From health care to IT, telecom, construction, real estate and energy, our inaugural class of fastest-growing companies runs the gamut
TONY FORD’S SUCCESSFUL ENTREPRENEURSHIP
The high cost of low self-awareness
OH, GEAR
Executives, hunting enthusiasts in their off-time, dish on their favorite gear
RUNNING TOWARD THE ROAR
How one entrepreneur responded when it looked like his dream was crushed
Richard Gartner, Trinity Commercial Construction
New location. Same exceptional service.
Whitley Penn was established in 1983 and today has grown to almost five times our original size. As we continue to grow and expand, our move to Frost Tower in downtown Fort Worth was only a natural next step. The move brings us closer to our clients and the downtown business community. The move brings us closer to you. whitleypenn.com
Whitley Penn Fort Worth Partners
3,000
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Contents / Features
January / February 2019
34 Fort Worth’s FastestGrowing Companies
Sometimes, growth comes at you fast. Take it from these Fort Worth companies that are doing it the fastest. Fort Worth Inc.’s inaugural roster includes businesses representing a diverse set of industries, from IT to footwear, construction to health care. Thirty companies made the list this year — so which ranked No. 1?
52 Top Attorneys The city’s best lawyers, as voted by their peers.
6 Publisher’s Note Bizz Buzz
9 Bizz Buzz: Meet the architect behind our Dream Office and find out what our EOE winners tote in their workbags.
12 Face Time:
New competitors and a change in leadership shifted things for Ensemble Coworking. But 2019 is shaping up to be a year of growth.
14 Stay Informed: Tips for improving your local SEO.
Executive Life & Style
18 Distinctive Style: Office gone casual? The looks you need in 2019.
20 Wine and Dine: No brick-and-mortar?
No problem. These local restaurants are thriving off changing menus and secret guests lists.
22 Tech: The one gadget these CEOs don’t go hunting without.
24 Health and Fitness: Life’s a marathon for these local influencers. Literally.
26 Office Space: A Piggly Wiggly turns PRIM.
30 Off the Clock: Fort Worth execs who like things fast and furious.
Columns/Departments
70 Running Toward the Roar: When one door closes and another door closes, the CEO of Freedom Powersports finds a way to get it open.
72 EO Spotlight: How one EO member got to “Shark Tank” — and walked away with a deal with Barbara Corcoran.
74 Analyze This/Insurance: The small business impact of Trump’s executive order on health insurance.
76 Analyze This/Energy: Growth in oil and gas took a plunge in the fourth quarter.
78 Analyze This/Real Estate: From school finance reform to the elimination of daylight saving time, Fort Worth Realtors are keeping an eye on these legislative bills.
80 Analyze This/Wealth: The impact of one recent court case is bringing changes to retail and state taxes. Here’s what you need to know.
82 Analyze This/Legal and Tax: Salaried or keeping time? A mistake in pay practices can result in lawsuits if an employer is not careful.
84 Business Leadership/Successful Entrepreneurship: Know thyself.
86 Business Leadership/Management Tips: Nine ways to protect your business from cyber criminals.
88 Day in the Life: The president and CEO of United Way of Tarrant County starts his day with coffee and hopes to end it with cocktails.
Special Advertising Section
61 The Registry: Leaders in Fort Worth’s Legal Industry
See what our family can do for yours.
Heritage Land Bank is proud to support the young men and women of 4-H and FFA –like Ty Ashworth. Ty’s interest in cattle was inspired by his grandfather, Bill Ashworth –someone we know well. That’s because we’ve been serving the Ashworth family for five generations, including Ty. Despite being in high school, Ty has already taken out his first livestock loan with us to raise his own cattle. He also plans to apply for one of our scholarships to help fulfill his dream of becoming a game warden. For the Ashworths, cattle ranching is a family business. But at Heritage Land Bank, the Ashworths are our family business.
You Heard It Here First
Dallas will become Fort Worth’s
“suburban village” in 2045.
Two weeks ago, doing research for a speech I was going to be giving at our Fort Worth Magazine 20th anniversary reception, I came across a 2013 story in Texas Monthly written by Tim Rogers, the editor of D Magazine, titled “Don’t Call It the Metroplex.” Growing up in Fort Worth, I originally assumed that Metroplex was simply a catchphrase word that meant a city and its outer contiguous cities, like Fort Worth, Arlington and Dallas. It was not until my late 20s that I learned the word was not used in any area other than here.
In Rogers’ article, he shares that the word “Metroplex” was invented by the ad agency TracyLocke in the early 1970s to help brand the North Texas region with the construction of DFW Airport. As a way of introducing the new word to the rest of the country, a two-page ad spread was placed in a 1973 issue of Fortune Magazine.
Rogers went on to discuss the many reasons he doesn’t like the word “Metroplex,” for which I totally agree. I was actually enjoying the story … until Rogers’ closing three sentences. And I quote … “So what should we call the place? How about we just call the whole thing Dallas? No one gives a shit about Fort Worth anyway.” And the crosstown’s sibling rivalry continues. To be fair, Rogers didn’t likely, really mean what he wrote, and he didn’t initiate this lighthearted press fight. The rivalry between the two cities has been going on for well over a century, starting with an 1875 article in the Dallas Daily Herald referring to Cowtown as Dallas’ “suburban village.”
When Rogers’ story was published six years ago, Fort Worth had a population of 796,161. Today, we are 874,168 strong. Ac-
cording to the Texas Water Development Board’s recent projections, our population will approach 1.5 million in 2040, making Fort Worth the fastest-growing major city in Texas. Using this growth rate (and you heard it here first), Dallas will become Fort Worth’s “suburban village” in 2045, when our population reaches 1,621,338, compared to Dallas’ 1,580,197.
Speaking to fastest-growing, these days, companies are recognized not only by what they can do, but how quickly they can get there. Fort Worth’s budding entrepreneurial scene is replete with stories of rapidly growing ventures that have made significant contributions to our local economy. And, while I have always enjoyed reading the Inc. 5000 fastest-growing private companies list each year, I am often left frustrated with the coverage of Fort Worth companies represented on the list. Hence, for the first time, we have produced our own Fort Worth Inc. fastest-growing companies list to reveal and recognize the fastest-growing private companies in Fort Worth.
Beginning on page 34, editor Scott Nishimura unpacks these companies’ stories that run the gamut, from health care, to finance, digital marketing, real estate, construction, law, defense, consumer goods, retail, IT and land services. With average revenues of $30 million and average growth of 52 percent, these 30 businesses are changing the landscape of Fort Worth and helping fuel our city’s explosive growth.
Hal A. Brown owner/publisher
cfo charles newton cdo robby kyser To subscribe to Fort Worth Inc. magazine, or to ask questions regarding your subscription, call 817.560.6111 or go to fwtx.com/fwinc.
Worth Inc. is published bi-monthly by Panther City Media Group LP, 6777 Camp Bowie Blvd, Suite 130, Fort Worth, TX 76116. Postage Paid at Fort Worth, Texas. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Fort Worth Magazine, 6777 Camp Bowie Blvd, Suite 130, Fort Worth, TX 76116. Volume 5, Number 1, January/ February 2019. Basic Subscription
or via email at snishimura@fwtexas.com.
2019 CALL FOR NOMINATIONS
We are looking for those entrepreneurs whose vision, creativity and integrity have made Fort Worth the premier place to do business. Fort Worth Inc.’s Entrepreneur of Excellence Awards showcase and honor the contributions of exceptional entrepreneurs in the following areas:
• Construction, Commercial
• Construction, Residential
• Energy
• Health Care and Life Sciences
• Hospitality
• Manufacturing
• Media/Communications/PR
• Professional Services
• Real Estate
• Retail
• Transportation, Logistics and Distribution
Finalists from each category will be featured in the May issue of Fort Worth Inc. Anyone can nominate an exceptional entrepreneur –you can even nominate yourself.
To nominate an outstanding entrepreneur today, go to fwtx.com/fwinc/eoe.
Deadline is January 14.
Gold Sponsor:
Platinum Sponsor:
Passionately Pursuing Excellence
Rooted in our Core Values, Trinity works with businesses and architects at a detailed level, to build the client’s vision of their project. This approach has led to Trinity Commercial Construction’s continued growth year over year. This is why we are one of the Fastest Growing Companies in DFW. New Commercial Construction
Commercial Construction Remodel Multi-Phase Commercial Construction Projects
Bizz Buzz
News / Face Time / Stay Informed
Designing The River District
The Beck Group, designer of Fort Worth Inc.’s 2019 Dream Office, has been building its Fort Worth portfolio for 14 years. BY
SCOTT NISHIMURA
The Beck Group, architect of Fort Worth Inc.’s 2019 Dream Office project under construction in the West Side River District, has been building its resume for years.
The firm, with a Fort Worth office for 14 years, is general contractor for the new Dickies Arena under construction. It built Sundance Square Plaza, including the Com-
merce and Westbrook buildings downtown, and it built the Piano Pavilion at the Kimbell Art Museum. Its longstanding relationship with TCU includes the TCU Frog Alley Parking Garage, which it designed and built. Beck also is making a big push into design.
“We’ve been known as a construction firm, but important for us building our reputation as a designer,” Scot Bennett,
regional director of Beck’s Fort Worth office says.
Beck has designed several buildings in The River District, a mixed-use West Side development led by developer Fort Capital.
The Dream Office is the first of Beck’s buildings, a 22,000-square-foot building underway at White Settlement Road and Nursery Lane. PRIM Construction is
Scot Bennett and Hoyt Hammer
“Like a lot of relationships in Fort Worth, they take time to build.”
– Scot Bennett, Beck regional director
the general contractor, and Royer Commercial is designing furnishings for the interior common areas and rooftop deck. The Dream Office, rapidly filling with tenants, will follow an old-industrial style, with 1800s-era interior brick salvaged from a defunct factory in South Carolina. The exterior brick will be of a vintage style.
As in the long-running series of Dream Homes and Showcase Homes put on by Fort Worth Inc.’s sister publication, Fort Worth Magazine, Fort Worth Inc. and PRIM Construction are teaming with some of the area’s finest vendors to build a project with the latest design trends and amenities. The $3.6 million building is scheduled to be complete in the spring.
The Dream Office, and Beck’s series of planned follow-up buildings it’s designed in the district for Fort Capital, is an opportunity for Beck to showcase its design capabilities. The firm has seven designers in its Fort Worth office. “As we’ve really tried to push design out there, we’ve been slowly recruiting talent,” Hoyt Hammer, a Fort Worth office principal, says. About 25 percent of Fort Worth office projects are design-build, which allows the firm to manage clients’ expectations more easily. “I want to work with my own construction people,” Hammer says.
Traditionally, clients separate design and build. “It’s difficult to tear [the silos] down,” Hammer says. “The newer generation is looking at what we’re doing from an integration perspective a lot more closely. The pendulum hasn’t swung yet. It’s still very traditional.”
Beck began developing its relationship with Fort Capital several years ago when Hammer and Fort Capital’s CEO, Chris Powers, met. The relationship kicked into higher gear early in 2017, and Fort Capital brought Beck on to design several buildings in the River District. “Like a lot of relationships in Fort Worth, they take time to build,” Bennett says.
SPOTLIGHT ON: ENTREPRENEUR OF EXCELLENCE
What do our EOE winners carry around in their briefcases?
Laptop, portfolio with legal pads and a wine opener! -Brent Tipps
I keep the Full Focus Planner by Michael Hyatt in my briefcase. It is designed to help you connect your daily tasks to your biggest goals.
-Nolan Bradshaw
My briefcase is a backpack that I throw over my shoulder. It has my laptop, a flexible plastic folder with separations to keep all my paperwork, a bunch of pens, my reading glasses, a phone charger, gum and a motivational book to read if I am stuck far away from the office, and there’s a lot of time between appointments!
-John Hill
I don’t carry a briefcase but a backpack. Because of several overseas trips this year where medical care is sparse, I have a wide assortment of things healthrelated. When I got home, it didn’t seem necessary to take anything out, so if you are with me and need something to make you feel well, chances are I might have it. -Randall Meinen
DIGITAL WINDOW
My bag is not too exciting, but my bags are pretty sweet. Handmade by my buddy, Denton Hunker [drummer for Green River Ordinance], who owns Hunker Bag Co. -Jamey Ice
Find these stories and more business news on FWTX.com.
Fort Worth real estate company M2G Ventures is producing a short film on mental health, teaming up with photographer Rambo Elliott and Red Productions president Red Sanders. The film is expected to premiere early this year.
READ MORE: Local Real Estate Company Ventures Into Filmmaking With Focus on Mental Health
With businesses and industries contributing two-thirds of the city’s total waste, the City of Fort Worth is working to inform companies about resources available to revise and improve disposal.
READ MORE: Got Trash? With Landfill Space Decreasing, Fort Worth Ups Efforts to Divert Waste
A former roundhouse near University Drive is transforming into a restaurant called Rogers Roundhouse, serving burgers, beer and Curly’s Frozen Custard. The restaurant plans to open early this year.
In her third year, Ensemble Coworking owner Tamara Payne adjusts to competition and life as an entrepreneur.
BY SCOTT NISHIMURA
As an entrepreneur in a business that's kind of getting chewed up by the big dogs, I lost sight of who we are.
It’s been a full third year in business for Ensemble Coworking, the independent coworking spot at 1617 Park Place Ave. on the Near Southside. New competitors continued to enter Fort Worth, including WeWork and Craftwork Coffee Co., and Ensemble shed market share in the first two quarters. “You think you have it, and then that next guy comes in,” Payne, who opened Ensemble in April 2016, says. Her twin high school seniors graduated in the spring. And she and her business partner and co-founder Dawn Shannon parted ways, with Shannon deciding to go full time into business coaching.
“She’s still a member here, we still lift each other, we still help each other,” says Payne, who with Shannon, won Fort Worth Inc.’s
2018 Entrepreneur of Excellence award in the Supporter of Entrepreneurship category. Payne spent the third quarter taking a deep dive into Ensemble’s niche, compared to its competitors, and refocused on Ensemble’s positioning as a “collaborative business community, where people go to grow and scale their business, not just to rent a space.” Payne invested in Ensemble’s offices in a strip center nestled between the Mistletoe Heights and Fairmount neighborhoods, adding windows to the rear tenant offices. “We’re going to paint the front of the building,” Payne says. Payne also served on the organizing committees for Fort Worth’s Startup Weekend, Startup Crawl and Global Entrepreneurship Week, and organized a women’s weekend for global week. She served as emcee for the Fort Worth Business Assistance Center 2018 Business Plan Competition and mentored the Johns Hopkins University team in TCU’s annual Richards Barrentine Values and Ventures international collegiate business plan competition.
Market share rebounded in the year’s second half, Payne says. “As an entrepreneur in a business that’s kind of getting chewed up by the big dogs, I lost sight of who we are,” she says. And 2019 promises to be a year of growth. “Ensemble 2 will be coming in 2019, and possibly Ensemble 3,” she says. Payne’s not saying where, other than, “It will be in the suburbs.”
How to Improve Your Local SEO
In the age of Google-everything, some of Fort Worth’s top marketing agencies have a few tricks for getting your business more visibility on search engines — for a local audience.
BY SAMANTHA CALIMBAHIN
James Canington, Director of Marketing, Ardent Creative
• Set up Google My Business. Create a free listing for your company on Google My Business and be sure to complete the verification process. Don’t forget to ensure your business’s name, address and phone number are correct; this will help customers more easily locate and review your business when searching for you online. It’s important to use authentic photos of your business’s exterior, interior and products or services instead of stock imagery. Google will find and delete stock photos.
• Encourage customers to review your business. Online reviews can help your business rank higher in local search engines and, of course, can influence prospective customers to buy products and services. Solicit Google and Yelp reviews (primarily Google) from your satisfied customers but do so with “keyword intention.” In other words, ask customers to mention the specific product or service in their review (i.e., “He provided the best plumbing service.”) This may help you rank higher in local search engines when people search for that particular keyword. You can offer customers discounts or gifts in exchange for their review.
• Have a “local-friendly” website. Localfriendly websites will always include the company’s name, address and phone number. Be sure to describe the specific geographic locations you serve.
Place an interactive Google map on the site and ensure that it’s pre-set to locate your address.
John Greer, SEO Supervisor, PMG
• View your website copy through the lens of your audience. Brands should speak in a straightforward manner that matches how your customers talk — avoid jargon or being so vague that it doesn’t explain your business.
• Provide customers value on your website, not just content. For example, if you host events, list those on your site and share them on social media. Answer common questions about your services or products. Create articles and videos that explain your services and teach customers relevant tips. Do a bit of research with Google Trends (it’s free!) and talk to your customers to spark ideas.
• Get your website and business a little exposure. Find business affiliations you can join. Talk to local media and influential people in your industry. Sponsor a cause you care about. Search engines care about who mentions and links to your business.
• If you have brick-and-mortar locations, claim your online business listings and fill out any details you can. Start with Google, of course, but don’t overlook Facebook, Yelp, Apple Maps or Bing. This will help your map listings immensely.
• Certain aspects of SEO can also get a bit technical, but don’t be intimated. If you can, spend an hour and learn
HTML; you’ll be able to understand your web developer better. Don’t work with anyone who tells you it’s too complicated or who makes shady promises to “rank you No. 1” at anything.
