizon may have found a niche that’s not actually a niche. The market is huge. Currently, independent pharmacies serve close to a third of the United States. According to an annual review performed by the National Com-
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munity Pharmacists Association, in 2020, the industry represented 34 percent of all retail pharmacies in the United States and a $67.1 billion marketplace. Horizon co-founder and CEO Amy Hopper Swan said her mission is to help local pharmacies stay in business by giving them tools to compete against “the big guys,” thereby strengthening patient access to care. To help these smaller pharmacies thrive, Horizon Health Solutions applies innovative software and database tools that were developed at UAMS. Brett Bailey, the group’s CTO and a pharmacist at the medical school, developed the algorithm that identifies opportunities for increasing profit margins. Bailey is also a data analyst and clinical informaticist with previous experience in community pharmacy — the perfect trifecta for the health solutions group. The Horizon Health Solutions team is led by Hopper Swan, a recent graduate of the University of Arkansas MBA program; John Sherrill, a Ph.D. and post-
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Amy Hopper Swan and John Sherrill of Horizon Health Solutions.
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Hopper Swan compares Horizon’s PriceView product to a homeseller pulling comps from the MLS before setting a sales price.
For Horizon, the next items on the agenda are to gain more clients, raise seed money and hire a full-time VP of engineering.
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doctoral fellow at UAMS; Joshuah Walker, recent MBA graduate at the UA; and Solomon Isu, recent UA chemical engineering Ph.D. graduate. Horizon’s primary product, PriceView, applies its technology to show pharmacies where to maximize the reimbursement they receive from insurance companies. Hopper Swan compares it to the housing market. A person selling a house will go to the MLS and pull comps of comparable houses before setting the sale price. “Pharmacies don’t have that ability unless they’re the big guys,” she explained. “They have teams dedicated to data analysis. They own insurance companies, so they already know what that market price for a drug is.” Since independent pharmacies don’t have that pricing information on hand,
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they often add an arbitrary markup to what they paid for a drug. Then, they bill insurance companies that amount. “They’re leaving money on the table; PriceView helps independent pharmacies get full reimbursement.” In addition to PriceView, Horizon is developing two other products. One is a drug-cost acquisition predictor. It will help pharmacies understand how seasonal changes in drug prices could help them procure drugs at the right time. The other is a program that looks at the pharmacy’s patient population to understand what generic drugs they should buy to get the best margin from insurance companies. The road to marketing PriceView has been marked with its own challenges. Early on, the first step was to gain a deep understanding of the industry.
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“The U.S. pharmaceutical market, as most people know, is astonishingly complicated. Learning the ins and outs of the industry and tailoring our pitch to a broad audience has been probably one of the most difficult but exciting experiences for us,” Hopper Swan said. The team spent hours on the phone with pharmacists and created an advisory board for support. The board encompasses experience and expertise in software, big data fundraising and pharmacy ownership. Now that the group has launched out of academia, its current challenge is to bring in customers and establish Horizon Health Solutions as a sound business. Still prerevenue, the company is on the path to making sales by the end of the year. Last year, PriceView made UAMS an additional $800,000 in profit. It’s only a matter of time before other pharmacies see the benefits. The benefit of PriceValue is that it doesn’t require additional manpower. Many pharmacies are run by one or two people who are often stretched too thin. Owners don’t have time to sift through data and make pricing updates as drug prices change every day. “We’re not introducing an extra layer of work,” the CEO emphasized. PriceView can be integrated into the pharmacy’s current management system. “We want it to be something that is just completely plug-in, and once it’s fully developed, it will be a one-click solution.” Further down the road, the program will generate a popup that states it has identified a higher price that can be charged and offer a simple “yes” or “no” option for the price increase. In the competitive pharmaceutical market, the Horizon team realizes it must do something special to stand out. So, it designed a revenue model to accom-
modate the tight margins pharmacies work with. “When a business operates on margins that range from 3 percent to 5 percent, they’re going to be hesitant to take on additional costs,” Hopper Swan noted. “We operate on a profit-sharing model, meaning we don’t make money until they do.” For Horizon, the next items on the agenda are to gain more clients, raise seed money and hire a full-time VP of engineering. The idea is to hire someone who will work outside of UAMS to develop the customer interface and experience so that it’s more user-friendly for
We’re very passionate about the problem we’re solving for pharmacy owners and patients, especially in rural America and disenfranchised communities. community pharmacies. “We are definitely a small but mighty team,” Hopper Swan said. “We’re very passionate about the problem we’re solving for pharmacy owners and patients, especially in rural America and disenfranchised communities. Having a local pharmacy that’s walking distance from where you live is very important to many Americans. Often, communities may not have a physician, but they have a pharmacy, and it may be the only access to health care they have,” Hopper Swan said. The team continues to passionately focus on supporting small pharmacies while remembering to remain agile to the constant changes of this industry. “Every day, we learn something new, and we get more and more comfortable with the discomfort of potentially uncovering something that might change our course.” sixtyonecelsius.com
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A Klipsch La Scala holds court on stage at the Klipsch Auditorium, which occupies the top floor of Hope City Hall. (Photo by Jamison Mosley)
HISTORY IN HI-FI Hope organization sharing the Paul Klipsch legacy By Mark Carter
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or a few miles north of Hope, meadows of yellow wildflowers ferry Arkansas Highway 32 into a dramatic dogleg at the old Southwest Proving Grounds, a major U.S. Army munitions-testing center during World War II. And it’s here, in 1946, where a transplanted Arkansan — who would come to be known by his initials — invented a revolutionary cornerhorn loudspeaker that launched a global enterprise, and for audiophiles, the age of high fidelity. “Any speaker works better in a corner.” — PWK PWK died in Hope in 2002 at the age of 98, having sold his company to a second cousin in 1989. But more than 75 years later, the company he founded remains among the most well-respected in the industry, and its name carries a global cachet still. Reference that name, from Texarkana to Timbuktu, even among those who don’t count themselves among the legion of global audiophiles, and there can be no misunderstanding: Klipsch. The nonprofit Klipsch Heritage Museum Association (KHMA) was created to make sure the PWK legacy reverberates on, in the birthplace of hi-fi and beyond.
Driven by his love of music and a bent toward science, PWK built his first speaker at age 15, a year before the first public radio broadcast.
PWK (right) sold his company to his Indiana second cousin, Fred Klipsch, in 1989. (Photo courtesy of Klipsch) 68
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ronically, Paul W. Klipsch wasn’t fond of the term, “hi-fi,” even though his speakers would come to define it. For Klipsch and the colleagues he gathered to Hope in the early days to help change the way people listened to music, hi-fi simply represented “audio realism.”
(words new to me at that time), but ‘it was too expensive!’ At about this time, we heard Dr. Perrine of Bell Labs give a talk and demonstration of music reproduction. He had a whole stage of equipment — turntables, speakers in baffles, boxes, etc. It was quite an ‘ear-opener’ to me. I told Paul he could have the backroom to work in, if he could build us something that we could use in the living room that would be near to what we had heard. So, the first woofer, bass reproducer, by Klipsch was conceived in his mind shortly thereafter. He soon moved out of the backroom, which was also the guest room, into the living room, using a card table to make cardboard horns. Much math study, reading on acoustics, drawing of plans went on. Finally, a carpenter put it together and then we went into the testing stage.”
