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May 2007

 

Political Insider Mary Matalin Keynotes Chamber’s 125th Annual Meeting

In 1882, the Fort Worth Chamber was founded. That same year, showman P.T. Barnum purchased Jumbo the elephant from the London Zoo. To celebrate the Fort Worth Chamber’s 125th anniversary, we are bringing a different kind of elephant to town. Mary Matalin, conservative commentator, will be the featured speaker for the Fort Worth Chamber’s 125th Annual Meeting presented by Compass Bank. Her topic will be “Politics, the Presidency and the Press.” Entertainment sponsor is XTO Energy.

What: 125th Fort Worth Chamber of Commerce Annual Meeting and Luncheon

When: Wednesday, June 7, 11:45 a.m.-1:30 p.m. Registration and networking begin at 11:30 a.m.

Where: Renaissance Worthington Hotel, Grand Ballroom, 200 Main St., 76102
Cost: Individual tickets are $80

matalin
Mary Matalin

Extraordinary White House Experience
Matalin formerly served as assistant to President George W. Bush and counselor to Vice President Dick Cheney, and was the first White House official to hold that double title.

Before joining the Bush/Cheney White House, Matalin hosted CNN’s critically acclaimed debate show, Crossfire.  She is the former founding co-host of the Washington-based political weeknight talk show, Equal Time, which premiered in May 1993 on CNBC

She served as co-host until shortly after the 1996 national political conventions.  Her political astuteness and antics contributed to the show’s being called “the best talk show on television” by Knight Rider News Service.  Matalin’s humor, straightforward discussion, and ability to discuss the hottest political issues in Washington should make for a lively Annual Meeting.

It must be true that politics makes strange bedfellows. Matalin is married to renowned liberal commentator and presidential adviser James Carville.

Matalin has made frequent television appearances as a political commentator, and has written for various periodicals including Newsweek and The Los Angeles Times.  She also co-authored the best-selling political campaign book All’s Fair: Love, War and Running for President with her husband, who was the chief campaign strategist for Clinton/Gore in 1992.  And Matalin recently appeared with Carville on HBO’s critically acclaimed series K-Street, about the world of powerful political consultants. Her most recent book, Letters to My Daughters, made The New York Times and The Washington Post best-seller lists.

Matalin took her sharp wit and free-spirited political repartee to the airwaves during her own three-hour afternoon radio program on the CBS Talk Radio Network.  The Mary Matalin Show highlighted current events, featured distinguished guests and listener calls.

Matalin has been active in politics since college, starting at the grassroots level in local and statewide campaigns in her native Illinois.  The Reagan Revolution brought her to Washington, DC where she served the Republican National Committee.

In 1992, President George H.W. Bush named her the deputy campaign manager for political operations.  As deputy campaign manager, she was responsible for the overview and organization of all 50 state operations.  As the on-board planner who traveled with President Bush throughout the 1992 campaign, she emerged as the vocal, and occasionally controversial, defender of the president and his policies.

Matalin now runs Threshold, a new conservative publishing imprint at Simon & Schuster.

Luncheon
The 125th Annual Meeting promises to be memorable as the Chamber looks back at its colorful history and celebrates a new century in Fort Worth. This year’s Spirit of Enterprise Award recipient will be JPMorganChase. (See related story on page A.)
Presentation folder sponsor is Southwest Securities. Platinum sponsors are Fort Worth Transportation Authority (The T) and Haynes and Boone, LLP.
Sponsored tables of 10 are available at the following levels:

  • Gold sponsor - $2000
  • Silver sponsor - $1600
  • Bronze sponsor - $1300


For more information on the luncheon or table sponsorships, contact Becky Matson at bmatson@fortworthchamber.com or 817/336-2491, ext. 243.

 

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Did You Know…?

  • The Fort Worth Chamber of Commerce was established May 31, 1882, when a group of local merchants and business leaders concerned with community improvement and quality of life established the Fort Worth Board of Trade.
  • In 1912, the Board of Trade changed its name to the Chamber of Commerce and the organization was on its way to shaping and building one of the nation’s most rapidly growing cities.
  • Fort Worth was destined to become a major air traffic hub when, in 1947 – the Chamber’s 75th anniversary – the Civil Aeronautics Administration green lighted an $11 million international airport, Meacham Airport.
  • In 1960, the Chamber provided funding for the first Van Cliburn piano competition.
  • The Dallas Chamber and the Fort Worth Chamber held their first joint meeting in 1972 with former Texas governor John Connally as speaker.
  • The Chamber established the first Spirit of Enterprise Award and presented it to Charles Tandy, who was in New York at the time, via closed-circuit television in 1975.
  • On its 100th anniversary in 1982, the Chamber enhanced and strengthened the Area Councils program.
  • In 1987, the Chamber was part of a successful effort to have the U.S. Currency Printing Plant located in Fort Worth. It is one of only two such plants in the U.S.
  • The building of the Texas Motor Speedway and the formation of a Racefest partnership was announced in 1995.
  • In 1999, the Chamber celebrated the Texas Sesquicentennial along with the entire state.

