9 DFW companies clock in among Forbes' best employers in Texas for 2023

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Photo courtesy of Texas Oncology

Dallas-Fort Worth continues to prove it's home to some of the best businesses in the state. Two local employers in fact - Texas Oncology and Fidelity Investments - have moved into highly coveted top-10 spots on Forbes' 2023 list of "America’s Best Employers By State".

The prestigious list is a collaboration between Forbes and Statista to survey the satisfaction levels of tens of thousands of workers employed by national companies.

Dallas-based Texas Oncology - the largest cancer treatment and research providers in the state - earned a rank of No. 6. Forbes says there are more than 4,700 workers employed by the oncology network.

On its career website, nurse leader Nicole Forkner, BSN, RN, OCN said Texas Oncology has been her "home away from home" for nearly two decades.

"So many of our patients have left a lasting memory with me. Not only are we healing their heart, mind, and soul, but they are healing ours too," Forkner said. "The guidance we have received from our amazing Texas Oncology leadership team has led us through hurricanes, ice storms, new initiatives, software changes, and the COVID-19 pandemic."

Fidelity Investments made major gains in 2023. Though the company might be based in Boston, Massachusetts, its big presence in Westlake (coupled with a great work environment and advancement opportunities) propels it to the top year after year. The financial services corporation climbed to No. 9 in Texas this year, after ranking No. 22 in Forbes' 2022 list. There are about 61,000 people employed by Fidelity, according to the report.

Forbes explains that those on the list "aren’t the best large or midsize employers nationally, but a deeper look at which companies are closer-to-home options for every American worker."

Forbes and Statista determined their rankings by surveying 70,000 Americans working at employers in the U.S. with at least 500 employees each. The final list features 1,392 highly recommended employers in the 50 states and the District of Columbia. Nearly 270 employers ranked highly in multiple states.

Here are the 30 best large employers in Texas, as determined by Forbes and Statista:

Dallas-Fort Worth:

No. 6 – Texas Oncology, based in Dallas
No. 9 – Fidelity Investments (based in Boston; major corporate hub in Westlake)
No. 14 – Capital One (based in Richmond, Virginia; major corporate hub in Plano)
No. 17 – University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas
No. 22 – Southwest Airlines, based in Dallas
No. 24 – Texas Health Resources, based in Arlington
No. 25 – General Motors (based in Detroit, Michigan; major assembly hub in Arlington)
No. 27 – City of Plano
No. 28 – Toyota North America, based in Plano

Austin:

No. 3 – Google (based in Mountain View, California; major corporate hub in Austin)
No. 13 – Apple (based in Cupertino, California; major corporate hub in Austin)

San Antonio:

No. 2 – H-E-B (based in San Antonio; more than 300 stores in Texas)
No. 26 – University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio

Houston area:

No. 1 – NASA (based in Washington, D.C.; Johnson Space Center in Clear Lake)
No. 4 – Houston Community College
No. 5 – Houston Methodist
No. 6 – Texas Children's Hospital
No. 18 – National Oilwell Varco
No. 19 – Bechtel (based in Reston, Virginia; major corporate hub in Houston)

Throughout Texas:

No. 8 – Salesforce (based in San Francisco, California; offices in Austin and Dallas)
No. 10 – IKEA (based in Sweden; five stores in Texas)
No. 11 – Costco (based in Issaquah, Washington; 38 stores in Texas)
No. 15 – Cardinal Health (based in Dublin, Ohio; 23 locations in Texas)
No. 16 – Microsoft (based in Redmond, Washington; offices in Austin, Dallas, Friendswood, Frisco, Houston, San Antonio, and The Woodlands)
No. 20 – Leidos (based in Reston, Virginia; locations in San Antonio, Houston, and Webster)
No. 21 – Cisco Systems (based in San Jose, California; offices in Austin, Dallas, Irving, Richardson, Houston, Laredo, and San Antonio)
No. 23 – IBM (based in Armonk, New York; offices in Austin, Houston, Dallas, and Frisco)
No. 29 – Nike (based in Beaverton, Oregon; 26 locations in Texas)
No. 30 – Charles Schwab (based in San Francisco, California; 25 locations in Texas)

Photo by Patty Brito on Unsplash

Texas earns healthy rating as 2nd best state for nurses, Forbes says

healthcare industry leaders

As the United States emerges from a global pandemic and watches its workforce reach retirement in larger proportions, strong healthcare is becoming increasingly crucial.