Claire Brunner, Partner and Executive Vice President of Growth, Enilon
• Think mobile first. While mobile first isn’t a new philosophy, the importance of it keeps getting stronger. Google is rewarding those with mobileoptimized sites and content. This is important for all businesses but especially location-driven businesses. Think on-site and off-site for local, mobile search. This would include your mobile-optimized website, the map pack and other high-authority websites where your content is posted.
• Google My Business is critical. Also known as the “map pack,” how you appear in the Google My Business results is very important for local search — both on the desktop and phone. Make sure your profile is properly set up, that you have a strategy for garnering reviews and enhance your profile by posting relevant content and information to help improve your search results.
• Have an inbound linking strategy. Even if you have the proper pages and SEO tags in place, if Google doesn’t think your site is credible, then your rankings will not be as strong as you want. You need to develop a plan for garnering credible links to key pages within your website to help increase its authority.
• Set metrics for success. Whether your business is service-based or brick-andmortar, it is important to measure the overall success of your program. Are your efforts providing the expected lift? Or should some things shift? If you don’t have a way to track success, then you could be wasting your valuable resources — time and money.
• Keep testing. There is no silver bullet when it comes to SEO, or digital marketing for that matter. It is important to constantly be tweaking and testing your program so you can continue to capture your highest quality customers most efficiently and filling your pipeline of prospects for future growth.
At Gus Bates Insurance, our clients rely on us to help guide them through the complex world of insurance and investments. But t before t
Executive Life & Style
Distinctive Style / Wine and Dine / Tech / Health and Fitness / Office Space / Off the Clock
The companies in our feature story aren't the only folks who do things fast. Turn to page 30 to meet three executives with a need for speed.
Casual Mondays
As workplace dress codes lean toward the lax, here’s how to pull off a comfortable look — while staying professional.
BY SAMANTHA CALIMBAHIN
So, your office policy allows jeans now. Sweet. But there’s a difference between looking like you’re going to work and looking like you’re running errands. We asked shops around town what casual looks are workplace-acceptable. These are their tips.
1. Dressed-up denim. “A great pair of dark jeans can offer loads of versatility to a man’s wardrobe,” says Pax & Parker co-owner Winston Ley. He recommends PAIGE, a brand that uses performance fiber technology to create a softer, stretchy fabric. “Pair it with a lightweight, unstructured blazer, and he’s ready to take on the day.”
2. Japanese cotton twill. If denim is a no-go at your workplace (or you just want to mix things up), Ley recommends PAIGE’s Japanese cotton twill fabrication. “He’ll get the same great fit and comfort he’s used to from PAIGE without the risk of wearing jeans.”
3. Relaxed fabrics. A dress shirt and tie can be replaced with a quality tailored T-shirt, sweater or turtleneck, according to Scott Mitchell, vice president and general manager of Neiman Marcus Fort Worth. Also, lose the shoulder pads on that jacket. And during the winter, layered half-zip sweaters are work-friendly as well.
4. Patterns. Don’t be afraid to think boldly with plaid, tartan or floral prints.
5. Accessories. Add some flare, but do it thoughtfully. “A refined watch from BREDA, an interesting sock from Ace & Everett and a stretch woven belt from Anderson’s can complete any outfit,” Ley says.
1. Prints and patterns. Don’t be shy to mix things up. “When it comes to workwear, you want to be appropriate but also still show your personality and have fun with it,” says Chelsea Stevens, manager at Beehive.
2. Go minimalist. Prints and patterns aren’t the only way to go. Tribe Alive, known for its mission of carrying clothing made by at-risk women around the world, recommends going minimalist with basic but feminine pieces.
3. Midi skirts. A midi skirt is one versatile, officefriendly item to have in the closet. These can be styled with anything from dressy tops to sweaters.
4. Dresses ... and a hat. Dresses are easy — because they’re just one piece, Stevens says. Tone down the formality with booties or a baker hat.
5. Speaking of booties... According to downtown boutique Yours Truly, booties are a more comfortable alternative to heels. And they’re more stylish than flats.
6. Hey, you can still wear suits. A cute top, as opposed to a button-down, can give a traditional suit more personality, Stevens says. “Throw on
some tights and platform Mary Janes to make it even more youthful.” 1 5 5 2
Once You Pop…
No building, no problem. These local supper clubs are finding success as pop-ups; this is how they do it.
BY MARISSA ALVARADO
Pop-up restaurants may not have a physical address per se, but they do have a faithful following of foodies frantically refreshing their inboxes to sign up for the next guest list. If you haven’t yet caught on with the trend, pop-up restaurants (also known as supper clubs) are dinners held at a certain time and place, exclusive to those who sign up for the restaurant’s mailing list.
The trend is finding its footing in Fort Worth — pop-ups like Hot Box Biscuit Club and Magdalena’s Supper Club remain among the most popular, while paving the way for up-and-comers like Hao & Dixya that hosts culinary events of its own.
So how does a supper club survive without
a brick-and-mortar? Here’s how these local pop-ups make it work.
(1) The first rule of supper club: Have a good story. When putting together the creative concept for a pop-up, try to find a story or purpose to get customers intrigued. “Let people know why they’re going to your pop-up and why you created the menu,” said Juan Rodriguez, owner and chef of Magdalena’s Supper Club. “Trying to find the connection with people through your pop-up is probably the most important thing.”
enticed, constantly changing the menu and allowing chefs to concoct creative new meals. Magdalena’s Supper Club changes its menu monthly; and while Hot Box Biscuit Club utilizes the same four-course format, it’s constantly reworking the menu. “I don’t like serving the same thing twice, back to back,” said Matt Mobley, co-founder and chef of Hot Box Biscuit Club.
(4) Utilize email. Using an email newsletter and guest list can give a pop-up an underthe-radar, speakeasy feel, which adds to the appeal. “We try not to do too much on our social media about our supper club because we want to keep it almost like a secret,” Rodriguez said. “We like to use our email subscribers as a way to promote our dinner.”
The secret to making the guest list? According to Rodriguez and Mobley, there is none. Just go to the restaurant’s website, register for the newsletter and wait until your inbox is blessed with the invite to eat. If you don’t make it, you can always join the waitlist and hope customers flake for your chance to enjoy a pop-up dining experience.
Hot Box Biscuit Club hotboxbiscuitco.com
Magdalena’s Supper Club magdalenastx.com/supper-club
Hao & Dixya facebook.com/haodixya
(2) Find a good location/venue. Because a pop-up lacks a brick-and-mortar, restaurants have the opportunity to get creative with their locale. Local dumpling pop-up Hao & Dixya, co-founded by Hao Tran and Dixya Bhattarai, sets up at breweries and marketplaces. “We are always moving from one location or another, and you never know who is going to, or not going to, come to our popup,” Tran said. “Our biggest tip is be flexible — adapt to the situation at hand and do your absolute best to take care of your customer.”
(3) Create an exciting menu. A pop-up can be a place to test products and new techniques. Successful pop-ups keep people
(5) Limit your space. With limited dining space that fills up fast, customers who don’t make the list have an urgency to try to get in next time. “We’ll basically just send an email blast out and say, ‘First come, first serve.’ Once it fills up, it’s done and sold out,” Mobley said.
(6) Make it BYOB. Because pop-ups usually run sans liquor license, encourage customers to bring their own alcohol. Hot Box Biscuit Club serves a complimentary drink and prompts brunchers to “bring your own bubbly.” The brunch crowd typically brings Bloody Marys, margaritas, beer and wine.
(7) Interact with customers on social media. Keep a conversation flowing between a pop-up and its loyal customers, Tran said. “Social media, particularly Facebook, has been vital to our business because we post events and announcements on our Facebook page to keep everyone posted,” she said. “We are also on Instagram to interact with our customers and other businesses on a personal level.”
Hot Box Biscuit Club
Oh, Deer
Local business leaders — and hunting enthusiasts — gush on their favorite gear.
BY SAMANTHA CALIMBAHIN
“A good range finder [Rahr uses Vortex Optics’ Ranger 1000] is always a key item to have when hunting. Knowing your distance and shot is critical.”
-Fritz Rahr, co-founder and CEO, Rahr & Sons Brewing Company
“The Outdoor Edge RazorPro knife with changeable blades is the best innovation I have seen in years. It renders regular knives obsolete. Google it. I have cleaned over a dozen elk with them, and it makes it a breeze. Prior to this product, a single elk would dull multiple knives.”
-Hunter McLean, attorney/member, Whitaker Chalk
“Driving around the [CF Ranch in Alpine, Texas], you always see amazing sunrises, sunsets and wildlife. The zoom lens on the Canon PowerShot G3 X digital camera, equivalent of 600mm, allows me to get some great pictures.”
-Mike Micallef, president, Reata
newe imagi
TriArc ARwhen hun Pulsar Th
“My newest toy is a thermal imaging sight for my TriArc AR-15, which I use when hunting hog — the Pulsar Thermal Imaging Sight Trail XQ50. It’s absolutely amazing.”
“The most critical tool in my hunting bag is my Gunwerks G7 BR2500 Ballistic Rangefinder. A must for long-range shooting.”
-Ken Schaefer, president and owner, Schaefer Advertising Co.
-Ken Scha and ow Adve
-Scott Jones, Tarrant County market president, Regions Bank
So You Think You Can Dash
When they’re not building a company, opening restaurants or creating economic development strategies, these local influencers trade their business suits for athletic wear, training for the next big race.
BY AMANDA SMILEY
Brandom Gengelbach
Executive Vice President of Economic Development
Fort Worth Chamber of Commerce
Brandom Gengelbach — whose resume includes 10 marathons, three half-IRONMANs and Olympic distance triathlons — typically trains for six months. He starts by building a short base each week and gradually building his distance over time; for longer runs, he starts with 10 miles on the first week and builds up to 20 miles. He also incorporates a day to work on speed and tempo. Like many distance runners, Gengelbach does not run the full race distance before the race itself. Instead, he completes at least two 20-mile runs and nothing further. “I never do more
than 20 miles during any single training run leading up to a marathon,” he says.
Kari Crowe Seher
Founder
Melt Ice Creams
Last year, Kari Crowe Seher completed her biggest run yet — the Leadville Trail 100, a 100-mile trail race through the Colorado mountains. That’s 29 hours and 53 minutes of nonstop running and hiking at an elevation upwards of 10,000 feet.
Training for Leadville was a nine-month ordeal. Seher would start as early as 2:30 a.m., some weeks covering anywhere from 65 to 95 total miles. In addition to psychological preparation, Seher says she hired a run coach who sent her weekly running plans, including distance, sprinting, hill workouts and trail work. She also worked with a strength coach at Enduralab for strength training and injury prevention.
Robert Sturns
Economic Development Director
City of Fort Worth
A three-time half marathon runner, sprint marathoner and a soon-to-be full marathoner, Robert Sturns trains with a mix of running, cycling or strength workouts. He does short runs during the week and longer ones on the weekends. While training for half marathons, he begins ramping up his mileage anywhere from eight to 12 weeks before the race. “I’m training for the Cow-
town Marathon right now,” Sturns says. “Just haven’t made up my mind yet if I’m going to run the half or the full — but leaning towards the full.”
Elyse Dickerson
CEO and Co-Founder Eosera, Inc.
Elyse Dickerson has been hooked on marathon running since 1997 when she competed in her first marathon in Chicago. Among her biggest accomplishments to date — completing the full IRONMAN Wisconsin. She hired a coach to train for the full IRONMAN, but for other races, she trained with Luke’s Locker or other tri training groups.
Jon Bonnell
Chef/Owner
Bonnell’s Fine Texas Cuisine,Waters Restaurant, Buffalo Bros
Jon Bonnell admits his lifestyle wasn’t the healthiest when he started his career. So he decided to make a change, losing 45 pounds and finding a new hobby — running marathons. Today, his athletic resume is extensive: two full IRONMANs, 70 triathlons and 90 running races (to name a few). He also serves on the committee for the upcoming Cowtown Marathon, which takes place Feb. 23-24.
“Ridiculous” is how Bonnell describes training for an IRONMAN — swimming twice a week, biking three times a week, running five or six times a week and allowing a few weeks to taper training demands to prevent soreness or tiredness on the day of the race.
Kari Crowe Seher
Robert Sturns
Craig Rogers President & CEO
Prim and Piggly
A former grocery store gets a new life as a construction office with clean lines, functional features … and dogs.
BY SAMANTHA CALIMBAHIN / PHOTOGRAPHY BY OLAF GROWALD
Trent and Beth Prim discuss plans while their dog, Rosie, lounges under the desk.
Ranger, one of two office dogs at PRIM Construction.
It’s hard to imagine PRIM Construction’s office as a grocery store — that is, until you see the grid pattern on the floor where tile used to be or the overhead rolling door that leads to the back storage area.
Such was the past life of the 22,000-square-foot building at 252 Roberts Cut Off Road, a former Piggly Wiggly that Trent and Beth Prim (COO and CEO, respectively, of PRIM Construction) purchased in 2013 and transformed into an office space. PRIM — the contractor behind projects like FunkyTown Donuts’ building on Eighth Avenue and, recently, Fort Worth Inc.’s Dream Office project in The River District — occupies 3,300 square feet and leases out the rest to other tenants.
PRIM’s side of the building maintains a modern but comfortable vibe with contemporary furniture, practical design features — and two fluffy Australian shepherds named Ranger and Rosie, roaming the halls and greeting guests.
“Mostly the people that work here are project managers, and then everybody else goes out in their own job sites,” Trent says. “It’s usually a pretty quiet office, which is kind of neat.”
When the Prims found the building, traces of the old store were still there — from
images of eggplant in the vegetable section to cows in the meat section, along with the original bathrooms and grocery aisles. Trent says the building was practically a box when they found it, so one of their first orders of business was adding windows. The challenge — dealing with pilaster-like columns on the outside of the building.
The idea behind our architecture here was, we wanted to show off as many building pieces as we could. – Trent Prim
“I didn’t want walls to intersect the windows,” Trent says, “so we came up with this little detail here, where the glass reverts back into the wall. From the outside, it actually looks pretty cool.”
To bring even more natural light, PRIM in-
stalled glass doors and walls (which double as dry erase boards) in individual offices, allowing light to pass through from the windows, through the interior glass to the center of the space.
The office also acts as a way to show clients examples of what certain design elements would look like, like the ceiling cloud in the conference room — a floating platform made from ordinary 2-by-2 ceiling tiles with wood around the edges. The piece not only creates more intimacy and gives the room a little more flare — it’s good for acoustics.
“The idea behind our architecture here was, we wanted to show off as many building pieces as we could,” Trent says.
The color scheme at PRIM is mostly neutral, with white walls offset by wood to soften the look. “By introducing the plywood,” Trent says, “it warms it up and says,
A batting cage in PRIM's back storage room
Part of the wall is cut out to avoid intersecting with the window.
‘Hey, we’re still in construction.’”
There is one pop of bright orange on a wall that displays PRIM’s logo. Furniture is mostly modern and modular, with some pieces built by Trent himself.
“We wanted our clients to understand what that would look like — we’ve got different elements of construction, from carpet and tile to modular furniture, to all these different pieces that are in our offices,” Trent says. “Sometimes our clients really like the style, and they want to replicate it.”
The back of the office is not quite finished out, used mostly for storage and as a batting cage for the Prims’ 10-year-old son, Sam. But here, one finds more remnants of the former grocery store, like the Overhead Door, and above that, a stretch of faded wallpaper depicting cowboys riding horses against a backdrop of rolling hills. The Prims believe this may have been the meat section of the store.
The eventual goal is to renovate the back area and turn it into offices as well.
“It’s slowly taking off,” Trent says. “The space itself has been fun and easy to work with.”
Wood accents soften the look of the mostly-white office space.
Executives, Start Your Engines
When the weekend hits, these local execs hit the gas, chasing victory at high speeds on the racetrack. BY
SAMANTHA CALIMBAHIN / PHOTOGRAPHY BY OLAF GROWALD
Their names are Red, Stinky and War Pig — two BMWs and a Porsche, currently residing at MotorSport Ranch in Cresson, Texas, about 30 minutes southwest of Fort Worth.
Their owners — three Fort Worth executives whose off-the-clock hobby of choice is speeding well over 100 mph on a racetrack. But for Lisa Lumley, Ross Carmichael and David Baker, racing is more than an adrenaline high — it’s a way to clear the mind after a busy workweek.
From left to right: Lisa Lumley, Ross Carmichael and David Baker pose with their cars at MotorSport Ranch.
Lisa Lumley
Attorney, Lisa Lumley Law
My Car: Red, an upgraded 1995 BMW M3
Lisa Lumley is a gearhead. When she got into racing, she traded her newer BMW for two older ones, keeping one as an everyday car and turning the other into a racecar.
She gutted the interior down to bare metal; installed a custom-made cage, race seat and fire extinguisher; and upgraded everything from the chassis to the suspension.
It’s still a work in progress. “There are still some remaining upgrades I want to install,” she says.
