🏆Huge Denton wins: MP, Novartis! IG tackles suicide, TWU tackles Div. II; FW Chamber releases talent survey.

MP Materials Corp. selected a 120‑acre site -- in Northlake, Denton County, and just 10 miles from its Fort Worth manufacturing plant -- to develop “10X,” a $1.25-billion rare earth magnet manufacturing campus that will employ 1,500. The two campuses cement north Texas as the center of the United States’ rare earth magnet supply chain. There are local and state incentives, and a10‑year Pentagon commitment to support rapid buildout and production expansion.

As part of a $23-billion U.S. investment, Swiss-based Novartis will build a 46,000-square-foot radioligand therapy manufacturing site in Denton. Radioligand is a molecule used in medicine to locate and destroy cancer cells. This RLT site will be the company’s fifth in the U.S. and first manufacturing facility in Texas. 

Higginbotham, a Fort Worth employee-owned insurance and financial services firm, has teamed with Fort Worth-based Monarch Solutions, which supports high-net-worth individuals with insurance related strategies to provide tax savings and estate liquidity. Monarch founder Kevin Klass becomes a Higginbotham Managing Director based at Higginbotham’s headquarters. Operations Manager Ann Marie Coyle leads the team at Monarch’s field office.

A Federal appeals court sided with Fort Worth-based BNSF Railway in a dispute with Libby, MT. asbestos victims. The victory could be a major blow to plaintiffs in hundreds of other asbestos cases pending in state courts.

Texas Wesleyan University's Board of Trustees authorized the university to leave NAIA and apply to become part of NCAA Division II athletics. If accepted, Texas Wesleyan would begin NCAA Division II competition in 2028–29. Ricky Dotson, director of athletics, said, "Our programs reflect sustained competitive success, strong academic performance by our student-athletes, and an institutional commitment to excellence that aligns with NCAA Division II values.” Geography is a factor. NAIA has 3 Texas teams; Division II has more than a dozen.

The spring United Football League -- headquartered in Arlington and often used as a test site for NFL changes -- won’t allow punts after a team crosses the 50-yard line until late in each half and is making all field goals 60 yards or longer worth four points.

Daily digit: $5.84 = The average pay per tooth by the Tooth Fairy this year, brushing off two years of declines, according to Delta Dental's annual survey. That's up 17% from last year, and up $1.30 since the survey began in 1998.

Texas College of Osteopathic Medicine and Weatherford College announced a partnership that provides students with an accelerated path to becoming an osteopathic physician. The Primary Care Pathway Program will allow selected Weatherford College students to complete medical school through a seven-year 2+1+4 plan. The program is designed to address the growing shortage of primary care physicians in rural and medically underserved areas across Texas. The first cohort of students is expected to begin at Weatherford College in the fall.

Instagram announced it would alert parents if their kids repeatedly searched for terms associated with suicide or self-harm. Alerts will be delivered via email, SMS, or WhatsApp based on the parent’s available contact details, along with a notification sent to their Instagram account. Next up: Similar notifications to parents about their kids' interactions with artificial intelligence.

Last fall, the Fort Worth Chamber surveyed more than 100 organizations to get an assessment of workforce readiness and talent. Respondents included CEOs, business owners, human resources leaders and frontline managers. Here is the report.

Fort Worth-birthed and headquartered in Dallas, global marketing company PMG launched AI & Tech Sandbox at the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity 2026. AI & Tech Sandbox serves as a dedicated destination for applications of AI and technology across the media, creative and marketing ecosystem.

Child Care Associates says the RISE child care center on Las Vegas Trail is taking reservations. Fort Worth and Tarrant County helped fund the facility that offers services for infants, toddlers and pre-schoolers.

TCU international students Happy Niyorurema and Diarra Niang understand what it means to learn without reliable internet access. Niyorurema was raised in Rwanda, Niang, in Senegal. They are co-founders of Bakame AI, an artificial intelligence-powered education system that operates without internet access. Their venture won the Global Best M-Gov Award in Dubai. 

