Spotlight On: Beth Bowman, President & CEO, Greater Irving-Las Colinas Chamber of Commerce & Irving Economic Development Partnership

Spotlight On: Beth Bowman, President & CEO, Greater Irving-Las Colinas Chamber of Commerce & Irving Economic Development Partnership

2023-05-11T08:45:15-04:00May 11th, 2023|Dallas-Fort Worth, Economy, Spotlight On|

3 min read May 2023 In an interview with Invest:, Beth Bowman, President and CEO of the Greater Irving-Las Colinas Chamber of Commerce and Irving Economic Development Partnership, discussed the city’s focus on attracting new headquarters, the impact on current economic challenges and what outside investors should know about Irving. “We’re a community that pulls up the red tape and rolls out the red carpet,” she said.

What have been some key highlights over the past year? 

We’ve had an outstanding year of new headquarters and expansions to Irving-Las Colinas. The North Texas region is continuing to expand. And as businesses relocate or expand, many of those wins are happening in Irving-Las Colinas. Irving-Las Colinas’ combination of pro-businesses policies, collaborative partnerships and outstanding quality of life is what separates us from the crowd. 

For example, CHRISTUS Health, one of the 10 largest Catholic health systems in the United States, is a long-time partner we had the pleasure of working with almost 12 years ago when they were first looking to relocate their headquarters, and today they are creating more space for their growing team. CHRISTUS is building its new 400,000-square-foot-plus headquarters, which will open this fall, at the gateway to the Las Colinas Urban Center. It’s an incredible space and we look forward to cutting the ribbon this fall with them as they welcome their associates to their new home. Walkability was a key asset the CHRISTUS team wanted for its workforce, and its location in the Urban Center is within a 10-minute walk of more than 20 restaurants, several hotels, the Toyota Music Factory, Water Street, the Irving Convention Center at Las Colinas and multiple housing options. 

The CHRISTUS building will be adjacent to the new State Bank of Texas headquarters, which is also under construction and expected to open this fall. The bank will consolidate operations from Dallas, Chicago and Atlanta. 

Recently, we welcomed Governor Greg Abbott, Wells Fargo CEO Charles W. Scharf to Irving- Las Colinas, and with Mayor Rick Stopfer and our partners at KDC, we broke ground on Wells Fargo’s regional campus on the north shore of Lake Carolyn. This is a significant opportunity, representing a $400 million investment into our community and the completion of a major portion of the Las Colinas Urban Center. 

Finally, Kelly-Moore Paints, a premium paint manufacturer and retailer, announced its headquarters relocation from California. Kelly-Moore is no stranger to the North Texas region, having established its state-of-the-art manufacturing facility in Hurst in 2017. 

How are economic factors challenging or influencing conversations you have with your team?

Given the economic headwinds, the North Texas region is faring better than others because of our diversification of industries. Yes, inflation is at a record high and the recent uncertainty within  financial sectors make some people uncomfortable and concerned. 

However, we know how to persevere. We are continuing to focus on addressing labor needs, which is also a wider, regional concern. Currently, we are at pre-pandemic unemployment percentages. As businesses recruit new talent to relocate to or join companies in Irving-Las Colinas, we want to make sure employers and employees continue to have incredible  workforce development opportunities. 

We have partnerships with regional nonprofits and educational institutions. We have a close working relationship with Workforce Solutions of Greater Dallas, which works to ensure our region’s workforce is equipped with the skills needed for current and prospective employers. We also enjoy partnerships with Dallas College – Northlake Campus, and our local public schools, many of which provide career-technical training. Irving-Las Colinas also has proximity to great higher education institutions in the University of Dallas, UT Southwestern Medical Center and the University of Texas at Dallas. 

Our team at the Irving-Las Colinas Chamber is continuing to listen to and learn what our member-investors and industry workforce needs are, not only today but tomorrow. We look forward to working with our partners to determine how they can provide programs that meet our future workforce needs. 

What trends are impacting growth in Irving?

While we are in a time of economic uncertainty, Irving-Las Colinas has a number of trends, especially coming out of the global health pandemic, that are impacting development positively.  First and foremost, our city offers a great quality of life and diverse housing stock. 

On the economic development side, Texas and Irving-Las Colinas offer incentives tailored to suit businesses’ needs, and our city offers one of the fastest permit processes in the region, allowing us to move at the speed of business. The combination of our regulation and tax policies, incentives, quality of life and access to a highly skilled workforce means Irving-Las Colinas is set up for strong growth into the future. 

Finally, we know that people need accessibility and to move quickly and easily, especially with the post-pandemic changes that include hybrid and remote offices. The less than 10-minute proximity to Dallas Fort Worth International Airport, nearby location of Dallas Love Field and accessibility to major national highways are also factors that are helping companies choose Irving-Las Colinas and continuing to positively impact our communities’ growth.  

How is Irving working to retain companies and workforce? 

We are doing everything we can to retain the companies and the 10,000-plus businesses that call Irving-Las Colinas home. We know that every day companies are making important decisions around workforce and investment. Irving-Las Colinas has the great advantage of being able to offer flexible solutions and different lease opportunities, and corporate campus sites to suit different companies’ needs. We also work with building owners to invest in their sites and keep them fresh and competitive. We work closely with our partners at the City of Irving and the Las Colinas Association to ensure modernization and listen to tenants so that we continue to deliver the amenities that they need and expect.

One example of an upcoming project we are excited about is the future of the former ExxonMobil Global Headquarters site. This is an outstanding site that our Chamber team and partners in the private sector recognize as a great opportunity for future development for corporate campuses, additional office buildings, retail and/or residential space. We look forward to seeing what the future holds for the site. 

Finally, when it comes to our workforce, we offer them a unique lifestyle in what we call “10-Minute Life.” Within 10 minutes, you can be at the office, dining at a favorite restaurant, hiking or biking miles of trails, attending a live concert at Toyota Music Factory or arriving at our region’s airports. We believe the “10-Minute Life” helps companies move beyond standard benefits and offer employees even more so that they’re excited to come to work and enjoy our community. 

What are the key factors that outside investors should be aware of when they’re looking at Irving?

First and foremost, we’re a community that pulls up the red tape and rolls out the red carpet. All of the stakeholders, including the Irving-Las Colinas Chamber of Commerce, the City of Irving, the Irving Convention and Visitors Bureau, and the Las Colinas Association, partners at the county and state level — we’re all working together to serve our businesses. These different stakeholders have a longstanding, consistent history of working together and focusing on the issues that affect the business community and working collaboratively to address challenges. 

Overall, businesses presently in or interested in relocating home to Irving-Las Colinas can expect to benefit from sensible tax and regulation policies, strong regional partnerships and a great quality of life for their employees. All of these factors allow us to move at the speed of business and serve companies’ needs efficiently and effectively. 

What are your priorities or key focus areas for the next two to three years?

One current priority is the re-development of the  Irving Heritage District, which is considered the city’s historic Downtown. Upon completion of work, the Heritage District will feature mixed-use developments and access to multiple transportation options. The reconstruction of Irving Boulevard is key to redevelopment in the Heritage District. 

Looking ahead, our Chamber team will be focused on the things we do best: promoting Irving-Las Colinas as a destination for business relocation and expansion and serving the needs of our 2,000 member-investors. 

For more information, visit:

https://irvingchamber.com/

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