Lumley says she discovered racing when she was invited to participate in a Mercedes car demonstration around a racetrack. She loved it so much that she went on to earn a racing license through the National Auto Sport Association (NASA). Since then, she’s regularly participated in — and won — numerous club events. Last year, she won two of the four races at Hallett Motor Racing Circuit in Oklahoma.
She got her husband into racing too. He also drives a BMW, same model as hers. “He has expressly forbidden me from taking parts off that car anymore,” she says.
Ross Carmichael
Director of Compliance and Operations, Higginbotham
My Car: Stinky, a 1992 BMW 325i/M3
Ross Carmichael has always been a “car kid,” playing with remote control cars and subscribing to car magazines when he was young. He would eventually own a MINI Cooper and join the Metroplex MINI Club, where he learned about performance driving school The Driver’s Edge. He worked his way up to become an instructor there, but he didn’t discover racing until he attended a race school hosted by the Lone Star Chapter of the BMW Car Club of America. There, he earned his racing license and has since participated in numerous club races and sprint races through the NASA.
One of his most memorable races was 24 Hours of LeMons — a 24-hour endurance race for cars that cost less than $500 — at MSR Houston in Angleton, Texas. He won the race in a 1967 SIMCA.
But don’t call Carmichael an adrenaline
So How Do I Get Into This?
Join a car club: Organizations like the Sports Car Club of America or brand-specific groups like the Porsche Club and BMW Club have local chapters that prospective racers can join. Many of these clubs offer courses that allow students to graduate with a racing license and participate in club racing events.
Attend a performance driving school: Motorsport Ranch hosts classes through organizations like Apex Driving Academy and The Driver’s Edge.
A lot of bench racing — that is, just talking about racing — takes place off the track.
junkie. Rather, he prefers the mental challenge — “being able to go out, do some laps, come in, look at my time, try to figure out where I could pick up more time, what turn I could take a little faster, where I could brake a little bit later, play around with how the car is set up, go out, try to do it again and get better.”
David Baker
President, Apex Capital Corp.
My Car: War Pig, a 2017 Porsche GT3 Cup
A video of the 2017 Watkins Glen International Porsche GT3 Cup race shows a violent, multicar crash — one that sent four drivers to the hospital — and out of the smoke, a car emerges with the word “Apex” printed across the hood.
That’s David Baker, who narrowly escaped that crash. He says there have been plenty of moments when his life flashed
before his eyes during a race, but that’s just part of the experience.
“It’s intense,” he says, “but it’s a lot of fun.”
Baker’s love for racing began at a young age when his dad took him to a race in North Richland Hills on a rainy day. “There was a short wheel base Porsche 911, probably ’67 or ’68 model, that just kicked the butts of everybody in the rain — and racing in the rain is treacherous,” he says. “I fell in love with that car.”
wins — the 2017 Masters Championship in the Porsche GT3 Challenge Cup.
And while the thrill has worn off 15plus years into the game, Baker says he’s learned to approach racing differently.
Years later, Baker bought a Porsche of his own — a 914 with a Volkswagen motor. “People joked, ‘That’s not a real Porsche.’ But that’s okay; that was my car.”
He’d continue to own Porsches through the years, which eventually led him to joining the local Porsche Club chapter and racing in club events. Among his most notable
“The more seasoned you get, the more calm you become,” he says. “But you get into a zone, into a rhythm, that requires a tremendous amount of focus and concentration. For that moment, however long that race is, you find yourself totally focused and nothing else enters your mind. It’s like a mental break from everything else.”
Clockwise: David Baker and War Pig, Lisa Lumley and Red, Ross Carmichael and Stinky
FORT WORTH’S FASTESTGROWING COMPANIES
Our inaugural class of the area’s 30 Fastest-Growing Companies runs the gamut from health care, to finance, digital marketing, real estate, construction, law, defense, consumer goods, retail, IT and land services.
BY SCOTT NISHIMURA / PHOTOGRAPHY
BY OLAF GROWALD
Fort Worth Inc.’s Fastest-Growing Companies 2018, the magazine’s inaugural class of companies, ranked by three-year revenue growth, cuts a broad swath through local industry, from health care to energy. Companies were eligible to complete if they’re for-profit; generated revenue by March 31, 2014; had at least $50,000 in 2014 revenue and completed or billed at least $1.5 million in 2017 revenue; and are based in Greater Fort Worth, including several surrounding counties; or their audited, provided financials are based on the performance of a subsidiary in the area. The magazine disclosed the ranking Jan. 10 in a reception at the Norris Conference Center in downtown Fort Worth.
Source: Fort Worth Inc. research
Excel Health Inc./iReliev
2017 revenue: $5,020,218
2014 revenue: $163,874
Percent change: 3,063.46
1
ealth In venue: ue: $ evenue: nue: $ t change ange s: re ain
Business: Pain relief devices
Mike Williams was 14 when his mother was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis and watched as she regressed. “Simple things we all take for granted, I saw her having difficulty doing,” he says. “It was tough to see. Early on, I developed an appreciation for what people go through. I knew I was always going to be involved in health care.” Early on in his career, Williams worked for companies that sold traditional medical devices, including ones for electrotherapy. “That opened my eyes to entrepreneurship.” Still, at that time, “the devices were difficult to get your hands on, there was a lot of red-tape, prescription-only. They weren’t affordable at all.” In 2009, Williams launched his company selling personal health records software. The software became obsolete. Williams noticed the FDA had been changing regulations for certain over-the-counter electrotherapy products. And in 2014, Williams launched iReliev under Excel. “It was just an opportunity.” Its first product was a medical-grade device that blocks pain receptors, sold through retailers such as Costco, Sam’s Club and Walmart. iReliev today sells numerous over-the-counter, FDAapproved pain relief devices, which the company produces through a contract manufacturer in Taiwan, and sales have surged. Williams brought all of his investors from the original venture into the new one, first as debtholders and today as equity holders. The company has nine employees. Williams says he expects to expand into topicals in the future.
Mortgage Financial Services
tgage Finan gage Finan rvices
2017 revenue: $31,835,027
evenue: $31,8 $3
2014 revenue: $1,268,595
Percent change: 2,509.47
2
evenue: $1,2 nt nt 2,
Business: Mortgage company
Mortgage Financial Services got its start in 2001 in Louisiana, founded by Rick Priest. In 2015, first cousin Brad Sullivan created the company’s Texas branch, based in Flower Mound. Today, the two run the company, which prides itself on a culture where members of families work alongside each other and loyalty results. The company’s also invested heavily in technology, which helps it recruit groups of new loan officers. “We’re just very quick to investigate new avenues and follow up,” Pamella Sullivan (not related to Brad), a senior loan officer, says. MFS uses advertising on sports radio to build its customer base. “It’s been very exciting to see it grow,” Sullivan says.
in three years.” The company has accomplished its growth internally, with no acquisitions, Baker says. Nextlink has 220 employees today and expects to have 300 by the end of 2019, Baker says. Nextlink has been able to finance its growth primarily with capital that Baker put into the company, and debt financing provided by Texas Capital Bank, and hasn’t had to raise money, he says. “We’re not in any fundraising mode.” Growth expectations: “Probably over the next three years, we’ll be growing into one of the largest rural ISPs in the nation. That’s the tagline for the future.”
Fort Capital LP
evenue: $22,5 revenue: $2,10 nt nt 1,0 iness: es e
4 ort L
Business: Real estate development
xtlink Inter
Nextlink Internet
2017 revenue: $16,497,174
2014 revenue: $1,024,291
Percent change: 1,610.59
3
evenue: enue: $16,4 evenue: enue: $1,0 nt 1
ess: in
Business: Rural internet service provider
Bill Baker and Danny Gilbert started Nextlink in Parker County in 2012. Gilbert died the same year, and Baker today is majority owner and CEO. The company, which works rural and semi-suburban markets and has been focused on the western side of the Fort Worth-Dallas area, recently landed a $281 million Federal Communications Commission contract to dramatically expand rural internet access across six states: Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, Nebraska, Illinois and Iowa. “We’re looking forward to a very robust growth,” Baker says. The company has six years to meet its obligations under the contract. “I intend to meet our obligations
Chris Powers, Jr., and his Fort Worth development company, Fort Capital, are remaking a piece of West Fort Worth fronting the Trinity River into a community with outdoor amenities, indoor entertainment, restaurants, boutique office spaces and living choices ranging from apartments to luxury waterfront homes. The River District today has more than 700 residences, 10 businesses and more than 10 retailers and restaurants so far. Powers, with help from chief operating officer Jeff Baxter, a former David Weekley Homes executive, has been focusing on developing Fort Capital’s culture as the company continues to grow. In 2014, Fort Capital had six employees. Today, it has 19. “Focusing on our people has been the No. 1 factor impacting our growth,” Powers says.
“We believe that our people come first, always. Not in a self-serving, arrogant manner, but more from the belief that if our people are at their best, what we can deliver to the market is our best. The market likes
Richard Gartner, Trinity Commercial Construction
companies that are at their best. We have focused highly on our culture and the process by which we develop our team. We’ve also created a much more stringent hiring process that makes sure we hire people that share our values and purpose.”
Varghese
Koddi
Ko
2017 revenue: $6,573,526
evenue: $6,5
2014 revenue: $709,992
Percent change: 925.86
revenue: e: $70 nt nt 9
Business: Digital marketing
Koddi’s growth has been on a sharp upward trajectory since George Popstefanov and Nicholas Ward founded the cloud-based marketing technology company in 2013 as a sister to Popstefanov’s PMG Worldwide. Koddi’s executives – Ward is president and leads the company – attribute the growth to focusing on its people and transparency; building a high level of technical competency across the staff; investments in engineering and automation; staying in front of technical advertising trends; strong partnerships with global brands; and high standards for service delivery and accountability. Koddi’s spent a lot of time defining its culture as the company grows. Ward subscribes to the business rule of “3 and 10,” in which things break at multiples of three and powers of 10. Through an acquisition early in 2018, Koddi grew overnight to 60 employees from 30. At year’s end, it had 101, across all offices in Fort Worth, Austin, New York, Ann Arbor and Dusseldorf. “When it was 15 people in an office, we could do culture by accident,” Ward told Fort Worth Inc. in the fall. Not as easy at 100.
Summersett PLLC
mmersett PL P
2017 revenue: $2,201,758
2014 revenue: $297,999
Percent change: 738.85
6
evenue: even $2,20 revenue: $29 ent 7
Business: Criminal and family law
Benson Varghese was a prosecutor when he decided to launch a small criminal defense firm in 2014, using a $9,000 loan from an uncle. “You hope the police and the prosecutors always wear the white hat,” he says. “Sometimes, they don’t. In order for the system to work, it’s important to have people on both sides who are good.” Varghese began writing content – free information – for the firm’s website and estimates he’s produced hundreds of pages on various offenses and how the courts work. “I really tried to get into the mindset of someone who’s looking for help. In this area, it was unique to give out free information to people. Maybe one out of 100 people called me.” The firm, headed by Varghese and law partner and wife Anna Summersett, has moved from a small office to Fort Worth’s City Place downtown. Its roster of 10 lawyers includes several former prosecutors. With the criminal business steady, the firm has branched into family law, with the fatherdaughter team of Steve Bankhead and Deborah Bankhead. Steve Bankhead, a former prosecutor, brings an unusual advantage to family law of trial experience, Varghese says. “Often, issues that arise in family law have underlying aspects in criminal court.” The firm sees family law as holding significant growth opportunity, Varghese says. “It’s hard for me to imagine our [criminal] caseload is going to grow to such a point that we have to bring in new attorneys.”
Trinity Commercial Construction
ity Commer ructio
evenue: nue: $8,84 $8
ss: Digital ma m 7
2017 revenue: $8,840,849
2014 revenue: $1,917,973
Percent change: 460.95
evenue: enue: $1,91 $ ent nt chan 4
Business: Commercial construction contractor
Trinity Commercial incorporated in early 2012 with one job and quickly grew a niche of work inside airports, including restaurant, retail, office and light industrial. “The great thing about the airport is you can pursue all those market segments within the airport,” owner Richard Gartner says. The company, which last year rebranded from its original Trinity TransCon, has moved to diversify beyond airports and the strict requirements the business has of contractors. “At any of the private market projects, you can drive up, drop your tools and start working. It’s not like that at airports.” For one, work inside terminals of airports like DFW, where Trinity does most of its work, must be done overnight. Today, 80 to 85 percent of the business is related to airports, Gartner says. The airport work requires a high level of service that Trinity can bring to private market projects, Gartner says. “Where [airport work] is paying off for us is a level of sophistication and professionalism we can bring to the private market.” Trinity has 22 employees, almost all at DFW Airport. It has three in Austin. Trinity is moving into larger projects. “We had to cut our teeth on entry projects,” Gartner says. Like other fast-growing companies, Trinity has spent time honing core values that include authentic care about its people, spirit, fearless and stewardship. “We have to keep the culture consistent.”
StraCon Services Group
2017 revenue: $18,705,411
2014 revenue: $4,416,662.88
Percent change: 423.52
on Services n evenue: $18,7 evenue: evenu $4,416 ent 4
Business: Defense contractor
ss: Defenseco Defensec
Debbie Paris started StraCon Services Group in 2008 with a $78,000-a-year contract. “It was just me,” she says. Today, the company has 125 employees. Paris was member of the team that developed the Marine Aviation Training Transformation Initiative, which established the V-22 tiltrotor program as prototype for development of a system that transformed Marine Aviation training. The system increased ground-based training to more than 50 percent of training from 5 percent, and it saved $1.6 billion in V-22 costs, because the aircraft was no longer required to fulfill a training role. StraCon provides program management, training systems products, financial management, instructional system design, data management, courseware development, engineering, logistics, foreign military sales support and other technical services to the U.S. Department of Defense. Paris is 51 percent owner; her husband Ken Fancher is 39 percent partner. “Next year could be a good one for us,” Paris says. “We could certainly double in size with bodies and revenue.”
Rogers
es to live. The agency likes to say it follows an untraditional path. “It is always rewarding helping friends find new places to live,” he says. “I love being an ambassador for Dallas; it is a personal thrill for me. It was a natural fit to enter the world of real estate. I haven’t looked back since.”
In 2009, Healy was named one of the Top 30 Realtors under the age of 30 in the country by Realtor magazine. In the same year, he was invited to serve on the National Association of Realtor’s YPN Advisory Board and was named a finalist for NAR’s Pioneer Award. “Being able to mentor and manage, based on what I truly love about real estate, has been the biggest thrill of being a business owner,” he says. “Our success as a company has been attributed to working among people I have the utmost respect and admiration for.”
10 arketing
Thrive Internet Marketing Agency
2017 revenue: $3,246,651
2014 revenue: $972,524
Percent change: 333.84
Business: Digital marketing
Facebook and Yelp — from customers by email, text, website link and on electronic invoices. “You can put that URL anywhere,” Bowman says. Clients can play up the best reviews on their own site, but the system doesn’t allow clients to manage how reviews appear on Google, for one. Thrive had 83 employees in midDecember, up from 35 in October 2017. Most of its 10 salespeople work remotely. Like the other companies among our Fastest-Growing, Thrive spends a fair amount of time thinking about its culture, which highlights values such as support, encouragement, teamwork, passion and work-life balance. “We believe in working hard when we’re here and being off when we’re off.”
Gary Medlin’s Fort Worth law practice is devoted to criminal defense. Medlin, in practice for 32 years, served as an assistant district attorney for eight years, giving him insight into how prosecutors prepare cases. The firm has three lawyers, including Medlin.
Rogers Healy, a Dallas native, started his own residential real estate firm in 2007 after working for other agencies. Healy, whose clients include North Texas celebrities, got interested in real estate while in college at SMU, helping students find plac-
Thrive Internet Marketing likes to say “Better Never Stops.” “We’ve had to get really serious about that this year,” Matt Bowman, CEO of the digital marketing firm, says. Revenue has grown 110 percent in the last 12 months. At mid-2018, the company launched RIZE Reviews, a new service that allows businesses to manage reviews and online reputation. “Most businesses don’t have a proactive plan,” Bowman says. “They just let reviews happen. They might remember to ask a client to leave a review. Without a plan, you leave yourself vulnerable to bad reviews.” With the new service, Thrive focuses on home services, medical, franchises, legal and small businesses. Thrive sets up a system that clients can use to seek internet reviews — it connects to platforms such as Google,
2017 revenue: $39,957,306
17 revenue: even 9,957,306
2014 revenue: $12,662,394
Percent change: 315.56
14 revenue: even $12,662,3 ercent ent
Business: Omni-channel retailer
12 Corp
ness: s: Omni-channelretai Omni-channelreta
Longtime friends CEO Michail Orlov, Igor Motkin and Alex Grigorenko launched Weby in 2010 as a multi-channel retailer. Today, it sells firearms and other gear for hunting, shooting, camping, hiking, skiing and running. Weby operates several brick-and-mortar stores in the DFW area, an Amazon storefront, and marketplaces for more than 500
Debbie Paris, StraCon Group
Nicholas Ward, Koddi
brands on online platforms such as eBay and Gun Broker. Weby also runs websites carrying the same names as its brick-and-mortar stores: webyshops.com, 1800gear. com, 1800gunsandammo.com and rununited.com. “We have been friends for ages,” Motkin says of the partners. “In our friendship, we see the power of ‘The Three Musketeers.’” The partners founded Weby in 2009 with a retail store in Arlington, specializing in tactical and military gear. Since then, the company has diversified into other lines. The company had about 30 employees in 2014, and today it has 75.
