
Doing Business Survey »
OVERALL RANKINGS
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
CONSULTANTS COMMENTARY

Eric Stavriotis, Senior Vice President, Strategic Consulting, Jones Lang LaSalle

Scott Redabaugh, Managing Director, Jones Lang LaSalle

Dan Levine, Pricipal, MetroCompare LLC

Kathy Mussio, Managing Partner, Atlas Insight
The fact that FedEx is headquartered in Memphis and operates a super-hub out of that city is another advantage for the state. Given Tennessee's importance as a logistics and distribution center, maintaining and improving the infrastructure is a top priority. "There is a lot of activity through the Tennessee Department of Transportation to keep our road system up-to-date and ahead of the game," says Brock.
One new initiative under way is the development of a new port along the Mississippi River in Lake County. The port will be in close proximity to major interstates including I-40, I-55, and I-69. "We have big plans for that area, and we think this is going to be a major attraction for companies coming into Tennessee," says Brock. That new port is expected to open in spring 2013. Tennessee is already home to the Port of Memphis, which is the second-largest inland port on the Mississippi River and fourthlargest inland port in the United States. It handles more than 16 million tons annually.
Tennessee also has several other initiatives under way to foster business growth. One new program that recently launched is the Select Tennessee Site Certification Program. Tennessee is home to hundreds of potential commercial building sites in various stages of development. The new program is aimed at creating a central database to manage information on available sites, as well as working with communities to get these sites deal-ready certified so new projects are able to move forward more quickly. The database is expected to be up and running by the end of the year. Notably, Tennessee ranked third among the states for its certified sites or shovel-ready programs.
The main goal under Governor Bill Haslam is to attract and create high-wage jobs. "We are putting a significant focus on attracting headquarters, back office operations, and advanced manufacturing," Brock adds.