If you still think of the Ft. Worth metropolitan area as Cowtown--don't. Though its cattle-raising roots are branded in the nation's consciousness, this north Texas region has been transformed by a surge of high-tech enterprise. Indeed, Ft. Worth ranks among the top 20 electronics manufacturing sites nationwide.
Even if Ft. Worth casts a longer shadow, Arlington deserves a tip of the hat--cowboy or otherwise--for its semiconductor and software industries.
The completion of Alliance Airport in 1989-the first industrial airport in the United States-simply adds to the area's strengths. Factor in the busy Dallas/Ft. Worth International Airport, as well as rail and interstate highway access, and you've got a transportation hub few cities can rival.
As for entrepreneurial resources, Ft. Worth helps local business owners with its self-created Ft. Worth Business Assistance Center, a one-stop site for financing, legal and exporting assistance. Even local public schools get into the act--the Ft. Worth Chamber of Commerce, in partnership with the Ft. Worth Independent School District, determined which skills were most sought after by pro-spective employers and designed appropriate curriculums for all grade levels.
And, as home of the popular Texas Rangers, Arlington clearly scores with baseball fans and the local businesses that cater to them. That's enough to bat away those Old West images.
This article was originally published in the October 1997 print edition of Entrepreneur with the headline: 20 Best Cities For Small Business.
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