International business sustains Richardson’s global success
Richardson’s reputation for business innovation has long attracted many of the world’s leading companies. Our globally known Telecom Corridor® brand reflects our rich heritage of technological ingenuity and workforce diversity, and the Texas Legislature has also recognized Richardson as the International Business Capital of North Texas.
Today, more than 60 international companies have operations in Richardson, including the headquarters or major operations of companies from Asia, Europe, South and Central America, and the Middle East.
Thanks to our continuing, proactive efforts, we expect international commerce to continue driving much of Richardson’s future success.
Richardson’s strong international focus led the City and Chamber to form the Mayor’s Office of International Business in 2011. This office has three primary objectives:
(1) driving foreign direct investment (FDI) in Richardson by international businesses;
(2) supporting Richardson-based businesses’ current international commerce activities; and
(3) opening new international business opportunities.
Five years later, Richardson’s attractiveness as a destination for inbound FDI has earned the city high rankings in the last two “American Cities of the Future” reports from fDi Magazine.
In the past year, the Mayor’s Office of International Business has been especially busy with its strategic efforts:
• Attracted three foreign companies to set up operations in Richardson—V2 Plus from Taiwan, DirectLine Distributing and Yankon Lighting from China.
• Hosted 33 delegations, with 210 dignitaries and visitors from 18 different countries/regions. • Attended SXSW Interactive Conference and met with the French Tech delegation and other international companies.
• Attended the SelectUSA Investment Summit in Washington, D.C., meeting with more than a dozen foreign companies interested in setting up U.S. operations.
• Hosted the SME Development Chamber of India, representing 48,000 small and mid-sized businesses in India, and began work on a bilateral agreement.
• Attended a series of meetings in Japan and Taiwan, strengthening ties with Richardson-related businesses overseas and prospective business partners.
Richardson’s international business development program is extremely beneficial, as it not only creates better-paying jobs, but also injects new ideas and approaches into our business community, enhances corporate competitiveness, increases local tax revenues, and stimulate purchases from local suppliers.
Supporting this valuable flow of knowledge and investment opportunities will continue to be a major point of emphasis for the Mayor’s Office of International Business in the years ahead. Charlie Chen is the CEO of DFW Technology and served as the 2015 board chairman for the Richardson Chamber of Commerce.
