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By Elizabeth Svoboda, with additional reporting by Eric Mika and Saba Berhie, Popular Science How the Rankings Work: We used raw data from the U.S. Census Bureau and the National Geographic Society’s Green Guide, which collected survey data and government statistics for American cities of over 100,000 people in more than 30 categories, including air quality, electricity use and transportation habits. We then compiled these statistics into four broad categories, each scored out of either 5 or 10 possible points. The sum of these four scores determines a city’s place in the rankings. Our categories are:
Top 15 Rankings 1. Portland, Ore. 23.1
America’s top green city has it all: Half its power comes from renewable sources, a quarter of the workforce commutes by bike, carpool or public transportation, and it has 35 buildings certified by the U.S. Green Building Council. 2. San Francisco, Calif. 23.0
3. Boston, Mass. 22.7
4. Oakland, Calif. 22.5
5. Eugene, Ore. 22.4
6. Cambridge, Mass. 22.2
7. Berkeley, Calif. 22.2
8. Seattle, Wash. 22.1
9. Chicago, Ill. 21.3
10. Austin, Tex. 21.0
11. Minneapolis, Minn. 20.3
12. St. Paul, Minn. 20.2
13. Sunnyvale, Calif. 19.9
14. Honolulu, Hawaii 19.9
15. Fort Worth, Tex. 19.7
Click here to view the story at Star-Telegram.com with the after luncheon video. Speaking to the Fort Worth business community at the Petroleum Club Friday, Fisher said the nation's weak economy is starting to affect the state, which has traditionally performed stronger than the rest of the country. "We are very fortunate here because we are the beneficiaries of many different things," Fisher said. "Even though only 2 percent of our employment is directly related to oil and gas ... we are the beneficiaries, and Fort Worth in particular, because of the Barnett Shale and these high prices paid for energy." Fisher, a member of the Fed's Open Market Committee, cast the only vote against lowering the Fed's benchmark interest rates by a half-point in late January. He has expressed concerns about inflation. Fisher discussed the economic downturn, inflation worries and the North Texas economy: On the national economy I don't like these buzz words like stagflation or recession. The real issue is: Can we do our job? What is our job? Our job is to encourage employment growth without creating inflationary pressures. Right now we have a weak economy, and if you read through the forecasts that are therein and you read through the minutes of the [Federal Reserve] meeting, yes, there is a lowering of expectations for growth, but it's positive economic growth. The forecast calls for the economy to pick up pace in the second half of this year. On inflation What you're seeing is more and more reports and discussions about inflation. Women and men that run businesses are reading those and they are beginning to think in their own brains in terms of positioning their companies, how they deal with what is suddenly becoming a more and more noticeable issue. This is a concern. I'm not the only person concerned about it in the open-market community. The question is how do we treat it. On how Texas will fare in a downturn We have created in Texas 31 percent of all the nongovernmental jobs created in the U.S. in 2007. It's a function of oil and gas, but it is also a function of medical institutions. ... Whether you're in Fort Worth and surrounded by the Barnett Shale or you're in deep South Texas, you've been the beneficiary of a dynamic economy. At the same time, even though our housing stock was more affordable, it is also beginning to ease and the financing conditions and the ease with which financing was obtained is no longer there. So we are experiencing a slowdown in housing starts.
By Matt Woolsey, Forbes.com
Warm weather and the availability of early tee times will always help make cities attractive to retirees. But early signs suggest that as baby boomers begin to enter a longer and more active retirement than their parents, they're looking for more. To determine the best places for retirees, Forbes.com compared 100 of the largest U.S. metropolitan areas along traditional criteria, including availability of health care and leisure activities. But we also looked at new factors, like the "retirement job market"--and came up with a surprising list of winners. The top U.S. city for retirees is Tampa, Fla. The city's cost of living and tax burdens are relatively low, and health-care costs and access are very favorable. And Tampa's arts and leisure rank is in the top third of cities measured, so there's plenty to keep retirees active. Florida is often considered a hot spot for retirement, but based on the criteria we used, only one other city in the Sunshine State (Jacksonville) made the top 10. Instead, Tampa was joined by such unlikely candidates as Fort Worth, Texas,Washington D.C., and Indianapolis, Ind. To put together the list, we ranked each city on factors including cost and availability of health care; sales, property and income-tax rates; an index of arts and leisure activities ranging from museums to parks to sports teams; and cost of living, based on data from Sperling's BestPlaces. But we also added a Forbes.com study of inter-metro migration patterns of people between the ages of 55 to 65. That showed us where people approaching or beginning their retirement are actually going, and which places are worth relocating to, as opposed to which cities simply have aging populations. The most often relocated-to city? Phoenix. The weather and tax rates and are amenable to retirees, and the city boasts good health-care availability and costs. Drawbacks include a cost of living above national averages and relatively underwhelming number of culture activities. Other interesting patterns emerged in our analysis, showing the growth of new retirement centers. Washington, D.C., beat Miami; Portland, Ore. attracted more boomers than Orlando, Fla., and Boise, Idaho; and Idaho drew more older migrants than San Diego. Why are these migratory patterns