Plano city officials are focusing on attracting more corporate relocations from Northern Europe, with a recent trip to Sweden aimed at strengthening ties with major companies already operating in the area. According to the Dallas Morning News, representatives from Plano visited telecommunications firm Ericsson and access solutions manufacturer Assa Abloy, both of which have their North American headquarters in Plano. Ericsson employs 3,300 people in the north Dallas suburb, while Assa Abloy has 200 employees there.
The delegation included Mayor John Muns and City Manager Mark Israelson. Doug McDonald, Plano’s director of economic development, said that this year alone, city representatives have also traveled to Toronto and Paris. Last year, Mayor Muns made a visit to Taiwan.
Plano has established itself as a destination for large corporations such as Toyota, JPMorgan Chase, and Liberty Mutual. Despite allocating one cent of every sales tax dollar to the Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART) system—leaving less funding available for economic development compared to neighboring cities not part of DART—the city continues its growth trajectory.
Doug McDonald noted that this financial constraint has not slowed down Plano’s expansion. He attributed continued success to investing time and resources into building relationships with businesses: “It’s a strategy that’s worked for decades. Plano has managed to retain legacy employers while landing new ones drawn to its mix of Class A office space, transit access and quality-of-life amenities.”
Both AT&T and the Dallas Stars have recently considered relocating operations from Dallas to Plano as they evaluate options outside their current locations.
Local officials describe their approach as “high touch” economic development. McDonald explained that his team focuses on ongoing engagement with company executives by assisting them with workforce issues and permitting processes in order to keep firms anchored in Plano even during market fluctuations.
McDonald stated: “Plano’s team prioritizes ongoing engagement with executives — helping them navigate everything from workforce issues to permitting — to keep companies rooted even when market dynamics shift.” This approach emphasizes relationship-building over offering large incentive packages and aims to provide stability despite broader trends affecting suburban office markets.
