Virginia is the proud new owner of three—yes three—top national business rankings all at once.
We were notified last night that Virginia reclaimed its “Best State for Business” title for the fourth straight year. This latest accolade comes on the heels of No. 1 rankings from Pollina Corporate Real Estate and CNBC. Never before has a state held top business climate rankings by all three of these reputable business brands at one time.
We’ve always been proud of our accolades, but we’re especially proud to achieve such a feat when economic times are tough.
Virginia was the only state ranked in the top 20 in each of the six categories examined in the Forbes.com survey. The Commonwealth finished in the top three in half of those categories—taking the lead in the quality of life ranking, second place in the regulatory environment ranking and third in labor issues.
Top U.S. corporation site relocation expert Pollina Corporate Real Estate ranked Virginia its “No. 1 Pro-Business State” in June after examining job retention and creation by all 50 states and the federal government. Virginia also held the top spot in the Pollina study in 2003 and 2007. The Commonwealth ranked second from 2004 to 2006 and third in 2008.
CNBC’s July best-in-the-nation validation was based on a range of factors, from workforce quality to broadband infrastructure, and reaffirms that "Virginia has what it takes to emerge from an economy turned upside down." Virginia also received CNBC's top ranking in 2007 and was ranked second in 2008.
If the Commonwealth can perform this well in a recession, imagine the possibilities.