Irving-Las Colinas Continues To Thrive With Its Business-Friendly Lifestyle
According to an August 2021 study by Stanford University’s Hoover Institution, titled Why Company Headquarters Are Leaving California in Unprecedented Numbers, some 265 companies moved their headquarters to other states between Jan. 1, 2018 and June 20, 2021. For former California firms, Texas tops the list in popularity, attracting 113 of the 265 companies—with 41 of those selecting North Texas. And when it comes to choosing the right location to call home in North Texas, all roads lead to Irving-Las Colinas.
Centrally located in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex and recognized as the “Headquarters of Headquarters”, with more Fortune 1000 global headquarters per capita than any other city in Texas, Irving-Las Colinas continues to experience solid growth, with 32 corporate recruitment and retention and expansion wins in 2021. Thirteen of these are corporate headquarters, including Coury Hospitality, a hospitality management company specializing in the design, development and operations of boutique and luxury hotels, restaurants and event spaces, and Fuzzy’s Corporation, with more than 150 restaurants nationwide. This is due in part to the fact that Irving-Las Colinas provides companies with the opportunity to offer their teams at-work flexibility that few cities in the region can—the time-honoring lifestyle known as the “10-Minute Life.”
The phrase describes the idealized lifestyle where all the necessities and amenities of life are literally within a 10-minute transit timespan. One can travel to the office or the store, dine at eclectic and diverse restaurants, reach miles of hiking and biking trails, pick up students from school, go to a live concert or get to two major airports. Access to this way of life helps companies in Irving-Las Colinas move beyond the standard benefits and offer employees an array of work-life balance amenities all within easy reach.
Irving-Las Colinas leaders envisioned the “10-Minute Life” by conveniently developing the city’s jobs, housing and amenities around transportation centers that offer accessibility to all of Dallas-Fort Worth and beyond. The Orange Line of the Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART) light rail system has six stations in Irving-Las Colinas, including the most recent opening in April at Hidden Ridge, a $1 billion, 5G transit-oriented, mixed-use development.
“The people who live, work and raise families in Irving-Las Colinas are our top asset,” said Beth A. Bowman, president and CEO of the Greater Irving-Las Colinas Chamber of Commerce and the Irving Economic Development Partnership. “Irving-Las Colinas’s thriving business-friendly environment offers quality amenities that appeal to today’s workforce while also collaborating with regional partners to create a continuous pipeline of talent that benefit companies considering our community.”
To capitalize on the relocation boom, Irving-Las Colinas’ team focuses on providing efficient communications that showcase the quality-of-life potential and achieve the goal of persuading companies to move to or build their businesses in Irving.
Recognized as the second-most diverse city in the U.S., according to personal finance website Finder, Irving-Las Colinas also offers corporate leaders unique access to a highly educated and diverse workforce. With eight universities, colleges and trade schools, and 106 additional post-secondary schools located within a 25-mile radius, nearly 40 percent of residents over 25 have earned a two-year college degree, and 35 percent have at least a bachelor’s degree.
This year, the Irving-Las Colinas Chamber launched the DEI Fellowship program with the goal of ensuring individuals of diverse backgrounds are better positioned for volunteer- and business-leadership opportunities throughout the community. The Chamber also provides a platform for diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) conversations and best practices through its Changemaker Series. These virtual programs feature tools and resources from area business and civic leaders.
To further ensure a highly qualified talent pool, the Greater Irving-Las Colinas Chamber joined with more than a dozen other chambers, universities and organizations in the region to launch Bridging the Talent Gap. The initiative helps employers, educators and other community stakeholders understand and meet the challenges of ensuring a skilled and educated workforce. They collect hiring, training and educational attainment data from various employers to catalog gaps and opportunities, both existing and projected.
Equally important, Irving-Las Colinas provides an attractive incentive for workers searching for the best-continued learning and job growth opportunities. Assisting the 8,500+ businesses in the city, the Irving-Las Colinas Chamber’s Education Foundation works with higher education institutions, Workforce Solutions for Greater Dallas and companies like Google to develop workforce training certifications specific to local industries and market needs.
These advantages are only some of the reasons why leading companies from around the globe continue to make Irving-Las Colinas home. With a strong automotive industry presence, Irving-Las Colinas retained EFG Companies, provider of consumer and vehicle protection programs to the retail automotive and powersports markets, with a headquarters renewal at its 30,583-square-foot space. In addition, Irving-Las Colinas is home to Fury Tires, an off-road tire brand, and RumbleOn, the nation’s largest retailer of powersports vehicles.
Leading home service brand franchisor, Neighborly, opened its second headquarters in Irving-Las Colinas in 2021, moving five of its brands to the area: Mr. Handyman, Molly Maid, Dryer Vent Wizard, Window Genie and Real Property Management, as well as its IT and digital marketing teams. By 2026, Neighborly projects that this new office will be home to more than 200 full-time associates, including both existing and new positions.
Also, this year, CHRISTUS Health, an international Catholic faith-based health system with more than 600 centers, broke ground in June 2021 as it expands its headquarters within Irving with the construction of a new 400,000+-square-foot building. The new location will be within walking distance of more than 20 restaurants, several hotels, the city’s newest entertainment venue, the Toyota Music Factory and multiple lifestyle housing options.
With a focus on intentionally growing and nurturing its existing talent, recruiting global expertise and providing quality amenities with an unparalleled, convenient location, Irving-Las Colinas’ vibrant community is an ideal destination not only for Fortune-level corporations, middle-market and small businesses, but also innovators and entrepreneurs.