 

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Students Encouraged to Look to the Future

Forty students from Meadowbrook Middle School were flying high for three days in May as they attended a special Math & Science Camp courtesy of the Fort Worth Chamber’s East Area Council. Meadowbrook is the EAC’s adopted school and board members were looking for a way not only to encourage the students to stay in school, but to set their sights on their futures by concentrating on math and science.

“We have been trying for a year to put this program together,” said Pennie Blossom, area council manager for the Chamber. “We donated 200 shirts to the school’s closet to help students who could not afford the new school uniforms. But we wanted to do something that would really help them long term.”

The idea of staging a math and science camp for promising students was born. According to Mac McLain, an EAC board member, each board member worked to get someone involved in the program from speakers, to sponsors, to teachers.

“Everyone on the board got someone else involved,” said McLain.

The three-day camp, being held at Texas Wesleyan University, consisted of special motivational speakers each morning getting the kids revved up and ready for their classes.

Day one, Wesleyan President Harold Jeffcoat urged the students to start thinking now about what they want to do in their lives and stressing the importance that math and science courses will play in future careers.

“At least 75 percent of good jobs in the future will require competence in math and science,” said Jeffcoat leaving them with a math-related riddle for them to try to solve.
Paul Paine, former commander of NAS JRS Fort Worth and fighter pilot, was up next emphasizing the importance of discovering their passion and then following it.

“What do you want to do?” Paine, now president of Fort Worth South, Inc., asked the students. “That’s the question in front of you today. Where does your heart want to take you? You must decide and work hard for what you want.”

He added that his exciting career flying F-14s would never have been possible without a working knowledge of math and science.

Other speakers lined up for the camp included Doug Nakashima on fitness and Adrian Murray on auto engineering.

The camp’s math and science activities included rockets (Ric Rodriguez), computer gaming (Charlene Ghaedi and Don Cunningham), entrepreneurship (Adrian Murray) and meteorology (Garry Seith).

Each day’s activities included hands-on demonstrations designed to allow the students to get up close and personal with the projects as well as to capture their imaginations. The day ended with team building activities, facilitated by Christina Aguilar from the FWISD.

After all is said and done, how will those who worked on this project know if it was a success?

“If even one of these students goes on to college, that will be a success,” said Blossom. “The main focus for all the area councils is to start dangling the prospect of college in front of these kids. We want them to start thinking that they can do this, they can go to college.”

The Chamber’s EAC board is grateful to everyone who participated in the camp, especially McLain who handled the logistics. Others who helped out include:

Texas Wesleyan University – host
The T – lunch sponsor
Riverside Kennel – lunch sponsor
Reliant Energy and Subway on Vickery– lunch sponsor
The Hill Company – t-shirt sponsor
Chase Bank and Southeast Fort Worth Inc. – calculators


Click here for a list of the East Area Council board members..

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President's Column

Bill Thornton

2007 is a year for looking forward as well as looking back.
This year, the Fort Worth Chamber is celebrating its 125th anniversary. It’s hard to imagine that when a group of local merchants and business leaders concerned with community improvement and quality of life got together to establish the Fort Worth Board of Trade – the Chamber’s predecessor – that we would be here today working with essentially the same mission.

Today that mission is expressed as working to make Fort Worth a better place to live, work and play and for our entire history, the Fort Worth Chamber has strived to do just that.

