💪🏻AG office no fan of plant-based protein; Welcome home, First Cash Holdings; Out of the oven: One Trick Pony.

Fort Worth-based FirstCash Holdings is coming "home" after stockholders approved re-incorporation from Delaware to Texas by a vote of 23,600,784 to 16,811,631. Stockholders also elected Daniel E. Berce, Mikel D. Faulkner and Randel G. Owen as directors for three-year terms and approved, on an advisory basis, compensation for the named executive officers.

Fort Worth-based TPG's Real Estate group has acquired ECHO Realty, an owner and operator of grocery-anchored retail real estate, in a transaction valued at approximately $2 billion. Joining TPG in a partnership were PSP Investments, La Caisse and Norges Bank Investment Management. ECHO owns and operates approximately 230 retail centers in Midwest and Southeast markets, anchored by stores such as Giant Eagle, Publix, Harris Teeter Supermarkets, Safeway, ACME Markets, Whole Foods Markets and Alimentation Couche-Tard (GetGo).

Valor, a Fort Worth-based assets management company specializing in mineral management and oil and gas solutions, closed its Series B investment round. Ladd Wilks, of Cisco; the Moncrief family, of Fort Worth; and the Lamb family, of Midland, led the raise.

The Texas Attorney General office is setting its sights on the protein powder makers, especially those that are plant-based. The AG says powders that contain heavy metals, including lead and Cadmium, are harmful for Texans. 

Vulcan Materials Company is divesting its ready-mixed concrete business in California and expanding its aggregates operations in Dallas-Fort Worth and Colorado.

American Airlines and Google announced a record-breaking agreement for sustainable aviation fuel certificates (SAFc), the largest between an airline and a single corporate customer. The deal will unlock 35 million gallons of SAF over three years, resulting in nearly 300,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e) emissions reductions.

American Airlines and D-FW International Airport opened nine new gates, marking the completion of the Terminal C pier expansion. American says it is the first major U.S. network carrier to launch electronic boarding gates at scale, with all nine gates equipped with infrastructure and technology designed to guide customers smoothly through the boarding process.

AvAir, an inventory solutions provider for the aviation aftermarket, opened a 45,000-square-foot warehouse facility in Grapevine, adjacent to D-FW International Airport.

Richard K “Dick” Davidson, former Chairman and CEO of Union Pacific, has passed away in Dallas at 84. Davidson Yard, 5701 W. Vickery in Fort Worth, is named for him. It formerly was Lancaster Yard. His successes in Fort Worth led him to be named President and CEO in 1991, and Chairman and CEO in 1997.

NASA introduced the four astronauts of the Artemis III program mission, with a 2028 moon target launch if a lander is ready. The plan is to launch into Earth orbit next year to test rendezvous and docking procedures, a critical milestone before the U.S. can send astronauts back to the moon. Landers are being built by SpaceX and Blue Origin.

Bed Bath & Beyond is embarking on another stock-dominant acquisition in an effort to build out a holistic home-services portfolio. It will acquire Installed Right and SFV Services with Bed Bath & Beyond common stock by July 1. Installed Right focuses on the installation of products — such as closets, flooring and cabinetry — in residential and commercial spaces. SFV Services specializes in renovation, construction and demolition. Combined, they generated approximately $60 million in revenue during the most recent fiscal year. 

One Trick Pony Pizza Tavern from Heim Barbecue founders Travis and Emma Heim opens today at 313 S. Main in Fort Worth, the former Hot Box Biscuit Club space. One Trick Pony specializes in Chicago-style tavern pizza, and offers burgers, cocktails and more. 

Medical City Fort Worth opened its fifth cardiac catheterization lab, representing a $2.4-million investment. The latest lab will support continued growth in interventional cardiology, structural heart and electrophysiology services. During 2024, Medical City Fort Worth performed roughly 4,700 cardiac catheterization procedures.

