📈FWEDP, GM scored big in 2025; Did Austin, Fort Worth switch places? AA tip: Know before you shower.

The Fort Worth Economic Development Partnership said its project wins for fiscal year 2025 brought $6.7 billion in new capital investment to Fort Worth. Additionally, more than 6,900 new and retained jobs were recorded, making it the strongest economic development year in more than a decade.

General Motors shareholders are celebrating a historic rally as the company's stock closed 2025 at a record $81.32 with a stunning annual gain just over 55 percent. The performance is GM's best since its re-emergence from bankruptcy in 2009. Estimates are that GM employs approximately 5,400-5,600 in Arlington.

Texas wears big boy pants as an oil/energy producer for the U.S, yet the country ranks 9th (.8%) in global production, 255 billion barrels less than world leader Venezuela (approximately 20%). CNN explains what the U.S. administration's post Venezuela invasion could mean globally. 

150 aircraft, cyber effects and ‘overwhelming force’: How the Venezuela operation unfolded, according to Dan Caine, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. 

This may not be fact, Jack! Austin has snatched the title of fourth most populous Texas city from Fort Worth. According to state agency Texas Demographic Center’s 2024 population estimates, Austin’s January 2025 population was 1,054,007. Fort Worth’s January 2025 grew to 1,030,987. Multiple AI searches of 2024 and 2025 numbers show Fort Worth ahead.

American Airlines may be at the tip of a brouhaha. A passenger, just out of a shower in a Flagship lounge, was asked for a tip by an attendant. American says that is a no-no.

Lockheed Martin didn't just capitulate after it lost the bid to Boeing to build the Air Force’s new sixth-generation fighter – the Boeing F-47. Instead, it developed the F-35 Ferrari, an upgrade to the world’s most advanced operational stealth fighter. If successful, the idea could keep the F-35 core relevant decades into the future.

Hours before the clock struck midnight on 2025, the Pentagon awarded Lockheed Martin a contract involving foreign military sales to meet what Washington calls "an urgent operational need" of the Taiwan Air Force. The contract has a ceiling value of $328.5 million, with $157.3 million in foreign military sales funds obligated at the time of award.

North Texas will keep adding jobs as the population surges toward 12 million by 2050. That's good for the economy, but it presents a sense of urgency for labor. Check out the Texas Workforce Commission's deep dive on jobs through 2032. 

Linda, born at JPS Health at midnight as we turned the page to 2026, tied for first in the nation for the new Trump Account, which gives $1000 to every newborn. The program hasn’t been approved, but odds are it will. Linda is the daughter and third child of Bashair and Abdellatif Mohamed.

Westlake-based Charles Schwab will match the Trump Accounts to children born to its employees from 2025-2028. The projection is there would be $500k if the money in a fund is not touched until the age of 60. Schwab "babies" would have more than $1 million. 

Southeastern Real Estate Group sold the Home2 Suites Fort Worth in the Cultural District to a joint venture of Ad Astra Capital and TMGOC Ventures. The four-story hotel has 162 suites with full kitchenettes, 630 square feet of meeting space, an outdoor pool, fitness center, business center and complimentary breakfast. The price was not disclosed. 

A message from LEAGUE Commercial:

LEAGUE Commercial announces the addition of Scott Lowe as Managing Director, marking a significant step in the firm’s growth. Lowe brings decades of commercial real estate experience and will lead the expansion of LEAGUE Commercial’s full service platform across North Texas.

Six Flags has opened in Qiddiya City, near Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, the first international operation for the theme park giant. And this park is a giant with Sirocco Tower, the world’s tallest free-standing shot tower ride; Gyrospin, the tallest pendulum ride; Spitfire, the tallest triple launch coaster; The Iron Rattler, the tallest tilted coaster title, and the flagship, Falcons Flight, the tallest, fastest and longest rollercoaster.

Texas' Attorney General office secured a $1.25-million settlement with Hyatt Corporation for violating Texas consumer protection laws by marketing hotel rooms at prices that were not available to the public as advertised.

After a computer glitch shut down registers at a H-E-B Grocery store in Burleson days before Christmas, shoppers were stunned when the store workers told them to take their groceries home for free.