It is with no small amount of pride that I look around our area today. Fort Worth is the envy of the nation. We are the 18th largest city in the country and one of the fastest growing. We have a dynamic, thriving downtown teeming with new projects ranging from hotels and office buildings to restaurants and residential units.
A glance out West Seventh Street shows more progress. The Montgomery Ward project, the new Citizens Bank and even more prime real estate growth are transforming that once down at the heels area of town. And in the process, it is creating a fabulous gateway to our unequaled Cultural District.
How many cities can boast three world class art museums within walking distance of each other? In addition, there we have the National Cowgirl Museum and Hall of Fame which will soon tie in with the Fort Worth Museum of Science and History’s breathtaking new facility.
With the Barnett Shale energy activity, we have a fast-growing energy sector that promises to add dollars to both the public and private sector today an din the future.
As always, when talking Fort Worth history, one must include the Historic Stockyards, an area which maintains a direct tie to our colorful cowboy past. These three areas create the Fort Worth “triangle” – a place where tourists and locals alike can spend many exciting and enlightening hours.
But even as we look back at our history, the Fort Worth Chamber is casting its eye on the future. That vision of the future has led the Chamber to launch Vision Fort Worth, our new organization created to expose young professionals in our area to business leaders from all walks of life. Our mission is for young professionals to make contacts, create opportunities and foster the growth of our city and its future leaders.
Vision Fort Worth had a spectacular debut in April with a launch party at the T&P Lofts. Those of us who have been around Fort Worth for a few years were amazed to see the crowd of young men and women – more than 500 -- looking for just such an opportunity to build business relationships with peers.
And in May, Vision Fort Worth held its first quarterly luncheon. Thanks to the hard work of Chamber staffers, not only are we providing a needed venue for YPs to build valuable business relationships, but we are ensuring our city a steady stream of dedicated, community conscious, up-and-coming business leaders and retaining quality professionals in our community.
This month, we will celebrate our past, our present and our future at our 125th Annual Meeting. And in August, Pat Green will help us throw ourselves a birthday party at Billy Bob’s Texas. I invite our members to join us at both. Now who says history can’t be fun?

 

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Jumping on the FastTrac

By Arden Allen Dufilho

Who knew life on the FastTrac could be so involved? I am taking this spring’s FastTrac class for both personal and professional reasons. FastTrac is a program designed to help small business owners streamline business processes, analyze strengths and shortcomings, and achieve more balance in their work and personal lives and is a cooperative program of the Fort Worth Chamber and the Tarrant County College Small Business Development Center.

The professional reason is what you’re reading here – a blog so to speak about taking the class in order to encourage small business owners to take advantage of this information-packed, 11-week business course.

The personal reason is that my husband Ed and I hope someday to start a business of our own. Despite the fact his graduate degree is in business, Ed graduated from college in the early 80s and probably doesn’t recall enough to pass a test on any of it. And I was a theatre major, hardly training for going into business for yourself. But if the first two weeks of the course are any indication, I will come out armed with current, valuable information on business in general as well as the specific industry we’re interested in – wine.

Unlike my classmates, each of whom is already in business, I am trying to learn enough in FastTrac to simply know where to begin. The rest of the class has taken that giant step and hung up their shingles, so to speak, and now they want to know how to take their businesses to another level. I am at something of a disadvantage during the class because I have no real world business experience to contribute or hard facts or numbers to use to work through the exercises, but they are beneficial nonetheless. I know now that I know nothing about business, the day-to-day grind of cash flow, employee problems, growing too fast or too slow, legal issues or how to talk to a banker.

But once I graduate, I will know not only where to start but where we want to go. And I will have developed a strong relationship with Robin Lasher, the FastTrac facilitator and Lori Campbell whose expertise is in small business loans. Talk about getting your “inside” information first hand.

As I wade through the course material and attempt to do the exercises recommended to prepare for each class, I realize how little I know and how much there is to know before you can even hope to be a successful entrepreneur. It is not enough to know your particular product or service backwards and forwards. You must know who your target market is and how to reach them. What are the trends in your industry? Is it growing or is it mature? Have you done a SWOT (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats) analysis? What is your business’s mission and what is your vision for it? (Hint: they are different. Who knew?) And so much more.

One thing I do know. Before Ed and I take that giant step, FastTrac will have helped us prepare thoroughly. To find out more about the program, contact Diana Dugan at dugan@fortworthchamber.com or 817/336-2491, ext. 258.

 

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Recent Economic Activity in Tarrant County

In the Works

The sales team at the Residences at One Montgomery Plaza planned to lure a younger crowd. But an older demographic, some of whom even own ranches, has changed the marketing dynamic. The sales office at the Residences at One Montgomery Plaza hasn’t even opened yet, but officials close to the project anticipate that the 240 condominium units will sell out in six months. Fort Worth Business Press, March 5, 2007

About 72 condos in Montgomery Plaza have been spoken for, according to early sales reports. Star Telegram, March, 19, 2007

The Texas Department of Transportation has bought the longtime Ramada Inn on University Drive at Interstate 30 and in the path of the planned Southwest Parkway. The property, 1401 S. University Drive, will now be tested for asbestos, and any abatement will be done before the structure is razed. The structure will be down by late 2008 or early 2009, when construction on the Southwest Parkway portion of Texas 121 is set to begin. Star Telegram, March 12, 2007

The Tarrant County Academy of Medicine plans to break ground this summer on a $5.5 million facility that will house the organization and its tenant, the Tarrant County Medical Society. The three-story, 26,000 square-foot building will be located at the corner of Hemphill Street and Pennsylvania Avenue. The land, at the edge of Fort Worth’s Medical District near downtown, was purchased for cash two years ago by the academy. Completion of the project is expected in June 2008. Fort Worth Business Press, March 12, 2007

