Arlington Economic Development

What Arlington Economic Development does

Arlington Economic Development Corporation (Arlington EDC) is a nonprofit economic development organization headquartered at 1717 E. Randol Mill Rd in Arlington, Texas. Funded by Type B sales tax revenues under the Texas Development Corporation Act and governed by a seven-member board, the EDC recruits businesses to the city, supports the growth of existing local companies, and drives job creation across the Arlington metro area. Its mission centers on positioning Arlington as a competitive destination for industrial, manufacturing, innovation, hospitality, and professional-services investment within the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex. Services are delivered free of charge and include site selection assistance, incentive negotiation, workforce development coordination, permitting navigation, and tailored financing packages administered through discretionary grants, loans, and tax abatement agreements approved by the Arlington City Council.

The EDC's operational technology stack consists of digital platforms, GIS mapping tools, and data analytics used for business intelligence, site selection, and economic reporting — published through a website, newsletter, and recurring data/research publications. The organization's go-to-market motion is enterprise field sales combined with event-driven outreach: a small professional team (8-10 staff) engages directly with site selectors, corporate executives, and economic development consultants to recruit relocation and expansion projects, while also hosting community events, board meetings, and small-business cohort programming. Customer segments include industrial/manufacturing businesses (primary), innovation and technology companies (primary), hospitality and entertainment, office and professional services, and small businesses/entrepreneurs.

Revenue mechanics are public-sector rather than commercial: the EDC receives an allocation of municipal Type B sales tax receipts, which it deploys as grants, loans, and incentive financing for projects including land acquisition, machinery and equipment, construction costs, and other authorized expenditures. Programmatic funding commitments include a $1.5M three-year performance grant and $500K annual commitment to First Rate, Inc. for the WealthTech Accelerator, $100K to LiftFund for 0% small-business loans up to $100,000, and Strategic Solutions Fund grants up to $10,000 per recipient through the TMAC partnership. The EDC also supports small-business cohorts with SCORE, workforce development via Texas Workforce Commission and Tarrant County Workforce Solutions, and administers tailored incentive packages for major corporate projects. Notable enterprise engagements include General Motors Arlington Assembly, D.R. Horton, GM Financial, J.P. Morgan Chase, Bell Textron, Wallbox, and Loews Hotels.

Name

Arlington Economic Development

Legal name

Arlington Economic Development Corporation

Website

https://arlingtontxedc.com

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Arlington Economic Development Corporation is a Type B sales tax-funded nonprofit that recruits businesses, supports existing employers, and drives job creation across Arlington, Texas through free site selection, incentive negotiation, and small-business programs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Economic Development Services

NAICS

Administration of General Economic Programs (92611), Business, Professional, Labor, Political, and Similar Organizations (8139), Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Economic Development & Business Licensing (Local) (BPAIACAN)

akta.pro secondary industry

SME & Entrepreneurship Development (Trade-Linked) (BPADAMAE)

Keywords

• Economic development services
• Business incentive programs
• Site selection assistance
• Small business financing
• Workforce development

Headquarters

HQ city

Arlington

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Type B Sales Tax Fund: The Arlington EDC is a Type B sales tax fund managed by a seven-member board, authorized under the Texas Development Corporation Act. Revenue is derived from a dedicated sales tax allocation used to offer grants and loans for economic development projects including land acquisition, machinery and equipment, construction costs, and other authorized project expenditures.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Arlington Economic Development Corporation provides free economic development services to businesses considering relocation or expansion in Arlington, Texas, including site selection assistance, incentive negotiation (grants, loans, tax abatements, TIRZ financing), workforce development coordination, and permitting support. The organization also runs small business support programs such as LiftFund 0% interest loans, Industry-Specific Small Business Cohorts, the Strategic Solutions Fund (TMAC partnership), SCORE business development cohorts, and The Game Plan World Cup preparation guide.

Product overview

Arlington Economic Development Corporation is an economic development organization (not a technology product company) that provides a portfolio of business support services including the Game Plan World Cup preparation guide, Industry-Specific Small Business Cohorts, the Strategic Solutions Fund partnership with TMAC, LiftFund 0% interest loans, and SCORE business development programs. These services are designed to support entrepreneurs, small businesses, and companies relocating to or expanding in Arlington, Texas.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• The Game Plan - World Cup Business Preparation Guide
• Industry-Specific Small Business Cohorts
• Strategic Solutions Fund
• LiftFund 0% Interest Loans
• SCORE Small Business Development Cohort

Quantifiable outcome

• 5% lower cost of doing business than national average
• +6 more outcomes

Named customers11 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core, secondary and minor.

