Georgia’s dominance in all things Site Selection continues. The state has been named by Site Selection Magazine as the number one state for ‘Best Business Climate.’ This ranking is separate from Site Selection’s state rankings, of which Georgia also frequently is in the top 5. The surveys focuses on site selection experts and those actually making the decisions of where to create new jobs and invest capital.
“Georgia’s recognition as the No. 1 state for Best Business Climate by Site Selection is a testament to our partnership approach to job creation and economic growth,” said Governor Brian Kemp. “Our world-class workforce, strategic investments in infrastructure, and business-friendly policies continue to attract companies from around the world and create opportunities for hardworking Georgians in every community.”
The Georgia Department of Economic Development (GDEcD) noted the state has also been recognized by Area Development Magazine as the number one state for business for 11 years running. The two rankings recognize a number of factors, like workforce readiness, available training programs, costs of living and other factors that lead to a business-friendly environment (incentives likely rank high as one of the other factors). Atlanta has also been named as the number three city for best corporate headquarters, behind Dallas and Charlotte, and ahead of the upstart Nashville.
“The South has a logistics and infrastructure advantage that has always made them attractive for projects like those that Global Location Strategies work,” said Tess Fay, principal and vice president of location intelligence for GLS. “Coupled with a relatively low-cost environment and relatively favorable business policies, they continue to be top of mind for many of our clients. From my perspective, key differentiators include economic development infrastructure and inventory availability. States like Tennessee and Georgia stand out for their state, utility and regional economic development organizations, which foster a collaborative partnership with location advisory firms.
When asked the three most important factors in determining a friendly business climate, respondents replied workforce, state and local tax policy and cost of living ranked as the top three. Incentives, quality of life and worker training programs also ranked highly. Georgia was noted as being particularly collaborative, creating an environment of problem-solving rather than obstacles.
“What is unique about earning the No. 1 state for Best Business Climate is that the recognition comes from the experts who are working directly with companies throughout the site selection process,” said GDEcD Commissioner Pat Wilson. “Their votes directly reflect the work of our Georgia General Assembly and economic developers in every corner of the state to maintain a collaborative approach to economic development that benefits companies and communities alike.”
