Guess which Fort Worth-based corporation made the 24/7 Wall St blog's list of the 10 Most Hated Companies in America?
"AMR, parent of American Airlines, has, in a remarkably short period of time, ruined its relationships with shareholders, bondholders, pilots, customers, suppliers, and most of its other employees."Ouch.The online site went on to note that AMR's November 2011 Chapter 11 filing virtually wiped out shareholder equity while harming the financial status of its lenders and plane suppliers by cutting financial obligations through bankruptcy. And American's passengers, it alleges, can't stand the carrier."It was recently named the U.S. carrier with the rudest employees. It was also ranked the worst carrier in America based on customer service," according to the American Customer Satisfaction Index.(For what it's worth, our own recent experiences on American, both domestically and internationally in the past three months, actually have been -- drum roll, please -- exemplary. On a flight to London, the crew out of JFK was downright jolly and efficient. On a return to Cleveland, a flight attendant dropped a can of beer on our shoulder. She apologized by offering a wee bottle of scotch. When we screwed up a reservation (clearly our fault) on the return leg, a Cleveland counter agent named Kevin Kraut made a vexing situation tolerable and ensured that the plane didn't leave without our luggage.)AMR ranked No. 7 on the Most Hated list. That's not as bad as Plano-based J.C. Penney, which ranked No. 1 for a hugely disappointing makeover of its stores that turned off both shoppers and investors.Weatherford centerWeatherford will be the new home for a $15 million, 74,450-square-foot entertainment complex to be known as The Strand 8 Movie-Bowl-Grill, Dennis Clayton, executive director of the Weatherford Economic Development Authority, told the city's Rotary Club last week.The center will be built on an 8-acre lot at Interstate-20 and Texas 171 on what was once school district property. The owner is Bryan native Mark Shulman, who heads Weatherfood Entertainment Llc. He operates theaters in Palestine, Georgetown, Bastrop and Hudson Oaks.And a smaller parcel is being developed to attract restaurants.Clayton, who expects to break ground in early spring, had other good news to impart, telling the assembled Rotarians that the city's sales tax revenues hit a $9.6 million record last year. The previous high was $8.8 million in 2008, he said.Although the Census Bureau projected that Weatherford's population would grow at a 4.5 percent pace, it's actually a more modest 3.5 percent. "That is still very strong growth and it's both maintainable and serviceable," Clayton said.And while residential construction permits were slightly up over the prior year, the average home value fell from $222,479 to $198,122, he added.-- Lance WinterWal-Mart marketWal-Mart will open its latest Neighborhood Market on Wednesday in a former Albertson's grocery store at 5613 N. Collins St. in Arlington.Features of the 58,000-square-foot store include a self-serve deli with pre-packaged foods and rotisserie chicken, a wide variety of fruits and vegetables, as well as meats, cheeses and prepared foods. The store will also have an expanded selection of baby goods and small appliances such as microwaves, blenders, mixers, irons and ironing boards.The store will provide about 90 jobs, and more than $8,000 in grants will be given to local organizations. The Lamar High School Orchestra Band and Choir will perform the national anthem at a ribbon-cutting ceremony at 7:30 a.m.Sandra Baker, 817-390-7727sabaker@star-telegram.comJim Fuquay, 817-390-7552jfuquay@star-telegram.comBarry Shlachter, 817-390-7718barry@star-telegram.comHave more to add? News tip? Tell us
