Nearly a decade after entering the business of developing new wood pellet production machines, Astec Industries, Inc. said today it is giving up on its plans to engineer and develop a wood pellet plant in Arkansas and limiting its participation developing other new pellet plants.  The Chattanooga-based heavy equipment manufacturer reported today better-than-expected profits from its core business, but Astec reported a net loss of $40.7 million in the second quarter because of losses in its wood pellet operations.  Astec said it has agreed to pay $68 million in cash ...