system that makes companies even more
accessible – and gives residents easy
commutes. There are multiple interstate
highways within the DFW city limits, and
the expanded Dallas North Tollway and
President George Bush Highway means
that driving to and from work from nearly
anywhere in the city is much less of a hassle
than it used to be just a few short years ago.
Add the innovative DART Rail System, and
residents reap the benefits of a fast, inexpensive, relaxing and convenient way to
get to work and around town. One of the
largest light rail systems in the U.S., DART
currently serves Dallas and 12 surrounding
cities with 130 bus routes, 48 miles of light
rail transit (DART Rail), 84 freeway miles
of high occupancy vehicle (HOV) lanes,
and para-transit service for the mobility
impaired. DART and the Fort Worth Transportation Authority (known as The T) also
operate 35 miles of commuter rail transit
(the Trinity Railway Express or TRE),
which connects downtown Dallas and Fort
Worth with stops in the mid-cities (Hurst,
Euless and Bedford), as well as DFW International Airport.
In fact, the rail system, which was approved
by voters in 1983, has proven so popular
that developers have sought to satisfy the
demand for unique housing opportunities,
and easier, more flexible living with vibrant
communities that are centered around
“transit villages” – giving residents options
for a trendier, on-the-go lifestyles that are
closer to the city’s center and transit hubs.
In fact, a recent study estimated that at least
$3.3 billion in private funds was invested at
stations along DART rail lines.
LOCATION, LOCATION
Dallas/Fort Worth’s central location means
that it’s easy to get to any number of other
major business cities, including Los Angeles,
New York, London, Toronto, Chicago, and
Mexico City. The fourth busiest airport
in the world, Dallas/Fort Worth Interna-
tional Airport served more than 60 million
passengers last year, and was recently named
“Best Airport in North America” by Premier
Traveler magazine. That kind of service and
accessibility is a big draw for the companies
that relocate here each year.
Dallas Love Field, the hub of Southwest
Airlines, also handles considerable regional
traffic – more than 8 million passengers
last year – and future traffic is estimated at
more than 12. 3 million passengers annually by 2020. It’s known as a business
traveler’s airport because of its convenient
location just 20 minutes from downtown,
the Infomart (which hosts many business
conventions and events), the Dallas Market
Center – a 5-million-square-foot wholesale
trade center, and downtown hotels.
And, because it’s a smaller airport, it’s much
less hassle to get in and out of quickly. With
more than 125 daily direct flights on Southwest Airlines throughout Texas and the rest
of the southwestern region of the U.S., and
many east coast cities (plus a commuter
hub for Continental and Delta Airlines for
those going to Houston and Memphis), it’s
the top choice for many business travelers.
Combined, the two airports offer 7,067
weekly non-stop flights to 187 global destinations according to the City of Dallas,
Economic Development Department.
MAJOR DFW INDUSTRIES
Major DFW employment sectors are as
varied as the city itself. According to the
latest Bureau of Labor Statistics numbers
(May 2014), the largest industries here
include trade, transportation, and utilities (656,600 employees); professional and
business services (506,000 employees);
education and health services (392,700
employees); leisure and hospitality (335,700
employees); and financial activities (251,900
employees).
Government is another big industry sector
here, employing 403,800. In fact, 60 percent
of America’s paper money is printed at
the U.S. Bureau of Engraving and Printing
Western Currency Facility in Fort Worth.
Mining, logging and construction, was a
leading job growth industry for the year
ending April 2014 with a six-and-a-half
percent growth.
Healthcare in particular has significant
impact. The University of North Texas
Center for Economic Development and
Research, in a 2011 study to estimate the
overall economic impact of the healthcare
industry in the DFW area, found that “the
value added by the healthcare industry in
the region is $52 billion per year, which
represents about 15 percent of all regional
economic activity.” (See Healthcare section
in this article for more information.)
TECHNOLOGY-FOCUSED FOR
BUSINESS
As the location for both AT&T’s headquarters
and the corporate home for Texas Instrument,
there’s no doubt that the Dallas/Fort Worth
area is a key telecom and technology hub.
It seems fitting, since the integrated circuit
computer, later to be called the microchip,
was invented in Dallas in 1958. Recent statistics show that more than 228,000 workers – or
nearly 8 percent of the DFW region’s total job
count – work in the technology sector, with
jobs that are mostly split between high-tech
manufacturing ( 44 percent) and information/
professional/technical services ( 56 percent).
And tech jobs are still on the rise in North
Texas. An August 2014 report by Dice, technology employment placement firm, noted
that Texas has created the most technology
jobs in 2014 and that in the Dallas-Fort
Worth-Arlington metro area, computer
and software programming jobs more than
doubled to an annual average of 23, 193 last
year, from 10,387 jobs in 2003.
A longtime leader in all manner of technology-focused businesses, including
engineering, telecommunications, information services, and more, the DFW area is
either a headquarters or main hub for such
companies as Electronic Data Systems
(EDS), Perot Systems, Nortel, Raytheon,
Alcatel and Lockheed Martin. Medical, bio,
and life sciences are another growing technology sector for the area, as are emerging
technologies such as nanotech, wireless and
broadband telecommunications.
Metroplex educational institutions have also
been strong supporters of the area’s equally
