Fort Worth Inc. - Fall 2025

Contents/Features

48 Where Fort Worth Works

Best: The best workplaces in Fort Worth combine fun atmospheres with incredible employee benefits to create an even more productive environment. Take notes, y’all; this is how you run a company.

68 Friendship, Love, and Opportunity: Construction CEO Jeff Postell builds far more than large structures. He also builds hope in high-risk communities with Building Pathways, a nonprofit dedicated to increasing the employability of vulnerable populations.

Contents/Departments

6 Publisher’s Note

Bizz Buzz

10 Built for the Occasion: A team of TCU alums, who happen to dabble in real estate investments, has transformed a West Side industrial warehouse into Cullen Yards, a 12,000-square-foot event space.

18 EO Spotlight: Robert Whittaker of Magnolia Fence & Patio recently launched a consulting group for entrepreneurs. Some entrepreneurial advice he recently learned: Know when to get out of your company’s way.

Inside the C-Suite

22 Architecture: John Roberts built a website devoted to Fort Worth’s incredible architecture, and he has plans for both the site and Fort Worth’s historic buildings to stand the test of time.

28 Health & Fitness: After finishing third in the Good Soil Movement’s pitch competition, Armyvet-turned-entrepreneur Paden Sickles’ new sock company is gearing up to make a big impact.

34 People: What inspired Ty Stimpson, a former collegiate football player and current attorney at Varghese Summersett, to go from the gridiron to the courtroom? A baseball game.

40 Off the Clock: Despite a plethora of hobbies, Jay Decker’s made his living in finance. But at 54, he’s discovered a passion and hidden talent that could come with its own benefits.

Bizz Wrap-Up

92 Analyze This/ Legal: Even good intentions can cause an employer to step on his or her tongue, which can be very costly.

96 Analyze This/ Banking: Uncertainty on Wall Street remains amid international conflicts and ongoing tariff negotiations.

98 Analyze This/ Wealth Management: “You can’t take it with you” is the mantra of this sensible financial philosophy.

104 1 in 500: As Fort Worth’s oldest institute of higher education turns 135, its president, Dr. Emily Messer, shares Texas Wesleyan’s vision for the future.

Place, Culture, and Objective Truth Still Matter

IOWNER/PUBLISHER HAL A. BROWN

n this issue, we celebrate our ninth annual Best Companies To Work For in Fort Worth. While many similar programs rely heavily on employer feedback, we place 60% of the emphasis on employee responses to get a more authentic view of workplace satisfaction. Employees anonymously weigh in on everything from benefits and workfrom-home policies to company culture and perks.

We honored the 50 winning companies at a lively luncheon on Aug. 14 at River Ranch. Congratulations to all of the winners, with a special congratulations to the top honorees in each category: Curnutt & Hafer LLP (Small), Steele & Freeman Inc. (Medium), and USI Insurance (Large).

Top companies like these continue to attract talent, many from California. According to the U.S. Census, nearly 100,000 people move from California to Texas annually, with one in five coming from LA. Angelenos seem to find Fort Worth especially attractive, as Tarrant County is among the top three relocation destinations for former Angelenos. Some longtime locals (including me) are concerned about the cultural shifts this brings, especially as younger generations like Gen Z and millennials fuel Fort Worth’s growth.

We explored this in our February 2024 Fort Worth Magazine cover story, “Don’t Cali our Cowtown,” and revisited the topic in the March 2025 cover story,

“What Will Cowtown Look Like in 2050,” where my executive editor made a projection that in 25 years Fort Worth could become a blue city due to demographic trends and growing diversity of thought.

A couple of months after that March story was published, a reader accused us of being a liberal publication, trying to “blue wash” Fort Worth. I responded, letting them know that they could not be further from the truth, clarifying that both Fort Worth Magazine and Fort Worth Inc. are nonpolitical. While we don’t bury our heads in the sand, neither do we push propaganda. Our mission is to “celebrate Fort Worth and make it better.” Our job is to inform, challenge, and provoke thoughtful conversation — not to promote one-sided political viewpoints.

While our team includes some staunch conservatives, we also employ some devoted liberals, all united by a commitment to facts over politics. We don’t endorse parties or push agendas. We aim to deliver verified information, enabling our readers to form their own opinions. At the end of the day, our loyalty isn’t to a side — it’s to the truth. Thanks for reading, engaging, and holding us to a high standard.

VOLUME 11, NUMBER 3, FALL 2025

owner/publisher hal a. brown president mike waldum editorial executive editor john henry creative director craig sylva senior art director spray gleaves contributing editor brian kendall fwtx.com digital editor stephen montoya photographer richard w. rodriguez copy editor sharon casseday

advertising main line 817.560.6111 territory manager, fort worth inc. rita hale x133 advertising account supervisor gina burns-wigginton x150 advertising account supervisor marion c. knight x135 account executive tammy denapoli x141 senior production manager michelle mcghee x 116 contributing ad designer jonathon won marketing director of digital robby kyser marketing manager grace behr project manager kaitlyn lisenby events and promotions director victoria albrecht

corporate cfo charles newton

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©2025 Panther City Media Group. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced without written permission from the publisher. how to contact us For questions or comments, contact John Henry, executive editor, at 817.560.6111 or via email at jhenry@fwtexas.com.

Ricardo (Tito) Medina, CFP®

Managing Director

Private Client Advisor

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Private Client Advisor

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Private Client Advisor

Forbes Top Wealth Management Teams

Best-In-State 2025

817.503.9267 420 Throckmorton St., Fort Worth, TX 76102

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WELCOME, JOHN X. HERNANDEZ!

We are proud to welcome John X. Hernandez to First Financial Trust & Asset Management as he assumes the role of Vice President and Trust Relationship Manager in the Fort Worth market. John is a seasoned financial professional and trusted advisor with two decades of experience in private banking, wealth management, and organizational leadership. As Vice President and Trust Relationship Manager at First Financial, he leads client relationships with a focus on trust administration, estate planning, and generational wealth strategies.

Deeply rooted in the Fort Worth community, John is an advocate for civic engagement and board service, having worked closely with organizations like the Fort Worth Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Tarrant Co, and local leadership development programs. Contact John today for all your Wealth Management needs!

John X. Hernandez

Bizz Buzz

Ten years ago, four TCU alums purchased an industrial warehouse off Cullen Street. While they admit to the warehouse serving as a batting cage for their kids in the interim, the 12,000-square-foot property recently transformed into one of the city's most distinct event spaces.

Built for the Occasion

A West Side warehouse becomes Cullen Yards, Fort Worth’s latest event venue with deep local roots.

WORDS BY JOHN HENRY

Apartnership of real estate investors is behind a new event space taking shape just west of downtown.

Cullen Yards is a new project from partners Gus Bates Jr., Kyle Poulson, Jared Shope, and Ricky Stuart, who are turning their longtime property into an event space after a decade of ownership.

The 12,000-square-foot property at 2412 Cullen St. has a comfortable capacity of 350-375, though Shope says they could go more.

“We can get a big number in there,” Shope says. “It's pretty flexible as far as how the space works.”

The partners have set up an entity for the operation that includes Graciela Todd as general manager and managing partner with the partners’ children with ownership stakes, Shope says.

Todd was the key player in this coming together. Todd has been in hospitality and catering for years, including most recently serving as general manager at Sodexo, where she oversaw catering of events at TCU. That’s where she met the four partners, who had a concept but only wanted one person to run it.

“She had an interest in the event center concept,” Shope says. “She grew up in California, and that’s what her family did out there. We had the perfect building with all this parking, and, two, we found the perfect person in her. About a year ago, she decided to step away from TCU and jump on board with us, and that's how we got into it.”

“We’ll still help steer the ship over there and get to be in the middle of it, but we really are turning over the day-to-day operations to Graciela because this is what she does. She knows the catering and the food and beverage and the event-driven world. Ricky, Kyle, Gus, and I would just get in the way if we made too many decisions.”

The four met through their association with TCU. All four are graduates. Shope played baseball there in the early 1990s under Lance Brown. Bates was born and raised here, and all the others have stayed in Fort Worth since leaving Frogland.

Texas Built, Texas Proud.

It’s not just a job when you love who you build with.

At Crossland, we don’t just build structures, we build relationships. Building So Much More is more than a motto—it’s our mission.

Crossland is proud to be named a Best Companies to Work for in Fort Worth— two years running. We’re even prouder of the people behind it. We’re building a place where people stay, grow, and lead.

We believe that when you care for your people, great work naturally follows.

www.crossland.com

Shope has 30 years as an entrepreneur of outdoors retail stores. He owned CD Ski and Sports and owns Climate in Clear Fork. Climate deals in brands like The North Face, Johnnie-O, Obermeyer, and Patagonia, to name a few.

Bates and his late father Gus Bates Sr. owned Gus Bates Insurance until selling to HUB International several years ago. Poulson has been in commercial real estate, and Stuart took over the family business, Chicken Express.

Shope, Poulson, and Stuart teamed to save the venerable and beloved Oui Lounge long ago.

“That’s how we got into the real estate business together. We were going to save the Oui Lounge,” Shope says, before adding with a touch of irony, “We wound up killing the Oui Lounge.

“But the great thing out of that transaction was we ended up with that little strip center on Bluebonnet Circle.”

Cullen Yards isn’t the group’s first foray into the event space. They also owned the MoPac Event Center on Rogers Road, a COVID shutdown casualty.

“We converted it, and it was a lot of fun. We had some great events in there,” Shope says. The partnership still owns the property. It leases to Courtside Kitchen, a pickleball and dining concept.

They bought the building on Cullen Street about 10 years ago. It was an industrial warehouse for much of its life, beginning in the mid-1950s. At various times, it was home to Humble Oil & Refining Company and later, Felts Oil.

The group leased it to Teague Lumber for a spell and Tesla for a bit.

“We really had no idea what we were going to do with it,” Shope says. “We just knew it was a great old building with great guts. And the funny thing is, for about the last 10 years, that building served as a batting cage for all of our kids who played sports. We had this ultimate indoor facility.”

Office Memos

The legendary Frank Kent Motor Co. has reached an agreement to sell its Fort Worth and Arlington Cadillac dealerships to Autobahn Fort Worth, marking the end of an iconic chapter in the city’s automotive history. Autobahn will retain the Frank Kent name, with the transition expected to close in October pending manufacturer approval.

Fort Worth’s office market is splitting, with demand surging for Class A space while older buildings struggle to retain tenants, according to JLL’s Q2 2025 report. Driven by population growth and a “flight to quality,” Class A rents are rising even as overall vacancy hits 18.8%.

M2G Ventures is expanding into the hospitality sector with the launch of a new division focused on hotel investments and development. The Fort Worth-based firm has appointed Chris Hanrattie, former SVP of investments and head of hospitality at Crescent Real Estate, to lead the effort as managing director.

Dallas-based Nanoscope Therapeutics, a former TechFW client, has begun submitting its FDA application for MCO-010, a potential breakthrough treatment to restore vision in patients with retinitis pigmentosa. If approved, it would be the first nonsurgical, gene-agnostic therapy for the disease, offering hope to thousands facing blindness.

SBA-backed lending surged in Q3 across the South-Central Region, with the DallasFort Worth District leading at $1.5 billion and over 22,000 jobs supported. The region approved $2.8 billion in small-business loans — up 10% from last year.

Yolanda Henderson of the Fort Worth Chamber has received national recognition for surpassing $1.5 million in career membership sales. She was honored with the ACCE’s prestigious Dana Ketterling Lifetime Sales Achievement Award in the Diamond category.

Fort Worth-based Presta has acquired the mineral and royalty assets of a 98-year-old, Oklahoma-focused company spanning 96 counties and 12 states. The deal adds to Presta’s 50,000-plus net mineral acres and marks its eighth acquisition from a family-run business.

UTA West is officially open in Parker County, marking the start of the university’s long-term commitment to west Fort Worth and beyond. The new Willow Park office sets the stage for a full campus opening at Walsh Ranch by 2028.

Best of the Southwest

EY recognizes Twisted X CEO Prasad Reddy for reinventing Western footwear with purpose and vision.

WORDS BY JOHN HENRY

Prasad Reddy’s willingness to challenge convention has driven Twisted X Brands’ remarkable rise since he acquired it out of bankruptcy 17 years ago during the Great Recession.

“From the beginning, we weren’t afraid to be contrarians or take chances if we felt we were doing what’s right for our customers, the planet, and our employees,” said Reddy, CEO of the Decatur-based footwear company.

That mindset earned him national recognition last month when he was named an Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of The Year 2025 Southwest Award winner. Judges praised his long-term value creation, entrepreneurial spirit, and significant impact in transforming Twisted X into a leader in the Western footwear market.

Under Reddy’s leadership, Twisted X has frequently appeared on “Fastest Growing Companies” lists, including Fort Worth Inc.’s

in 2020 and 2021. He is also a past Fort Worth Inc. Entrepreneur of Excellence winner.

As a regional winner, Reddy is now eligible for Ernst & Young’s national Entrepreneur Of The Year awards, to be announced in November at the Strategic Growth Forum®. Among recent national honorees: Fort Worth’s own Ben Rosenthal and Ashli Rosenthal Blumenfeld of Standard Meat Company.

Reddy’s first move after acquiring Twisted X in 2008 was to expand beyond traditional Western offerings. He introduced new styles and demographics by partnering with Hooey and acquiring Black Star Boots, a high-fashion women’s Western brand.

“Increasing the number of brands we carry helps us meet the many needs and niches of the industry,” he said.

What also sets Twisted X apart is its commitment to sustainability and philanthropy. The company achieved carbon neutrality in

2020 and has adopted a strict “no single-use plastics” policy. Every active footwear style now includes at least one eco-friendly feature, such as recycled plastics, repurposed leather scraps, or upcycled EVA foam.

“Sustainability truly factors into everything we do and every decision we make,” Reddy said. “We’ve found our eco-friendly materials actually make for better, more durable footwear — so it’s a win-win.”

He credited his team for the company’s success: “We’ve always believed in doing things differently, and I’m immensely grateful to share this honor with the people who made it possible.”

Sole Support Delivered

Twisted X donates 5,000 pairs of shoes to Kerr County flood victims, partnering with Soles4Souls to aid Texans in crisis.

WORDS BY JOHN HENRY

Twisted X Global Brands is stepping up in the wake of catastrophic flooding in Kerr County, donating 5,000 pairs of shoes to help displaced families, first responders, and volunteers working along the Guadalupe River.

The Decatur-based footwear company partnered with nonprofit Soles4Souls to deliver the aid, which is being distributed through local relief organizations. The initiative is part of Twisted X’s broader mission to support crisis recovery through

Walter Kinzie at the Tacoma Food Festival

sustainable philanthropy.

“Our thoughts and prayers remain with the families impacted as well as the first responders and volunteers who have been working tirelessly to help during this unimaginable tragedy,” said Prasad Reddy, CEO of Twisted X. “As a Texas-rooted company, we feel a personal responsibility to show up for our communities when they need it most.”

The July floods left communities reeling, with homes damaged, infrastructure disrupted, and basic supplies in short supply. Twisted X and Soles4Souls have collaborated for years to provide meaningful relief in times of crisis. Together, they’ve delivered more than 63,000 pairs of shoes worldwide, including throughout Texas — donations valued at $7.5 million.

“While getting power and utilities is the highest priority after a disaster, there is a great need for shoes and clothing, and our partnership with Twisted X helps us fill those gaps,” said Buddy Teaster, president and CEO of Soles4Souls.

Founded in 2005 and restructured in 2008 under Reddy’s leadership, Twisted X has built its brand on sustainable practices and community commitment. The company continues to find new ways to help, both at home and abroad.

Anyone wishing to support ongoing relief efforts can contact corporate@s4s.org.

The relief movement has also drawn support from the financial sector. The EECU Community Foundation announced a $50,000 donation to The Pat Green Foundation, which is coordinating recovery work across Central Texas. The contribution was made live on KSCS/96.3 FM by EECU president and CEO Lonnie Nicholson.

“Our hearts go out to the families and communities affected by these devastating floods,” Nicholson said. “Supporting our neighbors isn’t just something we do — it’s part of who we are.”

The donation honors country music artist and Texas native Pat Green, whose family was directly impacted. Green quickly launched a benefit concert in Arlington and continues to mobilize additional support for those hit hardest by the flooding.

Magnets. Made. Here.

Fort Worth MP

Materials plant to produce rare-earth magnets for Apple.

WORDS BY JOHN HENRY

Fort Worth will soon become a central player in the development of a sustainable, domestic supply chain for critical components used in smartphones, computers, wearables, and other electronics.

MP Materials will supply Apple with rare-earth magnets made at its Fort Worth facility as part of a new $500 million agreement between the companies, announced in July. The magnets — used in smartphones, computers, wearables, and other devices — will be produced using 100% recycled materials, positioning Fort Worth at the center of a sustainable, U.S.-based supply chain for critical components.

Manufacturing will take place at MP’s Fort Worth plant, known as Independence, using recycled rare-earth feedstock from the company’s Mountain Pass site in California. That feedstock will come from post-industrial and end-of-life magnets, creating what the companies called a circular supply chain.

To meet Apple’s demand, MP Materials will expand its Texas facility and add specialized neodymium magnet manufacturing lines tailored for Apple products. Shipments are expected to begin in 2027 and will support hundreds of millions of devices globally.

Apple and MP will also partner to establish a rare-earth recycling line at Mountain Pass and co-develop new magnet materials and processing technologies to enhance performance. The effort is part

of Apple’s broader pledge to invest over $500 billion in the U.S. over the next four years.

“Rare-earth materials are essential for making advanced technology, and this partnership will help strengthen the supply of these vital materials here in the United States,” said Apple CEO Tim Cook.

The initiative is expected to create dozens of new jobs in manufacturing and R&D. MP and Apple will provide extensive training to develop the workforce and expand U.S. expertise in magnet production.

“This collaboration deepens our vertical integration, strengthens supply chain resilience, and reinforces America’s industrial capacity at a pivotal moment,” said MP Materials CEO James Litinsky.

The announcement builds on nearly five years of joint technical work, including pilot programs that demonstrated reclaimed magnets could meet Apple’s high-performance standards. MP plans to scale those processes into a commercial recycling line at Mountain Pass.

The Fort Worth expansion complements MP’s public-private partnership with the U.S. Department of Defense to rebuild domestic rare-earth production, part of a broader push to reduce reliance on foreign suppliers and improve supply chain security.

We have history with Fort Worth.

CornerStone Staffing has been helping businesses grow in our great city since 1991. We started here, we work here and we take great pride in serving our community. We are honored to be one of the “Best Companies to Work For.”

While just off a plane in Portland, Robert Whittaker listens to my question about the state of Magnolia Fence & Patio and then ponders briefly.

“We've thrown this business on my vision and my back,” Whittaker says. “We've been stuck between $7 million and $8 million [in revenue] for the last four years. And the only thing that hasn't changed is me. We've got to get somebody else in with a new perspective, see if they can see something that I've missed. And so, the best way for me to serve my team is to get out of their way.”

If only Jerry Jones felt that way about the Cowboys. I jest, Jerry. We’re excited about overreacting in football season.

And Whittaker isn’t exactly “retiring,” as he jokes. “I’m sure I’ll still have some critical roles to play,” but he’s planning his primary role to be that of mentor and coach to the staff he has assembled.

His new baby is Purple Coaching & Consulting, which advises entrepreneurs on how to build successful companies.

Magnolia grew out of Mean Green Lawn & Landscape, a company he founded with his twin brother Michael. He and Michael split in 2019. Michael went on with Mean Green, and Whittaker continued with Magnolia, which, in addition to its home in Everman, is poised to open a flagship location in Benbrook.

