Fort Worth considering incentive for AI supply chain company in the West 7th district

Fort Worth is considering giving a supply chain company up to $847,500 to set up shop in the West 7th entertainment district.

Nevada-based ITS Logistics is looking for a space to house an operation center for its new ContainerAI platform. The technology uses artificial intelligence to streamline the shipping process and help companies lower costs and avoid late fees.

It is looking at an office space in the One West 7th building at 2859 Crockett St., and the city of Fort Worth is considering offering grant money to help the company get settled in.

ITS Logistics already operates an over 1 million square foot distribution center just north of the BNSF terminal in far north Fort Worth.

The proposed grant package would require the company to invest at least $1 million to renovate the office space, and commit to hiring at between 250 to 339 employees each earning a minimum salary of $100,000.

The grants are tied to the number of jobs the company creates. It has to hire a minimum of 250 people, but every employee after that earns the company $2,500 in grants until it hires employee number 339.

At least 30% of those employees need to be Fort Worth residents, and 15% of the construction costs for the renovations need to go to city certified business equity firms. These are companies in which at least 51% of the ownership are Black, Hispanic, Asian, Native American or women.

If ITS Logistics meets these commitments, the city would dole out the grant money over three years.

City Councilmember Elizabeth Beck, whose district includes West 7th, framed the incentive as part of the city’s larger mission to “re-imagine what West 7th looks like,” speaking at a council work session Tuesday.

The area has gained attention for a number of high profile shootings including TCU student Wes Smith who was killed in September 2023. The city has taken a number of steps including changing zoning rules to limit the spread of nightclubs, and working with property owners to form a special taxing district to pay for safety improvements.

“To have the types of businesses, the restaurants, that we want, we have to have the people go into those, and that really takes daytime traffic” Beck said, adding that companies having office space in West 7th is a good way to support the positive changes coming to the area.

ITS Logistics is one of the fastest growing companies in the United States, according to the online business magazine Inc.com. It helps companies manage their shipping needs coordinating between shipping, trucking and train travel across both state and international borders.

The city council is expected to vote on the incentive package at its May 14 meeting.