Texas Tops In Business Climate, Virginia Wears Cyber Crown

Texas has the Best Business Climate, Virginia is tops in Cybersecurity Leaders, Louisiana leads in Workforce Development/Talent Attraction in Business Facilities' 16th Annual Rankings Report.

Texas is the state with the Best Business Climate and Virginia tops the chart of Cybersecurity Leaders in Business Facilities’ 16th Annual Rankings Report, released this week.

Texas, BF’s 2019 State of the Year, adds to its unmatched portfolio of top awards and rankings from the magazine, including a record four State of the Year (SOTY) awards.

“Texas has established its hegemony in an impressively diverse array of growth sectors. A rapidly expanding skilled workforce, solid infrastructure, readily available renewable energy and a vibrant innovation ecosystem are just a partial list of the must-haves TX puts on the table for corporate site selectors,” BF Editor in Chief Jack Rogers said.

“If that’s not enough to beat the competition, our friends in Texas will see your offer and raise it with lucrative incentives. When the governor reaches for the big chips in the Texas Enterprise Fund, it’s usually time for the other folks in the game to fold ‘em,” Rogers added.business climate cyber

Virginia, which has taken a leadership position in cloud computing and cybersecurity, edges out Texas this year as the top-ranked state in BF’s Cybersecurity Leaders ranking.

“Virginia has everything it needs to defend our cyber crown for years to come,” Rogers said. “VA has established itself as the data center capital of the known universe, with a digital infrastructure second to none. Its institutions of higher education are training the next generation of cybersecurity professionals.”

“It also doesn’t hurt to be home to the HQ of the military-industrial complex,” Rogers added.

BF is changing the name of its flagship workforce development ranking to Workforce Development/Talent Attraction in the 2020 State Rankings Report, but — no matter what we call it — the leader in this category hasn’t changed in more than a decade.

“Louisiana Economic Development’s FastStart program remains our gold standard for customized workforce development and talent attraction,” Rogers said. “Nobody is faster at adapting new technologies and the tools needed to recruit and train a skilled workforce in today’s highly competitive market.”

Business Facilities is a national publication that has been the leading location source for corporate site selectors and economic development professionals for more than 50 years.

The complete 2020 BF Rankings Report includes state, metro and international rankings.

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