The Fort Worth Chamberletter

The Fort Worth Chamber has partnered with the Fort Worth Independent School District to present Hiring Fair 2013, where area businesses may recruit graduates for entry-level positions.   Employers may sign up now (FREE registration and booth) for this 20^th annual event.

This event targets job opportunities for recent graduates of Fort Worth ISD ages 17 to 21.  More than 800 job seekers seeking entry-level jobs in a variety of industries for full-time, part-time, permanent and temporary positions are anticipated.

Booths go quickly and space is limited. To register for a free booth or obtain additional information, employers may contact Lila Boydston at 817-814-1813 or Lila@esc11.net before May 24.

• What:     Hiring Fair 2013
• When:   Thursday, June 13 (1 p.m. – 4 p.m.)
• Where:  Will Rogers Memorial Center, 3401 West Lancaster Ave, 76107
• Cost:      No cost for registration or booth

Event partners for Hiring Fair 2013 are the Fort Worth Chamber, Fort Worth Hispanic Chamber, Fort Worth Metropolitan Black Chamber, Girl Scouts of Texas Oklahoma Plains, Volunteer Center of North Texas, and Workforce Solutions for Tarrant County.

In the Works

Lockheed Martin Corp and the Pentagon reached an “agreement in principle” to complete a contract valued at about $4 billion for the production batch of F-35 fighters. Signing the contract before the end of the year would mean that the money would not be subject to reduction if the Pentagon is forced to make $52.3 billion in additional cuts during the current fiscal year under sequestration. The F-35 is built at Lockheed’s complex in west Fort Worth, where 6,000 employees are directly involved in its development. The F-35 joint strike fighter is the Pentagon’s costliest program. The Government Accountability Office stated in its annual report that the estimated average procurement cost of each jet had risen to $137 million from the initial estimate of $69 million in October 2001.

Star-Telegram, December 1, 2012

More than half of the work on the new, $25.9 million West Seventh Street Bridge is being done off-site to minimize the impact on traffic. The arches of the bridge each weigh 300 tons and stand 24 feet tall. Seven arches are completed, and 5 more will soon be poured. It takes about 4 days for each arch to dry and about 14 days to cure. At the conclusion of the Stock Show in February, crews are scheduled to begin moving each 300-tonarch from a nearby field to the river – approximately the length of 5 football fields. The new bridge will be painted white, and will feature recessed lighting that will make its arches visible for miles. In addition, the bridge will feature specially designed supports that would make it possible for railroad tracks to be added, if the city later wishes to do so. The bridge is scheduled to open to traffic in mid-November, although final work underneath the bridge will continue through January 2014.

Star-Telegram, December 4, 2012

Lockheed Martin Aeronautics, maker of the F-22, the F-16, and the F-35 jets, expects to move about 560 salaried jobs from its Marietta, Georgia facility to the division’s headquarters in Fort Worth, Texas. Lockheed has been moving to cut costs in the face of expected reductions to the defense budget in Washington. The relocation effort is likely to save $250 million. Marietta employees affected by the job relocation include engineers, schedulers, and persons in administrative positions. The F-22 Raptor was assembled in Marietta, but one-third of the construction was completed in Fort Worth. Lockheed has about 14,200 employees in west Fort Worth.

Star-Telegram, December 5, 2012

Wise Regional Health System is expected to open its Parkway Surgical and Cardiovascular Hospital in about a year. The hospital will be 29,000 square feet and located on North Tarrant Parkway in north Fort Worth. The surgical hospital plans to focus on minimally invasive spine and cardiac and vascular services. It will include 12 short-term inpatient beds for patients whose procedures require longer recovery times. The facility will also offer plastic surgery and bariatric surgery, as well as an emergency department.

Star-Telegram, December 12, 2012

Silverado Senior Living, an Irvine, California-based company, is expected to open an assisted-living community for people with memory loss conditions, Parkinson’s, and Lewy body at 7001 Bryant Irvin Road in Fort Worth next fall. It is expected to employ up to 100 people.

Star-Telegram, December 17, 2012

Top leaders at American Airlines, US Airways, and their pilot unions are in ongoing meetings to discuss a possible merger between the companies…US Airways has said publicly that it wants a merger with American while it reorganizes under bankruptcy protection. Executive at American Airlines have said that they want to look at possible mergers after the company emerges from bankruptcy. AMR Corporation, based in Fort Worth, is the parent company of American Airlines.

Fort Worth Business Press, December 19, 2012

Expansions and Moves

Fort Worth-based Edmundton Apartments LLC bought The Edmundton, a 20-unit apartment building located on Birchman Avenue in Fort Worth. The distressed asset was sold off market. Financing was obtained through a local bank at 80 percent loan-to-cost. Boyan Radic and Mason Green of Marcus & Millichap Real Estate Investment Services represented the seller, a Utah partnership. Edmundton Apartments was also secured and represented by Radic and Green.

Fort Worth Business Press, December 9, 2012

Basic Energy Services Inc, a Fort Worth-based oil and gas well-site service provider, acquired all assets of Saltwater Disposal of North Dakota LLC for $43 million. The assets purchase includes 5 saltwater disposal facilities and 8 residential housing units. Basic Energy expects the acquisition to be accretive to earnings and contribute about $14 million of revenue in 2013. With the purchase, Basic Energy owns 72 saltwater disposal facilities in Texas, Oklahoma, North Dakota, New Mexico, and Louisiana. Basic Energy employs more than 5,600 individuals.

