Louisiana’s business climate continues to shine across the nation.

The Bayou State was ranked second in Site Selection magazine’s list of the states with the best business climates. That’s the highest ranking our state has ever received in the magazine’s annual survey; Louisiana was named sixth in 2013.

This is also the fifth year in a row Louisiana has ranked in the top 10. Georgia has received the top designation for the past two years.

The report looks at a number of factors, including a survey of executives and announced economic development projects.

Gov. Bobby Jindal said in a statement that he is encouraged by the high ranking.

“Today, Louisiana stands at the forefront of states that are the best prepared to help businesses expand, relocate, invest and create jobs,” Jindal said.

There’s no doubt Southwest Louisiana is a big contributor to the state’s recognition with its $77 billion in announced capital investments, including Sasol’s investment of $16 billion-$21 billion. In addition, enrollment at Sowela Technical Community College is at an all-time high, and the state is investing in a new $20 million trade and crafts center to train workers. McNeese State University has also added two degree concentrations in chemistry.

And that’s not all Southwest Louisiana has going for it.

In September, the Associated General Contractors of America reported Lake Charles had a 27 percent increase in construction employment — the highest among the nearly 340 metro areas surveyed by AGC. The metro area grew from 10,600 construction jobs in July 2013 to 13,500 in July 2014, the time period surveyed by AGC. Louisiana saw an increase of seven percent, or 9,000 new construction jobs, with a total of nearly 140,000 statewide.

The Cheniere Energy LNG export facility in Johnson Bayou and the Golden Nugget Casino Resort are two of the largest construction projects in the region with a combined construction workforce exceeding 5,000 workers.

And the 2014 Louisiana Manufacturers Register, a database issued by Manufacturers’ News Inc., said the 5,218 manufacturers in Louisiana have just over 200,000 employees. Oil and gas extraction saw a 6.3 percent employment gain, the largest for any industrial sector, according to the report. The 26,244 jobs in oil and gas extraction boosted its position to first in the state, above chemicals (25,892) and industrial machinery (25,223).

These next few years are going to be a time of transformation for Southwest Louisiana. We’ve always known Louisiana is a great state to live in. It’s nice to know others think so, too.(MGNonline)