HARRISBURG – Gov. Tom Corbett has announced that a national publication has ranked Pennsylvania among the nation’s top states for new or expanded corporate facilities in 2011.
“I am committed to putting Pennsylvania back on track by creating a pro-business environment that encourages new investment and job growth,” said Corbett. “This new national recognition verifies that we are moving in the right direction.”
Site Selection magazine, a publication specializing in the corporate real estate and economic development field, ranked Pennsylvania third in the nation with 453 new or expanded corporate facilities in 2011 – an increase of over 100 projects from 2010. The ranking is based on new corporate location projects that met at least one of the following criteria: involved a capital investment of at least $1 million; created at least 50 new jobs or added at least 20,000 square feet of space.
Pennsylvania also received recognition for successful projects in metropolitan areas throughout the state. Pittsburgh ranked third in tier-one areas with a total of 141 projects. Three Pennsylvania tier-two metropolitan areas broke the top 10, including the Lehigh Valley with 28 projects, Harrisburg-Carlisle with 27 projects and Scranton-Wilkes Barre with 23 projects. Altoona, Johnstown and Williamsport all finished in the top 10 for tier-three areas.
“When government works with the private sector and our economic development partners to support job-creating projects, the economy grows,” Corbett said. “Growth equals low unemployment, vibrant and prosperous communities and a commonwealth that is built to succeed for generations to come.”
Site Selection, the official publication of the Industrial Asset Management Council, is published six times annually and distributed to over 44,000 executives responsible for site selection and facility planning decisions around the world. The magazine’s 2011 Governor’s Cup has recognized top-performing states for more than 30 years. The rankings are considered a benchmark by corporate real estate analysts.
For more information on the analysis, and the full list of rankings, please visit www.siteselection.com. For more information on the Department of Community and Economic Development, visit newPA.com or call 1-866-466-3972.