“There is no such thing as high fidelity. Either you’ve got fidelity, or you’ve got infidelity.” — PWK The Klipsch plant in Hope continues to crank out high-end speakers, even if the corporate headquarters now resides in Indiana. It sits right across the road from the Klipsch Museum of Audio History, an old Army telephone exchange building that served as the original company factory. After spending two years honing his speakers in a tin shed behind a local laundry, Klipsch & Associates took over the old exchange. From 1948 to 1952, it housed an acoustic lab, an office and a basement bunker outfitted for production. There, many of the first Klipsch speakers to hit the market were made. Today, Klipsch Group Inc. employs 62 workers in Hope, who build 1,300 to 1,600 speakers per month, including the iconic Klipschorn®, the company’s foundation product — sent to customers across the globe. PWK’s first wife, Belle, wrote of the 1928 events behind the brainstorm that led to his determination to reproduce an orchestra performance in his living room: “Finally, I urged that we get a radio, as I had to visit a neighbor to hear ‘all about Wallis Warfield Simpson’ and her love affair with the King of England. So, we purchased one. Then, we listened to it. Paul was unhappy with the reproduction of music. We just were not getting all that we should hear. He picked out a speaker that he believed was a good, wide range reproducer
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PWK achieved his objective by making the Klipschorn a fully horn-loaded design, according to Jim Hunter, KMAH curator, longtime PWK friend and colleague. Hunter worked for the company from 1978 until PWK’s death 24 years later, serving in several roles, including vice president of design engineering. The Klipschorn established technology that set industry standards that live on today, Hunter said. Klipsch products range from speakers for home theater, home audio, wireless and outdoor use to highend headphones, sound bars and even installation services, continue to set the bar for high sensitivity, wide dynamic range, low distortion, smooth frequency response and powerful bass. Klipsch consistently is included among industry “best of” lists. “Klipsch’s Klipschorn speaker has been so good for so long that it now looks retro.” — The Verge, 2016
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“The history of PWK and his company are a vital part of this community.” Hope Mayor Don Still, Klipsch museum curator Jim Hunter and KHMA executive director Beckie Moore in the Klipsch Visitors Center. (Jamison Mosley) 70
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hat Klipsch speakers were founded in Hope, and are made there still, is common knowledge to most Arkansans, at least those of a certain age. Many might even know a little about their brilliant, eccentric inventor. PWK became known throughout the area as the eccentric tinkerer who built speakers out north of town — the “madman from Hope.” He was one of those rare cuts of cloth, whose mind seemed to operate on a different wavelength — part Nicola Tesla, a dash of Howard Hughes. His passions included music, science, engineering, flying and trains, but his foremost obsession always remained the job set out before him. “My first great love was railroads. But then in 1911, I saw Lincoln Beechy flying in and out of Purdue stadium, and I fell in love with airplanes. I didn’t forsake my first love; I just became polygamous.” — PWK PWK inherited a scholastic mindset from his mother, Minna, a teacher, and his scientific aptitude from his father of German heritage, Oscar, a mechanical engineering professor at Purdue, who died when PWK was 12. Following Oscar’s death, the only child and his mom moved to New Mexico so she could take a teaching job in El Paso, where PWK graduated high school. Driven by his love of music and a bent toward science, PWK built his first speaker at age 15, a year before the first public radio broadcast. From his own description of early experimentations into what would become the Klipsch sound: “…Attached the cardboard tube cores of toilet tissue to a pair of Brandes Superior earphones (Sears-Roebuck, $7.00), little knowing that a year earlier (1919) Dr. Webster had published his paper on exponential horns. When the greats and near greats like Hanna and Slepian had missed this epic paper, may the Saints forgive me, a high school sophomore, for not be-
pilot, an enthusiastic one, who would fly himself across the country to meetings and events, landing in empty cornfields, if necessary. Nan Taylor, long time secretary, told this story shortly after he had bought the first airplane, the Stinson Voyager. Apparently, Belle was expecting to spend that money on a nicer house. Nan came to work one morning and was surprised to find Paul already there, as he didn’t usually come to work early. He looked more scruffy than usual. She remarked, “You look like you have been here all night,” to which he replied, “I have.” — Jim Haynes
Moore said the visitors center was created to give audiophiles and tourists another glimpse into the Klipsch legacy. (Jamison Mosley)
ing aware of the same. But I did find that a ‘tube’ connected to the diaphragm, added something to ‘intelligibility’ or loudness — or what might now be called reduced distortion. There was a time a little later when I tried to measure ‘acoustic resistance’ by timing the fall of a cone through measured space. Much more recently was the measurement of ‘sound’ pressure by water manometer (where it seems one inch of hydrostatic pressure is about 2490 microbars).” He would go on to earn an electrical
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engineering degree from what is now New Mexico State University, where the School of Engineering now bears the Klipsch name, and later, an advanced engineering degree from Stanford. And before Uncle Sam delivered him to Hope to test ballistics for the war effort (he retired a lieutenant colonel), PWK worked as a radio designer, a geophysicist and, in Chile, on electric locomotives. He married Belle, for whom an iconic Klipsch speaker would be named, aboard the ship that delivered the bride to Paul and at his new job in South America. And he was a licensed
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He is named on 21 patents, issued over 43 years from 1940 to 1983, and is a member of the Audio, Science & Engineering and Consumer Electronics halls of fame. On his final patent, the anechoic chamber arrangement, issued in 1983, he partnered with Hunter. One of the more notable “Klispschisms,” which came to be associated with PWK’s general outlook and way of communicating, was a single word — crude slang for cattle manure. Profane, but effective. PWK first unveiled it when responding to a rival company’s ad claiming alleged breakthroughs. His one-word response became a rallying cry and the unofficial company motto. It even was printed up on T-shirts and buttons. “He wore two large yellow BS buttons under his coat like hidden police badges. When someone would ‘exceed their intelligence,’ he would open his coat for them to see the yellow BS button. One time, because of a particularly egregious statement, he opened both sides of his coat to reveal two yellow buttons, and said to the victim, ‘in stereo.’” — Don Davis, former employee
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The Klipsch museum includes vintage speakers, parts and other audio equipment. (Jamison Mosley)
An old Cobreflex horn used in some of the company’s early experimentations. (Jamison Mosley)
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arlier this year, KHMA opened the Paul W. Klipsch Visitors Center in the historic Feild House in downtown Hope, next door to the Clinton Birthplace Welcome Center and Visitors Center. Nonprofit veteran Beckie Moore, a Hope native who had served on the association board, was named its first executive director and CEO. The inaugural PWK Birthday Bash fundraiser was held at the center March 9-12 (PWK’s birthday was March 9), and it served to officially cut the ribbon. Moore said the visitors center was created to provide a physical place for folks to visit — among Hope’s pilgrims, most of the Clinton variety, are a few pure audiophiles — and establish a presence in historic downtown Hope
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to showcase the organization’s commitment to the community. The town currently is undergoing downtown revitalization and working towards official Main Street Arkansas status. “The history of PWK and his company are a vital part of this community, so the desire of KHMA is to join them in service to our community,” she said. “And we want the visitors center experience to provide a glimpse of Klipsch through the decades and an opportunity to listen to music through Klipsch speakers.” The center, which remains a work in progress, serves as a complement to the museum. It includes two “period” rooms, in which visitors can view the century-old house as it appeared in different eras of Klipsch production. And
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while they’re doing so, they can listen to a set of era-specific Klipsch speakers. In the 1950s room, for example, a ’54 Klipschorn holds court. Paul subscribed to the Wall Street Journal. He brought all his discarded papers to the shop to use for packing material. Portus Gilley and I made a point to use some Wall Street Journal in every package, and to make it fairly visible. We were rewarded when sometime later, a customer wrote in, “Of course, the Klipschorn is expensive. It comes wrapped in the Wall Street Journal.” — Jim Haynes, former employee The center also includes Moore’s
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office and a gift shop. When complete, it will function as a full companion to the museum. The Klipsch tourism “campus” includes the Feild House, the museum, the Klipsch Education Center and the must-see Paul W. Klipsch Auditorium. The education center, located at the Hope airport on the old proving grounds, houses the PWK engineering library and hosts educational events such as workshops and seminars. It sits across from the hangar where PWK first publicly demonstrated his Klipschorn to a large group gathered there to cel-
ebrate the end of the war in 1945. And Klipsch Auditorium, a postcard image from the past, may be the pièce de resistance. Built in 1926 and dedicated to PWK in 1995, the 400-seat venue still has its vintage seating and lighting. Maintained by KHMA, it takes up the entire second floor and balcony of Hope’s grand City Hall. Moore said plans for the auditorium include restoration of certain features and some necessary light repair and maintenance, all in preparation for a day when the facility once again can host concerts, lectures
and other community-based events. The museum, meanwhile, hosts an impressive array of artifacts and collections, including many items that predate PWK. It houses correspondence from early industry giants and some of the products and processes they created. Early sketches, prototypes and experiments from PWK’s personal collection are included as well. The museum, the land on which it sits and all archives and artifacts related to PWK and Klipsch & Associates were donated by Klipsch Group Inc.