Nurses are in great demand throughout the nation and can make significant impacts in a state like Texas, which was just named the No. 2 best state for nurses in a study by Forbes Advisor.

Texas currently employs more than 231,000 nurses, the second-highest number in the country behind California's 325,620 nurses. Florida rounds out the top three with more than 197,000 nurses employed.

There are several factors to keep in mind when considering a career as a nurse, but one has been in a lot of recent discourse: the salary. The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) says nurses in the U.S. earn a median salary of $81,220 per year. While healthcare company Trusted Health places a Texas nurse's annual salary at $74,540 - lower than places like Florida and California, adjusted cost of living can make Texas more attractive.

"Salary is a significant factor in any professional’s career decisions, but it’s not the only one to weigh when deciding where to work," the report's author wrote. "You should also consider job availability, economic demand, and licensing processes before settling on a place to grow your career."

Regarding job availability, Projections Central estimates there will be a demand for more than 16,000 nursing positions in Texas between 2020 and 2030 - the second-best job outlook in the U.S.

Texas is also part of the Nurse Licensure Compact (NLC), which can help nurses transfer their licenses from other states.

"NLC members grant RNs multi-state licenses, which allow them to practice in any NLC-participating state without jumping through the hoops of meeting a new state’s specific licensing guidelines," the report says. "NLC nurses can offer their skills to another compact state in the event of a crisis and provide telehealth services across compact states."

The full report can be found on forbes.com.

Facebook/Dallas Cowboys

Value of Dallas Cowboys hustles to record-breaking $9 billion, says Forbes

Rushing to the bank

How 'bout them dollars? The value of the Dallas Cowboys has rushed to a record-breaking $9 billion, says Forbes. The Cowboys are worth more than any other sports team in the world - still.

Forbes’2023 ranking of NFL team valuations, released August 30, puts the Cowboys at the top of the list for the 17th year in a row. For perspective, it's been 27 years since their last Super Bowl win.

World champions or not, Jerry Jones' Cowboys continue to have more success at the bank than any other NFL franchise. According to Forbes, their value rose 13 percent, year-over-year. In 2022, they were worth $8 billion; the year before that, $6.5 billion.

They're the first franchise ever to break the $9 billion mark.

"The Cowboys generate the most revenue ($1.1 billion) and operating income ($500 million) by far in the NFL," Forbes reports.

Breaking down the numbers, the Cowboys bring in $109 in gate receipts, $86 in revenue per fan, have $261 million in player expenses, and a wins-to-player cost ratio of 153.

The average NFL team is now worth $5.1 billion, up 14 percent from last year, Forbes says. The league was bolstered by the sale of the Washington Commanders, for $6.05 billion, in July.

Texas' only other pro football team, the Houston Texans, ranks 12th with a valuation of $5.5 billion, compared with $4.7 billion on last year’s list.

Forbes based its team valuations on revenue and operating income for the 2022 NFL season.

"During the 2022 season, average revenue for the league's 32 teams increased 8 percent, to $581 million, while operating income (earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization) fell 14 percent, to an average of $126 million, due to a big year-over-year increase in player benefits that were deferred because of the pandemic," Forbes reports.

Teams will rake in even more cash this season, thanks in part to lucrative TV deals, including a Thursday Night Football deal with Amazon, the report says.

"These TV deals, when combined with the NFL’s salary cap ($208.6 million per team last season), make football the most scalable business in sports," Forbes says. "The master of scale is Jerry Jones."

