A leader in Plano’s business community is celebrating the news that communications giant AT&T is relocating its global headquarters from Dallas in the next three years.
Plano Chamber of Commerce CEO Kelle Marsalis called the move exciting, but not necessarily surprising, because she’d heard rumors AT&T was seeking to move its headquarters.
“It really solidifies Plano's place and reputation as the economic engine that we are for North Texas,” Marsalis said.
She said AT&T would join a stable of large corporate campuses “that play very well with our small business and middle market communities as well.”
In an email to staff Monday morning, AT&T CEO John Stankey said the company will move to a 54-acre campus as early as 2028.
“This location will provide us with the necessary room to cost effectively consolidate all Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex administrative space, including our three largest locations in Central Dallas, Plano and Irving, and create a corporate campus designed for collaboration, innovation and engagement,” the email, shared with KERA, read.
It comes after months of speculation over AT&T’s future in Dallas. The company employs about 10,000 people in the city.
In response to the news, Dallas Mayor Eric Johnson said in a statement that the city’s “unique economic strengths are what attracted AT&T to our urban core in 2008,” but although Dallas worked to retain AT&T, “it became clear that its current leaders preferred a large horizontal, suburban-style campus rather than the skyscrapers that define our city center.
Johnson and City Manager Kimberly Bizor Tolbert both highlighted Dallas’ business-friendly culture.
“Dallas is a great city for business, and we have worked tirelessly, strategically, and collaboratively to keep the company in our city limits,” Bizor Tolbert said in a statement. “AT&T’s transition will be gradual, and the company will remain part of our city’s fabric in the years ahead.”
Bill Zeeble is KERA’s education reporter. Got a tip? Email Bill atbzeeble@kera.org. You can follow him on X @bzeeble.
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