🥊Data centers battered, but not KO'd; Big 12, Mavs land monster sponsors; Non-profits: Own a Shipley Do-Nuts store?

The Dallas Mavericks picked up a new jersey sponsor and probable financial partner for its eventual new arena in JPMorgan Chase. The bank will have signage in the American Airlines Center, its cardholders will have perks at the arena, and it will join the team for community campaigns and activities.

The Fort Worth zoning commission voted to deny proposed regulations on data centers after hearing from residents, who criticized the regulations as not going far enough to protect residents and historic neighborhoods, and asked the process to be slowed down. Soon after, the Fort Worth Report said five of the 11 city council members had written a letter requesting a temporary moratorium. Council member Michael Crain then confirmed his support to the publication. Crain also said he, Mayor Mattie Parker and council members Chris Jamieson, Macy Hill and Charlie Lauersdorf were not asked to sign the call for a moratorium. The issue was expected to come to a vote Aug. 11. 

The Big 12 Conference signed a multi-year partnership with Monster Energy worth $20 million annually that will earn each school approximately $1 million a year. The deal includes co-branded conference and Monster logos on football, men's basketball and women's basketball jerseys and on-field/court surfaces. The brand name will also headline the  conferences' regular-season titles: Monster Energy Big 12 Football and Monster Energy Big 12 Basketball.

Shipley Do-Nuts has signed a one-unit franchise agreement with a non-profit in south Dallas, the first in its history. The deal with SouthFair Community Development Corporation will be led by Dallas non-profit veteran and SouthFair Chief Executive Director Annie Evans. SouthFair will serve as landlord, tenant and franchisee, which is an unprecedented triple role within the franchise's history.

Lockheed Martin and nLight Defense received an award of $86 million that could grow to $847 million to advance the defense architecture of next-generation cruise missile and unmanned aerial system.

President Donald Trump said the U.S. would consider reversing the ban of Lockheed Martin F-35 sales to Turkey, though he may need congressional approval. Trump said:  “We’re going to be taking the sanctions off. It’s time to do that. Ok? We don’t want to sanction friends. It’s very simple.”

And more from the President: Trump said Ukraine will be allowed to license technology to produce Patriot missile interceptors, a key part of its arsenal in its ongoing war with Russia. “We’re going to be giving a license to you,” Trump said at the NATO summit in Turkey. “I think they can produce them pretty quickly…they have a great ability to produce weapons.” Patriot missile interceptors are made by Lockheed Martin and RTX.

Supply Chain Dive said Amazon Shipping is targeting customers of UPS and FedEx with aggressive pricing and waived surcharges. Citing industry experts, SCD said Amazon Shipping’s attempt to capture more of the corporate shipping market includes wooing prospective customers with lower shipping rates, less complex pricing and no surcharges on residential deliveries with savings of as much as 30%. 

This normally would be in our Announcements section below, but it may be the greatest lead of the year. Meet Chelsea Carraway, from Azle, the new Executive Administrative Assistant to OJ Sanchez, the President of Lockheed Martin Aeronautics in Fort Worth. 

Fort Worth-based Paslay Management Group, which specializes in aviation consulting, has acquired Barich in Richmond, TX. The complementary combination expands executive advisory capabilities in technology alignment and strategy, IT strategic planning and complex airport capital program delivery.

Katie Wolf, Founder and President of Mansfield-based Wolfspeed & ROI Transport, purchased two industrial properties totaling 23,800 square feet on 13.9 acres in Midlothian. LanCarte Commercial's Parker Lancarte and Laurie Carter represented Wolf. Her company specializes in precision logistics, transportation, storage, crane and rigging services for power generation, construction, data center and energy infrastructure projects.

Grapevine-based ÈPI, a manufacturer’s rep focused on commercial food service equipment, announced an Aug. 1 merger with Paragon Marketing, a similar firm operating throughout the Midwest. The merger integrates Paragon’s field expertise and deep relationships with EPI’s operational infrastructure and support systems, and enhances EPI's presence across Kansas, Missouri, Iowa, Nebraska and Southern Illinois.

Through June, JLL research shows the Fort Worth office market has four consecutive quarters of positive net absorption, with vacancy rates across Class A and Class B properties declining. Rental rates are higher at an average of $29.92 per square foot, up $1.13 from a year ago. West and southwest Fort Worth are driving the growth. 