changing? One reason is a new factor, never before worried about much by retirees: jobs. For the boomers, retirement won't be throwing a switch between working one day and playing canasta the next. Instead, it's increasingly becoming a period where people cycle in and out of working and not working. Demographers use terms like "working retirement" or "active retirement" to express these new retirement patterns, where boomers are often going into small businesses, teaching, consulting jobs or jobs where they can do what they've always wanted to do. "There's a curious thing about boomers, because in their early formative years they went through a very idealistic time," says Larry Cohen, director of consumer financial decisions at SRI Consulting Business Intelligence. "It won't be as important for them to earn six-figure salaries, so long as they don't [spend] their nest egg." To reflect this change, we included the quality of the retirement job market in our rankings. A retirement job is classified as either a full- or part-time job done after retiring from a long-term career. Using data from RetirementJobs.com, cities were assigned a score based on the quality of this growing job market. Boomers also want to live in cities that younger people enjoy. "You have baby boomers buying properties where they can get their children and grandchildren to come visit," says David Hehman, president of EscapeHomes.com, a San Francisco-based real estate research company. "That desire is often large." Maybe all of these changes are representative of boomer denial, and people who don't feel like they're getting old. But life expectancies are the highest they've ever been, and climbing--so maybe there's something to it. "Boomers think, 'Why is everyone getting older while I stay the same?'" says Cohen. "They don't feel that old or think they look that old ... and they might be right. The time that they're going to have in retirement is going to be significantly longer than previous generations ... and [they] are moving toward what they want and like to do instead of what they have to do."
By Matthew Kirdahy, Forbes.com
The Lone Star State shines brilliantly in a list of the best places to work in the U.S. when some economists peer into their crystal balls for 2008. Austin, Fort Worth, Houston and San Antonio all rank high on the latest forecast data from Moody's Economy.com. McAllen, Texas, is expected to have the highest job growth rate, as its leisure and hospitality, educational and health services and commercial construction jobs flourish. "While the economy is cooling, Texas continues to generate more jobs than the national average," said Krista Piferrer, deputy press secretary to Gov. Rick Perry. "Unemployment is low in Texas, thanks in large part to a favorable business climate that encourages businesses to expand or relocate to our state." Even still, Salt Lake City, in all its tech-job abundance, looks like it will remain No. 1 since Forbes.com's most recent ranking (see last year's story). To compile the rankings for the Best Cities For Jobs list forecast, we used five data points, weighted equally: the state's unemployment rate, job growth, income growth, median household income and cost of living for full-year 2006 (only partial data is available so far for 2007). We measured the largest 100 metropolitan areas, as defined by the U.S. Census Bureau, and obtained the data from Moody's Economy.com. The numbers are compiled based on greater metropolitan areas; it's also important to note that this list doesn't weigh specifics like job composition or job stability, two significant characteristics that will appeal to any job seeker. Mark Zandi, chief economist and co-founder of Moody's Economy.com, acknowledged the housing market depression the company is facing and said the destinations that prevail on this list weren't as heavily vested in the real estate development boom, which ultimately led to a historic bust. That's not to say the highest-ranking cities on this list are completely in the clear, though: "If we have a national recession, if problems intensify nationwide, these economies are going to struggle," Zandi said. The top cities on this list also include Atlanta, plentiful in transportation, distribution and financial services careers. Indianapolis has a strong showing in agriculture, too. Omaha, Neb., Warren Buffet's hometown, offers jobs at opposite ends of the spectrum, in financial services and agriculture as well. The Emerald City--Seattle--brings aerospace and global trade professions to the table. Kurt Ronn, president and founder of HRworks, an Atlanta-based job recruitment and consulting firm, said Americans gravitate to certain locales based on opportunity and affordability, both offered right in his backyard. He noted that, on a broad scale, the employment picture has been strong in the areas of technology and logistics, such as in distribution and sales. Some notables: Honolulu is the best in the pack for low unemployment, a good sign that tourism there remains healthy. Edison, N.J., ranked the highest in the median income category. Buffalo, N.Y., has the lowest cost of living, while San Jose, Calif., has the highest. New York sits at No. 58 on the list, while Los Angeles is No. 87.
Fort Worth's Main Street, looking north, in the 1920s. By Sandra Baker, Star-Telegram Business Reporter In 1882, a group of businessmen sat in a saloon, discussing the state of commerce in Cowtown. They took the notion to start a board of trade to promote business development and the interests of the local business community. They rarely have meetings in saloons anymore, but the group's initiative is still alive in the city. In the early days, efforts included bringing the Texas & Pacific and the Santa Fe railroads to town. In 1896, it sponsored the first Southwestern Exposition and Fat Stock Show, still one of the city's biggest attractions. From attracting packing companies in the early days to organizing trade trips to Latin America in recent years, the group's reach is still being felt.
