Alabama Selected as One of Top Three States in the Nation for Doing Business

MONTGOMERY—Governor Robert Bentley today announced that Alabama has been selected as one of the top three states in the nation for doing business, according to a survey of site selection consultants released today.

 

Area Development, a leading publication covering site selection and facility planning, announced the results of its 2011 Top States for Doing Business survey. Alabama was the number three site selection choice.  The state also tied for first place in incentive programs and was number two for labor costs and workforce development programs.

 

According to the results, the top ten states for doing business are Texas, Georgia, Alabama, South Carolina, Indiana, Louisiana, North Carolina, Tennessee, Mississippi, and California.

 

“Alabama has a unique blend of excellent sites, quality infrastructure and incentives that make us attractive to companies throughout the world,” said Governor Robert Bentley. “These consultants have recognized what we knew all along. Alabama is the best place in the nation to open or expand a business.”

 

Area Development asked a select group of highly respected location consultants who work with a nationwide client base to name their top-5 state choices in 12 site selection categories, as follows:

 

Business environment

1. Overall cost of doing business

2. Incentives programs

3. Business friendliness

4. Corporate tax environment

 

Labor climate

1. Labor availability

2. Labor costs

3. Work force development programs

 

Infrastructure/global access

1. Rail & highway accessibility

2. Certified sites & shovel-ready programs

3. Competitive utility rates

4. Access to global markets

 

Economy

1. Leading in the economic recovery

 

States were ranked in each of the 12 categories above based on the number of times they were named as a “top-5” choice by the responding consultants. Next, a top-5 state’s ranking in each of the 12 categories was assigned a weight in accordance with its position in these individual categories. Based on these total weighted scores, Texas significantly led all other states as the consultants’ #1 choice for doing business, followed by the states listed above. The top-5 states based on weighted scores were each mentioned in at least 8 of 12 categories.

 

Alabama Development Office (ADO) Director Greg Canfield said consultants are currently looking at sites across Alabama for potentially large and smaller projects. He said several are on the cusp of being announced.

 

“Today, it is more critical than ever to have all of the issues surrounding a site tied up and ready to go before the consultant calls you. We can’t be successful without preparation, vision and teamwork,” said Director Canfield. “Teamwork is critical to what we do. Our partnerships with economic development groups at the state, county, and local levels give us a strategic advantage to compete for these projects.”

 

A full review of this year’s Top States for Doing Business is presented in the Fall 2011 issue of Area Development and is posted online at http://www.areadevelopment.com/top-states.