Muckleroy & Falls
2017 revenue: $78,569,085
2014 revenue: $31,103,578
Percent change: 252.60
Business: Commercial construction contractor
Muckleroy & Falls, started by Harold Muckleroy in 1979, is entering its 40th year in business. Muckleroy was interested in going into real estate development; his entrepreneur father suggested pairing construction with development. The company’s business had slowed, but it’s entered a new growth surge in the last several years, as Muckleroy and partner Max Falls had to decide whether to wind the business down and retire or set it up for the next generation of ownership, including Muckleroy’s son Zach Muckleroy, who came on board with two other new principals. Today, the firm has more than 50 employees and substantial backlog.
Service Nation Inc.
2017 revenue: $19,772,826
2014 revenue: $7,907,467
Percent change: 250.05
Business: Contractor alliance
President Matt Michel founded
Service Nation in 2002, a B2B company that operates a number of business alliances serving residential HVAC, plumbing and electrical contractors. The base alliance is Service Roundtable, which has more than 4,000 member companies in the U.S., Canada and Australia. Service Nation operates what it calls the largest buying group and world’s largest trade show and conference for residential service contractors. Contracting Business Magazine has named Michel one of the “25 Most Influential People in the History of the HVACR Industry,” Contractor Magazine named him one of the “18 Most Influential People in the History of the Plumbing and Hydronics Industries,” and Air Conditioning, Heating & Refrigeration News named him one of the “Top Five Business Advisors in the Heating and Air Conditioning Industry.” Since 2014, Service Nation has begun to affiliate with local and state trade associations, helping fund them, provide networking for association executive directors and assist with programming. In 2016, Service Nation launched the major Service World trade show, serving residential service contractors, driving two competing shows out. Last fall, Service Nation launched a partnership with the University of North Texas under which UNT will offer training leading to a series of service industry certifications. These can be converted to college credit. The company today has 35 employees, compared to 21 in 2014.
Pacheco Koch
Consulting Engineers
2017 revenue: $10,067,942
2014 revenue: $4,062,225
Percent change: 247.84
Business: Civil engineering
1990 in Dallas, and managing partner Brian O’Neill opened the Fort Worth office in 2009. The firm also has offices in Houston, Celina and Austin. Pacheco Koch opened the Fort Worth beachhead as an engineering office specializing in infrastructure design for cities and counties. PKCE subsequently added survey and site development specialties to the office. Since 2014, the office has added water resources, landscape architecture, transportation and traffic specialties. PKCE has 189 employees today, up from 133 in 2014. The Fort Worth office has 55 employees today, compared to 26 in 2014.
16
G.L. Hunt, founded in 1987 by Gary Hunt, remains in the family, headed today by CEO Hayden Slack, Hunt’s fatherin-law. Slack left his Defense Department job in February 2015 and came aboard G.L. Hunt to manage the business; Hunt retired two years ago and runs a roofing business today. The company attributes its growth surge to revamped image and branding, consolidation of all administrative functions at the company’s Fort Worth headquarters, significant investments in web marketing, and focus on customer experience and awareness of reviews. “We have really focused on the customer’s experience and making sure we are giving them five-star service,” Slack says. “The standard in our industry is the lifetime transferable warranty. When we earn a new customer, we just made a lifelong relationship. With that in mind, we do everything we can to make sure that relationship is a good one.” The company had about 85 employees 13
Mark Pacheco and Jim Koch founded this civil engineering, land surveying and landscape architecture consulting firm in
headed today by partners Leesa Vardeman, Sloan Harris and Todd Lien, is certified as a Women-Owned Business Enterprise. The firm has 151 employees today, compared to 69 at the end of 2014.
CompuMatrice Inc.
2017 revenue: $16,992,662
2014 revenue: $7,277,940
017 revenue: reven 16,992, 014 reve $7,277
Percent change: 233.48
Percentchange: centchange: 2
Business: Men’s grooming
The fast-growing Boardroom, founded by CEO Bruce Schultz in 2004, is getting ready for another growth surge. The company, which has nearly 40 salons across Texas, Oklahoma, Georgia, Tennessee and Arizona, in August announced the closing of an investment by affiliates of LightBay Capital. With the money, Boardroom expects to accelerate growth significantly by opening new salons and markets. Schultz and wife Heather Schultz aggressively grew the company in a niche they saw no competition in, their salons providing hair, shave, spa services, complimentary beverages and membership packages. The company touts its employee compensation and benefits packages. The Schultzes recently opened Brighton Barber Institute to develop future talent.
Anirban Dutta and Sandeep Junaghare co-founded CompuMatrice in 2011. The company initially came out of the TechFW incubator in Fort Worth and now has a Dallas office in addition to maintaining its ties to TechFW. Where the company’s growth has come from: “We started venturing early into doing work on predictive analytics, which morphed into [artificial intelligence],” Dutta says. “A lot of our focus on AI enabled services as an early adopter firm resulted in us getting new clients, which helped increase our revenue base year over year.”
Ascend L L
21
Ascend Marketing LLC
2017 revenue: $8,062,866
2014 revenue: $4,541,963
7 revenu $8,062,8 062,8 reve $4,541,9 541,9
Percent change: 177.52
Business: Marketing
Percent cha 177. keting
18
2017 revenue: $34,617,700
2014 revenue: $16,119,400
Percent change: 214.76
Business: Architecture
017 revenue: 014 revenue: Percent cent sines
VLK, founded 35 years ago, has grown into one of the state’s largest educational architecture firms, with offices in Fort Worth, Austin, Dallas, El Paso and Houston. The firm has earned numerous awards for design and has done multiple Collaborative for High Performance Schools and LEED-certified projects. VLK works in the K12 educational, commercial, interiors and automotive sectors. The firm,
Twisted X, a maker of casual Western footwear, is having a much better time in its second life than its first. The company, founded in 2005, went into bankruptcy in 2008. A new team, headed by industry veteran and turnaround executive Prasad Reddy, entered and set the restructured company on an aggressive growth track. The company is shipping 120,000 pairs of shoes per month today, compared to 6,000 when the new group took over, Reddy says. Where the company was founded on Western boots, it’s added casual Western, which has taken off, Reddy says. “When people started trying them, it just grew,” Reddy says. Twisted X – inspired by the shape of barbed wire – is the main brand, and the company recently added Tamarindo, a women’s shoe. The company sells through 3,000 retailers nationwide but doesn’t sell online. “We don’t want to be competitors with our own retailers,” Reddy says. The company had five people in 2007; today, it has 37 full time at its Decatur offices, and 22 sales reps around the country. Twisted X has contract manufacturers at two sites in China and one in Mexico. It supports Snowball Express, a charity benefitting families of fallen soldiers, Presbyterian Night Shelter and breast cancer awareness.
Much has changed about marketing since Rich Herbst founded Ascend Marketing in 2004. Today, with digital marketing much more complex, Herbst and Ascend have moved deeply into full integration of web marketing, social media and database-enabled customer engagement. In 2014, the company acquired Yellowfin Strategy + Design, significantly enhancing Ascend’s brand and digital design capabilities. “Now, as customer journey marketing skill is being acknowledged as a pivotal advantage for marketers, we’ve become experts in all its aspects,” Ekaterina Konovalova, who leads the digital and social media teams at Ascend, says. “Leveraging our advanced technology, automation and database expertise, we work seamlessly with clients’ disparate databases, able to access millions of
Benson Varghese, Varghese Summersett
Chris Powers, Fort Capital
customer files instantly, across all communication channels, throughout the customer lifecycle and in real time.” The company today has offices in Grapevine and Austin. In the fourth quarter of 2014, it had 37 employees. Today, it has 57, 39 in the Fort Worth area.
Ulrich Barn Builders
2017 revenue: $23,779,341
2014 revenue: $13,977,814
Percent change: 170.12
Business: Storage sheds and buildings
The latest from the fast-growing Ulrich Barn Builders: Last fall, it announced it would move its headquarters to Fort Worth’s Pier 1 Imports Building from Cleburne, a lease deal represented on both sides by JLL. “We chose Fort Worth as our nationwide headquarters, as we felt it fit us as a company and also provided a thriving workforce pool to accommodate growth in our Internet Shed Sales and Rent to Own divisions,” Jonathan Ulrich, CEO, said. “With growth both organically in Texas and recent acquisitions in California, Virginia and more in process, access to strong talent was high priority. This gives us the ability to grow to not only be the highest-rated shed company in North America, but also in the top two or three in terms of number of families served.” Jerry Ulrich and son David founded the company in 1990; Jonathan Ulrich is Jerry’s son and owns the company. The company manufactures and sells a range of backyard structures, including storage sheds, craft rooms, man caves, “she sheds,” cabin shells and finished log cabins.
Steele & Freeman, Inc.
2017 revenue: $110,010,772
2014 revenue: $65,786,895
Percent change: 167.22
Business: Construction contractor
The commercial construction company founded in 1979 by David Freeman is doing well under the leadership of secondgeneration CEO Michael Freeman. At the 60-employee company’s heart: relationships inside the firm and out. The company’s client base is full of return clients and architects. In Roanoke, it’s building the new city hall downtown. In the last 13 years, it’s built a recreation center, fire station and library for the city, and the firm is lining up for a shot at the planned Roanoke public safety center. The company works to make sure its employees, clients and subs know about a lengthy list of core values, which Steele & Freeman believes set the tone for consistently high service. “Everything we do is based on relationships,” Freeman says.
ISHIR, Inc.
2017 revenue: $2,554,135
2014 revenue: $1,631,052
Percent change: 156.59
Business: IT outsourcing
ISHIR has come a long way since Rishi Khanna founded it in the study of his home in 1999, primarily to help startups with their software needs. “It’s like building a house,” says Khanna, who bought out a partner and has been sole owner of the company since 2010. His clients today are mostly midmarket to large companies, with some startups. “They’re building products,” he says. He has six employees and four contractors locally. But his remote network is much larger. The firm designs and manages projects here and goes offshore for “mostly heavy lifting,”
Khanna says. “We’ve sort of figured out our secret sauce. Our secret sauce is having a clear-cut goal. We hire people who are really passionate in what they do. They have this need to solve a problem.”
Firefighting’s Finest Moving & Storage, Inc.
2017 revenue: $9,052,515.63
efighting’s Mov M & Inc. 017 reven
2014 revenue: $5,898,314
Percent change: 153.48
Percentchange:
Business: Moving services
Derrick Potter and Patrick Dodson, both firefighters, launched Firefighting’s Finest Moving & Storage in their off-duty time in 2001 in Fort Worth. Today, the company has operations in Fort Worth, Dallas and Houston. The company started with one truck and crews that ran moving jobs a few times per week. Today, it’s grown to nearly 30 trucks, running residential, commercial and in-house moves and is a full-service packing, moving and storage business. Since 2014, the company has refocused on customer service, emphasizing employee development and growth. The company’s also expanded its core services to put more emphasis on full-service, white-glove moving, with crating, packing and unpacking services, and the company’s expanded into warehousing and receiving. Additionally, Firefighting’s Finest has become a Defense Department-approved Transportation Service Provider, allowing it to handle moves for members of the Armed Forces. The company is looking to add additional services, and expand existing ones, in its current markets and is beginning to expand into Austin. It’s also looking for locations in San Antonio and El Paso. The company has 90 employees today, which expands during the peak summer, up from about 20 in 2014.
Whitley Penn LLP
2017 revenue: $97,565,156
2014 revenue: $66,246,182
Percent change: 147.28
Business: Audit, tax, business services
Whitley Penn, founded in 1983, has been on a growth trend, having its team members speak at local and national industry conferences to showcase their industry knowledge, adding team members to assure depth and bring in new business to the firm’s key industry segments. The company’s new downtown Fort Worth headquarters in the Frost Tower has enabled it to more easily move about the business community, it says. The firm, headed today by managing partner Larry Autrey, says its due diligence, quality of earnings, international and state and local tax teams are growing at a faster rate than the firm. The firm says it expects to add additional consulting services. The firm today has 500 employees, up from 305 in 2014, located in Fort Worth, Dallas, Plano, Austin and Houston.
Venus Construction
2017 revenue: $36,481,876
2014 revenue: $25,480,465
Percent change: 143.18
Business: Utility contractor
Venus Construction, founded in 1967 and specializing in utility construction, is led by third-generation family: CEO Josh McAda, grandson of founder Samuel McAda, who died in 1994, and other family members. Josh McAda, who had served in every role in the field for the company, took the helm in 2001 when his father died. Today, Venus has more than 200 team members working all over the Fort Worth-Dallas area, with a mix of commercial, residential, municipal and TxDOT transportation projects. In 2015, Venus, for the first
time, was ranked on the Engineering News-Record’s list of the Top 600 Specialty Contractors in the nation at 502. The company since 2014 has diversified into state and municipality work, alongside the commercial and land development work it was already doing. Today, it has more than 250 employees, compared to 124 in 2014.
Higginbotham
2017 revenue: $159,026,000
2014 revenue: $116,646,000
Percent change: 136.33
Business: Insurance and financial services
Higginbotham, founded in 1948 and the oldest of our FastestGrowing, opened as a personal insurance broker serving Fort Worth. Today, it brokers commercial insurance, employee benefits, retirement plans, executive benefits and life insurance. The firm supplements coverage with risk management and benefit plan administration services. Higginbotham has been ranked by revenue as the largest independent broker based in Texas for the past three years, and it’s ranked No. 27 largest in the U.S. It operates 30 offices in Texas, plus one in Oklahoma and one in Georgia. The firm was founded by Paul C. Higginbotham, who died in 1962. His nephew Bill Stroud purchased and managed the firm until 1989, when current CEO Rusty Reid assumed leadership and implemented a broad-based employee ownership structure that continues today. The company has grown organically and through acquisition. More than 40 firms have merged with Higginbotham since 2008, when the firm launched its new partner strategy. Between 2014 and 2018, 27 partners joined Higginbotham, expanding its footprint across Texas and into Oklahoma and Georgia.
M-Pak, Inc.
2017 revenue: $10,984,484
2014 revenue: $8,155,092
Percent change: 134.69
Business: Tactical outfitter
Debbie Cooley founded M-Pak in April 1999, selling industrial packaging to private business and government. In 2012, Cooley expanded the business to include tactical gear for military, police, fire and emergency medical service teams. The company added locations in Charleston, South Carolina, and Hines, Illinois, that led to growth since 2014. Sales also increased at the company’s Murfreesboro, Tennessee, and Aledo locations. The company’s retail division also has grown, providing tactical clothing, uniforms and gear for first responders. The company today has 15 employees, including 14 in Aledo and one in Massachusetts.
Purple Land Management
2017 revenue: $39,086,000
revenue: $32,386,000
Percent change: 120.69
Business: Land services
Entrepreneurs Bryan Cortney and Jesse Hejny founded Purple Land Management in 2010, developing a strategy based on increasing the public’s knowledge of the impact of mineral leasing and natural gas production, building relationships and trust. The company’s clients include energy producers, midstream operators, mobile service providers, engineering firms and municipal and state agencies.
A
Partners: Geffrey W. Anderson, Guy H. Riddle, Jon Harrison, James Kiser, Allison T. Schluckebier and Trey Gordon Associates: Kristin Newman and Ellen Gastill
Anderson & Riddle, LLP consistently sets and achieves courtroom goals for clients of any size, from major corporations to individuals. The firm’s unconventional approach to litigation provides a framework for success. The statewide respect for the collegiality and professionalism demonstrated by the firm’s lawyers allows for quick resolution of most cases. If an agreement cannot be reached, the courage to perform under fire allows each of the attorneys to thoroughly present the dispute to the jury. This combination of common sense and talent sets the firm apart from all competitors.
Geffrey W. Anderson - Texas Rising Star (2005, 2008); Texas Super Lawyer (2010 - 2018); Top Attorney in Fort Worth, Fort Worth Magazine (2003, 2010 - 2018); Super Lawyer Business Edition (2011 - 2018); 360 West Magazine Top Attorney (2018) ; Guy H. Riddle - Texas Rising Star (2009, 2010); Texas Super Lawyer (2011 - 2018); Top Attorney in Fort Worth, Fort Worth Magazine (2012 - 2018);
360 West Magazine Top Attorney (2017, 2018); Jonathan W. Harrison - Texas Rising Star (2012 - 2018); Top Attorney in Fort Worth, Fort Worth Magazine (2013, 2018); 360 West Magazine Top Attorney (2017, 2018); James S. Kiser – Texas Rising Star (2018); Allison T. Schluckebier – Texas Rising Star (2018), Top Attorney in Fort Worth, Fort Worth Magazine (2018); Trey Gordon – Top Attorney in Fort Worth, Fort Worth Magazine (2018); Kristin Newman – Top Attorney in Fort Worth, Fort Worth Magazine (2018) ; Ellen Gastil – Top Attorney in Fort Worth, Fort Worth Magazine (2018).
top attorneys
While it’s true that legal advice is best left to the pros, you also want to make sure the pro you have in your corner is up to the task. To ensure you have the best representation, we recommend starting here with Fort Worth Inc.’s 2018 Top Attorneys, our annual listing of the best lawyers in town, as voted for by their peers.
