What Fort Worth Economic Development Partnership does

Fort Worth Economic Development Partnership (Fort Worth EDP) is a privately-funded nonprofit organization founded in 2023 to drive business attraction and sustainable economic growth in Fort Worth, Tarrant County, and the surrounding North Texas region. The organization is headquartered at 500 West 7th Street, Suite 150 in Fort Worth, Texas, and operates with a small team of six named executives led by President & CEO Robert Allen, supported by a Board of Directors drawing senior executives from Hillwood, American Airlines, BNSF Railway, Lockheed Martin, Bell, Alcon, JPMorgan Chase, GM Financial, Kelly Hart, and other major Fort Worth employers.

Fort Worth EDP delivers a unified suite of economic development services organized around three core capabilities (business recruitment, marketing Fort Worth, and confidential project management) and three supporting service modules (market insights and research, connection services, and incentives process support). Services are provided free of charge to companies evaluating Fort Worth for business location or expansion, and span RFI coordination, site selection tour coordination, workforce and labor market data, incentive navigation, and introductions to city, county, state, utility, and educational partners. The organization's go-to-market motion combines enterprise field sales (direct engagement with corporate decision-makers and site selectors), event-driven outreach (annual meetings, international trade missions), and proactive marketing campaigns targeting corporate decision-makers.

The organization's revenue model is funded by contributions from more than 75 investor companies and community partners organized into Top Investor and general Investor tiers, with services offered at no cost to companies considering Fort Worth. Since founding, Fort Worth EDP has attracted $9.7 billion in cumulative capital investment and 11,000+ new jobs, including project wins with Wistron ($761M AI supercomputing facilities), Celestica (~$1B advanced manufacturing), Bell ($600M+ FLRAA), Siemens ($190M), Embraer ($70M MRO), Ariat ($72.6M), Adom Industries ($229M AI cloud factory), MTU Maintenance ($120M), Torc Robotics (autonomous trucking hub), and Mercedes-Benz Financial Services (national HQ expansion). The organization has won the Mac Conway Award for Excellence in Economic Development from Site Selection magazine in both 2025 and 2026.

Name

Fort Worth Economic Development Partnership

Legal name

Fort Worth Economic Development Partnership

Website

https://fortworthedp.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2023

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Fort Worth Economic Development Partnership is a privately-funded nonprofit founded in 2023 that recruits businesses to Fort Worth, Texas through site selection assistance, incentive navigation, and market research. Services are funded by 75+ corporate investors and delivered free to companies considering expansion.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Texas

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Others

Revenue model

1. Investor contributions and membership fees: Fort Worth EDP is a privately-funded nonprofit. More than 75 companies and community partners invest in Fort Worth EDP. Investor tiers include Top Investors and general Investors. The organization offers investor relations management, business development support, and visibility benefits to investors.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Fort Worth Economic Development Partnership is a privately-funded nonprofit that provides free site selection assistance, incentive guidance, and confidential project management to companies evaluating Fort Worth, Tarrant County, and surrounding areas for business location or expansion. Its offering includes business recruitment, RFI coordination, economic development site selection tour coordination, workforce and labor market data, introductions to city, county, state, utility, and educational partners, and support navigating local and state incentives. Services are funded by 75+ investor companies and community partners.

Product overview

The Fort Worth Economic Development Partnership (Fort Worth EDP) offers a unified suite of economic development services focused on business attraction and sustainable growth for Fort Worth, Tarrant County, and surrounding areas. The core service portfolio includes Business Recruitment Services (targeted prospecting and strategic hosting), Marketing Fort Worth (data-driven PR and multi-channel marketing), and four supporting service modules: Confidential Project Management (site selection, RFIs, tour coordination), Market Insights & Research (regional market data, workforce analytics), Connection Services (partner introductions, broker referrals), and Incentives Process Support (local/state incentive navigation). This is not a technology product platform but a service-based economic development organization.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Business Recruitment Services
• Marketing Fort Worth
• Confidential Project Management
• Market Insights & Research
• Connection Services
• Incentives Process Support

Quantifiable outcome

• $9.7 billion in capital investment attracted since EDP's founding in 2023
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers13 records

Segments8 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

21 partnerships are on record, tiered core, major investor and secondary.

