Awards & Rankings

Memphis and New Orleans continue their domination of logistics categories while Houston leads in renewable energy and Youngstown is tops in export growth.

We’re marking the 10th anniversary of our annual rankings festival by doing what we do every year: refining our rankings criteria to give you the most meaningful benchmarks of state and metro performance.

In this year’s Metro Rankings Report, we’ve taken note of the crucial role exports are playing in the Recovery for many locations by charting their success in two of our rankings categories, Exports Growth Leaders and Exports Recovery Leaders. We've also included our Global Rankings within this story.

The burgeoning high-tech industry in Austin has made Texas the second-largest semiconductor job market after California, while public-private partnerships in Baton Rouge spur initiatives in new high-growth sectors.

In a new category, Tennessee emerged as the top-ranked state for education and Alabama came out as number 1 for automotive manufacturing strength in Business Facilities' 10th Annual Rankings Report.

For its Economic Growth Potential ranking, Business Facilities considers state business climate, availability of skilled workforce, incentives and education climate, among other criteria.

The magazine's Best Business Climate ranking evaluates an amalgamation of key rankings results (including education, workforce training/availability, cost of labor, infrastructure, utility costs, credit rating and business tax climate).

Nearly 17,000 new jobs and more than $4.4 billion in capital investment came to Alabama in 2013.

Developers can maximize cost credits up to 40 percent for projects in Paterson, Passaic, Trenton and Camden.

Report best bets: San Francisco top city for 2014; industrial sector becomes favored investment property type.

Boston earns top honors in a new report ranking 34 of America's largest cities on their efforts to cut energy use and costs; all cities have opportunity to save more.

Our 9th annual report card of the state, metro and international pecking order features more than 50 rankings categories, including new energy rankings and a close look at which locations are maintaining/upgrading critical infrastructure. From the July/August 2013 issue.

Mobile, Youngstown and Shreveport also made our top 10 with dynamic new growth sectors thriving alongside traditional manufacturing.

The rising tide of jobs in the Lone Star State is an across-the-board phenomenon, as six Texas towns two-step into our top 10.

New Orleans, Newport News (VA), Baltimore and Philadelphia are standouts in our Logistics Leaders (Ports) category.

China's triumph is clouded by a WTO ruling against the PRC's subsidies of its solar panel industry.

The overall shape of U.S. infrastructure remains dismal, but these states are doing something about it.

WA, CA, OR top the field in Renewable Energy, while VT, RI, DE have the smallest carbon footprint.

The Digital Journal reports, "Business Facilities, a national publication focused on site selection and economic development, began releasing the results of its 9th Annual Rankings Report on July 22, 2013. According to BF Editor in Chief Jack Rogers, several states -- including Texas, Louisiana, North Dakota, Washington and Utah -- deserve a shout-out for their overall performance in the magazine's 2013 state rankings."

The DailyAMReport on businessreport.com announces, "Louisiana has the second-best business growth potential in the country and the fourth-best overall business climate, according to Business Facilities’ 9th Annual Rankings Report."

The Volunteer State is still out front in our annual auto sweepstakes, but two surging contenders are laying down markers for next year's contest.

The Lone Star State has another impressive across-the-board showing in our annual evaluation, with oil-rich ND surging into the top tier.

As the global financial system continues to mend, venture capital is beginning to flow back into the biotechnology sector. In Europe, the largest biomed players are thriving, while entrepreneurial biotech start-ups gain traction in the U.S. From the March/April 2013 issue.

With their number one and two rankings, Switzerland and Singapore maintain their top spots while the U.S. drops to seventh. Sep 5, 2012 @ 1:47 PM

It's time for our annual exercise, separating wheat from chaff in the fertile fields of development. As always, our rankings point to growth potential. But in a struggling economy, we're also giving extra credit for real jobs. From the July/August 2012 issue

A well-rounded location choice for business in general, the Old Dominion offers a competitive edge for new and expanding companies looking for technological advantages. From the July/August 2012 issue

We congratulate all of the top-ranked locations in the 8th Annual Business Facilities Ranking Report. We invite readers to find out about these accomplishments and recognize the winners. From the July/August 2012 issue

The Bayou State surges to the top of our annual assessment of Economic Growth Potential, edging out last year's number one, Virginia.

For the third consecutive year, the Volunteer State has topped our annual assessment of Automotive Manufacturing Strength, followed by a fast-rising Kentucky.

Restarting the Engine for European Growth: Spillover effects are traveling back and forth between emerging and advanced economies.

Gov. Gary Herbert is well on the way to hitting his target of 100,000 jobs in 1,000 days, unveiling several new high-wage projects in growth sectors. From the May/June 2012 issue

Spillover effects are traveling back and forth between emerging and advanced economies. From the May/June 2012 issue.

The Lone Star State puts the Recession in the rear-view mirror and continues its relentless economic growth spurt by adding more jobs than any other state over the past 10 years. From the March/April 2012 issue.

Business Facilities deploys its growth detector and tells you which states are leading the battle for economic development supremacy.

Find out which metro regions, cities have embraced a new growth paradigm requiring them to be smarter, faster and make the best use of their resources.

Our annual look at the international standings reveals an established order giving way to a strong challenge from emerging economic giants.

Texas cities proliferate as Job Growth Leaders in Business Facilities' 2011 Metro Rankings Report.

Wichita, KS repeats as the top aerospace manufacturing hub in Business Facilities 2011 Metro Rankings Report.

With a red-hot oil boom, North Dakota heads the Employment Leaders category in Business Facilities' 2011 State Rankings Report.

The Volunteer State again tops the chart in Automotive Manufacturing Strength in Business Facilities' 2011 State Rankings Report.