Jay Chesshir

On Sept. 14, the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) broke ground on a $10 million Child Development Center in Little Rock set to open in 2024. The 20,000-square-foot center will inhabit four acres at the intersection of 11th…

The Academies of Central Arkansas has announced a new partnership between Baptist Health and Little Rock Southwest Magnet High School to establish a new Academy of Medical Science. Students from Southwest Magnet will have access to enhanced learning opportunities at…

Arkansas small business owners tonight won a collective $17,000 at the 2022 Pitch ‘N Pint pitch competition, produced by The Venture Center and the Little Rock Regional Chamber. Sara Hurst of Bella’s Kitchen + Wellness, Lauren Anderson of Calm +…

After two years of pandemic havoc, people tired of being cooped up are ready to travel. The state’s two largest airports, located in Little Rock and Bentonville, are reporting major progress towards recovering the amount of passenger traffic seen before…

It’s something of a trick question to say that small business’ primary challenges are not COVID-related in the new year. After all, nearly everything concerning small business has in some way been affected by COVID, from staffing to inflation to…

The Venture Center, the Little Rock Regional Chamber, Arvest Bank, and the Arkansas Small Business and Technology Development Center (ASBTDC) have teamed up to host the third year of Spark!, a local small business pre-accelerator program. Applications are open now…

Czech firearm company Ceska Zbrojovka Group (CZG) has closed its acquisition of Colt. CZG announced in February that it was acquiring 100 percent of parent company Colt, the Colt Manufacturing Company, and Colt Canada Corporation. On Monday, May 24, CZG…

Jay Chesshir is well-known for his involvement in the capital city’s development. In 2006, the proud native of Nashville (Howard County) became the 15th president and CEO in the 143-year history of the chamber. Chesshir began his career at the…

The Little Rock Regional Chamber has named a new director of business retention and expansion. Raymond Omar Long will serve as the chamber’s new director, where he will oversee the existing industry support program. In his new role, Long will…

A quick spin through the Port of Little Rock yields a glimpse of the city’s industrial community foreign to many residents. Everything out here is huge — the gargantuan factories sprawling across the landscape; the raw materials and finished products…