The chamber building circa the 1950s In its 125-year history, the Fort Worth Chamber of Commerce has had its hands in just about every major business development to occur in the city. The group was started by businessmen who met in a saloon to discuss how they could attract businesses to Fort Worth. Although the methods might be a little different today -- and there are many women involved now -- the organization still focuses on attracting business to the city and gets involved in community issues such as education and transportation. Recent chamber initiatives have included programs geared toward young professionals and businesswomen, global and regional business pitches, and legislative efforts that focus on issues such as air quality, water sources and transportation. Highlights from the past dozen decades: 1882-1900 1900-1910 1910-1920 1920-1930 1930-1940 1940-1950 1950-1960 1960-1970 1970-1980 1980-1990 1990-2000 2000-today
New initiative is aimed at underrepresented majority By Sandra Baker, Star-Telegram Business Reporter FORT WORTH - For the second time this year, the Fort Worth Chamber of Commerce is launching a program to get women more involved in the business community. Women Influencing Business is aimed at female professionals and business owners with the goal of getting them more involved as leaders, advisers and corporate directors. This year, the chamber started Vision Fort Worth, which is designed to bring younger business leaders into leadership roles and break down generational barriers between them and the group's older, more established members. Three-year chamber member Karel Rucker, owner of Mother Rucker's Sweets in Fort Worth, was tapped to head an 18-member committee that created the program. It was her first chamber assignment, and Rucker said it has been a huge and rewarding undertaking. She said she agreed to the assignment because, like many other female members of the chamber, she feels more on the outside than the inside of the business community. "I knew it would take a lot of time, but it was worth it," Rucker said. Suzi Hill, president of Hill Co., an underground storage tank contractor that specializes in emergency generator fuel systems, said the time has come for such a program. "This group is not about getting yourself the share of the business," said Hill, a chamber member of more than 30 years who is also on the new initiative's steering committee. "This is about getting to know us and us getting to know the men in the community, so we'll work together. "I've been around for a lot of years. I am meeting women I never knew and might never have met if the chamber had not formed this group." Women own or operate more than half of Fort Worth-area businesses, according to the Fort Worth Business Assistance Center. Women are the owners or the main company representatives of 37 percent of the chamber's member businesses, the organization said. "We realize this is a growth group for the organization, and we want to recruit, retain and engage more women in business," said Marilyn Gilbert, the chamber's executive vice president of marketing. The two new programs stem from focus groups the chamber held last year to gauge members' attitudes about the organization and find ways to increase membership involvement and meet needs. Some of the focus groups addressed the attitudes and needs of businesswomen, the chamber said. Comments from the focus groups found that female professionals and 21- to 35-year-old professionals were being overlooked. Women said they wanted to establish themselves as community leaders, the chamber said. "That's the part that was missing," Rucker said. "We wanted to be more than just women in business." To launch the group, the chamber is hosting a WIB Texas Hold 'em party this week at the Fort Worth Club downtown. Men are encouraged to attend the launch party and all other Women Influencing Business events, which will be held monthly, Rucker said. The program's section on the chamber's Web site includes space for women to post their résumés and interests, including their golf handicaps.
Star-Telegram / Jill Johnson The cloud over the housing market hasn't hurt the economy in Fort Worth. Business 2.0 magazine asked Economy.com to rank major metro areas for growth over the next two years, and Dallas-Fort Worth is at the top of the heap. Indianapolis was second. The magazine projects the median price of a single-family home will rise from $151,900 in the first quarter of next year to $161,690 in the last quarter of 2009. By avoiding the housing boom-and-bust cycle, it said, the area is poised for the sharpest housing gain of any major U.S. city. The magazine said D-FW "is smoking, adding jobs at twice the national rate. Better yet, those new jobs are concentrated in well-paying fields."