The museum is housed in the former Southwest Proving Grounds telephone exchange, which later became the first Klipsch factory. (Jamison Mosley)
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ope Mayor Don Still sits on the museum board, but he has more than a civic connection to Klipsch. His dad owned the shop behind which PWK started it all. Today, he owns Still’s Automotive Service, just a few blocks from the Feild House. “He really was a genius,” Still said of PWK. “We were lucky to have him and not just as a longtime employer. He and the company have been so important to us in many ways.” A physicist is someone who knows what’s wrong with a doorbell, but can’t fix it. I had a photographic memory, but it didn’t develop. — “Klipschisms” Still said he visited California about a decade ago and shared with a group of natives that he was from Hope, Arkansas. “I just knew they were gonna say, ‘Bill Clinton….’ But they said, ‘That’s where they make Klipsch speakers.’ And that’s when I realized how broad the Klipsch name and brand really are. It’s amazing how far the reach is. We have people all over the world who contact us and want to know more about Klipsch, the speakers, the quality of sound. And I tell �em, ‘You gotta hear �em. You gotta hear �em and feel �em.’” Still said Klipsch has always been a good partner for Hope, providing stable, long-term, high-paying jobs for local workers. He believes the KHMA Visitors Center will help attract more audio tourism to Hope and called its location next door to the Clinton birthplace museum a perfect pairing. “We’re so excited about having all this downtown,” he said. “It’s been a really good ride for us, and we’re looking forward to expanding the museum and visitors center. If anybody’s going to visit Hope, they have plenty of things to visit.”
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As hands on as any owner, PWK would often take to the factory floor to tinker and build. (Courtesy of Klipsch)
Hunter hopes the visitors center can help those in the local community fully appreciate the impact PWK and his company have had on the industry. I’m going fifth. It’s too late to go forth. I’ll try. That’s all a steer can do. — “Klipschisms”
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“The name is known worldwide,” he said. “What we don’t see, and this is where KHMA comes in, is those in the community really understanding the depth of his legacy. They don’t understand the depth of what Paul Klipsch did throughout his life. Now, there are true audiophiles who have followed PWK forever. They get it, and they still come back here. But it’s the local community — they
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Hunter was the main man behind the anechoic chamber — a room designed to completely absorb sound waves — at the Klipsch plant in Hope. (Courtesy of Klipsch)
know the plant’s out there, but they don’t know understand the history behind it.” Hunter, a walking Klipsch historian, is available to share those stories, as he did with two visitors from Santa Fe on a recent Wednesday. The museum, visitors center and education center each are available for the public to tour, for free, by appointment. For Moore, the Klipsch legacy entails more than manufacturing speakers. PWK was eager to share his knowledge; he once loaned out an engineer to the local school district when it needed a high school physics teacher. Moore wants to see the Klipsch “campus” function in a
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similar way, as a vessel that fosters discovery and learning. That, after all, is the PWK way. The challenge, Moore believes, is enticing the local population to discover it. “It’s not that they don’t know we’re here,” she said. “It’s just that many folks don’t realize what exactly we have here. We have an opportunity to open doors in this community. How can we link arms with the public school districts and other community groups? What a wonderful opportunity that is for us. Paul Klipsch was educationdriven. So, when you think about
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STEM education, we now can work with local schools and incorporate our story into their curriculum.” “My theories on audio and audio reproduction will be proven wrong only when the laws of physics change.” — PWK For more information about the museum or any of the Klipsch-related sites in Hope, visit KlipschMuseum.org. Photographs, PWK quotations and “Klipschisms” are used with the kind permission of KHMA. “Klipsch” and “Klipschorn” are registered trademarks of Klipsch Group Inc.
JUN E 2022
AGRICULTURE
Harvest Season
Retired from Arkansas Farm Bureau, Randy Veach Still a Farmer at Heart
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By Lindsey Castrellon
“Of course, cotton has been kind of up and down because of the prevalence of other materials, but it’s hard to beat cotton. It really does breathe,” he said. “But, soybeans are a big market because you can do so much with them, with the oil and with the bean itself.” Timber is a major commodity in Arkansas, and countries like South Korea — another place Veach has visited — buy and ship logs from the U.S. because they don’t have enough wood. “I’ve been to Panama. That was interesting,” Veach said. “The president at the time, we went to his house. Just before we got there, his daughter had been kidnapped. That was interesting. We do trading with Panama and picked up more after our visit. “It’s amazing how many countries could not survive without us and what we do.” Born into agriculture, Veach gained an appreciation for farming when he started picking cotton by hand at a young age. “One of my sisters is two years older than me, and the other is four years older than me. I am the youngest. And I would out-pick them every day,” he said. “My mother was pretty good: She would say, ‘Whoever picks the most cotton gets to pick the dessert.’ So, my sisters would say, ‘We’ll do your chores for you at home, Randy, if you’ll choose bread pudding,’” Veach remembered fondly. “You don’t have to write about that, but the point I’m making is, I’ve been in love with agriculture all my life.” While he remains proud of his tenure with Farm Bureau, Veach is enjoying retirement. He gets to spend more time with his wife, Thelma, and their grandchildren. “The Veach family, we grew up on the farm. And it’s that way for most of the farmers and ranchers throughout the state of Arkansas. They are so important,” he said. “Agriculture is always there to provide food, to enable you to build a house. And all of it comes from farmers. That’s the way it’s done. It’s intense and important, and all of those out there who are doing it, are putting their whole heart into it.”
ack in 2019, Randy Veach, longstanding president of Arkansas Farm Bureau, took the podium at the organization’s 85th annual convention to give his final address as its president. Now, nearly two years into retirement, he has stepped back into the spotlight to commemorate a job well done. Veach, along with five others, was recently inducted into the Arkansas Agriculture Hall of Fame. The Manila native served on the board of Arkansas Farm Bureau for 20 years, during which time he traveled to 29 countries around the globe, fervently promoting agriculture on behalf of the state. “I’ve been to China twice, Japan twice,” Veach recalled. “Once, I went to China because they stopped buying our soybeans. I sat down with three Chinese businessmen and told them, ‘You can’t live without us. You buy our soybeans to feed your people.’ It wasn’t long after that, they took off the embargo.” For Veach and more than 190,000 Farm Bureau member families across the state, farming is serious business. Agriculture is Arkansas’ largest industry, adding about $20 billion to the state’s economy each year. From the Veach family farmstead in northeastern Arkansas, where the Mississippi River Delta nourishes soil that yields cotton, beans and corn, to the far-reaching timberlands down south, agriculture reigns supreme in the state of Arkansas. “Agriculture is so important to not only Arkansas, but everywhere,” Veach explained. “When you sit down at your table to eat, you need to think about agriculture. When you put your clothes on in the morning, you need to think about agriculture. “Then, there’s the economy. If agriculture just ceased, the state’s economy would absolutely collapse. In California, they raise fruit — that’s agriculture. I have heard people say, ‘I don’t care anything about agriculture. I get my food from Kroger.’” Veach explained that for most countries, the main Arkansas import is soybeans, and many import quite a bit of cotton to make garments, too.
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It’s amazing how many countries could not survive without us and what we do.
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M ON TH 2022
Executive Q&A
Land Man
Gar Lile talks supply and demand, working with families and more By Lindsey Castrellon
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ar Lile founded Little Rock’s Lile Real Estate in February 1993, at a time when land brokerage agencies like his were few and far between. He is a licensed real estate broker in Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Tennessee and Texas; an Accredited Land Consultant (ALC) and an Arkansas state Certified General Appraiser. Since 1989, Lile has been involved in the valuation, brokerage and development of agricultural, timberland and recreational properties in the Mid-South. He has been the lead facilitator in the splacement of hundreds of thousands of acres and is credited as the founder of the two largest Wetland Reserve Program (WRP) joint ventures in the United States. His commitment to conservation has been recognized nationally, specifically his work to return marginal farmlands to their natural state through government conservation programs. Lile specializes in the ownership and development of farms and recreational properties in Arkansas and is managing partner of Lile Farming Co., which is actively engaged in farming row crops and rice. Arkansas Money & Politics recently visited with him for a quick lesson on supply and demand, pandemic migration and why family business is his specialty.