The brothers have reunited with Purple Coaching & Consulting. Whittaker, 40, is also stepping into the realm of philanthropy with a campaign called 1 Million Blessings, inspired by a conversation with John C. Maxwell. Rather than treasure, Blessings’ stewardship and giving will be more in the form of time and talent. At least at first.

Built To Last, Ready To Let Go

The fence boss ‘steps away’ to guide others toward their entrepreneurial goals.

WORDS BY JOHN HENRY

“I think in our world today, what’s really underappreciated is looking somebody in the eyes and listening. That's what most people really need. They really need somebody to actually care and connect. That's what we're doing.”

Whittaker is in Portland for a conference. Typically, he’s the one doing the speaking.

“This one, they’re speaking to me. So, it’s going to be a nice week.”

How did you guys start Mean Green? We just never could find anybody that would hire us early on. It seemed like more work to find a job than it was just to create our own work. We've never worked for anybody but ourselves.

What mistake taught you the most? Never stop asking questions, or in my case, my biggest mistake was I never asked questions. Someone at Starbucks asked me for one piece of advice. Embrace patience. Patience will outperform grit and hard work. Sometimes you just got to have a little bit of patience with yourself, with your vision. Patience is a superpower. We talk about it all the time, listening. Listening is a form of patience. Here's a little nugget: Silent and listen contain the same letters.

What are you doing when you’re not working? I'm in a season right now where I'm doing a lot more work than I'm probably proud of, but I coach my 12-year-old’s soccer team. And I have a 19-month-old who definitely keeps me smiling. But hunting, fishing, stuff like that. But if it were up to me, every single day that I wasn't working, I'd be on an airplane traveling somewhere. That's my favorite thing to do.

"Embrace patience. Patience will outperform grit and hard work. Patience is a superpower."

Inside the C-Suite

While Jay Decker has long proven his finance chops, at the age of 54, he's discovered he's equally adept at something far more rightbrained.

Built To Remember

With his Architecture in Fort Worth project, John Roberts ensures the city’s most iconic structures — and stories — endure.

WORDS BY JOHN HENRY IMAGE BY RICHARD W. RODRIGUEZ

Architecture and design are to John Roberts like coffee is to Monday morning. Or blueprints are to a builder.

Roberts is an architect who was born and raised in Fort Worth. He attended Paschal High School and then studied architecture at the University of Texas at Arlington, graduating with a bachelor's degree in 1980 and a master's degree in 1983. He has worked for Halbach Dietz Architects for almost 35 years, having started there in 1990 shortly after becoming licensed as an architect in 1987.

He was also at one time on a committee within the city that made recommendations to the Historic & Cultural Landmarks Commission on which buildings to designate as historic and cultural landmarks.

His curiosity began long before that, however. As a young boy he stared with fascination up at Fort Worth’s tallest building, the 30-story Continental Bank Building — the Landmark Tower — with a 32-foot revolving clock. At one time, the clock, with the letters “CNB,” was the world’s largest digital timepiece.

“The huge revolving clock on the top was very unique,” he says in a conversation by phone. “I was always interested in buildings and architecture and construction.”

When completed in 1956, the Continental Bank Building added 177,000 square feet of prime office space to the downtown landscape. The 30-story building was designed by Preston M. Geren & Associates in Fort Worth and built in two phases.

Originally planned for 28 stories, construction was halted after four stories when the economy slowed in the early 1950s. Shortly after opening in 1952, as a healthy economy reemerged, the building owner wanted to finish it. Two floors were added to the blueprint, as well as the clock.

It was the tallest building in Fort Worth, and it was the first building to use an aluminum “curtain wall,” a design feature necessary to support the revolving digital clock.".

“This lightened the load from the original design, but because the extra two floors and the clock were added, the

JOHN ROBERTS’ FAVORITE BUILDINGS IN FORT WORTH

At least these were his favorites when I asked him. “It varies from day to day and year to year,” he says.

The Texas & Pacific Railway Terminal

“It is probably the grandest art deco building we have in the city. The detailing on the building is fantastic, and the beauty of the main waiting room is extraordinary. Wyatt C. Hedrick, with Herman P. Koeppe as designer, planned this monumental railroad complex on the south end of downtown in 1931. The complex consisted of three functions, a railroad passenger terminal, an office building, and a separate warehouse facility. The entire complex was designed in the Zigzag Moderne style of art deco. Land was also given to the United States Postal Service to build a new post office. That building was completed in 1933 but was not designed in the art deco style.

Will Rogers Auditorium, Coliseum, and Pioneer Tower

Architect Wyatt C. Hedrick designed the three buildings for the Texas Centennial celebration in 1936 using a mixture of classical revival and moderne styles. Thos. S. Byrne of Fort Worth was the general contractor.

The complex features three buildings: an auditorium, a coliseum, and a 208-foot tower that sits between them. All buildings are constructed with buff-yellow brick. The structural engineer for the project was Herbert M. Hinckley. The coliseum was the first building designed with arched trusses joining at a ridge in the center, allowing the interior to be completely free of columns. Modern domed stadiums are based on the engineering design used here.

Kimbell Art Museum

“The Kimbell Art Museum is, in my opinion, one of the best examples of modern architecture that we have in the city. I love the way Kahn played with the vaults and the lighting within the galleries. The building will stand the test of time.” The last project by architect Louis Kahn before his death in 1974, the design is considered by many as the best piece of architecture within the city of Fort Worth. The building consists of a modular arrangement of 16 cycloid vaults. They are constructed with post-tensioned concrete. Preston M. Geren Associates served as associate architect. Thos. S. Byrne was general contractor. The building opened on Oct. 4, 1972.

Tarrant County Courthouse

Modeled after the Texas Capitol in Austin with pink granite, the 1895 Tarrant County Courthouse is one of the architectural masterpieces of the city, according to Roberts. It serves as the terminus of Main Street, and it sits high on the bluff of the Trinity River. It was designed by Gunn and Curtiss Architects of Kansas City. “It is a striking example of American Beaux Arts Design.” The general contractor was Probst & Co. of Chicago. One of the first structural steel-framed buildings built in the southwestern U.S.

existing structure within the building also had to be strengthened.”

The building sustained a hit from the March 28, 2000, tornado and “suffered significant damage.” The clock, which had quit working by the time, was removed. The building itself, purchased by XTO Energy, was demolished in 2006.

All of the information was gleaned from Roberts, whose architectural work in Fort Worth includes a number of projects at the Fort Worth Zoo.

His legacy project, however, is his website “Architecture in Fort Worth” (fortwortharchitecture.com), which documents just about every significant structure in the city, including every building downtown. He began the project in 1997.

“I first started out with just a list of downtown buildings with their dates and their architects and their address,” Roberts says. “It will never be done.”

When I press him about how many he has documented, he says, “I really don’t know. It’s always changing. I am adding from time to time, and, of course, I expanded to cover the whole city, which was a big undertaking. And maybe I shouldn't have done it in hindsight, but still, it's fun to just keep working on it. It’s a work in progress.”

Some buildings are just listed, while others, like the Landmark Tower, have full descriptions.

He’s learned through the years of his exhaustive research that architects in the past copied some of their designs “like we do today as architects.”

Renowned Fort Worth firm Sanguinet & Staats designed three versions of the neoclassical Burk Burnett Building, which resides in Sundance Square. This was the third such building designed by Sanguinet & Staats. The American Amicable — ALICO — Building in Waco is 22 stories, with a different color scheme. It opened in 1911. The Rand Building in San Antonio, opened in 1913, is only eight “but is an almost exact duplicate of the Burk Burnett.”

Roberts also has vast files of photos of buildings. He’s been shooting for decades. He has been very steadily converting those to digital. It’s a process. He estimates he has taken thousands of photos since the 1970s.

To no surprise, Roberts’ favorite structures are those designed in the acclaimed art deco style made notable here by architects Wiley Clarkson and Wyatt Hedrick, whose fingerprints are all over the Fort Worth skyline.

Hedrick’s notable designs include the Texas and Pacific Terminal and Warehouse (1931), Will Rogers Memorial Center (1936), and the 1938 City Hall. A number of buildings at TCU and Texas Wesleyan were also designed by Hedrick. Clarkson designed the original building at THR Harris Downtown, Trinity Episcopal Church, the Sinclair Building, and North Side High School.

Roberts lends his expertise to Historic Fort Worth Inc. as a member of the nonprofit’s board of directors. He has

The Sinclair Building

This 16-story building, designed by Wiley G. Clarkson and built by Harry B. Friedman, is one of Fort Worth's finest examples of art deco architecture. The building is more specifically of Zigzag Moderne styling and features many ziggurat elements on doorways, windows, and even in the shape of the building. The lobby is an excellent example from this period. On the 14th floor, eagle finials cap the vertical elements of the building's shaft. On top of the 16th floor penthouse, the vertical mullions are capped with alternating height pinnacles. It opened on Monday, Nov. 17, 1930. In 1990, the building was completely restored by architect Ward Bogard.

Railway Terminal, a block to the east, but it’s still a “great example of the Zigzag Moderne style,” Roberts writes on Architecture in Fort Worth. “It features inlaid panels of blue tile, ornamental brickwork, and polychrome brick. The polychrome brick has many patterns typical of the art deco period. The exterior of the building is marked by octagonal corner towers and intermediate roof towers, similar to the passenger terminal.”

Says Roberts in our conversation: "Once we lose a historic building or house, they're gone forever. And if we preserve them, then we're preserving our history."

Roberts is a popular contributor to “Fort Worth, Texas, History,” a page on Facebook. He is the authority on the topic of Fort Worth architecture. He also has a widely used forum on Architecture in Fort Worth.

Moreover, he has a couple of recurring meetings each month. On the last Friday of every month, he calls a gathering at Benito’s on Magnolia to talk Fort Worth architecture, history, or whatever else comes to mind.

“We try to stick to the subject, but we don't always,” he says. “Last week we talked a lot about some of the new projects coming up. And then we also talked about a guy’s new Subaru Crosstrek. Anything and everything.”

been in service for more than 20 years, as well as stints as chairman.

“The funny thing is that we have term limits, but they haven't thrown me off yet,” says Roberts, who adds, laughing, that he has also served more terms as chairman than he thought he was supposed to.

He is obviously a devoted advocate of preservation.

One of his chief concerns is the eightstory Texas & Pacific Warehouse on Lancaster downtown, another building designed by Hedrick, in association with Herman Koeppe. It has been vacant for years and is high among Historic Fort Worth Inc.’s list of endangered buildings.

The building has less ornamentation than its sibling, the Texas & Pacific

On the second Saturday of the month, he helps lead downtown walking tours. Those start at 9 a.m. at the T&P terminal building. More evidence of John Roberts’ life as a devoted disciple of architecture in Fort Worth.

But Roberts' most impactful work remains his Architecture in Fort Worth project, which will continue to be an important resource for researches, students, historians, and preservation groups long after his his days of documenting are over. After Roberts steps away, administration of the site will either go to Historic Fort Worth Inc. or the American Institute of Architects.

Or both.

“It’ll go to either organization. Or both. But I do want them to continue the work.”

Marching Orders, Redefined

From Army captain to sock innovator, Paden Sickles built a high-performance brand on pain and purpose.

WORDS BY JOHN HENRY IMAGES BY RICHARD W. RODRIGUEZ

From her hometown in Louisville, Kentucky, Paden Sickles’ journey in the Army led her to Texas, Missouri, across the globe to Korea, back to Georgia, and eventually a return to Texas.

“I think Texas is home now,” she says. She retired as a captain last year with lots of great experience and one surprising truth that stuck with her: Foot health is critical, and the sock industry was missing the mark.

Twelve miles on foot here through rough terrain, and 100 miles there patrolling and land navigation. Grueling stuff on your feet,

she says. She thought it was her boots that were insufficient. She started buying different kinds of boots. Then she discovered she was spending about $200 a month on socks.

“I was just burning through them,” Sickles says. “And that's how we got here. I started Googling socks. I did not think entrepreneurship would lead me to this.”

“This” is her company SickFit, a small, direct-to-consumer sock brand and manufacturer of streetwear that she personally designed. Sickles is founder and CEO of the Arlington-based company, which employs eight. Sickles was looking for a solution to her problem — a problem that led to other

problems through the kinetic chain — and those around her in her unit. Today, her socks are helping children with ADHD, autism and neurodivergent issues, as well as factory workers, and athletes — yes, even U.S. Olympians.

“I like to say that we solve real world problems for real world people and how they work, compete, and live.”

We discovered Sickles through the Good Soil Forum in Dallas, a dayslong convention whose speakers this year included Oprah Winfrey and T.D. Jakes, who chairs the organization.

The Good Soil Movement is a thriving network dedicated to equipping entrepreneurs with the connections, tools, and resources they need to grow and scale their businesses. With an ambitious mission to help 1 million entrepreneurs each generate $1 million in revenue over the next decade, Good Soil is driving economic stability and building pathways to generational wealth. Since its launch, the movement has expanded to more than 26,000 members, providing small-business owners with practical support and real solutions for long-term success.

A pitch competition featuring founders from across the country is part of the forum. Sickles finished third and won $75,000 and mentorship from a Wells Fargo business adviser. The finals featured entrepreneurs from Austin, Georgia, Oregon, and South Carolina, as well as Kia-Shun Voltz from Red Oak.

“It was a good experience,” Sickles says. “The best part is being able to tell people the story and invite them along our journey, to be a part of it, and help us change the world, one sock at a time, is what I love to say. Money is always nice, but it's the people that I can help after that, that I’m able to bring into our audience and really educate them on what we do and why it matters.”

The story begins in Lexington, Kentucky, home of the University of Kentucky, where Sickles attended undergraduate school. She studied economics there and was a member of the ROTC. When she graduated in 2016, she was commissioned a second lieutenant in the Army.

Military service was something she had had on her mind for a while. Her parents

“Being recognized again as a Best Company to Work For demonstrates what spending time with like-minded team members can accomplish. PSK will continue to work at making a di erence in the lives of each other and our clients.”

-

Casey Campbell, Managing Partner

For over 60 years, PSK LLP has delivered accounting guidance with a personal touch. Located in Arlington, our full-service CPA firm serves businesses, nonprofits and individuals throughout North Texas and beyond. From financial statement audits and tax strategies to consulting and payroll, we tailor our services to your unique needs. We strive to build lasting relationships rooted in trust, because at PSK, your peace of mind is a priority.

gave their blessing to join the Army, but they also wanted her to go to school.

“They said, ‘You figure it out,’” Sickles says. “All right. I’ll figure it out. Growing up, we would travel a lot and we would always be in the airport and I'd always see soldiers in uniform and I looked on them as heroes and I wanted to become that hero for somebody else. So yeah, a little cliche, but I wanted to be a hero.”

She also comes from an entrepreneurial background. Her father owns a land surveying company licensed in seven different states.

“Seven or eight,” she corrects herself. “He loves what he does.”

While in the Army, Sickles also earned an MBA from Northern Kentucky. But it was while working for Uncle Sam that she learned about socks and the dangers of inadequate sockwear.

Including her time in ROTC, Sickles spent 11 years serving as a U.S. Army Engineer Officer, in some cases helping shape the careers of some of the Army’s first enlisted female combat engineers. Her time in uniform was marked by hard-earned accolades — Air Assault, Expert Soldier, Spur Rides, and grueling 100-mile challenges.

Beneath all that, however, was persistent foot pain so severe she often skipped graduations just to avoid lacing up her boots.

Determined to find a solution, Sickles took matters into her own hands. She tested 87 pairs of socks across continents, conducting A/B testing during PT formations — swapping socks before long runs and ruck marches to collect real-time feedback from peers and leaders alike. These experiments, conducted while she led some of the Army’s most elite troops, became the groundwork for a bigger vision.

But that wear and tear caught up with her in the form of multiple surgeries to repair knee ligaments surgeries and herniated discs. All of it eventually forced her to leave the Army.

Transitioning out of the military was one of the most difficult decisions Sickles ever faced. The Army was all she had known, and she was next in line to take command, a long-held dream of leading her own company of soldiers. But after her second ACL surgery, complications arose. Doctors informed her they couldn’t operate on the same ligament a third time. Faced with a life-altering choice, she had to step back.

“I will always have a lot of love for the military. It's shaped me into who I am today,” she says. “Obviously, the decision was difficult at the time as I was kind of going through it, but I was prepared. I've always said that when I'm no longer being challenged in a position and my brain isn't

being stimulated, then I know that's my time to leave an organization. The timing was perfect for me.”

At the same time, SickFit, the business she’d started as a passion project, was gaining momentum. Though she didn’t recognize it right away, something larger was drawing her toward entrepreneurship. Raised in an entrepreneurial family, the drive was in her DNA, but she never expected it to take root so soon.

Eventually, the realization clicked: She was stepping into a new kind of mission — SickFit, which became a new way to lead and innovate. Like the military, entrepreneurship required the same intensity, the same discipline, and the same desire and heart.

SickFit has quickly earned a reputation for delivering high-performance compression socks trusted by even Olympians. Three Olympic track-and-field athletics last year wore Sickles’ socks on the biggest stage — the Paris Olympics. American Paralympians Brittni Mason and Jaleen Roberts, and Jorinde van Klinken of the Netherlands — a two-time NCAA champion at the University of Oregon and Arizona State who threw the shot put and discus — all wore the socks, quite a testing ground for SickFit, in the same field of competition as the sports Goliaths like Nike, Adidas, and Lululemon.

Sickles got those partnerships through cold Instagram DMs.

SickFit has taken a deliberate approach to sponsorships. Despite fielding interest from 10 to 15 Olympic-bound athletes, it ultimately signed just three. As the founder of an emerging brand, Sickles chose to align with athletes who, like her, were scrappy upstarts with something to prove.

Sickles is knocking on doors to get her socks into retail anchors, like Amazon. Right now, the best place to purchase a pair is at the website, sickfitofficial.com. But she says she has a number of opportunities working. The fast-growing company has posted 70% year-over-year growth.

“To see something we built from the ground up reach Olympic arenas is surreal but not surprising,” Sickles says. “When you lead with mission, the world eventually takes notice.”

Construction Management

General Contracting

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Heavy Highway Retaining Walls

Football Raised Him. The Law Called Him.

Martin High. Baylor. The NFL — sort of. Ty Stimpson’s path to Fort Worth attorney started with a love for the game.

WORDS

BY JOHN HENRY IMAGES BY RICHARD W. RODRIGUEZ

Ty Stimpson’s professional purpose is as a partner leading Varghese Summersett’s personal injury division from his office in downtown Fort Worth.

His original passion and first — and lasting — love?

That’d be football. September through January is the most magical time of year for football fanatics like Stimpson, who

grew up in Arlington and played high school varsity football for Martin, where he graduated in 2006. He later got a taste of big-time college football as a walk-on at Baylor, then under head coach Guy Morriss.

His college career ended before it even began. After transferring from the University of North Texas, he was set to sit out a season. Then he blew out his knee playing flag football.

“I can laugh about it now,” Stimpson says, “but I just remember thinking, ‘Well, there goes that.’”

End of his football career?

“End of my football career,” he answers.

Ty Stimpson’s path to the law began with an unlikely source: the New York Yankees. A football student-athlete at Baylor, he was in New York interning with Liz Claiborne when an attorney gifted him Yankees tickets.

“I learned he had once worked as an attorney for the Yankees,” Stimpson recalls. “Intrigued, I asked what it took to become a lawyer.”