This year, 881 lawyers made the list, categorized by specialty and whether they’ve been in practice for more or less than five years. BY
FORT WORTH INC. STAFF
More Than Five Years In Practice
ADMINISTRATIVE
Amber Altemose
Christopher Gee
Tyler Wallach
Andrew Wambsganss
ADOPTION
Gerald Bates
Heidi Cox
Eric Freeby
Alyssa Jacobs
Susan Paquet
ALTERNATIVE DISPUTE RESOLUTION
John Brookman
Jennifer Caldwell
John Allen Chalk
Randy Hall
Kight Higgins
John Hughes
Roland Johnson
Beth Krugler
Richard “Alan” Maples
Wade McMullen
Dale O’Neal
David Seidler
APPELLATE
Marianne Auld
Russel Barton
Dabney Bassel
Jerry Bullard
Tanya Dohoney
Donald Ferrill
Chad Fillmore
Kyle Fonville
Steve Hayes
David Keltner
Scott Lindsey
Jennifer Litke
Shelly Messerli
Thomas Michel
Chris Nickelson
Keith Ogle
Misty Pratt
Karen Precella
Frederick “Fritz” Quast
Leslie Robnett
Brittani Rollen
Jody Sanders
Joe Spence
Matthew Stayton
Steve Tatum
Shelby White
How we did it: Earlier this year, we asked local attorneys to submit nominations via our website, fwtx. com. The magazine applied a minimum number of votes it took to make the list, giving bonus weight to lawyers who made the list any of the prior three years. We then asked a panel of highly regarded lawyers in the area to review the list prior to publication and make recommendations on other lawyers who should be on the list, and even ones who should come off for any reason. With this input, we finalized the 2018 Top Attorneys list.
By including a lawyer on these lists, the magazine does not recommend or endorse his or her service. Lawyers whose names are in bold type and highlighted received 20 or more votes. Lawyers whose names are in bold type received 10-19 votes. Lawyers licensed as of December 2013 are considered to have more than five years in practice for this list.
AVIATION
Stephen Howell
BANKING
Whitney Cardwell
Elisa Fox
Brandon Hill
Dan Lowry
Nicholas Pappas
Sierra Quinonez
Dan Settle
Dennis Swift
BANKRUPTCY
Pam Bassel
John Bonds, III
Josh Eppich
Letty Evans
Bobby Forshey
Katherine Hopkins
James Ince
Matthias Kleinsasser
Matt Maben
Michael McConnell
Randyl Meigs
Mark Petrocchi
Steve Pezanosky
Scot Pierce
Joe Postnikoff
David Pritchard
Jeff Prostok
Suki Rosen
Robert Simon
Lindsay Steele
Clay Taylor
Behrooz Vida
BUSINESS/ COMMERCIAL
Chad Cacciotti
Stephanie Daley
Mark Dugan
Constance Hall
Marshall Jacobini
John Lively, Sr.
Trey Loftin
Stuart Lumpkins
Rob Lydick
Andrew Norman
R. Mark Oliver
Olyn Poole
Robert Shepard
CHILD SEX ABUSE
Gregory Love
Kimberlee Norris
CIVIL LAW & LITIGATION
Randy Agnew
Robert Aldrich Jr.
Derek Anderson
Geffrey Anderson
Michael Anderson
Chad Arnette
Mary Barkley
Dan Bates
Lars Berg
Grant Blaies
Greg Blaies
Richard Bourland
Art Brender
Brian Brisco
Bryan Bruner
Gina Bruner
Kirk Bryant
Caleb Bulls
William Campbell
Chris Collins
Denise Collins
Hugh Connor
Larry Cotten
Anthony Cuesta
Kelly Curnutt
Ryan Damiano
Randal Dean
Christian Dennie
Dwain Dent
Russell Devenport
Lydia Dews
Tylene di Sciullo
Roger Diseker
David Drez III
Ralph Duggins III
Rebecca Eaton
Laura Elkind
Roel “Joey” Fabela
Jacob Fain
Robert Fitzgerald
Michael Forman
Lynne Frank
Walker Friedman
Sharon Fulgham
Toby Galloway
Brian Garrett
Matt Germany
Alyson Halpern
Mark Haney
Jon Harrison
John David Hart
Brenda Hasenzahl
Barry Hasten
Albon Head
Jennifer Henry
Michael J. “Mike” Henry
Conrad Hester
Wes Hightower
Tim Hoch
Justin Hoover
Bruce James
William Jenkins
David Johnson
Dee Kelly Jr.
Koy Killen
Bill Kirkman
Jeff Lacy
Sandra Liser
John Lively, Jr.
Justin Malone
Brant Martin
Steve Maxwell
Dan McDonald
Hunter McLean
Chase Medling
Randall Moore
Shayne Moses
George Muckleroy
Preston Mundt
Jennifer Munoz
Jerry Murad Jr.
Jason Nash
Christopher Neal
Christopher Nezworski
Shane O’Dell
David Palmer
Raymond Palmer
Jeff Parks
Michael Peck
Robert Piwetz
John Proctor
Kelly Puls
Guy Riddle
Jerrod Rinehart
Cailin Ringelman
Jackie Robinson
Josh Ross
Kimberly Satz
Roland Schafer
Bronwyn Scharar
Allison Schluckebier
Mallory Schuit
Chip Searcy
Marshall Searcy
Morris Sheats
Mike Sheehan
Brent Shellhorse
Andy Sims
Brian Stagner
Daniel Steppick
Jon Suder
Mack Ed Swindle
Chris Taylor
Joe Tolbert
Philip Vickers
Kelli Walter
Matt Walton
William Warren
Scott Wheatley
Jeff Whitfield
Jay Wieser
Eamonn Wiles
Tom Williams
Larry Wilshire
Shauna Wright
Jim Zadeh
CIVIL LAW AND TRANSACTIONAL
Charlie Florsheim
Adam Fulkerson
Rob Keffler
Veronica Law
Michael Moore
Alexander Pelley
Judd Pritchard
Jacob Smith
Kelly Jean Tompkins
Matthew Wallis
COMMERCIAL LITIGATION
Derek Carson
Bryan Davis
George Haratsis
Paul Vitanza
CONSTRUCTION
Toby Burke
Richard DeBerry
Christian Ellis
James Gordon
Stephen Harrison
Cara Kennemer
Michael MacQuaid
Andrew Piel
Brad Rice
Patrick Sheridan
Mark Stoecker
Ross Vitek
Richard Wiseman
Steve Yungblut
CONSUMER
Jerry Jarzombek
John Wolffarth
The Tarrant County District Attorney’s office handles around 45,000
criminal cases each year.
(SOURCE: TEXASBAR.COM)
CORPORATE COUNSEL
Anna Alvarado Gomez
Patrick Canon
Chris Greer
Susan Hudson
Carolyn Hyman
Andrew Lombardi
Emily Mundt
Andrea Palmer
Trey Penny
Scott Phillips
Heather Raiden
Craig Woodcook
CORPORATE FINANCE/ MERGERS & ACQUISITIONS
Brian Barnard
Harry Bartel
Tommy Boswell
Benton Cantey
Doug Clayton
David Cook
Sharon Cooper
Gavin Fearey
Elliott Garsek
Bill Greenhill
Janet Hahn
Kris Landrith
Evan Malloy
Charles Milliken
Michael Moan
Jason Pierce
Vernon Rew
Dan Vela
Sam Vinson
Jarratt Watkins
Wayne Whitham
Dustin Willey
Chelsea Wood
CRIMINAL
Sherry Armstrong
Adam Arrington
Bruce Ashworth
Brandon Barnett
Leslie Barrows
Bruce Beasley
Lanny Begley
Allen Blake
Miles Brissette
Tiffany Burks
Blake Burns
Danny Burns
Zach Burt
Nelda Cacciotti
Kara Carreras
Virginia Carter
Dan Cleveland
Cody Cofer
Mimi Coffey
Elizabeth Cortright
Craig Dameron
Mark Daniel
Nick Davis
Clemente de la Cruz
Brian Eppes
Lance Evans
Tim Evans
Abe Factor
Taylor Ferguson
Brandon Fulgham
Steve Gebhardt
Bob Gill
Ashley Gilmore
Steve Gordon
Brian Goza
Gordon Brock Groom
Charles Hamm
Ryan Hardy
Daniel Hernandez
Francisco Hernandez
Bryan Hoeller
Jeff Hoover
Jason Howard
Robert Huseman
Christy Jack
Scotty Jones
Steve Jumes
Jeff Kearney
Tracie Kenan
Alex Kim
Kim Knapp
Emily LaChance
Chris Lankford
Melinda Lehmann
Ben Leonard
Trent Loftin
James Luster
Trent Marshall
Leticia Martinez
Chelsi McLarty
Blakely Mohr
Terri Moore
Thomas Murphree
Jayson Nag
Brian Newman
Graham Norris
John Robinson
Rose Anna Salinas
Santiago Salinas
Jonathan Simpson
Justin Sparks
Jordan Stimpson
Ty Stimpson
Anna Rebekah
Summersett
Andrea Townsend
Benson Varghese
Brian Walker
Greg Westfall
Luke Williams
Jerry Wood
Reagan Wynn
EDUCATION/ SCHOOL LAW
Christie Hobbs
Thomas Myers
Jim Whitton
ELDER LAW
Monica Benson
Steve Katten
Rick Weaver
FAMILY
Katherine Allen
Andrew Anderson
Barbara Armstrong
Steve Bankhead
Genevieve Barr
Norma Bazan
Stephanie Beamer
Francesca Blackard
Robert Blankenship
Kaye Lynne Boll
Catherine Borum
Tina Campbell
Tawanna Cesare
Mark Childress
Christine Clary
Mark Cochran
David Lee Cook
Shelley Cooper
Theresa Copeland
Lori Dally
Rachel Dalton
Paul Daly
Ami Decker
Kelly Decker
L. Michele DeLotto
Kristina Denapolis West
Cynthia Dillard Ince
Lisa Duffee
Lauren Duffer
Jack Duffy
Melinda Eitzen
Robert Epstein
Stephen Farrar
Cynthia Favila-Terry
Stephanie Foster
Jonathan Fox
Jon Michael Franks
Marcy Akers Freeman
Bodie Freeman
Paul Goetz
Kendall Goetz
Nancy Gordon
Cynthia Gustafson
Vicki Hafer
Brooks Harrington
Harry “Trey” Harris III
Nathan Hatton
Tom Hill
Deborah Hinds
Mary Holland
Robert Hoover
Lisa Hoppes
Gregory Housewirth
Traci Hutton
Jessica Janicek
Jim Jay
Jill Johnston
Tracey Justice
Heather King
J. Steven King
David Kulesz
Mark Lane
Bria Larson
Amy Lee
Jerry Loftin
Cade Lovelace
Sean Lynch
Dana Manry
Kenneth McAlister
Kelly McClure
Brent McMullen
Zoe Meigs
Larry Mike
Lynne Milford
Charlie Mitchell
Jerold Mitchell
Tyler Monahan
Cassie Mullen
Kimberly Naylor
Stephen Naylor
Kenneth Newell
Lyndsay Newell
Gary Nickelson
Spencer Nilsson
Barbara Nunneley
Elizabeth “Betsy”
Parmer
Jessica Phillips
Alison Porterfield
Richard Price
Shannon Pritchard
William D. Pruett
Mia Rainey
Elizabeth Rivera
Sarah Robbins
Laurie Robinson
Elaine Ryan
Stephanie Sabelhaus
Kevin Schmid
Michael Schneider
Sarah Seltzer
Jill Setzer
Justin Sisemore
Curran Skinner
Anne Smith
Dwayne Smith
Kathleen Smith
Susan Smith
Joseph Soto III
Lori Spearman
Keith Spencer
Jeff Stewart
Kimberly Stoner-Brock
Melissa Swan
Jamie Taylor
Chrissy Tefera
Anna Teller
Donald Teller, Jr.
Jeffrey Turner Thornton
Tom Vick
Diane Wanger
Wayne Ward
Lance Welch
Kyle Whitaker
Dana White
Pam Wilder
Weir Wilson
Mike Windsor
Samantha Wommack
Michael Wurtz
FINANCIAL SERVICES
Hurshell Brown
Andrea Cottrell
HEALTH
David Speed IMMIGRATION
Jason Mills
Melissa Wilks
INSURANCE
Michael Munoz
INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY
Decker Cammack
Joe Cleveland
Heath Coffman
Michael Cooke
Clark Cowley
Leslie Darby
Scott Fredricks
Christopher Granaghan
Charles Gunter
Dave Gunter
Damon Hickman
Dustin Johnson
Cheryl Leb
Geoff Mantooth
Steve Mosher
Warren Norred
Glenn Orman
Enrique Sanchez
Rocky Schwartz
David Skeels
Brian Yost
LABOR & EMPLOYMENT –EMPLOYEE
Zoe Courtney
Rick Griffin
Jason Smith
Rod Tanner
LABOR & EMPLOYMENT –EMPLOYER
Tom Brandon
Vianei Braun
Russell Cawyer
Karen Denney
Rory Divin
Brad Dowell
Laura Hallmon
Caroline Harrison
Cynthis Hill
Leslie Hunt
Michael Hutchens
Gary Ingram
Claudine Jackson
Lauren McDonald
Danielle Needham
Andrea Paris
Henry Robinson
Julie Ross
Jay Rutherford
Jennifer Sweeny
LAND USE & ENVIRONMENT
J. Ray Oujesky
MEDICAL MALPRACTICE –DEFENSE
Jennifer Andrews
Wes Myers
Jordan Parker
MOVING VIOLATIONS
Andrew Hawkins
Sommer Walker
Bonnie Wolf
NONPROFIT LAW
Michael Bourland
Steven Goodspeed
Dana Stayton
OIL & GAS
Valerie Antonette
Elizabeth Babb
The word “bar” has acquired many meanings and connotations over the years. In 1330, it was synonymous with “court.” It also refers to the wooden railing in a courtroom around a judge’s seat.
