The city of Fort Worth is competing with three states to land a Carrier Global Corporation manufacturing plant.
During the Sept. 15 regular meeting, City Council approved an ordinance creating a tax abatement reinvestment zone and nominated the project for a Texas Enterprise Zone designation in an effort to lure the proposed $433.8 million project to Fort Worth.
The context
Carrier is a multinational company that manufactures heating, ventilation, air conditioning (HVAC) and refrigeration systems, according to its website.
Brianna Brown, assistant director of economic development, presented the request at the Aug. 25 City Council work session.
The city is offering a seven-year tax abatement of 60% on real property and business personal property, valued at $10.9 million, and will nominate the company for a $2.5 million Texas Enterprise Zone grant.
The city would receive $7.3 million in net new taxes, according to the presentation.
The company, based in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, would invest $36 million in real property construction costs and $397.8 million in equipment for a location at 1501 Distribution Zone in the Alliance area of Fort Worth. According to the presentation, this would be the single-largest facility investment in the company’s history and would support an increase in demand and enhance inventory in the United States.
The facility would include manufacturing, warehousing, engineering, operations, testing and administrative functions, Brown said.
The company would need to bring 495 jobs by Dec. 31, 2029, with a minimum average salary of $75,000. There would be $261.7 million in estimated additional payroll over the seven-year term, Brown said.
If Carrier fails to meet minimum capital investment, full-time job commitment or minimum average annual salary, it could forfeit or default on the abatement.
Zooming in
Carrier announced plans in 2025 to invest $1 billion in manufacturing in the United States, expecting to create 4,000 jobs.
Brown said that the other three states have lower property taxes and the locations are closer to the company’s current operations in Florida and North Carolina.
She said Virginia has a property tax rate half that of Fort Worth, while Alabama has a rate that is one-quarter of Fort Worth. Brown did not mention the third state.
“We've got a huge opportunity here with this potential project,” she said. “Carrier is considering the development of an advanced manufacturing facility to support customer demand and inventory management for both commercial and industrial customers in the United States. We do have an opportunity here with this project for the additional recruitment of suppliers to Carrier.”
The proposed location in AllianceTexas would be next to Wistron and Walmart in a building called Alliance Westport 12. Hillwood announced plans for a 1.2 million-square-foot building in the Alliance Logistics District in March, according to previous reporting.
Brown said Carrier plans to decide on the location in the third quarter of this year, which ends Sept. 30.