That same day, he called his mother to share the news. She immediately went to Barnes & Noble, bought LSAT prep books, and shipped them to him. Stimpson went on to earn his law degree from Thurgood Marshall School of Law at Texas Southern University and later earned a Master of Law in Comparative Sports Law from St. John’s.

“I can tell you everything about the Yankees,” Stimpson says. “I thought that was the coolest thing in life, that he got to be an attorney for the Yankees and go to Yankee games. I went to law school thinking that I could work for the Yankees. I didn't know anything about it, but it was like, ‘I'm going to go work for the Yankees.’”

Stimpson served in the prosecutor’s offices of Dallas and Tarrant counties before joining Varghese Summersett, where he now leads the firm’s personal injury law division. The firm’s personal injury division consists of 11 attorneys in four offices across the state, including Dallas, Houston, and Southlake, as well as, of course, Fort Worth.

Stimpson laughs today at his naivete and youthful enthusiasm about his

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We are a unique bank, inspired by the values we live by every day and our passion to help others. We are committed to supporting our local communities and making a lasting impact on the lives of all those we serve.

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Yankees aspirations. However, he did actually work for the NFL as a graduate attorney while at St. John’s.

“I joke with my friends that I never made it to the NFL, but I did work for the NFL,” he says.

Many of those friends are the same ones he played alongside at Martin under coach Ronnie Laurence, beneath the bright lights and big stage of Friday night football — the drama that unfolds over 10 weeks — or more — each fall. Nowhere is that truer than Arlington, as well as Duncanville and DeSoto.

Stimpson and his teammates ran up against some of the best football players in the state during his years from 200306.

Christian Ponder of Colleyville Heritage and Mike Thomas of DeSoto both played in the NFL.

“Gremon Coffman was probably the best high school football player I’ve ever seen in my life or played against,” says Stimpson of the defensive back from Duncanville who went on to Texas A&M.

“Some of the best athletes came through DFW — from Matt Stafford, Christian

Ponder, Gremon Coffman, and Mike Thomas — during that time, 2003-06. And I could hold my own. I was all-district. I was good enough.”

He received interest from colleges to play at the next level. He wanted to go to Oklahoma, but “it’s a funny story.”

“Going into my junior year of high school, I went to a football camp, and that's when Brent Venables [the current OU coach] was the defensive coordinator. They had Rocky Calmus and all those guys. And [Venables] says, ‘Stimpson, Arlington Martin.’ I said, yes. He said, ‘You look much taller on film.’ I never heard from them again.”

Instead, Stimpson made the decision to forego football altogether. He had given much to the game, and he was tired of the strain and the burden of recruiting hopes and dreams.

It was off to be a student only at North Texas, only to find out he still had a football itch to scratch.

“I got burned out of football and I took the fall semester, and I went to UNT for that first semester. And I started seeing a lot of people playing football who I was always better than in high school. They were at UNT. I always say ego kicked in. I always told myself that if I was going to play football, it was going to be at Baylor.”

Stimpson’s father lived in Waco. He served as a pastor and had a barbershop there. So, he had a connection. “A lot of the Baylor kids would come either to his church or to the barbershop. And I'll never forget as a little kid, [basketball player] Brian Skinner putting me on his shoulders after a game and letting me walk around the court. It just kind of stuck with me.

“My dad was really close with some of the football coaches. So, when I was in high school, I got to work out in the summer with them. Baylor was always a school that was near and dear to my heart.”

So, it was Baylor that he transferred to after his first semester in college. It was there that he earned his bachelor’s degree.

Stimpson this year was recognized as a 40 Under 40 honoree by Fort Worth Inc. It’s one of a long list of recognitions. In

2023, he was named Fort Worth Chamber’s Young Professional of the Year and received the Dr. Marion Brooks “Legend in the Making” Award for Law. He is also a past president of the L. Clifford Davis Legal Association; a former chair of the Fort Worth Race and Culture Task Force’s Criminal Justice Committee, as well as past chair of LTV Rise.

He was also named the inaugural Strong Man Honoree by Girls Inc. of Tarrant County for championing causes that empower women and girls.

It’s no real coincidence. These are the kinds of leaders you see born on a sports field.

“Knowing that it was kind of by choice that I decided not to continue immediately after high school was something that always stands out,” Stimpson says. “But it’s also about the friendships. They are still friends that I hold near and dear. They still feel like brothers.”

TY STIMPSON’S FOOTBALL FORECAST

Who wins the Big 12? Baylor, of course. “We return 10 starters on offense. That's 10 starters on offense; the second year in the system. You should hit the ground running to where if we don't win at least nine or 10 games, it's going to be a disappointing season.

How about the Horned Frogs? “I like [QB Josh] Hoover. I think TCU is set up to win eight or nine games. I think they're going to be competing for the Big 12 as well. It's going to come back to that defense. I always tell anyone — and people give me a hard time — but I cheer for TCU every game, except one.” Baylor.

OK. What does your Magic 8 Ball say about the Cowboys? (He’s a fan.) I think the Cowboys can probably win eight games. I just don't think that secondary is going to hold up. I think the secondary, we'll score a lot of points, but we won't be able to stop anybody.

The Foundation for Good

North Texas Community Foundation drives meaningful change through charitable investment. We work hand-in-hand with donors, professional advisors and nonprofits to create giving strategies that shape the future of North Texas for the better.

Honored as one of the "Best Companies to Work For," our team is united by our passion for making an impact in the community we call home.

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We’re Proud to be One of the Best

or more than 50 years, TTI has been Fort Worth’s best-kept secret. We’re one of Tarrant County’s largest homegrown companies, starting out on the Arlington Heights kitchen table of our founder, Paul Andrews, Jr., and expanding to 160 offices, branches and distribution centers around the world. The people who keep TTI growing

are Specialists and we move billions of electronic components –resistors, capacitors, connectors and the like, to thousands of

watercraft. TTI Specialists make up the behind-the-scenes team that keeps supply chains linked and production lines humming. When those TTI Specialists were surveyed by Fort Worth Inc.

and cell towers, delivery trucks and defense systems, air conditioners and

magazine, they said we’re a great place to work. Sure, there’s satisfaction in knowing every time a rocket launches, we’ve probably got components onboard making it happen. But we also enjoy it when the food trucks pull up, or the March basketball tournament tips off. We look forward to giving back each holiday season through our annual Santa Day, Toys for Tots drives, and other charitable fundraisers that support our community.Additionally, we take advantage of the paid volunteer days that allow everyone to

Fort Worth Inc.

Places to Work in Fort Worth!

support their passion TTI does more than just supply the electronics industry with premier parts, we’ve also got the best people in North Texas and around the world, coming together for things much bigger than ourselves – satisfying

They say if you love what you do, you’ll never have to work a day in your life. At TTI, we love what we do, but we also like to work hard. And our track record shows it. There is so much we can be grateful for and proud about: our size, our impact, our growth. But what makes me happiest is how we work together as a team to overcome obstacles, meet customer needs, and set new standards of excellence.

customers, of course, but we’re also helping our communities and each other be the best we can all be. And that makes TTI a truly great place to work.

At TTI, we’re like a well-tuned engine, where every part performs their job consistently and well. Thank you so much to the entire TTI family for all the exceptional work you do in making us one of the best companies to work for – anywhere.

Be proud of what you’ve accomplished. Let’s keep setting the pace as the go-to distributor for high-quality electronic parts.

Mike Morton

Color Him Surprised

Jay Decker didn’t know he was an ‘artist disguised as a finance guy’ — but he is.

WORDS

BY JOHN HENRY IMAGE BY RICHARD W. RODRIGUEZ

It’s clear after only a few minutes in conversation that Jay Decker is a well-rounded, highly versatile person who is curious, accomplished, and knowledgeable across a wide range of subjects.

He has a math mind — his words, not mine — with an English degree from Dartmouth, where he played on two Ivy League championship men’s soccer teams, both of which advanced to the NCAA Tournament’s Elite Eight.

He made a career out of finance. Today, he is the CFO of Crimson Chemicals in Fort Worth. Hunting, fishing, and outdoor pursuits are recreational passions. He’s dabbled in photography through the years. Dabbled is probably underselling the thought.

He is also a man of faith, this Renaissance man, which is the only way he can explain finding joy in one of the most unexpected turns of life — the discovery of a hidden talent as an impressionist painter.

It all began when he gave himself a painting lesson for his 50th birthday.

“I thought I'd try a painting, and halfway through the painting, my teacher says, ‘What are you doing after this painting?’ I'm like, ‘I don't know, why?’ He says, ‘Well, you have a gift, so you need to keep painting.’ I'm like, ‘Oh, OK. Sure.’”

Decker not only pursued what he calls “truly a gift from God.” Jokingly — I think — he describes himself as an “an artist disguised as a finance guy.” Whatever the case, Decker is today an award-winning impressionist artist — the winner of Best in Show at the Waterscapes Art Exhibition in 2022 with his oil on canvas, “O’Dell Creek.”

At 54, his future is painting.

“That would be ideal,” he says. “And maybe having a little gallery on Camp Bowie or something would be pretty cool.”

In all, Decker estimates that he’s finished 60 or 70 paintings, with more and more of them commissions. His work is on display — and for sale — at the House of NeVille Gallery & Gatherings.

He kids that his wife wasn’t the biggest fan of his new find, though his art is hanging all over the house.

Decker was born and raised in Fort Worth. Elementary, middle, and secondary school were all done at Country Day. He thought he wanted to study economics at Dartmouth, one of the world’s great academic institutions in Hanover, New Hampshire, until he discovered its Economic Department wasn’t great.

“I wanted to get a Wall Street job and thought I was going to be an economics major, but the Economics Department at Dartmouth at the time was pretty ter-

Pink Cadillac “This one is actually sitting in my office here with me at work. That was a black-and-white that I found on the internet. Added some color to it and some depth to the clouds and had fun with the impressionistic part of the rocks by the horse and the mountains in the background. It's a matter of adding color to it, really.”

When I Grow Up I Wanna “That was actually from a photo a friend took. I think on a ranch just in north Fort Worth. I think it was on the Bonds Ranch. ”

rible,” he says. “I took an English class, and I ended up [in a class] with the chair of the department and really enjoyed the class.”

The professor asked Decker what his major was. He told him — economics.

“He says, ‘No, no, no. Switch to English.’ So, I did.”

After graduation, Decker returned to Fort Worth — after unsuccessfully landing the job on Wall Street. Ultimately, he was appointed to a role with Carlson Capital, founded by Clint Carlson in 1993. Carlson had previously served as head of risk arbitrage for the Bass family before splitting off. Carlson is, coincidentally, a trustee of the Dallas Museum of Art.

“He needed a young guy just to train to be a trader,” Decker says. “I was always good at math, so I knew I could handle it, and I was able to learn from him and build really complicated spreadsheets to trade some really cool stuff.”

Like, for instance, a company in Switzerland that owned pieces of 10 other public companies across Europe.

“I'd build spreadsheets to value these things and then also calculate the currency risk so we're able to trade 'em and make money on 'em.”

He spent the next 20 or so years in CFOtype roles, finding himself most recently at Crimson Chemicals, the Fort Worthbased company in the food industry.

He is also now hanging with the likes of Billy Hassell, an accomplished Fort Worth artist with artist credentials — a bachelor’s from Notre Dame and a Master of Fine Arts from the University of Massachusetts.

West of the Gage

“That was from a photo we took on a trip to West Texas during the quarantine. It was just west of the Gage Hotel. We’d eaten dinner at the Gage, and then we're heading out back to my buddy's ranch, and it was just a spectacular sunset. We pulled over, and I snapped a picture of it.”

“I've gotten to know Billy,” Decker says. “I was over at his house a few weeks ago because he actually bought one of my paintings, and it was kind of weird for him to be a collector of mine and I want to be a collector of his.”

It’s strangely unreal in a way, he says. It was with his math brain, he believes, that he learned to paint. His teacher was very methodical. He’d start by gridding the canvas with watercolor pencils, then do the same to the photo he was working from.

“It's my math brain getting the canvas laid out right. Once the grid goes away

and I start painting, I squirt oil paint on my piece of glass or my palette, and then the colors just kind of mix themselves and go on. It's pretty surreal.”

Decker sold his first painting three or so years ago, as best as he can remember. Once, however, he received a commission and realized someone was willing to offer more than he could sell his paintings for, “I’ve just kind of been doing that ever since,” he says.

He works, he says, every day to become a better artist. “I don’t know what that is yet exactly, but I will keep learning as much as I can. I paint with the intention of getting the values as close as possible to reality and then add as many necessary, different colors to those values as I can see.”

His creative side always manifested in photography. He’s been a photographer since high school, back in those days when you shot rolls of film and “you get 24 chances, and you don’t know what you got until” it was developed. In today’s digital age and a smart phone he’s always carrying while elk hunting or hiking in the mountains for fly fishing, “I’ve got more photos than I could ever paint in a lifetime.”

His best-of-show work in Sante Fe, “O’Dell Creek,” is a setting in one of his favorite places, Ennis, Montana. That was his second painting. He has displayed at the Aspen Arts Festival, though he didn’t make it this year. Too busy with his day job, which has caused a crinkle in his painting schedule, he says, since beginning five months ago. However, “I’ve kind of gotten things balanced out. So, I can leave the office at 5 or 5:30 and be able to paint for a couple of hours at night.”

Rotator cuff surgery did the same thing. He had an injury that he had never fixed. A fall in an over-40 league soccer game did in the troubled shoulder. He’s used to being on the sideline. He broke his back skiing years ago. But the shoulder surgery put his art out of commission for six months.

That was the end of his soccer career. His wife suddenly loved his new passion for painting.

To contact Jay Decker, send email to aydeckerart@gmail.com or visit @jaydeckerartist.

Dawson His son Dawson. “This is from a picture I took of Dawson when were in Montana about 10 summers ago. Just kind of caught him with my phone camera, just at the perfect shot really for a portrait like that.”

From left, Kelly Curnutt, Doug Hafer, and Cindy Salter of Curnutt & Hafer.

IWHERE FORT WORTH WORKS BEST

Meet the companies driving culture, growth, and big ideas in Cowtown — and why their people stick around to build something lasting.

BY JOHN HENRY / PHOTOGRAPHY BY RICHARD W. RODRIGUEZ

f your office’s idea of “culture” is a break room birthday cake and a motivational poster from 2003, allow us to introduce you to the companies doing it better.

Our annual BC2WF list — Best Companies to Work For in Fort Worth — is back, and this year’s honorees are proof that you can grow fast, build smart, and treat people right without losing your sense of humor (or your soul). These are the companies throwing eclipse parties, hosting fiercely competitive chili cook-offs, celebrating Pi Day — and Pie Day — like it’s a national holiday, and still making time for mentorship and mental health support.

You’ll see familiar names — Higginbotham, Weaver, USI, The Beck Group, LJA Engineering — back on the list with good reason. They’re consistent not just in performance, but in creating workplaces where people stick around and excel. You’ll also find fresh faces: newcomers across construction, finance, law, and tech, bringing new energy — and maybe some questionable karaoke — to the mix. (Maybe? OK. Most certainly questionable karaoke skills.)

It’s not all fun and games (though there’s plenty of both). These companies are growing, hiring, and investing in Fort Worth’s future — from designing downtown landmarks to expanding nationally. And they’re doing it with a clear sense of purpose: putting people first, always.

What does it take to make our annual honor roll, which the magazine began producing annually in 2016? First, this contest is run and judged

independently of the magazine’s ownership and staff by the Workforce Research Group, a Humble, Texas, research firm that’s behind some 24 Best Places to Work programs across North America and drills deep daily on what engages people in the workplace.

Companies and other organizations that enter our contest submit answers to Workforce on questions ranging from employee benefits to work from home and vacation policies, communication from the top, wellness initiatives, opportunities for advancement, training and mentorship, diversity, and fun stuff like office happy hours and pickleball.

Entering companies also agree to allow their employees to be surveyed anonymously by the Workforce Research Group to really explore how they perceive their employer.

Workforce analyzes this information and produces our annual Best Companies to Work For in Fort Worth. Workforce ranked employers in the small, medium, and large company categories, with large companies having 250 employees or more.

It is also worth noting that the magazine’s ownership and staff have no say in who wins this contest and how employers rank. The 2025 issue of the magazine and Workforce Research Group’s rankings were released Aug. 14 at a luncheon at River Ranch Stockyards.

So, whether you’re job hunting, scouting collaborators, or just wondering what a truly great workplace looks like … start here.

1.Curnutt & Hafer LLP

What they do: Legal Employees: 22

Celebrating its 25th anniversary in 2025, this award-winning boutique law firm in downtown Arlington is proof that culture and mission-driven leadership create a thriving workplace. With zero voluntary turnover and a motto of “Seek. Serve. Do.,” the firm blends professional excellence with exceptional servanthood. Its intentionally modest billable hour requirements reflect a deep commitment to work-life balance, while unlimited PTO, a fully employerpaid benefits package, and a 3% 401(k) contribution regardless of employee match show care that goes beyond the job description. Team camaraderie is cultivated through birthday celebrations, fun outings, and firm traditions like “Monday 10 at 10” gatherings to support each other through life’s ups and downs. From the Board of Awesomeness recognition wall to leadership retreats with Navy SEAL coaches, the firm invests in people — personally and professionally. Expansion into a second building and a milestone celebration as a concert sponsor cap off a banner year. After 25 years of impact, this firm isn’t just growing — it’s raising the bar for what a law firm can be.

2. Ronald McDonald House of Fort Worth

What they do: Nonprofit Employees: 27

Culture is a daily commitment at Ronald McDonald House of Fort Worth. Now in its fourth decade, RMHFW continues to cultivate a purpose-driven, compassionate workplace where employees feel connected, empowered, and valued. A standout feature is the organization’s Culture Committee, which takes the lead in designing fun, inclusive, and engaging experiences — from Mahjong Mondays (Googling …) and (busted) March Madness brackets to birthday

lunches and team outings. These initiatives foster belonging while reinforcing a family-like atmosphere. With flexible work options, robust PTO, mental health resources, and generous benefits, RMHFW empowers employees to care for themselves while caring for others. Professional growth is supported through tailored development programs, leadership training, and regular feedback opportunities. A hybrid work model encourages both connection and autonomy, while peer appreciation and milestone celebrations remind team members their contributions matter. At RMHFW, the mission is clear — and so is the heart behind it. It’s more than a job. It’s a community united by impact, compassion, and an incredible Culture Committee that keeps it all thriving.

3. North Texas Community Foundation

What they do: Nonprofit Employees: 20

At the North Texas Community Foundation, hitting meaningful goals comes a lot more naturally than it does for the Texas Rangers these days. (Sorry, Rangers. You were just there.) With a mission rooted in charitable investment and a team driven by shared purpose, NTCF combines serious impact with a culture of support, flexibility, and fun. Employees enjoy a hybrid work schedule, generous PTO, summer half-day Fridays, downtown parking, and a fully vested 403(b) plan after just six months. The Foundation’s FUNdation Committee lives up to its name with wellness challenges, nonprofit holiday parties, and outings that — despite including a trip to a Rangers game — still manage to lift morale. Birthday days off, performance bonuses, and zero voluntary turnover say a lot about the work environment, but the best sign might be the team’s passion for serving their community — and each other. Whether it’s volunteering during work hours or selecting year-end nonprofit grants as a group, NTCF employees show up ready to make a difference.

Just don’t count on them to fix the Rangers' batting average.

