Subject: Monday Morning Briefing
From: Talk Business <[email-masked]>
To: <[email-masked]>
Date: Mon, 9 May 2016 11:50:42 +0000
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COMPASS PANEL: ‘RECRUITMENT OF HUMAN CAPITAL,’ CURBING REGULATIONS KEY TO ECONOMIC GROWTH - Get 5 CEO and economic development leaders on a platform to discuss the national, state and local economies and you're likely to learn a thing or two. On Friday, Talk Business & Politics, in conjunction with the Fort Smith Chamber of Commerce, hosted a roundtable discussion as part of our quarterly Compass Report.

Panel participants were Tim Allen, Fort Smith chamber president and CEO; Mike Barr, CEO of WeatherBarr; Steve Clark, CEO of Propak Logistics; Judy McReynolds, CEO of Fort Smith-based ArcBest; and Clay Nickel, director of Investment Strategy for Arvest Bank. Roby Brock, CEO of Talk Business & Politics, moderated the discussion.

Read about the conversation and takeaways at this link (http://talkbusiness.us2.list-manage1.com/track/click?u=4403c46412536341322b6e88c&id=4d8ae4ac3e&e=b5f4886f5f) .

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TYSON FOODS POSTS LARGER PROFIT DESPITE SLOWER SALES: Tyson Foods posted a $432 million second quarter profit on sales of $9.17 billion as it continues to integrate its Hillshire Brands merger. One year ago, the Springdale-based meat giant recorded a $310 million quarterly profit on sales of $9.98 billion. Tyson Foods CEO Donnie Smith noted that the company saw record operating margins in its chicken and pork segments, and a strong operating margin in its prepared foods division. Read more at TalkBusiness.net (http://talkbusiness.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=4403c46412536341322b6e88c&id=682a5c14c7&e=b5f4886f5f ) later this morning.

VAN BUREN GROUP MOVING FORWARD WITH PLANS, IDEAS ON RENOVATION IN AND AROUND HISTORIC DOWNTOWN: Van Buren Original (VBO) will hold its kickoff meeting on Tuesday (May 10) at 3:30 p.m. from the second floor of the King Opera House in downtown Van Buren. The location is fitting for a group that has spent the last two years mobilizing an effort to revitalize many of the city’s historic assets. What do Van Buren community leaders hope to do that will produce different results from earlier efforts? Read more on their detailed plans and changing philosophy at this link (http://talkbusiness.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=4403c46412536341322b6e88c&id=8caad2230e&e=b5f4886f5f) .

MARTIN THOMA: WHAT’S IN YOUR BRAND? - Branding expert Martin Thoma shares insight on the elements of branding from experiences, word of mouth exposure, what you spend to promote your brand, and the feelings associated with it. For a reality check to get you thinking about the basics of building your company brand, click here (http://talkbusiness.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=4403c46412536341322b6e88c&id=a6fe5af51f&e=b5f4886f5f) for Thoma's full take.

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$3.05 MILLION FROM COIN SALES PRESENTED TO MARSHALS MUSEUM BY SEN. BOOZMAN, REP. WOMACK: U.S. Sen. John Boozman, R-Ark, and U.S. Rep. Steve Womack, R-Rogers, were in Fort Smith Saturday (http://talkbusiness.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=4403c46412536341322b6e88c&id=75b06afb6d&e=b5f4886f5f) (May 7) to present the United States Marshals Museum with a $3.053 million check earned from surcharges on the U.S. Marshals Service 225th Anniversary Commemorative Coin. In January 2007, the U.S. Marshals Service selected Fort Smith as the site for the estimated 50,000-square-foot national museum. The museum is to be built on 15.9 acres along the Arkansas River that is being donated by the Robbie Westphal family. Fundraising efforts will continue for the $55 million project with architect discussions underway and a planned opening sometime in 2018.