(SOURCE: TEXASBAR.COM)
Prichard Bevis
Ronnie Blackwell
Bill Bredthauer
Cole Bredthauer
Eric Camp
Colby Crosby
Michael Dawson
Bob Grable
Jeff Grable
Meg Guerra
Tim Howell
Kristi Jones
Raymond Kelly
James Key
Jeff King
Tim Malone
Mark Matula
Jonathon McCartney
Terry McClure
Aaron Moses
Patrick Murphy
Andrew H. Neal
Hunter Parrish
Adam Plumbley
Katey Powell Stimek
Joseph “Joe” Regan
Shawna Rinehart
Clark Rucker
Bart Rue
Brian J. Smith
Todd Spake
Gregory Springman
James Strawn
Stephen Taylor
John Thompson III
Ricky Torlincasi
Rob Vartabedian
PERSONAL INJURY –DEFENSE
Bruce Campbell
Laura Docker James
David Flowers
Matt McLain
Richard “Bruce” Moon
Brad Poulos
Christopher Pruitt
Coby D. Smith
James Williams
PERSONAL
INJURY –PLAINTIFF
Mark Anderson
Seth Anderson
Brandy Austin
Wade Barrow
William Berenson
George Boll
Rick Brantley
John Brender
Gene Burkett
Rieker Carsey
Brice Cottongame
John Cummings
Neely Fortinberry
Mark Frenkel
Scott Frenkel
David Frisby
Doug Hafer
Robert Haslam
Rob Henry
Susan Hutchison
Greg Jackson
John Jose
Jeff Kaitcer
Robert Kisselburgh
Steve Laird
Jesse Lotspeich
Rachel Montes
Brad Parker
Anna Patterson
Travis Patterson
Tony Pettitt
Jim Ross
John Shaw
Todd Smith
Jason Stephens
Chris Stoy
Fred L. Streck III
Randy Turner
Tennessee Walker
Rocky Walton
Richard Ward
Rick Ward
Natherral Washington
Scott Wert
Ben Westbrook
Coby Wooten
PROBATE, ESTATES, TRUST
Michael Appleman
David Bakutis
John Barnes
Craig Bishop
Marvin Blum
Natalie Brackett
Cole Bryan
Patricia Cole
B. C. Cornish
Kandice Damiano
Lindsay Daniel
James Davidson
Matthew Davidson
Kelly DeBerry
Clint Dennis
Tena Fox
Catherine Goodman
Ross Griffith
James Geary Grimes
Chandler Grisham
Laura Haley
Beth Hampton
Shelli Harveson
Kelcie Hibbs
Amanda Holliday
Allan Howeth
Lisa Jamieson
Karen Telschow
Johnson
Michael Kaitcer
William Korb
Kevin Kuenzli
Terry Leach
Bonny Link
Ann Lopez
Robert Loudermilk
Jennifer Lovelace
Dan McCarthy
Phil McCrury
Dyann McCully
Scott Moseley
Colin Murchison
Jeffrey Myers
Kory Nelson
Amy Ott
Henry Paup
Julie Plemons
Gary Post
Rachel Saltsman
Joel Sawyer
Aaron Shutt
Melinda Watts Smith
Jimalee Splawn
Louis Stefanos
Aimee Stone
Jerry Styrsky
Leslie Thomas
David Tracy
Michael Wiist
Corey Williams
PRODUCT LIABILITY
Patrick Gallagher
Grant Liser
PROFESSIONAL MALPRACTICE (NON-MEDICAL) - DEFENSE
Monika Cooper
PUBLIC FINANCE
Jonathan Cranz
REAL ESTATE
Kendall Adair
Neal Adams
Eric Alexander
Amanda Anderson
Chris Baker
Nick Bettinger
Mark Bishop
Carrie Cappel
Susan Coleman
Ed Cox
Joel Eckhardt
Walter Fortney III
Martin Garcia
Jay Garrett
Noelle Garsek
Zachary Garsek
Robert Ginsburg
Michael Goodrich
Bryon Hammer
Sadie Harrison-Fincher
Timothy Harvard
Alan Hegi
Chad Key
Darren Keyes
Jared King
Lisa Leaton
Matthew Luensmann
Brad Mahon
Bill McCann
Travis McNellie
Patricia Meadows
David Mellina
Sharon Millians
Gary Moates
Greg Monroe
Mitchell Moses
Matthew Motes
Frank Newman
Russel Norment
Stephen Polozola
Bill Ratliff
Jeff Rattikin
Andy Rogers
Pollard Rogers
Jennifer Rosell
Scott Settle
Rick Sorenson
Kenneth Stogdill
Dan Sykes
Stephen Tobin
Thomas Turet
Jody Walker
Ginger Webber
Bob West
Dan White
SECURITIES
Natalie Carlgren
John Fahy
Cal Jackson
Robin Perras
Andrew Rosell
Wayne Whitaker
TAX
Gordon Appleman
Sean Bryan
James Creel
Tom Hegi
John Hunter
Brandon Jones
Catherine Moon
Jessica Morrison
Ryan Scharar
James Stripling
Len Woodard
TECHNOLOGY/ VIRTUAL
Brian Kirkpatrick
Less Than Five Years In Practice
APPELLATE
Joe Greenhill
BUSINESS/ COMMERCIAL
Sean Buckley
CIVIL LAW & LITIGATION
Alix Allison
Allison Allman
Whitney Beckworth
Jake Boyd
DaNae Couch
Paul Elkins
Zac Farrar
Ellen Gastil
Jeff Gilmore
Trey Gordon
Taylor Lindsey
Alicia Murphy
Kristin Newman
Daniel Paret
Schyler Parker
Manuel Ramos
Ryan Roper
Maritza Sanchez
Adam Simmons
Joakim Soederbaum
Brad Timms
Kyle Voss
CIVIL LAW AND TRANSACTIONAL
C. Ryan Heath
Kathy Kassabian Reid
Shane Vreeland
CONSTRUCTION
Taylor Paris
CORPORATE COUNSEL
Ronald Pack
CORPORATE FINANCE/ MERGERS & ACQUISITIONS
Tave Doty
Kayla Matus
Jennifer McDaniel
J. Drew Neill
CRIMINAL
Deborah Bankhead
Phillip Hall
Landon Loker
Rachel Taft
Alex Thornton
Veronica Veyhl
Bryan Wilson EDUCATION/ SCHOOL LAW
Kathi Hogan FAMILY
Laura Alexander
Claire Blankenship
Kristen Carr
Rashelle Fetty
Aulstin Gardiner
Kayla Gertsch
Courtney Harbaugh
Walker
Nathan Huckaby
Matthew Jackson
Jeff Johnson
Brandon Joseph
Dawn King
Brenna Loyd
Kate Mataya
Kathlynn Pack
Danielle Reagan
Brad Scalise
Brian Singleterry
Carrie Tapia
Lindsey Underwood
Whitney Vaughan
Courtney Walker
Janine Wilson
Paul Youngblood
IMMIGRATION
Ali Crocker
Rocio Martinez
LABOR & EMPLOYMENT –EMPLOYER
Hannah Parks
OIL & GAS
Seth Burt
Carla Valeria Caso
Garrett Martin
James Nichols
Nirav Patel
Ross Smith
PERSONAL INJURY –PLAINTIFF
Jesse Calderon
Preston Dugas III
Kolter Jennings
Yesha Patel
PROBATE, ESTATES, TRUST
Berkeley Hamann
Maggie Hill
REAL ESTATE
Jarrod Cone
Brett Epstein
Joel Heydenburk
Sarah Powers
Kylie Rahl
Robby Reeb
Grant Sorenson
Beth Thurman
Hannah Watkins
TAX
Jacob Birnbaum
Over the last 10 years, the number of Tarrant County attorneys has increased by 28 percent, growing from 4,238 attorneys in 2007 to 5,429 in 2017.
(SOURCE: TEXASBAR.COM)
VLK mastered the art of architecture; throughout the concept, design and construction process, without fail, VLK surpassed our expectations. Their commitment to detail, execution, and overall excellence made our process an absolute success.
John Fucci, Vice President Steelhead Capital Management & Bios Partners
Lamar National Bank,
a provider of unique financial solutions for business owners and individuals, is pleased to announce their expansion into the Fort Worth, Texas area. Terry King will serve as Market President. Terry brings over 19 years of banking experience, as well as a community focused outlook.
Prior to joining Lamar National Bank, Terry served as Vice President at a local bank in Grapevine Texas. Terry holds a Bachelor of Finance from Texas A&M University. Terry and his team will office at 9800 Hillwood Parkway Ste # 140 in Fort Worth and will serve small business owners as well as individual clients.
“Our expansion into Fort Worth and the surrounding communities is a part of our growth plan in the greater Dallas-Ft. Worth market,” said Greg Wilson, President and CEO of Lamar National Bank.
“Our Celina and Paris offices have had such great success we felt Fort Worth was the next logical move.”
Lamar National Bank provides a full spectrum of financial solutions for businesses to help them manage cash flow and protect against fraud. As a leader in financial technology and individual customized services, Lamar National Bank is well positioned to help customers with their banking needs.
“Lamar National Bank is a customer focused leader, and we are excited to bring our niche service and banking products to the communities in and around Fort Worth.
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 6, 2019 7:30 –
TheRegistry
Leaders in Fort Worth’s Legal Industry
They stand by us through some of life’s more memorable moments. They guide us through everything from an adoption to starting a company. They are some of Greater Fort Worth’s brightest, most-sought-after professionals, and they want to tell you how hiring them will benefit you.
The information in this section is provided by the advertisers and has not been independently verified by Fort Worth Inc.
TheRegistry Leaders in Fort Worth’s Legal Industry
Bill Berenson
EXPERTISE: Bill Berenson has successfully represented thousands of victims of truck and auto collisions for the past 38 years. He focuses on helping people injured by 18-wheelers and intoxicated drivers.
EDUCATION: B.A. with honors, UT Austin; J.D., SMU School of Law. MEMBERSHIPS/HONORS: Board of Directors, Texas Trial Lawyers Association; Top 100 Attorney, National Trial Lawyers; Fellow, Multi-Million Dollar Advocates Forum; Fellow, Texas Bar Foundation; Top Attorney, Fort Worth Magazine multiple years.
BOARD CERTIFICATION: Certified by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization in Personal Injury Trial Law (since 1994).
PROFESSIONAL ACHIEVEMENTS: Berenson has been involved in high-profile lawsuits ranging from the 2000 presidential election to the “affluenza teen case” and has been featured in The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and other national media. He has obtained many multi-million dollar settlements and verdicts. WHAT SETS HIM APART: Berenson harnesses the drive that has enabled him to run marathons in all 50 states (with 40 qualifying for the Boston Marathon) to passionately fight to get his clients the maximum recovery. MOTTO: Hire an attorney who can go the distance.
CONTACT INFORMATION:
BerensonLaw.com
TheRegistry Leaders in Fort Worth’s Legal Industry
Rickey J. Brantley and Alex Pelley BrantleyPelley, LLC
SPECIALTY: General Civil Litigation with emphasis on catastrophic injuries and wrongful death, business and insurance disputes, investment fraud, probate litigation and other civil trial matters. EXPERIENCE: Brantley and Pelley have a combined 40-plus years practicing law and have been together for the entirety of Pelley’s legal career. Brantley is Board Certified in Civil Trial Law and Personal Injury Trial Law. AWARDS/HONORS: Our successful record is evident both in the compensation awarded to our clients as well as the recognition received from the legal community. The firm and its attorneys have been awarded Top 100 Texas Super Lawyers, Texas Super Lawyers, Top 100 Dallas/Fort Worth Texas Super Lawyers, American Board of Trial Advocates, American College of Trial Lawyers, Best Law-
yers in America, Texas Super Lawyers Rising Star and Best Law Firms in America. APPROACH TO LAW: We are selective in the cases that the firm takes and will only get involved in a case if we feel we can add value for the client. We always meet our potential clients face to face and pride ourselves on making sure we can satisfy all of the client’s specific needs from day one.
PICTURED: Rickey Brantley, Alex Pelley and Cathie Smith.
CONTACT INFORMATION: cathie@rickeybrantley.com
TheRegistry Leaders in Fort Worth’s Legal Industry
Dawson Parrish Springman, PC
FOCUS AREAS: Dawson Parrish Springman’s primary focus area covers commercial and business law with services ranging from title, transactional and litigation. Its main practice industries include commercial real estate, oil and gas, banking, hospitality and insurance. EDUCATION/CERTIFI-
CATIONS: Michael Dawson – Bachelor of Science in Computer Science, Engineering Department, Texas Tech University; Doctor of Jurisprudence, Texas A&M University School of Law; licensed to practice law in Texas, Oklahoma and New Mexico. J. Hunter Parrish – Bachelor of Arts in Political Science, Texas Tech University; Doctor of Jurisprudence, Texas A&M University School of Law; licensed to practice law in Texas and New Mexico; admitted to practice before all Federal District Courts in Texas. Greg Springman – Bachelor of Science in Industrial Engineering and Management, Oklahoma State University; Doctor of Jurisprudence, Texas A&M University School of Law; licensed to practice law in Texas and Oklahoma. AWARDS/ HONORS: Dawson – 40-Under-40 Honoree, Fort Worth Business Press;
2018 Rising Star, Texas Super Lawyers (Thomson Reuters); Top Attorney, Fort Worth Magazine, 2013 and 2015-2018. Parrish – Rising Star, Texas Super Lawyers (Thomson Reuters) for four consecutive years; Top Attorney, Fort Worth Magazine, for seven consecutive years. APPROACH: The law firm was built on the belief that exceptional legal service begins with reliable, efficient and cost-effective representation. PICTURED: Michael J. Dawson, J. Hunter Parrish, Greg Springman and Terisa Wines-Hordynski.
TheRegistry Leaders in Fort Worth’s Legal Industry
Barry Gene Hasten, PLLC
EXPERTISE: While our firm has maintained a general civil litigation practice for the last 26 years, we have developed a specialty in handling large complex structural and wildfire cases throughout the state. We also maintain a significant personal injury and commercial litigation practice.
EDUCATION/HONORS: Barry Hasten is a 1988 graduate of South Texas College of Law, where he was on the Deans Honor list. Mr. Hasten has been voted to the Fort Worth Magazine Top Attorney list since 2009. He has also received the prestigious John Rauch award for his contributions to fire determination and arson investigation. Jennifer Munoz is a 2003 graduate of Texas A&M School of Law and was voted as a Top Attorney by Fort Worth Magazine since 2016. Sharon Hasten has been the firm’s legal assistant/ office manager since 1992. APPROACH TO THE LAW: We understand
that we work for the clients; the clients don’t work for us. We put ethics over profit and client interests ahead of our own. We pride ourselves on being consistently accessible and keeping the clients informed. You will never hear one of our clients say, “I can’t get ahold of my attorney.” FAVORITE SAYING APPLIED TO PRACTICING LAW: Pigs get fat and hogs get slaughtered.
PICTURED: Barry G. Hasten, Jennifer Munoz and Sharon Hasten.
CONTACT INFORMATION:
barry@hastenlaw.com
TheRegistry Leaders in Fort Worth’s Legal Industry
Hoch Law Firm, PC
SPECIALTY: Civil litigation including large commercial losses and personal injury. EDUCATION: Texas Christian University, Bachelor of Arts, 1985; University of Oklahoma College of Law, Juris Doctor, 1988. AWARDS/HONORS: Board Certified in Personal Injury Trial Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization. PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIPS/ AFFILIATIONS: State Bar of Texas; State Bar of Oklahoma; TCU Board of Trustees, ex officio; TCU National Alumni Board; and Catholic Charities Board of Directors.GREATEST ACHIEVEMENT: Hoch Law Firm, PC has had the privilege of earning the trust and confidence of people who are facing their toughest moments and the most difficult times of their lives. PROFESSIONAL APPROACH: Highly personal, aggressive and relentless. FREE ADVICE: Doing good is more important than doing well. PICTURED: Tim Hoch.
CONTACT INFORMATION:
hochlawfirm.com tim@hochlawfirm.com
TheRegistry Leaders in Fort Worth’s Legal Industry
Jared M. King, P.C.
SPECIALTY: Jared M. King, P.C. is a firm that assists clients with drafting and negotiating a variety of commercial real estate transactions — including commercial leases (retail, office, warehouse, industrial) reciprocal easement & operating agreements, sales contracts, development agreements, construction contracts, and brokerage agreements. A large part of the practice is dedicated to counseling clients in the shopping center, retail, luxury student housing, and multi-family/mixed-use real estate industries in connection with transactions, operations, and, occasionally, litigation. Jared M. King also represents commercial and residential condominium owners’ associations, as well as various homeowners’ associations. EDUCATION/CERTIFICATIONS: B.A. in English, Brigham Young University; J.D., Gonzaga University School of Law; Managing Editor, Gonzaga Law Review. MEMBERSHIPS/AFFILIATIONS: Member of International Council of Shopping Centers. APPROACH: “I dedicate my energy to understand the industries I serve so that I may be best positioned to offer the most relevant legal counsel (given industry-specific demands) and provide custom-tailored work product (given clients’ industry-specific needs), while adding value to my clients’ respective business interests.”
PICTURED: Jared M. King.
CONTACT INFORMATION:
jking@jmkinglaw.com
TheRegistry Leaders in Fort Worth’s Legal Industry
RattikinLaw Fort Worth
SPECIALTY: Commercial and residential real estate law, energy law, business and banking law, estate planning, probate, guardianships and civil litigation. CERTIFICATIONS: Jeffrey A. Rattikin and Thomas R. Turet are both AV-rated attorneys, Board Certified in Residential and Commercial Real Estate Law, respectively. GREATEST PROFESSIONAL ACCOMPLISHMENT: Our firm has been a recognized leader and go-to source of professional transactional legal services in Fort Worth for over 75 years, assisting generations of Fort Worth families and their businesses in their legal needs. WHAT SETS THEM APART: RattikinLaw breaks through the traditional barriers of legal representation by offering our services both online and in-person, at a flat fee rather than hourly billing, utilizing the latest in technology and social networking platforms. APPROACH TO LAW: RattikinLaw strives to deliver efficient, convenient and cost-effective
legal services to consumers and small businesses across the state of Texas, both online and in-person. MOTTO: RattikinLaw strives to put deals together, not tear them apart. FREE ADVICE: When choosing a provider of goods or services, work with someone who lives, works and plays in Fort Worth, one who shares a love of and commitment to this blessed place we are lucky enough to call home. PICTURED: (left to right) Robert L. Loudermilk, Jake L. Robinson, Jeffrey A. Rattikin, Thomas R. Turet and Matthew T. Loeffelholz.
CONTACT INFORMATION:
rattikin@rattikinlaw.com
TheRegistry Leaders in Fort Worth’s Legal Industry
Tanner and Associates, P.C.
EXPERTISE: The firm’s practice is focused on labor and employment law, civil trials and appeals in federal and state courts, administrative proceedings and arbitration. EDUCATION/CERTIFICATIONS: Rod Tanner – B.A., English Literature with Honors, University of Texas at Austin, 1973; J.D., University of Texas School of Law, 1976; Board Certified in Labor and Employment Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization since 1990. EXPERIENCE: Tanner, the founding shareholder of Tanner and Associates, PC, has 42 years of legal experience. WHAT SETS THEM APART: The unique practice niche. The firm has a national union-side labor law practice and a statewide employment law practice. Tanner, a Fellow in the prestigious College of Labor and Employment Lawyers, is widely recognized as one of the country’s preeminent labor lawyers. He has won a number of notable labor and employment cases, including precedent-setting cases involving employment contracts and union bargaining rights. MISSION: Recognizing that the noble purpose of our labor laws is to establish justice in the workplace, the firm’s mission is to provide legal services in labor and employment matters of the highest quality. MOTTO: Always exhibit grace under pressure. FREE ADVICE: Employees and organizations must be strategically proactive in legal matters in order to produce successful outcomes. PICTURED: Rod Tanner.