Fort Worth Business Press, December 20, 2012

Interstate Restoration LLC, a Fort Worth-based firm that provides disaster recovery services, announced the acquisition of fellow industry member InStar and their nationwide operations platform and sales team. The merger of InStar and Interstate Restoration LLC will provide customers with cutting edge technical resources and expertise to cope with any natural disaster, according to an Interstate news release. The transaction price was not disclosed.

Fort Worth Business Press, December 21, 2012

A $2.7 million renovation project for Fort Worth Can Academy’s River Oak campus began and will transform a vacant 22,500 square-foot former automobile dealership into the new home for the River Oaks School. The new campus is located at 2920 Alta Mere Drive in the old West Loop Mitsubishi complex and is scheduled to open in August 2013. The larger, renovated facility will be able to accommodate up to 600 more students. It will include a 3,800 square-foot Early Childhood Education Center with a capacity of 88 children ages 6-weeks to 12 years; 16 classrooms; 2 state-of-the-art computer labs; 2 science labs; a registration classroom; and cafeteria and offices. The project architect is RGM Architects of Dallas.

Fort Worth Business Press, December 22, 2012

On the Dotted Line

Gordon Wayne Davis bought a 22,239 square-foot industrial building at 4709 Lone Star Boulevard in Fort Worth.

Star-Telegram, December 3, 2012

Curves leased 2,400 square feet at 2828 Forest Park Boulevard in Fort Worth for a new location of its fitness and massage studios.

Star-Telegram, December 3, 2012

Hal Allen Family sold 39,000 square feet of industrial space at 4015 East Loop 820 in Fort Worth. Jeff Givens and Amy Baker of Transwestern represented the seller.

Star-Telegram, December 10, 2012

Rally House Texas, a sports apparel retailer, leased a 9,228 square-foot space in the Overton Ridge Shopping Center, which is located at 4920 Overton Ridge Boulevard in Fort Worth.

Fort Worth Business Press, December 14, 2012

Park Tavern leased an 8,111 square-foot space at City Place Center, located at 150 Throckmorton Street in downtown Fort Worth. City Place will be Park Tavern’s second area location.

Fort Worth Business Press, December 14, 2012

Cody Martin, David Wedemeier, and Adam Myers of the new Martin House Brewing Company signed a lease for a 9,000 square-foot space at 220 South Sylvania Avenue in Fort Worth and plan on releasing craft brews to the marker in early 2013. The company currently has 4 year-round beers – the piney, hoppy Imperial Texan; the Day Break 4 Grain Breakfast Beer modeled after a bowl of cereal that offers barley, wheat, oats and rye and is finished with honey; the easy-drinking River House Saison; and There Will Be Stout, a black stout brewed with six pounds of crushed pretzels.

Fort Worth Business Press, December 14, 2012

Jerry’s Express Car Wash bought a 2.32-acre pad site at 4748 Golden Triangle Boulevard in Fort Worth from Alta Vista FW-1 Ltd for a carwash.

Star-Telegram, December 17, 2012

Jack 2199 bought a 34,591 square-foot industrial building at 1800 North Park Drive in Fort Worth.

Star-Telegram, December 17, 2012

JC Craig Properties bought a 10,500 square-foot industrial building at 3213 Ramona Drive in Fort Worth.

Star-Telegram, December 17, 2012

McCart Panther Partners bought a 156,352 square-foot building at 3500 McCart Avenue in Fort Worth.

Star-Telegram, December 17, 2012

Maruyama Manufacturing Co leased 43,125 square feet of office/warehouse space at 4770 Mercantile Drive in Fort Worth.

Star-Telegram, December 17, 2012

Residential Credit Solutions Inc leased 106,500 square feet of office space at 4708 Mercantile Drive in north Fort Worth. By occupying the former Saxon Mortgage space, the move marks a homecoming for many Residential employees because those individuals had worked for Saxon Mortgage when that company occupied the space. All 300 employees based at Residential’s current location at 4282 North Freeway will move into the new space by late February. The company signed a 5-year lease with a 5-year option for the single-floor, light industrial space.

Fort Worth Business Press, December 18, 2012

Rob Cammack bought a 79,190 square-foot building at 5650 Kroger Drive in Fort Worth.

Star-Telegram, December 24, 2012

Tarrant Net, a nonprofit, leased 1,400 square feet for a new location at 1525 Merrimac Circle in Fort Worth.

Star-Telegram, December 24, 2012

Danny Miller bought a 20,000 square-foot building at 2701 East Loop 820 South in Fort Worth. Michael Newsome with NAI Robert Lynn represented the buyer. John Bielamowicz with HSM represented the seller.

Star-Telegram, December 31, 2012

Leeco Steel leased 3,005 square feet of office space at 1300 South University Drive in Fort Worth. Star-Telegram, December 31, 2012

Ronald Alexander bought a 34,840 square-foot building at 201 Northeast 35^th Street in Fort Worth.