• Loews Hotels & CocoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 13 February 2024Loews Hotels & Co partnered with the City of Arlington and Texas Rangers to develop the Loews Arlington Hotel and Convention Center (888 rooms, 266,000 sq ft meeting space) and Live! by Loews (300 rooms), part of a $250M+ entertainment district development. The partnership includes the Arlington Convention Center expansion.
• Tarrant County Workforce SolutionscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Partnership to provide workforce development services including recruiting assistance and placement, labor market information, outplacement services, job fairs, and Work Opportunity Tax Credit administration for Arlington employers.
• Tarrant Small Business Development Center (SBDC)secondaryStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024The Tarrant SBDC provides business mentoring, consulting, and training with satellite offices located in Arlington, supporting small business growth and development.
• Texas Workforce CommissioncoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Partnership providing Skills Development Fund grants for small business workforce training, offering up to $1,800 per new employee trained and $900 for existing employees per 12-month period through public community or technical colleges.
• The Founders ArenacoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 21 June 2023The Arlington EDC partnered with The Founders Arena to launch the first global WealthTech Accelerator in Arlington. The EDC approved a three-year performance grant of up to $1.5 million for First Rate, Inc. to sponsor at least two cohorts annually through the 10-week intensive program, which connects early-stage fintech startups with potential customers, investors, and mentors.
• First Rate, Inc.coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 21 June 2023First Rate, Inc., an Arlington-based financial technology company serving 10 of the largest 20 U.S. banks, partnered with the EDC and The Founders Arena to host the WealthTech Accelerator at its newly renovated 17,650-square-foot coworking campus. First Rate committed to retaining 72 existing jobs and creating 14 new jobs, and sponsors at least two accelerator cohorts annually.
• SEIminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 21 June 2023SEI (NASDAQ: SEIC), a leading provider of technology and investment solutions to the financial services industry with approximately $1.3 trillion in assets under management, sponsors and supports The Founders Arena WealthTech Accelerator program.
• Texas Manufacturing Assistance Center (TMAC)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023The Arlington EDC partnered with TMAC (part of the national NIST MEP Network) to establish the Strategic Solutions Fund (SSF), providing grants of up to $10,000 for companies with 51-250 employees and up to $5,000 for businesses with 50 or fewer employees to accelerate growth and productivity through process, facility, production, technological, or talent-related interventions.
• SCOREsecondaryStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023The City of Arlington and Arlington EDC partnered with SCORE to provide small business workshops for up to 18 small business owners through the Arlington Small Business Development Cohort. The program includes six classes covering business planning, sales and marketing, social media, financial statements, financing, and talent recruitment, plus three one-on-one mentoring sessions.
• LiftFundcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020Arlington EDC partnered with LiftFund to provide zero interest rate funding (0% fixed rate) for small businesses, with loans up to $100,000 available to for-profit small businesses located in or relocating to Arlington city limits. This supports aspiring entrepreneurs and local business owners in accessing capital without traditional financing barriers.
• The Cordish CompaniescoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 9 August 2018The Cordish Companies partnered with the City of Arlington and Texas Rangers to develop Texas Live!, a $250M world-class dining, entertainment, and hospitality district near AT&T Stadium and Globe Life Park/Field. Texas Live! features 200,000 square feet of venues including Live! Arena, PBR Texas, Lockhart Smokehouse, Troy's, and the Arlington Backyard (5,000-capacity outdoor event pavilion).

Scale indicators15 records

Recent moves12 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Greater Phoenix Economic Council: Peer economic development organization in a comparable Sun Belt market with similar tax-friendly positioning, large airport, and manufacturing growth narrative. Useful benchmark for performance and incentive models.
• Greater Houston Partnership: Texas peer operating as a broader regional economic development organization for the Houston metro. Comparable scope and mission though at a much larger scale, providing a comparison benchmark for EDC operating models.
• San Antonio Economic Development Foundation: Texas peer economic development organization. Comparable in mission for business attraction and retention, serving a different metro but in the same state with overlapping regulatory and tax advantages.

Regional players

• Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce: Peer economic development organization with similar tourism/entertainment-driven growth narrative (NFL team, major events, hospitality sector). Operates in a different geography but pursues a comparable talent-attraction strategy.
• Austin Chamber of Commerce: Texas peer economic development organization focusing on tech and innovation attraction. Less of a direct industrial competitor but operates in the same state for category-specific deal competition.

Direct peers

• Dallas Regional Chamber: Direct peer economic development organization for Dallas, sharing the same DFW business attraction and retention ecosystem. Competes for headquarters relocations and large employer recruitment.
• Irving-Las Colinas Chamber of Commerce: Direct DFW peer and intra-metroplex competitor for corporate relocations. Irving has historically been a strong competitor for corporate headquarters and large office tenants similar to Arlington's target segments.
• Frisco Economic Development Corporation: Direct peer in DFW, also a Type B sales tax-funded EDC. Frisco has aggressively pursued corporate relocations (PGA HQ, FC Dallas HQ) and competes head-to-head with Arlington for similar industry segments.
• Plano Economic Development: Direct peer in the DFW Metroplex competing for corporate headquarters and advanced manufacturing. Plano has successfully attracted Toyota's North American HQ and other major employers.
• Fort Worth Inc. (Fort Worth Chamber of Commerce): Direct peer as the leading economic development organization for Fort Worth, Arlington's adjacent DFW city. Both compete for industrial, corporate, and convention-driven investment in the same metroplex.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/ArlingtonTXEDC
• Facebookfacebook.com/arlingtontxedc
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/arlington-tx-edc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 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 Arlington Economic Development