🏷️FirstCash ups ante, gets its deal; What is fate of USS Fort Worth? Cowboys legend not going to Brazil.

Lockheed Martin appears to be one of the big winners as part of President Donald Trump's historic investment to rebuild the Arsenal of Freedom. The Department of War contracted with Lockheed as the prime contractor of U.S. Special Operations Command's next-generation logistics and sustainment support program. The $10.5 billion, 12-year contract funds the Special Operations Forces Global Logistics Support Services II. Details are here.

Fort Worth-based FirstCash increased its cash offer for Ramsdens Holdings to 675 pence per share ($9.05), up from the previously announced 600 pence, and the Ramsdens Board voted to suggest shareholders accept this "final offer". The total value is approximately $312 million. Ramsdens is a financial services company that specializes in pawn shops.  

The Texas A&M System, including Tarleton State University researchers, faculty and students, have access to the nation’s fastest university supercomputer. The VISION is the most powerful supercomputer in the United States, according to the June 2026 TOP500 list. VISION ranks No. 66 among the world’s fastest computing systems. It will enhance teaching and give students advanced computing tools for use in science, health care, agriculture, engineering, cybersecurity, energy and public service.

The USS Fort Worth Support Committee will be in San Diego July 28-29 for the ship's decommissioning. U.S. Navy officials are retiring it to save money. So, what happens in retirement? The ship is stripped of sensitive equipment and hazardous materials, and its fate could include being scrapped for metal, sunk in live-fire training exercises, transformed into a museum or transferred to allied navies. (Door No. 3, please?)

The Food & Drug Administration authorized a daily pill that can lower cholesterol levels far below what has been achieved by lower-cost statins.  The drug -- brand name Lipfendra -- showed in clinical trials to lower levels of LDL, the dangerous type of cholesterol, to 50 or 60 — approximately the levels recommended for those at high risk of heart attacks. The pill’s list price will be $315 for a 30-day supply. 

American Airlines announced its largest plane would be taking the Dallas Cowboys traveling party to Rio de Janeiro for its Sept. 27th game against the Baltimore Ravens. Long-time game radio announcer Brad Sham says the broadcast crews would not be on the plane because of logistics in Brazil and the broadcasts will be done remotely from Arlington.

The Texas Rangers and Rangers Sports Network announced BZZR as its new direct-to-consumer distributor for televised game broadcasts. Victory+ is a no-go, effective immediately. To sign up or if you need help with converting, call BZZR at (401) 903-2997 or email [email protected] or [email protected].

Sorry, it's classified. The Pentagon said no to the release of a long-running congressional watchdog report on the Lockheed Martin F-35 fighter jet program, the first time in more than two decades. The Government Accountability Office (GAO), Congress’ independent auditing arm, said Defense determined this year's review contained "Controlled Unclassified Information", a designation that barred distribution despite the material not being classified.

The Exchange Apartments, a mixed-income community, is planned just north of the Fort Worth Stockyards and includes 296 studio, one-, two- and three-bedroom homes at the corner of North Main Street and Northeast 29th Street. The 14.6-acre master plan is a partnership between developer Oldham Goodwin and public housing authority Fort Worth Housing Solutions.

Hillwood, a Perot company, has invested in Hexivon, a Dallas-based water technology company. The investment is intended to accelerate the commercial rollout of Hexivon’s technology, which breaks apart and destroys polyfluoroalkyl substances — commonly known as PFAS or “forever chemicals” — in water at the molecular level rather than filtering and relocating them. Terms were not disclosed. 

The Mansfield City Council approved Bridgeview Companies for a $50-million downtown development. Bridgeview will purchase four acres for $1.5 million by November and the project includes 253 apartments and retail. Mansfield originally had a deal with Hoque Global, but it fell through. Hoque is the firm that had a deal for the Evans and Rosedale Urban Village development in Fort Worth and it fell through. 

Fort Worth-based AmeriTrust Financial, an independent automotive finance company and a subsidiary of AmeriTrust Financial Technologies, entered into a global lease partnership with Overseas Military Sales Corporation (Military AutoSource) to provide new- and used-vehicle leasing for U.S. military personnel worldwide.  AmeriTrust will serve as Military AutoSource’s exclusive used-vehicle lease partner and also support new-vehicle lease options. Jeff Morgan is founder and CEO of AFT. 

