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.
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 third busiest airport in
the world, Dallas/Fort Worth International
Airport served more than 65 million passengers last year, and was 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 7 million passengers
each 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, it’s the top choice for many
business travelers. Combined, the two airports
offer over 7,000 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
(March 2017), the largest industries here
include trade, transportation, and utilities (761,700 employees); professional and
business services (596,300 employees);
education and health services (439,700
employees); leisure and hospitality
(378,600 employees); and financial activities (290,900 employees).
Government is another big industry
sector here, employing 437, 100. 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 also
a leading job growth industry as of March
2017 with a four percent growth.
The Healthcare industry has been breaking
records in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metropolitan area. According to DCEO Healthcare,
the Dallas-Fort Worth area leads Texas in
Healthcare companies on the Inc. 5000 List.
The Inc. 5000 list chronicles the fastest
growing, private companies in the nation.
These companies include home health, tech,
pharmaceutical, provider networks, staffing
centers and services companies.
TECHNOLOGY-FOCUSED FOR
BUSINESS
As the location for both AT&T’s head-
quarters 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 209,000 workers work in the
technology sector, with jobs that are mostly
split between high-tech manufacturing ( 44
percent) and information/professional/
technical services ( 56 percent).
In fact, Dallas tops Houston, San Antonio
and Austin when it comes to jobs in the
tech industry. According to CompTIA,
there were 21,384 postings for tech-occu-pation jobs in the fourth quarter of 2016.
This even puts Dallas ahead of Silicon
Valley’s San Jose, which only reported
18, 143 job openings in the tech field.
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 strong – and fast-growing – technology base. For example, the University
of Texas at Dallas (UTD) is one of many
higher education resources that is working
with tech companies to prepare students for
the work force. UTD is also fast becoming
a major research institution, specializing in
fields such as nanotechnology and interactive arts.
[DFW’s] educated workforce,
supportive business community,
and low cost of living make it
and ideal place to launch a new
[business] venture.
“
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