Business Hall of Shame

Lululemon and JC Penney shamefully rank among most-hated companies in America

The axiom that any press is good press is likely little comfort to Lululemon and JC Penney, who both landed on the list of the 10 most-hated companies in America by 24/7 Wall St.

The embattled yoga clothier took the No. 8 spot, sliding in between JP Morgan Chase and BlackBerry. In its ranking, the site notes that the once-beloved Lululemon has fallen on hard times thanks to a host of public relations controversies.

"JC Penney has probably made more operational and strategic mistakes than any other large publicly traded company in America," 24/7 Wall St. reports.

Lululemon's see-through pants and flippant window displays gave way to financial woes, and founder Chip Wilson resigned as chairman in December following a tumultuous 2013. CEO Christine Day and chief product officer Sheree Waterson also left the company amid controversy.

Meanwhile, Plano-based JC Penney ranked No. 10. "JC Penney has probably made more operational and strategic mistakes than any other large publicly traded company in America," 24/7 Wall St. reports.

The failed marketing and merchandising methods under CEO Ron Johnson alienated customers and led to a 25 percent dip in revenue. When your biggest claim to fame is a teapot resembling Hitler, it's safe to say your business model is in trouble.

Other notable companies on the dishonor roll include McDonald's (No. 1), Abercrombie & Fitch (No. 2), Dish Network (No. 5) and Walmart (No. 6).

Lululemon is the No. 8 most-hated company in America.

Lululemon Athletica, yoga pants, see-through

Lululemon Athletica Flickr

Lululemon is the No. 8 most-hated company in America.

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Politics News

Dallas narrows down field for new city manager to 4 candidates

Photo by R K on Unsplash

This is an Dallasite's sign to launch that small business they've been dreaming of.

After six months without a city manager, the city of Dallas has narrowed down the field of replacements to four semifinalists including one serving as current interim city manager, plus candidates from Fort Worth, Michigan, and Georgia.

Dallas has been without a city manager since May, when previous city manager T.C. Broadnax left to take a job with the city of Austin. Since that time, Broadnax's former chief of staff Kimberly Bizor Tolbert has served as interim city manager.

The city retained Baker Tilly, a consulting firm, to recruit and compile candidates. (Baker Tilly famously erred in the brochure it created for the position by featuring a photo of the Houston skyline instead of Dallas; they've since replaced it with Dallas.)

A spokesperson for Baker Tilly did not respond to inquiries but according to D Magazine, an email listing the candidates has been sent to the Dallas City Council.

The semifinalists include:

Kimberly Bizor Tolbert, Dallas’ current interim city manager
William Johnson, an assistant city manager in Fort Worth
Mark Washington, the city manager of Grand Rapids, Michigan
Zachary Williams, a county chief operating officer in Georgia

All have more than 25 years' of public administration experience and have worked in similar capacities in their respective cities.

Before working in Fort Worth, Johnson was Baltimore’s transportation director and Atlanta’s deputy chief operating officer and public works commissioner.

Washington worked in Fort Worth and Austin before becoming Grand Rapids’ city manager.

Williams has mostly worked in Georgia at the county level, including serving as county manager in Fulton County and chief operating officer in DeKalb County.

Tolbert began working for the city in 1998, first as the city manager’s assistant and later in the aviation department. Broadnax hired her as his chief of staff in 2017.

Unlike the Mayor and the Dallas City Council, the city manager position in Dallas is not elected but is instead appointed by the city council, and is tasked with executing policies, overseeing the annual budget, and managing staff at city hall.

The council’s Ad Hoc Committee will choose finalists, introduce them to the public, and make an offer in early 2025.

politics