AMP: In what part of the region do you deal mostly? LILE: The core of our work is in eastern Arkansas, in the Mississippi River Valley. Other than our timberland work, we are heavily focused on our agriculture sector, so any of the major crop-growing areas of the state are typically our focus area. AMP: Who are some of your clients? Are there ever any tough sales? LILE: We work with a lot of individual and family investors to acquire farmland and timberland. Our sellers are often thirdand fourth-generation families that have just gotten dispersed geographically, emotionally — from not only the land, but their other family members as well. So, the best way for them to have peace is to sell the land and split the money. When the families get split up like that, a lot
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of times there may be a daughter or son that’s kind of been the shepherd of the family property for years and still has a lot of emotional ties to it. Then, you have the others who don’t really want anything to do with it — they just want the money. And land values have increased so much over the last two or three decades that, the one family member who wants to keep the family ownership intact, more often than not, can’t afford to just buy out the family. So, there’s some real heartburn at times. A lot of our clients in that sector are the estate and tax attorneys who are representing the various family members, trust departments for banks, things like that. AMP: How have recent soaring lumber costs affected landowners? LILE: Timberland is still, really… the actual stumpage values
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Farm land for sale in Jefferson County. (Photo provided)
haven’t increased that much. But, the retail prices have increased greatly. And the cost to take that tree to a finished product, what is called the cost of goods sold, increased dramatically. But, the value wasn’t passed back to the landowner, necessarily. So the price of the raw material didn’t necessarily go up to benefit the landowner or logger, but the cost to produce that piece of plywood rose dramatically, and then the retail craze. Because everyone started wanting to build decks while working from home — things skyrocketed on the retail side.
ting the finished product to places like Home Depot and Lowe’s. So, you not only had the cost of goods situation to increase the price, you also had the bottleneck of getting the supply to them due to lack of capacity to handle the increase in demand. AMP: Speaking of pandemic trends, what about people leaving urban areas for rural areas? Is there any truth to that? LILE: I think that’s very true for certain parts of the state. My wife and I met a woman at church a couple of months ago — she and her family left Massachusetts or somewhere near there. They wanted out of the big city because of safety issues, COVID restraints, etc. We work some on timberland tracts In north central Arkansas, and what we’re hearing from agents in that area, is that they are bombarded with calls from people seeking 40 acres, 80 acres in the Buffalo River area, just in the mountains.
AMP: Why did that happen? Was there a lack of supply? LILE: The supply of the wood didn’t necessarily change due to any number of factors — the ability to get logging crews on it, the ability of mills to handle the product, etc. But over time, there have been fewer and fewer mills able to handle the wood supply, which kind of created a choking or bottlenecking effect on get-
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EXECUTIVE Q&A
Diversified Simmons Foods’ Brian Dietrich on operations, supply chain, growth By Lindsey Castrellon
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immons Foods and its affiliates are leading suppliers of poultry, pet and animal nutrition products. Based in Siloam Springs, its collective team is 9,000 members strong. Simmons Prepared Foods ranks in the top 15 poultry producers in the United States, producing premium chicken for leading restaurants and retailers around the world. Simmons Pet Food is the largest supplier of store-brand wet pet food in North America, supplying top brands and retailers with products in a variety of formats, including cans, pouches and cups. Simmons Animal Nutrition boasts an innovative line of wet and dry protein ingredients for animal diets and supplies products to top brands in pet food, aquaculture and animal feed industries. Simmons Foods is a third-generation, family-owned business started in 1949 with founder M.H. “Bill” Simmons. His son, Mark Simmons, took the helm of the company in 1974 and now serves as board chair. Mark’s son, Todd Simmons, became CEO in 2012. In 2021, Simmons Foods’ total revenues grew to $2.4 billion, up from $2 billion in 2020. Simmons and its affiliates serve customers in 50 states and more than 40 countries. We visited with Brian Dietrich, Executive Vice President, Chief Financial Officer and Corporate Secretary for Simmons Foods Inc., about the company’s recent growth.
AMP: Tell us about Simmons’ Arkansas plants. Where are they located, and what are the main operations at each facility? DIETRICH: Simmons Prepared Foods has a total of six chicken production facilities. This includes two harvest facilities — one near Gentry in Northwest Arkansas, which opened in 2019, and one in Southwest City, Mo., both of which produce fresh and frozen chicken. Then there are three facilities in the Van Buren-Fort Smith area, which produce portioned, readyto-cook and ready-to-eat chicken products. And there is one portioning operation in Siloam Springs. The company also has three hatcheries in Arkansas and Missouri, two feed mills in Arkansas and Oklahoma, more than 300 independent growers and more than 20 companyowned farms. Simmons Animal Nutrition has five production facilities, including one in Siloam Springs, two in Missouri and two in the Northeast. Those facilities produce proprietary wet and
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dry protein ingredients for the top brands in pet food, aquaculture and animal feed industries. Simmons Pet Food has five production facilities including one in Siloam Springs; two in Emporia, Kan.; one in Dubuque, Iowa; and one in Canada. These facilities produce wet pet food in cans and a variety of flexible packaging formats. AMP: How long have you been with the company and what is your role? DIETRICH: I became a team member at Simmons Foods in November 2013. My current role is Executive Vice President, Chief Financial Officer and Corporate Secretary. Prior to this position, I served in several leadership roles until my appointment to CFO in December 2019. My career includes over 20 years of corporate accounting and finance experience. AMP: It seems that most, if not all, of Simmons Foods’ operations could be vulnerable to recent product and supply chain issues. Which
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Expansion at Simmons Foods is underway in Van Buren. (Photo provided)
operations have been most affected by these issues, and what are some solutions that have been realized as a result? DIETRICH: We’ve been reminded over the last couple of years that everyone is vulnerable to supply chain disruptions. At Simmons, we have the advantage of the vertical integration of our business units — poultry, animal nutrition and pet food. This doesn’t eliminate all supply chain issues, but it does give us an edge in some cases. Beyond that, our approach is to have strong relationships and good communication with our suppliers and customers to ensure we are well-positioned to work through these challenges. It is also critical to have a broad base of vendors and a strong balance sheet to weather unforeseen events within the macroeconomic environment.
duction lines. The project also includes fully automated packaging and palletizing systems and additional cold storage. AMP: What are some key innovations consumers can anticipate from Simmons Foods in the near future? DIETRICH: Simmons takes great pride in our talented and committed team members. They give us the ability to lead with technical expertise as we produce high-quality, customized products. As a private label business, we help our customers to be successful in building their brands. Part of this process is providing leading consumer insights and R&D services to our customers. The result can be creative packaging solutions, new product formulations or value-added products to reduce preparation time in restaurant kitchens.
AMP: What led to the decision to expand the Van Buren operations, and what exactly will that expansion entail? DIETRICH: Customer demand for ready-to-cook and readyto-eat products was a primary driver for the expansion of our “Van Buren Cook” facility. Another key factor was the collaboration and support from the community. Those long-term relationships are important when a $100 million investment is being made. This project will add 65,000 square feet to the existing plant. Two new production lines will be installed, adding over 20,000 pounds of capacity per hour. Currently, the plant has three pro-
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AMP: As the CFO, how do you balance the competing needs and priorities of three distinct businesses? DIETRICH: We are experiencing strong demand growth across all of our businesses and that creates opportunities for capital projects and competition for investment dollars. We have to be intentional about looking across the entire business, and using a collaborative process as we develop and execute against our strategic growth plan. We refer to this as a “One Simmons” approach. This helps provide alignment, accountability and shared success.
