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Presented By
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FACES & PLACES 
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 The folks at the Chamber had their team lunch at Cafe Modern in the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth before heading over to the Fort Worth Stock Show and Rodeo last Wednesday.
Part of the group watched the world-famous rodeo, while others spent the afternoon exploring the many commercial and livestock exhibits. For most, this was not their first rodeo, but it was for a few! The Chamber group was part of an estimated one million total visitors this year (not including animals).
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For Valentines everywhere: Each year, pretending to be indifferent, thousands of B2B Insider readers of every gender enter to win flowers for Valentine's Day, suggesting that they have no one or will be forgotten. That's OK, they say. Still, they enter. Fingers crossed. Mr. B knows it's not OK. And thanks to Erica Ashinhurst at the great Gordon Boswell Flowers, YOU WILL NOT BE FORGOTTEN! With flowery writing and a thorny tone for those who have lost the romantic gene, Erica tiptoed with her tulips over to the Chamber and shared a voucher good for a gift basket up to $150. Love is back, thanks to Erica.
City-scaping: Mayor Price Is Right is being kept busy trying to secure Amazon HQ2, Apple HQ4, a Sister Cities relationship somewhere/anywhere in France and making about 11 appearances a day. So she asked Mr. B to take a shot at the rough draft for her Chamber State of the City Luncheon Feb. 20. After 153 lauds and plaudits, the Mayor will set her agenda by trial ballooning a tie-in between fitness and property taxes; the less you weigh us down, the lower your taxes. She also wants to cut traffic congestion; anyone riding the new TRE route to DFW International Airport starting this winter, whether it's out of your way or not, gets a free spot to her The Party in Fort Worth next year. Finally, if you build, she will come...free ribbon-cutting appearances for every new business. But until those and other goodies are available, you might instead try to grab one of these four seats to sit with Mr. B at her luncheon.
 A Glint in his eye: Craig Lloyd was a Chamber member, semi-left for Dallas dreams, did very well, yet is back to the Chamber and re-invested in a re-invigorated Fort Worth operation of his Glint -- Branding, Advertising, Consulting. He expects to own new office digs some time this spring. Craig comes bearing welcoming promotional item-type gifts. One is a 30-ounce hot/cold metal cup with a Craig Lloyd drawing. The cups are filled with Titleist golf balls. "This is our latest marketing tactic: golf ball scattering. We anoint people as a "Glintster" and send them golf balls to help scatter our brand all over acres of beautiful courses," Craig said. He sent B2B Insider a cup filled with golf balls for two readers.
Bold is beautiful: Long before the marches and #MeToo, Girls Inc. of Tarrant County was in the ring fighting for the rights of girls and young women, recognizing bold women -- "Their leadership and advocacy creates opportunities for girls and young women." Girls Inc. has six finalists selected for its 2018 Celebration Breakfast at TCU March 8, when the winner will be announced. Girls Inc. says, "Too often, girls are overlooked and undervalued by the outside world. Yet, with Girls Inc. in their corner, girls boldly exclaim they are strong, prepared to finish school on time, healthy, and excited to take charge of their futures." Valerie Salter sent over a seat for two readers.
Congratulations to the January 31st Prize Winners:
- Jami Hoffman, Fort Worth Police Department
- Cynthia Sadler, Signature Cuffs
- Justin Riddle, Elan River District
- Chuck Bouligny, Ascend Concepts
- Tony Prenger, Pinnacle Bank
- Jennifer Johns, Ronald McDonald House of Fort Worth
- Sandi Mitchell, Apex Leadership Mastery
- Aaron Booth, City of Fort Worth
- Whitney Vaughn, Hoppes & Cutrer
- Susan Little, Hill School
- Jeff Thomas, YMCA
- Miriam Carillo, Unity One
- Will Jung, Bank of Texas
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HE SAID, SHE SAID, THEY SAID
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 One quarter Fortify-ed: The Chamber has a piller. Chris Strayer (right) of Columbus, Ohio, starts next Monday as the Chamber's SVP of Business Attraction, Retention and Expansion, one of four SVPs to be hired. He was senior projects manager for Columbus 2020, but instead is going to be knee deep in Cowboys and Culture in 2020. He's already working to develop business for us, trying to secure the moves of Limited Brands and Ohio State University to Fort Worth.
Hot rodder: New Chamber member Don Istook's business card reads Audi Sport. He is a brand specialist for the sport division of the automaker. What the card doesn't tell you is that Don loves the car so much that he bought one and has come out of a 4-year retirement to race it in the Continental Sports Car Tire Challenge at Daytona this month. Istook is renowned for his 40-year career driving IMSA and SCCA circuits. "This is the best car I've driven," he said. "Why un-retire? It's stupid, but I'm doing it."
Water logged: Lupe Zamora of Zamora Construction went to Las Vegas, gambled and won certification for Pervious Concrete work. Pervious allows water to pass through the concrete into the ground and not run off to flood Hulen ... or any street, for that matter.
Buzz off, B: Mary Sharpe came to Mr. B's rescue. He was thinking Buzz Custom Fence produced shorter, buzzed-cut fences, such as a picket fence. Mary, quite contrary, said the Buzz actually is a nod to bees all working together in a hive. "Always buzzing, busy and working together," she said.
Looking way ahead: For those of you stuck on 39, Leslie Shields of Health Markets nonetheless reminds that the sign-up for Medicare is three months before the month you turn 65 and ends three months after the month you turn 65.
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"No one's getting out alive."
-- Bob Gaudry, pre-needs advisor
Destiny Memorial
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That's a lot of baggage: The East Area Council gatherers at Topgolf were told that the economic impact of DFW International Airport is $37 billion. Half of that is from cargo operations.
 Icy reception: "How cool!" said Molly Sandlin on winning tickets to see I, Tonya at Magnolia at The Modern. "I started ice skating in 1994 when (Tonya Harding/Nancy Kerrigan) happened and I ended up teaching skating on the Boston Common when I was in high school."
He's at the helm: Don Helm is the longest tenured Am-Bass-Adorable greeter in Chamber history. Because he says he has been in the Chamber longer than anyone, no one can dispute him. Don's wife, Pat, is the most honored non-Am-Bass-Adorable, mostly for putting up with Don. Recently, Pat has had painful back problems and Don has been caring for her ... and not so well, he admits. "I'm getting her a T-shirt that reads I survived Don's cooking."
Bobbing for jobs: Right now, Fort Worth has 2.06 jobs per household. Projections for 2040 show 1.84 jobs. Brenda Hicks-Sorenson, Fort Worth's Assistant Director of Economic Development, says that's not good and why some have referred to Fort Worth as Dallas' "bedroom community." The Chamber and the city are working together to ensure the 2.06 minimum number is maintained.
Liking those odds: Entrepreneur Tammera Hollerich has a 66.667 percent chance to win the Chamber's Small Business of the Year honor for companies with 1-10 employees. The entrepreneur owns two of the three finalists, Affairs Afloat Balloons and Healthy Lifestyle Secrets. Healthy Lifestyle is nutritional curriculum to assist with weight loss. Balloons are ... balloons. "We are here to blow Fort Worth away," said Tammera, who owns one other company. Winners are announced Feb. 20 at the Mayor's State of the City luncheon.
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FREE MAGAZINE/RELOCATION GUIDE AVAILABLE!
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 Our Fort Worth relocation guides are FREE for members, expanding companies, hospitals, hotels and realtors who would like to come by and pick them up (no shipping charge). One box (120 copies!) per member.
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