Wisconsin Ranked 10th-Best U.S. State for Business for 1st Time Ever

WISCONSIN — For the first time in its 13-year history of ranking business-friendly U.S. states, the State of Wisconsin has climbed into C.E.O. Magazine's top ten.

"Wisconsin’s rise into the top 10 of Chief Executive’s '2017 Best States for Business' has been the steadiest ascension in the rankings over the past five years—and one of the most deliberate," C.E.O. Magazine reported.

“[Governor Walker’s] done a tremendous job of communicating to the world that Wisconsin is open for business,” Anthony Pratt, CEO of Pratt Industries, which recently decided to place a new box-manufacturing plant in Beloit, Wis., told Chief Executive. “And on a macro level he’s done a great job of bringing down costs in Wisconsin.”

Another recent haul for Wisconsin was the first North American plant for Haribo, the giant German confectioner that chose a site in Pleasant Prairie, Wis., just north of the Illinois border. “This location offers us access to talent, flexible supply opportunities and exceptional community support,” said Keith Danoff, vice president of marketing for Haribo America to C.E.O Magazine.

“We have worked hard to get Wisconsin out of the worst states for business and into the top 10 best states in the country,” Governor Walker said. “We did it by cutting taxes, putting the power back in the hands of Wisconsin workers, and enacting common sense conservative reforms. At a time when Wisconsin is joining the best states for business, we cannot afford to go backward by increasing taxes on Wisconsin families. We want Wisconsin to stay inside the top 10 best states for business.”

C.E.O. Magazine reported that the number of graduates in STEM fields within the the University of Wisconsin System has been steadily growing since 2009. A total of 7,325 undergraduate and 1,620 graduate degrees in STEM fields were conferred by the UW system in 2015, compared to 5,153 undergraduate and 1,241 graduate degrees in 2009.

C.E.O. Rated Wisconsin with the following marks:

5.77 out of 10 in Taxation and Regulation

7.10 out of 10 in Workforce Quality

7.33 out of 10 in Living Environment

Right to Work? YES

Here's what C.E.O. Comments were during the judging:

Wisconsin is improving due to state leadership, still has a way to go. Workforce is limited due to aging population not replaced well by births and tendency for college kids to leave after college…but many return.

Walker, controversies, cronies, and policies are killing opportunities in the state.

Both Ohio and Wisconsin are becoming more business-friendly and are willing to help businesses get established while supporting critical worker training.

Wisconsin still has high taxes but under Gov. Walker it is getting much better.

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