With the arrival of the 21st century, and with economic trends drastically changing the way the world does business, senior executives are faced with the troubling task of identifying those communities prepared to foster the greatest prosperity. Likewise, the City of El Paso has been working diligently to ensure its own success in the new economy.

Over 70 Fortune 500 Companies, including Eureka, Leviton, Hoover, Boeing, and Delphi, have discovered the myriad of resources the El Paso area has to offer. A highly productive labor force, strategic location, intelligent infrastructure, and unique quality of life all combine to make El Paso a remarkably attractive site for expansion or relocation.

El Paso bilingual workforce affords opportunities few other communities can match. Furthermore, El Paso's labor force is extremely efficient when compared with the higher costs of labor and lower productivity of other communities. Excellent academic and professional programs at the University of Texas at El Paso and the El Paso Community College stand ready to enhance the education and skills levels of the El Paso Labor Force. Finally, access to training, a growth rate of 19.3% in the 1990’s, and an abundance of young, talented individuals ensures that the labor force in El Paso will continue to expand in size and broaden in strength.

Situated on the border of two nations and three states, El Paso’s location also presents a unique array of opportunities. El Paso and its sister city, Ciudad Juarez, (located in the Mexican state of Chihuahua) comprise the largest metropolitan area on the border between the United States and Mexico; in fact, the downtown areas of these two cities are within walking distance of each other. El Paso’s proximity to Mexico furnishes an excellent opportunity for businesses to capitalize on NAFTA, the maquiladora industry, and other prospects in Central and South America, especially when used in conjunction with El Paso’s Foreign Trade Zone (FTZ) #68. Encompassing over 2,500 acres in 17 non-contiguous sites, FTZ #68 is the lowest cost and second highest volume general purpose FTZ in the United States.

El Paso has the transportation infrastructure that will allow access to markets from coast to coast. Furthermore, the telecommunications network in El Paso offers state-of-the-art voice and data transmission facilities to almost one-quarter of a million residential and business customers in the area, ensuring that companies located in El Paso can reach clients and colleagues worldwide. In fact, several companies in the service sector, including MCI WorldCom, State Farm, and EchoStar, have taken advantage of El Paso’s strong communications infrastructure.

El Paso is the only city in Texas and one of only two cities west of the Mississippi River to receive a Round II Federal Urban Empowerment Zone designation. The Empowerment Zone program carries special tax incentives and bond provisions which encourage private investment, while providing additional funding for workforce development. Similarly, Texas State Enterprise Zones allow for refunds on various sales and use taxes paid by businesses. In addition to these programs, the City of El Paso offers an array of comprehensive business incentives, including tax abatement, sales and use tax exemptions, and Industrial Revenue Bonds.