Chamber works at bridging a generation gap FORT WORTH - The 125-year-old Fort Worth Chamber of Commerce wants to put on a new face. And it will be as young a face as the group can make it. After years of watching as fewer and fewer young people got involved and after asking focus groups why, the chamber has launched Vision Fort Worth, which is designed to break down the barriers between younger and older professionals and counter criticism that the organization fosters a "good ol' boy" network. The move was prompted by comments like this one: "This city is an older one with a good ol' boy network, but as the city grows it [should] become less and less. You still see a lot of the same names and faces making decisions." The sentiment was echoed by another young member who also saw the potential: "I think you have a great opportunity in Fort Worth. It is a dynamic and up-and-coming city, and the Chamber has a role to engage the city in the next step of developing the leadership. We can be an integral part of shaping Fort Worth." As many chamber members near retirement age, Vision Fort Worth is expected to be a way to tap younger members for future leadership roles, the organization said. "The purpose of this is to mix things up a bit," said Michael Appleman, a partner in the Cantey Hanger law firm and Vision Fort Worth's first chairman. "I hope this initiative is a way to break those barriers." The program is targeting professionals ages 21 to 35, although no age limit is being enforced. Its purpose, in part, is to get younger members more involved in the chamber and the community and help them develop business relationships. There will also be mentoring opportunities. "There are benefits to both groups," Appleman said. "The young people have a lot to learn and to gain, and vice versa." Having a young professionals group will also benefit the city, said Brian Barnard, chairman of the chamber's board and an administrative partner in the Haynes and Boone law firm. "Fort Worth's future is extremely bright, and these people are going to make that happen," Barnard said. Participants in recent chamber focus groups reinforced the need for a young professionals program, saying they see barriers to joining the leadership of Fort Worth's business community. Several other organizations in town have programs for their younger members, but those are industry specific; the chamber's program will be broad-based, said Andra Bennett, director of communications. The chamber also found that young professional programs started by other chambers of commerce have been very successful and that membership is very high, she said. Last week, the chamber launched the program with a social attended by more than 400 younger adults. As its leader, Appleman, 39, is a good example of what the program is about. He said he has attended chamber functions through his law firm's membership but never really got involved. Now, he's heading the committee overseeing Vision Fort Worth. "Vision Fort Worth slingshots us into a position to give back later on," Appleman said. "We'll be in charge someday, and this program will give us the tools to do for others what the establishment is doing for us today." Vision Fort Worth plans to host quarterly luncheons, six after-hours events and a half-day seminar this year. Membership levels range from $100 for individuals to $425 for corporate memberships for five individuals. ONLINE: www.visionfw.com
WHAT WAS SAID IN THE FOCUS GROUPS
ABOUT THE CHAMBER
By Mitch Schnurman How strong was the local economy last year? Check out this number: Business expansions and relocations in Fort Worth increased 68 percent in 2006, according to local officials. It's good to see that our tax abatements are paying off. That's a remarkable increase, even on a small base, because the comparison figure wasn't a gimme. A year earlier, Fort Worth was also the leading city in the Metroplex in new business projects. The Fort Worth Chamber of Commerce compiles the expansion statistics, which are submitted to Site Selection magazine. The trade publication annually recognizes the states and cities that lead the country in this kind of activity, and Texas has been No. 1 for two consecutive years. Among metro areas, the Metroplex usually ranks among the elite, placing second in 2005 to Chicago and first in 2004, ahead of Detroit. The newest ranking will be published in a few months, and the area will report a sharp increase in economic-development deals, led by 64 in Fort Worth, up from 38 the year before. To be included in the magazine's count, a project must create at least 50 new jobs, add 20,000 square feet of new space or represent an investment of at least $1 million. There were more than 450 such deals in the Metroplex last year, according to the chamber. It's also notable that Fort Worth had 13 more projects than Dallas, even though Dallas is much larger. Fort Worth can point to several strong economic numbers these days; in the central business district, for instance, the office occupancy rate is 96 percent. The business expansions may be my favorite, because they reflect the appeal of the Metroplex to outsiders. Some growth is expected to occur naturally, simply because of the region's size and the fact that more companies are expanding and diversifying their headquarters' functions. But Fort Worth is on a roll, with those 64 projects alone totaling almost $1.4 billion in investment, and it could continue for several years. "Things are just teed up for Fort Worth right now," says Rob DeRocker, a partner at Development Counsellors International, a New York firm that advises companies on where to expand. "The business climate in Texas, by our surveys, is the best in the country, no matter how you define it. And Fort Worth has a lot of good, municipally led development, especially in downtown. That creates a certain centrifugal force," DeRocker says. "Fort Worth has a history, which people like, but it's also reinventing itself. It has a real there there." Tax abatements and other incentives get a lot of attention in economic development, especially in Texas, because Gov. Rick Perry uses a cash fund to close relocation deals. DeRocker says that incentives "tend to be tiebreakers," but Texas usually starts at second or third base in most competitions, because of other advantages. The state has no income tax, a strong pro-business environment and, at least in the Metroplex, a large labor force and consumer market. David Berzina, who heads economic development at the Fort Worth chamber, says the vitality of downtown is a key factor in attracting new projects, even if companies end up choosing a location on the outskirts of the city. Low costs for construction and labor make a difference. But the labor supply is crucial, too. CUNA Mutual Group, which provides financial services to credit unions, considered a handful of cities for a regional headquarters, including Jacksonville, Fla.; Oklahoma City; and Kansas City, Mo. In the Metroplex, it weighed sites in Plano, Arlington and Fort Worth. Ultimately, it selected the CentrePort development on the eastern edge of Fort Worth, near Dallas/Fort Worth Airport. A key metric, Berzina says, was the number of potential employees who live within a short commute and would be attracted by the yearly pay, which ranges from almost $40,000 to $60,000. Fort Worth agreed to a 10-year tax abatement and fee waivers valued at $747,640; to get all of that, CUNA has to meet several requirements, including having 25 percent of its 500 hires from Fort Worth, 10 percent from the central city. "You got to have a hook to get the attention of these companies," Berzina says about the incentives. In his view, the offers are a lot more important to smaller cities, which often adopt a sales tax to generate revenue for economic development. They can then dangle cash awards in exchange for new jobs. "Fort Worth gets outbid on incentives on almost every deal that's proposed," Berzina says. Fort Worth doesn't have to match the offers, but it can't ignore them, either. To get a $75 million expansion with ConAgra Foods, the city had to compete with Ardmore, Okla., whose incentives were valued at six times higher than Fort Worth's. Of course, Ardmore can't provide a similar pool of potential hires or a distribution network that's in the same league. Fort Worth won the project, but it agreed to $4 million in incentives, contingent on ConAgra meeting its pledges on minority contracting and hiring Fort Worth residents. Many of last year's deals didn't involve any public money. Berzina says Whirlpool agreed to put a large distribution center in the Carter Industrial Park, south of the central city. Fort Worth had an existing facility that was available when Whirlpool needed it, so it quickly made the short list. Likewise, when the city misses on a deal, often it's because it doesn't have the inventory, and many companies don't want to take on the expense or time in new construction. One business proposition that didn't work out, Berzina says, involved a cellphone-programming company in Miami. It had heard about the cash in the Texas Enterprise Fund and wanted to know what it could get. The maximum from the state was $1 million, based on the size of the operation. But the company wanted at least twice as much, Berzina says, so the deal died there. That's reassuring. Even the strongest markets have to say no sometimes.
