Ross Perot's economic miracle deep in
the heart of Texas
7 May 1997
By TOM SHIEL
The cowboys and wagon trains are long gone but Alliance International claims the spirit of the old west is still alive in north Texas. Indeed, the company, headed by Ross Perot Jnr., boasts its heritage was built on the cowboys who drove some five million head of cattle northwards along the Chisholm Trail in the years following the American Civil War. The area where the dynamic Fort Worth/Dallas Metroplex now stands is a 7,500 acre international transportation complex strategically located at the very centre of the United States.
"Today, Alliance blazes trails in technology and commerce", says a company brochure. "Just as the historic Chisholm Trail connected north Texas to points beyond, Alliance is a link to markets around the world."
GLOBAL MARKETPLACE
Seven and a half thousand acres of prairie were transformed in the construction of America's first master-planned international business and transporation development. As its name suggests, Alliance began as a partnership. City, state and federal governments, private businesses and individuals joined together to make the project a reality.
According to Dan Reid, Aviation Reporter at the Star/Telegraph newspaper in Fort Worth, Alliance International has changed the face of the area in just a decade.
The centrepiece of all the various projects is the airport which was built strictly for business rather than passenger aviation. American Airlines has a major maintenance base there employing several thousand people, which could grow to between 8,000 to 9,000 in the long term.
Federal Express will open an overnight package sorting hub there later this year. That alone will employ in the region of 1,500 people.
Amongst Ross Perot's other developments is Alliance Gateway, covering more than 1,000 acres. It is designed for large -scale distributors, manufacturers and industrial users to build or lease warehouse and distribution facilities.
CORPORATE RESIDENTS
Alliance Gateway corporate residents include Food Lion, Nestle Distribution Company, Nokia Mobile Phones and Zenith Electronics.
Something similar is just what Knock needs and, over the past two years, Minister Enda Kenny and the Knock Board held talks with Alliance International in a bid to lure them over.
The special tax designation is just the magnet Ross Perot needed and now his company plans to construct what are described as "global -skyroads" at Knock and Amsterdam, where they will build units from 50,000 square feet upwards.
The theory is all fine but are there any guarantees that the Alliance International success in Texas can be repeated in Ireland?
"It won't work everywhere", says Dan Reid bluntly. "It worked in Fort Worth because of the area's geographical location and the fact that it is a major centre for rail, highway and air transportation".
On a more positive note, however, Mr. Reid said that the tax incentive offered by the Irish Government should attract the bigger companies. The result will be highly paid opportunities. "If everything goes right, it will add quality jobs, those that pay significant wages".
