Dallas/Fort Worth Recognized as One of the Top Markets for Corporate Relocation and Expansion

The Dallas/Fort Worth region was recognized today by Site Selection magazine as America’s second-best market for new and expanded corporate facilities in 2008. The region improved from its sixth-place ranking in 2007, due to its corporate recruiting success in the 12-county metropolitan area.

In 2008, 156 qualified companies selected DFW as the site for expansion and/or relocation. Last year alone, the region landed new and expanded corporate facilities by industry leaders AT&T, Bombardier, Blue Cross Blue Shield and Cinram, among others.

Site Selection’s annual ranking of top states and metropolitan markets is based on an analysis of new facilities and expansions that demonstrate a capital investment of at least $1 million, creation of 50 or more jobs, and/or the leasing or building of at least 20,000 square feet of new space.

“Our region’s corporate critical mass, business location attributes and quality of life are the basis of our ability to recruit and grow companies,” said Mike Rosa, Economic Development Vice President, Dallas Regional Chamber.

“Our position as one of the nation’s top marketplaces is the result of tremendous collaboration among the cities, counties, chambers of commerce and economic development organizations in our region,” said David Berzina, Economic Development Executive Vice President, Fort Worth Chamber. “Working together, we have exponentially increased the impact of our marketing and recruiting efforts, resulting in hundreds of new businesses, thousands of new jobs and billions of dollars of economic impact, through increased sales tax, property tax, utilities and salaries. Our business community, our neighborhoods and our schools are all beneficiaries of our robust economic growth.”

Among the metropolitan areas with populations over one million people, Houston-Baytown-Sugar Land, Tex. topped the list for new and expanded corporate facilities for 2008. The remaining top 10 behind the DFW Metroplex included: Chicago-Naperville-Joliet, Ill./Ind./Wis.; Cincinnati-Middletown, Ohio/Ky./Ind.; Detroit-Warren-Livonia, Mich.; New York-Newark-Edison, N.Y./N.J./Pa.; Pittsburgh, Pa.; Columbus, Ohio; Cleveland-Elyria-Mentor, Ohio; and Charlotte-Gastonia-Concord, N.C./S.C., and Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, D.C./Va. (tied for tenth).

About Site Selection
Conway Data Inc. publishes Site Selection, the oldest publication in the corporate real estate and economic development field, and the official publication of the Industrial Asset Management Council (IAMC). The magazine’s circulation base consists of 44,000 executives involved in corporate site selection decisions, most at the CEO/President/COO level.

For more information please visit http://secretballot.voteforbusiness.net.