By DAVID WETHE If anybody knows the travails of going from Cowtown to China, it's Mike Markwardt. The Fort Worth furniture-import business investor had to get a third passport after stuffing the previous two with visa stamps. These days, he's able to "get by" with only two business trips a year to the world's most-populous country, after going five or six times a year from 1984 to 1998. Markwardt and plenty of other North Texas business leaders, economic-development officials and representatives of nonprofits had their high hopes for a D/FW-China flight dashed last week, when the Transportation Department turned down a bid from American Airlines and instead awarded a Washington-Beijing route to United Airlines. "Just devastating," Markwardt said of the news. American's original petition for a nonstop disintegrated after bickering with its pilots over a contract provision covering the long trip forced the airline to change its application to connect the flight in Chicago. The airline plans to apply for a 2008 route. For now, North Texas road warriors who were yearning for a nonstop will have to trudge through one or two connecting cities before landing in Beijing, Shanghai or Hong Kong. Their reasons for going -- sometimes to find office furniture, caskets and suits; recruit exchange students; and adopt children -- vary as much as the combinations of flights used to get there. Travelers regard the proposed Beijing nonstop as a luxury that would have made their road-warrior lives easier, and in some cases could help them make more money. American dominates D/FW Airport, and the airline's only flight to China is a Chicago-Shanghai route launched last year. North Texas is home to a host of businesses that are trying to establish links to China for the first time or have been there for decades. And executives who go typically visit often. That's because of the Chinese culture, said Marshall Williams, vice president of international adoptions for the Fort Worth-based Gladney Center for Adoption, which sends packs of families to China every month to complete adoptions. Williams said he travels once or twice a year to China to maintain the agency's relationship with the Chinese. Another Gladney executive visits twice a year or so. Business deals there are much more dependent on face-to-face conversations than anything else, Williams and other travelers said. "We Americans are more comfortable doing phone calls or a written contract, where much of the rest of the world is relationship-based, where I know you, you know me, we look in each other's eyes and we decide how to do this," Williams said. "Our relationship is strong enough to make this deal happen. In order to make that relationship strong enough to happen, you must go on a periodic basis." Williams' preferred route to China: American from D/FW to Los Angeles, where he switches to AA code-share partner Cathay Pacific and a lengthy flight to Hong Kong. From Hong Kong, which is southeast of mainland China, Williams hops a third plane, taking advantage of cheap fares within China's borders. "I have really been impressed with the Chinese airlines," Williams said. Markwardt, majority partner of Legare Furniture, helped fund the startup three years ago. It sells "patented tool-free assembly" furniture for home offices, entertainment centers and kids' rooms. The furniture looks Scandinavian but is made in China. "It's kind of like Legos for adults," Markwardt said. He likes to fly American from D/FW to Tokyo. He then takes Cathay Pacific or Japan Airlines to Hong Kong, where he has had an office for 15 years. Markwardt and Williams are examples of long-haul travelers who like to get their longest leg of the trip over with first. But others say they'd rather do their short leg, such as D/FW-Chicago, first, and then go on to Shanghai or Beijing, because they're more awake and alert when it comes time to find their connecting gate. Troy Daniels, founder of Fort Worth-based Ellipsis Consulting, goes to China about twice a year. And when he goes, it's almost always with American. He likes the Chicago-Shanghai route. By flying between two hub airports -- D/FW and Chicago O'Hare -- he's assured of finding a convenient flight to O'Hare. Other travelers have complained that it's hard when they have to book United, which flies to China from Chicago and San Francisco, because the Chicago carrier doesn't have a large number of flights to choose from at D/FW. American's competitors for this year's China route battered the D/FW-Beijing proposal, arguing that it would generate little local traffic from North Texas and instead rely on connecting traffic from the southern United States and AA's Latin American stronghold. Daniels said that argument was shortsighted. D/FW is already a hub for China cargo. "If we could go directly to Shanghai, then Shanghai would go directly to us," he said. "So, we would be the port in the hub for business to China." Daniels, whose well-established business helps U.S. firms outsource manufacturing to China, started investing in Chinese business opportunities three years ago. He says he feels for people who are just getting into the Chinese market. "I can see if we were trying to start something without someone over there, it would be very difficult," he said. Ricardo Carrillo is somewhat of a rookie to China. After a trip last May with the Dallas and Fort Worth chambers of commerce, his eyes have widened. He said he was surprised to find out how cheaply he could buy Chinese-made caskets for his Fort Worth funeral home. And the quality is just as good as the ones he's buying from manufacturers in the U.S. and Mexico, said Carrillo, who runs Carrillo Funeral Directors on Fort Worth's north side. A casket there is 69 percent cheaper than here, he notes, declining to give specific prices for competitive reasons. "I was amazed at the similarities of products, how they can manufacture almost the same products," he said. "The only difference is it's made in China." Carrillo plans to return in August or September