Sacramento Calif. – Governor’s Office of Economic Development Director Joel Ayala today 

said that Area Development magazine has ranked California as one of the top 10 best states to do 

business. The rankings are based on a nationwide survey of highly respected business location 

consultants. 

“Despite all the negative rhetoric, the fact remains California is still the nationwide leader in 

high-tech, biotech, green, venture capital and agricultural job creation,” said Director Ayala. 

“California is also being recognized for its robust international trade activities which account for 

billions of dollars in revenue and contribute millions of jobs to the state.”

Area Development magazine noted that despite California being hit hard by the recession,

California remains a global leader in international trade and access to global markets. In addition 

to California’s international trade advantages, Area Development noted that California is finding 

success through the state Innovation Hub (iHub) initiative which is administered by the 

California Governor’s Office of Economic Development (GoED). 

The iHub initiative includes 12 state designated Innovation Hubs from Redding to San Diego 

which leverage assets such as research parks, technology incubators, universities, and federal 

laboratories to provide an innovation platform for startup companies, economic development 

organizations, business groups, and venture capitalists.

“The California iHub initiative is the largest state innovation program of its kind,” said GoED 

Deputy Director for Innovation and Emerging Technology, Louis Stewart. “The initiative began 

in 2010 with a small group and has since grown to an expansive statewide network of public and 

private partners focused on the commercialization of new products.” 

The Governor’s Office of Economic Development (GoED) is the state’s the One-Stop-Shop for 

business retention and job creation. They offer a wide range of services that are targeted to 

business owners including: site selection, business incentives, permit streamlining, clearing 

regulatory hurdles, small business assistance, and more. 

To learn more about GoED and the Innovation Hub Initiative: http://www.business.ca.gov/

For the complete Area Development Magazine rankings, http://www.areadevelopment.com/