TexasTarrant County commissioners voted to build a new $91.4 million maximum-security jail downtown, despite aesthetic concerns about its close proximity to swanky high-rise residential properties and a corporate headquarters. Commissioners voted 4-1 to build the new 336-cell jail on the site of a county building across from the Tarrant County Corrections Center. A tunnel under the street will connect the new jail to the existing jail and courts.  Star Telegram, March, 14, 2007

Dallas-based development company WY Atlantis has acquired 736 acres in west Fort Worth and is planning a mixed-use development that will add more than 2,000 homes and 50 to 75 acres of retail to the area. Fort Worth Business Press, March 26, 2007

A partnership has bought 170 acres at the former Masonic Home and School in southeast Fort Worth, with plans to build at least 500 single-family houses and develop 63 acres for shops and restaurants. The All Church Home for Children is also considering buying former Masonic buildings to house some of its programs. The Masonic Grand Lodge of Texas closed the 107-year-old site in June 2005. The property is bounded by Wichita and East Berry streets and Mitchell Boulevard. Star Telegram, March, 21, 2007

 

Expansions and Moves

Doral Tesoro Hotel and Golf Club in far north Fort Worth is undergoing a $1 million expansion and renovation to enhance its position as a premier facility for golf tournaments, corporate meetings and weddings. As part of the expansion, the hotel will build a 5,500-square-foot enclosed pavilion featuring floor-to-ceiling windows. It is scheduled to open in July and will be close to the Doral Tesoro golf course, he said. Star Telegram, March 5, 2007

University Church of Christ in Fort Worth is planning to build a 6,000-square-foot sanctuary and classroom building. The church is moving to Longvue Avenue and Interstate 30. Its sanctuary and classroom building is scheduled to be completed in the fall. It is part of a multiphase relocation project. The church is moving from 2701 W. Berry St. Star Telegram, March 5, 2007

Ridgmar Mall is donating 1,036 square feet of office space to the Tarrant County affiliate of Susan G. Komen for the Cure, as well as the cost of some remodeling. The group moved into the permanent space March 1 and celebrated with an open house last week. For the past five years, the group was in donated office space on Camp Bowie Boulevard. Komen for the Cure, also known as the Susan G. Komen Foundation, raises money for breast-cancer research. Star Telegram, March 12, 2007

It’s been seven years since Ajax Glass & Mirrors first learned that the Southwest Parkway expansion could force it to relocate. Now, the company must vacate its 4015 W. Vickery Blvd. location in October. But waiting for them will be a new $4.2 million location at 6200 Southwest Blvd., near Bryant Irvin Road and Highway 183. Construction began last week. Ajax has 55 employees and specializes in residential and commercial glasswork. It will occupy 52,000 square feet in the building; 17,000 square feet will be made available for a tenant. The building will have showroom, office and warehouse space. Fort Worth Business Press, March 12, 2007

Hulen Square, at the southwest corner of Hulen Street and Granbury Road, is getting a new look. Cencor Realty Services has begun renovating the 83,405 square-foot mall, and the work is scheduled to be completed in September. The renovation will provide Hulen Square with a contemporary appearance through the addition of new signs and other upgrades. Star Telegram, March 26, 2007

 

On the Dotted Line

Family Thrift Center, a resale and consignment shop, has leased 23,562 square feet at 1950 Ephriham Ave. Star Telegram, March 5, 2007

Northland Trucking, a full-service trucking firm based in Phoenix, has leased 3,000 square feet of industrial space at 4413 Carey Road. Star Telegram, March 12, 2007

Halliburton has leased 5,910 square feet of office space in Carter & Burgess Plaza, 777 Main St. Star Telegram, March 12, 2007

Electrical Systems Design & Control Inc. has signed for 21,560 square feet of industrial space at 4900 Northeast Parkway in Fort Worth. The space is located in the Mark IV Industrial Park, at Interstate 35 and Northeast Loop 820. Fort Worth Business Press, March 12, 2007

United Refrigeration, a distributor of refrigeration and heating parts worldwide, has leased 15,800 square feet of warehouse space at 3817 Rutledge Street., where it will move later this Spring. The company is being displaced from its location on Concrete Street by the Southwest Parkway project. Star Telegram, March 19, 2007

Raytheon Co. has leased 1,768 square feet of office space in One Ridgmar Centre, 6500 West Freeway. Star Telegram, March 26, 2007

Riverbend Business Park, off Loop 820 and Trinity Boulevard in east Fort Worth, has had a flurry of leasing activity:

  • Turnkey Solutions has leased 2,700 square feet of office and warehouse space at 2570 Gravel Drive.
  • CRC Imports has leased 2,700 square feet at 2690 Gravel Drive.
  • DCM Manufacturing has leased 7,200 square feet at 7503 Flagstone Drive.
  • Feeling Fabulous Salon has leased 1,000 square feet at 2336 Gravel Drive.
  • Pestmasters Services has leased 2,000 square feet at 2651 Gravel Drive for a warehouse.
  • Precision Hardware Maintenance has expanded into 6,000 square feet at 2410 Gravel Drive.
  • Simply Elegant Weddings has expanded into 4,500 square feet at 7705 and 7709 Sand St.
  • Bathfitter has leased 2,700 square feet of warehouse space at 2673-75 Gravel St.

