Inside the kitchen with Tyson Foods chef Thomas Wenrich

by Kim Souza (ksouza@talkbusiness.net)

Thomas Wenrich fell in love with food at age 15 while working in a small restaurant in his hometown of Hebron, Conn. As a teenager, he was hooked immediately. His family owned and operated an automotive parts store in Hebron, but Wenrich said he had no interest in working in that business.

“I love hospitality and the service of feeding people, the teamwork in the kitchen and the grunt and grind of taking these raw ingredients and turning them into a beautiful experience for someone. I fell in love with that process and knew that was what I wanted to do,” Wenrich said.

He worked in restaurants in the Northeast throughout high school and then attended Johnson & Wales Culinary School in Rhode Island. Over the next few years, he worked in restaurants and hotels in Providence. In 2008, Wenrich graduated with a bachelor’s degree in culinary nutrition, arts and chef training from Johnson & Wales. His first trip to Springdale was in 2009 for an intern position at the Discovery Center, where the company develops products for its customers. From that experience, he accepted a job as a chef with Newlywed Foods, a Tyson Foods supplier. Based in Springdale, he worked occasionally with the company’s culinary team.

Inside the kitchen with Tyson Foods chef Thomas Wenrich

UAMS Breaks Ground in Springdale for Orthopaedics & Sports Performance Center

By David Wise

The University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) broke ground today on the UAMS Health Orthopaedics & Sports Performance Center in Springdale.

The 115,000-square-foot center will be located in the four-mile stretch of I-49 on the city’s west side, commonly known as the Springdale Care Corridor, which includes a dozen health care providers.

For several years now, an interdisciplinary team of highly trained surgeons and rehab specialists has been providing specialty care at UAMS orthopaedics and sports medicine clinics in Fayetteville and Lowell, as well as serving as the official sports medicine provider for all of the University of Arkansas Razorback athletic programs.

https://news.uams.edu/2023/09/15/uams-breaks-ground-in-springdale-for-orthopaedics-sports-performance-center/

Walker Foundation Commits $2 Million to UAMS Health Orthopaedics & Sports Performance Center

By Andrew Vogler

LITTLE ROCK — The Willard & Pat Walker Charitable Foundation committed $2 million to the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS).

The gift will support construction of the UAMS Health Orthopaedics & Sports Performance Center in Springdale, Arkansas, which is scheduled to open in summer 2025.

“The Walker Foundation has been instrumental in the growth of Northwest Arkansas, and we are grateful that this support has been extended to UAMS’ operations in the area,” said Cam Patterson, M.D., MBA, UAMS chancellor and CEO of UAMS Health. “Willard and Pat Walker were amazing people, and their legacy of leadership and philanthropy will continue to inspire UAMS’ mission for many years to come.”

https://news.uams.edu/2023/09/07/walker-foundation-commits-2-million-to-uams-health-orthopaedics-sports-performance-center/

Tyson Foods posts ugly $417 million net income loss in third fiscal quarter

by Kim Souza (ksouza@talkbusiness.net)

Tyson Foods on Monday (Aug. 7) reported a quarterly net income loss of $417 million, a wide swing from net income of $720 million in the year-ago quarter. The company cited one-time charges of more than $448 million in the chicken and prepared foods segments for most of the loss.

Revenue came in at $13.14 billion, down 3% from a year ago and 2.8% shy of analysts’ estimates for the quarter ending July 1. On an adjusted basis, earnings per share totaled 15 cents, down 92% from the year-ago period. Analysts predicted adjusted earnings per share of 26 cents.

Tyson Foods CEO Donnie King said market dynamics remain challenging for the company and the industry. He assured analysts that Tyson was turning things around in its chicken segment and is setting itself up to be a stronger, more sustainable and efficiently run company. King announced closures of chicken plants in North Little Rock, Noel and Dexter, Mo., and Corydon, Ind. He said the two previous closures in Van Buren, Ark., and Glen Falls, Va., helped increase efficiency in the chicken segment.

https://talkbusiness.net/2023/08/tyson-foods-posts-ugly-417-million-net-income-loss-in-third-fiscal-quarter/

NWA radio personality reaches winner’s circle at Kentucky Derby

by Paul Gatling (pgatling@nwabj.com)

Derek “Deek” Kastner of Springdale has been picking horses since he was seven. Several months ago, one of those picks was his most wise investment.

Kastner, a popular radio personality in Northwest Arkansas and lifelong horse racing fan, was in Louisville, Ky., this past weekend, where he watched a horse he owns win the sport’s most famous race.

At 15-1 odds, Mage won the 149th Kentucky Derby before a crowd of over 150,000 at Churchill Downs. It was the horse’s fourth career start. He’d only won one of the previous three.

https://talkbusiness.net/2023/05/nwa-radio-personality-reaches-winners-circle-at-kentucky-derby/

Derek "Deek" Kastner and his wife, Lexi, following the 149th running of the Kentucky Derby on Saturday, May 6, in Louisville, Ky. (Photo courtesy Derek Kastner).

Arkansas Children’s announces $318M expansion plan

by Paul Gatling (pgatling@nwabj.com)

Little Rock-based pediatric healthcare organization Arkansas Children’s is planning a $318 million expansion to increase child healthcare in Arkansas.

“Pediatric health needs are more complex than ever before, and we are committed to the highest levels of access and health care quality for the children and families across the state,” Arkansas Children’s President and CEO Marcy Doderer said. “This plan includes recruiting more than 100 new providers and 400 new team members, adding new programs, and building and modernizing facilities.”

According to the news release, the expansion will begin this summer and last nearly a decade. It will include construction projects at Arkansas Children’s Hospital (ACH) in Little Rock and Arkansas Children’s Northwest (ACNW) in Springdale.

https://talkbusiness.net/2023/05/arkansas-childrens-announces-318m-expansion-plan/

Arkansas Children's Northwest in Springdale.

Arkansas Schools Test Methods to Avoid COVID-19 Quarantine

By JACQUELINE FROELICH

Springdale Public School District is among four districts in Arkansas participating in a COVID-19 rapid test pilot program this autumn to help reduce the need to quarantine due to exposure to the virus. State leaders are also monitoring Thaden School, a private grades 6 through 12 school in Bentonville, which no longer is required to institute quarantines due to having a high vaccination rate among faculty, staff and students.

https://www.kuaf.com/post/arkansas-schools-test-methods-avoid-covid-19-quarantine

COURTESY / SPRINGDALE PUBLIC SCHOOLS

UAMS Approved for $85M NWA Building; Site to be Determined

by Paul Gatling (pgatling@nwabj.com)

In March, the University of Arkansas System board of trustees approved an $85 million project in Northwest Arkansas proposed by the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS).

A 185,000-square-foot orthopedic and sports medicine facility will be built at a location to be determined. Marlon Blackwell Architects and DSC Architects will lead the building’s design. Nabholz Construction will be the general contractor. UAMS’ goal is to open the facility by 2023.

Chancellor Cam Patterson said UAMS plans to issue bonds to cover the cost, a change in course from a funding partnership proposed this past fall. In October, the board authorized UAMS to negotiate the terms of a letter of intent to pursue a new building lease agreement with commercial real estate development firm Cushman & Wakefield/Sage Partners in Rogers.

https://talkbusiness.net/2021/04/uams-approved-for-85m-nwa-building-site-to-be-determined/

UAMS Chancellor Cam Patterson. (Photo by Evan Lewis/UAMS).