Star-Telegram, December 31, 2012

Openings

Magnolia Cheese Co, a locally-owned artisan cheese shop and café, is opening this month at 1251 West Magnolia Avenue. The café offers cut-to-order cheeses, wine, and microbrews along with a small menu of sandwiches, salads, small plates, and desserts. Most of the cheeses offered will be American artisan, and about third will be international varieties. The Magnolia Cheese Co is owned by Elizabeth Northern, who eventually plans to offer classes, including Cheese-101 and wine and beer parings. The 1,400-square-foot shop was designed by Ken Loose of NZ Architects and contracted by Joe Massey Construction. Magnolia Cheese Co will be open for lunch and dinner Tuesday through Sunday.

Fort Worth Business Press, December 2, 2012

Dude, Sweet Chocolate, a Dallas-based chocolatier, is opening this month at 2925 Crockett Street in Fort Worth. The gourmet chocolate shop will occupy the former Fig Designers space in the West Seventh development.

Fort Worth Business Press, December 2, 2012

Torchy’s Tacos, an Austin-based taco shop, opened a location near Forest Park Boulevard in Fort Worth on December 20^th. Torchy’s is known for its diablo hot sauce and spicy salsas and quesos. It also serves a selection of breakfast tacos. The restaurant is located at 928 Northton Street.

Star-Telegram, December 7, 2012

Jeff King will open the first Fort Worth office for Northern Trust, a Chicago-based wealth management firm. King will also be President of the Fort Worth region, which extends in to West Texas and represents Northern Trust’s seventh Texas office. Northern Trust caters to people with high net worth, usually people with at least $5 million. Part of the reason for opening an office in Fort Worth is because of the company’s ties to oil and gas. The growth of the Barnett Shale in North Texas and the continuing oil rebirth in the Permian Basin represents the creation of “significant wealth and fast-growing economies,” according to Jeff King.

Star-Telegram, December 13, 2012

Kip’z BBQ reopened on Evans Avenue after having been closed for 2 years. The restaurant originally opened in 2006 and quickly became known for its barbecue, plate lunches with yams and collard greens, and “Better than Mom’s Banana Pudding.” Kip’z BBQ is open Tuesdays through Saturdays for lunch and until 7p.m., and on Sundays from noon until 6p.m.

Star-Telegram, December 19, 2012

Taco Diner, a part of the M. Crowd Restaurant Group, will open a new, 3,000 square foot location at the Westbrook Building in Sundance Square. Taco Diner will offer a “lighter approach to Mexican cooking with a focus on bold flavors found in traditional Mexico City taquerias.” The restaurant will open in 2013.

Star-Telegram, December 20, 2012

Donna Albanese is opening a new family restaurant called Red Door Bistro near Hulen Mall. The new restaurant will be a casual wine café and will serve a new American menu with entrees such as honey-chipotle quail, herb-steamed tilapia, pasta with grilled chicken in a walnut-cream sauce, and black bean-chicken crepes, plus soups and salads. The restaurant will be located at 4938 Overton Ridge Boulevard in Fort Worth. Its official opening date is January 2^nd.

Star-Telegram, December 26, 2012

GE Transportation, a division of General Electric, is scheduled to open its Manufacturing Solutions locomotive factory in north Fort Worth in about a month and is still trying to fill its first 300 jobs. The factory will produce GE’s Evolution diesel-electric locomotives. As of mid-December, GE has only hired 215 workers in Fort Worth, although 12,000 applications were submitted. The facility could employ 875 workers by 2016, with most workers at the factory earning between $18 and $23.50 per hour.

Star-Telegram, December 27, 2012

Around Town

Belfor USA’s disaster recovery facility in Fort Worth is believed to be drying out an undetermined amount of stock and bond certificates from an underground vault in New York that were soaked during Superstorm Sandy. The vault is owned by the Depository Trust and Clearing Corp. Some estimate that as much as $70 billion in stock and bond certificates, as well as bearer bonds are contained in the 10,000 square-foot vault. Security around the building dramatically increased as Fort Worth police officers and other law enforcers wearing SWAT gear and carrying assault weapons were seen in the area. Security cameras were also installed on street-light poles near the facility. Belfor USA helped recover documents from Hurricane Katrina and Hurricane Rita. Some estimate that the project could cost around $2 million.

Star-Telegram, December 1, 2012

AllianceTexas, the 17,000-acre development in far north Fort Worth, surpassed a total of $1 billion in property taxes paid to local governments over the projects 22 years. More development is supposed to be ahead. Hillwood is looking at industrial possibilities and is getting ready to proceed with 2 speculative Class A buildings totaling 230,000 square feet next to Alliance Town Center. A Dick’s Sporting Goods is under construction and is expected to open next summer, launching the second phase of Alliance Town Center. Hillwood’s property taxes go to 8 entities: Fort Worth, Roanoke, Haslet, Westlake, Tarrant, and Denton counties, and the Keller and Northwest school districts. That includes $22 million for Tarrant County in 2011, up from $7 million in 2000.

Star-Telegram, December 3, 2012

Catholic Charities Fort Worth (CCFW) and Atmos Energy launched a new mobile service unit to reach economically disadvantaged people in the 27 counties of the Fort Worth diocese who do not have transportation to the agency’s main campus at 249 West Thornhill Drive in Fort Worth. CCFW’s Mobile Unit is designed to be a portable classroom and will offer the most diverse range of services possible, from financial assistance to case management, counseling and tax assistants.

