Plano’s political leadership has its sights set on companies in Northern Europe.
Representatives from the corporate relocation powerhouse are visiting Sweden this week to check in with telecommunications company Ericsson and global access solutions manufacturer Assa Abloy, the Dallas Morning News reported. Both companies have their North American headquarters in Plano. Ericsson employs 3,300 people in the north Dallas suburb; Assa Abloy employs 200.
Plano Mayor John Muns and City Manager Mark Israelson made the trip. Just this year, Plano representatives have also traveled to Toronto, Canada, and Paris, France, and last year Mayor Muns visited Taiwan, said Doug McDonald, Plano’s director of economic development.
The Collin County suburb, long known for snagging corporate heavyweights like Toyota, JPMorgan Chase and Liberty Mutual, continues to punch above its weight despite giving up a key funding tool. Plano sends one cent of every sales tax dollar to the Dallas Area Rapid Transit system, meaning less cash for economic development than its neighboring cities, which aren’t part of DART.
That fiscal reality hasn’t slowed growth, said Doug McDonald. He credits the time and resources spent building relationships with companies, he told the outlet.
Both AT&T and the Dallas Stars have recently considered what Plano has to offer as each considers a Dallas exit.
It’s a strategy that’s worked for decades. Plano has managed to retain legacy employers while landing new ones drawn to its mix of Class A office space, transit access and quality-of-life amenities. The city’s deliberate focus on cultivating long-term corporate relationships, rather than relying on deep incentive packages, has helped insulate it from the boom-and-bust cycles that often hit suburban office markets.
Local officials frame the city’s approach as “high touch” economic development. McDonald said Plano’s team prioritizes ongoing engagement with executives — helping them navigate everything from workforce issues to permitting — to keep companies rooted even when market dynamics shift.
— Eric Weilbacher
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