The full report and breakdown of team valuations can be found on Forbes'website.

Photo by Kelly Alexander

3 Dallas-Fort Worth entrepreneurs rank among Forbes' richest self-made women for 2023

Elite entrepreneurs

Twelve of the country's 100 most successful female entrepreneurs live in Texas this year, and three of them call Dallas-Fort Worth home. So says Forbes in its 2023 list of America's Richest Self-Made Women, released June 1.

"Bolstered in part by a rebound in the stock market, [the richest 100 female entrepreneurs] are cumulatively worth a record $124 billion, up nearly 12% from a year ago," says Forbes.

To make the Forbes list, women had to garner wealth on their own, rather than by inheriting or winning it.

Texas' wealthiest women have made their fortunes in fields ranging from home health care, insurance, and aviation logistics to jewelry design, dating apps, and running the show at SpaceX.

The three female entrepreneurs from North Texas who appear in the elite club of America’s richest self-made women (and their national rankings) are:

Robyn Jones, No. 29, of Fort Worth. Her net worth is estimated at $830 million. Jones is founder of Westlake-based Goosehead Insurance Agency LLC. She started the property and casualty insurance agency in 2003 after being frustrated with her truck-driver husband's "road warrior lifestyle," Forbes says. He joined her in 2004 and they took the company public in 2018. It has nearly 1,000 franchised offices.
April Anthony, No. 34, of Dallas. Forbes puts her net worth at $740 million. She founded the Dallas-based home health and hospice division of Encompass Health Corp and sold it for $750 million to HealthSouth. In 2022, she was named CEO of VitalCaring, a home health and hospice care firm.
Kathleen Hildreth, No. 44, of Aubrey. Her net worth is estimated at $590 million. Hildreth is co-founder of M1 Support Services LP, an aviation logistics company based in Denton. A service-disabled Army veteran, she graduated from West Point in 1983 and was deployed all around the world as a helicopter pilot.

The nine other Texans who appear on the list are from Austin and Central Texas.

With an estimated net worth at $4.8 billion, Thai Lee, of Austin, remains at the top of the list in Texas, and ranks No. 5 nationally.

She falls behind only No. 1 Diane Hendricks of Wisconsin (co-founder of ABC Supply, $15 billion net worth); No. 2 Judy Loveof Oklahoma (chairman and CEO, Love's Travel Stops And Country Stores, $10.2 billion); No. 3 Judy Faulkner of Wisconsin (founder and CEO, Epic Systems, $7.4 billion); and No. 4 Lynda Resnick of California (co-founder and co-owner of Wonderful Company, $5.3 billion) among America's richest self-made women.

For some additional perspective, Oprah Winfrey lands at No. 13 on the list for 2023. The TV titan (and most famous woman on the planet) has an estimated net worth of $2.5 billion, Forbes says.

Austin's Lee, a native of Bangkok who holds an MBA from Harvard University, is founder, president, and CEO of SHI International Corp., a provider of IT products and services with a projected revenue of $14 billion in 2023. Fun fact: "Lee majored in both biology and economics," Forbes says, "in part because her English was less than perfect and she wanted to avoid writing and speaking in class."

The remaining eight Texas women on the list are:

Gwynne Shotwell, No. 27, of Jonesboro (Coryell-Hamilton counties). Her net worth is estimated at $860 million. Shotwell is president and COO of Elon Musk's SpaceX. She manages the operations of the commercial space exploration company and owns an estimated stake of 1 percent, Forbes says.
Lisa Su, No. 34, Austin. Forbes pegs Su’s net worth at $740 million, tying her with April Anthony of Dallas. The native of Taiwan is president and CEO of Santa Clara, California-based semiconductor company Advanced Micro Devices.
Kendra Scott, No. 47, of Austin.Forbes says she has amassed a net worth of $550 million as founder of Kendra Scott LLC, which designs and sells jewelry in more than 100 stores (and is worth $360 million). The celebrity entrepreneur is also a judge on TV's Shark Tank.
Whitney Wolfe Herd, No. 52, of Austin. She is worth an estimated $510 million. Herd is co-founder and CEO of Bumble Inc., which operates two online dating apps: Bumble and Badoo. She owns a 17% stake in Bumble and became the youngest self-made woman billionaire after it went public in February 2021.
Paige Mycoskie, No. 73, of Austin. She is worth an estimated $380 million. Mycoskie created founded her 1970s-inspired California lifestyle brand, Aviator Nation, which took off during the pandemic and now has 16 retail locations across the U.S. If the name sounds familiar, that's because she's the sister of TOMS founder Blake Mycoskie, with whom she competed on TV's The Amazing Race.
Imam Abuzeid, No. 77, of Austin. Her net worth is estimated at $350 million. Abuzeid is the co-founder and CEO of Incredible Health, which she started in 2017 to help alleviate America's nursing shortage. Forbes describes it as "a souped-up version of LinkedIn for nurses." Abuzeid is one of only a handful of Black female founders to run a company valued at more than $1 billion, Forbes notes.
Julia Cheek, No. 92, of Austin. Her net worth is estimated at $260 million. Cheek founded at-home testing company Everly Health in 2015 "out of frustration at having to pay thousands for lab testing to diagnose issues related to vitamin imbalance," Forbes says. It got a Shark Tank deal with Lori Greiner and is now worth roughly $1.8 billion.
Belinda Johnson, No. 96, of Austin. She is worth an estimated $250 million. Johnson was Airbnb's first chief operating officer and led many of its legal disputes. She stepped down from that role in March 2020, Forbes says, and left the company's board in June 2023.

Photo by Fallon Michael on Unsplash

Fort Worth visitors pay the least Airbnb surcharges in Texas, Forbes finds

FEES ARE MY ENEMIES

We’ve all been there: You find that perfect Airbnb with the right price for your travel dates, only to be deterred at the checkout page when you witness the total skyrocket to an incomprehensible amount after the cleaning and mysterious “service” fees.

In a new study called "Cities With the Worst Airbnb Fees In 2023," Forbes Advisor looked at 32,000 listings across 100 of the most popular markets on Airbnb to find common trends, and it's (relatively) good news for Fort Worth:

Visitors to Fort Worth pay an average surcharge of 33 percent -- making them the Texas city with the least amount of surcharges. Guests pay four dollars less in nightly rates for an Airbnb in the city, but pay 12 percent in cleaning fees, 15 percent service fees, and 5 percent in taxes.

Houston ranked as the Texas city with the highest fees, and No. 8 overall with their average surcharge at 45 percent. They pay 15 percent in cleaning fees, 15 percent service fees, and another 15 percent in taxes. That’s a good dent in your wallet.

Here’s every Texas city that appeared in the top 100:

No. 8 – Houston: 45 percent total fees
No. 33 – Galveston: 39 percent total fees
No. 47 – San Antonio: 37 percent total fees
No. 67 – Dallas: 34 percent total fees
No. 69 – South Padre Island: 34 percent total fees
No. 71 – Austin: 33 percent total fees
No. 77 – Fort Worth: 33 percent total fees

Atlanta had the highest percentage in fees for the average Airbnb stay, totaling an unfathomable 48 percent. Surprisingly, an Airbnb stay in New York City will only come with 23 percent in total fees, making it the lowest percentage out of all the top 100 cities.

In the report, publicist Tracy Lamourie criticized Airbnb hosts and property managers for charging excessive fees, calling it "disingenuous."

“I’m old enough to remember when Airbnb was a more wallet-friendly alternative to hotels. That’s only rarely true these days,” she said.

Meanwhile, Dustin Abney, CEO of vacation-rental management company Portoro, defended Airbnb and praised the company's transparency around its listings with the fee breakdown. He noted that most guests are charged fees without knowing where that money goes.

“Most guests also assume that property managers or hosts are trying to price-gouge them, when this usually is not the case,” Abney said. “In reality, there are many hidden costs that go into running a short-term rental, and these costs fall on property managers to pay.”