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MANUFACTURING
BUSINESS LURED TO BATESVILLE INDEPENDENT STAVE THE LATEST NOTCH IN AREA’S INDUSTRIAL BELT By Kenneth Heard
Independent Stave will open a plant in Batesville, similar to its Salem Wood Products facility in Salem, Mo. (top); Spartan Mowers, made in Batesville, have long been a source of local pride. (Photos provided)
MANUFACTURING
stand of white oak trees, the work ethic of the area’s residents and the care shown by Independence County leaders lured a barrel manufacturer to build a stave-making plant west of Batesville. The Independent Stave Company will begin production near Locust Grove by the end of 2023. The company, based in Lebanon, Mo., and with locations on six continents, makes oaken barrels for wine and bourbon, and plans to hire 60 people when it opens and an additional 20 later. Positions range from manufacturers to maintenance and administrative jobs. Independent Stave operates six stave mills and three cooperages in the United States. Established in 1912, the company makes staves, barrels and oak products for businesses in 40 countries around the world. It will invest $30 million into its Independence County facility. “We had the natural resources,” said Crystal Johnson, the president of the Batesville Area Chamber of Commerce and City of Batesville Economic Development. “We have a large supply of white oak. We also have a great workforce ready to work.” Earlier this year, Independent Stave had narrowed its location for a new mill to Independence County and Tennessee. Company officials visited Batesville and were impressed with the area, Johnson said. The company already was buying white oak from nearby Locust Grove for its other mills. “I think they were shocked at what a beautiful town Batesville is,” said Jan Smith, president of the White River Planning and Development District. “The people were so receptive to them. I think our people were a big impact.” In April, Independent Stave announced it had chosen Independence County. “The new stave mill will be our seventh domestic mill and an important addition, allowing us to expand our supply of highquality American white oak,” said Brad Boswell, CEO of the company, in a news release. A spokesman for the company declined any additional interviews until after Independent Stave begins construction on its
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Crystal Johnson
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Intimidator Group recently was bought by Toro, but its Spartan Mowers (top and bottom) will continue to be manufactured in Batesville; Independence County’s large supply of white oak (middle) helped attract Independent Stave to town. (Photos provided)
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MANUFACTURING
new facility. Groundbreaking should be held in late June or July. Arkansas Secretary of Commerce Mike Preston said in the announcement that white oak is one of 160 species of hardwood grown in the state. “Timber is vital to the Arkansas economy,” he said. “It contributes slightly more than 5 percent of our economy and employs more than 27,700 people. I am confident that Independent Stave Company will find the resources they need in Arkansas to continue on the newest path of their journey.” Local leaders credit the collaborative effort of city and county officials, economic development commissions and the University of Arkansas Community College at Batesville for attracting the stave company. The county pitched in $200,000 of in-kind money to help prepare the 100 acres for construction along Arkansas 25, about 10 miles west of Batesville. In all, the groups contributed about $1 million in site work, training programs, child care and transportation for training potential employees, fuel cards, rental assistance, salary assistance and other incentives. “We had the right people in the right place,” Independence County Judge Robert Griffin said. Griffin and others travelled to Lebanon to see the plant and met with company representatives. They boasted about the economic growth Independence County has experienced despite the financially devastating pandemic over the past two years. The county has seen Toro Company acquire the privatelyowned Intimidator Group in Batesville, a manufacturer of zero-turn Spartan Mowers, for $400 million in January. The Arkansas Department of Correction has allocated $4.3 million to convert the county’s vacant juvenile detention center into a lower-level parole and probation center. And more restaurants are moving to Batesville, while other chains are asking about relocation, Smith said. “We definitely survived the economics of the pandemics,” Smith said. “A lot of restaurants closed, but many began doing deliveries. Our office would order from a different restaurant each week. I think our community all chipped in and helped. “They [Independent Stave] saw that caring,” she said. Smith said another selling point of the area was that White River Planning and Development District representatives told the stave officials about available grants they could obtain. Smith said her workers were willing to assist Independent Stave officials, even if they selected a different area to build the facility.
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“We were educating them about the availability of grants in other states and with federal grants,” she said. “They thought that was cool. If they chose somewhere else in this region, that would be OK. If anything happens in the South, we’re happy.” This was the first project Johnson worked on from start to finish as the chamber director, she said. She realized the need for the collaborative effort among the various organizations and the community college to help bring in new industry. She said in years past, the college wasn’t established and the chamber was not as “aggressive.” She studied maps to determine just how far local workers were commuting and saw Independent Stave Company could draw from all over her county along with residents of Jackson, Sharp and White counties. It’s much like the steel mills in Mississippi County that have seen workers drive from Missouri, Tennessee and Arkansas. If there are good jobs, people will travel to them, she said. The stave company thrived in the early 1910s but when prohibition occurred in 1919, it began making non-alcoholic cooperage for fruit and salted meat barrels. Now, more than 100 years later, Independent Stave will make make staves for whiskey barrels in a dry county of Arkansas. A group tried to place a referendum to allow residents to vote to go “wet” and allow the sale of alcohol in the county in 2016. But a circuit court judge ruled that some signatures gathered to place the initiative on the ballot were not certifiable, and he struck the measure from the ballot. In addition to the taxes, both property and employee wages, that the new Independent Stave facility will create, the county’s diverse industry will get a new notch in its belt. Along with the Toro Company and the thriving Southside town atop Ramsey Mountain just south of the White River, the area boasts LaCroix Precision Optics, which makes lenses for telescopes and other optical appliances; Lifeplus, a manufacturer of health, dietary and nutritional supplements; Peco Foods Inc.; Custom Craft Poultry; poultry processing facilities and others. “We show a diversity of manufacturers,” Smith said. “We have what it takes to bring in anyone. This will help us recruit even more business. “There’s quite a bit of excitement going on.”
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“WE HAD THE NATURAL RESOURCES. WE HAVE A LARGE SUPPLY OF WHITE OAK. WE ALSO HAVE A GREAT WORKFORCE READY TO WORK.”
— CRYSTAL JOHNSON
INDEPENDENT THEATERS
FIND THEIR NICHE
By Carl Kozlowski
The century-old Rialto in Searcy. (Photo by Carl Kozlowski) M O N T H 2 02 2
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The Riverdale 10 is popular for its special showings of cult films like The Rocky Horror Picture Show. (Photo provided)
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and projectionist, working my way up. I wanted anything to do with movie studios, and I was fortunate to go to college and study business at the University of Arkansas.” Smith started his theatrical empire in 1987 with the Searcy 8 VIP Cinema, then moved into Little Rock in 2000 with the late, great Market Street Cinema, which established the impressive mix of movies that Riverdale has adopted since it opened in 2014 after Market Street closed. Market Street had been the first theater in Arkansas to hold an alcohol permit, and since then, Smith’s Cabot and Hot Springs locations have joined Little Rock in offering 40 beers, 15 wines and 25 varieties of candy. “The goal at any public place is to sell you concessions, whether it’s at Traveler games, Simmons Arena or bowling,” Smith explained. “That is the focus of the hospitality business, and we’re in that. You want to sell food and beverage at every type of entertainment venue, but the only difference is what patrons are coming in for. You unlock the doors to sell concessions.” Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, some studios
here’s something magical about movie theaters, where hundreds of people from every imaginable background can come together to be transported away from their humdrum realities into other lives with infinite possibilities. Whether filmgoers visit multiplexes with state-of-the-art technology or prefer the simpler charms of a classic one-screen movie palace, Central Arkansas has them covered on both fronts. The Riverdale 10 is Little Rock’s home for a combination of blockbusters and arthouse fare, while Searcy’s Rialto Theatre shows second-run movies in a newly renovated theater, whose entrance is graced by a dazzling animated art-deco marquee. Speaking with the men who oversee these locally beloved establishments, it becomes clear that running a theater can be a challenge, but one that brings vast emotional rewards. “I always loved movies as a kid, and movies and music have always been my thing,” said Matt Smith, the owner of Theater Group Inc., which includes Riverdale and theaters in Hot Springs, Cabot, Searcy and Batesville. “I worked at a movie theater at 14 as an usher, then concessions 93
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Independent theaters like Riverdale show art house fare but also blockbuters that might not get a long run at the multiscreen cinemas. (Photo provided)
tried to send movies to their streaming services either “dayand-date” at the same time as theatrical release dates or after a short, 17-day theatrical window. Warner Brothers was the worst offender, releasing its 2021 slate entirely day-and-date on HBO Max. The studio wound up taking a bath on nearly all its films. Meanwhile, Sony completely focused on having theatrical releases and scored big time with blockbusters like Spider Man: No Way Home. That gives Smith a certainty that theatres will survive the pandemic and any other future societal calamity. He notes that theatres have a very different business approach than streaming services. “Nobody goes into the movie industry to put things on little TV screens,” he noted. “They go into the business wanting to make movies on a big screen in a cinema, but there are 5,000plus movies made every year, and a multiplex only needs 100 of those. I need two new movies a week to keep the crowds coming and keep the screens turning over from one group of releases to the next. Then, there’s all the junk that’s always gone straight to video, and now streaming.” However, Smith admitted that the pandemic did force a large number of screens to close, with 7,000 fewer screens and 800 fewer movie theatres in the United States. But he’s always applied savvy financial skills to weather any storm along the way. “I had a much different strategy. I know a lot of people would just rent space, lease equipment and not plan for the future, and that happens in all fields of business,” he said. “I’ve always planned for not just a rainy day, but for hurricane-force winds to come through, and have been very conservative in decisions about money. “It’s a whole different situation when you own your equipment. I always thought cash was king. I have money in the bank,
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and never gambled or played the lottery. I don’t hate money in the way that would throw that away. Spending my life expecting that hard rainy day to come saved me.” Smith said second-run movie houses have particularly suffered in recent years, as first-run movies slide almost exclusively into streaming services after they play out their initial release. But in Searcy, the century-old Rialto Theatre has managed to overcome all sorts of boom periods and setbacks to emerge a vibrant community resource — a fact that is bolstered by the fact the city operates the theatre itself as a community service that only has to break even to survive. “The city looked into multiple options before choosing how to operate this theater,” said Stephen Gifford, who is an IT administrator for the city of Searcy and manages the Rialto. “The city takes taxes and monies they spend very seriously and takes them into serious consideration here with parks and recreation and keeping things running.” The city took over the Rialto in the 1980s after its previous owner had trouble with operations and upkeep. David Evans, then Searcy mayor, called long-time cinema owner Victor Webber to handle the theater for the city, rent-free. Webber spent two years and $80,000 of his own money to put in new seats, projectors and all other operational needs, before operating the theater with his family for 24 years. When he retired in 2018, the city took over management, and Gifford was brought in just in time to oversee another series of massive improvement projects. “We put a new screen in because someone had spilled a Coke on it years before in the center, and you could see it every time a movie had an explosion or other major light effects,” Gifford recalled. “We put in a new projector, all-new sound system, new concession equipment and new hot water heaters for the first
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“There are 5,000-plus movies made every year, and a multiplex only needs 100 of those.” Matt Smith, owner of Riverdale 10 and Theater Group Inc. (Photo by Carl Kozlowski)
if a movie is doing poorly, like The Batman recently, Gifford will switch to another film after just one week. The Rialto also shows matinees for children on weekends to ensure that there is always something for families to see together, even when the main film showing is a PG-13 action extravaganza. “The goal for the Rialto is to break even in its operations, and that’s one of the benefits that we have of why we could keep the prices so low,” Gifford said. “If the Rialto can make enough money to pay for its employees, the electricity and the operation, there’s no need to gorge its citizens. We’re not trying to make a profit for a company or compete with the other theater.”
