Oregon-based Pinnacle has acquired Dallas-based experiential design agency 900lbs of Creative LLC, the two companies announced this week. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

The acquisition launches a new interactive studio within Pinnacle, which will be led by 900lbs founder and CEO Steve Deitz as vice president, interactive. Deitz will report to Pinnacle Chief Technology Officer Chris Etzel.

Deitz said he views the acquisition as an opportunity to keep pushing boundaries and drive limitless creativity.

“We’re inventors to the core; we love to solve problems and bring new ideas into the world,” he said in a statement announcing the deal. “Joining Pinnacle gives us a bigger stage to do that work.”

‘Synergy between creativity and technology’

Post-acquisition, people and projects from 900lbs will continue under the Pinnacle brand, the companies said.

“We believe the best experiences are created through the synergy between creativity and technology. 900lbs is proof of that,” said Pinnacle CEO Brad Hogan. He added that 900lbs’ “strengths live at the intersection of beautiful visuals, compelling narratives and interactive emerging technologies.”

“Together, we’ll help clients reach new heights,” Hogan said.

More on the two companies

Founded in 2010, 900lbs has worked with a wide variety of clients, including Capital One, PepsiCo, Dallas Cowboys, Red Bull and Amazon AWS.

The agency is known for combining emerging technologies, software and visual content in its work. In one such project, the agency was part of a team that lit up the Washington Monument in Washington, D.C., earlier this year with a 250th birthday projection display.

Like 900lbs, Pinnacle is adept at creating experiences. Some of its projects include turning 50 Sam’s Club parking lots into winter holiday train stations and building an esports gaming lounge at the University of Texas at Austin for Dell’s gaming brand Alienware.

Founded in 1998 in the Portland suburb of Hillsboro, the agency’s client list includes Microsoft, Adobe, PlayStation, Pokémon, Subway, Walmart and Canon Medical. In addition to its Oregon headquarters, Pinnacle has offices in the San Francisco Bay Area, Los Angeles, Chicago, Raleigh-Durham, North Carolina, and Hartford, Connecticut.

R E A D   N E X T

North Texas has plenty to see, hear, and watch. Here are our editors’ picks. Plus, you’ll find more selections to “save the date.”

Dallas Innovates 10 years

As the publication marks its 10th anniversary, the Dallas Regional Chamber is expanding its role in Dallas Innovates, and Lawley Head Media assumes leadership of newsroom and editorial operations.

The Dallas-based architecture and design firm, backed by a $30,000 ASID Foundation grant, translates educators’ lived experiences into a design guidebook aimed at closing the field’s “empathy gap.”

Marching Band

After seven years in Houston, the Pepsi National Battle of the Bands showcase is relocating to Arlington’s AT&T Stadium. Organizers say the move reflects the region’s growing pull for cultural and sports programming and a chance to put HBCU marching bands’ artistry, scholarship funding and decades of tradition in front of the region’s business and alumni networks.

Assorted products

Located at DFW’s Terminal A, the Bonton Farms retail store will introduce travelers to the nonprofit’s mission while selling local honey, handmade jams, goat milk soaps, grab-and-go food items, apparel and gifts. It is the organization’s first location outside South Dallas.

The university’s Property Lab features two full-scale, two-story homes, and the Auto Lab contains nearly 30 electric, hybrid and traditional vehicles, supporting a claims workforce of 23,000.

The Dallas-based foundation is partnering with New York City worker advocacy nonprofit Lift Our Voices on the free Agentic AI Academy, a five-day pilot for community college learners.

New CBRE research points to a maturing tech workforce in North Texas, fueled partly by the Y’all Street financial services boom.

Since rolling out the service in Dallas in February, Waymo has autonomously chauffeured some 150,000 customers. The company also is testing at Dallas Love Field and preparing to run its vehicles on area freeways.

Shachar Rabbe Headshot

Rabbe joins the workforce technology company from cybersecurity firm Acronis, where he was chief financial officer.