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Area Development - Site Selection, Facility Planning and Workforce Development

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.

Q3 2020
It is fitting the top eight states also rank in the top ten for having cooperative and responsive state government. Effective public-sector engagement is critical to consultants and business leaders alike. When evaluating investment and job-creation decisions, companies place considerable value on speed, accuracy, efficiency, and comprehensiveness from state (and local/regional) economic development representatives.

Unsurprisingly, states in the bottom quartile received no votes in this category. While all categories in the survey are important, if a state, region or community wants to improve its reputation for economic development, I recommend a focus on providing best-in-class collaboration and responsiveness. As someone who has been on both sides of the table, I can promise it goes a long, long way.

TOP STATES FOR DOING BUSINESS 2020

  1. 1. Georgia
  2. 2. Tennessee
  3. 3. South Carolina
  4. 4. Texas
  5. 5. North Carolina
  6. 6. Alabama
  7. 7. Indiana
  8. 8. Virginia
  9. 9. Ohio
  10. 10. Florida
  11. 11. Mississippi
  12. 12. Louisiana
  13. 13. Utah
  14. 14. Arizona
  15. 15. Kentucky
  16. 16. Michigan
  17. 17. Missouri
  18. 18. Oklahoma
  19. 19. New York
  20. 20. Illinois

Individual Categories

Overall Cost of Doing Business

  1. 1. Georgia
  2. 2. Texas
  3. 3. Tennessee
  4. 4. South Carolina
  5. 5T. Indiana
  6. 5T. North Carolina
  7. 7T. Alabama
  8. 7T. Mississippi
  9. 9. Utah
  10. 10. Virginia

Business Incentives Programs

  1. 1. Georgia
  2. 2. South Carolina
  3. 3. Tennessee
  4. 4T. Alabama
  5. 4T. Mississippi
  6. 6. Texas
  7. 7. Virginia
  8. 8T. Ohio
  9. 8T. Louisiana
  10. 8T. North Carolina

Access to Capital & Project Funding

  1. 1T. New York
  2. 1T. California
  3. 3. Texas
  4. 4. Massachusetts
  5. 5T. Georgia
  6. 5T. Illinois
  7. 7T. North Carolina
  8. 7T. Florida
  9. 9. Ohio
  10. 10. Colorado

Competitive Labor Environment

  1. 1. Georgia
  2. 2. North Carolina
  3. 3T. Tennessee
  4. 3T. Texas
  5. 5. Indiana
  6. 6. Alabama
  7. 7T. South Carolina
  8. 7T. Utah
  9. 9. Virginia
  10. 10. Ohio

Workforce Training Programs

  1. 1. Georgia
  2. 2. Louisiana
  3. 3. Alabama
  4. 4T. Virginia
  5. 4T. South Carolina
  6. 6T. Tennessee
  7. 6T. North Carolina
  8. 8. Ohio
  9. 9T. Kentucky
  10. 9T. Indiana

Energy Availability & Costs

  1. 1T. Georgia
  2. 1T. Tennessee
  3. 3. North Carolina
  4. 4. Texas
  5. 5.
  6. 6T. Alabama
  7. 6T. South Carolina
  8. 8T. Indiana
  9. 8T. Mississippi
  10. 8T. Louisiana
  11. 8T. Kentucky

Logistics & Infrastructure

  1. 1. Georgia
  2. 2. Texas
  3. 3. Tennessee
  4. 4. Indiana
  5. 5. Ohio
  6. 6T. South Carolina
  7. 6T. Virginia
  8. 8T. Florida
  9. 8T. Illinois
  10. 10. Missouri

Site-Readiness Programs

  1. 1. Tennessee
  2. 2. Georgia
  3. 3. North Carolina
  4. 4. South Carolina
  5. 5. Indiana
  6. 6. Alabama
  7. 7T. Virginia
  8. 7T. Ohio
  9. 7T. Michigan
  10. 10. Texas

Available Real Estate

  1. 1. Georgia
  2. 2. Texas
  3. 3. Tennessee
  4. 4. North Carolina
  5. 5T. Alabama
  6. 5T. Indiana
  7. 5T. Ohio
  8. 8. South Carolina
  9. 9T. Florida
  10. 9T. Mississippi

Cooperative & Responsive State Government

  1. 1. Georgia
  2. 2. South Carolina
  3. 3. Tennessee
  4. 4. North Carolina
  5. 5. Indiana
  6. 6T. Alabama
  7. 6T. Virginia
  8. 8. Mississippi
  9. 9T. Texas
  10. 9T. Arizona

Corporate Tax Structure

  1. 1. Florida
  2. 2. Texas
  3. 3. Tennessee
  4. 4. Georgia
  5. 5. Nevada
  6. 6. South Dakota
  7. 7. North Carolina
  8. 8. South Carolina
  9. 9T. Indiana
  10. 9T. Ohio

Favorable Regulatory Environment

  1. 1. Georgia
  2. 2T. Tennessee
  3. 2T. South Carolina
  4. 4. Texas
  5. 5. Alabama
  6. 6. Indiana
  7. 7. North Carolina
  8. 8. Mississippi
  9. 9T. Virginia
  10. 9T. Louisiana

Speed of Project Permitting

  1. 1. Georgia
  2. 2. Alabama
  3. 3. South Carolina
  4. 4. Tennessee
  5. 5. Mississippi
  6. 6. Louisiana
  7. 7T. Texas
  8. 7T. Indiana
  9. 9. North Carolina
  10. 10T. Virginia
  11. 10T. Utah
  12. 10T. Arizona
  13. 10T. Missouri

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