Birmingham News -- Tuesday, November 06, 2007
THE ISSUE: Alabama keeps improving how it goes after new industries and businesses, according to a national magazine.
German steelmaker ThyssenKrupp has broken ground on a $3.7 billion steel mill north of Mobile. Mercedes-Benz, Honda and Hyundai are manufacturing vehicles in three locations around the state. Kia will be doing the same just across the Alabama border in Georgia soon, but it's Alabama getting the biggest share of car parts suppliers.
Those are a few of the more glitzy examples of how well Alabama has done and is doing in attracting new businesses, but one doesn't have to search hard to find other examples.
There's no doubt Alabama officials are at the top of their game in making the state's business climate among the best in the nation - and they're only getting better. Site Selection magazine ranks Alabama's 2007 business climate No. 5 in the country. That's up three places from last year's rankings. But what does the ranking mean? Well, compare Alabama with states with seemingly good reputations in attracting industry and businesses: California is 24th. Minnesota is 22nd. Oregon, Arizona and Utah didn't make the top 25.
Alabama is one of several Southeastern states doing well in Site Selection's rankings. Mississippi ranks 17th, South Carolina is 10th and Florida is ninth. Georgia is second, while the top state, for the third straight year, is North Carolina. Texas ranks No. 3 and Virginia is No. 4.
Making it into the Site Selection magazine top five is impressive. The rankings are not arrived at through some complicated mathematical formula. Instead, the states are ranked based on a survey of corporate real estate decision-makers and actual project activity.
The criteria the real estate experts considered included the available work force in a particular location, the ease of permitting and overall regulation, an area's tax structure, prices for construction and supplies, incentives, higher education resources and union activity.
The rankings also factor in a state's elected leadership. Alabama landed ThyssenKrupp earlier this year because Democrats and Republicans in the Legislature put aside their differences to approve an incentives package pushed by Gov. Bob Riley.
That was one of the few bright spots in the Legislature this year, but it was a very bright spot. With this top business climate ranking in Site Selection magazine, there's no doubt Alabama is wide open for business.