By Christina Rexrode
crexrode@charlotteobserver.com
Posted: Monday, Nov. 03, 2008

For the fourth year in a row, North Carolina was named the state with the best business climate by Site Selection, an economic development magazine.

The magazine bases the rankings on surveys and on quantitative and qualitative factors that companies consider when deciding where to expand or relocate. Mark Arend, the magazine's editor in chief, said readers were impressed by North Carolina's incentives, low taxes and economic development team. “I would add to that list the governor's commitment to retooling the state's workforce, which companies in some key industry sectors took advantage of this year,” Arend said.

Those companies include Spirit AeroSystems, which announced this spring that it plans to open a manufacturing plant at the N.C. Global TransPark in Kinston; GE Hitachi Nuclear Energy Americas, which announced in April that it plans to add 900 jobs over the next five years as it expands its 1,600-acre Wilmington campus; and Tessera Technologies., which announced plans in March to expand its Charlotte facilities, investing $30.6 million and creating 185 jobs.