Gov. Easley Announces Site Selection Magazine Ranks State Top in Nation for Best Business Climate

Gov. Mike Easley today announced that North Carolina, for the second consecutive year, has been named the state with the “Top Business Climate” by Site Selection magazine. It is the fifth time in the last six years the state has received the magazine’s top ranking.

“North Carolina has maintained this No. 1 ranking for five out of the last six years,” said Easley. “It is further proof that our aggressive economic development efforts are working. Our investments in infrastructure, education and workforce training continue to meet and exceed the needs of companies that choose to locate and expand in our state.”

Site Selection, one of the nation’s premier magazines for economic development, based its rankings on performance in several areas including new or expanding projects and new plant performance from 2003 through 2005. The magazine’s “Top Business Climate” rankings, released in the November edition, are based half on results of a survey of corporate site selection executives and half on measures of new plant activity tracked by Site Selection. The magazine also cited North Carolina’s strong business climate rankings in a number of other publications.

North Carolina ranked first in the survey of corporate site selection executives. These executives, according to Site Selection Editor Mark Arend, praised North Carolina’s business climate.

“Very simply, it’s the ease of doing business, lack of red tape and the cities’ and state’s willingness to work with you to bring your business there,” a Maryland corporate real estate manager told the magazine. “Labor supply, economic incentives, universities and intellectual resources, fast permitting, climate and access to capital,” were praised by a Massachusetts based corporate real estate manager.

The article naming North Carolina as No. 1 can be found on line at http://www.siteselection.com/