4. Surety Capital Corporation

What they do: Finance Employees: 21

When Surety Capital Corp was founded in 1970, no one had ever heard of pickleball, and Billy Bob’s Texas — the world’s largest honky-tonk — hadn’t even opened its swinging doors. But more than five decades later, this Fort Worth-based, family-run business is still going strong and treating employees like, well, family. Surety’s employee culture is built on genuine care, low turnover (zero, to be exact), and some seriously fun traditions — from pickleball nights to dinner and dancing at Billy Bob’s with spouses and kids in tow. Loyalty is richly rewarded: Every work anniversary comes with a growing cash bonus, but at 25 years? You’re packing your bags for a $5,000 trip anywhere you choose. Hit 50 years, and it’s first-class or a Rolex Presidential — your call. With flexible hours, family scholarships, and even a sabbatical option, Surety proves you don’t need gimmicks to be a great place to work — just decades of consistency, integrity, and a deep commitment to the people who make it all happen.

5. Bonds Ellis Eppich Schafer Jones LLP

What they do: Legal Employees: 28

Since its founding in 2016, Bonds Ellis Eppich Schafer Jones LLP has grown from six attorneys to nearly 25 — a testament to its culture, reputation, and relentless pursuit of excellence. That kind of growth doesn’t happen by accident. The firm has built its success by prioritizing the professional and personal well-being of its team, offering market-competitive compensation, performance incentives, and true flexibility in how and where attorneys work. Attorneys are trusted to manage their schedules, take untracked time off, and even work

remotely so long as the work gets done and clients are well-served. Support staff enjoy generous PTO, while everyone gets to unwind with firm-sponsored outings like pickleball, rodeo nights, and darts in the break room. (Heads-up!) With most new hires arriving through internal referrals, it’s clear this is a place where people want to stay and grow. Bonds Ellis has created something rare in law: a high-performance firm where worklife balance, mutual respect, and genuine camaraderie aren’t merely buzzwords — they’re the foundation.

6. Imperial Construction

What they do: Construction Employees: 49

You’re not just an employee at Imperial Construction. You’re an owner. With the launch of its Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP), Imperial put its future directly into the hands of the people who help build it every day. That spirit of ownership is reflected not only in the quality of work, but in the way the team celebrates, collaborates, and grows together. Whether it’s a full-family tailgate at Bulls Night Out or clay shooting and cornhole at a team-building ranch retreat, the company knows how to combine serious investment in people with just the right amount of fun. It’s not unusual for coworkers to become lifelong friends — and with long tenures, decorated birthdays, and a Wall of Fame honoring employees at 5, 10, 15, and 20-plus years, there’s a real sense of belonging. From jobsite to rodeo grounds, boardroom to bonfire, Imperial has built something far more enduring than commercial buildings: a company where people are proud to build their careers — and now, own a piece of the future too.

7. Joe Hall Roofing & Contracting

What they do: Construction Employees: 20

At Joe Hall Roofing, “work hard, play hard” isn’t just a motto.

Your mission statement isn’t on the wall — it’s in the hallways.

It’s a scheduling philosophy. Every Friday wraps at 3:30 p.m. with the celebratory shout of “Family Friday!” echoing through the halls. Summer “FRIYAYs” bring themed parties hosted by rotating departments, featuring everything from trasket-ball to flamingo bingo. And, yes, Roofing Jeopardy is a real thing … where the correct answer might be:

“What is the flashing you forgot to bid that caused a weeklong existential crisis?”

But behind the Alex Trebek impersonations is a company built on integrity, innovation, and unmatched team longevity. Many employees have been here for over 20 years. With quarterly kickoffs, personal milestone celebra-

tions, leadership development, and team chat threads full of encouragement (and memes, naturally), Joe Hall Roofing creates an environment where people feel valued, supported, and part of something bigger than just shingles and slopes. Add in gym memberships, wellness challenges, and a Bravo Board of daily praise, and you’ve got a workplace that raises the roof. (See what we did there?)

8. Semmelmann Interiors

What they do: Interior Design Employees: 20

“The spirit of living is truly in the giving” is a way of life at Susan

Semmelmann Interiors, embedded in everything from company culture to community impact. Founded in 2019, this values-driven workplace thrives on creativity, compassion, and connection. The team isn’t just designing spaces, they’re building purpose. That’s reflected in their generous paid time off (40 days annually — holy mackerel), emphasis on personal milestones, and the warmth of a workplace where coworkers feel like family.

In recent years, the company welcomed two Ukrainian refugees onto the team. That turned out to be transformative. Their resilience and contributions have deeply enriched the culture, offering daily reminders of what strength, gratitude, and inclusion look like in action. Team health is a priority, both figuratively and literally, with flexible schedules, leadership mentorship, and a culture of kindness that celebrates life’s big and small moments.

9. Valor

What they do: Business Services Employees: 30

A workplace driven by innovation, action, and purpose, Valor continues to set the standard for what a high-performing culture can look like. Since its founding in 2018, the company has earned consistent recognition as one of the region’s top employers, including a firstplace finish in this survey in 2023. That reputation is built on more than perks; it’s sustained by a people-first mindset and meaningful benefits. Employees enjoy 100% employer-paid medical, dental, and vision coverage, plus a safe harbor 401(k) with a 4% match and Day 1 eligibility. That’s not common for a company its size. Valor celebrates its people through regular recognition, catered milestone celebrations, and surprise happy hours to mark wins both big and small. With extended holiday breaks, paid parental leave, and flexible scheduling, work-life balance isn’t just encour-

aged — it’s expected. The company also fosters career growth through certifications, leadership training, and in-house innovation opportunities.

10. Quorum Architects Inc.

What they do: Architecture Employees: 29

Quorum Architects has cultivated a culture where collaboration, creativity, and community go hand in hand. The Fort Worthbased firm is intentional about building a diverse team, expanding recruitment efforts through inclusive job descriptions, diverse interview panels, and partnerships with universities and professional networks. That commitment doesn’t stop at hiring. Employees are supported through mentorship, flexible schedules, and continuing education, with clear pathways for advancement.

Quorum encourages employees to be active citizens, supporting their participation in civic leadership programs such as Leadership Fort Worth and SteerFW. The firm also champions involvement in organizations like CREW, the Fort Worth Hispanic Chamber, and Near Southside, Inc., reflecting its commitment to a vibrant, inclusive community.

Internally, Quorum prioritizes culture through creative teambuilding activities, peer-to-peer recognition, and milestone celebrations. Its open-concept office was even designed with staff input to support collaboration and comfort. For a company that believes good design starts with good people, Quorum continues to prove that a people-first culture is good for business.

11. M2G Ventures

What they do: Real Estate/ Renting/Leasing Employees: 31

M2G Ventures has distinguished itself in commercial real estate with a culture that prioritizes purpose, inclusivity, and employee

Brett and Tina Hall of Joe Hall Roofing & Contracting.

well-being. More than 70% of the company’s workforce identifies as women and/or minorities, a unique benchmark in the industry and a reflection of M2G’s intentional approach to building a diverse team. The Fort Worth-based firm is also leading the way in mental health advocacy through its in-house Mental Health Initiative (MHI), a registered 501(c)(3) founded in memory of a loved one lost to bipolar disorder. Employees benefit from access to on-site coaching by a licensed therapist and regular training to recognize signs of stress and burnout. This strong foundation of care is reinforced by generous benefits, flexible schedules, and a collaborative, values-driven workplace. For M2G, success is measured not just in square footage developed, but in the strength, wellness, and growth of its people. M2G’s commitment to mental wellness, diversity, and purpose-driven leadership sets it apart as a modern workplace rooted in empathy, equity, and innovation.

12. Varghese Summersett

What they do: Legal Employees: 43

At Varghese Summersett, achievement isn’t just recognized. It’s celebrated in unforgettable ways. The Fort Worth-based law firm has built a culture where employees feel valued, supported, and part of something bigger. Nowhere was that more evident than at last year’s carnival-style Christmas party, featuring food trucks, a mechanical bull — the firm has a personal injury division, so, it can handle its own cases … presumably … or not — and custom-branded Patagonia vests. But the gifts stole the show: Female employees received hand-picked Gucci bags, while male employees took home sleek Rimowa luggage. But appreciation isn’t limited to the holidays. Every team member fills out an annual “Celebration Survey,” leading to personalized gifts like concert tickets, jewelry, or designer items. Quarterly surprise field trips — from go-karting at Reilly Freeman of Steele &

Freeman.

94% OF WINNING COMPANIES’ EMPLOYEES SAY, “Senior leaders are committed to this organization’s core values.” 82% of nonwinners say the same.

Andretti’s to shopping sprees and bowling — bring the entire team together outside the office. Daily wins are also celebrated through a “Bonusly” points system that employees can redeem for gift cards. It’s this culture of celebration, recognition, and connection that makes Varghese Summersett an extraordinary place to work.

13. PSK LLP

What they do: Accounting Employees: 43

For more than 60 years, PSK LLP has been a cornerstone of Arlington’s professional community, a legacy firm that combines deep roots with a dynamic, people-first culture. Founded in 1964, the fullservice accounting firm has built a workplace where professional development, personal recognition, and fun are all part of the equation. Nearly half the team has been with PSK for over a decade, yet 15% are recent hires, reflecting both continuity and growth.

The firm’s culture is anchored by intentional efforts to celebrate employees — from spin-the-wheel birthday prizes to anniversary bricks under the flagpole. Its "Fun House Team" regularly rolls out themed snacks, spirit days, and potlucks that bring the office together. A recent fall celebration featured partner-made breakfasts, daily gifts, and a casino night for team members and their families. Recognition runs deep: PSK supports certification costs, nominates rising stars for local honors, and hosts career development programs for every level.

14. Wier & Associates Inc.

What they do: Engineering Employees: 40

At Wier & Associates, happiness is in the beans. No really. It’s part of

thoughtful engagement and daily culturebuilding, which are as integral as engineering precision. Founded in 1978, the firm blends professional excellence with a peoplefirst mindset — one that comes alive even in the break room.

After employee surveys highlighted a desire for more collaborative and energizing spaces, leadership responded with creative flair. A daily “Would You Rather” board — now that surely makes for some interesting water cooler talk — and whiteboard puzzles like Sudoku invite spontaneous fun and conversation across departments.

And for a team fueled by caffeine and connection, the old drip pot simply wouldn’t do. Enter the new high-end espresso machine, stocked with premium beans — the beans — curated to match employees’ favorite flavor profiles.

Beyond the break room, Wier & Associates supports employees through flexible schedules, regular performance check-ins, companywide celebrations, and generous benefits that amount to more than a hill of beans.

15. Satori Capital

What they do: Finance Employees: 31

Founded in 2008, Fort Worthbased Satori Capital stands out for its commitment to conscious capitalism — the belief that business can elevate humanity when it serves all stakeholders, not just shareholders. That ethos begins in-house. Satori prioritizes team member well-being through its holistic Optimal Living Program, which includes chef-prepared healthy lunches, weekly on-site chiropractic care, guided meditation sessions, and a $1,000 annual wellness allowance. Employees also receive biennial executive health screenings valued at $3,000 and

access to a multisensory Recharge Room designed to combat stress and promote mindfulness. Satori’s culture blends purpose and performance. A structured feedback system, recognition programs, flexible work options, unlimited PTO, and generous family leave foster engagement and retention. The firm also encourages giving back through its Satori Serves initiative, which supports both team-led service projects and community organizations. From birthday donations to leadership development rooted in shared values, Satori Capital exemplifies how an investment firm can invest just as deeply in its people as it does in its portfolio.

16.

Franz Architects

Inc.

What they do: Architecture Employees: 21

Founded in 1983, Franz Architects is known for fostering a family-oriented culture grounded in mutual respect, professional growth, and employee appreciation. The firm has earned recognition as one of the “Best Companies to Work For in Texas” and returns as one of Fort Worth Inc.’s “Best Companies to Work For,” a testament to its strong workplace values and commitment to staff well-being. Employees praise the company’s fair, supportive leadership and note the firm’s attentiveness to both personal and professional needs. The culture encourages camaraderie through team-building events such as Employee Appreciation Day breakfasts, Halloween costume contests, and Top Golf outings. Franz formally celebrates employee milestones with office-wide recognition and lunch outings, reinforcing a sense of belonging and shared success. With comprehensive benefits — including 100% employer-paid health, dental, and vision coverage for employees; a 6% 401(k) match with profitsharing; and 15 PTO days starting in year one — the firm promotes both financial and personal wellness. Annual engagement surveys help guide leadership decisions and ensure an open, evolving dialogue with staff.

What’s the most memorable way an employee has been recognized or celebrated? One of the most memorable moments of recognition was presenting a giant, larger-than-life check to a team member who uncovered and then recovered the most suspended funds for a client. It was a fun play on their hard work, and, of course, it came with a real financial reward, too. — Valor

17. Trinity REIS

What they do: Real Estate/ Renting/Leasing Employees: 15

Trinity Real Estate Investment Services stands out as a workplace where culture, connection, and career growth come together. Founded in 2017, the company has embraced a forward-thinking model that appeals especially to its largely Gen Z workforce. Trinity prioritizes flexibility with cloud-based tools that support remote work and fosters a sense of belonging through vibrant

The best ideas die in rooms that punish disagreement.

team traditions and meaningful recognition. Halloween is a beloved companywide event. Costumes are mandatory fun, music and trivia bring laughter, and camaraderie takes center stage. Year-round, the team enjoys Ping-Pong tournaments, crawfish boils, and charity golf events that unite employees and the wider community.

The company’s structured recognition system, including custom cowboy boots for longtenured employees and peer-voted awards, reflects its commitment to celebrating achievements. Trinity also invests in life milestones, offering generous leave, personalized gifts, and public shoutouts. With a turnover rate of just 13%, Trinity REIS proves that when you create a workplace where people feel seen, supported, and energized, they stick around.

18. BODYBAR Franchising

What they do: Health & WellBeing Franchise Employees: 18

With a culture rooted in positivity, flexibility, and team-first values, BODYBAR Franchising is a workplace where employees feel genuinely supported and empowered. Founded in 2014, this fully remote organization offers 100% employer-paid health care for employees, structured recognition programs, and thoughtful personal milestone celebrations that foster a deep sense of belonging. Quarterly team-building events like ziplining and candle making, along with fun touchpoints like riddles and team workouts, help maintain engagement across a distributed workforce. The company’s transparent communication, weekly one-on-ones, and all-team meetings create space for feedback, growth, and innovation. BODYBAR prioritizes work-life balance through generous time off, flexible scheduling, and a clear boundary around personal time — no manda-

tory overtime, no emails after hours, and no working while on vacation. With only 11% voluntary turnover and a commitment to continuous improvement, including investments in employee wellness and reward programs, BODYBAR demonstrates what it means to build a values-driven, people-focused workplace.

19. Schaefer Advertising Co. What they do: Advertising/ Marketing/PR Employees: 38

At Schaefer Advertising Co., the mission to “Make Life Better” is more than a tagline. It’s the heartbeat of the company. Founded in 1995, Schaefer has cultivated a culture centered on creativity, connection, and purpose. Employees are encouraged to bring their full selves to work in an environment that celebrates individuality and shared success.

20. McDonald Sanders

What they do: Legal Employees: 38

McDonald Sanders, one of the oldest law firms in Fort Worth, has been a trusted legal partner in North Texas since 1951. With deep roots in the community and a forward-thinking approach, the firm blends tradition with innovation to serve clients across Texas and the U.S. A member of Geneva Group International, McDonald Sanders offers clients access to global expertise while maintaining strong local relationships.

94% OF WINNING COMPANIES’ EMPLOYEES SAY,

“My manager willingly listens to my suggestions.” 81% of nonwinners say the same.

Each year, the team takes a collective pause for “Boondoggle,” an all-staff retreat designed to recharge, reconnect, and reenergize. It’s a reminder for everyone that the best ideas come from a united, refreshed team. Recognition is just as meaningful, with biweekly shoutouts through the Kick-Ass Award, a bronze bobblehead donkey honoring those who exemplify company values and kick ass. Schaefer also embraces learning moments with humor through its Squirrelly Award.

From milestone celebrations and personal touches to a commitment to diversity, wellness, and Gen Z inclusion, Schaefer fosters a people-first workplace where passion and purpose align.

The firm fosters a collaborative, people-first culture where employees are recognized for their contributions through milestone celebrations, thoughtful perks, and team-building events, including a recent multi-day attorney retreat in Las Vegas featuring professional development and a generous stipend, plus, undoubtedly, some rare losses on the felt. Back at home, the firm celebrated inoffice staff with catered lunches during the retreat.

McDonald Sanders supports diversity through strategic recruiting partnerships and mentorship programs tailored to Gen Z attorneys. With a remarkably low turnover rate, a commitment to wellness, and a focus on professional growth, McDonald Sanders remains a firm where careers thrive.

21. HF Custom Solutions

What they do: Advertising/ Marketing/PR Employees: 18

HF Custom Solutions brings serious creativity to the world of branded merchandise, and just as much energy to building a fun, connected workplace. Founded in 2012, HFCS

lives by the motto “Have Fun,” turning everyday office life into a series of spontaneous celebrations. From enough impromptu karaoke sessions that earmuffs might qualify as company swag and themed potlucks to company-wide outings at spots like Cidercade and Bowlounge, the team takes its work seriously but not itself. Even the sales team got in on the fun with fake mustaches to match the CEO’s new facial hair. (Genius.) Recognitions like the Brady Ave. and Bluebonnet Circle awards spotlight dedication and team spirit, while quarterly “Rockstar” winners take home a custom mini guitar. Employee milestones are celebrated with treats and time off, and the flexible, Gen Z-friendly culture is bolstered by an intern pipeline with TCU. HFCS backs it all with strong benefits, including unlimited PTO, $0 virtual doctor visits, and pet insurance. Fido needs health insurance, too.

22. ClearWater Plumbers

What they do: Utilities Employees: 31

At Clearwater Plumbers, recognition comes in loud and clear — literally. Every week, the team gathers to hear five-star customer reviews read aloud, with a $10 bonus going to the employee named. It’s just one of the ways this family-owned company, founded in 2002, celebrates its people and builds a culture rooted in respect, integrity, and teamwork. From monthly “Fri’yay” meetings that spotlight achievements and milestones, to generous benefits like paid birthdays off, health care coverage, 401(k) match, PTO, and performance bonuses, Clearwater goes the extra mile to invest in its team. Training and paid continuing education ensure even entry-level employees have a path to long-term success in the trades. Fun is also part of the formula, with family movie nights, casino-themed holiday parties, and zoo days keeping spirits high. Whether you’re a Gen Z apprentice or a seasoned journeyman, Clearwater Plumbers offers a place to grow and take pride in your work.

MEDIUM (50-249 EMPLOYEES)

1.Steele & Freeman Inc. What they do: Construction Employees: 89

Founded in 1979, Steele & Freeman is a Fort Worth-based construction firm where the culture is as strong as the buildings it constructs. Known internally as the “Can-Do Crew,” the team thrives on a foundation of 23 core fundamentals that promote respect, integrity, and collaboration. Employees aren’t merely colleagues — they’re family — and that spirit is evident in everything from flexible work hours to how the company supports personal milestones and career growth.

One standout tradition is the company’s monthly poker night, where employees of all experience levels gather for fun, prizes, and team bonding, often knocking off work early to join the tournament. And the house takes no cut! It's just one of many ways Steele & Freeman brings people together outside the jobsite. The firm also hosts an annual fishing retreat, a clay shoot, and regular happy hours to keep the camaraderie flowing.

Employees enjoy benefits like 100% employer-paid health coverage, a 401(k) match up to 6%, and a 24/7 on-site gym with a fully funded personal trainer. With remarkably low turnover and a family-first philosophy, Steele & Freeman continues to build not only projects, but an enduring culture that people are proud to be part of.

