The Lone Star State was once again ranked as having the best business climate in the United States.
Site Selection magazine concluded that Texas deserved the number one spot after assessing 14 individual metrics, including a survey of corporate real estate executives and site selectors, the tax climate, and infrastructure, reported the Dallas Business Journal.
“I wanted to move to Texas for the business-friendly reasons… It’s very dynamic and so positive, the whole attitude with businesses coming in, the workforce you have here and the technology access. We knew we were going to come here and find a tech workforce easy to obtain,” said Archer Review CEO Dr. Karthik Koduru about moving his company from Illinois to Texas.
Site Selection is not the only publication to recognize the Lone Star State. In June, The Dallas Express reported that Business Facilities magazine awarded Texas the “Best Business Climate” in the nation, also for the second straight year.
Georgia scored second on the latest Site Selection ranking, followed by North Carolina.
Raymond Garfield, chairman and co-founder of Dallas-based Garfield Public/Private LLC, praised the state for its exceptional infrastructure, advanced telecommunications, and one of the busiest airports in the country.
“Texas’ location on the Gulf of Mexico enables it to excel in the shipment of goods. Texas has led the United States in state export revenues for over two decades and boasts more oil refineries than any other state, including the nation’s largest refinery — Marathon on Galveston Bay,” said Garfield.
Not only local business owners praise the state. Last year, JPMorgan CEO Jamie Dimon highlighted the state’s strong business climate, pointing to Texas’ robust infrastructure, education, and lower taxes.
“That’s how you build a healthy, vibrant society,” Dimon said at the time, reported The Dallas Morning News.
“And so, we’re urging [business leaders and city officials] here not to become like Washington, D.C., which does almost everything it can to slow down the growth of companies,” Dimon added.
Koduru likens the atmosphere in Dallas to that of Silicon Valley.
“A lot of restaurants are full in the evenings, with people basically discussing business… It’s a different thing: You’re having fun, but discussing ideas. There’s a vibe of startup culture San Francisco has always had, but it’s being seen in Dallas these days,” said Koduru.