E-Mail
Print
"Louisiana has taken a very aggressive, targeted approach to improve its business climate over the past five years," says Area Development magazine, and "Those efforts are clearly paying off."
Louisiana's ranking in the 2012 "Best States for Doing Business" survey is truly remarkable says Michael Hecht, President and CEO of Greater New Orleans (GNO) Inc. The state earned #4 in Overall Business Environment, #4 in Cost of Doing Business #5 in Labor Climate and #6 for Best State for Doing Business.
The state also earned extremely high marks in five other areas, but what's most impressive says Hecht is Louisiana's top ranking as the most Cooperative State Government in the country. "In a slew of categories this is a totally new Louisiana, a totally new greater New Orleans. And really our greatest challenge now is getting this word out, getting this word out to the CEOs around the country, getting the word out to the employees around the country that Louisiana has had more than a comeback, but I think a total revolution in business climate vs. where we were in August of 2005. It's really a great testament to the hard work of many, many people since Katrina."
Hecht says crime is the number one thing standing in the way of the area's continued economic growth.
Louisiana ranks sixth overall among the Top States for Doing Business. Texas is number one.
Leading economic development magazine Area Development's 2012 "Best States for Doing Business" survey of national site selectors, and Louisiana has posted its best showing ever:
- #1 in Cooperative State Government (best of 50 states in the U.S.)
- #2 in Incentives Programs
- #2 in Economic Recovery
- #3 in Leading Workforce Development Programs
- #3 in Speed of Permitting
- #4 in Overall Business Environment
- #4 in Cost of Doing Business
- #5 in Labor Climate
- #6 Best State for Doing Business
This is a remarkable set of top-10 votes for Louisiana from national economic development consultants Hecht says.
