⚡Siemens opens its $190M manufacturing plant; Will legislature give TCOM competition? Shady Oaks CC a real deal compared to this club.

Siemens has opened its $190-million electrical equipment manufacturing facility at 7200 Harris Legacy Drive in Carter Park East Industrial in Fort Worth. The 500,000-square-foot facility supports the U.S. commercial, industrial and construction sectors, and allows the company to power AI data centers. Already, 450 jobs have been created with an expected total of 800 during 2026.

Texas House Bill 125 has been filed to legislatively recognize a College of Osteopathic Medicine at Tarleton State University in Stephenville. Earth County legislators Rep. Shelby Slawson and Senator Brian Birdwell collaborated on the bill. Both serve Erath County, where Tarleton State’s main campus is located. The goal of the College would be to address the disparities that exist in healthcare access and quality in rural and medically underserved communities.

Initiation fees and monthly dues at D-FW country clubs and golf clubs skyrocketed this year according to this ranking from AVIDGOLFER Magazine (see pg 52). The 3 most expensive in 817-land are:

• Vaquero Club: $325,000 initiation, $3,250 monthly dues

• Shady Oaks CC: $150,000 initiation, $1,228 monthly dues

• Colonial Country Club: $100,000 initiation, $1,195 monthly dues

Oldies. Goodies? Texas Wesleyan students and staff have their pick in a vinyl records giveaway at the West Library on campus. The library is removing vinyl from its services because of low student interest.

Fort Worth-based First Cash filed extended and amended employment agreements for Rick Wessel, CEO; T.  Brent Stuart, President and COO; R. Douglas Orr, EVP and CFO; Howard Hambleton, President of AFF; and Raul Ramos, SVP of Latin American Operations.

Commercial Real Estate Development Enterprises (CREDE) has acquired Arlington-based Hill Building Group, a commercial construction management firm. The acquisition reunites Jack Hill Jr., president of Hill Building Group, with his father, construction executive Jack Hill Sr. 

Three North Texas venues made Texas Monthly’s ranking of the top ten best new restaurants in Texas, including The Chumley House in Fort Worth at No. 9. The publication said Chumley House “fulfills the fantasy of traipsing through the home of a mid-century British aristocrat.” See dinner menu here.

Strong winds Tuesday morning pushed two jets into a U.S. Air Force C-17 transport aircraft at Perot Field Fort Worth Alliance Airport. See the video here.

America’s hottest high-tech hub is Texas: Apple is making its way to Houston with plans for a 250K-square-foot artificial intelligence system server factory. Tech companies are attracted to the Lone Star State because costs are as much as 30% below tech epicenter California.

Mark Hart, CEO of Corrientes Advisors, says Fort Worth appeals to aerospace and other relocating companies because of its ample available land, robust infrastructure, and the cultural amenities of a major city.

Aviation industry leaders testified before the U.S. House Transportation Committee, urging lawmakers to take action to help prevent future tragedies in the sky. One issue is outdated federal systems, especially the air traffic control centers, including Fort Worth's. 

Fort Worth-based Elbit Systems of America is one of the suppliers awarded a contract valued at a maximum of $135 million for white phosphor image intensification tubes to be used in Monocular Night Vision Devices by the Army.

Attorney General Ken Paxton’s office defended Texas before the Supreme Court against the Nuclear Regulatory Commission’s attempt to send the nation’s nuclear waste to a proposed facility located in Texas’s Permian Basin—the world’s most productive oil field. To read Texas’ brief, click here.

The March 21 deadline is no more; the U.S. Treasury Department has suspended enforcement of the Corporate Transparency Act's beneficial ownership information reporting rule. It requires small businesses and LLCs to disclose all owners to the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network. The Treasury plans to narrow the rule's scope to focus only on foreign reporting companies.

Significant stat: 140,000 = The number of anglers expected to attend the 2025 Bass Pro Shop Bassmasters Classic March 20-23 at Dickies Arena and Lake Ray Roberts.

Snippets:

• Lake Como is the 2024 Mayor’s Neighborhood Awards big winner; click here to see if your Fort Worth neighborhood was a winner. 

• Milestone moment: Lockheed Martin's F-35 fleet surpasses one million flight hours. 

• Railroads say freight thefts cost more than $100 million during 2024.

Announcements:

• Lineback Group: Thomas “Tommy” O. Cole II has been named President. Past President David Stueckler will remain Chief Executive Officer.

• American Airlines: Promotes Caroline Clayton to SVP of Communication and Chief Marketing Officer ahead of AA's centennial next year.

• United Way of Tarrant County: Names Kris Canfield EVP and Chief Development Officer.

• Carroll ISD Board of Trustees: Hires Chase Park as Deputy Superintendent of finance and operations.

• Greenhouse Treatment Center: Names Jonathan Sprecher Executive Director, Satisha Kidd-Grijialiva Clinical Director and Brian Shegog Director of Nursing. 

• Volunteers of America Texas: Appoints Lori Little Chief Operating Officer.

• Scientific Registry of Transplant Institute: Ranks Medical City Fort Worth No. 1 in the U.S. for one-year graft survival, No. 1 in Texas for one-year kidney survival and No. 1 in Texas for getting a deceased donor kidney transplant faster.

• TCU Football: Adds Corey Coleman (receivers) and Brian Norwood (safeties) as assistant coaches and David Case as director of football equipment.

• Clarus: Names Bob Krause Chief Financial Officer.

• Summit Capital: Appoints John Timotheou Chief Technology Officer.

817 Biz is formatted for viewing on mobile devices. If this email doesn’t look right, click the link at top right. Some links may expire after initial posting or be paywall protected.