Tarrant Business

Waiting to Exhale: Nancy Wood

I have not heard from the company I interviewed with in Savannah, Georgia, last Friday. The hiring manager indicated a decision would be made this Friday – yesterday. Of course I would like to think that a decision has not been made yet and I may be contacted early next week. However, I must entertain that I was not selected and not notified in case their first choice declines. My question now is the proper etiquette to finding out my hired/not hired status. How many days do I wait to hear from them before I call
them? Lucky for me I am busy with several projects keeping me strong and not entirely focused on hearing from them. - Nancy Wood

Friends (Real): Rickey C. Cooper

Real Friends:

I would like to reflect upon people that you have been associated with for the Majority of your life.  I have been associated with a person in Denton, Texas better known as Officer Black.  Officer Black represents the definition of Real Friends,  It has been years since we as young men back in school has had the opportunity to have a one on one touch base conversation.  When you can just mention some of your day to day woes to your Real Friends and they insist on you accepting their assistance, this to me Defines the Definition of Real Friends.  2 hats off for Officer Black and put me in your prayers today in which I have a phone interview with a potential employer.  Keep the Faith Alive and God Bless!

Regards,

Rickey C. Cooper

Tarrant County College gets $1.7 million grant to train manufacturing workers

Tarrant County College Corporate Services won a $1.7 million Texas Workforce Commission grant to train more than 1,500 employees in new or “upgraded” existing jobs at several major local aerospace and manufacturing employers.

 

The employers include Ball Corp., Bell Helicopter Textron, Lockheed Martin Aeronautics, R& B Electronics, Teletouch/Progressive Concepts, Trinity Forge, and Triumph Fabrications. Workforce Commission Chairman Tom Pauken presented the check in a ceremony Wednesday. The employers, local affected facility, and numbers of workers involved:

 

Ball: South Fort Worth, nine existing jobs.

Bell: Fort Worth; 150 new, 375 existing.

Lockheed Martin: Fort Worth, 118 new, 581 existing.

R&B Electronics: Grand Prairie, four new, 12 existing.

Teletouch/Progressive Concepts: Haltom City, 23 new, 180 existing.

Trinity Forge: Mansfield, 10 new, 38 existing.

Triumph Fabrications: Arlington, 25 new, 12 existing.

 

- Scott Nishimura, jobs and workplace reporter, Star-Telegram

 

(Photo: Workforce Commission Chairman Tom Pauken, courtesy of Tarrant County College)

GameStop says seasonal hiring on par with 2008, 2007

GameStop, the Grapevine-based video game and software chain, says it plans to hire 15,000 seasonal parttime employees between now and Christmas Eve at its 4,300 U.S. stores.

"This number will increase the company's total headcount by approximately 46 percent and the in-store game advisor headcount by approximately 78 percent," the company said in a release. "These numbers are consistent with GameStop's seasonal hiring efforts in 2008 and 2007."

- Scott Nishimura, jobs and workplace reporter, Star-Telegram 

UPS hiring fewer seasonal temps this year than typical

UPS plans to hire fewer temporary people this holiday season than usual, a company executive says.

- Scott Nishimura, jobs and workplace reporter, Star-Telegram 

Super Bowl XLV business opportunities for minority, women-owned business

Here's our story from today's paper on the North Texas Super Bowl XLV Host Committee rolling out its local contracting program for minority and women-owned business:

- Scott Nishimura, jobs and workplace reporter (and new Super Bowl XLV finance reporter), Star-Telegram

"Texas Instruments pitched in $350,000 to cover costs of the Super Bowl committee program"

The North Texas Super Bowl XLV Host Committee picked up Texas Instruments as presenting sponsor for the Arlington game’s campaign to market business opportunities to minority- and women-owned firms.

The Dallas technology company pitched in $350,000 to cover costs of the program, the committee announced Tuesday during the first of three workshops it’s holding in the region to introduce local minority- and women-owned companies to the 2011 game.

About 1,000 business owners and their representatives filled available seats at the Will Rogers Memorial Center for a two-hour presentation that included equal doses of pep talk about the opportunity and realistic expectations.

"It says the interest is what we expected it to be: tremendous," Bill Lively, president and chief executive of the committee, said in an interview before the workshop. But "the expectations may not be in balance," he said.

"The NFL would say this is not a chance to create a brand-new company and discover a pot of gold," he added.

Hosts of the Super Bowl held this year in Tampa, Fla., awarded $4 million in contracts to 130 minority- and women-owned firms. And Lively said the game to be played at Cowboys Stadium will likely present more opportunities.

"It’s reasonable to assume there will be more contracts let," he said.

No figures were available on how much of the total pie Tampa’s $4 million represented.

The North Texas committee hasn’t projected the total value of contracts it expects to let.

Lively also said the NFL doesn’t have set goals on how much of the total should go to minority- and women-owned business.

Fort Worth Mayor Mike Moncrief told the crowd that the game -- and numerous NFL-sanctioned events leading up to it -- will be a factor in bringing the region out of recession.

"Super Bowl XLV is going to float all of our boats higher," he said.

He also added, "If we get this one Super Bowl here, we plan on having lots of Super Bowls here."

Emmitt Smith, the former superstar running back for the Cowboys, was co-chairman of the Fort Worth workshop.

"Trying to do business with big business is very difficult," he said, kicking off the heart of the workshop.

The next workshop will be Feb. 25 at Cowboys Stadium. The third will be held in Dallas in the spring.