Star Telegram, March 26, 2007

 

Openings

America's Incredible Pizza Co., a restaurant and family entertainment center, plans to open its first North Texas location in Euless on April 5, according to a company spokeswoman. The 60,000-square-foot center is taking shape at the former Burlington Coat Factory building at the southwest corner of Airport Freeway and Industrial Boulevard. It will have bowling, bumper cars, video and redemption games, and go-karts. The entertainment center also has a buffet that includes pizza, salad and pasta, she said. To enter the venue, people are required to buy a buffet meal. The restaurant is large enough to host birthday parties and corporate team-building parties. Star Telegram, March 5, 2007

New downtown housing developments, Lincoln Trinity Bluff and The Neil P. at Burnett Park, commemorated the completion of construction with grand-opening ceremonies. The developer of the Neil P., the redevelopment of the Neil P. Anderson Cotton Exchange Building, at 411 W. Seventh St., had a "topping out" celebration for city leaders and prospective buyers on March 22. The 304-unit apartment complex, Lincoln Trinity Bluff overlooking the Trinity River on the northeast edge of downtown, held an open house on March 20. Star Telegram, March 21, 2007

The Fort Worth Club reopened its 11th floor dining rooms, lounges, kitchen and library April 4 after a major 14-month renovation. The newly redecorated dining rooms are open. This is part of the first phase of a $6.5-million master plan for remodeling and updating the facilities. Fort Worth Business Press, March 26, 2007

 

Around Town

Chef Grady Spears, who announced plans last year for a far west Fort Worth restaurant called 80 West, will open a restaurant in May in the former Jon’s Grille location on University Drive. The new TCU-area restaurant, currently without a name, will occupy a 3,000-square-foot storefront that will be what Spears describes as “a simple, casual joint.” The latest venture will be a far cry from past Spears’ endeavors such as Reata and the Chisholm Club. Fort Worth Business Press, March 12, 2007

In early 2004, an investment team bought the iconic 6333 Camp Bowie Boulevard shopping center in Fort Worth's Ridglea neighborhood. The redevelopment of the 300,000 square-foot center has drawn eight new restaurants, Baker Bros. American Grill, Baker Street Pub & Grill, Duce, Ovation, Sonny's Diner, Eurotazza Coffeehouse, Ben & Jerry's and Yoko Sushi. Several shops have opened in the center as well. Star Telegram, March 19, 2007

Developers are stacking the west Fort Worth corridor with projects that will bring more housing to the Ridglea area. Among the projects is Villa Ridge, a gated community of Mediterranean-style houses along Westridge Avenue and on the Ridglea Country Club golf course. Recent additions have sparked the development of the Alta Ridglea Village apartment community, with 400 units, and Ridglea Place Town Homes, which is entering its fourth construction phase with 55 town houses in the works. It has also given some local entrepreneurs a venue to open boutiques, including April Lane Exquisite Shoes and Hot Poppy Couture, which is set to open next month.  Star Telegram, March 19, 2007

 

Out of Town Reporting

BOK Financial, parent of Oklahoma's largest bank, has agreed to buy a Fort Worth, Texas, bank in a $127 million cash deal. The acquisition of Worth Bancorporation Inc. will boost BOK's Bank of Texas business in the Fort Worth and Tarrant County area. Bank of Texas operates three Tarrant County branches, and the rebranding of the five Worth National Bank offices will raise that total. "Fort Worth is a fast-growing, pretty dynamic Texas city," Nell said. "The demographics of Fort Worth look very good." The deal should close by June, pending approval by regulators and Worth Bancorporation shareholders. The Oklahoman (Oklahoma City, OK), March 13, 2007

At the Japanese Garden at the Fort Worth Botanic Garden, Hsin-Yun Wu, 23, a student from Taiwan. “My friends and I went to Dallas to visit our friend Cathy and her family, and she took us to this garden. When I entered the garden, I felt surprise because I never thought that I could walk in a place like that in the United States. I almost forgot I was in America. I felt like I went back to Asia. After we passed the pond, it rained, so my friends and I went to a garden house to seek shelter. We sat and talked about the beautiful view in the garden. I think it was interesting, because we stayed in a Japanese-style garden, talked about it in Chinese, and we were in United States. The different countries’ elements were assembled at that moment.” As told to J. R. Romanko, The New York Times, March 11, 2007

