Why Texas Could Be The Best Place For Amazon’s Second Headquarters

Central location, land and an ample work force make the state stand out among other competitors.

By Jill AmentSeptember 8, 2017 1:11 pm

When the world’s biggest retailer begins scouting a location for its second headquarters, American cities will surely start to scramble for time in the spotlight. Could Texas cities fit the bill for Amazon’s next main hub?

Raj Sethuraman, chair of the marketing department at Southern Methodist University’s Cox School of Business, thinks so. The combination of the state’s large amounts of available land and its central location, he says, make Texas a prime pick for the online commerce giant. To fill the 50,000 jobs the headquarters will bring, Sethuraman says to look no further than Texas’ major cities, each boasting populations in the millions.

Sethuraman says Texas’ one drawback as a potential home for the new headquarters is its lack of cities with effective mass transit systems. However, he notes that the state has the capability to develop or improve transit system, and that a company like Amazon coming to a Texas city may itself be a catalyst for mass transit development.

 

Written by Rachel Zein.