Premier Care Industries completed construction of its manufacturing campus in Arlington, and it is months away from a major expansion of its U.S. production. The site is intended to boost contract manufacturing capacity for wet wipes and other personal care formats serving retail and brand partners.

Come on over: Natural Gas Services Group, a provider of natural gas compression equipment, technology and services, expects to complete the re-domestication of the company's state of incorporation from Colorado to Texas. 

Manna, a company based in Ireland, has been operating since 2023 with drone deliveries in the AllianceTexas Mobility Innovation Zone, which is part of Hillwood. It has big plans to expand throughout the Dallas-Fort Worth area and within the U.S. 

The Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas launched a standalone report tracking Fort Worth's economic indicators, offering city-specific data on employment, wages, housing, population and more. It is the Dallas Fed's ninth regional economic report and is scheduled to be released bi-monthly. 

Texas' Attorney General office secured a $45-million multi-state settlement with Block, Inc., the company behind the popular payment app Cash App. The settlement resolves allegations that the company misled consumers about the safety of its platform and failed to provide protection and resolution from fraud as marketed and required by law. 

MTU Maintenance opened its refurbished 462,000-square-foot facility in Fort Worth and inducted its first engine, which is mounted on a fixed overhaul system and undergoing an incoming inspection. The facility offers Leap-1A and -1B overhauls and in-house engine repairs. Plans are to add GE Aerospace GEnx engine services by the end of the decade and eventually have 1,200 employees. 

The Texas American Association of University Professors sued the Texas Tech University System and Chancellor Brandon Creighton, accusing Creighton of “imposing a straitjacket” on faculty members. It alleges Creighton issued two memoranda to faculty that violate the First and 14th Amendments. 

Fort Worth-based Al Comeaux launched Rivalry Film and announced the Rivalry Film Festival, a college sports documentary competition that — starting next school year — will put student-made films on the SEC Network and streaming, reaching 70 million households. 

Snippets:

• Marty Bryan, new owner of Ranchman's, re-opened the old Ponder steakhouse July 1. While the restaurant looks like it has for nearly 80 years, Bryan added a new saloon and live music venue.

• Our boss Jerry Scott didn't make the Dallas list of 100 Titans, but check out who did from Tarrant County. (If there is a vote, Jerry might not make the 817 Biz list of three Titans.)

• The North Texas Community Foundation has awarded $762,850 from its BEACON fund to 31 non-profits. 

Today in history (1985): After one of the most famous product flops in history, Coca-Cola reversed course and re-introduced its original formula as Coca-Cola Classic. The company acknowledged that taste tests missed the emotional bond consumers had with the brand.

Did you know? Wally Funk, who passed away Thursday, became the oldest person (82) to go to space on July 20, 2021. She was aboard the Blue Origin's New Shepard spacecraft, breaking a record held by astronaut John Glenn. Her record was short-lived. William Shatner took a flight later that year at the age of 90. 

Daily digit: $120,000 = Starting median salary for MBA degree holders this year, down from $125,000 in 2025.

Announcements:

• Texas Bankers Association: Adds Trinity Bank Co-Chairman & CEO Matt Opitz to its Board of Directors. 

• Liberty Capital Bank: Hires Emily Zoog as Relationship Manager, VP for north Texas. 

• Kubota Tractor: Names Charlie Kowalski Vice President of U.S. Information Technology

• Charles Schwab: Promotes Jules De La Trinidad to Senior Manager.

• The Commit Partnership: Hires Ximena Antunez de Mayolo as Managing Director. 

• Hard Eight BBQ, Hotel Lucy and The Pearl Brands: Names Katie Gooch as CEO. 

• WFAA: Mark Kennedy has a new role as Digital Strategist.

• Texoma Medical Center: Hires D-FW native Andrew Wilson as CEO.

• Escalante: Purchases mountain-side Tumble Creek Golf Club in Cle Elum, Washington. 

• Stracon: Hires Robert Smith as Vice President of Digital Engineering. 

• Ñature Index: Names UT-Southwestern the world's No. 1 health institution for healthcare research.

• Gill Children’s Services: Adds Jeffrey Bartolotta, John Peloza, Anne Wright and Lorena Vargas to its Board of Directors. 

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