More than 2,000 people started screaming like he'd never heard before. The silver medalist had just been announced. This meant Jon Nakamatsu had just won the Gold Medal at the Tenth Van Cliburn International Piano Competition, arguably the most prestigious classical piano contest in the world. The competition takes place every four years in Fort Worth, Texas. That year, 1997, Nakamatsu received a tremendous rush of "home town" support as the only American left in the finals. "The competition is nothing compared to what comes afterward," he says. Saturday evening's special 40th anniversary fundraising concert for Chamber Music Monterey Bay marks the first time Nakamatsu will give a solo performance in Carmel's Sunset Center Theater.
Monterey County Herald (California), March 15, 2007

 

Did You Know?

The Arts Council of Fort Worth & Tarrant County has expanded its annual grants program, with $954,554 distributed among 38 nonprofit organizations. The Arts Council has added two categories to its previous grant levels, known as General Operating Support and Neighborhood Arts Program. Neighborhood Arts in particular has sought to help groups that bring creative programs into schools and other facilities in under-served areas.
Fort Worth Business Press, March 05, 2007

Five Tarrant County companies recently received the 2007 "Rising Star" Small Business of the Year Award from the Fort Worth Chamber of Commerce. The award recipients were categorized by number of employees and judged on business growth and performance, sound business strategies and practices, customer service strategies, business challenges, unique and innovative approaches, and community involvement.

  • Schwarz Hanson Architects, an architectural firm, won for companies that have one to 10 employees, and
  • Skyline DFW Exhibits & Graphics, a trade show exhibits and logistics provider, won for 11 to 50 employees.
  • Huckabee and Associates, an architecture firm that specializes in designing schools, won for 51 to 100 employees, and
  • Higginbotham & Associates, an insurance firm, won for 101 to 250 employees.
  • GBT Enterprises, an online distributor of mobile electronics, was named the winner in the Emerging Business category.

Star Telegram, March 26, 2007

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

 

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Rangers, Stars Owner Tom Hicks On Deck for Leaders in Business

Next at bat for the Fort Worth Chamber’s Leaders in Business Luncheon series is Tom Hicks, chairman and CEO of Hicks Holdings LLC, a holding company for Hicks’ sports teams including the Texas Rangers baseball team and Dallas Stars hockey team. Presenting sponsor is Weaver & Tidwell, LLP.

  • What: Leaders in Business Luncheon featuring Tom Hicks, Hicks Holding LLC
  • When: Friday, May 11, noon-1:30 p.m. Registration and networking begin at 11:30 a.m.
  • Where: The Petroleum Club Wildcatters Room, 777 Main St., 76102
  • Cost: Chamber members - $35; Gold & Preferred members - $30; non-members - $60; and a table of eight - $350.
hicks
Tom Hicks

Under Hicks ’ ownership, the Stars have won seven division championships, three Western Conference crowns, two Presidents’ Trophies as the team with the best regular season record, two consecutive trips to the Stanley Cup finals and the 1999 Stanley Cup championship.

Since Hicks acquired the Texas Rangers, the team has won the American League West Division crown twice. Bats or pucks, Hicks is sure to have some interesting sports anecdotes.
Platinum sponsor is Lockheed Martin. Bronze sponsors are North Texas Specialty Physicians/NTSP and Wells Fargo.

Register online. For more information, contact Brianna Dishman at bdishman@fortworthchamber.com or 817/336-2491, ext. 275.

 

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Funny, You Don’t Look 125

Mark your calendar now for the 125th Fort Worth Chamber Annual Meeting presented by Compass Bank. This will be a landmark occasion marking the Chamber’s 125th anniversary. And look for the Chamber’s new 125th anniversary logo on Chamber information.

  • What: 125th Annual Fort Worth Chamber of Commerce Annual Meeting and Luncheon
  • When: Wednesday, June 7, 11:45 a.m.-1:30 p.m. Registration and networking begin at 11:30 a.m.
  • Where: Renaissance Worthington Hotel, Grand Ballroom, 200 Main St., 76102
  • Cost: Individual tickets are $80
    Sponsored tables of 10 are available at the following levels:
    • Gold sponsor - $2000
    • Silver sponsor - $1600
    • Bronze sponsor - $1300

More information is available from Beverly Rozanski at 817/336-2491, ext. 263.