The awarding of local contracts by NFL entities and corporate partners should begin in earnest next fall, but some could be awarded before then, and some at game day, host committee officials told the business owners.

Potential contracts include temporary NFL licensing of nonedible, nonapparel products.

In the meantime, host committee representatives urged business owners to get certified as minority- and women-owned businesses by independent agencies authorized by the committee.

For more information, visit www.northtexassuperbowl.com/emergingbusiness. So-called MWBEs must meet certain criteria, including at least 51 percent ownership by minorities or women.

Tisha Ford, the NFL’s manager of events business development, told the crowd that the quality of products and services, the ability to produce on time and on budget, and responsiveness are key factors in becoming a Super Bowl vendor.

The NFL maintains its database of vendors for the big game, and proven firms can continue to cash in on opportunities down the road.

"Capacity is key," Ford said. "If you cannot meet capacity, please do not bid for a job. Don’t be afraid to say 'no,’ but don’t be afraid to think of creative ways in which you can meet those capabilities."

Scott Nishimura, 817-390-7808

(Photos: Upper left, Robbie Douglas of Host Committee with Trisha Cunningham of Texas Instruments; lower, Fort Worth workshop co-chair Emmitt Smith at Tuesday's workshop.)

Veterans hiring fair set for Thursday in Arlington

Veterans looking for jobs can attend an invitation-only hiring fair sponsored by Workforce Solutions agencies, 9:30 a.m.-3 p.m. Thursday Oct. 29 at the Arlington Convention Center. Attendees must bring proof of military service.

 

Sponsors of the Hire a Vet Regional Job Fair include Workforce Solutions for Tarrant County, Workforce Solutions Greater Dallas, Workforce Solutions for North Central Texas, the Texas Veterans Commission, and Texas Workforce Commission.

 

– Scott Nishimura, jobs and workplace reporter, Star-Telegram 

Texas survey: 29 % of employers plan to increase hiring in next six months

Here's a new slice of the Texas job market. A survey of Texas chief financial officers and senior comptrollers by Grant Thornton, LLP, out Monday, says:

* HIRING: 29 percent of Texas employers who responded plan to bump up hiring in the next six months, while 53 percent expect the headcount to remain the same and 18 percent expected it to drop. That compares with 24 percent nationally that expect an increase, 54 percent the same, and 22 percent a reduction;

* BONUSES: 54 percent of Texas firms plan to cut bonuses, compared to 55 percent nationally;

* PAY: 34 percent are reducing salary raises, compared to 42 percent nationally;

* ECONOMY: 58 percent think the U.S. economy will improve during the same period, substantially higher than the 49 percent in a national survey;

* HEALTH CARE: 11 percent are reducing health care benefits, compared to 33 percent nationally;

* 401(K): 25 percent are reducing 401(k) matches, compared to 26 percent nationally;

* BIGGEST WORRIES: 77 percent are most worried about cost of employee benefits, and 33 percent are worried about insurance costs, when it comes to pricing pressure;

* PRICING POWER: 75 percent said they expected prices and fees they charge to remain the same over the next six months, and 11 percent expect a decrease;

* END OF RECESSION: 33 percent expect the U.S. economy to emerge from recession in the first half of 2010, 36 percent in the second half. That compares to 27 percent in the national survey who expected to emerge from recession in the first half of 2010, 35 percent in the second half, and 17 percent in 2011.

- Scott Nishimura, jobs and workplace reporter, Star-Telegram

Back in the saddle...

I'm back at the paper after a week off. Here are my recent stories on this year's holiday retail outlook and how the North Texas economy is shaping up these days.

- Scott Nishimura, jobs and workplace reporter, Star-Telegram 

Did You See Me? Nancy Wood

Since I received the call on Monday for the Friday morning interview with a major employer in beautiful Savannah, Georgia, I have been trying to make me as perfect as possible. I began shopping on Monday and stopped on Wednesday night. I was in the stores buying high heel shoes, a corporate black suit, and control top stockings for this occasion.  If you saw me, you saw that my feet were hurting wearing high heels shoes again.  Yes, I shopped in my heels for practice.  My hair had to get that precision cut, color and style to be just right.  When you saw me you may have thought I was a privileged lady getting a regular manicure, pedicure and waxing of my brows and my upper lip.  This was a special occasion as I am a do-it-yourself with my grooming.  Surely you saw me at Wal-Mart getting my travel size necessities. For this travel event, I afforded myself a luxury carry-on bag by Liz Claiborne.  I needed a carry-on but just in case I had to bring my luggage to the interview, it had to make a positive impression of me too. If you saw me, I was professionally polished for the interview.  The extra effort I exerted this time gave me additional confidence coupled with the company deeming I was worthy of being flown to the interview.   At my level on the organization chart is not considered whether of paid travel accommodations or relocation assistance.  You should have seen me practicing my answers to interview questions throughout my occupancy in the airports and on the airplanes.  I wish you could have seen me at the interview.  I was at my very best yet.  I trust I made as good an impression on them as the company and the interviewers made on me.  The company and the people I met were awesome.  Now I wait for their hiring decision.  While I was initially under the impression the decision would be made this Friday, at the end of the interview I was told there was another interviewee for my position and a decision would be made next Friday. While I remain confident that the job has my name on it, it is back to business as usual. No job searching took place since I received the invitation to interview as shopping, preparing, and tiredness interfered with my job hunting duties.  While I want to remain strong that I will be hired with this company in my former home of Savannah, I know that I must focus again on securing employment.  Are you still with me? - Nancy L. Wood