to buy more for his funeral-home business. His first trip resulted in him buying crucifixes, rosaries and suits for the deceased. Greg Upp, senior vice president for community engagement at the University of North Texas Health Science Center in Fort Worth, made the same trip last May. He managed to strike up a partnership with the University of Shanghai Health Science Center for exchange students and faculty sharing. Upp also talked at length with a real-estate developer in Beijing who was interested in partnering on a construction project with a U.S. school. Those development talks will be put on hold, but UNT will continue sending a top official to China in hopes of developing a stronger relationship with the University of Shanghai, Upp said. The trick is getting there. "It would be great to have nonstop flights from D/FW," said Upp, whose route on American went from D/FW to Chicago to Shanghai. "It's not the easiest. ... You really have to get an amount of time dedicated and a loss of convenience understood before you decide to go." The trip lasted about 18 hours, Upp said. Markwardt, who estimates that he has taken 75 trips to China, said he has been dubbed the Fort Worth chamber's ambassador to China. He longs for the day when he can fly straight into China from D/FW, rather than to Japan first. "I hate getting stuck at transit cities like Tokyo."
By Bill Thornton, president & CEO, Fort Worth Chamber of Commerce Talk about great comebacks. In the aftermath of the tragedy of 9/11, Karl Zandi, chief data officer at Moody’s Economy.com, predicted that the Fort Worth metro would be one of the top three hardest-hit economies because of the aviation industry’s significant presence. Fort Worth certainly felt the economic effects of 9/11. But having weathered the recession and defense cutbacks of the early 1990s and then the tornado of March 2000, our business and community leaders had already faced hard times with determination to rebound. Looking for bright spots at the time, I told Zandi I had my fingers crossed on the Joint Strike Fighter contract. Fast forward to 2006. Moody’s Economy.com named Fort Worth one of the best values in the nation for housing and the overall cost of living, and Moody’s Investors Service said Fort Worth has the best central business district in the country, with just four percent office vacancy. Forbes, Site Selection and Southern Business and Development have named us one of the top markets in the country for business. And the JSF Lightening just completed its first successful test flight. Hit us hard, we huddle, we hit back. And score. So what’s on the agenda for Fort Worth in 2007? Of all the urban revitalization projects underway in our city, one of the most astounding transformations will be the Sierra Vista project and the complimentary activities at the intersection of Berry and Rosedale. The momentum from the Lancaster Corridor project and the Omni Hotel should tie in nicely with other near Southside activities like the remarkable Magnolia Green makeover. On the west side, urban village plans spurred by Montgomery Plaza, So7th and the new Museum of Science and History will enhance the gateway to downtown from the west. And to our north, Trinity Uptown will transcend from a vision to reality as we see Trinity Bluff condominiums completed and the new TCC campus going up. Fort Worth has experienced record numbers in business recruitment and expansion throughout Tarrant County. We’re putting together our annual entry to Site Selection magazine’s Governor’s Cup Awards for economic development, and are excited to submit a 50 percent increase in qualified recruitment / expansion deals (from 40 to 67)! In addition, the Barnett Shale play will continue to change the economic landscape of north Texas. To gauge the extent of the impact, the Chamber is funding a study by noted economist Ray Perryman. Already we’re seeing projections in the billions. These funds are needed by our municipalities and school districts as we address exponential population growth. All of which segues into some challenges we face: water supply, workforce education, and transportation needs. Briefly, the Chamber supports the Region C Water Plan to increase conservation and develop new water sources. We urge state support of scholarship programs and curriculum adjustment to increase access to public and private higher education. We also advocate that the Legislature allow the motor fuels tax to be tied to an economic index, and to use transportation revenues for transportation projects. For a complete legislative agenda, visit www.fortworthchamber.com. We collaborate with many partners on these community issues, and also respond to the changing needs of our membership. A few years ago, our Board of Directors’ strategic plan called for fresh faces and greater diversity in the membership. We examined and confirmed the needs with surveys and focus groups in early 2006. So in 2007, we will launch new programming for two important groups: Young Professionals and Women in Business. The Young Professionals’ committee is led by Michael Appleman, attorney with Cantey Hanger, and the Women in Business committee is headed by Karel Rucker, owner of Mother Rucker Sweets. Mark your calendar for May 16th and come to the Barnett Shale EXPO, presented by Devon Energy Corporation, EnCana Oil and Gas, and XTO Energy, Inc. The expo will educate the community about the benefits and issues surrounding the industry, present business and job opportunities, and the Perryman economic impact study results will be released. Finally, the Fort Worth Chamber invites you to celebrate its 125th anniversary at our annual meeting June 7th, and throughout 2007. Since 1881, the Fort Worth Chamber of Commerce has rallied support for this community through many economic ups and downs. But the way Fort Worth citizens tackle challenges head-on leaves me amazed at the accomplishments, and filled with confidence for the years ahead. Still, I’ll cross my fingers from time to time, if you don’t mind.