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Fort Worth billionaire is 3rd richest woman on the planet in 2023, says Forbes

Billionaire roll call

Her fortune took a tiny hit this year, but Fort Worth’s Alice Walton is the woman with the third biggest bank account in the world.

According to the 2023 Forbes World’s Billionaires List, released April 4, Walton has a net worth of $56.7 billion. That’s down slightly from $65.3 billion in 2022 and $61.8 billion in 2021.

As third richest woman in the world, Walton sits behind No. 1 Françoise Bettencourt Meyers, a French L’Oreal Beauty heiress worth $80.5 billion; and No. 2, American Julia Koch of Koch Industries, worth $59 billion.

Just 337 women appear on the 2023 Forbes list, making up only 13 percent of the planet’s 2,640 billionaires, they say.

Walton is the only daughter of Walmart founder Sam Walton. While she devotes most of her time and energy now to her Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art and the Alice L. Walton School of Medicine in her native Bentonville, Arkansas, Forbes still lists her residence as Fort Worth.

In Forbes' complete list of billionaires for 2023, Walton ranks as the 21st richest person across the globe, just behind her No. 20-ranked brother Rob Walton, director of Walmart, worth $57.6 billion.

For the last several years, Alice Walton has "battled"Elon Musk for the top spot in Texas. The Austin-based founder of Tesla and Space-X continues his reign as the wealthiest Texan this year and, with a net worth of $180 billion, he’s the second richest in the world.

Musk notches his spot between No. 1 Bernard Arnault of France (overseer of the LVMH empire of 75 fashion and cosmetics brands, including Louis Vuitton and Sephora), with a net worth of $211 billion; and No. 3 Jeff Bezos, the American Amazon founder, worth $114 billion.

Other Fort Worth billionaires who made the 2023 list (including their global ranking and 2023 net worth) are:

Private equity magnate David Bonderman: No. 390, $6.5 billion
Oil and investment guru Robert Bass: No. 534, $5 billion
Investor and oilman Sid Bass: No. 699, $4 billion
Homebuilder Donald Horton: No. 1,027, $2.9 billion
Oilman and investorEdward Bass: No. 1,272, $2.4 billion
Oilman and investor Lee Bass: No. 1,312, $2.3 billion
Real estate magnate John Goff, No. 1,725, $1.7 billion

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'Yellowstone' stars to greet fans at Fort Worth Stock Show & Rodeo

Yellowstone news

Yellowstone fans, get your comfy shoes ready - there'll be a long line for this one. Cole Hauser a.k.a. "Rip Wheeler" on Yellowstone, and Taylor Sheridan, the show's co-creator, executive producer, and director of the series, will meet fans and sign autographs at the Fort Worth Stock Show & Rodeo.

The event will take place from 4:30-6:30 pm only on Friday, February 3. Location is the 6666 Ranch booth near the south end of Aisle 700 in the Amon G. Carter, Jr. Exhibits Hall.

According to a February 2 announcement from FWSSR, "fans will have the opportunity to snag an autograph as well as purchase some distinctive Yellowstone and 6666 Ranch merchandise while also enjoying all the features the Stock Show offers."

The event is free to attend (with paid Stock Show admission) and open to the public.

It's the second year in a row for Hauser to appear at FWSSR; in 2022, he and fellow cast mates drew huge crowds.

Sheridan, a Paschal High School graduate, is no stranger to Fort Worth; he lives in a ranch near Weatherford and filmed 1883, the prequel to Yellowstone, in and around Fort Worth. Currently, another spinoff, 1883: The Bass Reeves Story, is filming in North Texas.

The Fort Worth Stock Show & Rodeo is winding up its 2023 run on Saturday, February 4.

