Dallas: Big Business in the Big D

Whether you prefer to call it D-Town, the Metroplex, or simply the Big D, one thing is certain about Dallas: it is an economic powerhouse that continues to flourish through economic ups and downs.

The ninth largest city in the United States, Dallas is home to 1.28 million people, and the Dallas-Fort Worth metro region is one of the fastest growing in the nation. Both Dallas and the Lone Star State are booming, outpacing the national economy: Texas real gross domestic product grew by 3.7 percent in 2013, compared to only 1.8 percent for the entire country.

An Evolving Market
Unlike many major cities, Dallas does not have a true terminal market. The majority of its produce distributors, brokers, repackers, exporters, and receivers are scattered outside of the city, where they enjoy easier access to highways and more affordable office and warehouse space.

The Big D is home to the Dallas Farmers Market, however, which has operated in the heart of downtown since 1941. This bustling market attracts wholesale and retail shoppers with an assortment of locally grown produce, prepared foods, and bulk items. In 2013 the market was taken over by a group of private investors who initiated a $65-million makeover that will eventually include shops and restaurants, luxury condos and apartments, a community garden, and a large recreational park.

In September 2014, the Dallas Farmers Market welcomed more than 10,000 people for the official opening of “The Shed,” the first part of the planned renovation, which replaces the old farmers’ market section. The new massive space includes 153 vendor stalls filled with locally grown produce and other food items, along with shopping carts, an open-flow design, a loading zone, and misters and ceiling fans that lower the area’s temperature by 15 degrees.

Produce dealers in the area have mixed feelings about the ongoing market development. Cliff Yarborough, general manager of Harrington Produce Company, which specializes in vegetables, acknowledges the inevitable changes, while Elaine Anders, president of Paradise Produce, another wholesaler on the market, says the ongoing renovations have caused major disruptions to her business. “It’s been hard to get trucks in and out,” she contends, and also decries the loss of many walk-ins who have become “aggravated with all the construction.”

Cheryl Spradling, comptroller at United Fresh Produce Group LP, also mentioned the negatives. “The Dallas market has changed quite a bit this year—the actual farmers’ market is being replaced with condos, and some of the companies that have been downtown are being forced to sell and move,” she says, adding, “Most have relocated. A few businesses that have been open for generations have closed.”