• Texas Economic Development Corporation (TxEDC)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023Fort Worth EDP partners with TxEDC for international business recruitment. TxEDC opens doors at the highest levels of government and industry internationally, and EDP participates in state-led trade missions (e.g., 2026 missions to UK, Netherlands, Germany led alongside TxEDC).
• City of Fort WorthcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEDP collaborates with the City of Fort Worth's economic development department to attract and support businesses. City provides tax incentives, permitting, and coordinated public-private partnerships.
• Visit Fort WorthcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEDP partners with Visit Fort Worth (destination marketing organization) for joint marketing efforts. Both organizations collaborate on positioning Fort Worth to business and leisure audiences.
• Fort Worth ChambercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEDP partners with the Fort Worth Chamber of Commerce for business attraction, advocacy, and community development. Both organizations share the goal of economic growth and diversification.
• Tarrant County CollegecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEDP connects companies with Tarrant County College for workforce training and development. Embraer provided a grant to TCC supporting student scholarships in Aviation Maintenance Technology program (A&P certification).
• Hillwood (Perot Companies)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHillwood, led by Ross Perot Jr., developed AllianceTexas (27,000-acre master-planned development) and the Mobility Innovation Zone (MIZ). EDP collaborates with Hillwood on attracting companies to AllianceTexas. Hillwood's Chairman Mike Berry serves as Board Chair of Fort Worth EDP.
• Alconmajor investorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAlcon, headquartered in Fort Worth since 1945, is a top investor in Fort Worth EDP and a major employer. CEO David Endicott serves on the EDP Board of Directors.
• BNSF Railwaymajor investorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBNSF Railway, headquartered in Fort Worth, is a top investor in Fort Worth EDP. President & CEO Katie Farmer serves on the EDP Board of Directors. BNSF's intermodal hub at AllianceTexas is a key logistics asset.
• American Airlinesmajor investorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAmerican Airlines, headquartered in Fort Worth (Fortune 500 #86), is a top investor in Fort Worth EDP. CEO Robert Isom serves on the EDP Board of Directors. American Airlines CEO cited robust air service as making North Texas more attractive for businesses.
• Lockheed Martin Aeronauticsmajor investorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLockheed Martin, a major aerospace and defense employer in Fort Worth, is a top investor in Fort Worth EDP. Executive Vice President Greg Ulmer serves on the EDP Board of Directors.
• Bell (Bell Textron)major investorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBell, a leading aerospace and defense company in Fort Worth, is a top investor in Fort Worth EDP. CEO Danny Maldonado serves on the EDP Board. Bell announced $630M investment for Future Long Range Assault Aircraft (FLRAA) production in Fort Worth.
• Henry B. Tippie National Aviation Education CentersecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerEDP supports Embraer's DreamLaunch Tour through the Henry B. Tippie National Aviation Education Center, in partnership with FAA Aviation Ambassador Jamail Larkins, introducing DFW students to aviation careers.
• Dallas Regional ChambersecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerEDP collaborates with the Dallas Regional Chamber on regional economic development initiatives, including the Future of Freight Regional Report covering autonomous trucking in the DFW region.
• Texas Christian University (TCU)secondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerTCU, a top investor in Fort Worth EDP, is expanding its Burnett School of Medicine in Fort Worth's Medical Innovation District, contributing to the city's life sciences ecosystem.
• Texas Health Resourcesmajor investorStrategic or Co-development PartnerTexas Health Resources, a major healthcare system and top investor in Fort Worth EDP, is cited for its role in Fort Worth's vibrant business and community landscape. CEO Barclay E. Berdan serves on the EDP Board.
• Texas A&M University – Fort WorthsecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerTexas A&M is expanding in Fort Worth with a new 51-acre UTA-West Campus in Fort Worth and the Texas A&M Center for Advanced Aviation Technologies. Texas A&M-Fort Worth is part of the downtown innovation district.
• BNSF Railway (Alliance Logistics District Partnership)secondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerHillwood partnered with the City of Fort Worth and BNSF Railway to create the Alliance Logistics District, featuring roadways engineered for autonomous cargo loads to advance autonomous freight implementation.
• Workforce Solutions for Tarrant CountycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJessica Heer, EDP Executive Vice President, serves on the board of Workforce Solutions for Tarrant County, connecting EDP with regional workforce development resources.
• Fort Worth Film CommissionsecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerEDP collaborates with the Fort Worth Film Commission (launched 2015) which supports film, TV, and commercial productions in Fort Worth. Commission handles hands-on production support and diverse location facilitation.
• Fort Worth Film CollaborativesecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership between Fort Worth Film Commission, 101 Studios, and Tarrant County College fast-tracking local talent into the film industry through training programs.
• Kelly Hart & Hallman LLPmajor investorStrategic or Co-development PartnerKelly Hart, a major Fort Worth law firm and top investor in Fort Worth EDP. Managing Partner Marianne Auld serves as Vice Chair of the EDP Board of Directors.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Market position

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/FortworthEDP
• Facebookfacebook.com/FortWorthEDP
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/fort-worth-edp

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Fort Worth Economic Development Partnership