Birthday Bash
What do you do when you reach the ripe old age of 125? You party like you’re only 100. That’s what the Fort Worth Chamber will do to celebrate its 125th birthday, throw a huge birthday bash at Billy Bob’s. And for good measure, country singer Pat Green will headline the event. Mark your calendar now for this once-in-a-century and a quarter event.

  • What: Fort Worth Chamber’s 125th Birthday Party
  • When: Tuesday, Aug. 21
  • Where: Billy Bob’s Texas

The roots of the Fort Worth Chamber of Commerce go back to May 31, 1882, when a group of local merchants and business leaders concerned with community improvement and quality of life established the Fort Worth Board of Trade. By 1912, when the Board of Trade changed its name to the Chamber of Commerce, the organization was well on its way to shaping and building one of the nation’s most rapidly growing cities – some things never change.

Polish up your boots and reblock that Stetson and make plans to celebrate our 125th birthday Fort Worth style. Watch future Chamberletters or the Chamber website, www.fortworthchamber.com, for more details.

 

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Star Ambassador for March

tyler
Bethany Tyler,
Star Ambassador
March 2007

Congratulations to Bethany Tyler, this month’s Star Ambassador. An ambassador since September 2006, she is an account manager for Burnett’s Staffing, Inc.

“I decided to get more involved in the Chamber, so I became an Action Ambassador,” said Tyler. ”I wanted to get out and meet successful people in different industries and learn from them. Not only did I meet a great group of people, but now they are more than business acquaintances, they’re friends. I’d recommend Action Ambassadors to any young professional who wants to get involved in the Chamber.”

Action Ambassadors make up an important group of up to 65 dedicated Fort Worth Chamber members who devote their time and energy to assisting members, with a focus on membership retention. A critical arm of the Membership Department, Action Ambassadors attend ribbon-cutting and groundbreaking ceremonies, assist with member-retention calls and act as greeters at various Chamber functions. Currently, the program is recruiting new members; Ambassadors must be members of the Fort Worth Chamber.

Contact Teresa Pearson at 817/336-2491, ext. 249 for information on becoming an Action Ambassador.

 

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GBT Mobile Takes Emerging Business Award at Small Business Luncheon

Try going without your cell phone for a few days. Can’t do it? Join the ever-increasing marketplace of cell junkies whose lives revolve around their various forms of mobile communication.

gbt mobile
Todd Allred, partner GBT Mobile

GBT Mobile, an online retailer of high-end mobile electronics, provides the latest handheld technology to what partner Todd Allred terms “geeks or tech-savvy business travelers who can’t find these products elsewhere.”

GBT Mobile was recently recognized as a 2007 “Rising Star” Small Business of the Year by the Fort Worth Chamber in the Emerging Business category.

“This is just exceptional,” said Allred. “Being recognized like this by the Chamber is a huge deal to us. It’s validation, recognition for all of our hard work.”

Just past its second anniversary in business, GBT Mobile’s online store offers thousands of titles for every major phone platform and reports revenue growth of 3700 percent. Products and services include a catalog of phones without a contract (unlocked GSM phones), phones with a contract from all four major carriers, MobiHand software, extended service contracts and a phone recycling buyback program.

“Through our partnerships, GBT Mobile is truly the one-stop shop for everything mobile and the only company we know of that offers all these options in one place,” said partner/owner Shawn Jones.

Some of their online offerings – PDAs with accessories like extended dictaphones, blacklist ability, world weather and currency conversion software – would make Mr. Spock trade in his tricorder.

“Many of these devices are manufactured in Asia and typically sell for around $500 to $700,” said Allred. “We’re talking about phones that run the latest version of Windows, pocket versions of MS office, Bluetooth and wi-fi.”

gbt mobile
Allred shows Small Business of the Year judges his website.

GBT advertises to their online shoppers with Adwords on Google, and is filling about 10-20 orders a day, which they ship from their home office in north Fort Worth.

Jones stressed that the service and customer support component of online shopping is critical, and is one of their top business practices. Most orders are shipped the same day as the purchase and most customer inquiries are answered in less than two hours, through phone, extensive FAQ section online, e-mail and instant messaging.

“We haven’t forgotten the value of real, personal and timely contact,” Jones said, which sets GBT apart from its competitors.

Allred says that the Small Business of the Year Award will serve as a springboard to help him and his partners take the business to the next level.

“Building an online business has allowed us to do business all over the U.S. as well as worldwide,” said Allred. “We do business on a global basis now.”

As GBT continues to grow, Allred says the next step is to reach a point where they can hire employees.

“We want to continue growing and being part of the Fort Worth Chamber has really helped us do that,” he said. “It’s a great networking tool. That’s why this award is so special. Being reviewed by the Chamber and told you’re the best is very gratifying.”

