DFW: GOOD FOR BUSINESS
There’s no question that the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex is ideal for business with 25 Fortune 500 companies making either Dallas or Fort Worth their corporate headquarters – including such well-known companies as Dean Foods ExxonMobil Kimberly-Clark Neiman Marcus Southwest Airlines and Texas Instruments.
Not surprisingly many other smaller companies have chosen to follow suit. In fact the Dallas/Fort Worth area is home to more than 100000 businesses and 1500 corporate headquarters — ranking 4th in Fortune 500 corporate headquarters. These area businesses are also responsible for producing about one-third of all goods and services in Texas.
The state of Texas has also been an honoree of Site Selection Magazine’s Governor’s Cup for having the most new and expanded corporate facilities: the Dallas-Fort Worth area ranked third among metro areas of 1 million or more. The Site Selection rankings are based on new corporate location projects; to be considered a new facility or expansion must involve capital investment of at least $1 million create at least 50 new jobs or add at least 20,000 square feet of space.
With a large educated workforce and an ideally central location equidistant from North America’s five largest business centers (New York Los Angeles Chicago Mexico City and Toronto) – the Dallas/Fort Worth area is known as a place to start and nurture a career grow a business and become an entrepreneur. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics August 2013 report the Dallas-Ft.Worth-Arlington was second in over-the-year increases for nonfarm employment.
While the area is well known as an attractive environment for young hungry and headed-straight-up-the-corporate-ladder professionals who relocate here each year to start their careers it is also known as the kind of business climate where those at any stage in their career have almost unlimited opportunities for success – which is a major reason many executives and businesses choose to relocate here.
The Dallas/Fort Worth area’s central location and easy access to worldwide destinations make it an attractive option for both small and large employers as well as relocating families with plenty of resources to help. For example the Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport – one of the world’s busiest airports – serves more than 60 million passengers each year – and it’s a major reason why companies and employees move here. Dallas’ Love Field which had its beginnings as a training facility for pilots during World War I is home to Southwest Airlines and is one of the state’s busiest airports for both regional commuters and private aircraft – another plus for local businesses.
The DFW area also offers a thriving entrepreneurial climate – and that’s a clear testament to the state’s determined history. According to statistics from CNBC’s Top States for Business Texas ranked second in the U.S. Forbes has also counted the DFW area among its 2013 listings as the “best cities for business.”
