Thanks to advantages that could neither be copied, nor duplicated, by any other city, Kinko's Inc. is relocating its West Coast headquarters to Dallas, Texas. The thriving southern metroplex, home to over 5.2 million people, won the heart of the world's leading provider of document solutions and business services due in part to its central location, business environment, favorable cost of doing business and competitive tax structure.
The deal was finalized in November 2001. Plans called for Kinko's to lease 100,000 square feet at Three Galleria Tower and create about 500 new jobs at its new headquarters.
"Kinko's selected the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex because the area offers the right mix of economic and practical benefits for a company with more than 1,100 locations worldwide," said Gary Kuslin, Kinko's president ands chief executive officer. "While many cities and properties around the Metroplex made very attractive proposals, the City of Dallas partnered with Kinko's to create a very strong incentive package combined with an ideal location, and the Greater Dallas Chamber of Commerce also played a key role. Three Galleria Tower offered the right combination of financial terms, ideal space, great central location and unparalleled access to amenities for our team members."
Kinko's is just one of many headquarters projects that have made news in Texas over the past few months.
It was music to the ears of city leaders in mid-March when San Antonio was selected as the new home for the headquarters of the oldest musical instrument pad manufacturer in the United States.
Ed Myers USA, Inc. was established in 1920 and specializes in developing musical instrument replacement parts including pads, cork, felt, buffing wheels, repair tools and accessories. The company is relocating from another Lone Star site to San Antonio where it will establish operations in a 5,000 square foot manufacturing center and hire 100 people over the next five years.
West Texas also boasted some big news when Tyco International finalized plans in mid-May to expand its Tyco Fire Protection Systems division in Lubbock. The project will be the largest fire sprinkler manufacturing plant in North America.
The project has been in the making for a year and Tyco will receive one single incentive of $10 million in city funds for construction of its 250,000 square foot plant. The company will retain 300 of its employees and plans to hire 350 additional people.
Bilingual Work Force Answers The Call
There's no arguing the fact that Texas has a lot going for it. It boasts a substantial economy that is home to a diverse range of industries and markets.
And for companies that are interested in branching out in Latin American directions, Texas is full of promise.
With an ever-growing Hispanic population and Mexico as its neighbor, Texas has the assets and infrastructure in place for companies seeking access to the Latin American market.
In January 2002, Houston-headquartered LTD Financial Services, L.P. selected San Antonio for a 17,584 square foot call center. In particular, the company was interested in the bilingual capabilities of the San Antonio work force.
"LTD Financial selected San Antonio for its expansion because of the Alamo City's proximity to Houston, its abundance of qualified and experienced employees with call center expertise, and the need for a bilingual work force," said Tim Feldman, president of LTD Financial Services.
Lone Star Logistics Add Up to Competitive Advantages
With bluebonnets and other wild flowers the highways that crisscross a path from the Gulf of Mexico to the suburban and cosmopolitan centers of Texas.
Texas boasts the largest road network in all 50 U.S. states and is home to some of the busiest airports in the world.
Forty-four railroads operate on almost 12,000 miles of mainline track in Texas and cater to more than 280 million tons of freight that are shipped by rail throughout the state each year.
Texas has 29 coastal and inland water ports, including the Port of Houston, which is the largest in size and handles more foreign cargo than any other port in the United States.
A little further inland, just about an hour from Houston, Port Freeport offers a robust environment with huge tracts of available land for development.
Cabett Subsea Products, Inc. is just one example of a satisfied Lone Star business that is benefiting from the state's logistical assets.
"The people here were very receptive to industry and they offered a first-class facility with competitive lease rates," said Tim Wooters, general manager of Cabett Subsea Products.
Cabett, which manufactures sub-sea control cables for oil production, is making a multi-million dollar investment in a 58,000 square foot headquarters and manufacturing facility in Port Freeport, where it plans to employ about 12 people initially. The plant will be the only deepwater access cable plant on the Gulf Coast.
Rachael Hedgcoth is Senior Editor of Expansion Management magazine and can be reached at rhedgcoth@penton.com.
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