Marking the past Series of 19 plaques designed to highlight city's colorful history By BRETT HOFFMAN
The first of a planned 19 markers in a Fort Worth Heritage Trails project was unveiled Thursday. The idea is to place the bronze markers in areas with lots of pedestrians -- mostly along Main Street -- near where historic events occurred. The first marker, titled "The Stage Leaves From Here," was placed in front of the Wells Fargo Tower at Main and Second streets. It features a drawing of an early 1880s stagecoach and a narrative of the stagecoach line's importance in the city's development in the 1800s. Wells Fargo, which exhibits a stagecoach in the upper lobby of its tower, sponsored the inaugural marker. Each marker will be sponsored by a local business. "There's good historical information [already] around here, and a variety of different signs, but this pulls it all together," said Doug Harman, president of the Fort Worth Convention and Visitors Bureau. Harman said Fort Worth officials were inspired by similar markers in Galveston. The markers are free-standing, permanent bronze plaques bearing a signature longhorn design from the late 1930s by Fort Worth artist Evaline Sellors. Each marker has a sepia-toned screen illustration and a brief narrative.
By SALLY CLAUNCH IRVING -- North Texas leaders are launching a regional push to get the area's first Super Bowl game, which would be played at the new Dallas Cowboys stadium in 2011, Arlington Mayor Robert Cluck said Thursday at a meeting of the North Texas Commission. Cowboys officials plan to work with area leaders to select a Super Bowl bid committee to put together an application package, said George Bayoud, a team adviser and lead negotiator in the Cowboys' stadium deal. The bid committee will raise money to pay a coordinator and cover costs associated with preparing the application. The Dallas law firm Winstead, Sechrest and Minick will offer the committee pro bono help, Bayoud said.Donations could also come from groups such as hotel and motel associations, whose members would benefit from more visitors coming to the area, or corporations. Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said that Arlington is a good location and that the city is about 18 or 19 minutes from downtown Dallas and downtown Fort Worth. "We really are in the heart of all of the action," he said. "Of course, we need 88,000 hotel rooms if we're going to have upwards of over 200,000 people associated with the game coming to the area. And that's why every city in this area and every business and restaurant will benefit from having this Super Bowl." A Super Bowl in Arlington could have a $400 million impact on North Texas, Cluck said, although the economic benefit of such large events have been debated by experts. The commission, made up of North Texas business leaders and elected officials, unanimously approved a resolution Thursday calling for a regional effort to bring the Super Bowl to North Texas. Cluck, surrounded by Cowboys officials and mayors from other Metroplex cities, said having the game here would benefit the whole area, not just Arlington. "We plan to bring many Super Bowls to our city and our region over the next 30 years," he said. Dallas Mayor Laura Miller said she is looking forward to Super Bowl fans coming to the area, staying at hotels in Dallas and spending money in her city. "Dallas and Fort Worth love a good party, and the Super Bowl is the best party of them all," Miller said. Dallas and the Cowboys unsuccessfully negotiated to build the stadium in that city. Irving Mayor Herbert Gears reminded Miller that all the fans flying into D/FW Airport will have to pass by Irving hotels on their way to the stadium. Miller added that she has faith in Jones' ability to persuade other team owners to vote to hold the game in Arlington when they decide on the 2011 site in May. The bid committee must submit an application and bid proposal to the National Football League by April 2. Pro Football Hall of Fame member Roger Staubach, a former Cowboys quarterback who was also at the meeting, said, "I think one of the fun things we're going to have to do is show people what this Metroplex is capable of doing. The infrastructure is really in place to support a Super Bowl -- with hotels, restaurants and people." Staubach, who was Super Bowl MVP in 1972, and is a Dallas businessman, added that NFL owners will see the infrastructure, and that could encourage them to vote for the Arlington venue.
