![Top States for Doing Business](https://www.areadevelopment.com/images/states/top-states-12.jpg)
2012
1. Texas
2. South Carolina
3. Georgia
4. Alabama
5. North Carolina
6. Louisiana
7. Tennessee
8. Indiana
9. Mississippi
10. Oklahoma
2011
1. Texas
2. Georgia
3. Alabama
4. South Carolina
5. Indiana
6. Louisiana
7. North Carolina
8. Tennessee
9. Mississippi
10. California
2010
1. Tennessee
2. Texas
3. South Carolina
4. Alabama
5. Georgia
6. Indiana
7. Mississippi
8. North Carolina
9. Virginia
10. Oklahoma
overall business environment
1. Texas
2. South Carolina
3. Alabama
4. Louisiana
5. North Carolina
NEXT BEST
Indiana, Mississippi,
Georgia, Tennessee, Oklahoma
COST OF DOING BUSINESS
1. Texas
2. Alabama
3. South Carolina
4. Louisiana
5T. Indiana
Mississippi
North Carolina
NEXT BEST
Tennessee, Arkansas, Georgia, Florida,
Oklahoma, Virginia
CORPORATE TAX ENVIRONMENT
1. Texas
2. Nevada
3T. Florida
South Dakota
4. Alabama
5T. South Carolina
Virginia
NEXT BEST
Indiana, Wyoming
INCENTIVES PROGRAMS
1. Texas
2. Louisiana
3. South Carolina
4T. Alabama
Georgia
5. Oklahoma
NEXT BEST
Indiana, Florida, Mississippi, North Carolina, Ohio, Tennessee
CORPORATE STATE GOVERNMENT
1. Louisiana
2. South Carolina
3. Alabama
4. Texas
5. Indiana
NEXT BEST
North Carolina, Mississippi, Tennessee, Georgia, Oklahoma, Arizona
SPEED OF PERMITTING
1. Texas
2T. Alabama
Mississippi
South Carolina
3T. Georgia
Louisiana
ACCESS TO CAPITAL & PROJECT FUNDING
1. Texas
2. California
3. North Carolina
4. Massachusetts
5T. New York
Ohio
Overall labor Climate
1. Georgia
2T. North Carolina
South Carolina
3. Alabama
4. Texas
5. Louisiana
NEXT BEST
Michigan, Mississippi, Florida, Oklahoma, California, Indiana, Arizona
Availability of Skilled Labor
1. Michigan
2. Texas
3T. California
North Carolina
4. Ohio
5. Georgia
NEXT BEST
New York, Massachusetts,
Indiana, Virginia, Arizona, Illinois, New Jersey
Competitive Labor Costs
1. Alabama
2. South Carolina
3. Mississippi
4. Georgia
5. North Carolina
NEXT BEST
Texas, Arkansas, Florida, Tennessee, Kentucky
Leading Work Force Development Programs
1. Georgia
2. South Carolina
3. Louisiana
4T. Alabama
North Carolina
5. Oklahoma
NEXT BEST
Florida
OVERALL INFRASTRUCURE & GLOBAL ACCESS
1. Tennessee
2. Georgia
3. South Carolina
4T. Indiana
Texas
5. Illinois
NEXT BEST
North Carolina, Ohio, Alabama, Kentucky, California
Rail & Highway Accessibility
1T. Illinois
Indiana
2T. Georgia
Ohio
Texas
3. New Jersey
4T. California
Missouri
Tennessee
Certified Sites or Shovel-Ready Programs
1. South Carolina
2. North Carolina
3. Tennessee
4. Alabama
5. Indiana
NEXT BEST
Georgia
Competitive Utility Rates
1. South Carolina
2T. Alabama
Mississippi
Tennessee
3. Georgia
4T. North Carolina
Oregon
5T. Kentucky
Washington
NEXT BEST
Utah
Distribution/
Logistics Hub Access
1. Tennessee
2. Illinois
3T. Georgia
Texas
4T. California
Indiana
5. Ohio
Washington
NEXT BEST
Kentucky, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Virginia
1. Texas
2. Louisiana
3T. Indiana
North Carolina
4T. Georgia
Michigan
5T. Florida
Ohio
Oklahoma
South Carolina
Virginia
NEXT BEST
California, Tennessee
![](https://www.areadevelopment.com/AuthorImages/id88954_stavriotis.jpg)
Eric Stavriotis, Senior Vice President, Strategic Consulting, Jones Lang LaSalle
![](https://www.areadevelopment.com/AuthorImages/id54158_Redabaugh.png)
Scott Redabaugh, Managing Director, Jones Lang LaSalle
![](https://www.areadevelopment.com/AuthorImages/id77608_Dan-Levine.jpg)
Dan Levine, Pricipal, MetroCompare LLC
![](https://www.areadevelopment.com/AuthorImages/id22169_KathyMussio.jpg)
Kathy Mussio, Managing Partner, Atlas Insight
Consultant voting also placed Texas first for its overall business environment, including its cost of doing business, corporate tax environment, incentives programs, speed of permitting, and access to capital and project funding. Its top ranking for incentives programs is a tribute to its Texas Enterprise Fund (TEF), a "deal-closing" fund that helps secure big job-creating projects for which locations in other states are also competing. This program has invested almost $500 million to bring new projects to Texas, which represent about 63,000 jobs and more than $20 million in capital investment. Recently TEF awarded $1.9 million to HID Global Corporation, an identity protection firm, to build a new manufacturing facility and distribution center in Austin.
There is also the Texas Emerging Technology Fund (TETF), which has invested about $200 million to fund nearly 150 early-stage companies that represent emerging industries such as alternative energy, IT, and electronics. For example, the TETF recently awarded $250,000 to Rebellion Photonics to manufacture an innovative leak-detection device for the chemical/petrochemical industries and will provide up to $2 million to Vapogenix to develop non-opioid analgesics for pain management during minor surgical procedures.
"Texas continues to compete for - and win - new expansion projects and relocations from some of the most notable names in the most notable industries in the world," says Governor Rick Perry. "These include Caterpillar, the world's largest producer of construction and mining equipment; Toyota, which has greatly increased its presence in San Antonio; and Samsung, which has invested billions in expanding its semiconductor facility in Austin." These and other key industries such as advanced manufacturing and technology, aerospace and defense, biotechnology and life sciences, information and computer technology, petroleum refining, and energy continue to attract strong foreign direct investment - which is why Governor Perry received fDi magazine's inaugural 2012 Governor's Award. The award is given to the governor most successful in attracting new business investments to his or her state.
"I am proud of our state's accomplishments and honored to receive this award," says Governor Perry. "I will remain committed to upholding principles, like low taxes, restrained spending, reasonable spending, and a fair legal system."