Top States for Business
Recent Features
Editor’s Note: Thriving at the Intersection of Change
2023 Top States Workforce Development Programs
Having a workforce with the right skills is an integral part of being a Top State for Doing Business — that’s why training programs are so important.
Editor’s Note: Workforce Stats Paint a More Optimistic Picture, Although Challenges Remain
Industry is still being challenged by low unemployment and the e-commerce surge among other concerns but is continuing to spend on new facilities and “to think outside the box” when it comes to fulfilling workforce needs.
2023 Top States Commentary: Southern and Midwest States Provide Businesses with Important Resources
Access to training programs as well as incentives for automation are helping companies meet their workforce needs in the top-ranked states.
2023 Top States Commentary: The Importance of Speed to Market
A balanced regulatory, permitting, and cost structure allows companies to get up and running and get their products to market quickly.
2023 Top States Commentary: A Sustained Focus on Positive Business Climate Makes the Difference
Multiple agencies in the top-ranked states have developed, implemented, and maintained programs facilitating capital investment and job creation.
2023 Top States Commentary: Top-20 States Demonstrate Success in Winning Projects
The top ranked states are leveraging their assets and positioning themselves for future economic development success.
2023 Top States Commentary: Site-Readiness Programs Position a State for Success
Significant due diligence gives site selectors the confidence to move forward on development.
2023 Top States Commentary: Top-Ranked States Have What It Takes to Win Mega Projects
Training programs, water and real estate availability, and competitive utility rates are among the factors helping the top states to land billion dollar EV and semiconductor projects.
2022 Top States Workforce Development Programs
Companies across industry sectors are having trouble finding all the talent they need, which makes workforce development programs even more vital as a location factor.
2022 Top States Commentary: Site Selection – When You Are Good, You Win!
The states that consistently rank as “top states” understand what companies are looking for in a location and have a plan that responds to the economy of the future.
2022 Top States Commentary: Education, Training, and Quality of Life Reflected in State Rankings
It’s not surprising that states ranking in the top five spots have strong educational and workforce training systems as well as high quality of life.
2022 Top States Commentary: Georgia’s Logistics & Infrastructure Attributes Contribute to Its No. 1 Ranking
Its logistical strengths and supply-chain technology leadership are among the reasons consultants ranked Georgia as the No. 1 state for doing business.
2022 Top States Commentary: Responsiveness to Projects Big — and Small — Lands a Core Group of States on Top
States that embrace site-readiness initiatives and understand workforce training are among those considered top states for doing business.
The 2021 Top States for Doing Business Reflect Their Locational Advantages
Despite the economic uncertainty of the last year, plenty of companies continue to grow, and with growth comes the need to expand and explore new locations. The “Top States” in which to locate represent the general views of our expert panel of site consultants, with Georgia ranking #1 for the eighth year in a row.
2021 Top States Commentary: Pandemic Accelerates Pre-Existing State Trends
Pro-business tax structures, responsive state governments, workforce training programs, and site-readiness programs are allowing top-ranked states to hold their positions.
2021 Top States Commentary: Location Strategies Altered by the Pandemic, But Not Results
Although both the location advisors and economic developers have had limited project experiences during this past year, the 2021 results align with what we have seen in past years.
2021 Top States Commentary: Commonalities Shared by the Top-Ranked States
Responsive economic developers, clearly defined property solutions, and minimization of risk and cost put states on consultants’ top-10 list.
2021 Top States Commentary: A Look Behind the Rankings
While the top states overall remain consistent year-over-year, a deep dive into the data shows some interesting movement in the rankings.
2021 Top States Commentary: Auto Industry Projects Driving Top-Ranked States
Their pro-business environments — with skilled labor, top workforce training programs, competitive utility rates, fast permitting processes, and more — have propelled states across the South to be ranked highly for auto-related and other projects.
2021 Top States Commentary: Top Ranked States Hold Their Positions
Despite increasing competition between states because of rising wages and a lack of ready-to-go sites, the top ranked states have remained consistent year over year.
2020 Top States for Doing Business Showcase Their Pro-Business Environments
Despite changes brought by the COVID-19 pandemic, the states across the South seem to have all their ducks in a row when it comes to attracting business.
2020 Top States Commentary: Best-in-Class Responsiveness
Effective collaboration with and responsiveness from state/regional/local economic developers is highly valued by consultants and business leaders alike.
2020 Top States Commentary: A Premium on Skills and Training
States having competitive labor markets also have highly regarded training programs.
2020 Top States Commentary: Partnering, Innovating, and Listening!
The top ranked states continue to innovate and, importantly, they listen in order to adopt policies that reflect changes in the business world.
2020 Top States Commentary: Lower Business Costs, Decreasing Regulations
A hyper focus on creating business-friendly environments with less burdensome regulations has helped several states move up in the rankings.
2020 Top States Commentary: Long-Term Economic Development Policies-Constants in a Changing World
Companies making expansion and relocation decisions seek consistent and predictable economic development policies, an attribute responsible for the same states receiving a top rank over many years.
2020 Top States Commentary: Workforce Training, Utility Partners, and Incentive Programs
Having strong utility partners, along with outstanding workforce training programs and incentive programs, has led to top rankings for the Southeast States.
2020 Top States Commentary: Investment in Workforce Training and Site-Readiness
While workforce training is a paramount concern, investing in site-readiness is also critical to meeting client needs and is an attribute of the top ranked states.
2020 Top States Commentary: Significant Port Access
Access to fast-growing word trade is important to industry, and three of the top five ranked states claim significant ports.
2019 Top States for Doing Business: Georgia Ranks #1 Sixth Year in a Row
The top-ranked states have landed on the radar of today’s site selection consultants because of their low business costs, generous incentive programs, and competitive labor environments, among other probusiness advantages.
2019 Top States for Doing Business Commentary: Southern States Continue to Lead the Pack; Midwest Gains Ground
Although strong economic development teams and business-friendly policies have helped to draw companies to the Southern States, all states must continue to adapt to the changing site selection environment.
2019 Top States for Doing Business Commentary: Long-Term Perspective Shows Southern States as “Go-To” Places for Business
It can be said that shared reasoning garnered through client collaboration, as well as recent experience gained through working on location projects with the various states, validates the results of the most recent Top States survey.
2019 Top States for Doing Business Commentary: States with Improved Economic Development Policies Rise to the Top
Once implemented, changes in economic development policies take many years to achieve the desired results, but the survey rankings show that such changes are having the desired effect.
2018 Top States for Doing Business: Georgia Ranks #1 Fifth Year in a Row
Competitive labor environments and leading workforce development programs, low taxes and utility costs, favorable regulatory environments, and cooperative state governments are among the top-ranked states’ pro-business attributes.
2018 Top States for Doing Business Commentary: Can Trailing States Catch the Southern Coastal States Leading the Pack?
Those states not rated highly by the responding consultants have an opportunity to create policy to get on the leader board, but the implementation timeline must be longer than any incumbent political administration in order to achieve meaningful results.