D-FW in No. 2 spot for new, expanded facilities, magazine survey finds 12:00 AM CST on Friday, March 3, 2006 By ANGELA SHAH / The Dallas Morning News For the second year in a row, Texas ranked first in the nation for new and expanded corporate facilities, according to a survey released Thursday by Site Selection, a trade magazine. The publication also named the Dallas-Fort Worth region as the No. 2 market, while top honors went to the Chicago-Naperville-Joliet area in Illinois. North Texas held the No. 1 position in 2004. The state award gives Texas leaders a second Governor's Cup award. Gov. Rick Perry accepted the recognition at an event at Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport. Employers frequently point to Texas' low tax structure and right-to-work policies as reasons they choose to do business here. Also, the region's location in the nation's center has brought companies to North Texas, including a number of high-profile moves such as American Airlines Inc. and J.C. Penney Co. Fluor Corp., which is moving its headquarters to Irving from Southern California, is included on the 2005 list. The engineering and construction giant's building is expected to be completed in April. "Our coordinated strategy to educate out-of-state employers about Texas' excellent business climate is working," Mr. Perry said. "And it is proof that our unprecedented investments in job-creation tools are paying real dividends for the people of this state." The 2005 award marks the first time in 23 years that Texas has received the Governor's Cup two years in a row. Before 2004, the state had last won the award in 1992, when it shared honors with North Carolina. In all, Texas has been cited seven times, more than any other state. Qualifying projects for consideration in the survey included those with a capital investment of at least $1 million; the creation of 50 or more jobs; or the leasing or building of at least 20,000 square feet in new floor space. More than 300 companies relocated or expanded into North Texas in 2005, an 11 percent increase over the previous year. The region ranked third in 2003 but didn't make the top 10 in 2001 and 2002. Recently, Expansion Management and Sales and Marketing Management magazines also named North Texas a top market for relocations and sales potential.
Survey attests to attractive cost of living in Fort Worth By Andrea Jares, Star-Telegram Staff Writer As other cities have gotten more expensive, Fort Worth has become a better value. A recent survey by Moody's Economy.com put Fort Worth's cost-of-living index at 91.6; the national average is 100. Five years ago, Fort Worth's index was 97.6. Fort Worth ranked No. 123 out of 379 U.S. cities. The index takes into account the cost of housing and other essentials. David Berzina, executive vice president for the Fort Worth Chamber of Commerce, said the extra buying power in Fort Worth could make the city more attractive to people relocating. "If the cost of living stays or goes down, it can only help," Berzina said. The cost of living isn't the top reason companies move here, Berzina said. The overall cost of doing business and proximity to a major airport carry more weight, he said. But, he said, cost of living affects two important factors: wages and the availability of workers. Economists point to housing prices as the biggest reason for Fort Worth's relative affordability. The cost of housing, a large part of any budget, has increased sharply in many parts of the country. For example, in the third quarter of 2005, home values rose 11.4 percent in San Diego and 13.7 percent in Las Vegas, according to the Office of Federal Housing Enterprise Oversight, a government division that tracks housing sale prices. Meanwhile, home prices increased 3.8 percent in Fort Worth. That might disappoint local homeowners who want their home equity to soar. But home prices are a big part of what makes an area affordable. Local real-estate agents regularly hear from homeowners in more expensive areas such as California who sell their houses and then buy much bigger ones here for less money. Nine of the 10 most expensive cities are in California. New York City is No. 5. San Francisco is No. 1. A person moving from Fort Worth to San Francisco would need a 62 percent pay increase to maintain the same standard of living. The most expensive city not on the East or West Coast or in Hawaii is Reno, Nev., at No. 27. David Berson, chief economist for Fannie Mae, said housing prices in the Fort Worth area are unlikely to rise dramatically. He said geography or building restrictions in more expensive parts of the country keep inventory from growing, forcing up prices. Housing, food, utilities, car insurance and transportation are factors in the Economy.com index. Terry Clower, associate director for the center for economic development at the University of North Texas, said Fort Worth's relatively mild winters help keep utility costs down. He also noted the area's low food costs. But "if I had to point to one thing, the biggest and most obvious factor is the housing," said Clower, who is also on the board of directors for ACCRA, which compiles a cost-of-living index for economic development. ACCRA computed Fort Worth's cost of living at 87.7 points on the index in the third quarter of 2005, down from 92.4 a year earlier, according to the Fort Worth Chamber of Commerce. ACCRA found that the relative cost of groceries fell 11.5 percent, housing 5.2 percent and utilities 2 percent. Like Fort Worth, many cities in the annual index have gotten relatively less expensive, said Ben Weagraff, associate economist with Economy.com and co-author of this year's report. Many Texas cities increased their affordability compared with other parts of the country. Economists point to soaring housing costs in America's most expensive cities as the main reason the cost of living in Fort Worth has fallen.
Source: Moody's Economy.com |
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