time in the theater’s history.” The result is an inviting and impressive movie house, with things so upgraded the sound is Dolby 7.1, “and the best sound in town.” New speakers and loads of amps make the theater rock when there’s big action, and the sound is especially crisp in scenes of rainfall. Tickets are just $3 for adults and $2 for children 12 and under. Patrons have a big say in how the theater’s movies are selected, as they get to make suggestions on the theater’s Facebook page and in surveys. The Rialto takes on one movie for ideally two weeks, though
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THE DIGS OF THE DEAL
Sanctuary in the Hills
I Subiaco Abbey and Academy today (top) and circa 1950. (Photos provided)
Subiaco’s abbey, school showcase beauty of God’s creation By Katie Zakrzewski
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n western Arkansas, rolling hills of green pastures abound, speckled with cows and sheep and trees, encapsulating the wonder of nature. Further down the road, peeking through the hills, a monastery emerges, its centuries-old Benedictine design serving as both a contrast to the nature around it, as well as a complement to its isolated beauty. In the middle of the vernal landscape, Subiaco Abbey and Academy has stood since the 1870s, serving as a boarding school for young men and a place of community for the Catholic clergy members and religious who frequently gather there. *** Subiaco was founded in 1877 as St. Benedict’s Colony, a settlement for German immigrants in western Arkansas. Catholic Abbot Martin Marty was looking for a location to establish a Benedictine mission and move from southern Indiana during a time when Americans were urged to go west and explore the land. When Martin caught wind of a growing German Catholic community, he contacted the Little Rock and Fort Smith Railroad in order to acquire the desired land. A small group of German Catholic priests arrived in Logan County from Indiana in a mule-drawn wagon.
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The colony boomed with more than 150 families in its first two years of existence, and the colony was designated St. Benedict’s Priory in 1878. Swiss monks soon began arriving to help ease the workload of the German monks, who were outnumbered by the quickly growing community. In 1887, the monks opened a school called St. Benedict’s College to educate young men in the basic humanities. The school was closed in 1892, as there were never more than 20 students at a time. However, St. Benedict’s College walked so that Subiaco Academy could run. Big things were on the horizon. “In the summer of 1891, Pope Leo XIII raised the status of St. Benedict’s Priory to the rank of abbey. With its new status as an independent monastery ruled by an abbot, the priory was renamed Subiaco Abbey,” writes Jamie Metrailer with the Arkansas History Commission. “Starting in 1892, Bishop Edward M. Fitzgerald sent seminarians from the Diocese of Little Rock to be trained at the abbey. The training of seminarians at the Subiaco Abbey lasted until 1911.” A new monastery was constructed in 1902, located on a hilltop, where it sits today. This was good timing, as the old monastery burned down shortly before the new one was completed. With a change in location, Subiaco opened a high school for boys, no longer serving seminarians alone. Many boys would arrive at Subiaco and leave as priests and men, ready to serve God, the church and The Natural State. Subiaco became a town when the growing settlement surrounding Subiaco Abbey gained a post office of its own in 1910. As time went on, Subiaco began to merge with the contemporary Arkansan culture around it, los-
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Today, Subiaco Abbey provides residence to more than 50 monks from diverse backgrounds. In addition to teaching at the academy, some monks also serve as pastors for surrounding communities. ing many of the German and Swiss characteristics that had been pivotal in its founding and initial growth. Subiaco suffered another major fire in 1927 and took much longer to recover. The magnitude of the fire, combined with the economic setbacks of the Great Depression, delayed Subiaco’s full recovery until after World War II. However, Subiaco had recovered by the �60s, as the property saw a boom in building, expansion and services. In 1963, Subiaco opened the Coury House Retreat Center as a retreat ministry for visitors from across the nation.
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The current monastery at Subiaco was contstructed in 1902.
Subiaco spent the next 50 years serving as a religious home to Catholics from all over the South and Midwest, building the faith across the region. It was in 2007 that Subiaco announced it would be readmitting seventh and eighth grade boys to the school for the first time in more than 60 years. Subiaco quickly became an international boarding school destination, with students from as far as South Korea, Mexico and China. Nearly a quarter of the staff is made up of Benedictines, still, today.
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Today, Subiaco Abbey provides residence to more than 50 monks from diverse backgrounds. In addition to teaching at the academy, some monks also serve as pastors for surrounding communities. But the monks at Subiaco don’t just pray: they create a wide array of products for the general public. On the farmlands surrounding the abbey, monks raise Black Angus cattle, tend to vineyards, operate a sawmill and grow the produce necessary to make their own goods (URI). One such product is Monk Sauce, a habanero pepper sauce that can be found on Subiaco’s Country Monks website. In 2018, Subiaco opened a public brewery and tasting room called Country Monks Brewing Taproom. The monks also sell peanut brittle, called “Abbey Brittle,” as well as handmade soaps, candles, calligraphy and various handmade woodcrafts. Brother Sebastian, one of the monks at Subiaco, recalled how he developed a joy for soapmaking.
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Many boys would arrive at Subiaco and leave as priests and men, ready to serve God, the church and The Natural State.
“While I was working as the assistant to the brewmaster in the brewery, I took an interest in helping make the scented candles, which had become a bestseller in the Coury House gift shop and were also being offered on our online store,” he explained. “We continue to use the original formula, which gives the candles a perfect aroma — a great mix of sweet and strong — but not overpowering. The candles have moved from a side hobby to one of the main artisan items that we offer here at the abbey.” *** Job 37:14 advises that we should “stop and consider God’s wonders.” The monks, clergy and students at Subiaco often do just that. Whether they’re praying, learning, tending the land, pouring candles or making soap, Subiaco and its residences remind Catholics and Protestants alike across the Natural State to stop and consider God’s wonders.
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Nick Smith Jr.’s 2023 Final Four Swagger Hints at a Different Kind of No. 1 By Evin Demirel
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ot since Corliss Williamson has a freshman come into the Arkansas basketball program with as much anticipation and acclaim as Nick Smith Jr. The Little Rock-area native skyrocketed up the high school-basketball recruit rankings over the last couple years, ultimately ending up as No. 1 in the nation in the class of 2022, according to 247Sports.com. “When the great Eric Bossi [247Sports recruiting analyst] told me that I was going to be No. 1, it was kind of weird, I ain’t going to lie,” Smith recently told Pig Trail Nation. “Coming from [my] sophomore [year], I was in the 50s/60s range, then being a top player in my class, all of a sudden, my senior year, just to see how the work — all the blood, sweat and tears — I put in...” “At the end of the day, I still got to get better each and every day, come in college-ready, compete in practice.”
