Home Care In Carrollton, TX

Company to recruit at career fairs to meet hiring needs

Credit: Dallas Business Journal

CARROLLTON, Texas — Read this story and more North Texas business news from our partners at the Dallas Business Journal

A liquid cooling company formerly based in Massachusetts has named Carrollton its new headquarters in a move aimed at responding to higher demand for its services.

In a March 5 news release, LiquidStack said the new facility comes as demand for liquid cooling services surges, on account of the rapid growth of generative AI in recent years.

LiquidStack, which works closely with data centers, said it plans to triple its manufacturing team by the end of 2024. Currently, the business has about 50 employees and said it plans to recruit workers at college career fairs throughout the year.

Generative artificial intelligence and the computing hardware in data centers that support AI technology are significantly driving up the demand for liquid cooling. That demand is expected to increase substantially as new AI chip generations are released, LiquidStack executives said.

“We are seeing incredibly high demand for liquid cooling globally as a result of the introduction of ultra-high TDP chips that are driving the scale and buildout of generative AI,” Joe Capes, CEO of LiquidStack, said in a statement.

The company's new headquarters in Carrollton and its manufacturing site spans a suite that is more than 20,000 square feet. The facility, located near Old Downtown Carrollton and bordering Farmers Branch, has been in operation since December 2023.

Dan Walker, plant manager at LiquidStack, said the company chose Carrollton for its “high level of diversity, amenities, jobs and housing” as well as the suburb's reputation for safety.

Walker also cited the ability to tap into the DFW talent pool.

“I made the Dallas/Ft. Worth area my home many years ago, and know first hand that we have the local expertise, talent, and reliability to achieve LiquidStack’s goals,” Walker said in a statement.

Fast-growing Carrollton is booming with new development, including a transit-oriented site in partnership with Dallas Area Rapid Transit.

Founded in 2012, LiquidStack was formerly called Allied Control Limited and was based in Marlborough, Mass. Outside of the U.S., the company also operates in Amsterdam and Hong Kong.

Known primarily as a two-phase cooling vendor, the company recently introduced a single-phase liquid cooling solution as part of its lineup. It also manufactures direct-to-chip Coolant Distribution Units and prefabricated data centers. The Carrollton site also plans to host training and demonstrations for its customers, including service engineers and several global partners.

Additionally, LiquidStack’s move to Carrollton comes as many technology companies have moved their headquarters to North Texas or expanded their foothold to the area. Security company Assa Abloy moved its U.S. headquarters to Plano earlier this year and industrial tech company Visitech recently doubled its operations in Allen.

A formal ribbon cutting for the new headquarters is expected to take place on March 22, which will include city leaders and business partners.

CARROLLTON, Texas, March 5, 2024 — LiquidStack, a global leader in liquid cooling for data centers, today announced its new U.S. manufacturing site and headquarters located in Carrollton, Texas. The new facility is a major milestone in LiquidStack’s mission to deliver high performance, cost-effective and reliable liquid cooling solutions for high performance data center and edge computing applications.

With a significant uptick in liquid cooling demand associated with scaling generative AI, the new facility enables LiquidStack to respond to customers’ needs in an agile fashion while maintaining the high-quality standards and service the company is known for.

LiquidStack’s full range of liquid cooling solutions are being manufactured on site, including direct-to-chip Coolant Distribution Units (CDUs), single phase and two phase immersion cooling solutions and the company’s MacroModular and MicroModular prefabricated data centers. The site will also host a service training and demonstration center for customers and its global network of service engineers and partners.

“We are seeing incredibly high demand for liquid cooling globally as a result of the introduction of ultra-high TDP chips that are driving the scale and buildout of generative AI. Our investment in this new facility allows us to serve the rapidly growing market while creating new, high-skilled jobs right here in Carrollton,” said Joe Capes, CEO, LiquidStack.

The Carrollton, Texas LiquidStack manufacturing facility and headquarters occupies over 20,000 square feet. The company is aggressively hiring production staff with plans to more than triple the size of its current manufacturing team by year-end. LiquidStack recruiters will participate in career fairs at local colleges and universities throughout the year.

