🔌Ford re-charging F-150 plan; Pilot safe after F-16 crash; Doritos headed to liquor shelf?

817 BIZ is a free newsletter bringing you a quick read of local business info every Mon, Wed and Fri. Was this email forwarded to you? Sign up and get the next issue with this link. If this email doesn’t look right, click the link at the top right.

📣NEWS OF THE DAY:

Ford's F-series truck is the most popular in Texas, the F-150 electric vehicle not so much. Ford is cutting 2024 production goals in half for its F-150 Lightning plug-in pickup truck because of slowing demand for battery-powered models.

Fort Worth-based roofing contractor Empire Roofing, Inc. and its nationwide network of roofing and disposal companies agreed to pay $9 million to resolve allegations that they violated the False Claims Act by falsely certifying that eight of their affiliates were eligible to receive loans through the Paycheck Protection Program.

A Lockheed Martin U.S. F-16 jet on a training mission crashed into waters off the coast of South Korea after the plane experienced “an in-flight emergency over the Yellow Sea,” the U.S. Kunsan Air Base said in a statement. The pilot ejected the aircraft, was later recovered and is in good condition. “The cause of the in-flight emergency is unknown and the incident will be thoroughly investigated,” according to the statement.

▼Sponsored by David Lewis Builder▼

Ben E. Keith became aware of unusual activity on its computer network last March and began an investigation.  It determined that an “unauthorized actor” accessed a limited portion of Ben E. Keith's network between March 3-5, 2023 and that certain files and folders were impacted. 

In the second "Investing in America” ranking compiled by the Financial Times and The Nikkei, Fort Worth landed at No. 12 for foreign business investment. The state of Texas, mainly north Texas, garnered several top spots in the 91-city rankings. Houston ranked No. 1, with Plano (No. 3), Irving (No. 4), Dallas (No. 5), and Austin (No. 7) joining Fort Worth in the Top 12. Arlington came in at No. 17, putting two Tarrant County cities in the Top 20. 

Southwest Airlines flight attendants voted down a contract offer 64%-36% reached by negotiators for their union and the airline. The local’s President, Lyn Montgomery, said the vote followed five years of negotiations during which the flight crews have not received pay raises. United’s flight attendants union is asking for ground time and passenger boarding pay.

Is CEO Ryan Cohen steering GameStop toward a Berkshire Hathaway or Icahn Enterprises transformation? By gaining approval to buy equities, he has put forth the possibility of transforming the video game retailer into a holding company.

Unreal real estate: This 71-acre property once was a tree farm. It has a 5,500-square-foot main house, a 2,200-square-foot guest house, a barn, two covered bridges, and a 4-acre lake. It’s country living but in the city. It can be yours for $6 million.

People on the move:

• REV Entertainment: Hires Guy Tomcheck as Vice President of Sports Marketing

• Galvan Strategy Group: Launched by Adrian Galvan, Cristal Galvan and Melondy Doddy-Muñoz

• ATI | Advanced Technology International: Hires Dimanche Brewer as Events and Communications Manager

A cheesy gimmick: Nacho Cheese Doritos have been a staple of the snack food aisle for nearly half a century. Now, they’re headed to the liquor shelf. The tortilla chip brand has partnered with Empirical Spirits to release an 84-proof clear liquor that smells and tastes like the real thing, minus the signature crunch. Food & Wine taste tested it for you.

Today in history: 1928 - Joseph W. Less of Clinton, Iowa introduced the world to an invention: the one-handed tie (the forerunner to his later invention: the clip-on tie).

Some links may expire after initial posting or be paywall protected. 817 BIZ thanks its sponsors, become one.