These are the 5 must-see shows in Dallas-Fort Worth theater for October

Theater Critic Picks

It may seem like slim pickings this month, but keep in mind that both The Rocky Horror Show at Dallas Theater Center and Theatre Three's Lizzie: The Musical got spooky season started onstage in September (and they both run through October 29, by the way)

In order of start date, here are five local shows to watch this month:

The Fly
Hip Pocket Theatre, October 6-29
Science played with the atom and a monster has emerged from the disastrous experiment. James Clavell wrote the screenplay for this special Halloween production, which has been adapted by Shawn Gann. Hip Pocket Theatre will use music, practical effects and whimsy to present The Fly.

The Visit
Amphibian Stage, October 12-November 12
A darkly comic tale from prolific German writer Friedrich Dürrenmatt, The Visit tells the story of a wealthy philanthropist returning to her hometown to save it from financial ruin … but the money comes with a deadly request that will test the morals of the town’s inhabitants.

Othello
Bishop Arts Theatre Center, October 19-November 5
When a woman shatters a glass ceiling, what waits for her when she lands? Franky Gonzalez' adaptation of Shakespeare’s Othello explores this question and centers on the difficulties of Imani Othello (Denise Lee), who has been named the first Black woman head coach of a major football team in Dallas.

Once Upon a Mattress
Stage West, October 19-November 5
By royal decree of the Queen, all princesses must pass a series of tests if they want to marry the hapless Prince. Even worse, throughout the kingdom no one may wed until the Prince finds a worthy wife. Many have tried, all have failed, and the Queen plans to keep it that way. But when a bold and undeniably charming new princess makes a splash at court, it seems the Queen has finally met her match. This is a co-production with Theatre TCU.

Little Shop of Horrors
Lyric Stage, October 26-29
In this delectable sci-fi-horror musical, with an electrifying 1960s pop/rock score by Alan Menken and Howard Ashman, Seymour is a meek and dejected assistant at a floral shop who happens upon a strange plant. Little does Seymour know that this strange and unusual plant will develop a soulful R&B voice, a potty mouth, and an unquenchable thirst for human blood.

Fort Worth restaurant Tre Mogli closes suddenly after short tenure

Closure News

A chef-driven restaurant in Fort Worth has closed: Tre Mogli, the Near Southside restaurant from Fort Worth-based Trident Restaurant Group, closed on October 2, with a note thanking customers and employees for their support.

"We deeply regret to announce that Tre Mogli will be closing its doors permanently as of today," the note said.

Located at 401 S. Main St., next door to Wishbone & Flynt which remains open, the restaurant opened in mid-2022 as a collaboration between chef Stefon Rishel and partners Kyle Bryson and Wallace Owens. The name in Italian means "three wives," and was an homage to their wives.

Originally crafted by talented chef Alex Drury, the menu featured family-style Italian food, including hearty pastas like Bolognese, meatballs, chicken Parmesan, pork chop Milanese, and calamari, plus tempting options like pesto pasta with basil and pumpkinseeds, and the unique cacio e pepe fritters (a dish that clearly inspired a vendor at this year's State Fair of Texas).

The restaurant earned nods from CultureMap including Tastemaker Awards nominations for Chef of the Year and Best New Restaurant.

It was also highlighted in the Februrary 2023 edition of Where to Eat as one of 5 restaurants for sharing, with nods given to its many entrees offered in individual or family-style portions, with a menu category devoted entirely to shareables, stating that "You can’t go wrong or hungry with any of the pastas. The cacio e pepe with cracked pepper and Pecorino Romano cheese is especially divine, while the Bolognese, made with a mix of beef, pork, and veal, is as rich as it is filling. Dim lights, cool drinks, and five-star service make this a dining destination for those with romance on their minds."

But the kitchen reportedly suffered turnover, and Rishel has also been working on another concept called Teddy Wong's Dumplings.

According to Fort Worth Weekly, the Tre Mogli closure was accompanied by another closure in the Trident Restaurant Group family: Parker County Ice House, which closed without announcement, leaving Wishbone & Flynt and its adjacent speakeasy The Amber Room on the Near Southside as the only remaining Trident Restaurant Group concepts still open.

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