2. REEDER Construction

What they do: Construction

Employees: 54

Since 1994, REEDER Construction has built more than just great projects. It’s built a strong culture rooted in values, growth, and fun. Located on the 10th tee at Hawks Creek Golf Course, REEDER employees also enjoy a front-row seat to some questionable golf swings. The company fosters a family-like

environment where team members are recognized, celebrated, and supported. With unlimited PTO, paid parental leave, and robust health benefits, including full vision and life insurance, REEDER emphasizes work-life balance and well-being. Employees are honored

for safety and performance, and everyone from the field to the office is included in signature events like the Chili Cook-off and annual trip to Lone Star Park, where the neigh-sayers are converted. (Yeah, we just did that.) Leadership training through Dale Carnegie

and Human Dynamics programs ensures ongoing professional growth. REEDER’s commitment to diversity and community is longstanding, with more than 25 years of supplier and employee diversity efforts. Low turnover, high morale, and a culture that mixes hard work

Ashley Barnes of Lena Pope.

John Franz of Franz Architects.

with genuine appreciation make REEDER a standout.

3. Wick Phillips

What they do: Legal Employees: 128

Wick Phillips was founded on the principle of service — service to clients, the firm, and one another — and that servant-leader mentality continues to define its culture. The firm’s values are rooted in respect, responsiveness, and teamwork, and its people routinely cite one another as the best part of the job. Wick Phillips invests in wellness, flexible work arrangements, and work-life balance, offering benefits such as unlimited PTO for attorneys and managers, chair massages, wellness rooms, and firm-sponsored social events like crawfish boils and pickleball tournaments. Attorneys receive early hands-on experience and are paired with mentors to help them grow into confident professionals and leaders. The firm’s diversity recruiting strategy includes expanding its candidate pool beyond a limited number of law schools, and its women’s network and mentorship program help ensure support and development across career stages. Employees feel valued, whether it’s a birthday lunch, milestone gift, or encouragement to join professional organizations, Wick Phillips shows that people are at the center.

4. Lena Pope

What they do: Nonprofit Employees: 138

It’s no exaggeration to say the numbers are mind-blowing. In just one year, Lena Pope supported more than 52,000 people through its high-quality, research-backed programs, from counseling and education to behavioral interventions and community events. That included 23,251 mental health support sessions and more than 6,000 individual clients and caregivers. Founded in 1930, the nonprofit has grown into one of Fort Worth’s

most trusted providers of wraparound care for children and families. Lena Pope is synonymous with doing good in Fort Worth. It is also a great place to work, offering exceptional benefits like generous vacation and sick leave, tuition reimbursement, paid parental leave, and up to 50% off child care at its nationally accredited Early Learning Centers. Staff wellness is a priority, with up to $600 in wellness reimbursements, free mental health counseling, and regular wellness activities. Employees recognize each other with a peernominated incentive program, and milestones are celebrated with intention. From therapy dog visits to Friendsgiving potlucks, Lena Pope’s culture is built on compassion, community, and purpose.

5. Byrne Construction Services

What they do: Construction Employees: 108

Byrne Construction Services has grown alongside Fort Worth for more than a century, its legacy mirroring the city’s rise as a major American hub. Founded in 1923, Byrne is now a 102-year-old, family-owned commercial construction firm known as much for its strong company culture as for the landmark buildings it helps create.

in Fort Worth, Byrne prioritizes diversity, inclusion, and generational leadership, building a workplace where people are empowered to reach their full potential.

6. LanCarte Commercial What they do: Real Estate/ Renting/Leasing

Employees: 50

LanCarte Commercial Real Estate has quickly become a major player in the North Texas market. Founded in 2018, the firm has earned a reputation not only for its market success but also for fostering a dynamic, collaborative culture that prioritizes growth, mentorship, and community. With a low voluntary turnover rate of just 4%, LanCarte invests heavily in employee development, recognition, and well-being.

On the best crews, no task is “beneath” anyone.

The company’s “People Build Buildings” philosophy underscores everything, from its structured leadership development programs to a workplace built around wellbeing, camaraderie, and professional growth. With amenities like an on-site gym, basketball court, Biergarten — ah, Biergarten, let your love flow — and team-building events such as BBQ cook-offs and family crawfish boils, Byrne fosters careers and community. Employees are celebrated at every milestone, recognized through safety and performance awards, and empowered to build long-term careers. As the largest Hispanic-owned contractor

One notable perk is the firm’s Summer Wellness Program, which features alternating half-day Fridays during the summer months. This initiative encourages employees to recharge, enjoy long weekends, and maintain a healthy work-life balance without sacrificing productivity. The firm also embraces giving back, regularly organizing hands-on volunteer efforts with local nonprofits. Employees are celebrated through quarterly and annual awards, and leadership development is supported through mentorship and career advancement programs. LanCarte’s team-driven approach, flexible work practices, and commitment to inclusion and feedback have made it a standout in both culture and performance.

7. United Way of Tarrant County

What they do: Nonprofit Employees: 77

United Way of Tarrant County has served the region for more than a century, and its employ-

ees play an integral role in that impact, logging thousands of community service hours annually through a robust volunteer program. The organization supports its people as much as it supports the community, offering a hybrid work environment, generous benefits, and an array of wellness initiatives. Full-time employees receive up to four paid days per year to volunteer, summer Fridays, and a full office closure between Christmas and New Year’s Day. A culture of caring is embedded in every aspect of the workplace — from recognizing personal milestones and professional achievements to encouraging employees to bring their full, authentic selves to work. Leadership listens: Twice-yearly surveys shape workplace policies, benefits, and events. With 90% of staff working remotely, the organization invests in technology and connection, including virtual programming and an annual allstaff retreat. A four-time honoree on this list, United Way of Tarrant County is also recognized as a Certified Age-Friendly Employer and a Best Place for Working Parents.

8. Muckleroy & Falls

What they do: Construction Employees: 66

Muckleroy & Falls has been building more than just structures since 1979. It's also been building people, purpose, and community. The company emphasizes shared success through intentional investment in employee development, offering mentorship, leadership workshops, public speaking training, and financial literacy courses. Work-life balance is equally valued, with perks like summer Fridays, zoo family days, ladies’ lunches, fishing trips, and Andretti Karting outings that foster camaraderie beyond the jobsite. Wins are celebrated in fashion — ringing a five-foot gong, gifting Tecovas boots or Ray-Bans, or even champagne sabrage after a big project lands. The annual

If your company culture had a mascot, what would it be — and why? Our company culture as a mascot would be an alligator. Alligators are strong, bold, and relentless, just like our agents when they hit the market. Plus, one of our most legendary office stories involves an agent, Finn, catching a massive alligator while out with friends. The photo of him and his prize hung in the office for years and still gets mentioned often. It perfectly captures our fearless (and occasionally wild) spirit.

— LanCarte Commercial Real Estate

Christmas party is a legend in itself, with celebrations at Hotel Drover and River Ranch featuring $20,000 in raffle prizes, live bands, and after-parties down Mule Alley. An event with serious FOMO. A culture of transparency and accountability is cultivated through quarterly town halls, strategic planning, and clear communication of goals. At Muckleroy & Falls, the focus is on building a workplace where people are proud to show up.

9. Post L Group Construction

What they do: Construction Employees: 131

Post L Group, a Fort Worth-based general contractor with a Dallas office, was founded by Jeff Postell in 2015. With 130 employees and 2024 revenues topping $55 million, the firm is known for more than building projects. The firm has earned numerous accolades for its ability to create jobs in the trades through its projects, while simultaneously launching career paths for people with virtually no experience in construction. Through its Building Pathways, a nonprofit also founded by Postell, the company offers a federally certified apprenticeship program that creates career pathways in the trades for individuals with little or no prior experience. This daily hands-on training, mentoring, and life skills coaching embody the firm’s role as a social enterprise. Community impact isn’t just a value, it’s a purpose that unites the team. Employees take pride in delivering exceptional work while transforming lives, and that shared mission, paired with competitive benefits and a strong culture of recognition and support, makes Post L Group a great place to work.

10. The Baker Firm

What they do: Insurance Employees: 67

Founded in 2011, The Baker Firm has built a reputation as a work-

place where employees feel valued, supported, and empowered to grow. The firm is committed to fostering a collaborative environment that promotes work-life balance, professional development, and a sense of shared purpose. With multiple office locations and consistent year-over-year growth, The Baker Firm prioritizes clear communication and internal cohesion. In response to employee feedback gathered through annual engagement surveys, the company recently created two new positions focused on improving communication between teams and ensuring consistency across locations. These roles are already enhancing collaboration between departments such as escrow and marketing.

93% OF WINNING COMPANIES’ EMPLOYEES SAY,

“This organization's culture allows me to do my best work.” Only 70% of nonwinners say the same.

The firm maintains a strong retention rate, thanks in part to initiatives like profit-sharing, regular employee appreciation events, and a structured system of recognition that includes annual awards and milestone celebrations. Generous PTO, catered lunches, team trips, and mental health support through thirdparty counselors contribute to a culture where employees feel seen, heard, and rewarded.

11. TimelyCare

What they do: Health Care Provider/Social Care Employees: 238

TimelyCare, founded in 2017, is higher education’s leading virtual health provider. And it’s a workplace where purpose meets innovation. The organization is redefining how colleges and universities deliver care by offering on-demand medical and mental health services to students nationwide. A remote-first employer, TimelyCare champions work-life balance and

fosters connection across its virtual workplace through regular team events, recognition programs, and a deeply mission-driven culture. Diversity is at the core of TimelyCare’s identity. Its employee base is 3% baby boomers, 25% Gen X, 70% millennials, and 3% Gen Z, while its provider network is 40% white, 30% Black, 12% Hispanic, 6% Asian, and 5% multiracial — ensuring a workforce that reflects the communities it serves. From competitive pay and benefits to a culture of inclusion, feedback, and continuous growth, TimelyCare creates an environment where employees feel valued, empowered, and inspired. Its groundbreaking approach to care and people-first ethos make it one of the most rewarding places to work in virtual health care. No doubt.

12. CornerStone Staffing

What they do: Staffing Employees: 74

At CornerStone Staffing, running a 5K is a team-building event, merely one example of how this workplace has transformed fun, wellness, and connection into a way of life. (We’re old enough to remember when running a 5K was a form of punishment. My, how times have changed.) Founded in 1991 and grounded in the values of faith, compassion, integrity, and self-discipline, CornerStone offers employees a culture of care, purpose, and recognition. Team members enjoy 100% paid medical premiums for themselves and their dependents, generous PTO with tenure-based sabbaticals, year-end profit-sharing, and all-expense-paid trips for top performers. Employees feel seen and celebrated through thoughtful

gestures like birthday lunches and milestone gifts, while weekly newsletters and internal channels help connect colleagues across branches. Quarterly outings, remote-work Fridays, and family weekends at Rough Creek Lodge foster belonging and camaraderie. With just 8% voluntary turnover, CornerStone proves that when people are supported and empowered, they stay. It’s a company that runs — and grows — together.

13. Comfort Experts Inc.

What they do: HVAC/Plumbing/Electrical Employees: 65

Founded in 1962, Hobson’s Comfort Experts has grown from a local HVAC provider into a company that genuinely invests in the success and well-being of its employees. The company offers unique support programs, including contributions toward

employees’ first home and car payments — a powerful gesture that reflects its people-first culture. Bonuses, gift cards, and team meals are among the many ways Comfort Experts recognizes employee achievements, safety milestones, and attendance. The company hosts a variety of fun events throughout the year, such as fishing trips, birthday lunches, baby showers, and teambuilding outings. Employees enjoy generous benefits, including 75% paid medical, dental, and vision premiums; 401(k) matching; PTO; and flexible scheduling. With low voluntary turnover, regular performance reviews, and structured leadership training, Comfort Experts fosters long-term growth and engagement. From job shadowing to community service initiatives, the company cultivates a team environment rooted in support, recognition, and purpose.

14. Con-Real

What they do: Construction Employees: 56

Con-Real is a boutique-style commercial construction firm that’s proudly family- and Blackowned and making big waves in the industry since its founding in 1979. At its core, Con-Real is a place where people feel seen, heard, and supported. Diversity and inclusion are not just values but everyday practices, reflected in a team that represents a broad range of backgrounds and perspectives. Culture is a priority, celebrated through fun quarterly social events, an annual holiday bash, and occasional Texas Rangers suite outings. (The Rangers are smoking hot as of this writing, by the way.) Employees enjoy remote Fridays, generous PTO that grows with tenure, and a $100 monthly wellness stipend to spend on themselves. Recognition is embedded in the culture, from certification shout-outs to attendance rewards. Con-Real is also committed to developing the next generation through an active internship program and reimbursed certification

opportunities. Whether celebrating personal milestones or solving big challenges together, Con-Real is a company where people don’t just work — they grow and make a lasting impact.

15. Anderson Injury Lawyers

What they do: Legal Employees: 99

Anderson Injury Law was founded in 2007 with a commitment to helping people, and that same commitment extends to its employees. The firm fosters a culture of respect, collaboration, and professional growth, where team members are empowered to flourish. With benefits like flexible work-from-home options, a free gym membership, and firm-sponsored lunches, Anderson Injury Law supports well-being and work-life balance.

Employees enjoy a range of fun and engaging activities, including quarterly happy hours, a year-end holiday celebration, and annual traditions like a Halloween costume contest and Thanksgiving potluck. High performance is celebrated through Employee of the Month honors, settlement recognitions, and milestone shoutouts.

Tenure is rewarded with increased vacation time, and team members feel truly valued through both personal and professional celebrations. With low voluntary turnover and a supportive atmosphere, the firm has created a workplace where people choose to build long-term careers. Anderson Injury Law offers a stable, respectful workplace where people are trusted to do their best work and supported as they grow.

From left, Ashley Townsend Guarnieri, Lindsay Evans, and Patricia Nicholson of The Baker Firm.

1.USI Insurance

What they do: Insurance

Employees: 10,019 (40 in Fort Worth)

USI Insurance Services has become a familiar name on our survey — and for good reason. Since its founding in 1994, USI has built a culture where professionalism, respect, and fun coexist. The company emphasizes collaboration and camaraderie, creating an environment where employees genuinely enjoy working alongside their peers. Flexible schedules, strong benefits, and thoughtful perks like monthly all-staff celebrations and milestone recognitions make employees feel valued and supported.

USI takes engagement seriously, conducting regular surveys and following up with action plans and webinars to drive continuous improvement. Recognition programs such as the Annual Summit and Peak Awards highlight outstanding contributions, while team-building events, happy hours, and holiday parties foster connection beyond the workday.

Diversity and early talent development are also priorities. With the “I’m With U” DEI initiative and multiple career track programs for Gen Z, USI is committed to building an inclusive, forward-thinking workforce. With just 6% voluntary turnover, USI proves that investing in people pays off — and keeps them coming back.

2. HUB Fort Worth

What they do: Insurance

Employees: 17,500 (100 in Fort Worth)

HUB Fort Worth has built more than a business since its founding in 1966. It has built a culture of care. Known for its mantra, “Don’t tell me how much you know; show me how much you care,” the firm fosters a workplace where employees feel valued, supported, and celebrated. With a remarkably low voluntary turnover rate of just 2.35%, HUB Fort

Worth credits its success to a deep commitment to integrity, teamwork, and community. Peer-driven recognition programs like the HAT Award — celebrating Hustle, Attitude, and Teamwork (pretty much Fort Worth company founder Gus Bates in a nutshell) — underscore a culture where everyday excellence doesn’t go unnoticed. Team members are honored with Core Value Awards, milestone anniversaries, and personal celebrations, from baby showers to birthday lunches. Fun is part of the formula, too, with events like the golf-themed “Par-Tee,” a holiday fiesta at Joe T.’s, and Family Day at the area president’s home. HUB Fort Worth employees grow, celebrate, and prosper together in a workplace that feels like home.

3. LJA Engineering

What they do: Engineering

Employees: 2,512 (67 in Fort Worth)

LJA Engineering has fostered a culture of belonging, empowerment, and professional growth for its more than 1,400 employee-owners. From Day 1 in 1972, employees are welcomed through the firm’s buddy onboarding program and encouraged to connect through monthly Coffee Talks with leadership, where lessons in leadership and career growth are shared candidly.

LJA’s workplace culture thrives on inclusivity, with employee resource groups like WAVE (Women, Advancement, and Voices in Engineering), which supports women through every stage of their engineering careers, and FACES (Focus on Advocacy, Community, Equity, and Support), which champions DEI within the firm and in the communities it serves.

Employee engagement is woven into the company’s DNA, from regional picnics and holiday parties to milestone celebrations like branded baby onesies and anniversary awards. LJA invests in the future through leadership training, professional development, and an ESOP that allows employees to build long-term wealth. With only 9% voluntary turnover, it’s clear

that employee-owners at LJA are building communities and fulfilling careers that last.

4. Higginbotham

What they do: Financial Services

Employees: 3,696 (706 in Fort Worth)

Founded in 1948, Higginbotham has grown into the largest independent insurance brokerage based in Texas and now ranks as the 20th largest in the U.S. What began as Paul Higginbotham’s vision for a small agency has since far eclipsed even his most ambitious dreams. Today, Higginbotham provides insurance, financial, and HR/ employee benefits services from more than 130 offices nationwide. Its signature Day Two Services® set it apart, offering clients hands-on, ongoing support long after the policy is in place. Internally, the employee-owned firm fosters a people-first culture built on shared values, accountability, and connection. That sense of connection is evident in everything from rooftop eclipse watch parties to Flip Flop Fridays and semi-annual Town Halls celebrating personal and professional milestones. Higginbotham supports its 3,700-plus team members with robust health benefits, learning opportunities like HIGG U, and a formal ownership program. As one employee put it, “You come for the job, but you stay for the people — and the purpose.”

fering unlimited PTO, paid parental leave, flexible work arrangements, and robust wellness resources such as Thrive and Doctor on Demand.

CLA is dedicated to building a diverse and inclusive workforce, actively partnering with the National Association of Black Accountants, the Association of Latino Professionals for America, ASCEND, and other organizations serving underrepresented groups. Nine internal Virtual Belonging Communities further promote connection and support.

People don’t quit jobs. They quit atmospheres.

Career development is a priority, with recognition programs including the Promise Award and annual Promise Season celebrations. Employees also enjoy a strong sense of camaraderie through office traditions like the annual cornhole tournament, fall pickleball games, and March Madness bracket contests.

CLA also launched a high school experience program, designed for students aged 16-18, to provide the opportunity to explore the world of business, professional services, and accounting.

6. Crossland

Construction Co.

What they do: Construction Employees: 1,330 (58 in Fort Worth)

5. CLA

What they do: Professional Services

Employees: 7,805 (53 in Fort Worth)

Founded in 1953, CLA is a professional services firm committed to creating opportunities for clients, employees, and communities. The firm fosters a culture of belonging that supports the whole person, of-

At Crossland, employees don’t just clock in. They become part of something bigger. Since 1977, the company has focused on one simple principle: Take care of people, and they’ll take care of the work. Crossland provides purpose, opportunity, and a culture built on trust, respect, and strong relationships. Whether an employee is just starting out or leading a team, the company says they’ll find room to grow, meaningful mentorship, and a clear path forward.

Benefits reflect this commitment, with paid parental leave, generous PTO, and robust professional development through Crossland Academy, including leadership programs and skilled trades apprentice-

ships. The company also supports the whole person — recognizing milestones and promotions, sending gifts and a year’s supply of diapers to new parents, and honoring longterm employees with formal dinners and hotel stays.

