N.C. Is First Again in Site Selection Magazine's State Business Rankings

Posted 5:57 p.m. Nov 2, 2006 — Updated 5:57 p.m. Nov 2, 2006

RALEIGH, N.C. — For the second year in a row, North Carolina has the country’s best business climate, according to

Site Selection

magazine.

North Carolina has finished first in five of the last six years based on criteria that includes a survey of corporate site selectors and a database of four statistical categories as gathered by the magazine.

The winners were disclosed in Site Selections November issue.

North Carolina has maintained this No. 1 ranking for five out of the last six years, said Governor Mike Easley in a statement. It is further proof that our aggressive economic development efforts are working. Our investments in infrastructure, education and workforce training continue to meet and exceed the needs of companies that choose to locate and expand in our state.

North Carolinas winning of a new campus for Fidelity Investments in Research Triangle Park that will produce 2,000 jobs was also picked as the magazines top incentive deal of the year.

Georgia and South Carolina also fared well in the survey, ranking third and fifth respectively.

Comments from corporate site selectors count for 50 percent of the magazines criteria in ranking states. And North Carolina received numerous positive comments, as Mark Arend wrote in Site Selections article about the rankings. Comments about N.C. included:

"Very simply, it's the ease of doing business, lack of red tape and the cities' and state's willingness to work with you to bring your business there"

"Local and state officials are very accommodating to new and expanding businesses"

"First, energy costs; second, access to labor; third, transportation costs; and fourth, quality of life"

"State support of employers in terms of training and site-selection resources, availability of competent and cost-competitive employees and fair workers' comp regulations"

"Available incentives and responsiveness of government"

"Higher education, labor force, transportation and a friendly business climate"

The top 10 rankings were:

1. North Carolina 2. Texas 3. Georgia 4. Alabama 5. South Carolina 6. Tennessee 7. Florida 8. Arizona 9. Nevada 10. (tie) Indiana 10. (tie) Kentucky

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