Arvest Bank Files to Turn Over $552K In Dennis Smiley Money
Arvest Bank tells the Benton County Circuit Court that it's holding nearly $552,000 in stock option proceeds and stock plan checks to H. Dennis Smiley Jr., a former bank executive who's under a federal...
View ArticleUS Employers Add 192k Jobs; Rate Stays at 6.7 Percent
U.S. employers added jobs at a solid pace in March and hired more in January and February than previously thought. Friday's government report sent a reassuring signal that the economy withstood a harsh...
View ArticleThrough STDL, Hamm Builds Better Tax Software
Frustration led Noel Hamm to create tax technology startup Sales Tax DataLink — you know, that whole "build a better mousetrap" idiom.
View ArticleNontraditional Benefits, Unusual Perks Growing In Popularity
Increasingly, companies are looking to offer benefits that fall outside the normal range: flexible hours, paid lunches, ice cream on Fridays. These perks might not be mentioned in the company handbook,...
View ArticleGovernment, Wal-Mart Remain Atop Largest Arkansas Employers List
The names of Arkansas' largest employers remain mostly unchanged from a year ago — and every year. State government is still atop the list with nearly 57,000 employees.
View ArticleArvest Bank Names Craig Rivaldo CEO in Benton County
Arvest Bank of Fayetteville says Craig Rivaldo, president and CEO of Arvest Bank of Fort Smith, has been named the president and CEO of Arvest Bank of Benton County effective May 1. Rivaldo replaces H....
View ArticleEx-Arvest Banker Dennis Smiley Draws Criminal Scrutiny
An apparent loan fraud scheme that imploded in northwest Arkansas has drawn a criminal investigation, and lawsuits have also started to flow. In the middle of it all is H. Dennis Smiley Jr. of Rogers,...
View ArticleJobless Rates Fall in All Arkansas Metros
Unemployment rates dropped year over year in all seven Arkansas metropolitan areas surveyed by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, according to data released Wednesday.
View ArticleBank of Fayetteville Sues Dennis Smiley, Arvest Bank
The Bank of Fayetteville sued former banker H. Dennis Smiley Jr. of Rogers on Monday to collect nearly $480,000 owed for defaulted loans. It also named Smiley's former employer, Arvest Bank, as a...
View ArticleRickenbach Indictment Reveals More Details of One Bank Under Scooter Stuart
One Bank & Trust's foolhardy loan of $1.5 million to a penny-stock operator resulted in a federal criminal indictment of former EVP Gary Rickenbach. But a second indictment brings new revelations...
View Article13 Lenders Produce ROE Of More Than 13 Percent
A baker's dozen of Arkansas banks generated returns on equity that topped 13 percent during 2013. Positioned No. 1 among this profitable group is Riverside Bank, headquartered in Little Rock but...
View ArticleNWA Housing Rebound Cheers Homebuilders
The housing collapse and subsequent recession were body blows to housing developments in northwest Arkansas, but now, there are signs of life and hope.
View ArticleRebounding Home Sales Grow Real Estate Agency Totals
Resurging home sales boosted the 2013 tally for many a real estate company in Arkansas. A measuring stick of the trend is the combined dollar volume of the 10 largest firms in the state, which grew by...
View ArticleThree More Banks Sue Dennis Smiley Over Loans
Three more lenders have joined the growing line of banks suing former Arvest Bank executive H. Dennis Smiley Jr. of Rogers.
View ArticleBank of the Ozarks 1Q Profit Up 26 Percent
The purchase of Omnibank of Houston pushed the Little Rock banking company's total assets above $5 billion.
View ArticleDeadline to Nominate for Arkansas Export Awards is April 30
The awards honor Arkansas businesses that excel in the international marketplace, and will be presented at a Governor's Mansion luncheon on May 22. All Arkansas companies that sell in international...
View ArticleSimmons Name Appears on Arkansas' Tallest Building
The new logo of Simmons First National Bank appeared over the weekend on the south side of Little Rock's tallest building, an installation timed specifically so that a photo of the high-profile...
View ArticleApril Beige Book Reports Overall Activity Down Across Arkansas, 8th District
The April book reports a net decrease in manufacturing activity across the district, a decrease in residential real estate activity, mixed results in commercial real estate, and a decrease in lending...
View ArticleHome BancShares' 1Q Profit A Record, Up 56 Percent
Home BancShares Inc. of Conway on Thursday announced another record quarterly profit as it continues to integrate the operations of Liberty Bancshares Inc. of Jonesboro.
View ArticleSimmons First 1Q Profit Down 27 Percent
Simmons First National Corp. of Pine Bluff on Thursday reported a 27 percent decline in first-quarter profit but said "core earnings," which exclude one-time costs related to its purchase of...
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