A high retention rate is no accident. It’s the result of living out core values: flexibility, recognition, and putting people first. Crossland employees contribute to a company that invests in its people and grows with them.

7. Southside Bank

What they do: Finance Employees: 805 (169 in Fort Worth)

Since its founding in 1960 with just 10 employees and $350,000 in capital, Southside Bank has grown into a Texas banking leader with more than 800 team members and more than $8.5 billion in assets. Headquartered in Tyler, the bank operates 53

branches across Central, East, North, and Southeast Texas. Southside’s success is rooted in its relationship-first culture, where team members feel supported, empowered, and inspired to make a difference in their communities and in customers’ lives.

From financial literacy programs and Habitat home builds to Meals on Wheels and mentorship opportunities, Southside fosters deep engagement inside and outside the workplace. Employees are recognized not just for tenure, but for impact through peer-nominated awards and milestone celebrations. With competitive benefits, professional development support, and initiatives focused on mental health, wellness, and inclusion, Southside invests in its people at every level.

The bank’s commitment to cultivating a connected, purposedriven culture continues to shape its legacy — one team member, one customer, and one community at a time.

8. Weaver

What they do: Accounting Employees: 1,468 (136 in Fort Worth)

At Weaver, success starts with people. And these folks know how to party. Whether it’s a spirited Pi Day party, Pancakes with Partners, or game day tailgates, fun is woven into the firm’s DNA. Founded in 1950, Weaver has grown into a dynamic workplace by staying focused on what matters most: fostering a culture of support, inclusion, and opportunity. The firm’s core values guide everything from its peer recognition and milestone celebrations to its learning and leadership programs like Weaver LAUNCH, Weaver LIFT, and Weaver LEAD. Employees are encouraged to grow through mentoring, coaching, and a wide range of professional development tracks. Community engagement is also key: through the Weaver Private Foundation, employees donate time and resources to causes they care about — often with help from FUN Committees and Impact Teams. With inclusive benefits, hybrid flexibility, wellness resources, and a workplace where even pi and pie can be a party, it’s no wonder Weaver continues to attract and retain top talent across generations.

9. The Beck Group

What they do: Construction Employees: 725 (57 in Fort Worth)

Founded in 1912, The Beck Group is an innovator in integrated architecture and construction services, known for delivering forward-thinking, sustainable solutions across the built environment. Safety is the firm’s top priority — Beck’s teams are supported by robust training, clear communication, and a culture that prioritizes the well-being of employees, partners, and clients at every stage of a project. Beck is also recognized for its commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion, championed by dedicated leadership and supported by employee resource groups such as

If your CEO had to do a different job at the company for a week, what would you assign them — and why? If our area president had to switch roles for a week, we’d make him the janitor — and he’d probably thrive in the role! He’s constantly emphasizing the importance of a clean, organized workspace and is passionate about maintaining a polished, professional environment.

— HUB International Fort Worth

El Beck and the JEDI group. Career growth is actively encouraged through in-house training, tuition reimbursement, and leadership development. Engagement is driven by a vibrant culture built around wellness, recognition programs, and team-building events — from pickleball to chili cook-offs. Beck’s low turnover reflects a workplace where people feel connected, empowered, and heard. With a deep investment in both people

Derek Kloer of Crossland Construction.

and community, Beck continues to shape the industry while building environments — and skylines — that create lasting impact.

10. ID Technology

What they do: Manufacturing Employees: 557 (102 in Fort Worth)

Founded in 1989, ID Technology fosters a culture where employees are supported, challenged, and recognized for their contributions. The company’s guiding principles — honesty, safety, responsibility, and personal growth — serve as the foundation for a workplace where innovation is supported and careers develop fully. Employees are encouraged to share ideas and collaborate across teams, driving solutions that enhance operational performance and customer satisfaction.

Engagement initiatives like quarterly “Lunch on Us” events, annual holiday parties, and community volunteer programs help build camaraderie and connection.

It’s not just another “Manic Monday.” Motivational Monday emails celebrate employees who go above and beyond, while formal programs like the President’s Club and Safety Committee recognize outstanding achievements. A low 4% voluntary turnover rate reflects the organization’s commitment to retention through thoughtful benefits, career development, and inclusive policies. From milestone recognition and leadership training to flexible PTO and multiple medical plan options, ID Technology creates an environment where people feel valued — whether they’re on-site or remote. The company’s culture is one of continuous growth, shared success, and meaningful impact.

11. TTI Inc.

What they do: Transportation/Distribution

Employees: 1,806 (1,263 in Fort Worth)

Founded in 1971 by Fort Worth native Paul Andrews Jr., TTI, Inc. — a

Berkshire Hathaway company — has grown into a global leader in electronic component distribution while remaining a proud cornerstone of the Fort Worth community. With a values-driven culture and a commitment to long-term careers, TTI is known for exceptional employee tenure, internal advancement, and a strong sense of purpose. The company’s benefits reflect its people-first approach: paid parental and volunteer leave, competitive medical plans with HSA contributions, dental and vision coverage, disability and life insurance, educational assistance, and a generous 401(k) match. Additional perks include increasing PTO, charitable gift matching, and recognition programs that celebrate both personal milestones and professional achievements. Unique touches, such as birthday cards from the CEO with cash, custom gifts for new parents, and on-site wellness services, underscore TTI’s belief that the human component is the most critical one. Employees find belonging, support, and a

into the culture, with programs like BRAVO! — a peer-to-peer platform for celebrating achievements — and the Key Award, which honors team members who exemplify bold leadership and client excellence. A strong commitment to inclusion is evident through Employee Resource Groups and partnerships with diverse student organizations. At Forvis Mazars, people are empowered to bring their whole selves to work and are equipped with the tools they need to grow with purpose.

13. Westwood

Professional Services Inc.

What they do: Engineering Employees: 1,750 (182 in Fort Worth)

place to grow meaningful careers in a collaborative and communityminded environment.

12. Forvis Mazars

What they do: Accounting Employees: 7,258 (86 in Fort Worth)

At Forvis Mazars, the mission to unlock potential begins with its people. The firm is committed to fostering a culture where team members can grow, thrive, and feel valued every step of the way. Professional development is supported through training programs, mentorship, leadership conferences, and career advancement pathways tailored to each stage. Benefits go well beyond the basics, with offerings that support mental, physical, and financial well-being — including a lifestyle spending account, CPA exam assistance, and a flexible time-off policy. The firm also offers bonding leave, hybrid work options, and a generous retirement contribution. Recognition is woven

Founded in 1972, Westwood Professional Services is a team of dedicated consultants driven by innovation, collaboration, and continuous improvement across the industries it serves. Employees are considered the foundation of Westwood’s success, and the company fosters an environment where each individual is valued, supported, and equipped to grow. Structured career development, leadership training, and mentorship opportunities help team members advance at every stage of their careers.

Westwood celebrates its employees through monthly birthday and anniversary events, milestone awards, and a recognition program that highlights team values. A culture of fun and connection is encouraged through activities like chili cook-offs, themed mini golf tournaments, and off-site social events that build camaraderie.

The company provides a comprehensive benefits package, including generous PTO that increases with tenure, paid parental leave, and health care coverage for both full- and part-time employees. An employee assistance program also offers 24/7 access to licensed counselors. Westwood’s workplace values contribution, connection, and continued personal and professional growth.

MIke Morton of TTI.

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FRIENDSHIP, LOVE, AND OPPORTUNITY

Construction CEO Jeff Postell is building career pathways to those who most need them.

WORDS BY JOHN HENRY / IMAGES BY RICHARD W. RODRIGUEZ

In 1915, Fort Worth business legend William Madison McDonald stood before a packed congregation at the Greater St. James Baptist Church in Fort Worth and delivered what would become his most celebrated speech. A pioneering businessman and civic leader, McDonald addressed the Odd Fellows, a fraternal organization committed to the ideals of friendship, love, and truth. But his words reached far beyond his fellow members.

With moral clarity and a unique poetic fire, he called on his audience to lift up the fallen, comfort the sick, and make a place for the outcast. Not in theory, but through daily action.

McDonald, Texas’ first Black millionaire, traced a symbolic lineage from Adam to Christ, naming them as the first Odd Fellows, not because they joined a lodge, but because they lived by divine principles. No church or institution, McDonald said, was too sacred to be transformed by compassion, and no soul too lost to be redeemed by dignity and work.

A century later, that same spirit of redemptive brotherhood — the “beacons of light” for the struggling and forgotten — lives on in unlikely places. Like, for example, the noisy jobsites and quiet mentorship circles of a Fort Worth-based construction company — Post L Group Construction.

Through its nonprofit arm, Building Pathways, the company, and its partners offer apprenticeships in the trades to individuals society too often overlooks: formerly incarcerated men and women, youth aging out of foster care, and those teetering on the edge of poverty often through circumstances brought about by no fault of their own.

The mission isn’t just to construct buildings or build infrastructure. It’s to rebuild lives. Participants not only go on to learn carpentry, plumbing, and electrical work, and other trades, but they also gain something less tangible: hope, along with purpose, structure, and a second chance. In some cases, a first chance. In others, their only chance. Like McDonald’s Odd Fellows, Building Pathways believes that real change doesn’t come from pity or punishment, but from trust and skill, as well as the courage to extend a hand.

Before they get on a jobsite, however, the program first immerses the cohort in the requisite soft skills that influence how one interacts with others, manages work, and handles challenges in the workplace. There is financial literacy curriculum, as well as ongoing mentorship and support that continues through the apprenticeship. The nonprofit's approach is highly personalized, with a dedicated coach and a focus on addressing individual barriers to employment.

The second cohort graduated on Aug. 1. They started with eight but finished with seven, just like the first a year ago.

Building Pathways is Postell’s second attempt at this.

Postell opened his company in 2015. After a few years, he says, he was confronted with members of the community.

“My question to my boss was, how do I get that trailer at some point in my life?” The answer, he was told, was to build skills, gain experience, and stay committed. “It was the start of a great journey. I fell in love with construction.” — Jeff Postell

In McDonald’s words, “Friendship, love and truth will finally cover the world.” For this crew, that promise isn’t a relic of the past. It’s the foundation they build on every day.

“I'm handling more responsibility. I'm making some decent money I'm able to provide for my son. I have a place to stay, a car, and I don't worry nearly as much as I did before,” says Elizabeth Ingram, a graduate of Building Pathways’ first cohort of seven last year. “Building Pathways really showed me true, genuine love.”

This program is the brainchild of Jeff Postell, the founder and CEO of Post L Group Construction in Fort Worth.

Postell’s nonprofit organization provides comprehensive support and training to help individuals, including those with criminal backgrounds or other challenges, enter and succeed in construction careers.

“I would get this all the time,” he says. “People would say, ‘Well, you’re making your money’ — and I wasn’t making a damn dime at that time — ‘what are you going to do for people in these communities, in these neighborhoods, Jeff?’ That was coming from everywhere.

“So, I just started giving people jobs. And this is the tough part of the conversation: These same people were stealing my tools, coming to work hungover, high, sleeping in closets. They didn’t have the skill to do the work. They did not have the drive to show up every day.”

The COVID pandemic forced Postell to reimagine everything about his business.

Postell notes three major jobs that the company took a major loss on because of material escalation. Two were at the airport and another at UT Southwestern in Dallas.

“We finished every job,” he says. “I knew that we could not take a black eye, so, we did the work.”

The company, though, had to get leaner. And a figurative knife was taken to its community outreach.

“I stopped doing all ‘those things,’” he says. “There were nights where I said I wasn't going do that type of stuff anymore. I was just going to make a very profitable company that was sustainable and not worry about those things.”

Yet, every morning, he woke up feeling more like William Madison McDonald’s Odd Fellow.

"Christ came from above, On a mission of love; Of mercy and kindness and peace…

And God who is love, Gave Him power from above,

For He and His Father are One."

"Let Odd Fellows and Ruthites Labor to have men and women Practice Friendship, Love and Truth."

“I would always wake up and on my mind was, ‘Hey, who can I help?’”

Out of this he developed the four-phase program that became Building Pathways.

A social enterprise is “a business that uses a market-driven approach to address unmet needs or solve social or environmental problems.”

Post L Group is projected to bring in $75 million in revenue this year. It employs 131 people.

But his mission is much grander. With every project, he is opening doors in the construction industry for people who might never have considered it — single mothers, veterans, young adults lacking opportunity, and African Americans seeking a path to upward mobility.

Postell has created a network of organizations working together to meet two pressing needs: more skilled tradespeople and more access to sustainable, highpaying careers. This is a pipeline of skilled construction workers to address labor shortages.

His ecosystem includes a general contracting firm, a drywall subcontracting business, and Building Pathways.

The result is a social enterprise that’s not only transforming individual lives, but strengthening the region’s economy.

This is ultimately major-league economic development work he is doing.

Program, designed to help young people ages 16-24 overcome barriers to employment, she was connected to Post L Group, which hired her for an internship.

“During that time, Jeff Postell talked to me about the program,” she says.

Ingram graduated from Southwest High School in 2018 “hell bent on making her parents proud.” Like just about any 18-year-old, she wasn’t exactly sure how to do that or what path a potential career would take. She had taken accounting in high school and participated in UIL competitions.

“Oh, I can do accounting,” she thought, until she got to community college and decided that wasn’t the path to happiness.

Building Pathways is a 12-month program broken down into four phases.

The first phase of the program focuses on building trust and accountability with each client, while also gaining a clear understanding of their background to assess the level of support they’ll need.

And he has friends in the pursuit of love, friendship, and truth. To date, Postell says that foundations and corporations have contributed more than $2 million in less than two years. Givers include Lowe’s, Home Depot, the Sid Richardson Foundation, the Rainwater Charitable Foundation, and United Way of Tarrant County. As I sat with him on this day, the nonprofit was awaiting a contribution from the board of the Crime Control and Prevention District — better known as the CCPD — in Fort Worth, which had committed funds for the cause.

"Now, my friends, don't forget that Adam, the first Odd Fellow, and Eve, the first Ruthite, were the pillars upon which mankind erected the mighty structure of Friendship, Love, and Truth."

“OK, so, the story is a little long,” says Elizabeth Ingram. “Long story short, I had my baby in the middle of 2022 — June 2022 to be exact. Basically, after that, I really didn't have a job; couldn't find anything. I was doing the best I could at the time.”

Ingram had a job, but she needed more. She wanted more. For her and her new baby. And she was willing to work for it.

Through the Texas Workforce Commission and the WIOA Youth

Phase 2 centers on future planning.

Clients work with mentors to map out a path toward a career in their chosen trade, setting goals and identifying the steps needed to move forward.

Phase 3 transitions clients into handson training. At this stage, they enter a formal career training program and begin working in a position aligned with their trade.

Phase 4 marks the culmination of the 12-month journey. During this final stage, clients are placed in skilled apprentice roles and enrolled in on-the-job training — either through their employer or a third-party training partner. The program concludes with a graduation ceremony celebrating their progress and new career path.

The program's coaching and support system includes transportation assistance, which was crucial, Ingram says, to staying on track.

“There were times where I haven't had a ride to work and somebody came and got me or somebody sent me an Uber to and from work,” Ingram says.

The program's focus on budgeting, credit, and other financial literacy through a partnership with Frost Bank and partnerships with organizations like Pathfinders further equipped Ingram with life skills and resources.

Each summer, Post L Group also operates a youth employment program in partnership with Workforce Solutions, which helps fund wages for participating students. Open to high school juniors and seniors, the program gives young people a paid, hands-on introduction to the construction industry. Students work 30 hours a week at $20 an hour — spending Monday through Thursday on jobsites, shadowing tradespeople, and performing general labor tasks. Fridays are reserved for educational field trips, including visits to partner construction sites for live demonstrations, blueprint reading, and deeper insights into specific areas of the industry.

While the summer program isn’t designed as a direct pipeline into the company’s adult program, sometimes the path unfolds that way. One such young man — whose name I was given, but I’m declining to use — is one example.

When he first entered the summer program, he was on juvenile probation and living in a difficult home environment. His mother’s boyfriend was abusive, and the teen eventually moved in with his grandmother at a motel. One of the program coaches noticed inconsistencies in his pick-up and drop-off locations and began to ask questions. When the young man finally opened up, the full extent of his situation came to light.

Rather than send him back to school under unstable circumstances, Post L Group made the decision to support the young man in pursuing his GED while continuing to work. He was brought into the adult program, where he’s thrived — earning a promotion, nearing completion of his GED, and successfully finishing juvenile probation.

He graduated from the adult program on Aug. 1. His isn’t a typical story, but it’s a powerful example of how Post L Group meets young people where they are. Post L also hosts work development seminars in conjunction with partners such as LTVRise. After a vetting process, they choose the most ambitious clients. Those who really want to.

The curriculum is designed to fulfill the nonprofit’s core values of empowerment, economic mobility, accountability, and retention.

Ingram, now 25 years old, is the face of living up to all of those.

A year after finishing the program, she has already promoted within the Post L Group organization to project engineer. During her internship and apprenticeship, Ingram had been coordinating and getting materials on-site. After graduating, she continued doing that until being promoted.

She can now afford a car.

conversation.

McClain is the executive director of Building Pathways. His job is to carry out Postell’s vision: In five to 10 years, any person — green and unskilled, anyone — can see themselves making $60,000 to $100,000 in the construction industry.

Building Pathways places them in that trajectory, and the clients are drilled with professional development, life coaching, and the technical skills. They are also all certified in blueprint reading, a schooling Post L Group pays for.

McClain and Postell met about 10 years ago. McClain’s background is in juvenile justice supervision and reentry services. He worked for the Florida Juvenile Justice and returned home to work in both Tarrant and Dallas counties’ juvenile systems. He left that for 11 years to go work for American Airlines, a company he left only two years ago.

McClain had started a personal development coaching brand when Postell called him.

“I'm handling more responsibility. I'm making some decent money. I'm able to provide for my son. I have a place to stay, a car, and I don't worry nearly as much as I did before. Building Pathways really showed me true, genuine love.” — Elizabeth Ingram

She is confident and, more importantly, has hope for her future.

“Hope … that is the perfect word,” she says. “I'm very hopeful now. I'm able to start thinking about my financial future. When you come from nothing … if I can get through this, I can do anything.”

"Christ was a Christian…He said,‘I did not come to destroy any laws but to do the will of my Father.’The will of His Father was to teach Friendship,Love and Truth — true Odd Fellowship."

The Building Pathways coach plays a critical role, serving as the bridge between the client’s job and the program. Their support goes beyond the workplace. They check in regularly to understand how things are going outside of work because a steady job doesn’t mean everything else is stable. A client, like the young man living with his grandmother in a hotel, could be facing domestic violence, struggling with substance abuse, or other personal challenges The coach helps identify those needs and connects them with community partners who can provide professional, qualified support.

“Thankfully we have some great trade partners and industry partners who love our program,” says Louie McClain during a phone

“He asked me to come in for an interview to see what kind of services I could provide to Building Pathways,” McClain says. “And after the interview, he said, ‘We need to make you the pathway coach.’”

One characteristic about Postell that is easy to see: He is a master persuader, a no-isn’t-an-option-type guy. And then that’s just the start. He has more in mind for you.

McClain served as the coach for about eight months of the first cohort. After promoting a gentleman from the first cohort to coach, McClain has been focused on the duties of program director. He was promoted to executive director in June.

McClain was raised in Arlington with a wandering way. Wandering in the wrong direction, he says, a “troubled kid doing crazy stuff.” His mother had a plan. She sent him to Pensacola Christian College. There, he had a Road-to-Damascus experience.

