Perry's birthday bonus: 5th Site Selection's Goveror's Cup

On March 3, 2014, Site Selection Magazine awarded Texas and Governor Rick Perry its coveted 2013 Governor's Cup. Under Governor Perry's administration, Texas won the cup four previous times in 2004, '05, '10 and '12.

This comes as a form of birthday present for the Texas governor, who celebrates his 64th birthday on March 4th. Perry was born in 1950 in the small Texas town of Paint Creek. Rick Perry has been the Governor of Texas since 2000 when George W. Bush left the office for his first presidential run. After 14 years in the governor's mansion, Perry announced last year that he would not seek re-election to the republic's highest executive office.

Upon receiving news of earning this economic-strength demonstrating award, Perry released the following remarks:

"States are the laboratories of innovation, and Texas continues to be a beacon of opportunity for job creators and entrepreneurs. Over the past 12 years, we've built a strong foundation for the future of this state with our low taxes, smart regulation, fair courts and skilled workers. Companies nationally and internationally know that Texas works, and is the best place to live, work, raise a family and own a business."

In the competition, Texas won by a large birth with 657 qualifying projects. Ohio was second, logging 480 qualifying projects. Based upon electoral demographics, Texas carries 38 electoral votes while Ohio carries just 18. For a state less than half the size, politically, Ohio did exceptionally well.

A qualifying project must consist of more than $1 million in capital, create at least 50 new jobs, and involve more than 20k square feet of new building construction. 

In awarding the cup, Site Selection's Editor-in-Chief, Mark Arend, stated:

"States that appear on our rankings of top locations for new projects, especially at the top of the ranking, like Texas, are those with the location attributes most in demand by corporate site selectors. Areas compete aggressively for capital investment, and Texas' latest first-place Governor's Cup finish is evidence of a highly successful economic development strategy."

Site Selection awarded another Governor's Cup to Nebraska for its qualifying projects per capita. Ohio took second place in this category as well. The magazine started this category in order to give smaller, more rural states and opportunity to also compete for one of their coveted Governor's Cups.