Business View Magazine
3
Bedford’s population began to grow again slowly after
World War II, because of the construction of nearby
military bases and defense plants, and the opening
of the Bedford Boys Ranch, a home for wayward boys
aged ten to fourteen. By 1970, the town had more
than 10,000 residents and in 1974, the Boys Ranch
became the town’s biggest park. The decade of the
1970s saw the establishment of an industrial park,
shopping centers, and restaurants, as well as the
completion of the nearby Dallas-Fort Worth Inter-
national Airport. The population increased to some
20,800 in 1980 and about 44,000 in 1990, with 400
businesses. Today, Bedford is home to approximately
47,000 residents and 1,800 businesses.
“One of the things that we pride ourselves on in the
City of Bedford is the very business-friendly orienta-
tion,” says Jim Griffin, Bedford’s current Mayor. “We
try to work very hard to cultivate new business growth
and expansion in our city. One example of that is the
largest Harley Davidson dealership in Texas, top five
in the nation - Adam Smith Harley-Davidson. They
have built a 70,000 square-foot showroom and facility
that’s going to be the catalyst for a project that we’re
embarking upon here called ‘Bedford Commons,’ a
re-development of about 40 acres that’s going to be
a combination of residential living units, restaurants,
and business opportunities.”
AT A GLANCE
WHO:
Bedford, Texas
WHAT:
A suburban city of 47.000
WHERE:
Located between Dallas and Ft. Worth
WEBSITE
:
