Perot Jr., Berry Named Fort Worth Persons of Year

When Ross Perot Jr. pitched an industrial airport in north Fort Worth 40 years ago, doubters raised red flags. Can-do city visionaries, however, cleared the runway.

There’s a reason history recalls the visionaries.

Hillwood’s AllianceTexas, the 27,000-acre master-planned, mixed-use development in north Fort Worth, is today one of the nation’s most significant economic engines — a global logistics hub anchored by Perot Field Fort Worth Alliance Airport and one of the country’s largest inland ports.

Consider this: Over the past 36 years, the development has generated more than an estimated $130 billion in regional economic impact, with $10.2 billion contributed in 2024 alone, according to Insight Research Corporation’s annual economic impact report.

Since its inception, AllianceTexas has seen $16.3 billion in total investment, including $15.2 billion from private-sector funding and $1.1 billion from public investment, achieving a 14-to-1 private-to-public investment ratio.

In recognition of their contributions to driving prosperity in the region while inspiring a new era of innovation across North Texas, Perot Jr., chairman of Hillwood, and Mike Berry, Hillwood president, have been selected as Fort Worth Inc. Persons of the Year.

“Honoring Ross Perot Jr. and Mike Berry as our Persons of the Year reflects two extraordinary leaders who have reshaped Fort Worth’s identity on both the national and global stage,” said Hal Brown, Fort Worth Inc. publisher. “Both embody the bold, forward-thinking spirit that defines Fort Worth’s momentum.”

Perot and Berry will be honored, along with the rest of the Fort Worth Inc. The 500, at a reception at the Fort Worth Club on May 21. The 500 is Fort Worth Inc.’s list of the most influential people in the city. Past Persons of the Year include Betsy Price, Opal Lee, Sonny Dykes, John Goff, and Kay Granger. 

The AllianceTexas development continues to lead economic growth in Fort Worth and across the region. Over the past year, it welcomed defense contractor Bell, which is investing $630 million to build a facility for the MV-75; Wistron, which is investing $761 million and bringing hundreds of new jobs to the area; and MTU Maintenance, which is making a $120 million investment as part of a 30-year lease to create one of the largest aircraft engine maintenance and testing facilities in North America.

Brazil-based aerospace company Embraer S.A. is expanding with a new $70 million service center and manufacturing plant to be built at Perot Field Fort Worth Alliance Airport.

Innovation has been synonymous with Alliance over the course of four decades, including the Mobility Innovation Zone, which serves as a leading proving ground for testing and commercializing advanced transportation technologies. Signature initiatives include autonomous trucking, unmanned aircraft systems (drone delivery), and smart logistics platforms — all leveraging the connectivity of Perot Field Fort Worth Alliance Airport and BNSF Railway’s intermodal facility to power next-generation mobility and supply chain solutions.

Late last year, Hillwood, BNSF Railway, and the city of Fort Worth created the Alliance Logistics District, a 1,400-acre mobility logistics hub within the Smart Port at AllianceTexas. The district is the first of its kind within BNSF’s rail and intermodal network and is designed to streamline freight movement while reducing pressure on public roads. The district allows autonomous freight operations, heavy-haul transport flexibility, and direct rail-to-warehouse connectivity — reinforcing AllianceTexas’ role as a next-generation supply chain ecosystem.

Moreover, Alliance is taking on a new industry: film.

Taylor Sheridan’s Bosque Ranch Productions last year secured roughly 450,000 square feet inside AllianceTexas for his acclaimed visual storytelling operations.

Both buildings have been nominated for designation as qualified media production locations by the Texas Film Commission. If approved, they would be among the first in the state to benefit from the state’s new program offering incentives to filmmakers to establish roots in Texas, just as Sheridan has done.

“We’ve talked about Hollywood for a while,” Perot Jr. said at the time. “We have wanted to promote Fort Worth as a film destination, but it was Taylor Sheridan who kicked it off.”

The city itself could become a serious contender in the increasingly competitive race to lure productions away from California, Georgia, and New Mexico.

Said Brown of Perot Jr. and Berry: “Their collective contributions have not only driven prosperity but also inspired a new era of innovation and pride across our region.”