Robert Allen, president and CEO of the Fort Worth Economic Development Partnership, is on a mission to attract businesses to the city by highlighting its unique attributes such as logistics, aviation, and defense hubs, advanced manufacturing facilities, and cultural heritage. With a goal of raising $5 million for economic development efforts, Allen believes that securing a Fortune 500 company’s relocation will take Fort Worth’s economic development to the next level.
Allen, who previously worked in Austin with former Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott, now focuses on corporate retention, aiming to bring businesses to Fort Worth that want to stay for at least 50 years. His team partners with business executives and city leaders to address challenges to economic growth, such as education.
Recent wins include a $632 million investment from Bell Textron Inc. for the production of the Future Long Range Assault Aircraft, which Allen believes is “transformational” for the state of Texas and its workforce. He also highlights Fort Worth’s strong connection to the defense industry, including the production of Lockheed Martin’s F-35 Lightning II fighter jet.
To attract businesses, Allen emphasizes preparation, citing his household motto “luck favors the prepared.” He notes that more efforts are needed to attract money for research and development in Fort Worth, which will be helped by the new Texas A&M-Fort Worth campus rising downtown.
Source: https://fortworthreport.org/2025/09/16/be-loud-be-proud-robert-allen-discusses-fort-worths-economic-development-strategy