GOV. EASLEY ANNOUNCES NORTH CAROLINA RANKED THIRD-BEST STATE FOR BUSINESS
CEOs Cite State’s “Superior Living Environment” in Magazine Survey

RALEIGH – Gov. Mike Easley today announced that North Carolina has been named the state with the third-best business climate by Chief Executive magazine, a trade publication for top corporate executives. 

The Chief Executive ranking is the latest in a string of accolades for the state.  North Carolina has also been cited by Site Selection magazine as the state with the top business climate six of the last seven years and first in the Southeast in attracting new industrial plants; by the accounting firm Ernst & Young for having the lowest business tax burden in the nation; by Forbes Magazine as the third best state for business; and by Development Counsellors International as having the second-most favorable business climate among the 50 states.

“These rankings confirm that North Carolina is the place to be,” said Easley. “Corporate executives know our state is listening to them and we know what they need to succeed. We are investing in education to provide a skilled workforce, making regulation and permit procedures clear and reasonable and offering a low state and local tax burden.  All these, plus our outstanding quality of life, make our state the top choice for companies looking to grow.”

Chief Executive’s “Best & Worst States” survey was conducted earlier this month.  It asked 605 top executives to evaluate their states on a broad range of issues including proximity to resources, regulation, tax policies, education, quality of living and infrastructure.  North Carolina received an “A-” for its superior living environment and a “B+” both for its taxation and regulation policies and workforce quality.

“Overall, the message CEOs are sending is that over-taxed and over-regulated states are not conducive to the health of their businesses,” said Ed Kopko, CEO and publisher, Chief Executive Group.  “This is the message they’ve been communicating since our poll started in 2005.”

Chief Executive magazine describes itself as a “leading source of intelligence” for and about CEOs. With a readership of 42,000 top executives, the magazine provides ideas, strategies and tactics to build more effective organizations. Its readers include the CEOs of major corporations around the world. 

 The article can be found at http://www.chiefexecutive.net/ME2/dirmod.asp?sid=&nm=&type=Publishing&mod=Publications%3A%3AArticle&mid=8F3A7027421841978F18BE895F87F791&tier=4&id=825A023151814D3080CA036D026E6E69.