New York Stock Exchange. Nasdaq. TIAA. Goldman Sachs. Nvidia.
These globally renowned, marquee brands have storied histories and a shared trait of success. They are household names in the Northeast, a region from where I hail.
They have another critical thing in common: They’re part of a growing wave of companies that are establishing or growing a foothold in North Texas. If you’ve been paying attention to what’s unfolding in the neighborhood, the reason is no real mystery.
By way of introduction, I’m a veteran financial journalist who has done tours of duty at Reuters, CNBC and Yahoo Finance, among others — and a refugee from New York City. I’m also a great listener who enjoys reporting just as much as I do editing, so you’ll likely run across my byline. Yes, I’m a carpetbagger — but in a region that’s filling up with business-minded transplants, who’s better positioned to help cover the rapidly evolving North Texas economy than an outsider?
With an economy of over $2 trillion (yes, with a “T”), the Lone Star State is increasingly comparable to a Group of 20 economy, and one of the drivers of that evolution is the Dallas-Fort Worth region. The dynamism of this region contributes nearly 40% to the state’s gross domestic product, and D-FW houses over a dozen Fortune 500 companies.
All of which has propelled Texas toward what Gov. Greg Abbott calls the “headquarters of headquarters.” The D-FW region literally means business — and going forward, so will The Dallas Morning News.
In our expanded Business Sunday section (read it now in your ePaper), you’ll find a look that’s more engaging — laid-back yet informative — that showcases our talented reporters and all that’s happening in the business world. The changes include:
- Doubling the size of our Business Sunday section from 6 pages to 12 pages;
- Bigger and bolder visuals to highlight the coverage that underpins it;
- Deep reporting, insightful profiles, facts and figures to give you the competitive edge, cool trends and some fun surprises.
This investment is a reflection of a region that’s in the throes of a powerful evolution, but isn’t even close to peaking.
What can our readers expect in our brave new world of expanded business coverage on all of our platforms?
Real estate: This is a dealmaker’s town, and buildings — residential and commercial — are going up everywhere.
Technology: The artificial intelligence wave is swelling, and leading lots of data centers and service providers to drop anchors in the region.
Investing: D-FW is on the cusp of becoming a serious player in global capital markets and we’ll be digging into what our readers need to know about the region’s emergence as a financial center.
Energy: Texas is synonymous with oil, gas and renewable energy, and the state is a major producer and consumer of energy.
Retail: What are we buying, where are we buying it and who’s selling it to us?
Personal finance and retirement: Your money matters, and we want you to understand how to take better care of it and prepare for the future.
Power players: Who makes the money, where and how they spend it.
Entrepreneurship: The area has a thriving, innovative yet underappreciated startup ecosystem, and it deserves more attention. That includes Main Street/small business (which is over 40% of U.S. economic activity).
Business is more than just companies and numbers. It’s people. And because we are in the storytelling business, we want to chronicle everything this region has to offer: personalities, power, wealth, influence — in all their splendor.
Feel free to reach out with any suggestions, feedback — and of course, newsy tips.