“As one of the safest communities in the country, Carrollton offers a high level of diversity, amenities, jobs and housing, which made it the perfect site for LiquidStack to build its state-of-the-art, high-efficiency manufacturing center and headquarters,” said Dan Walker, Plant Manager, LiquidStack. “I made the Dallas/Ft. Worth area my home many years ago, and know first hand that we have the local expertise, talent, and reliability to achieve LiquidStack’s goals.”

The new LiquidStack manufacturing facility has been in operation since December 2023, and a formal ribbon cutting ceremony will be held on March 22, 2024. Expected attendees include members of the city council and the Metrocrest Chamber of Commerce, as well as LiquidStack customers and partners.

About LiquidStack

LiquidStack is the respected leader in liquid cooling for information technology hardware, telecommunications, and blockchain systems. Having pioneered the world’s highest density, most efficient, and sustainable liquid cooling solution in 2012, our advanced liquid cooling solutions continue to serve as the backbone for highly scalable and environmentally safe hyperscale, colocation, enterprise, edge, and blockchain data centers. LiquidStack’s direct-to-chip CDUs, DataTank, EdgeTank, CryptoTank, MicroModular and MacroModular systems and services are enabling real-time advancement of computing and communications while supporting a sustainable planet. Learn more at liquidstack.com.

Source: LiquidStack

BuzzBallz, the Carrollton-based company that makes spherical cocktails, is being acquired by New Orleans-based alcohol kingpin Sazerac.

The company’s founder and CEO, Merrilee Kick, started the company in 2010 when she was a teacher at Plano West Senior High School. Since then, the company’s value has skyrocketed and is reportedly worth at least $1 billion and reels in approximately $100 million in annual revenue.

Sazerac declined an interview request from The Dallas Morning News and BuzzBallz did not respond to an interview request. The financial terms behind the deal will not be disclosed, according to a press release.

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But for BuzzBallz, the acquisition vindicates the work Kick has put in. She’s had many offers to acquire her company over the years, but Sazerac presented her with something she’d never seen before, an offer too good to refuse, she said.

“As a trailblazer in the ready-to-drink space, we have received many inquiries to acquire the company, however, Sazerac matched our innovative culture and spirit best,” she said. “They are a partner we can continue to grow with internationally, as well as expand our existing distribution footprint in the USA.”

BuzzBallz uses a racy advertising campaign with slogans and billboards asking customers to “Taste our Ballz” and “Why are they round?”

It’s no small feat for BuzzBallz. The company joins Sazerac’s portfolio which includes some of the biggest names in the industry like Fireball Cinnamon Whisky, Southern Comfort, Buffalo Trace Bourbon and more.

BuzzBallz’s unique product, a drink featuring an alcohol content of 15% ABV in a sphere-shaped container, is available in every state in the U.S. and 24 countries. According to Brewbound, a trade publication following the alcohol industry, BuzzBallz is the ninth-largest spirits product in terms of dollar sales in chain retail outlets.

Kick will remain at BuzzBallz as the company’s chief executive after the acquisition closes. For Sazerac CEO and President Jake Wenz, keeping Kick around was a top goal, he said.

“Merrilee and the team at BuzzBallz have created incredible brands and we are both honored & excited to partner together to take them to the next level,” Wenz said in the statement. “Merrilee’s creativity, commitment to quality and drive is inspiring. BuzzBallz is truly one-of-a-kind and we can’t wait to help spread the products to more consumers all over the world.”

It’s all up from here for Kick and BuzzBallz as it enters its next growth stage, she said.

“We are excited about our future growth opportunities from the synergies we will create together.”

A man who was injured in an explosion believed to be linked to natural gas at a Carrollton home on Saturday has filed a lawsuit against Atmos Energy.

Sergio Valdez suffered severe burns on his arms and face, according to the lawsuit.

The investigation into what caused the explosion is ongoing, but Fire Chief Michael Thompson told KXAS-TV that an underground gas leak may have gotten into the sewer pipe at the residence and built up in a bathroom. The blast ignited when someone lit a cigarette around 3:45 a.m.