McClain’s conversion story began reluctantly during his first weeks at college. Although surrounded by peers who genuinely lived out their Christian faith, he initially shrugged off their attempts to engage him. But when Hurricane Ivan hit and most students left campus, McClain was stranded with few distractions. One day, while checking his mailbox in the commons, he bumped into a friend named JJ and followed him back to his dorm. There, JJ’s roommate — a pastoral ministry major named Adam — asked McClain where he thought he would go if he died. McClain deflected, but Adam boldly called him a “fool,” sparking a heated exchange between the two that nearly escalated into fisticuffs.

JJ stepped in, diffusing the situation and subtly reframing it as a conversation about the problem of sin, not personal judgment. That interaction broke something open in McClain. Moments later, he says he found himself on his knees, praying, a dramatic shift from nearly getting into a fight. It was very reminiscent of Paul’s green light. Paul, too, fell to the ground.

Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?

In just a few minutes, McClain had become Exhibit No. 1 of God’s

Building Pathways' approach is highly personalized, with dedicated coaches and a focus on addressing individual barriers to employment. The second cohort graduated on Aug. 1. The nonprofit also operates a summer youth program for high school juniors and seniors. It includes being on a jobsite Monday-Thursday, with Fridays reserved for educational field trips, including visits to partner construction sites for live demonstrations, blueprint reading, and deeper insights into specific areas of the industry.

mercy and the redemptive power of grace. From that day forward, McClain immersed himself in Scripture and Christian fellowship.

His future was faith. His own studies in criminal justice helped him see how his troubled past connected with broader patterns of human behavior. And how the Gospel offered real transformation.

“And at that time, I didn't know what my talents were,” McClain says.” And so, I slowly realized that my spiritual gift and my talent is encouraging. It might not be working with my hands or doing something that's very skilled, but it's in lifting other people up. I thank God that that's truly a gift that has blessed me.

“Every opportunity I get to impart any level of encouragement into one of these clients, I mean, that's what makes my day.”

McClain, 39, says he has the leeway to execute Postell’s vision.

“I’ve dreamt about this,” McClain says of the program and his role in it. “I believe in the law of attraction. I believe in praying to God, and I believe in all these great things. I don't see any other employers trying to do it like this. Major companies, but here we have a small businessman who's risking the reputation of his own for-profit company, risking the 10 years of multimillions because he has a true heart to make a difference, and he's going to do whatever it takes. I mean, I've never seen it. I've never seen that anywhere. I've never seen it.”

ent walks of life, the camaraderie, the process. Postell remembers driving an old Dodge Ram 50 with no air-conditioning. His boss had a nice trailer.

“My question to my boss was, how do I get that trailer at some point in my life?” Postell says. The answer, he was told, was to build skills, gain experience, and stay committed.

“He says, ‘Well, when are you going to do it? I said probably a couple of months. Need to get down there and find a place to stay. He says, ‘No, when are you going to do it?’ I said a couple of months. He says, ‘No, I think there’s an opportunity here.’” — Jeff Postell

“It was the start of a great journey,” he says. “I fell in love with construction.”

Starting as a laborer, he eventually moved into project engineering and superintendent roles, finally landing at Yates Construction. He was introduced to Fort Worth while overseeing a project for Tarrant County for Yates — the construction of the Vandergriff Building.

He caught the attention of David Phillips, Tarrant County’s facilities manager, who urged him to consider going out on his own — start a construction company. That was the year of the Super Bowl in Arlington, which was mired in a visit from Old Man Winter. Despite being set back several months, Postell managed to keep the project in Tarrant County on schedule. That impressed Phillips.

“He called me into his office in the old courthouse, and we’re looking at the Tom Vandergriff Building and he says, ‘Jeff, where are you headed?’”

Postell told him he was headed to Mobile, Alabama, to build a federal courthouse edition for the GSA.

"Hence I say that while I live,I shall do what little I can to foster and perpetuate Odd Fellowship on this earth."

Postell’s inspiration also lies in the adage of “There but by the grace of God go I.” At age 19, he was hungry, albeit lost. It’s not exactly a rare occurrence at that stage in life.

He had graduated from Lancaster High School and went off to community college. He quit. He had no skills and no education beyond the three R’s, which don’t get you what they used to.

Now what?

He got a job at dry cleaner in DeSoto, without even the slightest idea of which direction his life was heading. He jokes about staying up late watching “Jerry Springer” and seeing the commercials for Lincoln Tech.

One day at the cleaners, a nicely dressed man walked in. Postell asked him what he did for a living. He said, “I’m in construction.”

That moment planted a seed. Postell had always thought of construction as guys fixing sinks or framing houses, but this man looked successful. Soon after, Postell noticed a large crane over the VA hospital in southern Dallas County, walked onto the jobsite without safety gear, and asked, “Are y’all hiring?” A worker pointed him to another smaller company, and surprisingly, they hired him on the spot.

“Boom. They hired me. A minimum wage job,” he says. “My job title was, ‘Do what the superintendent tells you to do.’”

His first jobsite was at Woodrow Wilson High School in Dallas. His first task? Scrubbing grout lines with a toothbrush-sized wire brush. He became fascinated by the variety of personalities from differ-

“He says, ‘Well, when are you going to do it? I said probably a couple of months. Need to get down there and find a place to stay. He says, ‘No, when are you going to do it?’ I said a couple of months. He says, ‘No, I think there’s an opportunity here.’”

Phillips connected Postell with several industry contacts, including Mike Freeman, who eventually became a mentor and partner. Postell sold his home, used $40,000 from the proceeds, and launched his drywall business, working solo from his kitchen table. He estimated 14 small jobs, won eight of them, and hired the Robles brothers, who are still with him today.

Operating as a one-man business, Postell handled estimating, HR, accounting, and labor logistics. He partnered with Freeman doing drywall projects on larger general contracting jobs, including work on local schools. Freeman helped with contracts that provided essential cash flow.

Postell worked tirelessly — loading materials at dawn, changing into a suit by noon to attend networking events, and estimating jobs late into the night.

Today, he has the drywall side of the business and general contracting. As a general contractor, he uses his leverage with subcontractors to give opportunities to his clients in Building Pathways.

That’s his biggest passion — bringing people into the trades just like he did as a 19-year-old with a lot of energy and a lot of brain power, but no direction. He found his way up to a jobsite, and he now has a model that can be repeated.

It’s a pathway.

It’s what an Odd Fellow would do.

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Pioneers in their fields, the businesses featured in the following pages represent some of Fort Worth’s most accomplished and dynamic leaders. “Faces of B2B” highlights their professional achievements, personal passions, and the stories that set them apart—both in business and beyond.

mForce Capital

SPECIALTY: With over 75 years of combined experience, Brad Bruce and Larry Milton have concentrated on empowering their clients to achieve financial aspirations. While their accolades put them at the top of their industry, what is important is the achievement of helping clients who are entrepreneurs, pivoting business owners, and multigenerational families. WHY CLIENTS CHOOSE THEM: With a focus on delivering customizable strategies to meet complex financial needs, our theme of “where wealth works harder” comes from both of our

backgrounds of independent success while focusing on a strategic partnership in wealth management. WHAT SETS THEM APART: mForce Capital delivers institutional-grade research, due diligence, consulting, and investment solutions backed by an elite network of strategic alliances. Our innovative approach is reshaping the industry, but what truly sets us apart is the time we help our clients reclaim — giving them the freedom to enjoy the success they’ve worked so hard to achieve. STAYING CURRENT: When you enjoy what you do, curiosity

PICTURED:

Perrone Pharmacy, Inc./PerroneRX, LLC

SPECIALTY: Established in 1952, we proudly hold the distinction of being the oldest family-owned pharmacy in Tarrant County. For more than seven decades, our commitment to innovation and personalized care has allowed us to serve a diverse range of patients and health care institutions across the region. We compound sterile medications for investigational drug studies, for patients of local hospitals and clinics, and for individual patients with unique medical conditions. In addition, we provide mobile immunization services to employers, assisted living communities, local churches, and charitable organiza -

tions. We also dispense and deliver medications for patients admitted to more than 60 hospices throughout DFW. WHAT SETS THEM APART: Institutions and patients should choose us because of our breadth of service offerings, our accessibility, and the depth of pharmacist clinical knowledge (over 220 years of combined pharmacist team experience). The contract services division, PerroneRX, LLC, is open 24/7, and our retail division, Perrone Pharmacy, Inc., is open seven days a week. We maintain our own fleet, covering the DFW area, making over 300 deliveries a day. STAYING CURRENT: We stay current with

industry trends and innovations through memberships in professional trade organizations, sending our leadership to seminars and conferences. We utilize third parties to test our labs, our processes, and our compounded products. PICTURED: (seated) Gabretta Guerin, RPh; Paula Perrone, J.D., Owner Perrone Pharmacy, Inc./PerroneRX,LLC; (standing) Paloma Garza, PharmD; Heather Wessner, PharmD, Pharmacist-in-Charge, Perrone Pharmacy, Inc.; Marcus Zavala, PharmD, Chief Pharmacist Officer, Perrone Pharmacy, Inc./PerroneRX, LLC, Pharmacist-in-Charge, PerroneRX, LLC; Russel Whisenhunt, RPh;

Stephen Sibley, RPh; and Megan Lee, PharmD. NOT PICTURED: Patricia Diaz, RPh; Wendy Fleig, RPh; Jacob Johnson, PharmD; Mi Lam, PharmD; and Haley McKeefer, PharmD.

PERRONE PHARMACY, INC./PERRONERX, LLC

3921 Benbrook Highway, Fort Worth 76116

Perrone Pharmacy, Inc. 817.738.2135

PerroneRX, LLC - Contract Services 817.731.5899

perronepharmacy.com, info@perronerx.com

Architectural Design Faces of B2B

Schwarz Hanson Architects

SPECIALTY: At Schwarz Hanson Architects, we believe that being the face of architecture in Fort Worth means setting the standard—not only through design excellence but also through enduring community impact, trusted relationships, and a deep understanding of the city’s unique character. Our portfolio tells the story of a city evolving — blending Fort Worth’s rich history with forward-thinking innovation. Guided by design integrity and a client-centered approach, we deliver awardwinning solutions across a diverse range of industries. Our areas of specialization include historic renovation, commercial and office spaces, health care facilities, industrial and manufacturing, religious and community structures, hospitality and

retail, educational and financial institutions, and master planning. Our multidisciplinary team is committed to delivering innovative designs that align with our clients’ visions and the unique character of Fort Worth. WHAT SETS US APART: We listen. We are genuine in our relationships. We lose sleep, so our clients don’t have to! We punch above our weight in competency and efficiency. We bring order to project chaos. STAYING CURRENT: At Schwarz Hanson Architects, we recognize that architecture today is inseparable from technological innovation. Our approach is grounded in leveraging cutting-edge tools and digital intelligence to enhance design quality, project efficiency, and client experience. By weaving advanced technolo -

gies and AI into our practice, Schwarz Hanson Architects continues to push the boundaries of what’s possible in design and delivery — making our process more intelligent, efficient, and responsive to the complexity of contemporary architecture.

PICTURED: Tod Hanson, John Pathak, Brad Naeher, and Gerry Schwarz.

SCHWARZ HANSON ARCHITECTS

2627 Tillar St., Ste. 131, Fort Worth 76107 817.377.3600, schwarz-hanson.com info@schwarz-hanson.com

Amarillo National Bank, Fort Worth Branch

SPECIALTY: Amarillo National Bank provides a complete range of financial services — from everyday essentials like checking and savings accounts, credit cards, and personal loans to major milestones such as mortgages, business and commercial loans. And when it’s time to plan ahead, our wealth and investment management experts are here to guide your future. WHAT SETS THEM APART: ANB stands as the nation’s largest family-owned bank, proudly continuing a legacy of over 130 years — with no outside shareholders. What truly sets us apart is our scale. We’re in the ideal “sweet spot” of banking: large enough to deliver robust financial solutions, yet personal enough to prioritize service above all. Our decisions are made locally, and we cut through the red tape to meet your needs with speed and flexibility.

AMARILLO NATIONAL BANK

4501 Camp Bowie Blvd. Fort Worth 76107

682.354.2700 anb.com

PICTURED: (back, left to right) Ryan Snell, Harper Bunnett, Emily Arce, Weston Santleben; (front, left to right) Jackson Julson, Ally Hundley, and Eric Reed.

Faces of B2B

Burnett’s Staffing

SPECIALTY: Burnett’s Staffing has been a trusted name in the Dallas-Fort Worth staffing industry since 1966. They’ve built a reputation as the go-to experts for connecting top talent with leading employers in the region. Their deep roots in the community and unmatched understanding of the local job market make them the face of staffing in the DFW area. WHAT SETS THEM APART: What sets Burnett’s apart is their personalized approach, deep talent pool built over decades, and a mission to make a difference every day — for their clients, candidates, and the community. STAYING CURRENT: Listening to employers’ and job seekers’ requirements provides real-time insights into pay rates, job openings, and skill trends. They combine these local insights with recruiting technology and data tools to track hiring patterns, improve efficiency, and deliver fast, targeted solutions.

BURNETT’S STAFFING

2710 Avenue E East Arlington 76011

817.640.5255

burnetts.com

PICTURED: Paul Burnett, Brayden Burnett, Scott Clutter, Casey Kelley, Gabby Rojo, Shelley Caldwell, and Nikki Howard.

CMIT Solutions - TriTex (DFW, Houston, & San Antonio)

SPECIALTY: Since 1999, CMIT Solutions TriTex has proudly called Fort Worth home. Over the years, it has expanded its footprint throughout DFW, Houston, and San Antonio, but Fort Worth remains its headquarters. CMIT specializes as the outsourced cyber security and IT department for professional services companies (CPAs, law firms, financial services) as well as manufacturing companies. WHY CLIENTS CHOOSE THEM: CMIT has a national presence as an MSP but with local owners that give back to their communities. WHAT SETS THEM APART: CMIT provides excellent customer service that is all based locally in Texas. HOW THEY STAY UP TO DATE: CMIT stays at the forefront of technology by attending leading IT conferences, strengthening vendor partnerships, and continuously enhancing services through training on trusted, high-quality products — ensuring that customers always receive the best solutions available.

PICTURED: Matt McCracken, CEO & President.

CMIT Solutions

2501 Park View Lane, Ste. 330 Fort Worth 76102

817.332.2648 cmitsolutions.com/dallas-fortworth-tx mmccracken@cmitsolutions.com

Faces of B2B

Griffith Davison, P.C.

SPECIALTY: At Griffith Davison, we have spent decades helping businesses build more than just projects — we help them build legacies. With deep roots in Fort Worth and across Texas, our firm has become a trusted name in construction and real estate law. We work with general contractors, developers, commercial property owners, and business leaders who need legal partners who understand the ins and outs of their industry. WHAT SETS THEM APART: We are not just lawyers, we are advisors, problem-solvers, and fierce advocates. Whether we are drafting complex contracts or closing high-stakes real estate deals, our team brings clarity, strategy, and confidence to every step. HOW THEY STAY CURRENT: Our attorneys are active in industry associations like TEXO and the ABA Forum on Construction Law, regularly speaking at conferences and engaging in leadership roles.

GRIFFITH DAVISON, P.C.

464 Bailey Ave., Ste. 220 Fort Worth 76107

817.894.8900 information@griffithdavison.com

PICTURED: Kimber Davison, J.P. Neyland, Grant Jordan, Brandon Schuelke, and Jason Cagle.

Mecca Management Solutions, LLC

SPECIALTY: Mecca Management is a boutique consultancy specializing in tailored talent management and business development solutions. With deep local expertise and a multi-industry background, they help North Texas employers shape mission-driven cultures and achieve growth. Their services include executive search, compensation strategy, coaching, and scalable staffing, alongside expansion strategies in talent management, managed care, and employee benefits. WHAT SETS THEM APART: With 40-plus years of proven expertise, Mecca Management brings a seasoned approach to talent management. Led by CEO Marnese Elder—whose executive leadership spans major corporations, government agencies, and nonprofits—their global portfolio reflects excellence in managed care and executive

strategy. STAYING CURRENT: Mecca Management incorporates talent management trends, technologies, and compliance regulations as they lead round table discussions and provide expert panel advice for industry events and conferences. PICTURED: Marnese Barksdale Elder, CEO; Morgan Mangana, President.

MECCA MANAGEMENT SOLUTIONS, LLC

1201 E. Terrell Ave. Fort Worth 76104

817.939.2621

meccams.com melder@meccams.com

Faces of B2B

Corporate Event Space

PINSTACK

SPECIALTY: PINSTACK offers a fun and unique indoor venue year-round for group events of 10 to 1,000 guests. Private meeting rooms equipped with Wi-Fi and advanced A/V are available to get business done before the real fun begins. Event packages include meeting space, full-service catering and bar packages, plus activities everyone will enjoy. WHAT SETS THEM APART: PINSTACK offers unforgettable experiences for every kind of event. With state-of-the-art bowling lanes, laser tag, a towering rock-climbing wall, high ropes course, and an expansive arcade, it’s more than just a venue — it’s a playground for adults and kids alike. Private meeting rooms and full-service catering elevate corporate meetings, group outings, and team-building events for memorable gatherings. PINSTACK group services and sales team work closely together alongside each client to plan and execute the perfect event.

PINSTACK

6205 Dallas Parkway Plano 75024

972.781.2695

pinstackbowl.com

PICTURED: Valerie Gaytan, Emily Churchman, Mary Wekesa, Nathan White, Chris Harte, Shawn Stevens, and Kaylah Smith.

Priority Signs & Graphics

SPECIALTY: PS&G is a full-service sign company specializing in custom interior and exterior signage for businesses moving into new buildings or leased spaces. With expert staff across design, permitting, fabrication, installation, and service, we handle signage projects from start to finish. We’re licensed by the TDLR as an electrical sign contractor and employ two master sign electricians and seven journeymen. WHAT SETS THEM APART: We handle every step — from design to installation — in-house, ensuring top-tier quality, value, and service. Unlike others who outsource, we’re fully licensed, insured, and UL-certified. With our 5-star Google rating, customer satisfaction is our top priority. STAYING CURRENT: As active members of ISA, TSA, and Sign World, we attend annual conventions to connect with vendors, discover new products, and stay on top of industry trends. We continuously invest in our business — upgrading equipment and improving

processes — to deliver innovative, high-quality signage. PICTURED: Curt & Janice Horak.

PRIORITY SIGNS & GRAPHICS  2865 Market Loop Southlake 76092

817.260.0700

prioritysignsandgraphics.com sales@psgdfw.com

Faces of B2B

Silver Oak Commercial Realty

SPECIALTY: With deep roots in the local market, Silver Oak Commercial Realty has successfully brokered building and land sales while representing landlords and tenants across the commercial real estate landscape. Our longstanding partnerships with city planners and council members reflect our commitment to shaping Fort Worth’s future through thoughtful land development. WHAT SETS THEM APART: With over 75 years of combined experience, we partner with clients who value and act on our strategic recommendations, ensuring each listing reaches its full potential. HOW THEY STAY CURRENT: We stay ahead of industry developments through active participation in the Society of Commercial Realtors, North Texas CCIM, and the Fort Worth and other area Chambers of

Commerce. We also invest in the future of real estate by supporting the Texas Tech Rawls College of Business Real Estate Center, helping students build successful careers in the field. PICTURED: Jim Leatherwood, LeAnn Brown, Russ Webb, CCIM.

