While bad economic news continues to dominate headlines, Tennessee received a pat on the back for its economic development work today. The state won the 2007 Competitiveness Award from Site Selection magazine.
Tennessee has won before. Alabama took first last year. Economic Development Commissioner Matt Kisber says the top ranking is an indication that Tennessee is well-positioned for the future.
“Companies are looking beyond this downturn and they are looking at when the economy turns, where will their investments take place and where will their success be based.”
Editors of the business relocation magazine use hard figures on how many jobs and how much investment was attracted per capita to rank states. They also listed the most effective changes in the state that have led to bring in outside business. The editors credit Tennessee reforming workers comp, which brought down costs to employers, and the new 72-hour response time to requests from companies interested in incentives.
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