Expectations for Arkansas Basketball
Nick Smith is the most heralded Arkansas basketball recruit since Corliss Williamson. (Photo provided)
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With Smith and the rest of his high-touted freshman classmates stepping onto campus recently, the Razorbacks will be gunning for a No. 1 that matters far more than anything a recruiting service can offer. For Corliss Williamson, it took two seasons. An injury his freshman season dampened his impact a bit, but with the help of fellow freshman Scotty Thurman, the Hogs still made the 1993 Sweet Sixteen. The next season, though, they won it all. Nick Smith Jr. and fellow five-star Razorbacks like Anthony Black and Jordan Walsh probably won’t have two shots at the ultimate prize. All three are forecast to leave as one-and-dones with Smith a consensus, projected lottery pick in the 2023 NBA Draft, among major mock draft outlets. So, in a way, it’s now or never for the phenom who averaged 26.5 points, eight rebounds and 7.3 assists last season, while helping lead North Little Rock to a second-straight state title. He relishes the challenge ahead. “Arkansas ain’t been to the Final Four in a long time [since
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1995],” Smith told Pig Trail Nation’s Kevin McPherson. “That’s something I want to get to, because I feel like if I get to the Final Four, there’s no way I’m going to let us lose.” That’s some ironclad confidence right there. The same kind you need to become the first Arkansan to ever win MVP of the Jordan Brand Classic, as Smith did in April. In that game, Smith scored 27 points, while shooting 7-of-13 from the field, 5-of-7 from beyond the three-point line and making all eight free-throw attempts. He threw in three rebounds and four assists for good measure, showing an ability to raise his game, even as the level of competition rises. It’s also worth noting that the Jordan Brand Classic came after the McDonald’s All-American Game, a contest where Smith did not score as efficiently, missing all five three-pointers. Playing with a lot of the same elite ballers in the 2022 class as he would in the Jordan Brand Classic, Smith also had a rough time going to the hoop, scoring a total of eight points. “His finishing around the basket genuinely concerned me, though,” wrote No Ceiling’s Maxwell Baumbach. “He’s shown nice craft at the youth level, and he did get a few tough ones to fall, but the length and athleticism of the game gave him fits when he got to the cup.” Baumbach, who watched the McDonald’s game live, continued: “I also noted that he didn’t get up as well in traffic as he did in the open court. I’m definitely cooler on Smith coming out than I was going in, but these are all adjustments he can make in time; it’s not the end of the world.” Smith’s ability to bounce back from a pedestrian performance with an MVP effort against similar competition certainly played a role in his No. 1 ranking by 247Sports. This kind of resilience also bodes well for Arkansas basketball, should it return to the deeper rounds of March Madness.
kept his competitive instincts sharp. “It starts in the house. There’s five people in here always doing something competitive. It was either, we playing a game, we playing one-on-one on the official practice goal. We’ll be trying to see who gets to the door fast, just little stuff like that, man. It’s always being around that type of environment. “I really hate to lose. I just want to go out there and give it my all. If I lose and I know we give it our all, I’ll be fine with that. I would be fine with losing. But at the end of the day, if I feel like if I lost and I know I didn’t really give it all I had or my team to give it all they had, I’m going to be pretty upset.”
Razorbacks and Preseason Projections Arkansas basketball fans are probably going to feel a bit upset to find out that ESPN has dropped the Hogs from No. 1 in their preseason rankings to No. 6 (one spot behind Creighton[!]) because of JD Notae and Au’Diese Toney leaving for the NBA. Jaylin Williams also announced he is staying in the 2022 NBA Draft. ESPN’s ranking came out before the arrival of new transfer Ricky Council IV, however. The sports columnist at The Stanford Daily, however, believes that Council and the rest of the new transfers, along Smith and the freshmen, make Arkansas No. 1, at this point in the preseason. “Even without Williams, this team has length and athleticism at all positions on the court and is likely the deepest team in college basketball going into next year,” Kaushik Sampath wrote. “The players’ skill sets complement each other well, as this team has elite distributors, scorers and versatile defensive players. The roster, combined with head coach Eric Musselman’s ability to coach defense, make me believe that by the end of the year, this will be the best team in college basketball.” Even with Williams gone, still expect Arkansas to be one of the two most likely SEC teams to win the 2023 NCAA Championship, when looking at odds for the 2022-23 NCAA basketball season. To win it all, however, teams generally need alpha scorers. Corliss Williamson filled that role to a T in his sophomore year, providing go-to buckets again and again from the post. Smith should fulfill the same leading role, soon. Smith may not score a point off a post-up all season, but he won’t need to, given the devastating arsenal of NBA-ready, face-up moves and shots from all ranges he has at his disposal. Looking ahead to the 2022-23 postseason, there will be a few times where everything is on the line for the Razorbacks. In those pressure-packed moments, there will be no question about where Arkansas should go first for a bucket.
“At the end of the day, nothing is guaranteed, nothing is promised, we got to go in and work for it.”
Nick Smith Jr. on What Comes Next “On a big stage, for some reason, I always play well. Just trying to get there, man,” Smith said on Pig Trail Nation. “But at the end of the day, nothing is guaranteed, nothing is promised, we got to go in and work for it. There’s other good teams out here that want the same thing; we have to be different. We have to buy into what Coach Muss has for us, because he’s one of the – if not the best – coach in the country in college basketball. So, we just have to go in and buy-in to the team and buy-in to what we have on that team.” One of Smith’s teammates on an absolutely loaded Razorback backcourt will be Devo Davis, who grew up in the same north Pulaski County area, in Jacksonville, and is two years older. Whether it was playing against Davis while growing up, and often losing, or various games around the house, Smith always
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AFTER SABAN FRACAS,
Nick Saban and Jimbo Fisher meet at midfield after Texas A&M’s upset of Alabama last year. (Photos provided)
Framing Pittman as the Anti-Jimbo Has Never Looked Better By Evin Demirel
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he full dysfunctional glory that is the Nick Saban-Jimbo Fisher feud has come to outshine almost everything else under the sports sun. For good reason, too, considering it’s not every day that you see two veteran national title-winning coaches, one of whom is the best in the game’s history, publicly go at it like squabbling children. There was, of course, Saban’s initial accusation that Texas A&M football has “bought every player” on its team on the way to signing the greatest signing class in the sport’s history. Then came Fisher swinging back to drop this doozy: “It’s despicable that a reputable head coach could come out and say this when he doesn’t get his way, or things don’t go his way. The narcissist in him doesn’t allow those things to happen. It’s ridiculous when he’s not on top. The parity in college football he’s been talking about, go to talk to coaches who coach for him. Go dig into wherever he’s been. You can find out anything.” Oh, and this:
Fisher served as OC under Saban at LSU.
Fisher, who served as offensive coordinator under Saban at LSU, has clearly taken the gloves off when it comes to his old boss. This moment feels like it could be an inflection point in the culture of big-time college football coaching, banishing any last remnants of stuffiness from the profession. Just look at these perspectives on the feud via ESPN from two anonymous coaches: Big Ten assistant: “I think there was like a universal 90 minutes where no one got s— done because they were just laughing their a— off, us included.” Group of 5 head coach: “It’s like the sequel to the best movie ever. [Fisher not calling] is going to offend Saban more than Jimbo saying stuff, that he won’t pick up the phone. … I was in a meeting, and we had a break. I looked at my phone, and I couldn’t stop laughing.”
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Sam, Nick and Jimbo
Arkansas athletic director Hunter Yurachek got into the fray, too, with his own Razorback-branded admission of being thoroughly entertained:
Hunter Yurachek
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This wouldn’t be all fun and games, from the Arkansas football perspective, if it was Yurachek’s coach warring in a feud instead. While Sam Pittman has shown he can be chippy at times when fans attack him, it’s hard to imagine him going after one of his mentors from previous stops (e.g. Butch Davis, Kirby Smart) with the same level of vitriol. Previously at Arkansas, Pittman worked for a head coach in Bret Bielema who absolutely would publicly feud with opposing coaches. But it doesn’t seem to be in Pittman’s personality to launch into such personal attacks, as Fisher did while refusing to take the offending coach’s calls. That is, while Fisher was right to defend himself from Saban’s accusation, he went overboard in the way he shot back. The result has become something of a runaway circus act that will only build speed heading into the start of SEC Media Days on July 18. While this fracas is fun to follow, it will ultimately hurt both Saban and Fisher on the recruiting trail. It makes both coaches look small, and that is good news for teams like Georgia and Arkansas, who are ready to take advantage of a post-Nick Saban SEC landscape,
Pittman and Fisher chatted before the Hogs’ 20-10 win over the Aggies in Arlington.
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As long as Pittman and Smart stay steady in their current paths, their programs can only gain from the ego-fueled theatrics enveloping College Station and Tuscaloosa.