Fort Worth Business Press, December 9, 2012

Twelve Tarrant County businesses were named finalists for the Fort Worth Chamber of Commerce’s annual small business awards. Finalists were chosen from a field of 94 nominees and 38 applicants in 4 categories. Factors considered by the judges included growth and performance, sound business strategies and practices, customer service strategies, business challenges, unique and innovative approaches, and community involvement. The finalists were: Peloton Land Solutions, Shoot Smart, WORN for Peace, Path to Wellness Chiropractic, Red Productions, Village Homes, Composite Cooling Solutions, Perrone Pharmacy/Perrone RX, Texas Jet, Mac Churchill Acura, Multatech Engineering, and Landscape Partners. The awards will be presented at a reception before Mayor Betsy Price’s State of the City address on March 5^th.

Star-Telegram, December 31, 2012

Out of Town Reporting

Jed Kolko, Chief Economist at real estate information site Trulia.com, ranked Fort Worth as the ninth “healthiest” metro for housing in 2013.According to Kolko, “the healthy markets that made the list have strong job growth, which bodes well for housing demand; low vacancy rates – low enough to encourage new construction, but not so low that inventory and sales are restrained; and low foreclosure inventory, since foreclosures tend to hold back recovery.” According to Trulia.com, asking prices in the Fort Worth market were up 5.3 percent from a year ago and rent was up 7 percent. Houston, San Antonio, and Austin were also ranked in the top ten healthiest housing markets in 2013.

MarketWatch, December 26, 2012

A partnership of San Francisco-based DivcoWest and affiliates of TPG Real Estate completed the purchase of the majority of the assets in a Silicon Valley portfolio owned by Mission West Properties Inc, a publicly-traded REIT based in Cupertino, California. The portfolio includes 73 buildings totaling 6.4 million square feet throughout Silicon Valley. According to a news release from Mission West, the joint venture of DivcoWest and TPG paid approximately $400 million in cash and assumed about $398 million in debt for the portfolio. TPG Real Estate is the real estate platform of TPG, a Fort Worth-based private investment firm that has $54.5 billion of assets under management. The partnership’s financial advisers were Eastdil Secured, Morgan Stanley, and Bank of America Merrill Lynch. Its legal advisers were Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher and Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom.

Business Wire, December 27, 2012

Did You Know?

Gifts were handed to 77 local charities during the annual Colonial Country Club Charities Holiday Breakfast. The Crowne Plaza Invitational tournament at the Colonial raised a record $7 million in fundraising, with about $250,000 of that given away at the breakfast. Among the 77 charities represented were the AIDS outreach center, REAL School Gardens, SafeHaven of Tarrant County, the Tarrant Area Food Bank, and the Child Study Center. In the last 15 years, the tournament has generated money and services totaling $53 million for more than 130 organizations, according to the Colonial Charities Committee.

Star-Telegram, December 1, 2012

The U.S. Bureau of Engraving and Printing facility in Fort Worth prints more than half of the 7.7 billion bills of all denominations that will be printed in fiscal 2013. So far, the facility had printed 17.3 million bills a day that value about $1 billion. The facility, located at 9000 Blue Mound Road, has around 800 employees and contractors who are under strict security 24 hours a day.

Star-Telegram, December 21, 2012

David Parker & Matt Geske

The Fort Worth Chamber of Commerce’s Government Affairs department and related committees are gearing for the 83^rd Texas Legislature that will convene in Austin on Jan. 8.

David Parker, AT&T vice president for external affairs in Fort Worth and chairman of the Chamber’s Governmental Affairs Committee, and Chamber Governmental Affairs Director Matt Geske discussed the Chamber’s legislative agenda and related matters in a Chamberletter Q&A.

1. The 83^rdLegislature convenes on Jan. 8. What are some steps the Chamber is taking now through December to prepare for that session?

Parker: Consulting with our membership and local leadership for their input/issues/concerns/ideas; proactively reaching out to our local legislative delegation and those in Austin who are critical to our issues; and utilizing our various Chamber committees to help craft positions on their specific disciplines that our Governmental Affairs committee then pulls together for our Chamber Legislative Session Position Statements. These statements were approved by the Chamber Board of Directors on 10/18.

Geske:  On October 18^th, the chamber’s Board of Directors unanimously approved our legislative agenda for the next session.  Our next step will be to reach out to our Tarrant County delegation, after the election, to discuss the issues critical to the business community in Fort Worth.  In addition, we are holding our Leaders in Government Legislative Preview with our legislators in December which will give our members a chance to meet our newest elected leaders as well as reconnect with our current legislators.

2. How do you describe the Chamber’s legislative agenda?

Parker: Broad and high-level on some topics and detailed/specific in some areas, but a thoroughly vetted collection of position statements on pro-commerce, pro-economic development, pro- Fort Worth community, and pro-education policies.

Geske: Our agenda focuses on all legislative issues that are important to the business community such as: economic development, transportation, public and higher education, health care and water.

3. How was the agenda formed?

Parker: The Chamber team develops the basic framework of issues, then provides to the various committees, receives positions and input from committees, then integrates that feedback into positions for the Governmental Affairs Committee agenda, who then debates/discusses/tweaks the issues, then approves the final version to go for a vote before the large board.

