Business and the Future of Fort Bend

BUSINESS and the Future of FORT BEND

FORT BEND COUNTY IS A PRO-BUSINESS COMMUNITY THAT HIGHLY VALUES CORPORATE COLLABORATORS AND BUSINESS PARTNERS. OUR AREA’S SKILLED WORKFORCE, MARKET ACCESSIBILITY, INVESTMENT IN INNOVATION, READILY AVAILABLE AND PREPARED SITES, INFRASTRUCTURE INVESTMENT, AND EXCEPTIONAL QUALITY OF LIFE SERVE AS MAJOR ATTRACTIONS FOR BUSINESSES.

The appeal of Fort Bend extends beyond initial relocation; our businesses choose to establish roots and grow here, driven by a sense of community and recognition as valued corporate citizens who actively contribute to our shared vision of excellence, inclusion, and sustainable, quality growth. With a low cost of doing business, supportive governance, access to markets, and an outstanding workforce, Fort Bend emerges as the optimal choice for business relocation, expansion, and creation.

If you are in search of a community to call home, your place is in Fort Bend.

Investing in Our Communities

Ranked among the fastest-growing counties in the nation, Fort Bend has experienced remarkable growth since 2000, nearly tripling its population. Projections indicate it will surpass 1 million residents by 2030. The county is committed to fostering sustainable development to ensure access to high-quality programs and infrastructure. Encompassing almost 900 square miles, Fort Bend stands at the forefront of the region with outstanding master-planned communities, high levels of educational attainment, diverse population demographics, median household income, and robust purchasing power.

BUSINESS IN THE BEND

Fort Bend attracts a talented, well-educated workforce with just over 46 percent of the adult population obtaining a bachelor’s degree or higher. The average resident is 35.6, and over 73 percent of the workforce is white collar, which equals opportunity for residents and businesses.

Home to a diverse and growing commercial sector, businesses are attracted to Fort Bend because of the talented labor pool, but the attraction doesn’t end there. A strategic location for national and international distribution, proximity to the Greater Houston area, and the exceptional quality of life combined with the top-notch workforce means Fort Bend is ripe with opportunity. Fortune 500 companies, mid-size technology companies, innovative start-ups, and worldwide corporations, including Fluor, Frito Lay, Fed Ex, Accredo Packaging, Schlumberger, UPS, Amazon, and Texas Instruments, have found Fort Bend to be a smart business decision.

RAPID GROWTH & DIVERSE TALENT POOL

Fort Bend County is one of the fastest growing in the US, attracting young professionals, and creating a diverse talent pool ideal for tech companies. With highly rated schools and universities like the University of Houston Sugar Land as well as nearby Rice University, Fort Bend offers a skilled and varied workforce.

STRONG INFRASTRUCTURE DEVELOPMENT & CONNECTIVITY

Fort Bend stands out with a well-integrated infrastructure connecting to Greater Houston. With the county’s rapid growth, Fort Bend prioritizes road construction and expansion to guarantee access. Fort Bend is also easily accessed with three Class I railroads, two airports (one international, one regional), proximity to a foreign trade zone, and two deep-water ports. The abundance of land and readily available sites captured the interest of the broader business community, evident in the remarkable commercial growth over the past two decades.

A growing fiber optic network and investments in smart city initiatives attract companies seeking reliable connectivity to Fort Bend. In early 2023, the City of Sugar Land approved an extensive initiative to install hundreds of miles of infrastructure, ensuring all residents and businesses have access to fast, affordable, and reliable internet services. The City of Sugar Land greenlit SiFi Networks’ 30-year plan to establish fiber optic infrastructure across the city. This comprehensive plan aims to provide users with access to speeds of up to 10 Gigabits per second. The project is fully funded through private investment, with no financial obligation from the city. SiFi will utilize Sugar Land’s rightof-way to deploy approximately 900 miles of fiber optic cables throughout the city.