Pittman and Saban before the 2021 Alabama game.
whenever he should retire. “If anyone wins this wild mid-May debacle between two of college football’s most well-known coaches, it’s Smart,” Fansided’s Savannah Leigh wrote. She should have thrown Pittman in there, too, because everything else she wrote also applies to Arkansas: “He is already an elite recruiter, but this gives him an angle to take. While these two coaches are bickering like school girls, he can make up some ground with guys looking at both Texas A&M and Alabama. “The smartest thing to do is not comment on this situation, and let it work itself out. Georgia isn’t [ignorant] to the NIL and how it’s affecting college football, but if coaches are imploding and crying, use it to your advantage and keep recruiting at an elite level.”
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Pittman As a Kind of Anti-Fisher Last fall, AL.com’s John Talty wrote about the potential of SEC athletic directors going beyond “in-the-box” thinking during the head football coach hiring process by focusing on splashy, big-name coordinators and former head coaches. In terms of coaching background, Fisher represents this conventional career lineage to a T, considering his background as an offensive coordinator under Saban, and then taking the helm at Florida State. To that end, plenty of other head coaches in the SEC have similar backgrounds. Pittman, and to a lesser extent Shane Beamer at South Carolina, represent something closer to the opposite side of the spectrum — a head coach without the experience of a coordinator or head coach, but the abil-
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Pitmman is on a fast track to close the gap between Arkansas and programs like Alabama.
ity to check off boxes in so many other ways. “Pittman might not have been a universally acclaimed hire like some other coaches at the time, but most importantly, he looks like a smart hire, and that’s because of Arkansas’ willingness to think differently,” Talty wrote. For all of Fisher’s success on the field and on the recruiting trail, at this point, he has a record of only 1-1 versus Pittman. They are on equal footing, for now at least, which is notable since the king of college football clearly considers Fisher such a threat. Saban is mad because, yes, Fisher beat him last fall, but more importantly, he sees the way the landscape of college football has been tilting toward programs like Texas A&M with access to more NIL riches.
Texas Football Blessed With More States like Texas, Florida and Arkansas gave the green light to NIL collectives early on, but Alabama’s state law didn’t allow them until more recently. The ability to form multibooster-backed collectives has helped Texas A&M le-
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gally “buy” its hordes of five-star recruits, but it also gives Arkansas a way to close the gap between itself and Alabama — at least until Alabama catches up — by becoming a more enticing transfer destination than it would have been without the new J.B. Hunt family NIL collective. Saban referred to this dynamic recently night when he said: “Now, in recruiting, we have players in our state that grew up wanting to come to Alabama that, they won’t commit to us unless we say we’re going to give them what someone else is going to give them. My theory on that is everything that we’ve done in college athletics has always been equal. [Saban refers to scholarships, cost of attendance, etc.] … I told our players, ‘We’re going to have a collective, but everyone is going to get the same amount of opportunity from that collective.’” One place where the two biggest Texas schools outpace the programs in other states is donations. “Texas and Texas A&M’s athletic departments have routinely grossed more in donations than any other schools in the country,” SI.Com’s Ross Dellenger wrote. “Just last year,
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The Saban-Fisher feud elicited this response from Lane Kiffin: ‘Speechless for the first time in my life.’
the Aggies pulled in $47.7 million in donations — one-fifth of the total donations to the 13 SEC public schools combined. And Texas? The Longhorns led everyone with $60 million in giving.” The sheer amount of oil money flowing into the coffers of these schools hasn’t yet led to national titles, or even a spot in the College Football Playoffs, but Saban sees the tide turning for Alabama and the rest of the SEC, as the Longhorns are set to join the conference in the coming years. As long as Pittman and Smart stay steady in their current paths, their programs can only gain from the ego-fueled theatrics enveloping College Station and Tuscaloosa. Indeed, the 2022 schedule lines up for Arkansas to take advantage of this feud since Alabama will almost certainly be looking forward to hosting Texas A&M on Oct. 8 even more than it would have anyway for a revenge game. The week before, the Crimson Tide must travel to Fayetteville for an Arkansas-Alabama showdown that now has a bit more of a trap type feel to it than before the Fisher-Saban blowup. Meanwhile, as Lane Kiffin does whatever it is he does, other coaches on the periphery like Pittman get the benefit of looking like actual adults. That perception will be all the more valuable in the coming weeks.
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As one major college athletic director told ESPN, “My initial thought was our profession has hit an all-time low. This makes coaches look like a bunch of buffoons. It’s like, no wonder we have the issues we have, when we have adults and people in leadership positions handling stuff this way.”
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THE LAST WORD
X+Y =…28? By Kenneth Heard
W
henever the classmates in our 10th grade math class would complain to the teacher about learning math formulas, Mr. Wiles always had the same response. It was 1976, and he’d reply that someday, we’d be walking in a field and would need to know how long one side of a triangleshaped fence was, if we knew the other two sides. I guess that was fitting; when I was a kid, my family moved from northern Minnesota to rural north-central Arkansas, where fields and fences were aplenty. In fact, in an attempt to avoid the culture shock of the move, I took Mr. Wiles’ math class to avoid taking 10th grade agriculture with a bunch of redneck students, who, to my young mind, probably thought animal husbandry was a section in the society pages of the local newspaper. So, Mr. Wiles talked of fence lengths and isosceles triangles, and we wondered if we would ever need to know the answer to “x+y.” Forty-six years later, Mr. Wiles was right. *** “You may begin,” said Brandon Lercher, a test coordinator with TLC Tutoring Co., a company that helps students prepare for college entrance. Two teenagers and a 61-year-old began coloring in the bubbles with their No. 2 pencils in the pre-ACT test. The company hosts testing in various towns for students who are interested in taking the real ACT test. This session, a grueling four-hour exam that features questions for English, math, reading and science, was held in a small room in the Craighead CountyJonesboro Public Library on a dreary Saturday morning. I wanted to see just how much I remembered from my high school days of yore. I was worried that, at my age, I was beginning to forget things. Sure, I could recall who won the 1972 World Series, but I noticed it was a tad more difficult to recall some people’s names. I needed to see how bad my memory actually was. It was a Saturday, and while other guys my age were spraying their yards with fertilizers, drooling over tools and lawn mowers at the Home Depot or watching the PGA tournament on television, I decided to try and determine if I was educationally stupid. I never tested that well. I don’t remember my ACT score, but I’m sure it wasn’t stellar. When I took entrance exams at what was then called Arkansas College (today, it’s known as Lyon), I bombed the English section and ended up in what our instructor referred to as his “Bonehead English” class. Later, after somehow earning a master’s in communications, I took the GRE general test to enroll in a Ph.D. program at Tex-
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as Tech University. I bombed that test, too, but wrote an impassioned letter to university officials about how tests don’t prove the true grit of a person. And I bluffed my way into a graduateassistant teaching position. Alas, the test was a true indicator, after all. Three months after being accepted, I dropped out of the program when my professor told me I wrote too “(expletive) journalistic” for him. I returned to Arkansas, took the teacher’s advice and worked at newspapers. The four-part, pre-ACT test began with English. Simple enough. It consisted of reading passages and choosing the best edited version. I knocked out the 45 questions with seven minutes to spare. But then came math. Sixty questions in 60 minutes. I looked for fence and angle questions. Instead, there were questions like this: In the standard (x,y) coordinate plane, what is the slope of the line through (-3,1) and (5,6)? I felt my brain begin to flow out of my head. And speaking of flow, I had my own math equation: If an old guy with a prostate the size of a grapefruit drank two 8-ounce bottles of water before testing, how long before he had to go to the bathroom? A 16-year-old girl shook her head sadly after completing the math. “I never felt more stupid in my life,” she said. “Just wait,” I told her. “That feeling becomes more frequent as you get older.” The next test section on reading was a breeze. Testers read essays and then answered questions to determine comprehension. I scored a 34 out of a possible 36. But then, science was the last section, and it was a doozy. I had a blinding headache and reached for my Tramadol, when I realized I had left the pain medication at home. I was going solo on this section. We had 35 minutes to answer 40 questions on seed germination studies, viscosity of fluids and the effects of multiple exposures of ultraviolet lights on polymer bottles. When we were done, I wished the other kids good luck in their college careers, mumbled goodbyes and stumbled off home. The test coordinator gave me the key to my test, and the following day, I scored my answers. I was worried the score would be so low that our Arkansas Money and Politics editor would no longer assign me stories, and my wife would admit me to a facility with padded walls. Instead, bolstered by my reading test score, I ended up with a 28 on the pretest. Not bad for an old guy who can’t remember to tie his shoe. I do think I could have scored higher, though, had there been questions about fence lengths. 112
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