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Shlachter, Perotin, Fuquay, & Co. 
SHLACHTER, PEROTIN, FUQUAY & CO.
North Texans spending less now
Star-Telegram Staff Writers
Despite the Barnett Shale's largesse, a thriving local defense industry and a relatively stable housing market, more North Texans than others around the country say they've changed their buying habits because of economic conditions, according to a recent survey conducted for Bank of America.
While 59 percent of the national sampling say they have altered their spending, 75 percent in the Dallas-Fort Worth market have done so, the survey of 1,000 people by Braun Research said.
In particular, 55 percent of North Texans say they are spending less on shopping compared to 50 percent in the rest of the county. And 54 percent said they are cutting back on dining out compared to 48 percent nationally.
And if given a windfall, 42 percent of surveyed Metroplex residents said they'd save for a rainy day, versus 31 percent nationally.
Thirty-five percent would pay down credit card debt versus 29 percent nationally.
But not all are so prudent.
Twenty-six percent of North Texans would buy something for personal enjoyment, compared to 19 percent nationally.
Job fair this week
Looking for a little reassurance about the local job market?
Check out the annual AllianceTexas Hiring Fair on Wednesday.
The event is expected to draw thousands of job applicants. And it was moved from its usual August slot to April to appeal to college grads who are hunting for their first jobs.
More than 55 companies are slated to participate, pitching jobs that range from seasonal to full time -- including administrative, retail, restaurant and warehouse positions.
An Alliance executive said businesses have created more than 4,500 jobs there in the past two years.
The fair is sponsored by the Alliance Opportunity Center, a partnership between Alliance businesses and Workforce Solutions for Tarrant County.
The fair will be at the Speedway Club at Texas Motor Speedway from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Parking and admission are free.
For more information, go to allianceopportunitycenter.com.
Arlington company helps 'Makeover'
Demilec, an Arlington-based maker of spray foam insulation products, will be featured on the Sunday, May 18, season finale of Extreme Makeover: Home Edition on ABC.
Its products, Sealection 500 and Heatlok Soy, will be used to rebuild three homes in Westwego, La., and the Noah's Ark Missionary Baptist Church in New Orleans, all destroyed by Hurricane Katrina. Demilec partnered with Deltec Homes on the construction, completed in early March.
"Deltec Homes is considered the premier builder of hurricane-resistant homes in the United States," Dave Lall, Demilec general manager and vice president, said in a news release. "They invited us to join them because they feel that our spray foam insulation ranks among the best in the industry."
Heatlok Soy is an environmentally friendly product that uses recycled plastic materials and soy in its formula. Sealection 500 is a semirigid insulation that creates an airtight seal in building walls and attics by expanding to up to 120 times its liquid volume.
"Our products will serve them in the short-term as part of the effort to get them back on their feet, and in the long-term by making their homes less expensive to heat and cool, and by creating a healthier, cleaner environment," Lall said.
