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Jul 28, 2026 · Context

Council approves amendments to AEDC incentives for Sharpened Iron Studios and AAA Cooper, 5-0

Doug Nelson of the AEDC presented both items, and the council approved each 5-0. The AAA Cooper amendment, which the company requested to match its corporate construction timeline, moves the performance periods to begin in 2030 instead of 2025, extends the deadline to create jobs from 2030 to 2035, and adds semi-annual progress updates. NewsChannel 10 reported that the Sharpened Iron amendment includes repayment terms with 8 percent interest.^[1]^[2]^[3]

Cole Stanley Tim Reid Don Tipps David Prescott Les Simpson Doug Nelson Amarillo Economic Development Corporation (AEDC)AAA Cooper Transportation, Inc.Sharpened Iron Studios, LLC

What the sources say

✓ Verified
Councilmember Prescott moved and Councilmember Tipps seconded item 7.8, Amendment No. 1 to the AAA Cooper agreement dated January 14, 2025; it passed 5-0. The amendment restates Date One through Date Fifteen to run from December 31, 2030 to December 31, 2044 and requires written progress updates each January 20 and July 20 until the facility is substantially complete. The AEDC board had approved it 4-0 on July 9, 2026. Councilmember Tipps moved and Councilmember Prescott seconded item 7.7, the Sharpened Iron Studios amendment, which also passed 5-0.^[1]^[2]^[4]
✓ Verified
Amarillo Economic Development Corporation: The AEDC's 2025 annual report states that AAA Cooper 'is constructing a new facility on 10 acres along East I-40, in TIRZ 2' with an expected $10 million capital expenditure. AAA Cooper does not appear in the AEDC's status report through March 31, 2026.^[5]^[4]

Sources

1.City Council minutes, regular meeting of July 28, 2026 — City of Amarillo, Jul 28, 2026 · retrieved Oct 10, 2026primarySubject-authoredFrom the City's CivicClerk meeting portal; date is the meeting date. Items 7.5 and 7.6.
2.Amarillo City Council Regular Meeting agenda packet, July 28, 2026 — City of Amarillo, Jul 28, 2026 · retrieved Oct 14, 2026primarySubject-authoredItem 7.1 (Ordinance No. 8252) agenda transmittal memo and ordinance, pages 83-87 of 231. 'published' approximated as the meeting date.
3.Amarillo City Council approves amended deal with Sharpened Iron Studios — NewsChannel10 (KFDA), Jul 28, 2026 · retrieved Oct 16, 2026newsIndependentBy Paige Stockton. Council approval on July 28, 2026; AEDC said the studio had not met the requirements; repayment with 8 percent interest; 2028 performance period.
4.Amarillo EDC Board of Directors Meeting Package, August 20, 2026 — Amarillo Economic Development Corporation, Aug 20, 2026 · retrieved Oct 16, 2026primarySubject-authoredIncludes the minutes of the July 9, 2026 board meeting (item 6, AAA Cooper amendment approved 4-0, "extension of their reporting for job creation to 2030") and the unaudited "CUMULATIVE PROJECT STATUS REPORT Through March 31, 2026", marked "Restricted for management only, notes are not presented".
5.Amarillo EDC 2025 Annual Report (2025 projects) — Amarillo Economic Development Corporation, Apr 14, 2026 · retrieved Oct 16, 2026primarySubject-authoredStance: favorable"published" is the upload date. AAA Cooper Transportation "is constructing a new facility on 10 acres along East I-40, in TIRZ 2"; "the Amarillo EDC sold 3.61 acres in CenterPort Business Park to Pacific Cheese for $162,450".