Site Selection magazine has given Louisiana its highest-ever ranking on an annual listing of the nation’s best states for business climate.
“Louisiana jumps from sixth place last year to second in 2014 in the overall ranking, surpassing North Carolina (third place) and Texas (fourth)—the two states that have battled for first place in the Top Business Climate ranking for much of the past decade,” says the magazine, which is published by Conway Data Inc. and delivers expansion-planning information to more than 48,000 executives of fast-growing firms. “The entire Southeast remains the region to beat, with nine of the top 10 states calling the region home.”
Site Selection compiles its overall rankings from a number of smaller category rankings. Among the more notable rankings, Louisiana is No. 2 for new plant announcements per capita between January and August of this year, and No. 4 for competitiveness. Its overall score of 633 trails No. 1 Georgia by just 38 points. Gov. Bobby Jindal highlighted the achievement in a news release this morning, noting that the state now has been ranked in the top 10 nationally on the Site Selection list for fifth straight year. Prior to that, the highest Louisiana ranked was No. 25.
“For too long, Louisiana languished on the sidelines of site-selection competitions. But the extensive business climate reforms we’ve enacted since 2008, working with the Legislature and our regional and local partners, have dramatically changed the playing field,” Jindal says in a news release. “Today, Louisiana stands at the forefront of states that are the best prepared to help businesses expand, relocate, invest and create jobs.”
Read the full story and see the complete Site Selection rankings.
