Ariat International, an apparel company known for its equestrian clothes and footwear, is considering Fort Worth for a $70 million regional distribution center that could bring hundreds of jobs to the region.
The 800,000-square-foot building under consideration is off FM156, company spokeswoman Caitlin Schillings said. But she said that the company hadn’t made a final decision and that the area was competing with Phoenix for the project.
Ariat expects to begin shipping from the new center by fall, Schillings said. Permits filed in Texas show Ariat expects construction to be completed in July.
Based in Union City, Calif., Ariat has more than 500 employees globally. Its business caters to all horseback riders. It sells boots that cost from $60 to more than $500, denim and riding clothing.
Fort Worth is offering incentives. Ariat would have to create 450 full-time jobs: 75 corporate office positions and 375 indirect jobs through a third-party provider, Fort Worth economic development director Robert Sturns said during a June 16 presentation to the City Council.
Seventy-five of those jobs would have to be created by the end of this year, with 125 more added each year until the end of 2024, Sturns said. The average annual salary for all full-time jobs would have to be at least $43,992.
In exchange, the city would give Ariat a 40% property tax break for nine years and provide a cash grant of up to $212,000 to be paid upon confirmation of job creation and retention for at least three years.
“Texas is one of our largest markets, and we’ve been working in close partnership with local retailers here for almost 30 years,” Schillings said in an email. “A regional distribution center will allow us to offer very high service levels to our local partners and consumers.”
The regional distribution center also will have light manufacturing, Schillings said.
Ariat operates a nearly 8,000-square-foot showroom at the Dallas Market Center. That center opened in March, according to property records.
