Apex Capital
www.apexcapitalcorp.com/veterans
Navy SEAL Foundation
www.navySEALfoundation.org
American Aero FTW
www.americanaeroftw.com
Armed Forces Bowl
www.armedforcesbowl.com
Owning one’s own company has long been the American dream. Reaching that dream requires a lot of hard work and capital.
Apex Capital of Fort Worth is helping veterans who want to start their own trucking company reach that dream with a special Veterans Day promotion. The company is waiving the $435 administration fee in its Startup Program.
“While many are looking to get into the trucking business, it is extremely regulated and starting your own company is a cumbersome process,” said Reghan Orman, associate general counsel and head of the Apex Startup Program. “As we heard this echoed by our factoring clients, we researched and developed a program that helps simplify the process for those looking to start their own trucking companies.”
Apex has been a factoring company in the transportation industry for over 20 years. The Startup Program helps those wanting to form their own trucking company by gathering all the necessary information, assisting with entity formation in their home state, completing and filing the appropriate registration applications, and sending a record book.
Veterans will only have to pay the required filing fees. They include a $300 fee in Texas for formation of documents with the secretary of state, $300 to the Federal Motor Car Safety Administration (FMCSA), $150 for designation of process agents, and filing of a UCR form with the Unified Carrier Refrigeration System, which varies by fleet size.
While the program is being highlighted around Veterans Day, it is year-round, Orman said. She said the company simply wants to show veterans that their sacrifices are appreciated.
“As we continue to expand our Startup Program at Apex, we want to make it as simple as possible for veterans looking to not only start their own companies, but run successful businesses into the future,” she said.
Orman said the same program was offered last year. She said the company also offers advice for would-be entrepreneurs.
“Our Startup Program offers advice to anyone looking to start their own trucking company. Especially for veterans, we provide resources and information to help individuals looking to get into our industry,” she said. “Our transportation specialists can provide veterans their expertise and other services when working with the various governments and agencies responsible for helping individuals start their own trucking companies.”
Orman added that another large group has come on board to help new truckers once they get started.
“The American Trucking Association has joined the Hiring Our Heroes Program and committed to hire 100,000 veterans on behalf of the trucking industry and its members,” she said.
Also, she said that in recent years the FMCSA, the agency that regulates trucking, has offered additional incentives to help expedite the process for veterans looking to enter the industry. Primarily, the FMCSA has waived certain requirements for veterans wanting to obtain a commercial driver’s license if they operated large vehicles in the military.
“Our country has faced some difficult times in the last two decades, and we want to show our support for our armed forces,” Orman said. – Rick Mauch, FWBP
Navy SEAL donation
American Aero FTW, a fixed-base operator (FBO) located at Meacham International Airport, presented a $21,346 check to the Navy SEAL Foundation during the NBAA 2016 Business Aviation Convention & Exhibition in Orlando the week of Oct. 31 to Nov. 4. The Navy SEAL Foundation provides immediate and ongoing support to the Naval Special Warfare community and its families during times of tragedy as well as triumph.
Riggs Brown, American Aero FTW general manager, presented the donation to Rory O’Connor, a former Navy SEAL and longtime ambassador of the charitable organization.
“Our goal is to honor heroes like Rory, who represent America’s most elite warriors, and members of our own staff—current and former military—who represent other branches of the military,” Brown said. “Through this donation, we help support the critical work of the Navy SEAL Foundation on behalf of the warriors, veterans, and their families.”
The Navy SEAL Foundation delivers services through six program areas—Warrior & Family Support, Educational Opportunities, Tragedy Assistance & Survivor Support, Warrior Transition, Veterans Support, and Legacy Preservation.
This donation marks the FBO’s fourth annual contribution to the Foundation. The FBO’s “Red, White and Blue” program enables customers to contribute 10 cents from every gallon of fuel purchased to the Navy SEAL Foundation, and American Aero FTW matches those donations dollar for dollar.
Armed Forces Bowl
U.S. Army Green Beret and former Texas Longhorns long snapper Nate Boyer will be this year’s keynote speaker for the 2016 annual Lockheed Martin Armed Forces Bowl Luncheon. The luncheon will be held at the Omni Fort Worth Hotel, Thursday Dec. 22 at noon presented by American Airlines and the Omni Fort Worth Hotel.
“We are honored to have Nate join us this year to share his story with our teams and fans”, said Brant Ringler, executive director of the Lockheed Martin Armed Forces Bowl. “From a tour in Iraq and two in Afghanistan, to his time on the field with Texas, to playing with the Seattle Seahawks; Boyer has a diverse background that has given him a unique outlook and made him a powerful voice for the troops.”
While playing for Texas, Nate completed two deployments to Afghanistan during his summer breaks. He practiced snapping at night to prepare himself for the upcoming season, and upon returning to Austin was named the starting long snapper.
“It’s as much an honor to be asked to come back and speak at the Armed Forces Bowl as it was to be the inaugural recipient of the Armed Forces Merit Award. Many bowl games have special meaning and history behind them, but none of them would be possible without our men and women in uniform defending freedom,” said Nate Boyer. “College football is an important part of our culture, and having a bowl game that recognizes the sacrifices made by our troops is not only inspiring, it’s necessary.”
Zoo and veterans
The Fort Worth Zoo will host the inaugural Heroes Day, an event honoring veterans, reserve and active duty personnel of the United States military as well as first responders on Nov. 13 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
The event will feature patriotic-themed entertainment, including live music and animal enrichment. Veterans, reserve and active duty military personnel along with first responders will receive free admission for themselves and one guest. Up to four additional tickets can be purchased with a discount of $2 off the regular price. Tickets must be purchased at the front gate.
Zoo guests will pay regular price for admission. More details can be found at www.fortworthzoo.org/heroes-day.