NexGen BioMass, a company that plans to produce wood pellets for stoves in Europe, announced today that it will create 150 permanent jobs at the former Georgia Pacific plant on Junction City Highway.
The facility will begin operations next year with 50 employees and will hire additional workers as production ramps up, according to Robby Hanry, CEO of NexGen BioMass.
Look for more in Friday’s News-Times.
Seaport Airlines seems to be making good on their promise to begin operating commercial air service between El Dorado and Memphis by Oct. 26.
According to Seaport’s Web site, you can book a round-trip flight on Oct. 26 between South Arkansas Regional Airport and Memphis International for $49.
Not bad. Not bad at all. In fact, I’m hoping to book a flight so I can give you a play by play of the El Dorado to Memphis journey.
The price variants on the site are a little confusing, however. For instance, the “Super Saver” option offers a seat for $49. On that same flight, the “Fast Class” seat is $129.
There can’t possibly be a difference in these seats, considering that the single engine, Swiss-made PC-12s operated by Seaport only hold about 10 passengers.
The PC-12 has a maximum cruising speed of 312.5 miles per hour and a service ceiling of 30,000 feet. The cabin is pressurized. Maximum range at full capacity is 1,753 miles.
The flight between El Dorado and Memphis is expected to take about an hour.
James Anderson, the former Junction City High School basketball standout, on Thursday was named to the USA Men’s World University Games Team. He will be a junior this year at Oklahoma State University.
At the tryouts Anderson competed with basketball players from Arizona, Purdue, North Carolina, West Virginia, Marquette and other colleges.
Anderson, a 6-6 guard/forward, will compete with the USA team at the 2009 men’s basketball competition July 2-12 in Belgrade, Serbia, with 23 other teams from around the globe.
It’s over, folks. The group of local investors have pulled away from the table and are no longer seeking to purchase the idled Pilgrim’s Pride plant in El Dorado.
Look for more in Saturday’s News-Times.
Apparently it’s back on the table, according to El Dorado Mayor Mike Dumas.
The company is once again looking at El Dorado for a location after pulling out of a previous deal because of economic reasons. It could mean 330 $9 and $10-an-hour jobs.
Look for more on that in Friday’s News-Times.
There have been rumors circulating throughout South Arkansas that Atwoods, a farm and home supply store, will be moving into the old Wal-Mart building in Camden after the store moves to its new Supercenter.
According to an Atwoods spokesman, the company has looked at Camden in the past but isn’t considering a store there at this time.
When asked if Atwoods would be opening in El Dorado, the spokesman said there were no plans as of today.
He said he will tell Atwoods’ owners that El Dorado residents are interested in a store. I’ve heard many people around town ask why El Dorado doesn’t have an Atwoods.
As you may know, the company operates a successful store in Magnolia.
I bet they’ll build it next to our new Long John Silvers. *wink, wink*
Dynamotive Energy Systems Corp., which announced Wednesday that it would be building a bio-fuel plant in Union County, is trading at around the 30 cent mark today.
It’s up a penny from yesterday.
Below is the company’s one year stock history, as presented on a chart from CNBC.
The Long John Silver’s catering trailer that’s frequented El Dorado recently could be back on April 29.
Wallace York, general manager of a Long John Silver’s franchise in Texarkana, who operates the trailer, said that the best way for local residents to get a LJS store is to show their support the next time he’s in town.
If the trailer should come on the 29th, York said he wasn’t sure yet where he’d park it.
He’s also considering a number of other cities on that date as well.
York said his response “could have been better” in El Dorado, but that the visit here was a lot better than ones in Magnolia.
As far as opening a permanent location in El Dorado, York seemed aloof.
York said that he is still conducting marketing research and wouldn’t comment on any plans to open a new LJS franchise in town.
At number 92. Murphy’s previous rank was 134.
Black gold is big business. Click here for the full FORTUNE list.
It’s not that we haven’t had two here already. We have. They failed. But Wallace York, general manager of Long John Silver’s Restaurants, Inc. in Texarkana, Texas, is testing the waters here with his mobile LJS trailer.
He’s set up several times around town, including today at the El Dorado Shopping Center on North West Avenue.
York said he is currently searching around town for a permanent location to build a new LJS store.
Sources tell me that the restaurant will set up in the old Einsteins location, formerly Randolphs, though that business quickly failed. More information is expected later. No opening date has been announced.
The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette says it is instituting mandatory furloughs, following last week’s announcement of as many as 60 layoffs.
Newsroom staff will be required to take off one work day out of every 20, the newspaper reported Wednesday. The employees’ pay will reflect a 5 percent drop. The plan applies to salaried employees and hourly workers whose schedules are typically 40 hours per week.
The paper announced layoffs last week, including seven people in the newsroom. The cuts amounted to about a 4.5 percent reduction.
The paper, which has about 1,300 employees, is the largest in Arkansas. Newspapers nationwide have been suffering from losses in advertising revenue.
**NOTE** Though the News-Times is owned by WEHCO Media Inc., which operates the Democrat-Gazette, as well as the Camden News and Magnolia Banner News, among others in this and other states, we are not affected by this announcement. This announcement deals only with the Democrat-Gazette.
News broke this weekend that Murphy Motors in El Dorado would be shuttering its doors in February. Now, Daniel Reap Chevrolet in Smackover could be next. Owner Mike Reap told me via telephone today that “we haven’t decided yet if we’re going to close,” but “it’s not looking very good.”
Business is bad for dealerships all over the country right now, especially those who sell GM products.
Daniel-Reap Chevrolet employs 10 and has been in business for more than 70 years.
Details are sketchy right now, but more jobs have been lost. The good news, a company spokesman told me today, is that some of the approximately 115 who were laid off last November are being called back.
Chemtura also laid off approximately 25 salaried employees last month.
Since it’s the day after a major holiday, we won’t know more details until the first part of next week.
Just before Christmas, company officials issued the following statement:
…”Chemtura is adjusting its plant production rates to align with customer demand and its inventory reduction goals and is modifying work hours, furloughing or reducing production personnel as required.
“As a result, a significant number of the Company’s Polymer Additives facilities have been idled in the latter part of December. These actions are providing additional cost reductions. Production at these facilities will be restored as customer demand dictates.”
Try $1 billion.
The AP article follows:
The Pittsburg, Texas-based company said late last month that it was delaying filing its fiscal 2008 annual report with the Securities and Exchange Commission due to ongoing talks with its lenders regarding temporary waivers and “related financial uncertainties.”
Days later, the nation’s largest chicken producer filed for bankruptcy protection, hobbled by debt and volatile commodity costs, as its lenders declined to provide another temporary waiver.
The company said in a filing with the SEC Thursday that it posted a loss of $998.6 million, or $14.40 a share, in the fiscal year that ended Sept. 27. That compared to earnings of $47 million, or 71 cents, the year before.
Sales rose 13.7 percent to $8.53 billion, from $7.5 billion last year.
The results included a loss of 9 cents on discontinued operations. The company took a charge in the fourth quarter of $501.4 million, or $6.77 per share, primarily related to the declining value of Gold Kist Inc., which Pilgrim’s Pride acquired for $1.3 billion in early 2007.
The company also posted an income tax valuation allowance of $35 million, or 47 cents per share, against its net operating losses. And it posted a loss of $155.7 million on feed ingredient derivative contracts.
AND BY THE WAY…there is still no new news regarding the status of the El Dorado Pilgrim’s plant, which, as you well know, has laid off 550 workers and eliminated 150 positions that were currently vacant. Speculation abounds, though, as to the future of our local plant. Let’s hope that future doesn’t mean further layoffs or permanent closure. Stay tuned.
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