YesVirginia Business Blog

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.

We were just as excited this week to get the news as we were in 2007—the first time CNBC labeled Virginia with its Top State for Business title.  Anytime an independent, third-party source validates your message, it’s better than you saying it about yourself. It’s especially rewarding when it comes from a credible, well-respected source like CNBC.

So what difference does it make, really? Being tagged “the best” or “No. 1” brings awareness to executive decision makers and differentiates the Old Dominion from other states—especially on the global stage. Economic development is a highly competitive process and accolades like CNBC’s Top State for Business, Forbes.com’s Best State for Business and Pollina Corporate Real Estate’s No. 1 pro-business ranking (you like how we worked those in there, right?) set us apart from our competitors. The fact that multiple sources keep reaffirming Virginia’s business friendliness, great tax and regulatory climate, and strong education system make the findings even more significant.

No. 1 rankings also make for great marketing material. You better believe we take advantage of Virginia’s leadership standing every chance we get. It’s front-and-center on all of our marketing materials. It is weaved into every talking point we’ve written. And if we had the marketing budget, it would be on every ink pen, coffee mug and office trinket we could get it printed on.

Why not? After all, it’s true. But don’t take a ranking’s word for it. Go straight to the source at YesVirginia.org or call us at (804) 545-5600