Wyoming ranks fifth for progressive pro-business policies

CHEYENNE – Pollina Corporate Top Ten Pro-Business States 2006: America’s Economy In The 21st Century study ranks Wyoming fifth in the nation for its progressive pro-business policies that result in job growth.

The study, which evaluates state and federal economic development policies, was unveiled today at the Manufacturing Week trade show in Chicago. The top ten states, in order, are: South Carolina, Virginia, South Dakota, North Carolina, Wyoming, Georgia, Florida, Maryland, Alabama and Kansas.

Wyoming advanced to fifth in comparison to its sixth place in 2005. The Top 10 Pro-Business States study attributes Wyoming’s high ranking to being a right-to-work state with no personal or corporate income taxes and having low operating costs for business.

“Wyoming’s economic development program is innovative in the services it provides to companies of all sizes and the communities that support them,” said Mark Willis, director of the Business and Industry Division of the Wyoming Business Council. “And perhaps equally important, the state knows how to stay out of the way when it is appropriate, allowing the flexibility required to be successful in today’s global business environment.”

The report praises Wyoming for its “pro-business policies that result in job growth,” which helps it create a “conducive business atmosphere,” said Dr. Ronald R. Pollina, the study’s author.

“While many of the overseas job losses are inevitable, a surprising number of jobs can be kept in the US if we follow Wyoming’s example and make the right efforts to work with businesses,” said Pollina, who is president of Pollina Corporate Real Estate.

The study is limited to factors over which state government has control. The study ranks states based on many factors, including: taxes, human resources, right-to-work legislation, energy costs, infrastructure spending, workers compensation legislation, jobs lost or gained, incentive programs and state economic development departments. Pollina Corporate Real Estate, Inc. is a corporate site relocation firm. The company has done the Top Ten Pro Business Study since 2004.

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