Beneficient, Southwest, giraffe problems, unions rise: Friday's Business Briefing

Your lunchtime look at D-FW business [Your lunchtime look at D-FW business] August 31,  2018  Prefer the online view? It's [here](. Follow us on Twitter [@DMNBiz](. Editor's note: We will not publish a newsletter Monday in observance of the Labor Day holiday. Look for our next edition on Tuesday. The company logo at Beneficient, a new financial services company in Dallas that turns assets into cash for high-net-worth individuals, institutions and private equity funds. (Carly Geraci / Staff Photographer) The Big Story How do the ultra-wealthy turn assets into cash fast? Dallas firm Beneficient knows Brad Heppner has built a new company in Dallas on the idea that as the numbers of U.S. millionaires rise, investors will be looking for more than stock, bonds and mutual funds to grow their nest eggs. [He founded Beneficient Group](, which he refers to as BEN, with $2 billion in capital to be a lender to wealthy Americans who need money fast. The company will turn nonliquid assets into cash and return the asset to the borrower once the investment pays back Beneficient. Some may call it a first-world problem, but it’s real and common among the nation’s almost 10 million millionaires to not have access to their wealth. “People die and their estate needs money. People get divorced and need to split assets,” he said. -[Maria Halkias]( The Latest Southwest launches 2019 spring break routes [The international routes]( include popular tourist destinations in Mexico, Jamaica and the Dominican Republic. How much will Texans pay for electricity grid damage? Individuals and businesses statewide, including North Texas, are expected to bear some of those costs, [according to the Texas Public Utility Commission](. What is Dallas' link to the wild giraffe problem? [Dallas was found in part of a recent report]( — complete with undercover video and photos — on the popularity of giraffe products in the U.S. Deep Texas-Canada ties hang in balance [Deal or no deal?]( It’s unclear if Canada will relent under President Donald Trump’s intense pressure to reach a preliminary pact by Friday Texas business turns down $1.8M in incentives [An Amarillo firm]( that received a $1.8 million incentives package to expand is canceling the deal and returning money to the city. Advertisement Elsewhere in Texas - Galveston: County leaders slam state General Land Office for [‘top-down’ approach to Harvey aid](. (Houston Chronicle) - San Antonio: [The Cromeens Law Firm](, a Houston firm handling business law and contract disputes, has opened a San Antonio office. (Houston Chronicle) - Austin: [Northshore](, a 38-story luxury apartment tower in downtown Austin, has a new owner. (Austin American-Statesman) - San Antonio: The city asked the Texas Supreme Court to dismiss the [Hays Street Bridge Case](. (San Antonio Express-News) - Houston: Co-working spot will open near the [Washington Avenue corridor](. (Houston Chronicle) Flight attendants picket outside of American Airlines headquarters in Fort Worth on Aug. 30, 2018. The union is calling attention to a number of their complaints, including uniforms, scheduling and sick leave policy.(Nathan Hunsinger/The Dallas Morning News) featured columnist: Mitchell Schnurman Labor Day surprise: Union membership grows by 81,000 in pro-business Texas Texas brags about its pro-business climate, which can mean a lot of things: low taxes, limited regulation, public incentives for expansion and a workforce that’s largely not unionized. [But the recent union gains may be part of a broader shift in attitudes.]( In the spring, teachers from West Virginia to Arizona staged giant protests over pay and benefits, and many saw their efforts pay off. In Missouri, Republican lawmakers passed a right-to-work law that prompted a petition drive to put the issue on the ballot. In August, voters in the Show-Me State rejected the law by a 2-to-1 margin. “Working people are getting fed up with the system,” said Willy Gonzalez, the Texas chapter president for Unite Here, a labor union that represents 270,000 in North America. Follow DFW stocks: [See how top North Texas stocks performed](, as well as the oil and gas markets and major stock exchanges. DFW Top 100 Places to Work 2017: The Dallas Morning News and Workplace Dynamics partner each year to feature the [Top 100 workplaces](, based on ratings by the people who work at them. Advertisement 👋  That's all for today! 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