Category Archives: Business

How your community can land the big employer

By Steve Brawner, © 2025 by Steve Brawner Communications, Inc.

How does a community convince a big employer to select it for its next manufacturing plant or other big facility? Have a site ready, have adequate electricity and other utilities available, and roll out the welcome mat with incentives that can close the deal.

That was the message five national site selection consultants presented at the Clinton Presidential Center Oct. 15. 

The Power Up Little Rock luncheon was hosted by the Metro Little Rock Alliance, a 13-county regional marketing coalition staffed by the Little Rock Regional Chamber of Commerce.  Continue reading →

Is history being made in south Arkansas?

By Steve Brawner, © 2025 by Steve Brawner Communications, Inc.

Ordinarily, a couple of Arkansas Oil and Gas Commission meetings probably would not merit a comment in this news outlet. But years from now, these two meetings might be part of history.

The latest occurred June 23 at Southern Arkansas University in Magnolia. The commission agreed with a request by Saltwerx to pay Lafayette and Miller County landowners a 2.5% royalty for the sale of lithium extracted from the Smackover Formation. 

The decision follows one in May when the commission agreed to the same royalty rate for Standard Lithium and Equinor to pay landowners in Columbia and Lafayette counties. Not everybody is happy, but the commission has made it clear that 2.5% is the rate. Continue reading →

If China will silence a tweet …

By Steve Brawner, © 2019 by Steve Brawner Communications, Inc.

I generally believe free trade can point an authoritarian country like China in the direction of freedom and free markets. One downside, however, is that both sides can be influenced.

On Oct. 4, Daryl Morey, the general manager of the NBA’s Houston Rockets, tweeted seven words: “Fight for Freedom. Stand with Hong Kong.”

China was offended, and the backlash was immediate. The Chinese Basketball Association ended its relationship with the Rockets, which had been the most popular NBA team in China because star Yao Ming played there. Already scheduled preseason games in China between the Los Angeles Lakers and New Jersey Nets were taken off Chinese television. Corporate sponsors withdrew, and their names were scrubbed from the floor.

The response by many in the NBA was … less than courageous. Rockets owner Tilman Fertitta said Morey does not speak for the team, and Morey deleted the tweet and apologized. The NBA initially called Morey’s tweet “regrettable” and declared its “great respect for the history and culture of China.”

Then NBA Commissioner Adam Silver backtracked with a second statement that affirmed Morey’s right to express himself. China’s state TV response was this: “We’re strongly dissatisfied and oppose Adam Silver’s claim to support Morey’s right to freedom of expression. We believe that any remarks that challenge national sovereignty and social stability are not within the scope of freedom of speech.”

Let that sink in. Continue reading →

Head Hog’s must-do list: revenues, wins

By Steve Brawner, © 2018 by Steve Brawner Communications, Inc.

The University of Arkansas athletic director has two must-accomplish responsibilities: first, keep the money flowing, and second, keep the fans happy by winning football games. Hunter Yurachek knows as well as anyone he’ll have to succeed at both.

Yurachek, who was hired last December, spoke Monday before a capacity crowd at the Little Rock Touchdown Club. His predecessor, Jeff Long, spoke to that same group nine times before being fired because he succeeded only at the first responsibility. Continue reading →

A few less Arkansas tumbleweeds?

By Steve Brawner, © 2018 by Steve Brawner Communications, Inc.

Plastic shopping bags have been nicknamed the “Arkansas tumbleweed” because of the way they drift across the landscape in the wind. If more retailers follow the example set by one national chain, there might be fewer of them tumbling.

Kroger last Thursday announced it will begin phasing out the plastic bags companywide, starting with its Seattle-based QFC division by next year. The transition to reusable bags in other parts of the company will last until 2025.

It probably will take that long to reach the stores in Arkansas. Old ways die hard, even when people have good intentions. The Brawner household is trying to reduce its plastic use, but numerous times I’ve found myself behind a shopping cart and realizing I’d left the reusable bags at home. Lately I’ve been skipping bags entirely on short trips when I forget. I don’t need a plastic bag to carry my lettuce that comes in a plastic bag. Continue reading →