North Carolina #1 for business | Editorial

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. —

This is a streak I can get behind. Just like last year, CNBC has again ranked North Carolina as the top state for business.

Back-to-back years with big wins like the $458 million biomanufacturing plant being built in Greensboro among them, are the chief drivers of the recognition. But so too are our neighbors. Looking at individual components, the Tar Heel state ranks first in workforce for its talent and scope of skill.

But inside this ranking exist threats to a three-peat. The state is judged on 10 individual components, and while several rank at the top like workforce or near the top like economy where we were number 3 and education at number 7, North Carolina fell 10 spots to 38th in the country for life, health, and inclusion.

This encompasses important quality of life issues like access to health care and insurance, violent crime statistics, and diversity and inclusion in our schools and workforce. These things matter to the decision-makers choosing between North Carolina and the other 49 states.

So, take a victory lap around Jones Street and the Governor's mansion, but remember, the eyes of the business community are on us. It only takes one bad headline or bill to stall the economic engine chugging across the Tar Heel State.

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