A look at how site selection trends, industry momentum, and Fort Worth’s fundamentals are shaping corporate expansion activity and positioning the city for growth in 2026.
[Image: Ross Steward Photography]
By Robert Allen, President & CEO | Jan. 27, 2026
As we move into 2026, I’ve had several recent opportunities to connect directly with site selectors and companies evaluating expansion and relocation decisions. Those conversations, along with what we’re seeing in Fort Worth’s project pipeline, give a good sense of how national trends are shaping site selection and where Fort Worth continues to stand out.
Where Fort Worth Aligns with Current Site Selection Trends
I recently attended the Site Selector’s Guild Partner Winter Summit in Florida. Limited to 50 attendees, the Summit provided an opportunity to connect with the nation’s top site selectors in a focused, time-efficient setting. Discussions centered on several key themes, including the continued need for robust power and the continued acceleration of the defense technology industry, two areas in which Fort Worth is well positioned.
What stood out to me in those conversations was how closely they aligned with Fort Worth’s strengths, particularly in aerospace and defense. In fact, the EDP received a new project from one of the site selectors at the summit tied directly to that sector. There was also a lot of discussion around advanced manufacturing, especially as companies continue to work through ongoing uncertainty related to tariffs and trade policy.
National Trends, Local Advantage
The same economic headlines that dominated national news in 2025, including tariffs and trade policy, artificial intelligence, and interest rates, shaped both the volume and composition of inquiries considering Fort Worth. While broader market uncertainty caused some companies to slow decision-making, it also underscored the strengths of the Fort Worth market. The depth of DFW’s location advantage, economic resilience, and workforce fundamentals continues to position Fort Worth as a compelling option for companies seeking stability and scalability amid macroeconomic headwinds.
Momentum Across Fort Worth’s Target Industries
While our local economic development pipeline is influenced by national trends, there are also specific regional and city characteristics that affect the type of corporate expansion projects that are interested in doing business in Fort Worth. In 2025, inquiries were concentrated in computer and electronics manufacturing. The national AI boom, combined with Wistron’s announcement of its first two North American manufacturing facilities in Fort Worth, made electronics manufacturing the defining story of the year.
In the first month of 2026, however, we have seen an increase in inquiries from one of Fort Worth’s traditionally strong industries: aerospace and defense. In January, we hosted site visits from companies in the energy, life sciences, and advanced manufacturing sectors, and we submitted later-round RFP responses for corporate office projects. Each of these companies began its site selection process before the end of last year and returned for more due diligence, whether in an in-person site visit or through further rounds of information exchange.
Collectively, these projects represent hundreds of millions of dollars in potential capital investment and meaningful job creation across Fort Worth’s target industries. By working closely with landowners, real estate brokers, educators, utility providers, construction partners, and government leaders, we continue to make the case for Fort Worth as a place where complex projects can move from concept to reality.
I’m bullish on Fort Worth’s economic development trajectory in 2026. With a growing pipeline of office and industrial developments, expanding university presence that strengthens the local talent base, and increasing corporate investment, Fort Worth has the raw ingredients to compete for and deliver complex expansion and relocation projects.
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Robert Allen is the President & CEO of the Fort Worth Economic Development Partnership. The Fort Worth EDP works directly with companies, site selection consultants, and corporate real estate professionals who are interested in moving or expanding to Fort Worth, Tarrant County, and the surrounding areas. If you’d like to learn more about Fort Worth, please schedule a meeting with us or check out our Why Fort Worth page.