The Pentagon reached out to Lockheed Martin and Boeing to ask about their exposure to Anthropic AI, Axios reported. It would suggest the Defense Department is assessing exposure and reliance on Anthropic ahead of "a potential supply chain risk declaration."

The Texas Attorney General's office secured a first-of-its-kind settlement with The Vanguard Group, resolving part of a multi-state lawsuit of coordinated ESG-driven market manipulation. As part of the settlement, Vanguard has agreed to empower its investors with proxy voting—a first for the industry. 

The cost to build an expanded Texas A&M University-Fort Worth is up approximately $700 million, but a recently completed economic impact analysis estimates that the campus being constructed by A&M, Fort Worth and Tarrant County will generate 25,000 jobs, directly and indirectly, and more than $3 billion annually. John Henry of Fort Worth Inc. has the story. 

Fort Worth-based Range Resources' fourth-quarter results exceeded analyst expectations, with adjusted earnings per share of $0.82 compared to the consensus estimate of $0.72. Revenue reached $820.16 million, surpassing the $751.29 million estimate and a 31% increase over prior year. Quarterly production averaged 2.32 Bcfe per day, comprised of approximately 69% natural gas. 

Tarrant County College plans to cut 10 programs and add fees. Part of the problem is the Texas Legislature changing state allotments. 

Another Taylor Sheridan spin-off is coming Fort Worth's way. Taylor is writing the eight episodes of Frisco King, starring hit man Samuel L. Jackson. Tulsa King stars Sylvester Stallone.

A surprise early arrival: The Original Roy Hutchins Barbeque will open its Arlington location at 1600 E. Copeland Rd. on Friday, March 15. 

Wednesday, Heim Barbecue and Catering debuts Heim Pig Stand at 9912 Camp Bowie. Here is the entire menu: For $13+ tax, you get a chopped beef or pulled pork sandwich, potato salad or cole slaw, banana pudding and a drink. 

A ground-breaking yesterday by the Fort Worth Park & Recreation Department began the build for Mosier Valley Park, a project honoring one of the region’s oldest freedmen’s communities.

Significant stat: 20.8 million = Number of Planet Fitness members, making it the largest gym company in America. Since 2011, membership has increased by 617 percent, and location count is up 493 percent.

Snippets:

• Texas Trust foundation awards $70,000 in scholarships.

• A Fort Worth company lights up Guinness with a world record. 

• Mansfield Cosmetic Surgery Center Dr. Michael L. Thornton identifies five cosmetic surgery trends for men. 

• Why more CEOs are directly interacting with their customers.

Announcements:

• Elevate: Hires Carl Bartsch as Chief Credit Officer.

• State Fair of Texas: Names Felix Lozano Chair of the Compensation Committee.

• GM Financial: Promotes Eugene Willman to Technical Application Specialist III

• The Welman Project: Adds Imran Kissoon as Associate Director of Development.

• Texas Rangers: Adds Grace Tye as Manager, Partnership Activation.

• Texas Health Mansfield Stadium: Hires Troy Crawford as Director of Grounds. 

• W. Two Plus: Hires Tom Zelewski as Chief Financial Officer. 

• Fort Worth Food + Wine Foundation: Selects Fort Worth-based Ben E. Keith as its Walter Kaufmann Lifetime Achievement Award Winner. 

• Presbyterian Nigh Shelter: Hires Bertha Orono as Director of Donor Engagement. 

• Standley Systems: Appoints Ken Hajok Director of Sales-Texas Region.

• Ehrhardt Partner Group: Names Jett Chitanand President of EPG Americas. 

• Skiles Group: Hires Bryan Boggs as Project Manager. 

• Workforce Solutions for Tarrant County: Appoints Jauneen Maldonado as Interim Deputy Executive Director.

• AvreaFoster: Promotes Sarah Hopp to Brand Director.

• Cook Children’s Health Care System: Interim CIO Dana Moore has retired.

• REV Entertainment: Adds Paige Newcomb as Human Resources Generalist and Brady Hammack as Conversion Coordinator.

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