Geske: In the beginning of the process, we create a “skeleton” agenda based on relevant agenda items from previous sessions and allow our committees to add input that strengthens the overall statements.  The chamber vets the agenda through all of our committees (transportation, health care, environmental, governmental affairs).  After all input is taken from each of the committees, the governmental affairs committee makes any necessary revisions and then submits it for board approval.

4. What strengths and resources will the Chamber have in moving its agenda forward?

Parker: A strong, active pro-business legislative delegation here in North Texas; involvement and support of our members and influential local leaders; several current and potential Tarrant county chairs in the legislature; an engaged Governmental Affairs staff team; and a GA committee of experienced, knowledgeable members, along with lots of helpful “eyes and ears” in Austin during session.

Geske: First, we have a tremendous Tarrant County delegation in both the House and Senate. They are pro-business, pro-commerce legislators who support the Chamber and our missions.  Second, we work with 7 other metro chambers, “Metro 8,” on very similar issues.  Therefore, we are able to reach many more legislators than just our own in Tarrant County.

5. What’s an overriding concern, if there is one, that the agenda addresses?

Parker: Economic development dollars – we’ve got great ED leaders and guys like David Berzina who can flat lure business to this great area, but these dollars help us compete with other states to get those jobs here in DFW

Geske: The reauthorization of the Economic Development Act and the funding of the Enterprise Fund are two important economic development tools that could face opposition.  Both of these tools allow the state to attract and retain businesses, which in turn brings additional jobs and commerce.  Authorizing the Economic Development Act and the Enterprise Fund is one of the most important goals for the session. We are continually meeting with our Metro 8 colleagues (chambers in Fort Worth, Dallas, Arlington, San Antonio, Houston, El Paso, Austin and Corpus Christi) and meeting with staff and legislators on this issue.

6. The agenda addresses a diverse mix of leading issues, but what’s a particularly notable concern that’s addressed?

Geske: All of our issues are important to the business community, but funding the state water plan is a major issue facing the state.  The state went through one of the worst droughts in recent decades last summer and without a funded water plan, we face uncertainties as it pertains to water.  In order to attract and retain companies, we must have a secure, reliable water source. It is estimated that the state could lose up to $116 billion of income annually by 2060, if we fail to meet our growing water needs.

7. How can Chamber members help in moving the agenda forward?

Parker:  My recommendation is to stay informed throughout, and prior to, the Legislative Session, make sure the Chamber and the GA Committee are aware of important issues to you and the community, stay ready and willing to send correspondence to our legislative delegation who are there to represent US, and my personal advice is to: (a) always fully read and understand the language AND intent of legislation; and (b) use one’s own unique expertise and creativity to provide proposed solutions for this community, not just complaints or proposals that benefit only you.

Geske: We ask our members to become very familiar with the legislative agenda and be prepared to reach out to our legislative delegation when requested.  The outreach could include face-to-face meetings locally or in Austin with our legislators or crating letters or emails concerning legislation.  We also ask our membership to make us aware of legislation that could be damaging to their business.

L-R: Judy McDonald, Workforce Solutions
Lacy Kreger, Fort Worth Chamber
Melonye Whitson, Fort Worth Chamber
James O’Donley, BNSF
Terry Preuniger, Oncor
Janie Havel, Governor’s Office
Aaron Demerson, Governor’s Office
David Berzina, Fort Worth Chamber

Fort Worth and Westlake were among five Texas cities honored with the Texas Economic Development Council’s (TEDC) annual Community Economic Development Awards (CEDA) for 2012. The Community Economic Development Award program recognizes the exceptional contributions of TEDC member cities toward the economic vitality of their communities and the State of Texas through creativity, leadership, and partnership in the achievement of business retention, business recruitment and community improvement.

The awards were presented Wednesday, September 26 at the TEDC’s Annual Conference at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Austin.

Fort Worth was recognized for attracting GE Manufacturing Solutions, the world’s leading manufacturer of rail and transportation products to the city, as the site for a state-of-the-art locomotive manufacturing facility. GE purchased a 670,000-square-foot facility and is expanding to approximately 900,000 square feet to accommodate the production of 250-300 locomotives per year. The $100 million capital investment will bring more than 500 jobs with annual salaries averaging over $40,000 per year. GE received a $4.35 million Texas Enterprise Fund grant, $3.3 million in tax abatements and a $785,000 Skills Development Fund grant.

“The City of Fort Worth, the Fort Worth Chamber of Commerce, Denton County, Workforce Solutions for Tarrant County, Workforce Solutions for North Central Texas, Tarrant County College and our many other partners went above and beyond all expectations to secure the GE Manufacturing Solutions locomotive facility because they understood the economic significance of GE’s presence in North Texas,” said David Berzina, executive vice president of economic development for the Fort Worth Chamber. “We are pleased that TEDC recognized these extraordinary efforts. This deal demonstrates to the world that North Texas, and Fort Worth in particular, is continuing to build on its strong tradition of manufacturing by attracting widely recognized, global brands that are producing a wide range of products customers know and trust.”

Westlake was recognized for leveraging a scenic 107-acre site to attract Deloitte University, a 700,000-square-foot, state-of-the-art teaching facility. Deloitte University will train the firm’s employees who serve their clients in finance, auditing, taxes and general consulting. Westlake used a development agreement and a ten-year tax abatement to help secure the $300 million project. The project boasts 100 Deloitte jobs and an additional 350-400 hospitality professionals to maintain the day-to-day operations of the facility.