SILVER OAK COMMERCIAL REALTY

920 S. Main St., Ste. 100 Grapevine 76051

817.849.8282 silveroakcre.com

What Not To Say

WORDS BY VIANEI BRAUN AND KIALA ELLINGSON

Recently we were asked to speak on an interesting topic: “What Not to Say.”

The topic was more challenging than it might seem. We were speaking to an audience of sophisticated HR professionals and business owners. They didn’t need a lecture on avoiding sexist or racist jokes. They wanted meaningful advice based on actual court cases.

We scoured the case law for unexpected patterns and traps for the unwary. Here are three insights.

1. Beware of Good Intentions

There is an old saying about the road paved with good intentions. It can indeed lead to a bad place, at least according to the case law.

For example, one notable case involved a promotion decision. The best qualified applicant, a tenured female employee, was the mother of four children, including 6-yearold triplets. The decision-maker commented in an email: “Oh, my – I did not know you had triplets. Bless you!”

After a less qualified candidate was selected, the decision-maker made an ill-fated attempt to soften the blow: “It was nothing you did or didn’t do … you just have a lot on your plate right now.”

Not surprisingly, a successful lawsuit ensued.

Similar cases involved comments like:

• “No job is worth your mental health.”

• “We figured you would not consider relocating — your husband’s job is here.”

• “Surely you don’t want to work long hours at this stage in your career.”

The takeaway: Well-intentioned discrimination is still discrimination. Also, don’t make assumptions about what you think an employee might want.

2. The Customer Isn’t Always Right Employment law jurisprudence includes many “customer preference” cases. The takeaway is simple: Federal and state

antidiscrimination laws supersede customer preferences.

This simple takeaway is not always easy to implement, especially in industries laserfocused on customer satisfaction.

A recent case involved the only Black nursing assistant at a particular hospital. A patient expressed discomfort with the nursing assistant due to race, and assignments were changed as a result.

The nursing assistant sued for race discrimination based on various issues, including the reassignment incident. Supervisors testified “we make it happen for the patient” and conceded they would accommodate a patient’s request even if it was based on a staff member’s race.

The court of appeals found this to be evidence of a racially hostile environment and remanded the case for trial.

3. There Is No Friendship Exception In the workplace, there are no BFFs (best friends forever) — there are only BFFNs (best friends for now).

Workplace alliances often shift over time, and what once was harmless banter becomes Exhibit A in a lawsuit.

One case involved eyebrow-raising comments by a supervisor, referring to a staff member with Mexican ancestry as “a Mexican terrorist in a miniskirt” and teasing her for having a “Mexican brain” when she made an error.

These seemingly inexcusable remarks sound different after learning the supervisor and staff member were close friends, even taking a weeklong vacation together with their respective spouses.

Alas, after the friendship waned and the staff member resigned, there was a race discrimination lawsuit. The court of appeals ultimately dismissed the case but noted it was “a close call.”

In conclusion, make sure your supervisors are aware of these important issues. Good intentions, customer preferences, and

friendship do not offer protection. Rely instead on respect, professionalism, and vigilance.

Vianei Braun is a shareholder at Decker Jones P.C. She represents employers in a wide variety of industries and provides litigation and administrative agency defense, compliance assistance, and practical advice.

Kiala Ellingson is an associate attorney at Decker Jones P.C., where she focuses on commercial litigation and intellectual property. She has a strong background in STEM that informs her unique interdisciplinary approach to practicing law.

Texas Provides New Protections to Business Managers

WORDS BY PHILIP SPENCER

States are racing to overhaul their laws for business entities due to frequent legal showdowns between mercurial founders and disgruntled shareholders. Texas made itself a more attractive legal home for business by enacting Senate Bill 29 and Senate Bill 2411. For Texas entities, these laws refine the standards for managerial liability through changes to the Texas Business Organizations Code (TBOC). While these changes are intended primarily for public companies, they also benefit private companies, which may now choose to cloak managers with additional protections against breach of fiduciary duty claims (e.g., breach of the duty of care or the duty of loyalty). Shareholders frequently reach for these weapons to challenge executive compensation, deals with “cozy”

counterparties, or corporate strategy.

The changes include a statutory “business judgment rule” that protects corporate directors and officers (“Managerial Officials” in the statute) from mismanagement claims. For adopting private corporations, the rule establishes presumptions that Managerial Officials have carried out official conduct in good faith, on an informed basis, to further the corporation’s interests, and without violating the law or the corporation’s governing documents.

A suing shareholder must disprove one of these presumptions and also show particular facts illustrating the Managerial Official’s conduct involved fraud, intentional misconduct, a knowing violation of law, or acts outside the corporation’s official purpose. Regardless of adoption, the rule doesn’t displace common law protections that Managerial Officials enjoy today. Some businesses will opt to keep the existing Texas business judgment rule with its slightly less generous protections.

If adopted, the new rule also applies to Managerial Officials who transact with the corporation (e.g., lease real estate to the corporation) or approve such transactions. The existing business judgment rule would not protect a Managerial Official who benefited from the transaction.

To help an interested transaction satisfy the TBOC’s requirements, a corporation may now also ask the local business court to confirm that the corporation’s approval committee candidates satisfy the TBOC’s standards. However, this accelerated proceeding creates a platform for contesting shareholders.

Effective Sept. 1, corporations may also insulate their officers from certain money damages. This option was previously only available for corporate directors.

LLCs and limited partnerships also received an optional statutory business judgment rule. Separately, the law makes it clear that these entities may fully waive the fiduciary duties themselves (eliminating the possibility of a claim predicated on those duties). This clears a murky interpretive issue in governance lawsuits.

The new laws also:

Clarify that manager emails, texts, and other electronic communications are generally not

corporate books and records (available for shareholder inspection) unless they carry out corporate action;

Limit a shareholder’s access to corporate books and records when litigation is brewing or pending with the corporation or corporate representatives;

Protect contractual venue clauses (county and court) and jury trial waivers in governing documents; and

Refine the approval requirements for mergers, asset sales, and other major transactions.

Texas courts historically viewed decisions from “the Mother Court of corporate law” as helpful when Texas guidance did not exist, but the new acts now curtail this practice.

After determining the impact on incentives and corporate controls, companies may use these new tools to attract qualified managers and enable confident decisionmaking.

Philip W. Spencer is a shareholder at Decker Jones, P.C. in the Mergers & Acquisitions and Corporate practice groups.

Delaware Overhauls LLC Law: Key Updates Take Effect Aug. 1

WORDS BY ETHAN LENNON

The State of Delaware has amended its Limited Liability Company Act effective Aug. 1, 2025. Changes to the Delaware limited liability company law are closely followed across the nation because many out-of-state company organizers elect to form their LLCs in Delaware. Delaware’s LLC law also serves as a model for other states’ LLC statutes.

The changes to the “LLC Act:"

No Virtual Offices for Registered Agents

The LLC Act was amended to provide that registered agents may not perform their duties solely through the use of a virtual office (that is, through the internet or other means of remote communication), the retention by the agent of a mail-forwarding service, or both.

Ratification or Waiver of Void or Voidable Acts or Transactions of Individuals

Section 18-106(e) of the LLC Act provides a safe harbor for the ratification or waiver of void or voidable acts or transactions taken in respect of a Delaware limited liability company. Existing Delaware case law has

determined that, as currently drafted, this safe harbor procedure (i) is limited to ratification or waiver of a limited liability company’s own acts, not the acts of its members acting in their individual capacity, and (ii) does not apply to ratification or waiver by conduct.

The amendments to the LLC Act clarify that the procedure for ratification or waiver of void or voidable acts or transactions taken in respect of a limited liability company (i) applies to both acts of the company and acts of members, managers, or other persons, whether acting in their individual capacity or on behalf of the company, and (ii) may involve express or implied ratification or waiver, including ratification or waiver by the statements, action, inaction, or acquiescence of or by the relevant members, managers, or other persons.

The amendment also adds additional language to the LLC Act to clarify that, in circumstances where §18-106(e) of the LLC Act requires that notification of a ratification or waiver be given, the giving of such notice is not a condition to the effectiveness of the ratification or waiver.

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Fine art prints from our award-winning photographers are now available. Get yours today at art.fwtx.com or scan the QR code on your mobile phone.

Certificates of Correction — Nullification of Previously Filed Certificates

Amendments to certain sections of the LLC Act relating to Certificates of Correction to clarify that, in addition to correcting a previously filed certificate, a Certificate of Correction may also be used to nullify a previously filed certificate by specifying the inaccuracy or defect in the previously filed certificate and stating that such previously filed certificate is nullified or void.

Certificates of Consolidation — Attachments

The section of the LLC Act relating to Certificates of Consolidation was amended to add a new provision that provides that, in the event of a consolidation where the resulting entity from the consolidation is a Delaware LLC, the Certificate of Formation of such resulting LLC must be attached to the Certificate of Consolidation.

Amendments to Company Agreement for (i) Division of LLC or (ii) Merger of Registered Series

The existing LLC Act provides that an LLC’s company agreement may be amended in connection with a merger or consolidation of the LLC. The LLC Act was amended to provide that an LLC’s company agreement may also be amended in connection with (i) a division of the LLC or (ii) a merger or consolidation of a registered series.

Payment of Annual Taxes Prior to Filing Certificate of Cancellation

Existing provisions of the LLC Act specify that annual taxes for an LLC shall be paid upon the cancellation of the LLC’s Certificate of Formation. The LLC Act was amended to clarify that, when an LLC is terminated by the filing of a Certificate of Cancellation, the full amount of annual taxes for the year in which the Certificate of Cancellation is filed must be paid by the LLC prior to the filing of the Certificate of Cancellation.

Ethan Lennon is an associate in the Business Transactions department of Cantey Hanger LLP. He is a graduate of SMU Dedman School of Law and Texas A&M. He focuses his practice on business formation, mergers and acquisitions, trademark registration and licensing, and other business transactions. Visit canteyhanger.com.

WORDS BY ERIC KELLEY Banking

Another Brick in the Wall of Worry

The second quarter of 2025 was filled with unexpected, sometimes volatile events in both the geopolitical arena and the financial markets. We endured ongoing confrontation and uncertainty on two fronts: the global tariff war and an unexpected military conflict that erupted in the Middle East. As June ended and summer started, it appeared the worst of the issues were behind us, and some optimism was returning to the markets, but uncertainty remains elevated.

The Global Tariff War Raged On

Early in the second quarter, a quid pro quo of heavy tariffs were launched between the U.S. and its primary trading partners, and it appeared that no negotiations were going to occur. For several weeks, we were faced with a growing likelihood that the tariff war was going to lead to global gridlock. By midApril we had experienced a 19% selloff in the S&P. Simultaneously, the bond markets came under pressure, pushing interest rates violently higher. It was at that point that the administration expressed a willingness to negotiate with our trade partners, and the markets began to stabilize.

In the weeks since, we've suffered through ongoing fits and starts with regard to the tariff negotiations, but since negotiations are occurring, it gives us hope that the tariff issues will be resolved before year end.

Farewell to Arms

In mid-June, Israel initiated military attacks against Iran in an attempt to eliminate their

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Thank you to the sponsors of the 2025 Best Companies to Work For Awards Luncheon held on Aug. 14 at River Ranch Stockyards.

WINNER SPONSORS:

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HUB Fort Worth

ID Technology, LLC

Joe Hall Roofing and Contracting

Muckleroy & Falls

Post L Group

Ronald McDonald House of Fort Worth

Southside Bank

TTI Inc

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nuclear capabilities. During the next week, the U.S. decided to join in the campaign by initiating a strike against three key nuclear installments. This type of event would typically trigger a powerful risk off cycle, driving equity prices sharply lower. However, the financial markets were largely stable during the episode.

As the quarter closed, it appeared that the strikes were successful and that no further conflict would occur. Consequently, the markets continued to push higher through the end of June, with the S&P up nearly 11% for the quarter and 6% for the YTD.

The Fed: Still in a Pickle

As tariff wars and Middle East conflict unfolded, the Fed was under constant pressure from the administration to cut rates. However, inflation continues to be stuck well above the Fed's long-term target, and virtually all historical experience suggests that tariffs are certain to push inflation even higher.

With the news around tariff efforts changing literally daily, it is nearly impossible for the Fed to estimate the future path for inflation. They have steadfastly communicated that their next rate move will almost certainly be lower, but they have also made it clear that they need more clarity on the tariff situation before they can initiate cuts.

It is broadly assumed that tariffs, wherever they land, will likely dampen economic activity while simultaneously pushing inflation higher.

We believe the Fed is simply looking for some level of certainty about where the average tariff rate will land before they begin cutting rates. We would expect that the administration would like to have these issues nearing resolution as we approach year-end. For that reason, we see the Fed rate cuts starting late in the year.

The Outlook

The resilience of the equity market is encouraging and welcome. As the market climbs the "wall of worry," there is lingering concern that investors may have become "comfortably numb" — the markets seem to have desensitized to what would normally be quite alarming events. Equity valuations

have pushed back up to historically high levels, which is cautionary given the amount of uncertainty still in the system. The tariff campaign will continue to throw surprises our way for some time.

There is no precedent for what ultimate impact tariffs will have on growth and profitability — and there is a risk that both will suffer in the early stages after tariff implementation. It will temporarily push inflation even higher than it is now, with tariffs calming down by December. Paired with the potential for lower rates in early 2026, consumer sentiment may see an uptick with positive economic momentum heading into the new year.

As you digest the news of the quarter, remember financial teams are here to provide you with peace of mind about your financial future. Anchoring to a sound, long-term financial plan and investment strategy will help everyone weather storms like these.

Eric Kelley is the chief investment officer at UMB Bank.

How To Give More While Living Well

LWORDS BY WES SHANNON

ast year I took part in a study group of other Certified Financial Planners to specifically look at the financial planning needs of childless couples and individuals.

A book we were reading in the study group presented a philosophical thought that I have since come to adopt. The idea that the amount of an estate a person leaves at death represents the value of joy

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Wealth Management

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that person failed to experience during their life. For example, if a person dies with a $1 million estate, that is $1 million of joy that person was denied during their lifetime.

The joy of doing something they love or the joy of giving that money to others.

We are having more discussions with clients, both with heirs and those without heirs, about making sure they experience as much joy as possible from their lifetime of savings. Some elderly clients have hired our firm to help them give away their estate in a tax-sensible way and to make sure they don’t run out of money for themselves.

Many people have found themselves in their senior years of life giving to their favorite charities but not getting a tax deduction because of the increased standard deductions that apply to people over 65. Often these clients don’t have mortgages or if they do, they are at very low interest rates. Because they don’t have many deductions to itemize, even their charitable contributions are not higher than the standard deductions.

However, there are strategies to get around such rules and to allow more tax benefits to the donors. Here are some popular options:

• Qualified Charitable Deductions from an IRA. If you are over the age of 70 ½, you may make a QCD directly to the charity you choose from your IRA. One can give up to $105,000 individually ($210,000 if married) each year. This gift from the IRA can satisfy Required Minimum Distributions, so, in effect, it is a full tax deduction over and above the standard deductions.

• Gift of life insurance or annuities. Giving old life insurance policies or annuities that are no longer needed can avoid recognizing the taxable gains in the contracts, give a tax deduction equal to the premiums paid, and help a favorite charity.

• Setting up a Donor Advised Fund. DAFs are separate accounts administered by financial institutions, mutual fund companies, and foundations that allow a person to make irrevocable, tax-deductible contributions and then instruct the fund to pay out the proceeds to qualified charitable organizations that the donor selects. If a person is giving

$10,000 a year to a charitable organization and not getting above the standard deduction, the same person could give $50,000 in one year to the DAF (exceeding the standard deduction) and make $10,000 annual gifts to the charitable organization over the next five years. DAFs do not have a limit on the amount of money donated to them in a year, but the donations are subject to the IRS charitable limits. Gifts from the DAF are made anonymously, and there are no required minimum amounts that must be given each year. Gifts can only be to qualified charitable organizations and not to individuals.

• Private Foundations. Private foundations act like DAFs, except the gifts are from the named foundation, allowing relationships to be made with the donor and charitable organizations. PFs must give out each year at least 5% of the foundation’s principal endowment. Gifts can be made to individuals who qualify for the policies laid down by the foundation to achieve its goals. Goals can be for scholarships, support of small businesses, poverty relief, or whatever the donor sets as a foundations goal and purpose.

In addition to supporting charitable organizations, a client will wish to give to children, grandchildren, nieces, and nephews, and other individuals. For 2025, one can give up to $19,000 to any one individual without having to submit a gift tax return. A husband and wife could double this and give $38,000 to each child or individual. For clients who have large estates, I encourage them to give gifts while they are alive to help the children and grandchildren, thus experiencing that joy of gifting while alive.

All of these strategies have costs and rules with them, and the guidance of a Certified Financial Planner practitioner™ is recommended before deciding whether one or more of these ideas are right for you. Think about the joy that can be experienced while you are alive.

Wes Shannon CFP® is a Certified Financial Planning Professional for Brazos Wealth Advisors in Fort Worth.

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“Every

— Emily T.

135 and Growing

With a bold

vision and fresh momentum, President Emily Messer is steering Texas Wesleyan into its next era.

WORDS BY JOHN HENRY

IMAGE BY RICHARD W. RODRIGUEZ

Texas Wesleyan University is celebrating a milestone birthday throughout the 202526 academic calendar.

Fort Worth’s oldest higher education institution is turning 135 years old.

Leading the university into its next chapter is Dr. Emily Messer, the school’s 21st president and first female leader, appointed in 2023 and formally installed the next year.

“We are really inviting and encouraging our community, our city, and our stakeholders to celebrate with us,” Messer says. “We don't want to do this silo, just within the institution. We want it to be a celebration for the entire city of Fort Worth. We are the founding institution of higher education in the city.”

Messer is a member of the Fort Worth Inc. The 500, the list of the city’s most influential members.

Wesleyan opened in 1891 with 111 students. It opened the 2025 fall semester with its fourth consecutive year of increased enrollment of more than 2,500 students.

Messer is at the helm of a school on the move, closing in on achieving a $40 million capital campaign and construction of a longawaited football stadium on the west side of campus that is poised to bring renewed life to the East Rosedale corridor, which now includes the university collaborating with the city on revitalizing Polytechnic Heights through the Main Street Program.

It will be, she says, “another step forward in connecting our campus with the broader community and ensuring a vibrant future for the area.”

Also, a new strategic plan for the next few decades is in the works, she says from her office in the Oneal-Sells Administration Building.

“It's exciting to look at the future,” Messer says. “We're working on so many things. We can't share a whole lot right now, but once we launch our strategic plan, it's going to be really exciting.”

The east, where the sun rises, has held significant places in literature and scripture. It symbolizes new beginnings and is frequently associated with spirituality, wisdom, and enlightenment.

And, so, it is that Texas Wesleyan remains a bright light on Fort Worth’s East Side.

Wesleyan is riding a wave of momentum that began with the sale of its law school to Texas A&M in 2013 and is surging with a resurrected football program that has fulfilled all of the school’s hopes and

dreams when then-President Fred

brought it back for the 2017 season.

Messer was raised in a blue-collar home in a small community outside of Gadsden, Alabama. Her father was a firefighter, and her mother made her profession managing the home.

She went to Jacksonville State University, earning a bachelor’s in English, a master’s in public administration, and, lastly, a doctorate in higher education from University of Alabama.

Messer’s immediate past experience was in the role of vice president for advancement and enrollment management at Jacksonville State University in Alabama.

She warns that she will likely “bore you to tears” about her message of “our people, our place, and our programs.”

“I think that’s why I’m so passionate about working in higher education, because my college experience molded me into who I am today,” she says. “I think what we do here is transforming lives of students.”

Slabach