The application period for the Fort Worth Chamber 2026 Small Business of the Year Awards is open until Sept. 18. The annual awards recognize Fort Worth small businesses that have demonstrated exemplary business practices. Winners in four award categories will be announced during the annual “State of the City” luncheon Dec. 10. You do not have to be a Chamber member to apply.

Lockheed Martin has agreed to nearly triple production to 2,000 units of its Patriot PAC-3 MSE interceptor to meet surging demand from the United States, its allies and ongoing conflicts. It might take until the end of the decade. For investors, the production ramp underscores strong long-term demand. At the same time, persistent supply-chain bottlenecks, labor shortages and limited manufacturing capacity could constrain near-term output and delay revenue recognition across the defense sector.

Lockheed Martin received an award of $153.9 million as a contract modification to support procurement of long-lead materials and components for 11 F-35 aircraft. The work is expected to be completed by December 2030. Naval Air Systems Command is the contracting activity.

The Fort Worth African American Museum and Cultural Center opens Friday at 3104 E. Rosedale with a sold-out evening of activities. The rest of the weekend includes Freedom Vibes 2026 (music, fashion and workshops) in collaboration with Kinfolk House and the National Juneteenth Museum, and an exhibition -- "All 'N All: Artists Embracing Community," featuring artworks and photographs from 11 local artists -- through August 15.  

If all of the data centers permitted through 2025 come online, they will use more electricity than all used by any one U.S. state in 2024 — aside from Texas. Developers have been hungry for new center sites, with hot spots emerging in West Texas, rural Wisconsin, and more. Business Insider’s new tracker shows 1,416 data centers built or approved for construction by the end of 2025.

Walmart is adding Subway sandwiches to its 30-minute grocery delivery service, with all 1,400 in-store Subway locations expected to join by late July.

Leaves Book and Tea Shop on Magnolia Avenue in Fort Worth will close Aug. 15. The Near Southside gathering spot -- a bookstore, tea room and bakery under one roof -- opened in 2018 by Tina Miller Howard.

Snippets:

• Welcome.... friends? Texas' Attorney General office orders investigation into FIFA World Cup ticket sales.  

• Philippine Airlines will become the 16th member of Fort Worth-based Oneworld alliance. 

• Universal Kids Resort in Frisco announces a July 1 opening. 

• Can you guess what the oldest bar is in Texas? It also happens to be the oldest beer garden in the U.S.

Daily digit: $112,700 = Amount of debt per person owed by the U.S. government as of 2025.

Significant stat: 3 years = Amount of time for OpenAI’s ChatGPT to hit 1 billion monthly active users. It took Facebook and Instagram around eight years; it took YouTube just over six; and TikTok more than five years.

Today in history:

• 1885: The Commercial Club of Fort Worth was chartered by the state of Texas. It later became The Fort Worth Club, where publisher and civic booster Amon G. Carter Sr. served as president from approximately1920-1955. 

• 1977: Apple Computer shipped the Apple II, one of the first mass-market personal computers.

• 1978: Affirmed won the Belmont Stakes, becoming horse racing’s 11th Triple Crown winner.

Announcements:

• Omnicell: Hires Dan Mandoli as Senior Vice President and General Manager, Specialty Pharmacy Services. 

• TCU: Appoints Ryan Litsey, Ph.D., as Dean of the Mary Couts Burnett Library. 

• TCU: Hires Allen Huddleston as general manager for the men's and women's basketball teams.

• Texas Instruments: Names Julie Knecht CFO and Senior Vice President. Current CFO Rafael Lizardi will retire in August after 25 years.

• Fort Worth Hispanic Chamber: Adds Mel Fernandez as Program Manager and Claudia Victoria as Office Administrator. 

• UNT Health Fort Worth: Adds Dr. Lawrence Wilner and Dr. Patrick Feng, both alumni of Texas College of Osteopathic Medicine, to the Clinical Practice Group. 

• Total Office Solutions: Appoints Zorin Luttrull to oversee Fort Worth operations. 

• Rally Department: Hires Brennan Getchell as Account Manager. 

• Guild Mortgage: Hires Morgan Heinrich as Director of Growth Marketing. 

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