Bob on Business: Despite Dickies move, mayor says Fort Worth economic development is proactive 

The news that Dickies is packing up their work clothes and leaving Fort Worth for California is a case of man-bites-dog — which is to say, big news. And Fort Worth Mayor Mattie Parker believes the company, now owned by VF Corp., is making a big mistake. 

According to Build Remote, 171 companies moved to Texas from 2020 to early 2024, with 54% of those companies coming from California.

“It’s unfortunate that when the Willliamson family sold Dickies to a corporate holding company, those things happen,” Parker told a meeting of the Society of Commercial Realtors on Dec. 4.

VF Corp. purchased Dickies in 2017 and the parent company has since hit on hard times. It is moving the headquarters to the campus of another company it owns, Vans, in Costa Mesa, California.  

“Corporate relocations happen all the time and it won’t surprise you to learn that, as mayor, I think they’re making a huge mistake,” she said. “I think they’re going to lick their wounds and return eventually.” 

Parker said she told VF Corp.’s CEO that they were the only company in America moving from Texas to California. 

About 120 employees will be impacted by the move, which will see Dickies’ manufacturing and warehouse operations remain in the area. Parker said the city is planning to show its support for Dickies employees who are handed pink slips.

“We’re working with our economic development group on really creative ways to make sure they feel supported,” she said. “I want them to know that Fort Worth acknowledges them and that we’re proud of them, right? They’ve been a part of our community, literally, the fabric of Fort Worth, for quite some time and we want to make sure that they feel supported.” 

Despite the Dickies news, Parker noted there was a big economic development agreement coming before the City Council on Dec. 10 and that Fort Worth was winning many of the economic deals out there. 

“I’m proud to tell you that we’re winning in really big ways,” she said. “We’re being really proactive, not reactive, and we’re intentional about the type of companies we want to be in the city of Fort Worth.” 

Former Coors site becomes entrepreneur’s headquarters 

Entrepreneur, car collector, wild shirt fan and real estate investor Ron Sturgeon has found a new headquarters in north Fort Worth. Sturgeon, who had headquartered in Haltom City for four decades, couldn’t come to a deal with city officials there, he said. 

Instead, he’s landed at McMillan Center, a three-building, 137,083-square-foot complex with 16,073 square feet of covered dock space on 9.9 acres at 2550 McMillan Parkway in Fort Worth, which became available when the seller agreed to flip the project after a few months of ownership. The rail-served site is best known as the former Coors distribution center, which has frontage on North Freeway and unobstructed visibility from Interstate 35. 

Bradford Commercial Real Estate represented Sturgeon in the off-market acquisition. Start to finish, the deal went full circle within three months. The sellers were Gyant Coors LLC, Gyant Josh Road LLC, and Gyant V LLC, which were represented by Todd Hawpe of Transwestern. Other parts of the property are up for lease. 

EECU adds spot on Chisholm Trail Ranch 

EECU, the second-largest credit union in Dallas-Fort Worth, has opened its newest financial center. Located at The Shops at Chisholm Trail Ranch in Fort Worth, this location is EECU’s 19th financial center in the area. 

The 1,200-square-foot space includes personal teller machines in both the drive-thru and lobby. The machines can provide typical transactions, such as deposits and withdrawals, and also offer the option to video chat with an EECU financial adviser for live assistance.

Mountain Mike’s Pizza opens in Keller, plans more 

Mountain Mike’s Pizza, a family-style pizza chain for 45 years, has opened in Keller. The new restaurant marks the brand’s ninth location in Texas, with nearly 40 more in the pipeline for the Lone Star State. The restaurant is owned and operated by Southlake resident and experienced franchisee Paul Sandhu, who has plans for two additional Mountain Mike’s restaurants in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. 

The new Keller Mountain Mike’s is located at 1521 Keller Parkway.

Fort Worth scores with entrepreneurs           

Looking for a top city for young entrepreneurs? You don’t have to look far. SEO experts Search Logistics investigated the 50 most populated U.S. cities to identify the best locations for young entrepreneurs. This was determined by analyzing co-working affordability, wage data, internet infrastructure, tax data, cost of living and personal income.          

The city that was revealed as the best for young entrepreneurs was Jacksonville, Florida, with an overall index score of 70.91 out of 100. Jacksonville was followed by Tampa, Indianapolis, then Baltimore. And fifth? Fort Worth. According to the company, Fort Worth was among several cities that offered the lowest minimum wage of $7.25. The other Texas cities on the list were Houston at No. 6 and San Antonio at No. 8.               

Do you have something for the Bob on Business column? Email Bob Francis at bob.francis@fortworthreport.org. Bob Francis is business editor for the Fort Worth Report. Contact him at bob.francis@fortworthreport.org. At the Fort Worth Report, news decisions are made independently of our board members and financial supporters. Read more about our editorial independence policy here.

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