Top 10 State Economic Development Web Sites

by Jennifer LeClaire

Busy decision makers expect instant information these days, making the Web arguably the number one site selection tool.

While all southern states have a Web presence, SB&D has found a few economic development sites that are standouts. To derive our "Top 10," we looked at each Web site through the eyes of a site selector. Our list includes the most user-friendly, visually appealing sites that excel at delivering quality, up-to-date information.

So, next time you're online, be sure to check out these great resources:

Virginia Economic Development Partnership
(www.yesvirginia.org)

One visit to YesVirginia.org and you'll see why it's among the best. The site is intuitive with strategically placed information on key industry sectors. Relocations and expansions are prominent, showing which companies recently said "yes" to Virginia and why. The site is broken up into four key components: corporate locations, international trade, site selection tools, and an interactive database that allows you to conduct a side-by-side comparison of Virginia with other states.

West Virginia Development Office
(www.wvdo.org)

West Virginia's site touts governmental cooperation from the get-go with a letter from the governor on the home page. It also gives the "Top 10 reasons to locate your business in West Virginia" and offers layer upon layer of helpful information about everything from small business to international business. This site also offers great community stats and quality of life details.

Mississippi Development Authority
(www.mississippi.org)

Mississippi's site has a high-tech look that's easy to use. Visit this site and you'll find information about the Advantage Mississippi program, breaking economic development news, and a "Doing Business in Mississippi" section that's perfect for site selectors. The Web site also features a search engine and links to resources across the state.

Arkansas Department of Economic Development
(www.1800arkansas.com)

Arkansas' main page includes the latest economic news and a pull-down menu of "Quick Links." You can peruse these links to learn more about unique programs like "e-Match," a publication for manufacturers' excess equipment, materials and capacity. Site selectors can also search through available buildings and industrial sites, community and county profiles, and customized training coordinators, as well as a wealth of downloadable reports.

Enterprise Florida
(www.eflorida.com)

The Enterprise Florida site is well designed to attract international investment. Flags bordering the home page allow visitors to choose their language translation. This site is a gold mine of information that makes the business advantages abundantly clear. From eflorida.com, you can also sign up for a customized monthly e-newsletter with topics you select.

The Kentucky Cabinet for Economic Development
(www.thinkkentucky.com)

Kentucky's site is clear, straightforward, and extremely easy to navigate. It offers plenty of research and statistics as well as a concise "Top 10 Reasons to Locate or Expand in Kentucky" list. In multiple language translations, visitors can access monthly newsletters, strategic plans, white papers, cabinet programs, and a wealth of other data.

Maryland Department of Business & Economic Development
(www.choosemaryland.com)

Choosemaryland.com is visually appealing and features beautiful photos. Content ranges from an orientation to the state to the various aspects of doing business, business assistance, and available buildings and sites. You can also hear testimonials from Maryland companies and access live Internet support.

Texas Economic Development
(www.tded.state.tx.us)

Texas' Web site touts Toyota's decision to land in the state and offers a special section geared to auto suppliers. Also, a quick link menu with dozens of departments connects visitors with virtually anything they need to know about doing business in the Lone Star State. The site also features a search capability and streaming video testimonies from Texas companies.

Economic Development Partnership of Alabama (EDPA)
(www.edpa.org)

EDPA's Web site is sleek and modern. This site is designed to provide true "one-stop" shopping for any company considering Alabama. Focus areas include: available properties, community and metro-area profiles, quality of life, business climate, taxes and incentives, education data, labor and training, and transportation. Especially strong is the "additional links" section, which connects you with an amazing number of Alabama resources including local economic development groups, private-sector resources, government offices and much more.

Louisiana Economic Development
(www.led.state.la.us)

Louisiana's site is well organized and up-to-date. It features a state overview, information on industry clusters in the Bayou State, and scrolling news. The state's many tax and incentive programs are also clearly outlined here. From this site, you can even "esubscribe" to receive personalized email updates of Louisiana's economic development news.

It's All the Rage and It's LIVE!
www.SouthernAutoCorridor.com

The new www.SouthernAutoCorridor.com is steering the automotive industry to the world's third largest economy.

Why? Because the South is "where it's at" for auto companies. The last four major U.S. auto assembly plants have landed in the South. Eighty-five significant automotive deals were announced in 2003 alone and much more activity is promised in the next two decades.

SouthernAutoCorridor.com is stepping up to the plate as a leading industry resource with insightful information about the South's advantages and opportunities. Along with news headlines and profiles of preferred southern sites, SouthernAutoCorridor.com also offers details on each southern state. This includes: an overview of the auto industry in that state, incentives, top auto companies, best plant assembly and supplier sites, and important contacts.

Want to know which states are Right-to-Work? Need more info on the history of auto-making in the South? Want to find out which suppliers are up and running? Need to find out how you can save millions by locating in the South? SouthernAutoCorridor.com is the ticket to in-depth analysis of auto industry opportunities in the 17 southern U.S. states.