Ft Worth Star: New Pier 1 Imports CEO starts job with stock incentives in place

Pier 1 Imports' new boss, Alasdair James, is in town and has received the customary pile of stock incentives upon starting his new job.

James, 46, formerly the president of Kmart, started as president and chief executive officer of the Fort Worth-based home furnishings retailer on May 1.

According to securities filings, James received a $300,000 signing bonus and will be paid a base salary of $1 million a year. Upon his start at Pier 1, he received stock options worth $1 million, with a ten-year term, and restricted stock grants worth $2.5 million, with some vesting over time and some vesting based on performance…..

Getting workers to the factory floor

U.S. Rep. Marc Veasey worries about the worker on the factory floor.

The Fort Worth Democrat has toured and worked in local manufacturing facilities as part of his "Marc Means Business" workdays.

So Veasey was sincere when he talked about attacking the "skills gap" as J.P. Morgan Chase donated $500,000 to the Community Learning Center last week. The funds will support training in high-demand occupations, especially aerospace and advanced manufacturing.

Veasey said nearly 3.5 million manufacturing jobs will need to be filled over the next decade, but the "skills gap" is expected to leave 2 million of those jobs unfilled. He said there are 350,000 job vacancies in advanced manufacturing.