by C.J. Gustafson
BusinessSchools.com Contributing Writer
October 20, 2004
In 1839, Tennessee lawyer John Bryan wandered into the area now known as Dallas.
He found plenty of land and plenty of Native Americans in the vicinity of a
river and decided that it was a prime spot for a trading post. When he returned
to the area in 1841 and laid claim to 640 acres, his plans had evolved. In addition
to a trading post, Bryan developed plans for a town with a courthouse and 20
streets. With a population of over 3,800,000, Dallas today is the nation's eighth
largest city -- but the residents are spread out over the city's huge land area
of 6,364 square miles, making it the least densely populated major metropolitan
area in the world. This combined allure of a large population and infrastructure
in a location that still has plenty of room to grow makes Dallas one of the
most popular choices for businesses and business students alike.
First cotton and cattle, and then oil money, were initial forces behind Dallas' economy. Although Dallas County has never had a working oil well, the region established itself as the financial and technical center for much of the state's drilling industry. Retail is big in Dallas as well. With more shopping centers per capita than any city in the U.S., it also is home to the original Neiman Marcus and the first covered shopping mall.
Dallas Market Center, the world's first and largest wholesale merchandise
mart, is comprised of six buildings covering 6.9 million square feet and attracts
more than 130,000 retail buyers to 50 markets annually. By the Center's calculations,
an estimated $7.5 billion of wholesale transactions are conducted within the
DMC complex annually.
Business Environment
According to the Greater Dallas Chamber of Commerce, "Since its inception, the
Dallas area has been a bustling center of commerce, and today thousands of companies
call it home. An entrepreneurial spirit permeates the business culture, making
it a hot, pro-business market." Nineteen Fortune 500 headquarters called Dallas/Fort
Worth home in 2003. There are approximately 130,000 businesses in
the Dallas/Fort Worth area and more than 1,500 regional and corporate headquarters.
As home to Texas Instruments, CompUSA and Radio Shack, Dallas is a leader
in both the manufacturing and distribution of technology products. Other well-known
companies located in the Dallas/Fort Worth area include Halliburton, Exxon,
Greyhound, Southwest Airlines, Mary Kay Cosmetics, Burlington Northern Santa
Fe, and AMR, the parent company for American Airlines. Top employment sectors
include trade, transportation & utilities, professional & business services,
government, and manufacturing. The following is a list of the top five Dallas/Fort
Worth employers:
- AMR Corp. (includes American Airlines) - 26,700 employees
- Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. - 19,200 employees
- Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Co. - 15,500 employees
- SBC Communications Inc. - 14,100 employees
- Verizon Communications Inc. - 13,000 employees
Baylor Health Care System and Texas Health Resources, two locally based companies,
follow close behind with over 10,000 employees each. With two large companies
such as these located in the city, career opportunities for health care administration
are plentiful.
Dallas has many resources available to promote and foster business in the
city and surrounding areas. These organizations also provide excellent opportunities
for business internships and possible employment while pursuing degrees. Some
of the more prominent organizations include the Dallas
Better Business Bureau, Dallas Convention
and Visitors Bureau, Downtown Improvement
District, the Small Business Administration,
and the Greater Dallas Chamber of Commerce.
Educational Environment
The Skills Development Fund is one example of the partnerships that exist between
government, businesses, and educational institutions in the city. The Fund was
established by the state legislature and is designed to help Texas public community
and technical colleges (and one higher education extension agency) finance customized
job training for their local businesses.  Backed by $25 million for fiscal 2003-2004,
the Fund has the potential to provide unique and lucrative training opportunities
for those interested in business careers and it allows individuals to receive
training without leaving viable jobs.
Business students have many options when pursuing education and training in
Dallas. American
InterContinental University, Argosy
University and the University
of Phoenix each have campuses in Dallas. Dallas
Baptist University, Southern Methodist
University's Cox School of Business, the University of Texas at Dallas School of Management, and the University
of Dallas Graduate School of Management are just some of the additional
choices.
Students at these schools can earn Accounting degrees, Economics degrees, and Marketing degrees. They can train for management careers and administration careers in fields such as health care, criminal justice and nursing. Several universities also offer MBA programs.
In 2003, Forbes Magazine ranked Dallas fourth among major metropolitan areas in the nation in their listing of the best places for business and careers. It also is a top
pick of business students around the world. Perhaps this stellar city in the
Lone Star state is the right place for your educational headquarters as well.
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