Archive for June, 2008

Dallas area based Accor North America - who owns Motel 6 and Studio 6 - have completed installation of wireless, high-speed internet access at their hotels nationwide.

By contracting with Dallas-based AT&T to provide managed network services and Califronia hospitality telecommunications provider Teledex for Wi-Fi equipment, they fulfilled this much needed service.

In addition to the more than 600 corporate properties, almost 200 franchise properties have also made Wi-Fi available.

Dallas based JC Penney department stores has opted to scale back their store-opening plans for 2009.

Initially, JCP expected to open 50 stores each year between now and 2011. Their 2009 plans now call for only 10-15 new stores.

Dallas area based Metromedia Restaurant Group owns Bennigan’s Grill & Tavern, Steak & Ale and Ponderosa.

They have quietly put 59 of their Florida restaurants up for sale or lease.

It appears that Bennigan’s will close all but 2 of their locations near Orlando due to too many similar dining establishments in the area.

Iconix Brand Group, parent company of Starter, is close to completing a 5-year deal with Dallas Cowboys quarterback, Tony Romo. This deal would make Romo the the highest paid athletic footwear and apparel endorser in the NFL.

According to various sources, Starter is interested in signing Romo because of his role with the high profile Cowboys (who share the blue & white star as their logo) and because of his high profile romantic life with female celebrities like Jessica Simpson.

“Don’t worry about your reputation. Reputation is based on opinion, how others judge you based on their ideals, prejudices, and self-image. Worry more about your character.”

An investment group is negotiating to buy blocks and blocks of Dallas’ Deep Ellum district with plans to redevelop the area. Dallas-based Beck Ventures – a firm with a track record of investing in real estate, finance and energy – has quietly contracted to acquire as much as 10 acres in the commercial and residential district just east of downtown Dallas.

Many of the properties Beck Ventures has contracted to purchase are along Main and Elm streets in the heart of Deep Ellum.

Real estate brokers have said the investment group has been working for several months to tie up a large chunk of the district.

Beck Ventures’ potential plans for redevelopment of the properties also surfaced at a recent shopping center trade show, property brokers say. Fort Worth-based retail developer Trademark Properties was part of a team that put together information about the project at the International Council of Shopping Centers convention.

Beginning next year, the neighborhood will be served by two new light rail stations linking Deep Ellum with downtown and other parts of the city. The rail connection is expected to be a big boost for the area, which has been in decline in recent years. While much of the property in Deep Ellum is controlled by a handful of longtime investors, large numbers of buildings are held by small owners. Some of the larger landlords have also expressed an interest in selling out.

A number of long time residents of Deep Ellum are justifiably concerned about the direction the area might go in.

AT&T Inc. is moving its headquarters to Dallas from San Antonio. The move will start immediately and be completed by the end of the year with the company moving into existing AT&T offices at 208 South Akard St. in downtown Dallas.

About 700 of the company’s nearly 6,000 San Antonio-based workers are expected to move as well; however, AT&T will continue to maintain technical positions at its San Antonio location. Those workers making the move are mostly corporate staff, with the technical positions remaining in San Antonio.

AT&T, now the largest telecom company in the world, said the move to Dallas makes sense in light of the company’s growth. Teh company feels that with it’s global presence, being headquartered in Dallas will benefit their long-term growth prospects, human resources needs, their ability to operate more efficiently, better serve customers and expand the business in the future.

AT&T will also benefit from the concentration of telecommunications engineers and experts and the cluster of tech firms based in the so-called Telecom Corridor area in Richardson.

AT&T is the most recent big telecom firm to bring its headquarters to the Dallas area.

Last December, Research in Motion Ltd., the Ontario-based maker of the popular BlackBerry mobile e-mail device, chose Irving for the site of its new U.S. headquarters.

By revenue, AT&T will be the second-largest company based in the Dallas-Fort Worth area behind Exxon Mobil Corp.

When the move is complete, AT&T will have about 14,400 workers in the Dallas area.

AT&T is making the move as it gears up for the exclusive launch of Apple Corp.’s much anticipated new iPhone on July 11.