BUSINESS-FRIENDLY ENVIRONMENT

Unlike many other tech hubs in our nation, Fort Bend offers low taxes, an affordable cost of living, and a lower cost to doing business, making it attractive to startups as well as established companies.

Changing regulations and increased taxes are causing many companies to relocate to The Lone Star State. Fort Bend County cities provide a range of potential incentives, such as sales tax rebates, Freeport Tax exemptions, tax abatements, and direct incentives. Additionally, Fort Bend County extends incentives to qualified companies. This strategic approach underscores the Bend’s commitment to creating an environment that attracts and supports businesses of all kinds.

EMERGING TECH ECOSYSTEM

Recognizing the importance of fostering aspiring technologies, innovation, and entrepreneurs, Fort Bend County is dedicated to cultivating a collaborative ecosystem. Fort Bend’s investments in fields like cybersecurity, healthcare IT, and advanced manufacturing have created niche ecosystems for specific tech specializations. By forging coalitions and partnerships between industry, government, education, and entrepreneurs, Fort Bend is steadfast in developing an intentional, impactful, and strategic approach to stimulate entrepreneurial infrastructure.

Technology-driven companies have found Fort Bend ripe for development and growth. Velocity Technology Associates, a company that uses technology and innovation as a platform to build impactful business-to-business and business-to-consumer solutions, has found Sugar Land to be the perfect community for its business home.

BECOMING AN OFFICIAL TECH HUB

Through collaborative efforts between Fort Bend stakeholders in advanced manufacturing, artificial intelligence, and cybersecurity, the county has secured designation as a Technology Hub from the U.S. Economic Development Administration/Department of Commerce. The proposed Texas Advanced Cyber Tech & Innovation Collaborative (TACTIC) seeks to establish a national and global model for a coordinated Technology Hub, advancing and safeguarding the technological capacities of the region.

Within the region, thriving industries spanning transportation, energy, communication, healthcare, biotechnology, finance, education, public safety, and governance contribute to the development of smart communities. Safeguarding these communities against cyber threats is considered of paramount national importance. The region is well-positioned to establish an entity dedicated to protecting this critical infrastructure in the pursuit of secure and sustainable advanced technology expansion.

TACTIC unites the leadership and expertise of local governments (Fort Bend, Brazoria, Waller, Wharton, Walker, and west Harris Counties); industry groups (Shell, NVIDIA, AT&T, CenterPoint, TanCHES Global Mgmt.); economic development organizations (Houston-Galveston Area Council, Fort Bend EDC, Katy EDC, Sugar Land EDC, Richmond EDC, Brazoria EDC, Wharton EDC, West Houston Association, The Woodlands Area ED Partnership); higher education institutions (UH at Sugar Land and UH at Katy, Prairie View A&M, Sam Houston State University, UHV-Katy, HCC Northwest and Southwest, Wharton County Junior College, Texas State Technical College); and workforce training organizations, including Workforce Solutions.

The vision is a collaborative effort that delivers AI and data analytics and provides cybersecurity training and education to cultivate a highly skilled workforce. The initiative is expected to attract high-tech entrepreneurs and global industry partners.

TACTIC is aimed at fostering the creation and growth of equitable, globally beneficial, and profitable US jobs.

The Greater Southwest Houston region holds the top spot in the region and state for Innovation Index scores. By harnessing collective technology resources, the region demonstrates readiness to adapt to evolving industry demands and create sustainable, technologically advanced communities.

QUALITY OF LIFE & AFFORDABILITY

From the unparalleled access of metropolitan living to the serene allure of rural small towns, residents of Fort Bend County relish the diversity found in the county. Our communities take pride in offering an outstanding quality of life, featuring exceptional schools, diverse recreational options, and a burgeoning commercial sector. These attributes attract the best and brightest individuals, enriching the talent pool. The educated and highly skilled workforce stands as one of the foremost reasons businesses cite for choosing to relocate to and expand within Fort Bend County.