Once again, Site Selection magazine has selected Georgia as the top state for doing business.
Governor Brian Kemp made the announcement in a press conference Thursday morning, noting that Georgia broke its own record by earning top business climate honors for the eighth consecutive year. Georgia becomes the only state to earn the distinction eight times in a row.
“I’m so proud that Georgia has earned this top business distinction for a record-setting eight years, and it is an honor to accept this award from Site Selection magazine,” Kemp said. “Our top-notch workforce development programs and pro-business environment, along with our strong logistics infrastructure, have further solidified the Peach State as the best place in the nation to live, work, raise a family, and start or grow a business. I thank our partners in both the public and private sectors, our world-class economic development team, and the hardworking Georgians throughout the state who helped us beat our own record with this unprecedented achievement.”
The announcement presentation followed a tour of Bridgestone Golf’s headquarters and research and development facility in Covington, where the Governor was also presented with golf balls stamped with the “No. 1 State” artwork to commemorate the occasion.
Site Selection magazine is an internationally circulated business publication covering corporate real estate and economic development. The publication’s rankings are 50% based on an index of seven criteria and 50% on the input received from a survey of independent site location experts who are asked to rank states based on their recent project experiences. This year, Georgia shares the top ranking with North Carolina, which missed tying Georgia in 2019 by just two points.
In a survey published with the rankings, workforce skills were the most important criteria to site selectors for the fifth consecutive year, with workforce development programs coming in second place. Transportation infrastructure, ease of permitting and regulatory procedures, along with state and local taxes completed the top five issues of importance to the process.
President and CEO of Bridgestone Golf Dan Murphy hosted Governor Kemp, First Lady Marty Kemp and members from both the Georgia Department of Economic Development (GDEcD) and Site Selection magazine. The event also highlighted Bridgestone Golf’s 30th anniversary in Covington. The Georgia Made™ company employs nearly 160 Georgians and has continued to make new investments in research and development. Earlier this week, Bridgestone re-signed Tiger Woods and Bryson DeChambeau to long-term contract extensions, which includes DeChambeau significantly increasing his involvement in Bridgestone’s R&D processes for developing new golf ball technology. Both golfers are competing in this week's Masters Tournament in Augusta.
Site Selection magazine joins Area Development magazine in naming Georgia the top state for business for 2020 – the eighth and seventh consecutive year, respectively, that both publications have awarded Georgia the top ranking. Earlier this week, Governor Kemp also shared that Georgia remains on a record pace for economic development investments and job creation in the state during fiscal year 2021, increasing investments by 56% and jobs by 45% compared to the same timeframe last year.
