🎵Green & friends stream concert for flood relief; Apple commits $500M to FW company; Huntington acquires Veritex Bank.

MP Materials is a company that keeps on giving. Recruited to Fort Worth for a 2025 start, it has just agreed with Apple on a $500-million deal to deliver rare-earth minerals. Last week, MP secured backing from the Pentagon and has another deal with GM electric vehicles. MP and Apple will build a factory in Fort Worth, with neodymium magnet manufacturing lines tailored for Apple products, the iPhone maker said. 

Huntington Bancshares, looking for an entry into the Texas market, announced a definitive agreement to acquire Veritex Holdings, a bank holding company headquartered in Dallas. The all-stock transaction is valued at $1.9 billion. Laura Miller is the Fort Worth President of Veritex Community Bank, which has a half dozen locations in Tarrant County. 

U.S. firm Edged has plans to develop a data center at the corner of I-20 and Chapin School Road in the 5,500-acre Veale Ranch development, according to BizJournal. PMB Capital Investments recently filed to re-zone 186 acres for two buildings constructed by Edged and it was approved by Fort Worth. 

Fort Worth country artist Pat Green and the Texas Rangers’ REV entertainment division have partnered on a benefit livestream show tonight at 6:30 to raise money for Central Texas flood victims. Green’s younger brother, John, his sister-in-law, Julia, and the couple’s two sons were among those confirmed dead. Scheduled performers include Miranda Lambert, Jon Pardi, Dierks Bentley, Corey Kent, Casey Donahew, Josh Abbott, Ryan Bingham, Eli Young Band, Joe Nichols, Kaitlin Butts, Ty Myers, Kevin Fowler and Bob Schneider. See details here. 

Dr. Phil is back with a new script. Phil McGraw is starting a media network — two weeks after his Fort Worth-based Merit Street Media filed for bankruptcy and sued business partner Trinity Broadcasting Network. The new venture, Envoy Media Co., will produce original entertainment programming and integrate user-generated content from “citizen journalists.”

Fort Worth Police Department interim Chief Robert Alldredge and three others are finalists for the Fort Worth job, according to WFAA-Ch. 8.

Virbac, with its U.S. base in Westlake, has developed a chicken-flavored dog toothpaste sold by Chewy that is getting picky pups to smile more.  

Lockheed Martin delivered 72 F-35 jets to the government after several months delay because of late Technology Refresh 3 (TR-3) software improvements, Bloomberg News reported.

The 29th annual DFW Restaurant Week is Aug. 4-31. The promotion actually runs four weeks, not counting a preview weekend beginning July 31. This year, 37 Tarrant County restaurants are participating and for each meal purchased, 20% will be donated back to Lena Pope. Go here for more details and a list of restaurants.

The Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth presents David-Jeremiah: The Fire This Time, organized by guest curator Christopher Blay, Aug. 16 - Nov. 2. The body of work in this exhibition is a group of vertical assemblages of black and other polychromatic paintings on shaped wood that form an installation. The 28 works stand over 10 feet tall.

Only in Fort Worth: The Texas Animal Manure Management Issues conference (Sept. 16-17) will bring together producers, technical advisers, researchers and agency professionals.

D-FW led the nation in home building permits in 2024 with 71,788 new housing units, according to a report by Construction Coverage. The region had 22.2 housing units authorized per 1,000 existing homes, third-most among metros with 1 million or more residents.

Dr. Judith Carrier, known for her untiring and outstanding service in the field of education, not only as a college dean and president, but as a dynamic leader in her community and nationally, passed away at 87. 

Daily digit: 132 = Square footage of the average (global) office, down 20% in a year.  Some traditionally office-using jobs, like customer service, could see double-digit hits to employment from AI.

Significant stat: The 4-day public school week is increasingly more popular in Texas, with nearly 200 adopters. This year, Kennedale ISD is on the bandwagon. 

817 Biz made a sloppy, egregious error in Monday’s edition and apologizes. Below is the corrected version.

The University of Texas basketball arena $338-million bid-rigging story has ensnared Tim Leiweke, Jerry Jones and the New York Yankees. Oak View Group CEO Leiweke has been indicted on a federal criminal conspiracy charge. The company will pay a $15 million fine. Legends Hospitality, founded by Jones and the Yankees — Jones remains invested under new ownership — agreed to pay $1.5 million.

Announcements:

• UT-Arlington: Names Wayne Atchley inaugural Vice President for Regional Campuses, including UTA-Fort Worth and the developing UTA-West campus. He had been VP-Academic Affairs at Tarrant County College’s Trinity River campus.

• M2G: Hires Chris Hanrattie as Managing Director, Head of Hospitality.

• Truist: Hires Sara Metzinger as SVP-Middle Market. 

• Tarrant Area Food Bank: Hires Brian Lochkos as Chief Financial & Information Officer. 

• Baylor Scott & White Health: Selects Alicia Rizzo as Regional Laboratory Director.

• Tarrant County: Hires Samantha Green as Budget Analyst.

• Women in Manufacturing-Texas: Selects Brittany Kee as D-FW Regional Director.

• AHFO: Names Jason McMillan CFO.

• S&D Grand Getaways: Stacey Magovern becomes franchisee.

• Consumer Choice Awards: Selects family-owned ABC Plumbing for Drainage and Sewer Services.

• Luceros: Launched by Balthazar Cordero Jones. 

• Oak Point: Names Noah Simon City Manager. 

• Terracon: Hires Victoria Clow as Senior Scientist focusing on historic preservation and cultural resources management. 

• IFC Benefit Solutions: Adds Jeff Burnett as an Account Manager.

• Keith House: Hires Robert Caslon as operations lead and Kathleen Culebro as volunteer and box office lead. 

• BoardBuild: 2025 Board Members are Chair - Matthew Ciardiello - Founding Partner, Anexus CFO; Adam Powell - President & CEO, United Way of Tarrant County; Jonathan Blake Huer - Lead Solution Architecture, AT&T; Kathryn Thalken - Owner/Therapist, Thrive & Shine Co.; Kamesha "Kay" West - Founder & Principal, People In Place Economic Consulting; Sarina Lora Davidson - Senior Director of Corporate Fundraising, Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Tarrant County; Jin-Ya Huang - CEO & Founder, TSP Consulting Group.

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