Leppert's Still Sending Companies Those iPhones. If Nothing Else, It's "Great Marketing."

By Robert Wilonsky Wed., Dec. 22 2010 at 12:33 PM

Categories: City Hall

Rudy beat me to it, but for those wondering to whom Mayor Tom's been sending those come-to-Dallas iPhones, well, The Oregonian found one lucky recipient: Tim Boyle, the president and CEO of Columbia Sportswear. And while Boyle has no interest in moving his HQ outta the Pacific Northwest, why, he most certainly does appreciate the gesture -- not to mention the mayor's moxie: "I called the mayor and told him, 'Great marketing.' It certainly got my attention."

Writes The Oregonian's Anna Griffin, why, Mayor Tom's a genius. An "evil genius," to be precise.

Since September 2009, Leppert's staff has mailed personalized, Dallas-ized iPhones to top executives at large, U.S. companies as part of a broader effort to attract more corporate headquarters to Dallas. He's targeting 500 or so companies he and his staff think should consider relocating to Texas' second-largest city, not necessarily corporations actively looking to swap zip codes. Most are in New York, New Jersey or California.

Leppert's sales pitch is the same for all: Come to Dallas and enjoy lower taxes -- including no personal income tax -- a more forgiving regulatory climate, easy access to either coast and what is fast becoming one of the most cosmopolitan cities in the United States.

"We can make the case for just about anyone who does business," said Leppert, a first-term Republican who has taken such non-Tea Party stances as supporting a taxpayer-funded convention center hotel. "I know Oregon is beautiful, but we can boast about our good quality of life, too."

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