What are the top companies in Arkansas? Arkansas has 200,000 little businesses, but we also have a lot of significant enterprises, from 500 firms to corporations with more than 10,000 workers. Some of the biggest companies in the state started out as small mom-and-pop shops in the area and grew into multinational corporations.

Additionally, when considering states with a high concentration of tech enterprises or tech startups, Arkansas isn’t really the first region that comes to mind. The state is now well-known for its efforts to use technology in the classroom and for its strong culture of tech startups, which has slowly taken over.

Best companies to work for in Arkansas

As a result, Arkansas has built regional businesses that are prospering in the tech sector and has made resources available to help entrepreneurs. Here are the top employers in the state, in no particular order, along with a fun fact about each one.

1. Murphy Oil Corporation

Murphy is known for their oil and gas extraction and service stations to some, but locals in El Dorado remember them for their scholarships. All El Dorado High School graduates get scholarships as part of the El Dorado Promise, which is sponsored by Murphy Oil.

Students who complete kindergarten through 12th grade in the region are eligible for a full scholarship. The amount depends on how long the student has attended the El Dorado School system. Over 2,000 students received scholarships from 2007 to 2016 to attend institutions in 29 states.

With more than 10,000 students spread in Arkansas, the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) in Little Rock is the sole academic health and scientific institution in the state for these students.

UAMS just gave scholarships to 942 health professionals who will give Arkansans high-quality care now that they have graduated. One of the company’s innovative programs places doctors, pharmacists, and other healthcare professionals in rural communities, allowing graduates to work in a remote location to give back to society.

2. Protech Solutions

One of the biggest tech businesses in Arkansas is Protech Solutions, which is based in Little Rock. They employ 98 people and generate close to 70 million in revenue. Founded in 1995, Satish Garimalla is the current CEO. They offer services like big data solutions, workflow solutions for document management, the transformation of old applications, and credit card processing systems.

Enterprise Portals that can link stakeholders have also been developed by their software developers. Their customer care portals make it simple for customers to communicate with customer support agents. Information from many systems is integrated with the help of their managed services.

These integrated data solutions use a real-time process that helps get rid of duplicate addresses, incomplete names, and old records. Protech Solutions also offers responsive site design and tools for social networking on top of these services.

3. Tyson Foods

Beginning during the Great Depression, when John W. Tyson relocated to Arkansas in search of better possibilities, their journey begins. He began distributing birds, and as the demand for poultry increased and it wasn’t rationed during World War II, his business expanded. Tyson’s now collaborates with 11,000 farmers to produce chicken, beef, and pork, paying more than $15 billion in 2013 to American farm families, many of which are located in Arkansas.

4. Shiloh Technology

In 1992, Britt Fogg, the company’s founder, and CEO opened Fogg Business Solutions. This tech business was collaborating with about 100 stores by 2004. These featured numerous stores like Target, Home Depot, Office Depot, Menards, Lowes, Staples, and Nordstrom. The business changed its name to Shiloh Technologies in 2008 to better represent its ongoing expansion.

Their software engineers have developed data intelligence solutions for businesses, goods, and brands. Data Services that are compatible with the Microsoft Azure Platform were created by them. Shiloh NEXT Data Service advantages include open API, legacy system connection, security, disaster recovery, agility with Azure, and connectivity with a range of BI tools.

5. ArcBest

What began as a small freight mover in Fort Smith in 1923 is today a provider of international logistics services. and has around 13,000 employees. For the third year running, Judy McReynolds, the company’s first female chair, president, and CEO, has been recognized as one of the “Top 25 Most Influential Women of the Mid-Market.”

6. Apptegy

Jeston George founded Apptegy in April. A Little Rock, Arkansas-based private education technology corporation, it was. In-state venture financing was made available to George in order to help him begin his new business.

He founded this IT company primarily so that he could have plenty of time to organize everything and to learn about his nephew’s school schedule well in advance. He came to the realization that nearly no local school had a centralized method for informing students’ families. To close this gap, George created the Apptegy software solution. It had the name Thrillshare. This made it possible for students to contribute their news, media, and tales on a single platform, which then distributed content to all of the associated tools.

7. Dillard’s, Inc.

Originally a five-and-dime store in Nashville, this well-known department store has expanded to encompass more than 250 locations throughout 29 states. Customers line up to obtain the finest prices of the year during their well-known New Year’s Day sale.

8. Wal-Mart Stores

Of course, Wal-Mart must be on any list of employers in Arkansas. They were ranked first on the Fortune 500 list in 2017. With options like grocery delivery and premises delivery, Walmart is adjusting to the rise of online shopping and modifying how they cater to their customer’s requirements. The annual Council Meeting, which takes place in Fayetteville every year and draws employees from Wal-Mart and Sam’s Club locations worldwide, is their biggest event. Celebrities are brought in to host events and live performances, turning Northwest Arkansas into a popular destination. In 2017, James Corden served as the show’s host, and rock bands Foreigner and Styx performed live.

9. J.B. Hunt Transport Services, Inc

You can see this Fortune 500 transportation company’s headquarters if you travel along Interstate 49 through Northwest Arkansas.

J.B. Hunt founded the business in 1961 with just five vehicles; today, they operate more than 12,000 trucks and have 22,000 employees around the world. To determine the top driver in the state, J.B. Hunt drivers compete against drivers from other firms in the Arkansas Truck Driving Championship each year. J.B. Hunt sent 29 drivers to the 2017 race.

Featured image credit: https://www.cnbc.com/2021/07/13/top-states-for-business-arkansas.html