Both sides of the political aisle are taking credit today as CNBC announced North Carolina as the top state for business in the country. CNBC credited the workforce, economy and business friendly environment for the honor.
The CNBC study measures states across 10 categories of competitiveness. Weights are assigned to each category based on how frequently states cite it as a selling point. States can earn a maximum of 2,500 points, and North Carolina scored 1,614 to take the top spot.
House Speaker Destin Hall noted that this is the third time in four years the state made the top states list. Governor Josh Stein gave credit to former Governor Roy Cooper and legislators in both parties.
“We’ve taken a deliberate approach to fostering a business-friendly environment—grounded in policies that reduce barriers to entry, promote competition, and encourage investment and growth,” Hall said in a press release. “Being ranked number one for business yet again is just the latest example of the successful reforms implemented in North Carolina by the Republican-led General Assembly.”
“This confirms what we have known for a long time – that North Carolina is the best state in the country for business,” said Stein. “Our people, state’s business climate, top research universities and excellent community college system, infrastructure, and high quality of life help both companies and workers thrive. I want to thank leaders like former Gov. Roy Cooper and state legislators of both parties who have helped North Carolina create a welcoming climate. I am proud of the progress our state has made, and we are just getting started.”
“This recognition reflects our relentless commitment to building a competitive, welcoming, and dynamic economy that creates opportunity for everyone,” said N.C. Commerce Secretary Lee Lilley. “From our world-class workforce to our strategic investments in infrastructure, education, and innovation, North Carolina continues to lead the way as a place where businesses thrive, and communities prosper. We share this success with all of our partners across the public and private sectors and look forward to building on this momentum.”
“North Carolina’s recognition as the best state for business for the third year in the last four is a testament to an economic development strategy that relies on the power of partnerships,” said Christopher Chung, CEO of the EDPNC. “Our strength lies in our ability to connect companies with the workforce, infrastructure, sites, industry ecosystems, and innovation resources needed to support their growth, as well as a business-friendly environment that’s especially valuable in times of economic uncertainty. From one of the nation’s top community college systems and the nation’s oldest public university to our modern transportation networks and robust utility capacity, North Carolina is built for growth.”
Since January, the state has announced $17 billion in new capital investment statewide, which will eventually result in 20,000 new jobs, potentially contributing to the creation of 100,000 other new jobs.
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