The Deloitte University site is located at AllianceTexas, a 17,000-acre master-planned development spanning north Fort Worth, Westlake, Haslet, Roanoke and other communities in northern Tarrant and southern Denton counties. It includes the Alliance Global Logistics Hub, Circle T Ranch, Heritage, Alliance Town Center, Saratoga and Monterra Village projects. AllianceTexas is now home to over 300 companies, which have built nearly 32 million square feet and created more than 30,000 jobs.

The CEDA committee received applications from 26 member communities.  Nominees were then judged on five criteria: innovativeness, transferability, community commitment and leverage, measured objectives, and secondary benefits.

“As the largest state economic development association in the county, our members continue to develop unique approaches to creating, retaining and recruiting jobs to our state,” said TEDC Chairman Greg Last.

CEDA recipients in the five population categories are:

Westlake (Population less than 5,000) Pop. 992

Westlake, Deloitte University

Marble Falls (Population 5,001-15,000) Pop. 6,077

The Marble Falls Economic Development Corporation, CorWorth Building Systems

Belton (Population 15,001-40,000) Pop. 18,216

The Belton Economic Development Corporation, CGI Group

Missouri City (Population 40,001-100,000) Pop. 68,447

Missouri City, Niagara Bottling Company

Fort Worth (Population 100,001 and above) Pop. 741,206

Fort Worth Chamber of Commerce, City of Fort Worth, Denton County, Workforce Solutions for Tarrant County, Workforce Solutions for North Central Texas, Tarrant County College, GE Manufacturing Solutions

About the Fort Worth Chamber of Commerce

The Fort Worth Chamber of Commerce, with 2,000 member businesses, is the second-largest chamber in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex.  The Fort Worth Chamber has repeatedly been recognized as one of the nation’s top economic development organizations.  Through business-to-business marketing, educational events, economic development, workforce development and government advocacy, the Fort Worth Chamber assumes a leadership role in making Fort Worth, the 16^th-largest city in the U.S., a premier location in which to live, work and do business.  For more information, please contact the Fort Worth Chamber of Commerce at (817) 338-3391 or visit fortworthecodev.com.

About TEDC

The TEDC was organized in 1961 and provides information, education and legislative services to its members to foster the expansion of existing businesses, the location of new firms and the development of strategies that promote a positive business climate in Texas. With 800 members, the TEDC is now the largest state economic development association in the nation.

Front: John Merrifield, President, Skylar Merrifield, Treasurer. Back: Rebecca Pfleiger, Administrative Assistant, Lorraine Tune, Account Manager.

John Merrifield’s company, IFC Benefit Solutions, mirrors his personal motivation. “I’ve always been driven to help people and make a difference in the lives of others,” said Merrifield, founder and president of the full-service insurance brokerage firm. “I do this with donating time in the community, serving in church and being able to own a business that helps hundreds of people yearly.”

Two examples illustrate his point:

– IFC helped a young mother, suddenly widowed, to quickly obtain financial security.

– The company negotiated reversal of a breast cancer patient’s denied claim involving a$16,000 medical bill.

“In a time of great sadness and trial for these individuals, we were able to lessen their burdens in a way that others can’t,” Merrifield said. “We are able to do that many times each year, paying out death claims quickly. We do this with empathy. Having lost a child myself, I understand their loss.”

Merrifield founded IFC in 1987, specializing in employee and executive benefits.

Steady growth, a nationwide client base and core strengths in practices and operations during the economic downturn have yielded a strong outlook for the company, which was honored with the Fort Worth Chamber of Commerce’s 2012 Small Business of the Year award in the 1-10 Employees category.

Learning they had won the award brought “joy and satisfaction that we are doing things right,” Merrifield said.

The Chamber has called for entries in the 2013 competition. Applications, available online, will be accepted through Oct. 12. Merrifield encourages businesses to enter. “It helps you to assess your business and how you are doing as compared to other companies your size,” he said.

IFC technology and related tools help clients manage costs. Small businesses with fewer than 150 employees gain vital efficiencies. “Reducing their cost even 10 percent may increase their bottom line $50,000 to $100,000 a year and be the difference in laying off an employee or not,” Merrifield said.

IFC’s entry profile sketched a strategic vision that blends extensive analysis of clients’ needs with open communications and intense focus on an essential service — helping clients position now for the impact of health care reforms.

Merrifield shared an urgent message to businesses regarding pending reforms. “Understand what changes have already happened and what takes effect in 2013 and 2014,” he said. “Prepare now, and do not wait until next year.”

For veterans who are degreed engineers, returning from harm’s way in Iraq, Afghanistan or elsewhere lands them alongside every civilian contending with one of today’s toughest battles at home – finding a job.

About 28,000 veterans using Monster.com are seeking engineering jobs, a spokeswoman said. About half are degreed.

In North Texas, their service earns help from Engineer Job Connect (EJC), a four-year, $5 million U.S. Department of Labor grant.

The grant gives companies in the aerospace, defense and manufacturing sectors an alternative to importing foreign engineers, officials say.

Through EJC, companies are assisted with on-the-job (OJT) training costs linked to hiring unemployed or underemployed degreed engineers who are veterans, women or minorities and who are either U.S. citizens or permanent residents who hold green cards.

