📱Whitley Penn's Larry Autrey moves up from CEO; Haltom's Jewelers closing its doors; Coltala Holdings makes acquisition.

Choice Health at Home, part of Fort Worth-based Coltala Holdings, has acquired Oklahoma City-based Accentra Home Health & Hospice, and secured $260 million in new capital to fuel continued growth across the Southwest. With the acquisition, Choice is able to provide services across 90% of Oklahoma. It also has locations in Texas, Kansas, Arizona, Colorado, Utah and Nevada.

Jack and Ladye Ann Miller are closing all three Haltom’s Fine Jewelers locations — Sundance Square, Ridglea and Grapevine. “We have always worked hard for our family, our employees and their families, and our customers. While we are closing the stores and ending this chapter, we will remain a part of this community that is so important to us.”

Larry Autrey, CEO at Whitley Penn accounting firm more than 20 years, will become Executive Chairman Jan. 1 and announced new management leaders. Nathen McEown, Partner-in-Charge of Consulting and Chief Growth Officer, has been named Chief Executive Officer. Toby Cotton, Partner-in-Charge of Tax, will become Chief Operating Officer. During Autrey's leadership, the firm grew from one office and 50 employees to nearly 900 employees with nine offices throughout Texas and New Mexico. Additionally, Autrey led the firm through more than a dozen acquisitions.

Insight Enterprises has opened its latest Solutions Integration Center in Fort Worth. The 250,000-square-foot facility serves clients across the U.S. with capabilities such as autonomous mobile robotics and advanced logistics; it can achieve 10 times the shipping velocity of traditional IT fulfillment centers.

Amazon will start construction next week on a $200-million operations facility of approximately 1.7 million square feet in Cleburne. It will be located off Chisholm Trail Parkway at Industrial Drive and could create as many as 1,000 jobs.

As expected, the Federal Reserve cut its key interest rate by a quarter-point in response to the steady decline in the once-high inflation. The cut follows a larger half-point reduction in September, and it reflects the Fed’s renewed focus on supporting the job market and fighting inflation, which now barely exceeds the central bank’s 2% target.

Lucid Diagnostics Inc., after tests with 200 Fort Worth Fire personnel, announced it would take to market its pre-cancer testing programs to drive near-term EsoGuard  Esophageal DNA Test revenue. Included are pre-cancer testing events, concierge medicine and employer markets. 

Six Flag's third quarter earnings are “fun,” and investors are satisfied. Six Flags Entertainment Corporation (NYSE: FUN) shares are up 5.3% the past five days after the company reported adjusted earnings.

Gov. Greg Abbott said voters have sent him the legislators to get a bill passed. "We now have 79 hard votes for school choice [in the Texas House],” Abbott said. " It takes 76."

Westlake-based ECI Software Solutions, a cloud-based business management software and services provider, acquired Avid Ratings, a provider of customer experience solutions designed specifically for home builders.

Twin Peaks, a restaurant franchise with 115 locations, including two in Fort Worth and one in Burleson and Grand Prairie, plans to go public. Parent company FAT Brands, Inc. also owns Marble Slab Creamery and Fazoli’s and filed to spin off Twin Peaks, although FAT plans to offer 5% and own the majority of the business. FAT Brands bought Twin Peaks for $300 million in 2021. 

A jury in Fort Worth has found that Consilio, which bills itself as the world’s largest e-discovery firm, violated a Texas criminal statute when it accessed a woman’s computer without effective consent. Jurors also found the company negligent in downloading and destroying 10 years’ worth of emails and awarded $50,000 in damages.

Southlake-based Sabre Corporation announced a significant advancement in air travel distribution in India through the launch of New Distribution Capability (NDC), which gives more flight availability as content for Air India agents. 

Justin, TX-based Canoo, the boxy EV startup with big ambitions, may be in trouble. Despite futuristic vehicle designs and government contracts, the automaker hasn't been gaining traction. And its latest actions hint that it might be struggling to keep the lights on.

Industry 4.0 is where artificial intelligence (AI), data analytics, and machine learning revolutionized the interaction between physical and digital realms. Industry 5.0 shifts the spotlight to a balance between humans and technology. It emphasizes societal value, resilience, and sustainability as core pillars. Mansfield-based Mouser Electronics is leading the way. 

Police Chief Neil Noakes told Fort Worth council members the department is committed to reducing the sexual assault kits backlog. He said the backlog was 708, down from 898 on Oct. 11. The Tarrant County Medical Examiner’s Office has agreed to assist with new cases. Job postings have been made for forensic scientists. The Office of the Police Oversight Monitor will oversee and monitor the lab’s progress.

The Transportation Security Administration has proposed a rule that would require cybersecurity risk management and reporting requirements for some freight and passenger railroads and bus and pipeline operators. TSA estimates that under the rule’s criteria, 73 of the approximately 620 U.S. freight railroads and 34 of approximately 92 passenger rail and transit operators would be subject to the requirements.

Snippets:

• Public Square looks at Fort Worth’s adaptive reuse of the Stockyards.

• The Tarrant County Veterans Day Parade will be Monday at 11 a.m. near downtown Fort Worth. Details can be found here.

This ain’t Kansas: Judy Garland’s ruby slippers from The Wizard of Oz (1939) are up for auction. The slippers were stolen from a museum in 2005 by a mobster and recovered by the FBI 13 years later. They’re valued at $3.5 million.

Significant stat: The average American consumes 2.3 gallons of spirits each year. Texas came in at No. 26, with per capita consumption at 2.41 gallons. New Hampshire led the country with 4.83 gallons of liquor per person; Utah was the lowest at 1.36 gallons. See each state here.

Daily digit: 19,666,130 pounds of litter and debris were collected and removed by the City of Fort Worth in fiscal year 2024.

Announcements:

• Fort Worth Economic Development Partnership: Hires Chelsea Griffith as Vice President of Investor Relations.

• Cook Children's Health Foundation: Hires Amy Goodnight as Director of Communications.

• Texas Rangers: Names long-time VP of Communications John Blake its Senior Advisor/Historian.

• Center for Transforming Lives: Adds Aimee L. Stone (Bank of America Private Bank) and Katherine Thompson (Freedom Church) to its Board of Directors. 

• Buxton: Chief of Staff Chris Briggs announces he is leaving, but not retiring.

• McDonald Sanders: Adds attorneys Raygen Lee, Blake Bobo and Katherine Durham.

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