Valdez and his wife, Raquel Garcia, are asking for over $1 million in damages.

“This is yet another tragic explosion case that arises from Defendant, Atmos Energy’s, gross negligence and longstanding pattern of valuing profits over human life, of which the citizens of DFW have become all too familiar,” the lawsuit states.

The explosion at the Carrollton home comes less than two weeks after a Jan. 8 explosion that blew out windows and walls on the first two floors of the Sandman Signature Hotel in downtown Fort Worth. Two stories collapsed into the basement, where the blast is thought to have originated, and 21 people were injured. The cause of that explosion remains under investigation, but fire officials think it was connected to natural gas.

At least eight lawsuits including 28 plaintiffs have been filed in the wake of the hotel explosion.

The lawsuits claim companies including the hotel and its owner Northland Properties, gas company Atmos Energy, and Rock Libations, the owner of the Musume restaurant in the hotel’s basement, knew there was a gas leak but didn’t warn the occupants of the building or attempt to evacuate them.

In the home explosion case, Carrollton Fire Rescue crews were dispatched to the 1800 block of Highland Drive shortly before 3:45 a.m. Saturday. They found evidence of an explosion in the single-family residence, officials said in a social media post. Firefighters quickly extinguished small amounts of fire at the location.

One person was found at the home and taken to a hospital in stable condition, the post said. There were no other injuries reported. Houses on both sides of the affected home were evacuated as a precaution.

The Carrollton Fire Marshal’s Office and Atmos Energy are investigating the cause of the explosion, officials said in the post.

“While the cause is still under investigation, we do remind our citizens if you smell gas inside your house, DO NOT turn on any lights, smoke cigarettes, or turn on stoves — get outside of the structure and call 911 to report it,” fire officials said in the post.

Another natural gas leak was discovered Friday afternoon in the area of East Seventh Street and Commerce Street in downtown Fort Worth, a short distance away from a leak that was discovered Jan. 16 outside the 777 Main St. tower.

This story was originally published January 20, 2024, 12:49 PM.

Workers at a Stellantis distribution center in Carrollton joined a nationwide strike demanding increased wages, enhanced job security and improved conditions for temporary workers.

Employees at a General Motors parts distribution center in Roanoke and another at a Stellantis distribution center in Carrollton are the latest to join the strike against the major companies.

These workers are uniting with approximately 12,700 of their fellow colleagues across three assembly plants situated in Missouri, Ohio and Michigan, broadening the scope of a strike that was initiated over a week ago. The strike expanded to encompass workers at 38 different locations spanning across 20 states, primarily in distribution centers.

“This will impact these two companies’ repair operations,” United Auto Workers union president Shawn Fain said during a Facebook live video. “Our message to the consumer is simple. The way to fix the frustrating customer experience is for the companies to end price gouging — invest these record profits into stable jobs and sustainable wages and benefits.”

According to AP, only 12% of the union's membership is participating in the strike. The UAW possesses the potential to significantly increase the number of workers involved in the strike, potentially affecting assembly plants and parts facilities operated by General Motors, Ford and Stellantis.

One of the central points under discussion in the negotiations revolves around the need for increased wages, bolstered job security, fair treatment of temporary workers and the elimination of the existing "tier-based" pay systems within these companies. Fain expressed optimism in the live video, noting that there has been some headway regarding tiered wages. However, he also emphasized that achieving a resolution will require substantial effort and pressure on the part of both GM and Stellantis.

On Sept. 15, 2023, General Motors released a statement about the initiation of the strike at the first three assembly plants.

“We are disappointed by the UAW leadership’s actions, despite the unprecedented economic package GM put on the table, including historic wage increases and manufacturing commitments,” the statement said. “We will continue to bargain in good faith with the union to reach an agreement as quickly as possible for the benefit of our team members, customers, suppliers and communities across the U.S.”

President Joe Biden showed support for those participating in the strike and will join the workers against the automakers. He is set to arrive in Michigan on Sept. 26, days before Donald Trump is set to give his own speech in Michigan.