 

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Calendar of Events

Click here for the Chamber Calendar of Events

 

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Chamber Staffer Helps Student Make ‘Vital Link’

Last summer, Stevie McMillan was one of half a dozen middle school students who spent a week interning at the Fort Worth Chamber as part of the Fort Worth ISD’s Vital Link program. While here, Stevie enjoyed the time she spent with Doris Becker, who coordinates the Chamber’s participation. So much so that last month, she asked if she could return to “shadow” Becker for a day to learn what her job was like.

vital link
Stevie McMillan and Doris Becker at work.

“When I had to choose who I would like to shadow, I remembered Doris,” said Stevie. “She was so nice and I had a lot of fun so I wanted to come back.”

Stevie is a talented writer and animal lover, in fact she received a score of 100 on the TAKS test for a story she wrote about her cat. It’s only natural since she wants to learn more about animals.

Becker was delighted to have Stevie, a student at the Applied Learning Academy, return and spent a day with her letting her enter event data, make copies and learn the ins and outs of filing. According to Stevie, she really enjoyed the administrative duties.

When not lending a hand at the Chamber, she enjoys jogging, dance and martial arts.
In a thank you letter to Becker, Stevie wrote, “I am very grateful to you for going to such lengths to make me feel comfortable. My teacher will be ecstatic when she sees the work that I show her from my shadowing.”

Vital Link, a unique and innovative program that provides internships for Fort Worth ISD middle-schoolers in area businesses, needs more businesses to participate in the program. Since the program’s inception 1991, the participation of dedicated volunteers has allowed over 30,000 students to take advantage of the opportunity.

For more information on the program, contact the Fort Worth ISD at 817/871-2291.

 

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Joint Job Links at SOS

SOS
Vince (left) and Buddy Puente hosted a Joint Job Links with the Fort Worth Chamber and the Arlington Chamber at their Southwest Office Systems location. This is the fourth year the Puente brothers have hosted Job Links, helping to create a regional meeting to address workforce supply and demand.

 

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Canadian Business Mission Seeks Area Participants

Are you serious about doing business in Canada? If so, mark your calendar and make sure your passport is up to date. The Fort Worth Chamber and the Fort Worth Office of International Affairs are planning a business mission to Montreal, Quebec, Oct. 16-19.

“Why is this mission important to people in Fort Worth?” asks Mary Weaver, director of international business development. “The USA and Canada share the largest bilateral trade exchange in the world.”

According to the latest official data, Texas ranked as the number one state by export revenues (2005--$128.7 billion; 2006--$150.9 billion) for the fifth year in a row and Canada continued to be Texas’s second largest export market (after Mexico) with almost $14.6 billion.

Weaver said the mission will provide participants with private one-on-one meetings with pre-qualified business prospects chosen according to the participant’s criteria as well as briefings hosted by business peers with extensive “on the ground” experience in Canada.

Trip organizers will meet with and pre-qualify successful Canadian companies in Montreal based on criteria provided by participants. Once potential prospects are identified, participants will receive contact information to begin a dialogue. Upon arrival in Montreal, participants will have a personalized itinerary that includes private business meetings with the new prospects at their business location.

If you are interested in participating in the Canadian business mission, contact Weaver before August 13. Trip organizers will begin matching you with Canadian prospects. Once you receive a prospect list, you can initiate communication which will be followed up in person during the October trip.

For more information, contact Weaver at mweaver@fortworthchamber.com or 817/336-2491, ext. 229.

In Other News
In March, a delegation of aerospace and defense companies from the United Kingdom traveled to Fort Worth seeking business opportunities and partnerships with local aerospace companies including Lockheed Martin, Bell Helicopter, ATK, EDS and EFW.

UK companies on the trip included CMT Dynamics, Pascall Electronics, Tenet Technologies, ABSL Power Solutions and other representatives from UK defense manufacturers associations.

“Our interest is in attracting investment here and one of the ways to do that is to work through these business opportunities,” said Weaver. In the near future, the Chamber will organize an outbound business mission to the UK to follow up on contacts made during this visit and link local companies to opportunities in the UK.

 

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Recent Ribbon Cuttings

  • Celeste Nails & Day Spa, 4800 S. Hulen, Ste. 223.
    Contact Wayne Mai at 817/263-5151.

  • Chase Bank NA, 8601 S. Hulen St.
    Contact Jason Ballard at 817/361-1357.

  • Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation, 4800 Overton Plaza, Ste. 440.
    Contact John Amsden at 817/377-7505.

  • Paulie Ayala’s University of Hard Knocks, 3817 Southwest Blvd.
    Contact Leti Ayala at 817/731-4665.

Click here to vView pictures from these and other ribbon cuttings.

 

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777 Taylor Street, Suite 900   Fort Worth, TX 76102-4997   817.336.2491