ATLANTA — Georgia has been named the No. 1 state for business for 10 straight years by a magazine called Area Development.
Gov. Brian Kemp made the announcement Tuesday afternoon with other state leaders at his side, including former Gov. Nathan Deal. Area Development notes that the rankings are based on 14 categories that are examined by consultants in the industry.
The categories the panel examined in the survey include workforce training programs, the cost of doing business, the competitive labor market, business incentive programs, and others. The state had No. 1 ratings in seven of the 14 areas.
"We continue to rank highly in logistics and infrastructure, with the Department of Transportation maintaining a reliable network of highways and the Georgia Ports Authority stepping up to meet the challenges of an ever-evolving supply chain while connecting Georgia companies to global markets," he said. "Our energy availability and costs also receive top marks."
The governor claimed during his news conference that some reports in the past have regarded the accomplishment as one coming from a "small niche outlet." However, Kemp proudly stated that "the proof is in the numbers."
"Since we've first received the No. 1 for business ranking 10 years ago, over 343,650 new jobs have come to Georgia -- and those are just the projects the state played a role in," Kemp said.
While the Area Development list places the state at the top for business, some other surveys and outlets have also placed Georgia near the top. Earlier this year, CNBC released a report positioning the state at No. 4 for business. It fell behind North Carolina, Virginia, and Tennessee. The methodology of CNBC's scores is based on 86 metrics in 10 categories of competitiveness. They examine everything from workforce, infrastructure, the economy, and other areas.
And in August, Forbes highlighted the best states for business growth citing research by a consulting firm. It reported that Venture Smarter looked at labor statistics data to come up with the list, where Georgia landed the No. 1 spot.
In reference to the Area Development recognition, Kemp thanked Georgians for contributing to the state's success.
"They're the ones that wake up early every morning tending to Georgia farms, to research and develop advances in technology and engineering, to build our roads and our highways and to manufacture and assemble Georgia-made goods and vehicles, to operate the cranes at our ports that are moving record amounts of goods, to teach the next generation of workers and so much more," he said. "We are proud of all of them."
"Today we celebrate this great achievement," Kemp said as he closed his remarks. "Tomorrow, we go back to work."
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