Doland Maner was a U.S. Navy veteran, a former Arlington City Council member and a leader with the Arlington Historical Society that helped with the creation of the Fielder Museum and Knapp Heritage Park. He passed away at 103.

Louis Smith, better known as "Ed Wallace, the car guy," took his last ride silently into the sunset. The Arlington Heights grad hosted a weekly KLIF radio show, wrote for BusinessWeek and contributed a Star-Telegram column for 20 years.

Fort Worth has been awarded $4.8 million from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Solid Waste Infrastructure for Recycling (SWIFR) grant program. It is to support the city's Environmental Services Department in strengthening recycling infrastructure, improving post-consumer materials management, and enhancing local waste management systems.

Argyle and developer R.Y. Properties agreed to a 123-acre, H-E-B-anchored project at the southwest corner of Robson Ranch Road and I-35W. Plans include retail, restaurants and a 50-acre medical services hub. The deal returns half of Argyle’s 1% general-fund sales tax collected inside the development, capped at $20 million, to help cover roughly $25 million in public infrastructure.

TPG, with headquarters in Fort Worth and San Francisco, signed a definitive agreement to acquire a majority stake in Conservice, a utility management platform for the property management industry. TPG, through TPG Capital, will join Advent International, who will retain a significant stake after first investing in Conservice in 2020.

Daily digit: 2.73 miles = Course length of the inaugural IndyCar Grand Prix of Arlington March 13-15, which will wind around AT&T Stadium and Globe Life Field.

Significant stat: 150 million = Number of ticket requests from fans for FIFA World Cup matches. Nine of those will be held at AT&T Stadium June 11 - July 19.

Snippets:

• Empire Roofing hands out Rolex watches for 10-year employees. 

• An Irving company, Metabulin, says it has taken technology licensed from UT-Southwestern for more than a year and developed a better insulin.

• A class-action lawsuit against Mark Cuban and the Dallas Mavericks has been dismissed.

• Signs with variable speed limits based on traffic conditions are being installed along I-35W just outside of downtown Fort Worth. 

Announcements: 

• Sutton Frost Cary: Promotes David Antonelli to Partner.

• Fort Worth: Names Jordan Stefan Operations Manager of Fort Worth Convention Center. She had been Director of Sales at Will Rogers Memorial Center. 

• North Texas Nonprofit Leadership Network: Launched by co-founders Aubrey Guzman and Isabel Cable.

• StraCon: Hires Kyle Schutter as Financial Manager. 

• Dube Group: Launched by President & CEO Scot Dube.

• NewDay Services for Children and Families: Hires Christina Price as Director of Development.

• Simmons Bank: Winston Eckhardt retires after 42 years in banking.

• Rotary Club of Fort Worth: Tom Law, VCL Commercial Real Estate Services, is the incoming President. Cathy Neece Brown, UNT Health College of Nursing, is President-elect.

• Greater Fort Worth Chapter of PRSA: Sydney Hanes, Cook Children’s Health Care System, is the incoming President.

• Public Relations Society of America - Southwest District: Reggie Johnson, UNT Health Fort Worth is the Chair-elect.

• 7-Eleven: Joe DePinto, CEO since 2005, retired Dec. 31. 

• Compass: Adds Debbie Hunn, Alana Long and Alexandra Cummins from The Urban Group. 

• Center for Transforming Lives: Names Rhea Jackson Social Enterprise and Business Senior Manager.

• Indiana University: Signs former TCU quarterback Josh Hoover out of the NCAA transfer portal. Reports Sunday night are TCU has signed Harvard quarterback Jaden Craig, a Walter Payton Award finalist. 

• University of North Texas football: Head coach Neal Brown hires Errin Joe as General Manager, Matt Powledge as Defensive Coordinator, Patrick Johnston as Assistant Athletic Director/Chief of Staff, Ray Gates as Special Assistant to the Head Coach/Edge Coach and Jordan Diaz as head strength and conditioning coach.

• SMU: Hires Riley Dodge, head football coach of Carroll High School and Carroll ISD's athletic director, as tight ends coach and passing game coordinator.

• Miami Dolphins: Contract with NFL broadcaster Troy Aikman to assist its search for a General Manager.

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