U.S. SENATE CANDIDATE ELDRIDGE SAYS PEOPLE ARE ‘SICK AND TIRED’ OF POLITICIANS: Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Conner Eldridge spoke to the Northeast Arkansas Political Animals club Friday (May 6) about his campaign against U.S. Sen. John Boozman, R-Ark., and Libertarian candidate Frank Gilbert; and the 2016 campaign in general. Eldridge, who grew up in Augusta, said people are “sick and tired of politicians and politics” in today’s political climate, with people wanting problem solvers to serve. As an example, Eldridge credited Gov. Asa Hutchinson and the state legislature for working to pass Arkansas Works. Eldridge said Boozman has not worked on behalf of Arkansans. Read more of his speech to the group and reaction from the Boozman campaign at this link (http://talkbusiness.us2.list-manage1.com/track/click?u=4403c46412536341322b6e88c&id=c310b66e9e&e=b5f4886f5f) .

TALK POLITICS ROUNDTABLE: JOHN BURRIS AND JESSICA DELOACH SABIN - Donald Trump, Hillary Clinton, Bernie Sanders, Sen. John Boozman, Conner Eldridge, Gov. Asa Hutchinson and the Arkansas legislature all found their way into our roundtable discussion on this week's edition of Talk Business & Politics. Panel participants and TB&P contributors John Burris and Jessica DeLoach Sabin joined host Roby Brock. Watch the full conversation at this link (http://talkbusiness.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=4403c46412536341322b6e88c&id=e45310febb&e=b5f4886f5f) .

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POLITICAL UNCERTAINTY GIVES SMALL BUSINESSES PAUSE ON HIRING, GROWTH PLANS: Small business owners’ confidence in the national economy is down, according to the spring 2016 Bank of America Small Business Owner Report, which found that only 29% of small business owners feel confident that the national economy will improve over the next year – a sharp drop from a year ago.

The report, based on a semi-annual survey of 1,000 small business owners across the country, suggests that the upcoming presidential and congressional elections are having a sizable influence on the outlook of small business owners. Sixty-seven percent believe that the upcoming presidential election will affect their business “a lot” or “somewhat,” while 53% believe congressional elections will have an impact.

Nearly four in five say they are concerned about the “effectiveness” of U.S. government leaders, which was higher than last year, but in line with previous election year results in 2012 and 2014. At the same time, concern for nearly all other economic factors, including commodities prices, interest rates and credit availability, is down, with the exception of U.S. and/or global stock market and health care costs. To view the full report, click here (http://talkbusiness.us2.list-manage1.com/track/click?u=4403c46412536341322b6e88c&id=2febad1ae0&e=b5f4886f5f) .

LIFE INSURERS EXPECT TO BOOST USE OF BIG DATA, PREDICTIVE ANALYTICS: Life insurers across North America foresee a dramatic shift in their application and usage of big data and predictive analytics over the next two years, according to leading global advisory, brokering and solutions company Willis Towers Watson’s (NASDAQ: WLTW) Big Data and Predictive Analytics Survey (http://talkbusiness.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=4403c46412536341322b6e88c&id=b019316e7f&e=b5f4886f5f) . Survey participants were life insurance chief and senior financial officers, who said data mining continues to evolve with big changes in the future for both internal and external data collection sources.

Survey respondents indicated their companies have a lot to learn about the application and use of big data and predictive analytics, as nearly three-fifths (58%) said their organizations know only a little or understand just the basics. But nearly all insurers (92%) expect to use big data and predictive analytics in some aspect of their operations in two years. Further, only a handful (8%) expressed that they’re currently using data to inform decision making; however, over three-fifths (62%) anticipate doing so in two years.

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"I look around the room, and it seems like yesterday that we learned the Marshals Museum was up for grabs. The idea of us actually acquiring it then seemed a distant task and like something that would be very, very difficult to do, but it’s amazing how things fell into line." - Sen. John Boozman, R-Arkansas, presenting a $3.05 million check to Fort Smith officials at the U.S. Marshals Museum.

"It is time to turn the page and allow someone else to do the job." - Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Conner Eldridge at the Northeast Arkansas Political Animals Club.

"Main Street programs are local merchant and government-driven, and that’s really the kiss of death. We need the medical community and the corporate world involved." - Van Buren Advertising and Planning Commission executive director Maryl Koeth on plans to revitalize downtown Van Buren.
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