Typically, all newly hired engineers must undergo OJT to learn their new jobs, said grant director Judy Bell of Workforce Solutions for Tarrant County, the local resource for employers and placement and training of jobseekers.

“Everyone’s systems are different, and there are a lot of things to learn,” Bell said. She said the grant’s formula pays training costs based on a company’s size and the engineer’s salary.

The Fort Worth Chamber is spearheading an innovative outreach campaign to applicants and businesses, said Betty Harvey of the Chamber’s Workforce and Economic Development department.

Among the businesses is the Grand Prairie arm of American Eurocopter, a leading provider of helicopters for U.S. civilian, parapublic and military markets such as the U.S. Coast Guard.

“This (EJC) program actually increases our hiring base,” said Audrey Elliott, American Eurocopter’s corporate secretary and vice president of Human Resources.

“By subsidizing training costs, it adds an incentive for us to look at a larger pool of job candidates,” she said.

One challenge is simply to get the word out about EJC to vets who are engineers, said Efren Villanueva, a Business Site manager for Texas National Guard Job Connection Education Program (JCEP). “So many don’t know about the program yet.”
Commitment to the community drives American Eurocopter’s EJC participation, Elliott said. “We are a Texas-based company, and we believe in helping out our local community and giving back to the local economy. Our participation in this program provides more opportunities for us to hire employees locally and increase their knowledge and technical skills. The majority of our training is also done locally, so the effect is doubled.”

“Many veterans may be fully qualified to work in a military setting, but they may not have the qualifications in the commercial environment. With (EJC), we can offset the expense of training and upgrade their skills so that they are fully qualified.”

For more information, businesses or applicants should visit EngineerJobConnect.com.

Workforce Solutions of Tarrant County Engineer Job Connect email:
EngineerJobConnect@workforcesolutions.net

As the Great Recession continues to abate and hiring levels in Texas are back on track, one of the most valuable services offered to local residents and employers is a comprehensive, easy-to-use, online job search resource and matching system.

WorkInTexas.com  (WIT) is a Texas-sized solution for Texans needing either employees or jobs.

The website provides recruiting assistance to Texas employers of all types and sizes, and job search assistance to any individual seeking work in Texas. WIT is a no cost, 24-7  job posting and advanced job matching service to help employers quickly find the best candidate. In addition to personalized job matching, WIT offers resume-building and other career tools.

“For more than 16 years, Workforce Solutions for Tarrant County has overseen and provided workforce development services to employers and job seekers throughout Tarrant County,” said Judy McDonald, Executive Director, Workforce Solutions for Tarrant County.  “We are excited about the new marketing campaign we have just launched for WorkInTexas.com. We feel this partnership with WIT will help us keep our charge to ‘Keep Tarrant County Working.’”

According to the site stats, there were 1,634 jobs posted in one day (July 25), with a total of 65,762 job openings, and 577,346 resumes posted. More than 1.9 million jobs have been filled since the website began operation.

For  information visit www.workforcesolutions.net or call 817.413.4400.

Join the Fort Worth Chamber in China October 1-9, 2012 for a trip of a lifetime

The Chamber is launching a Chamber travel program that offers member discounts on low-priced tours to destinations worldwide.  More than 50 people have already signed on for the China trip and there is still room. Join us at an orientation meeting, Tuesday, April 10, 2012, 5:30-7:00 p.m. in the Chambers offices and learn more about our inaugural trip to China this fall. Space for the orientation is limited to 35 people so make your reservation today. Contact Brenda Dyer at 817-338-3399 to make your reservation.

Details:

Visit seven of the top ten travel destinations in China: Beijing, Suzhou, Hangzhou, and Shanghai. Stay in 4 and 5 star hotels, includes all meals, air travel from LAX to Beijing and back, English speaking tour guide and comfortable bus transportation to all cities. Go to http://www.fortworthchamber.com/china2012.html for more information.

• The special Chamber-member early-bird price of $2,199 and non-member early bird price of $2,299 is guaranteed with a $300 non-refundable deposit and application form received by  May 1, 2012.
• Non members add $100
• After May 1: member price $2,299 and non-member price $2,399 with $300 non-refundable deposit.
• Final payment due by 5 p.m. June 29, 2012

Data provided by Strategic Insight Group
Intelligence Research Partner of the Fort Worth Chamber of Commerce

1. Texas Governor Rick Perry announced the state is investing $450,000 to Ferris Manufacturing Group through the Texas Enterprise Fund. Ferris Manufacturing Group has announced it will spend $5.5 million on a new headquarters office and medical product and manufacturing and distribution center in Fort Worth. The company reports that the project will create 100 new jobs. Fort Worth Business Press, December 8, 2011
2. Mercantile Center is set to expand by two buildings – both speculative – in 2012. Mercantile Partners LP will break ground on two office/warehouse buildings. Each building will be 94,000 square feet. Fort Worth Business Press, December 20, 2011
3. Alcon Laboratories Inc plans to begin moving about 400 employees into leased office space in west Fort Worth in March. The pharmaceutical firm will occupy 87,191 square feet at Wilcox Plaza at Green Oaks. Fort Worth Business Press, December 20, 2011
4. Fort Worth-based Pier 1 Imports reported third quarter sales up 8.2% from the 2010 third quarter. This translated into sales of $383 million compared to $354 million last year. Fort Worth Business Press, December 1, 2011
5. Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Co has been awarded a $4.01 billion military contract to provide 30 fighter jets to the Air Force, Navy, and the Marine Corps. Boston Globe, December 12, 2011

For more economic updates, visit here.