CONTACT INFORMATION:
6300 Ridglea Place, Ste. 407 Fort Worth, Texas 76116-5706
rodtannerlaw.com rtanner@rodtannerlaw.com
Mitchell Allen
Southlake entrepreneur Mitchell Allen pulls a “Shark Tank” deal for his Hire Santa business out of the hat at the last minute. BY
TERESA MCUSIC / PHOTOGRAPHY BY OLAF GROWALD
Southlake entrepreneur Mitchell Allen didn’t know if he was going to come out of the “Shark Tank” with a deal last month. But one thing he did know: He wouldn’t have been in the Tank at all if he hadn’t joined Fort Worth EO. With a master’s degree in applied mathematics from Texas Tech, Allen has built four formidable companies with combined annual revenue of $20 million, including a bankruptcy counseling firm that has served 1.5 million clients, legal lead generation company with 500 clients and a digital ad agency. But it was his Santa Claus placement business, Hire Santa, that brought him to the reality show after an open call last January in Dallas with 500 other entrepreneurs. He speculates that he was chosen because he had a company with revenue (Hire Santa did $1 million in revenue in 2018), and
the company was entertaining. While he almost took a dive on the show, Allen pulled out a last-minute deal with shark Barbara Corcoran: $200,000 for half of the business until the money was paid back, then 10 percent equity partnership.
COMPANIES BUILT 4 WORDS TO LIVE BY "When I start thinking about a business, my No. 1 thing is, are there clients and demand."
I was an introverted math nerd from a small town in West Texas, Denver
City.
Life in the Tank “It was an amazing experience. I was a little surprised that you have to pay for your whole set yourself. Getting it there, everything. I ended up having 20 Santas, Mrs. Claus and two mascots. We filmed for about 45 minutes. [It ran nine minutes on the show.] About 25 minutes in, everybody but Kevin was out. I was 30 seconds from not having a deal. They really leave out a tremendous amount of negotiations that went on. I had prepared many different thoughts on deal structures. What it really does is eliminate risk. That got Daymond [John] interested and Barbara back in.”
Monday After “We were slammed even before ‘Shark Tank.’ Virtually all of our Santas were placed before the show aired, but there was a tremendous amount of traffic and leads for 2019, including some major retailers.” [Hire Santa’s current major retailers include Bass Pro Shop, Cabela’s, Metro PCS and Superior Grocery.]
EO Help “EO has expanded my network, and I’ve gotten clients out of it, but more importantly, I’ve grown more personally from EO than anything else. I was an introverted math nerd from a small town in West Texas, Denver City. EO has gotten me out of my comfort zone and expanded me socially. I wouldn’t have had the confidence to be on ‘Shark Tank’ before EO.”
Familiar Snowman “My two mascots for the show, a snowman and reindeer, were John Cornelson and Jeremy Brandt, past EO presidents of the Fort Worth chapter. They flew
themselves up for the taping. EO has been incredibly supportive. We had practice pitches or dress rehearsals with my EO forum here and another EO forum here, and the LA chapter of EO set up a mock ‘Shark Tank’ for me to practice in and has an ambassador on their board when people come to town to facilitate dinners or introductions or other things to put things together. That was all extremely helpful.”
Common Elements “When I start thinking about a business, my No. 1 thing is, are there clients and demand. Is there a method for obtaining clients at a reasonable cost? It’s very basic. All of my businesses, one way or another, touch the internet. There’s a lot about internet marketing that allows you to reach people like you haven’t been able to in the past.”
Teresa McUsic is a Fort Worth-area freelance journalist.
Rolling Wonder
Kevin Lackey didn’t give up the first time he got beat up in pursuit of his dream. Today, he’s CEO of Freedom Powersports, the nation’s top powersports retailer.
BY JASON FORREST / PHOTOGRAPHY BY OLAF GROWALD
Kevin Lackey’s road to success with Freedom Powersports was paved with what felt like defeat after defeat.
Today, Lackey is one of North Texas’ premier success stories. He rose from a frontline salesperson to the CEO of Freedom Powersports, with multiple locations in several states. In 2017, Freedom Powersports was named the No. 1 dealer in the nation by Powersports Business, the industry’s leading publication. The Fort Worth-based company is now up to more than 300 employees and can hardly contain its rapid growth.
How did Kevin Lackey respond when it looked like his dream had been crushed? Please see Jason Forrest’s video interview at fwtx.com/videos.
Kevin Lackey, CEO of Freedom Powersports
But the story of how Lackey got to that point is full of the sort of crushing lows that will be familiar to any entrepreneur.
Lackey began his career working the sales floor of a powersports dealership in Weatherford, selling items like motorcycles and ATVs. Lackey was a natural salesperson, and he quickly rose to become the dealership’s top asset on the floor. “I can sell very instinctively,” Lackey says.
After a few years, Lackey realized he wanted more, and his entrepreneurial sixth sense kicked in. The owners were considering selling; Lackey wanted to buy. The process to get funding was long, but Lackey figured he was doing all the right things. It took him about five months to get the loan in order from the bank, but when he got the call his loan was approved, his excitement soared. He was about to be a business owner for the first time. Or so he thought.
“I met with the owner and his wife, and they had already sold the business 30 days before,” Lackey says. “They were under a nondisclosure.”
So, Lackey had to go back to the drawing board. Not only did he lose the sale, but he also lost his position as a manager and was kicked back to the selling floor. Now he had a decision to make. Do I give up the fight and do something else, or do I run toward the roar?
Sometimes the safest place to be is the one that feels the scariest. Lions — with their intimidating teeth and deafening roars — are designed to provoke fear. But the real danger lies with the smaller, quieter lionesses. In the animal kingdom, the lion’s job is to roar and send prey scattering away from the startling noise — right into the path of the waiting lionesses, the true hunters. If gazelles knew to run toward the frightening sound, they would have a better chance of survival. The roar doesn’t represent the real danger.
toward those challenges and conflicts is the best (or only) way to grow and meet our goals. In business, those who run from the deafening noise never reach their full potential, while those who turn and face the fear thrive.
Lackey decided to thrive. He worked his way back up the ladder, and it took Lackey three more years to build up to another opportunity to buy the business. This time there were two businesses in play: the dealership in Weatherford and another in Hurst. But as with the last time, Lackey was determined. This sale, too, was not without its hardship. Lackey’s primary investor misrepresented his assets and melted away when it came time to put up the money, so he was left without the capital to start the business on the eve of the transaction. Suddenly his sale was in jeopardy. Again.
running out, he fortuitously met up with his future business partner, and 30 days later, they closed the deal. In another 120 days, they’d bought another dealership, grew it by 600 percent in the first year, and they were off to the races. In just six years, the business is now one of the largest in the industry in the entire country.
We had mortgaged our house; I had drawn down on a line of credit with the bank; I had maxed out every credit card and put up everything I had as a deposit toward buying this dealership.
“At that point, I had already put up all the liquidity that my wife and I had, every single dime,” Lackey says. “We had mortgaged our house; I had drawn down on a line of credit with the bank; I had maxed out every credit card and put up everything I had as a deposit toward buying this dealership. Literally three months of thinking, ‘We’re about to close; this guy is bringing in the money,’ to finding out 90 days later that none of that was going to happen, and the seller was expecting to get paid.”
– Kevin Lackey
Likewise, humans sometimes have an instinctive desire to shy away from pursuits that look and sound scary. But often, running
Lackey remembers thinking he was likely going to lose his job and be financially devastated in the process. Once again, Lackey picked himself off the mat and figured out a way forward. Calling from his living room floor, Lackey told the seller the situation, and he got another 30 days to get together financing to buy the dealership.
So, Lackey beat the streets for an investor, often going days without sleeping. With time
Lackey credits a lot of his success to his passion for the sales industry. Freedom Powersports is a sales-first organization, a fact that was important to Lackey from the start. His employees train and role-play selling scenarios every single day, and he’s consistently focused on using their sales platform as a vehicle for good.
After so much hardship, that approach has paid off in spades for Lackey.
“I love people. I love to hear people’s stories,” Lackey says. “I like to get to know people. I think that some of my biggest success with sales is that I’m very authentic. I’m genuine. When I’m talking to someone, I couldn’t care less about the sale. I love the challenge of the sale and ringing the bell, but not unless I can do it from a place of integrity.”
With more than a decade of coaching and speaking experience, Jason is an expert at creating highperformance cultures through corporate training programs. He writes this column for each issue of Fort Worth Inc.
Jason Forrest is CEO of Forrest Performance Group of Fort Worth.
Combating Health Care’s High Costs: Three Options
Trump ruling makes it easier for small businesses to band together to buy health insurance. BY
DON CANADA, JR.
Regardless of party affiliation, the high cost of health care is a great concern for many Americans who have watched their health insurance premiums double since 2013. A recent study found the cost of health care for a typical American family of four, covered by an average employer-sponsored preferred provider organization plan, is $28,166 annually.
U.S. health care is close to 18 percent of GDP. In Fort Worth, small to midsized businesses have hit a “ceiling of complexity” with the astronomical cost of providing health insurance to employees and/or their families. A short-term strategy leveraged by many employers has been to shift the increase in financial responsibility to the employees in the form of higher premiums and/or out-of-pocket exposure to the employee and/or their dependents. For most employers, employee benefits typically make up one-third of the bottom line. Employers, employees and families are in a difficult position to find the word “af-
fordable” in the Affordable Care Act.
A 2017 executive order by President Trump and an ensuing Labor Department ruling focus on expanding the availability of three types of health coverage arrangements:
Association Health Plans
The Congressional Budget Office predicts 4 million will enroll in AHPs, impacting individuals and small business.
The Labor Department ruling will make it easier for small businesses to band together to buy health insurance across state lines without the regulatory requirements of the ACA. An association can be formed for the sole purpose of offering an association health plan to its members. The Congressional Budget Office predicts 4 million people will enroll in AHPs, impacting individuals, sole proprietors, small employers, employees and their families.
Short-Term, Limited-Duration Insurance Short-Term Medical plans have been around for decades but were deemed noncompliant by the ACA, because the product did not meet the ACA definition of essential benefits, had limitations and
did not provide coverage for pre-existing conditions. With the recent changes, shortterm medical insurance can be purchased for up to 360 days and is a consideration for many healthy individuals who are no longer willing to bear the cost of a permanent coverage, either for them and/or their dependents.
Health Reimbursement Arrangements
HRAs traditionally were utilized to reimburse employees for “unreimbursed medical, dental and vision benefits.” The restrictions have been relaxed on HRAs, allowing employers to “reimburse premiums” on a tax-advantaged basis. Small employers may consider offering an HRA, in lieu of offering a group health plan, to protect the company from volatile increase and uncertainty in the future. However, in this scenario, the employees bear the risk of rising premiums and a volatile individual health insurance marketplace.
Is the final ruling final? Critics contend the arrangements are a way to work around the ACA requirement requiring plans cover essential benefits.
A coalition of 12 states have a lawsuit challenging the DOL ruling that allows health care plans to sidestep protections set up by the ACA. The IRS has issued a Frequently Asked Questions with open comment on whether the employer mandate (ACA mandated that employers with 51plus employees must provide health insurance or pay a significant penalty) applies to small employers who offer coverage through an AHP, if that employer has fewer than 50 full-time employees. There is still a lot to learn, and the target is constantly moving. Now, more than ever, employers need to work with a professional who is experienced, up-to-speed on the changing legislation, and who makes your needs the No. 1 priority.
Don Canada, Jr. is an entrepreneur, accomplished triathlete and employee benefit advisor in Fort Worth. don.canada@siliconbenefits.com
Thank You Fort WorthSundance Square for 10 Great Years!
It’s with a heavy heart we announce the closing of Norris Conference Centers and the Red Oak Ballroom in Fort Worth, while the building undergoes a major restoration. We will cease operations at the end of 2018.
We want to thank all of our customers and friends for their patronage and support - we hope to see you again soon.
Oil and Gas Outlook: Slowing
Oil and gas activity slows sharply in the fourth quarter due to the decline in prices.
BY SCOTT NISHIMURA
Growth in the oil and gas sector slowed significantly in the fourth quarter due to the sharp decline in oil prices, the Dallas Federal Reserve Bank said in its periodic Energy Survey.
The business activity index — the survey’s broadest measure of conditions facing Fed Eleventh District energy companies — “remained positive, but barely so, plunging from 43.3 in the third quarter to 2.3 in the fourth,” the survey findings said. Readings near zero indicate activity was largely unchanged from the prior quarter. Readings above zero indicate expansion; below zero, contraction. It was a break from the 10-quarter-long trend of rising activity, according to the survey. “The decrease in the fourth-quarter index
was driven by both exploration and production and oilfield services firms,” the survey said.
Oil and gas production increased for the ninth consecutive quarter, executives at exploration and production firms reported in the survey.
The decrease in the fourth-quarter index was driven by both exploration and production and oilfield services firms.
Dallas Federal Reserve Bank Periodic Energy Survey
The oil production index moved down to 29.1 in the fourth quarter from 34.8 in the third. Additionally, the natural gas production index fell to 24.8 from 35.5.
The index for equipment used by oilfield services firms “dropped sharply in the fourth quarter,” the survey said. That index was at 1.6, down 43 points from the third quarter.
“This suggests utilization rates remained relatively unchanged from the third quarter,” the survey said.
“Input costs on the services side in-
creased, but at a slower pace as the index declined from 46.6 to 36.7. Meanwhile, the index of prices received for oilfield services fell sharply from 23.2 to zero, suggesting prices were unchanged on a quarterover-quarter basis. Looking at the special question responses, operating margins declined for oilfield services firms in the fourth quarter relative to the third.”
Labor market indexes “pointed to moderation in both employment and work hours growth in the fourth quarter, particularly for oilfield services, while wage growth accelerated,” the survey said. The employment index for services fell sharply, to 17.5 from 31.7. The hours worked index for services also dropped, to 19.4 from 41. “The declines were smaller for E&P firms as the employment index moved down from 17.4 to 11.5, and the hours worked index fell from 12.8 to 7.7. The aggregate wages and benefits index advanced from 23.5 to 32.9.”
The company outlook index put up its first negative reading since the first quarter of 2016, plunging 57 points to -10.2 in the fourth quarter, the survey said. “This drop was particularly prominent among oilfield services firms, where the company outlook slumped 64 points to -17.2. The uncertainty index jumped 34 points to 42.4, pointing to heightened uncertainty regarding firms’ outlooks. Almost 58 percent of firms reported greater uncertainty.”
When asked for their expectations of where West Texas Intermediate oil prices would be by the end of 2019, the average response was $59.97 per barrel. That’s close to $11 higher than the average spot price during the survey period, $49.22 per barrel. Responses ranged from $45 to $80.
On average, respondents expect Henry Hub natural gas prices to be $3.34 per million British thermal units at the end of 2019. Responses ranged from $2 to $5.50. For reference, Henry Hub spot prices averaged $3.97 per MMBtu during the survey collection period.
Data were collected Dec. 12–20, and 167 energy firms responded to the survey. Of the respondents, 104 were exploration and production firms, and 63 were oilfield services firms.
Legislature’s Gates Are Wide Open
Here comes the flood of bills,
some of which may have a
shot at passing.
BY WAYNE BURGDORF, PRESIDENT, SOCIETY OF COMMERCIAL REALTORS
FProperty tax and appraisal system issues, which seemingly dominated the last legislative session and subsequent special session, are now front and center again — and with good reason.
ew of us realize that the Texas Legislature has one Constitutional requirement — that only being to pass a state budget. Yet, for the 86th legislative session, more than 400 pieces of proposed legislation were filed by the end of day one. And by March 8, when filing closes, expect as many as 7,500 bills in the system for hearings, debates and votes before June 1. Surprisingly, or maybe not, only one in five of those are likely to pass, and those most frequently will have modifications.
The Society of Commercial REALTORS, a professional group representing the Greater Fort Worth area in matters of commercial real estate, are proud members of Texas REALTORS. Through this unifying organization, SCR, with our partners in residential real estate, focuses on protecting the interests of its commercial practitioners, which are in the very interests of property owners seeking to sell or buy.
We have a saying, “If real estate is your job, then politics is your business.” And, local development conflicts, legislation we believe needs changing and property rights are why we engage in local and state politics. As a strong geographically-broad grassroots organization, we diligently follow and contribute to the discussion of the various issues affecting Texas real estate.
We are committed to ensuring that our local and state economies remain vibrant.
Property tax and appraisal system issues, which seemingly dominated the last legislative session and subsequent special session, are now front and center again — and with good reason. SCR and all of our colleagues in our Texas REALTORS association advocate for transparency from local taxing jurisdictions and tax relief for property owners, especially in our urban centers like Fort Worth and Arlington.
School finance reform is a complex and, at times, divisive issue. Public school financing needs reform; the solutions to that problem vary from city to city, school district to school district. Much of the attention on the issue focuses on funding.
House Joint Resolution 24 proposes a constitutional amendment that would require the state to fund at least half of the cost of funding public schools.
Other proposed legislation in which we have a strong interest are:
• Senate Bill 95, giving every Texas teacher a $4,000 pay raise
• Senate Bill 66, reducing and eventually eliminating the franchise tax
• House Bill 49, eliminating daylight saving time for Texas
• Perhaps most notably, House Bill 412, requiring the University of Texas and Texas A&M to square off in a football game annually
Our ultimate goal is to ensure Texas remains a great place to do business, raise a family and buy, sell or lease real estate. Texas REALTORS from across the state are committed to protecting the real estate industry through strong public policy.
