(Lincoln, Neb.) Today, Governor Dave Heineman congratulated the Department of Economic Development for being named one of the Top Five 2014 State Economic Development Organizations in the United States. The Department of Economic Development (DED) earned a No. 4 ranking in the inaugural study by Pollina Corporate Top 10 and American Economic Development Institute (AEDI).

"This Top 5 national ranking of our economic development agency and the hard-working team further confirms that our concentrated and strategic efforts are paying off, and that Nebraska is a national leader in many aspects," said Gov. Heineman. "In Nebraska, we strive to set the standard for excellence with the strength of our economic development initiatives and policies, including job growth, education, business innovation, entrepreneurship and international trade."

Dr. Ron Pollina is widely considered a national leader in corporate site selection and used by businesses around the world who are considering business location. Dr. Pollina is the President of Pollina Corporate Real Estate and Chairman of the AEDI. Joining Governor Heineman on a news conference call was Dr. Ron Pollina's son, Mr. Brent Pollina, the Vice President of Pollina Corporate Real Estate and a national site selection expert.

"The Nebraska Department of Economic Development has been instrumental in maintaining Nebraska's rank since 2009 as one of the nation's Top 10 Pro-Business States," said Dr. Ron Pollina. "With a relatively small department and budget, Nebraska has achieved exceptional success. Provided a larger budget and staff, the Department should bring the state to new heights of economic prosperity."

"Nebraska taxpayers are well-served by the work that is done daily by our dedicated staff at the Nebraska Department of Economic Development," said DEDActing Director DaciaKruse. "To earn this national recognition is an honor that serves to encourage us to build on our record of success."

Mr. Brent Pollinasaid on the news conference call announcing the Top 5 ranking, "I am very pleased to say Nebraska lead nationally in most of the study's economic development categories, particularly in the areas of economic development website, professionalism of the staff, incentives offered for outside businesses to come to Nebraska and incentives to grow businesses inside the state, as well as programs for business retention. I congratulate Nebraska on their efforts and hope they continue this good work."

The 2014 Top 10 State Economic Development Organizations is largely based on the AEDI/ PollinaCorporate Top 10 Pro-Business States study that examines 32 factors relative to state pro-business efforts. The study includes two stages.

Stage I encompasses "Labor, Taxes and Other Factors" with 19 total areas including taxes, human resources, Right-to-Work legislation, regulation, energy costs, infrastructure spending, worker compensation legislation, and jobs lost or gained. This stage constitutes 67 percent of a state's total score.

Stage II, "Incentives and State Economic Development Agency Factors," examines 13 additional state government-controlled factors completing the remaining 33 percent of the score. This stage includes marketing the state to employers, efforts for attracting new business and assisting existing state employers to grow and prosper, and state incentive programs.

Chris Giles, Economic Editor for the Financial Times, crunched the latest numbers from the International Monetary Fund and announced that China surpassed the United States with national economic output in "real terms" of goods and services.

Dr. Pollinaexplained, "This means that by the end of 2014, the U.S. will no longer have the world's largest economy for the first time since the 1870s, when Ulysses S. Grant was President. Now, more than ever, our economic prosperity and, ultimately, our national security depend on the success of economic development organizations and the political structures that support them so we can effectively compete with other countries in the 21stCentury."

To view the full rankings, please visit: http://aedi.us/truth-in-democracy. The remaining Top 10 states are Missouri, Virginia, and South Carolina, placing 1st, 2ndand 3rd, and Kansas, Louisiana, Ohio, Alabama, Mississippi, and Utah earning the 5ththrough 10thspots.

This national ranking joins a long list of recognition that has grown nationally throughout the last ten years. Recent Nebraska national business rankings include:

  • 3rd in 2014 Best Pro-Business State by Pollina Corporate Real Estate;
  • 1st in Most Economic Development Projects in United States Per Capita/Governor's Cup by Site Selection Magazine in 2014;
  • 3rd in 2014 Best Run States in America by 24/7 Wall Street;
  • 4th in 2014 America's Top States for Business by CNBC;
  • 7th in 2014 2014 Best States for Business by Forbes;
  • 2nd Best Employment Leader by Business Facilities Magazine Rankings Report in 2011; and
  • 3rd Best State for Jobs by MSN & CareerBuilder in 2011;
distributed by