Mayor Betsy Price

Mayor Betsy Price will sketch her priorities and initiatives for Fort Worth when she delivers her first State of the City address Feb. 23 at the Fort Worth Convention Center.

Presented by Southwest Bank, the State of the City is the Fort Worth Chamber of Commerce’s largest annual event.

Price will bring a new approach – a candid Q&A format with attendees. She shared some advance thoughts with the Chamberletter. Here are excerpts:

1. What’s ahead for Fort Worth in 2012?

I think 2012 will be a good year – maybe a little bit of a slower year, but hopefully as strong as 2011. The City won’t have a robust budget. We have to get our spending and expenses in line, and that’ll be a challenge, but I think it’ll be a great opportunity for significant recruiting of business. We’ve got to get our emphasis back on building our tax base and working on our businesses. We have to start with that.

We have a task force that’s going to start thinking about a focus on international business. We hope to be working with the Chamber and the Convention and Visitors Bureau. When I was in China in early December, China told us they’d have $17 trillion to invest although their economy is slowing somewhat, too, but they know they have $70 billion to invest in the next five years, and they’re very interested in what Texas does and what we do — not only the energy piece, but they said they need engineers, architects; they want to come and look at how our economic development works. We’re much more efficient on heating and cooling of buildings than they are.

China is a big piece of our international trade outlook. Right now they’re very interested in our energy industry. They have three big shale plays discovered there, and they are talking to us because Fort Worth is at the heart of the U.S. shale play. There are bigger shale plays than here, but we’re the first in that (because of the Barnett Shale), and China is very positive about what our energy companies do here, and they want to know what the city has done and what the Chamber has done to help promote that.

We’re going to develop an outreach for international business. There are so many opportunities out there to promote Fort Worth. We’re going to talk about that in the State of the City report.

2. What’s at the heart of your State of the City report?

The basic messages: The City is committed to getting back into living within its means, getting spending to match expenses, promoting Fort Worth, growing jobs, bringing more industry here, and that we are committed as a city to helping our businesses get back to basic city functions and also that Fort Worth has got to focus on education. We have to help our partners in education. The community is going to have to talk about education at every level, but especially at the public level. And we can help our partners at the Fort Worth ISD and the other schools. We must get our focus back, get our private partnerships and our private industry involved in education. We’ve got to make it a priority. We’ll never have an educated workforce if we don’t. And we are not the school board and we will never be and don’t want to be, but we certainly need to be the tool to help raise community awareness.

3. What progress can be made this year in addressing City pension plan issues?

The pension plan (work) is a process. We didn’t get here overnight. We won’t get (solutions) all at once overnight. We’ve had our first round of negotiating with police – how talks will proceed. We’re committed to holding the line as to where the city contribution is now. It’s too high, but that’s where it is. I’m optimistic that the political will to find solutions is there. It has to be, but it won’t be solved overnight, and we need the community to be supportive of our moving forward on this.

4. To what extent can the city meet infrastructure needs this year?

We charged Doug Wiersig, our public works director, with an 18-month plan to deliver projects included in the recent bond programs going back to 2004. Those are streets and infrastructure all over the city. Get the current bond projects delivered and hopefully our citizens are going to see the City is serious about getting our infrastructure better. And at some point we may need to issue some additional debt to finish this process, but public works has got to get a business mindset about them and get the projects delivered. And then we’ll go to our citizens and ask how we can deliver the rest of what they want.

5. What’s on tap this year for your young leaders initiative, Steer Fort Worth?

Our young leaders are on fire. It’s really interesting because we asked some of them recently why are you so excited about this? They said no one has ever asked us specifically to get engaged with the city, asked us what we see when the city grows up and when we grow up. They really are fired up about it. They’ve picked four main topics – education, public transit, employment and urban development — and they’ll be working on them and reporting to the council as they go along on the development of their projects and then hopefully this summer they’ll be delivering some hard work they’ve done with some great ideas and maybe some solutions. They came out of the Brainstorm and the first meeting at Joe T’s. The group that’s helping facilitate it — Leadership Fort Worth — is excited. I’m pleased as can be. The key is to get these folks engaged at every level and keep the momentum rolling. And this group is very diverse.

6. What would you most like to be known for?

For getting the city open for business, user-friendly with a focus on education. I’d like to be known most for getting the city back into a business mindset. The city is a business, and we have to get back to delivering that basic business service within our means. We can’t ask people to go on funding us indefinitely (with operations) that they don’t all see are worthwhile.

7. You set a wonderful example of how to connect with people: you bike with them, you’re at events with them. What does that say about Betsy Price?

I hope it says that I’m engaged and interested and that we’re a healthy community that gets out and gets involved. (Mayor) Mike (Moncrief) always said: “The Fort Worth Way.” I find myself saying more and more: “This is your Fort Worth.” We’re the 16^th largest city in the nation. We have to figure out how to govern like the citizens of this city want us to. And that’ll be one of the State of the City messages: This is your Fort Worth. Get engaged. Tell us what you need.