Lisa Atherton, president and CEO of Textron’s Bell division, will succeed Scott C. Donnelly as Textron’s president and CEO in January. Textron, based in Providence, Rhode Island, made the announcement on Oct. 22. Atherton has spent 18 years at Textron in various leadership roles across multiple businesses and functions. In April 2023, she became president and CEO after serving as chief operating officer at the Fort Worth-based helicopter manufacturer.
Lisa Atherton (Photo: Business Wire)
During her tenure, Bell announced an investment of $632 million to open a new manufacturing plant in the Alliance development to build the Future Long Range Assault Aircraft project. The project is expected to create 520 full-time jobs with an average annual salary of $85,000 by the end of 2039.
Atherton’s successor at Bell has not been named.
Pitch competition takes artsy turn
The Eosera Foundation Pitch Competition will host a live, “Shark Tank”-style pitch competition at the Kimbell Art Museum on Nov. 13.
Three women entrepreneurs will compete for $42,500 in seed funding.
The competition provides female-founded ventures a funding opportunity to support their business. Eosera CEO Elyse Stoltz Dickerson, knows how vital this funding is. The clinical trial that launched Eosera was funded by the proceeds from a pitch competition she won, which she then turned into a multimillion-dollar business.
The initial round of the 2025 competition had more than 260 applicants. To be eligible, each business must be majority female owned, have less than three years in operation and have a strong pitch to back it.
The three finalists for 2025 are:
- Annika Lundstrom: ReMinded
ReMinded is commercializing the first clinical-grade, rapid saliva test that tracks cortisol on demand, unlocking a vital biomarker for psychiatry and behavioral health. - Cherie Turner: Mommy Scrubs
Mommy Scrubs designs specialized health care scrubs to make breastfeeding or pumping at work easier for new moms. - Joanna Shu: Cartwheel
Cartwheel creates first-aid products for families.
The competition allows finalists to win up to two cash prizes. First place is $30,000, followed by $5,500 for second place and $2,500 for third place.
Audience members also impact the vote, and any finalist can go home with an additional $2,500 if they win the vote for the people’s choice award. To attend, click here.
Going fast-casual Hawaiian
Ono Hawaiian BBQ, a family-owned Hawaii-inspired fast-casual restaurant chain, is expanding into Texas with 10 new restaurants currently under construction across the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex, including near Fort Worth in Haltom City, Hurst and Burleson.
Founded in 2002, Ono Hawaiian BBQ has grown to more than 115 restaurants across California and Arizona.
The Texas locations represent the brand’s first significant move outside the West Coast, paving the way for further expansion. The first Texas locations are expected to open in early 2026.
Patented program
The U.S. Patent and Trademarks Office awarded Fort Worth’s Paslay Group a trademark registration on the firm’s proprietary executive program management model used by airport owners nationwide to effectively deliver complex capital development programs on time and within budget.
The patent office action recognizes that Paslay Group owns the phrase “executive program management” and has successfully been using it in the marketplace since the firm’s founder and CEO R. Clay Paslay introduced the concept to the airport industry in 2007.
The firm first deployed the model during its engagement with Sacramento International Airport’s $1.2 billion Big Build terminal development program.
Built-to-rent townhomes
Tricon Residential Inc., a Blackstone Real Estate portfolio company, has opened two built-to-rent communities in Texas that will bring 267 rental homes to the area. One is in a 166-unit development in Saginaw and the other is in Garland. Tricon is delivering these homes in partnership with Blackstone, which has invested nearly $100 million in the two developments.
Another Acme honor
Texas by Nature, a conservation nonprofit, has selected Fort Worth’s Acme Brick Company as the No. 1 honoree on its 2025 Texan by Nature 20 — a statewide recognition of companies demonstrating exemplary commitment to conservation and sustainability. Other locals on the list include Dallas Fort Worth International Airport at No. 10 and Texas Health Resources at No. 13.
To learn more about the 2025 TxN 20 honorees, please click here.
Future Mr. Taylor Swift wants Six Flags to be ‘Bejeweled’ again
On Oct. 21, activist investment group Jana Partners announced that it had a group, including the future Mr. Taylor Swift, NFL player Travis Kelce, in an investment totaling 9% in Six Flags Entertainment stock to enhance shareholder value. The theme park operator, which until recently had its headquarters in Arlington, has seen its stock go on a roller coaster ride, jumping nearly 20% since then.
Do you have something for the Bob on Business column? Email Bob Francis, business editor for the Fort Worth Report, at bob.francis@fortworthreport.org.
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