Governor: Georgia ranked No. 1 state in U.S. for business

November 03, 2014

Site Selection names Georgia’s business climate ‘best in the nation’ for a second consecutive year

Gov. Nathan Deal announced today that Georgia, for the second consecutive year, has been ranked the No. 1 state in the nation for business by Site Selection magazine, one of the nation’s top economic development trade publications.

“Making Georgia the best state in the nation to do business was a strategic goal I set on day one of my administration,” said Deal. “This time last year, when Site Selection named our state No.1, I vowed that I would work to keep us in that top spot, and that is exactly what we’ve done. Georgia’s business climate has topped that charts multiple times now, and people are taking notice. Not only are more businesses expanding or relocating here, but more people are moving to our state to take advantage of the new job and investment opportunities being created. Receiving this ranking for the second year in a row confirms that what we’re doing here in our state is in fact working.”

The magazine releases its annual rankings each November. Fifty percent of the annual business climate rankings are determined by a survey of corporate site selectors. The other 50 percent is based on an index of seven criteria: performance in Site Selection’s annual Competitiveness ranking; total New Plant Database compliant facilities in 2013; total new facilities in 2013 per capita; total 2014 new projects year to date; total 2014 projects year to date per capita; state tax burdens on mature firms and on new firms according to the Tax Foundation and KPMG Location Matters analysis.

“Our New Plant Database of new and expanding facilities and our annual survey of corporate site selectors have placed Georgia once again at the top of our ranking of state business climates, following a first-place finish in 2013 and Top Five showings the previous five years,” said Site Selection Editor-in-Chief Mark Arend. “Our readers regularly point to Georgia’s workforce training program, Quick Start; the Port of Savannah and Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport and other logistics assets; and its pro-business state leadership and economic development infrastructure statewide as the main reasons they choose Georgia locations.”

Georgia has ranked among the top 10 states in Site Selection’s business climate rankings over the last 10 years including being named No. 1 to the list last year. This year, Georgia’s business climate was also named No. 1 in CNBC’s annual rankings and No. 1 in Area Development’s 2014 rankings.

“Not only does this recognition put a spotlight on the state’s logistics infrastructure, workforce, accessibility to our state through our ports and our pro-business environment, but also the strength of the diverse assets of our economic development partners and communities across the state,” said Commissioner of the Georgia Department of Economic Development Chris Carr. “We are proud of this ranking because it means so much to site selectors and corporate decision-makers who are looking at Georgia.”

Site Selection magazine, published by Conway Data Inc., delivers expansion planning information to 48,000 executives of fast-growing firms. The senior publication in the development field, Site Selection is also available via Site Selection Online. The publication also publishes or co-publishes e-newsletters, including The Site Selection Dispatch, Life Sciences Report, Aerospace Report and Energy Report; Site Selection International; The FDI Report; Trust Belt.com and the OnSITE Travel blog.