Some communities are doing well, some are turning things around, some still have an uphill battle ahead of them. And this points to perhaps the biggest problem with our approach to rural economies: we lump all rural places into the singular “rural America” bucket.More
Steve Kaelble, Staff Editor, Area Development (Q3 2020)
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.More
Effective collaboration with and responsiveness from state/regional/local economic developers is highly valued by consultants and business leaders alike.More
Chris Schastok, Vice President, Economic Incentives Group (EIG), CBRE, Inc. and Eric Stavriotis, Executive Vice President, Advisory & Transaction Services, CBRE (Q3 2020)
States having competitive labor markets also have highly regarded training programs.More
Christopher D. Lloyd, Senior Vice President and Director, Infrastructure and Economic Development, McGuireWoods Consulting (Q3 2020)
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.More
Bob Cook, Senior Vice President, Latin America, Site Selection Group, LLC (Q3 2020)
Having strong utility partners, along with outstanding workforce training programs and incentive programs, has led to top rankings for the Southeast States.More
Jason Hamman, President and Founder, The Hamman Consulting Group (Q3 2020)
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.More
Steve Kaelble, Staff Editor, Area Development (Q2 2020)
While the current COVID-19 crisis may put some development on “pause,” our annual Shovel Awards recognize states that garnered large job-creating and investment projects over the course of the previous year.More
Located at the epicenter of the nation’s tech industry, the Pacific region also benefits from a wealth of agricultural and natural resources as well as its locational advantages.More
Growth and collaboration mark the economic development picture in the Plains States, which have joined forces to compete against other more populous regions.More
Mark Crawford, Staff Editor, Area Development (Q4 2019)
Low business costs are drawing businesses to Kentucky, as the state also tries to equalize opportunity in its rural areas through Opportunity Zone incentives.More
South Carolina’s business-friendly environment is drawing new businesses that can take advantage of its longstanding workforce training program to fulfill their needs.More
Steve Kaelble, Staff Editor, Area Development (Q3 2019)
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.
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Lindsey Cannon, Director, Quest Site Solutions (Q3 2019)
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.More
Mark Crawford, Staff Editor, Area Development (Q3 2019)
Through its infrastructure upgrades and workforce development initiatives, Louisiana is drawing investment from both traditional and advanced technology companies.More
Les Cranmer, Senior Managing Director, Savills and Art M. Wegfahrt, Corporate Managing Director, Savills (Q3 2019)
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.More
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.More
Oklahoma seeks to capitalize on recent growth by continuing to diversify its economy, upgrading its educational system, and strengthening its brand.More
Steve Kaelble, Staff Editor, Area Development (Q2 2019)
While e-commerce was creating thousands of jobs across the nation last year, high-profile, diverse projects in the manufacturing, information technology, financial services, energy, and other sectors were also making news.More
Geraldine Gambale, Editor, Area Development Magazine and Steve Kaelble, Staff Editor, Area Development (Q3 2018)
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.
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Von Hatley, Managing Director, Jones Walker Consulting, LLC (Q3 2018)
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.More
Favorable business tax climates and competitive labor environments — as well as aggressive utility economic development programs — have helped the Southern States to come out on top.More
Steve Kaelble, Staff Editor, Area Development (Q2 2018)
The state of Texas continues to gain accolades for its pro-business environment, which is sustained by its skilled workforce, low taxes, favorable regulatory environment, and deal-closing funds among other attributes.More
Rich Forslund, Executive Vice President, Colliers International (Q2 2018)
Across the Midwest, new life is being breathed into old industrial facilities that are becoming home to IoT incubators, office space, and other mixed-use development.More
Mark Crawford, Staff Editor, Area Development (Q3 2017)
The top-ranked states have committed to adding value as economic development leaders and problem-solvers, characteristics that are recognized by consultants to industry.More
Eric Stavriotis, Executive Vice President, Advisory & Transaction Services, CBRE and Gabe Kennedy, Research Intern, CBRE (Q3 2017)
Shovel-ready sites, in concert with a cooperative state government and fast permitting time, have created an ideal project backdrop in the southern markets.More
Gregory Burkart, Managing Director and City Leader, Site Selection & Incentives Advisory , Duff & Phelps, LLC (Q3 2017)
The Top States rankings reflect the practicality of working real projects in these states because their economic development organizations work hard to win and locate projects.More
Brian Corde, Managing Partner, Atlas Insight (Q3 2017)
Shovel-ready sites, speed of permitting, and workforce development programs put the South in the lead, but taking availability of existing talent into account may have place more populous states higher in the rankings.More