Fort Worth’s dealmaking machine just picked up a national bragging right. The Fort Worth Economic Development Partnership has been awarded Site Selection magazine’s Mac Conway Award for excellence in economic development, a recognition that local leaders say confirms the city’s recent recruitment hot streak. Coming on the heels of a series of big project announcements clustered around AllianceTexas and downtown, the award is being held up as proof that all those press releases are translating into real jobs and capital for the region.
According to Fort Worth Inc., the EDP is one of just 23 organizations nationwide to land a Mac Conway Award this year. Site Selection uses the honor to spotlight top local and regional economic development groups. Its selection index now pulls from the Conway Projects Database, the Milken Institute’s Best-Performing Cities rankings and, for the first time, metro talent indicators pulled from the Lightcast Talent Attraction Scorecard. Mayor Mattie Parker called Fort Worth’s “momentum undeniable,” while EDP CEO Robert Allen said the award reflects his team’s recent push to reel in major projects.
Big projects that helped the case
Launched in 2023, the EDP has quickly attached its name to some headline-grabbing deals that helped Fort Worth stand out in national rankings. Electronics manufacturer Wistron announced plans for two AI supercomputing facilities at AllianceTexas, a $761 million project expected to create more than 800 full-time jobs, according to Hillwood. The EDP has also touted a two-phase, $72.6 million expansion by Ariat International and a move by Mercedes-Benz Financial Services to shift more than 120 roles into its AllianceTexas hub, details that were included in a July 1 news release from Fort Worth EDP.
Why data and talent tipped the scales
The Mac Conway index leans heavily on hard numbers: project counts, capital investment and facility activity. This year, Site Selection also made an explicit nod to labor and talent. The Milken Institute’s Best-Performing Cities index and Lightcast’s Talent Attraction Scorecard are both baked into the formula that evaluators use, which favors metros that can show a combination of project wins and an ability to draw skilled workers, according to the Milken Institute and Lightcast.
Local impact and what comes next
Developers and city officials say those marquee projects are already reshaping the local economy’s center of gravity. Hillwood has reported that AllianceTexas generated $12.9 billion in economic impact in 2025 and has contributed about $142.9 billion to North Texas since the development’s inception, figures summarized by the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. For skeptics, the big question now is whether these investments turn into lasting job growth, stronger worker training pipelines and infrastructure improvements that residents across the city can actually feel.
EDP leaders say the Mac Conway recognition should give Fort Worth extra credibility in boardrooms as the agency chases more advanced manufacturing, aerospace and tech projects. The award is a useful talking point, but the next chapter will be written in hiring numbers and paychecks, from the Stockyards to AllianceTexas.