I encourage you to talk with the commercial Realtors in your business circles to hear their perspectives on what the legislature must do to protect the interests of property owners and to keep state regulations reasonable.
Wayne Burgdorf is president of the Society of Commercial REALTORS, a regular contributor to Fort Worth Inc.
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Economic Presence Is the New Standard for State Taxes
BY BRETT OSTERKAMP, CPA, SENIOR MANAGER, BDO, FORT WORTH
This June, the U.S. Supreme Court drastically altered the landscape of state taxation when it issued its decision in South Dakota v. Wayfair, Inc. The Court held that a business with no physical presence in a state can be required to collect and remit the sales tax of that state. Prior to Wayfair, the controlling case, Quill v. North Dakota, required that a company have physical presence in a state before the state could impose a tax or tax collection obligation on the company. Wayfair has created additional complexities that vary from state to state.
Effects of Wayfair The impact of the Wayfair decision is that states are now able to impose tax or a tax collection obligation on an out-of-state company based only upon its “economic presence” in the state. Economic presence does not replace the physical presence standard; rather, the U.S. Supreme Court expanded states’ jurisdiction to tax based on either physical presence or economic presence. Failing to address new filing obligations created by Wayfair (and not passing the burden of the tax to the end user, in the case of a sales or use tax), a business could place up to 10 percent of its revenue in a particular state at risk, based primarily on a state's sales tax rate, penalties and interest for noncompliance. For sales/use tax purposes, states generally are determining economic presence based on a minimum threshold of total dollar amount of sales in the state and/
or a minimum number of individual sales transactions with consumers in the state over a defined period of time, usually the current or prior calendar year. For example, the threshold used by the South Dakota statute at issue in Wayfair that is also being adopted by a number of additional states is a threshold of more than $100,000 in sales, or 200 or more separate sales transactions in the state in a prior or current calendar year. However, the thresholds being adopted vary among states. If a business exceeds one or both of the thresholds depending upon the state, then it is considered to have economic presence.
Case Study 1: A company in Texas makes remote sales into North Carolina starting in January 2019, averaging $10,000 in sales monthly and five transactions. The company would have $100,000 in sales into North Carolina at the end of October and an economic presence in North Carolina starting in November 2019, even though the company only had 50 total sales into North Carolina for all of 2019. The company would be required to register, collect and remit sales tax 60 days from when the economic presence was established on all sales into North Carolina.
Case Study 2: The same company makes remote sales into South Dakota starting in January 2019 and averages $5,000 in sales per month and
25 sales transactions per month. The company would only have $60,000 in sales for all of 2019 but would have 200 separate sales transactions with South Dakota customers at the end of August 2019. The company has created economic presence in South Dakota by meeting the sales transactions threshold, even though it had only $60,000 of total sales to South Dakota customers in 2019.
The threshold for the dollar amount and number of sales, the duty to collect and remit local sales tax, the time period considered for measuring the threshold, and the effective date vary from state to state. A company should consult with its tax advisor as to where it has economic presence nexus or could in the future.
The consequences of the Wayfair decision can reach beyond just the obligation to collect and remit sales/use tax in a particular state. Economic presence nexus for state income and franchise taxes is also implicated by Wayfair. Further, the limits of the Wayfair decision do not stop at the U.S. border. U.S. tax treaties with other countries generally do not apply to state and local taxes. If a business based in a foreign country has an economic presence in a state, then it would also be considered to have a substantial nexus, even if it is located outside of the U.S.
What
Should You Do?
Proactive companies in a post-Wayfair world will work with their tax advisor to determine how the changes will impact their business and the availability of software solutions to aid in the process of determining what should be taxed and maintaining compliance with the states.
Brett Osterkamp, CPA, is a senior manager focusing on state and local taxation in BDO’s Fort Worth office.
Wage and Hour Requirements: A Trap for the Unwary
Why do employers keep getting sued over their pay practices?
Most lawsuits involve timekeeping and overtime.
BY VIANEI LOPEZ BRAUN
WSome employers try to avoid timekeeping and overtime rules by making everyone “salaried.” That’s a recipe for disaster.
age and hour litigation has exploded over the past 15 years. Employment lawyers caution companies to audit their pay practices. Yet, mistakes and lawsuits continue. What gives?
Simply put, wage and hour compliance is not easy. The governing law, the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), is a highly technical statute that has spawned thousands of pages of regulations.
Most lawsuits involve the FLSA’s timekeeping and overtime rules, which seem simple enough. Keep a record of all hours worked by an employee, and pay time and a half for all hours over 40 in a work week. But the devil is in the details.
Consider meal breaks, for example. Regulations say for an employee’s break to be unpaid, it must be at least 30 minutes, and the employee must be relieved of “all” duties. So if an employee is called back to work after 29 minutes or answers a call or an email during lunch, the entire meal period becomes paid time.
Major employers have been sued for automatically clocking employees out for a scheduled 30-minute break. In reality, these “breaks” are often shortened or interrupted, and employees should have been paid for that time. When hundreds or even thousands of employees are affected, small
errors add up to big money.
Another common problem is the overeager employee, who likes to come in early and get organized before clocking in. As soon as that employee starts doing anything work-related, he or she is “on the clock.”
For example, assume a secretary clocks in at 8 a.m., but the company knows she always gets to work by 7:30 and starts handling calls and emails. In an FLSA lawsuit, she could be awarded an extra half-hour’s pay for every day worked in the past three years, times two (known as liquidated damages), plus attorneys’ fees. The numbers add up quickly.
Some employers try to avoid timekeeping and overtime rules by making everyone “salaried.” That’s a recipe for disaster.
There are detailed regulations governing when an employee can be considered “salaried,” meaning exempt from overtime. Possibly exempt employees include professionals, high-level administrators, managers who have at least two full-time direct reports, and outside sales personnel. The regulations are narrow, and employers should not consider an employee “salaried” without verifying that the employee qualifies for the overtime exemption.
And sadly, the FLSA discourages employers who want to be creative with employee compensation. For example, in the energy industry some employers have tried to pay field service employees by the day, rather than by the hour. This is convenient for the employer and often lucrative for the employee, but it does not fit the FLSA’s overtime pay requirements. If sued, the employer is faced with expensive overtime claims, as well as a lack of time records. Because of the FLSA’s requirements, you can’t be too careful, and you also can’t be too creative. When in doubt, check with HR and your employment counsel.
Vianei Lopez Braun, a guest columnist in Fort Worth Inc., is a shareholder in Decker Jones, P.C. She represents employers in many business sectors and provides litigation defense, compliance assistance and practical advice.
The High Cost of Low Self-Awareness
Want
to improve your performance – and enhance your organization’s culture? Here are some leadership potholes to steer clear – or climb out – of.
BY TONY FORD, CEO, SUCCESS FORT WORTH
The original title I had in mind for this article was “Five Habits of Highly Ineffective Leaders (and How to Avoid Them),” but on reflection, I thought that sounded cynical. My purpose for this piece is quite the opposite: to help fellow leaders become much more self-aware and effective.
As highly capable individuals, we often fall into the trap of believing we are good at most things.
As an executive coach, I invest most of my time helping business owners and other leaders understand how their actions affect other people, including family, employees, customers and vendors.
As a husband of 40 years, father, grandfather and serial entrepreneur, I believe how we interact with others is the single greatest predictor of success – or failure. If you’re a leader who wants to improve your performance and organization’s culture, here are five poor leadership habits (and their solutions). With each, ask yourself: “Does this describe me?” and “How can I change?”
Arrogance: Many of us are guilty of thinking higher of ourselves than we do of other people. This can be a function of our authority, income, education, family reputation or experience. And while these things contribute to our sense of self-worth, taken to an extreme, arrogance creates barriers that blunt our ability to inspire and motivate. The most effective antidote to arrogance is humility. Even when credit is rightfully due us, we let it slide to those who had a hand in creating the achievement. Humble leaders attract willing participants in a way that arrogant leaders don’t.
Ignorance: As highly capable individuals, we often fall into the trap of believing we are good at most things. Accepting the notion that success demands our commitment to a lifetime of learning is the first step in overcoming ignorance. This requires that we humbly invite the opinions, experience and expertise of other subject experts into our decision-making.
Informed leaders make wise choices and model the importance of learning.
Haste: We all know the 5 Ps: “Proper Planning Prevents Poor Performance.” What we may forget is that we are not alone in our enterprise. Our planning (or failure to plan) affects the lives of everyone around us. When we remember to put the needs of others ahead of our own, we purpose to plan rather than just roll the dice.
Hypocrisy: Every time we lead with “Do as I say, not as I do,” we reinforce the fact that we believe in a two-tier culture. When the rules are different for leaders, employees quickly find workarounds. Lack of engagement, wasted time on social media, theft and sabotage are a few of the tools they use to even the score. Placing ourselves in an accountability relationship with a coach, mentor or peer group (see below) is a solid strategy for avoiding this trap.
Exaggeration: Depending on our personality, level of stress and what’s at stake in the situation, this leadership habit can display itself on a spectrum of simply amplifying minor facts to completely lying, taking a serious hit to our integrity. The only true cure is to remain vigilant about what we say and how we say it. If we want our people to tell us the truth, we have to model the truth.
Area organizations you can tap for help:
• EO (Entrepreneurs’ Organizations), eonetwork.org/fortworth. National and local peer mentoring organization.
• TAB (The Alternative Board), tabfortworth.com. A national and local peer mentoring organization with deep ties to Fort Worth business, TCU and other local organizations.
Tony Ford is an awardwinning entrepreneur with a history of growing industryleading companies. As CEO of Success Fort Worth, he now coaches business owners and leaders. He writes this column for each issue of Fort Worth Inc. and can be reached at tford@sfw.com or 817.832.5696.
POWER DINING HOT SPOTS
Close your next deal at one of these business-friendly bistros.
Enchiladas Ole
901 North Sylvania Ave., 817.984.1360, enchiladasole.com
A healthy twist on TEX-MEX, Enchiladas Ole doesn’t serve leftovers, and our lovingly prepared cuisine comes from our familia to yours with no preservatives, no additives, and no lard! We prepare every meal with fresh, authentic ingredients daily, "the way I remember making enchiladas with my mother." We use healthy spices in every dish, including garlic, curry, and turmeric. To make the tortillas flexible, grill our vegetables, and refry our beans, we only use olive oil and water. It's no wonder why our food has been labeled by numerous major food critics as the “cleanest Mexican food around.” We prepare every meal with fresh, authentic ingredients daily.
Loaded Pappas
New Mexico Enchiladas
Enmoladas
Tostada Stacker
Nine Cybersecurity Tips for Small Businesses
BY PAUL ENLOE, CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER, BREVALL TECHNOLOGIES
Small businesses are becoming a bigger target for cybercriminals.
According to the Ponemon Institute Research Report, 61 percent of small businesses were attacked from October 2016 to September 2017, and 54 percent experienced data breaches involving customer and employee information. Both numbers were up from the previous 12 months.
If you own one of America’s 28 million small businesses, here are nine minimally expensive steps you can take right now to strengthen your cybersecurity and protect your business.
1) Secure your Wi-Fi network: One of the easiest ways for cybercriminals to hack your network is via Wi-Fi. Defend against this by hiding your Wi-Fi network to all unauthorized personnel. To hide your Wi-Fi network, set up an encrypted wireless access point and disable outside network access.
2) Enable HTTPs: Used by financial institutions, “HTTPs” are more secure versions of traditional “HTTP” websites. HTTPs have an SSL/TLS Certificate installed onto their servers that encrypt all communications between your browser and website, ensuring that customer information, such as credit
card numbers, cannot be intercepted.
3) Update your password: Frustrating? Yes. But demanding employees change their password frequently mitigates the damage in case their original code has been stolen. Strong passwords contain at least 10 characters and include numbers, symbols and upper and lowercase letters. Employees should never write down their passwords or use the same password for multiple company applications.
verify a user’s identity. Make sure vendors that handle your data also use multi-factor authentication.
6) Update software: Hackers can enter your network through outdated browsers and applications, so make sure your entire staff is using the most current software available. For the same reason, make sure employees who use mobile devices for work are diligent about downloading the most updated apps and operating systems.
7) Safeguard payment cards: Contact your credit card processors to make sure they’re employing the most stringent tools and anti-fraud services to protect your customers’ credit card and/or other financial data.
Did you know there's software that can guess your password in minutes? Guard against this by reducing the number of incorrect passwords an employee can enter.
8) Limit access to network: Instruct employees to lock their machines when they’re not using them and establish security checkpoints to inhibit unauthorized personnel from gaining access to areas of the building in which they do not belong.
4) Minimize password attempts: Did you know there’s software that can guess your password in a matter of minutes? Guard against this by reducing the number of incorrect passwords an employee can enter. If that number is reached, temporarily freeze the employee’s access until you can verify there was no attempted breach of your network.
5) Multi-factor authentication: Another way to secure your network is by enabling multi-factor authentication, which requires more than one method of authentication to
9) Limit access to data and software: For the same reason you wouldn’t give all of your friends a key to your house, you shouldn’t give employees access to data or software that isn’t germane to their jobs. This will help keep your security tight, as well as troubleshoot any security issues that may materialize.
Paul Enloe, CEO of BrevAll Technologies, Inc., is writing this guest column for Fort Worth Inc. BrevAll, which does business as Telecom911|DIAL Communications, is a privately-owned technology provider and service company based in North Richland Hills, with national distribution capability.
POWER DINING HOT SPOTS
Close your next deal at one of these business-friendly bistros.
Ol’ South Pancake House
1509 S. University Drive, 817.336.0311 olsouthpancakehouse.com
Ol’ South Pancake House is where the entire family can enjoy Southern homestyle cooking at any time of the day or night. Signature dishes have kept our guests coming back for more, with our most popular World Famous German Pancakes being served over 40,000 times each year to our loyal customers.
Steak House
Do business across the dinner table, not the conference table. Whether it’s an intimate dinner for a small group or a reception for hundreds, there will be no compromises. Just how Ruth would have wanted it. Contact our Sales Manager, Kenzie Branum, to learn about how private dining and catering are done at Ruth’s.
POWER DINING HOT SPOTS
TD Smyers
United Way of Tarrant County’s president and CEO likes to say he starts running and gunning with the roosters.
5:30 a.m. The alarm on my watch goes off, and I gear up for the day’s workout. Resistance training on Monday, Wednesday and Friday; cardio on Tuesday, Thursday and on weekends. This is also the time I use to reflect on the day’s priorities.
6:30 a.m. Breakfast on those days that don’t start with a breakfast meeting. If it’s just me, I catch up on news and personal communication, which doesn’t always aid digestion! And this is about as
far as “routine” survives most days.
7:30 a.m. I meet a lot of folks for breakfast or coffee, adding a lot of opportunity to my schedule and getting me into the workday early. Always coffee; lots of coffee.
8:30 a.m. When we lived in far north Fort Worth, getting to United Way of Tarrant County meant completing a 40-minute commute, but now that we live downtown, it takes me about six minutes to
get to the office. On Monday, Wednesday and Friday, I meet with United Way of Tarrant County’s executive team. Monday’s meeting is structured and includes the entire leadership team (anyone who manages people) once a month. The other meetings are shorter and less formal – designed to keep all our execs singing from the same hymnal. My morning is almost always packed with scheduled one-on-one meetings with teammates, donors, partners or other stakeholders. My colleague Beverly is a master time juggler.
11:30 a.m. Lunchtime is different just about every day. I try never to eat lunch alone, leveraging this opportunity to meet and learn. I’m finishing up an effort to meet one-on-one with each of my United Way board members to explore their experience and potential. I wind up at the Fort Worth Club a lot, but I also try to frequent as many of Tarrant County’s great
eating establishments as possible (thanks, Beverly!). My wife is convinced I’ve eaten lunch at every venue in Fort Worth.
1 p.m. Afternoons are like the mornings, except they’re typically off-site. The dashboard of my truck feels more like my office than my desk does most days!
5 p.m. I like to wrap up my office time by now, but it’s often just a transition to an evening event of some kind –reception, gala, cocktails with someone I’ve been trying to meet with, but the only time we can make happen is at the end of the work day. OK, that sounded like an excuse for cocktails…maybe.
6 p.m. When I don’t have an event, I look forward to evenings at home with Barbara. We cook at home a lot, but since moving downtown, we sometimes walk to dinner or take our yellow lab, Trey, out afterward. The Trinity Trail is a right turn out our front door, and Sundance Square is a left! We love it!
I meet a lot of folks for breakfast or coffee, adding a lot of opportunity to my schedule.
8 p.m. If I’m not writing something or taking care of home admin stuff, we’ll binge a series on Amazon or Netflix. I get bored with most of them after season 3, though.
11 p.m.-ish Crash.
2018 Awards & Recognitions
U.S. Chamber of Commerce -
Minority-Owned Business Achievement Award
FW Inc -
FW Inc
Dallas Business Journal
North Texas’ 13th Largest Hispanic-Owned Businesses
