< Previous78 MARCH 2025 SITE SELECTION stepped up to combat Biden’s open border policies and protect Texans and Americans. Now, we have a president who will partner with Texas to deny illegal entry and uphold the rule of law at the border. Texas is the economic engine of America, and with a federal government that will secure the border, we will be in an even better position to attract investment, create jobs and keep communities safe. Do you have any workforce development initiatives in mind for 2025 that out-of-state readers should know about? Abbott: More people and businesses move to Texas than any other state. We attract and retain the best and brightest talent from across the nation and around the world. In fact, our labor force today is the largest ever in Texas history. We made signifi cant We are a leading state for biotech, engineering and electrical engineering doctorates. Also, more than 4 million Texans participate each year in our job training and workforce training programs off ered through the state’s workforce system.” — Greg Abbott , Governor of Texas We are a leading state for biotech, Governor Greg Abbott met with Toyota executives and took a tour of the Toyota Commemorative Museum of Industry and Technology in July 2024 in Nagoya, Japan. The meeting was part of a three-nation economic development mission to Taiwan, South Korea and Japan. Photo courtesy of the Offi ce of the Governor SITE SELECTION MARCH 2025 79 progress in aligning our higher education and workforce systems to industry needs. Texas is No. 1 in the nation for Tier 1 research universities, with 16 — more than California and New York. We also are a leading state for biotech, engineering and electrical engineering doctorates. Also, more than 4 million Texans participate each year in our job training and workforce training programs offered through the state’s workforce system. Ensuring Texans are trained for in-demand jobs — like welders, plumbers and electricians — is critical for Texas families and our state’s economy. That’s why I declared career training an emergency item this session so more students can go from graduation directly into good- paying jobs that meet industry needs in their regions. Before my had never achieved this fantastic won it two years in a row! We We made South Dakota an Here initiative, and the nation took note. I am very proud of all South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem An Interview with former SOUTH DAKOTA82 MARCH 2025 SITE SELECTION How is South Dakota’s competitiveness stronger today than when you first became governor? Noem: When I fi rst ran for governor, I saw a state that had been stagnant economically for too long. Our young folks were moving to other states to pursue their careers. I knew we needed to turn that around. And we did. We brought new industries to South Dakota. We made it so that our kids and grandkids could fi nd the career of their dreams right in our state. Over my six years as governor, we averaged the lowest unemployment rate of any state. We even broke the record for lowest unemployment rate in American history. at number represents so much more than a strong jobs market. To me, it means that our kids have opportunities and that our businesses are moving forward. We took action very early on in my tenure to set our state up for 2024 TOP STATES BY PROJECTS PER CAPITA 2024 2023 State Project Rank Rank Name Count 1 1 South Dakota 55 2 2 Illinois 664 3 5 Ohio 565 4 4 Texas 1368 5 3 Kentucky 187 6 9 Kansas 121 7 11 Alabama 193 8 17 Massachusetts 207 9 6 Indiana 188 10 12 Louisiana 117 Source: Conway Projects Database Then-Gov. Noem in October attended a proclamation ceremony at ETRIA’s new joint venture in Mitchell, South Dakota, one of the largest producers of color toner in the nation. Photo courtesy of the Offi ce of the Governor (continued on pg. 86) 82 MARCH 2025 SITE SELECTION84 MARCH 2025 SITE SELECTION 2024 REGIONAL PROJECT RANKINGS BY PROJECTS PER CAPITA Northeast 2024 2023 State Projects Per Million 1 1 Massachusetts 207 29 2 2 Connecticut 63 17.1 3 3 Pennsylvania 200 15.3 4 4 Maine 19 13.5 5 5 New York 231 11.6 6 7 New Jersey 106 11.2 7 6 New Hampshire 9 6.4 8 9 Rhode Island 7 6.3 9 8 Vermont 2 3.1 Region Average 12.6 South Atlantic 2024 2023 State Projects Per Million 1 2 South Carolina 135 24.6 2 4 North Carolina 261 23.6 3 1 Georgia 262 23.4 4 3 District of Columbia 15 21.4 5 5 Virginia 184 20.9 6 6 Delaware 12 11.4 7 7 West Virginia 19 10.7 8 8 Florida 247 10.6 9 9 Maryland 66 10.5 Region Average 17.4 East North Central 2024 2023 State Projects Per Million 1 1 Illinois 664 52.2 2 2 Ohio 565 47.6 3 3 Indiana 188 27.2 4 5 Wisconsin 106 17.8 5 4 Michigan 166 16.4 Region Average 32.2 West North Central 2024 2023 State Projects Per Million 1 1 South Dakota 55 59.5 2 3 Kansas 121 40.7 3 2 Nebraska 42 20.9 4 6 Missouri 121 19.4 5 4 Iowa 58 17.9 6 5 Minnesota 97 16.7 7 7 North Dakota 6 7.5 Region Average 26.1 South Central 2024 2023 State Projects Per Million 1 2 Texas 1,368 43.7 2 1 Kentucky 187 40.8 3 3 Alabama 193 37.4 4 4 Louisiana 117 25.5 5 5 Tennessee 114 15.8 6 8 Mississippi 38 12.9 7 6 Oklahoma 52 12.7 8 7 Arkansas 38 12.3 Region Average 25.1 Mountain 2024 2023 State Projects Per Million 1 2 Colorado 116 19.5 2 3 Arizona 117 15.4 3 1 Nevada 45 13.8 4 7 Utah 44 12.6 5 8 Idaho 22 11 6 5 Wyoming 6 10.2 7 4 New Mexico 19 8.9 8 6 Montana 6 5.3 Region Average 12 Pacific 2024 2023 State Projects Per Million 1 1 Washington 79 9.9 2 2 California 323 8.2 3 4 Hawaii 9 6.2 4 3 Oregon 26 6.1 5 5 Alaska 2 2.7 Region Average 6.6 Source: Conway Projects Database Photo: Getty Images 84 MARCH 2025 SITE SELECTION86 MARCH 2025 SITE SELECTION this achievement. We made historic investments to bring high-speed broadband to every corner of South Dakota. We brought ag development into the Governor’s Offi ce of Economic Development so that we could have a one-stop shop to drive economic growth. We passed fantastic regulatory reforms, like re-writing the process for zoning for CAFOs [Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations]. We supercharged our apprenticeship opportunities and passed several occupational license reforms to make it easier for South Dakotans to work in a trade. In what ways do you want to see the state’s economic development office and the legislature build on what you have accomplished going forward? Noem : I hope they build on our proven success. We proved that freedom works. We don’t just have to talk philosophically about it anymore — we can just look from state to state and see what works and what doesn’t. And I hope that they continue to tell South Dakota’s story. Because we were so aggressive in sharing our message with the nation through the Freedom Works Here campaign, the entire country learned what’s so special about South Dakota. We took a risk, and it paid off big time. Is there a project South Dakota won in 2024 that you consider to be particularly significant? How did the state win the project over other locations? Noem: I want to highlight both a new business and a South Dakota business that made a key expansion. Riverview LLP in Kingsbury County is a new dairy with , to , cows. It’s a nearly $ million investment that will support South Dakota jobs. We won this project because South Dakota has been intentional about supporting I’m proud that we’ve been able to keep our home-grown companies growing and thriving.” — Kristi Noem , Former Governor of South Dakota I’m proud that we’ve been able to (continued from pg. 82) Gov. Noem in October 2024 attended the opening of a new 75,000-sq.-ft. prefabrication facility from Muth Electric in Mitchell. Photo courtesy of the Offi ce of the GovernorNext >