Uber Eats is partnering with GameStop to deliver everything from game releases to consoles and accessories for on-demand or scheduled delivery across the U.S. Uber is pushing beyond restaurant deliveries to deliver for retailers across categories such as groceries, electronics, beauty and home improvement.

Dallas-Fort Worth experienced a standout second quarter in the industrial realm, JLL reports. The market's vacancy declined for the seventh consecutive quarter, after peaking at 11.1% during the third quarter of 2024. Realized demand from net absorption continues to outpace deliveries. The report is here.

Forty-three Tarrant County dining destinations are gearing up for the 30th anniversary edition of DFW Restaurant Week(s) Aug. 10-Sept 7. When you eat at a participating restaurant, 20 percent of the meal will benefit Lena Pope, the 96-year-old, Fort Worth-based non-profit dedicated to strengthening families through counseling, education and behavior intervention programs.

MDLifespan, a provider of Advanced Serial Therapeutic Plasma Exchange (TPE) focused on reducing environmental toxins and chronic inflammation, has opened in Southlake's Dynamic Life Health Center at 190 S Peytonville Ave. 

The Fort Worth Professional Firefighters Association declared an impasse in contract negotiations with the city. IAFF Local 440's declaration follows nine months and 15 bargaining sessions. It claims the city has walked back progress on wages, benefits and working conditions. The city said its proposal represents the largest contract offer in the history of the department. It includes approximately $40 million in new investment, including a proposed 20% salary increase over four years. 

The Basement Lounge, an underground cocktail bar at 6323 Camp Bowie Blvd. in Fort Worth, is closing July 31, according to a Facebook post. It has been in business more than a decade, but wrote it was hurt by rising costs. 

The Pulido's Kitchen & Cantina at 1224 Precinct Line Road in Hurst closed yesterday. Its locations in Fort Worth, Willow Park and Eastland remain open. 

A White House teleprompter operator is under investigation in connection with bets allegedly made on the prediction market platform Kalshi related to statements made by President Donald Trump. He allegedly made $100k. 

Fort Worth singer-songwriter Leon Bridges announced his Happiness Anytime album will be released Sept. 25. It can be pre-ordered here. In an Instagram post, Bridges indicates the album is a collaboration with Josh Lloyd-Watson and Lydia Kitto of the British band Jungle.

Snippets:

• Costco will open seven stores in August, including Mansfield and Celina. That will bring the total to 928 stores and nearly 83 million members.

• Actor Timothée Chalamet is apparently a huge fan of the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders. He attended the semifinal World Cup match between France and Spain at Dallas Stadium, and was revealed to be “starstruck” by the cheerleaders.

• Did you know? Parr Parr Rock Art Trail in Grapevine features 24,459 painted rocks. The collection earned the Guinness World Records title for the "Largest Display of Painted Pebbles". Learn more here.

Significant stat: $51 million = How much FEMA will be sending to north Texas law enforcement as reimbursement for spending more than a month securing FIFA World Cup venues. FEMA's FIFA World Cup Grant Program will distribute funds to Dallas, Fort Worth, Arlington, Frisco, Mansfield, D-FW International Airport, Dallas County, SMU and DART.

Today in history (1955): Disneyland opened in Anaheim, California, with a celebration for guests. The theme park welcomed the general public the following day and reached its 1 millionth visitor within seven weeks. The opening helped launch one of the world’s most influential entertainment and tourism businesses.

Announcements:

• American Airlines: Adds former FedEx CFO John Dietrich to its Board.

• American Airlines: Promotes Luisa Barrientos to Communications Manager.

• First Financial Bank: Hires Jon Sparling, Jr. as Executive Vice President, Commercial Real Estate. 

• Midea America: Hires Chris Hoffman as General Manager - Head of HVAC and Hot Water North America.

• 2U: Hires Adam Fein as Vice President for Academic Innovation & Strategic Partnerships. 

• iCIMS: Hires Fort Worth native Danny Rojas as Senior Principal, Product and Market Insights. 

• College Sports Commission: Hires Kenny Thompson Jr., a former TCU baseball player who also served on the university’s Board of Trustees, as its inaugural head of strategic communications and external affairs.

• Vartabedian Katz Hester & Haynes: Adds attorney Ian Stephens to its commercial litigation practice. 

• Higginbotham: Promotes Kennedy Leis to Strategic Account Executive.

• Wingstop: Promotes Kristin Oberg to Manager, In-Restaurant Training.

817 Biz is formatted for viewing on mobile devices. Some links may expire after posting or be paywall-protected.