~Pollina Corporate Real Estate Annual Study Picks Virginia as 'Model' For Pro-Business States; Commonwealth Wins by Largest Margin in History of Study ~

Study: "Virginia is the unquestionable brightest star on the American flag when it comes to being pro-business........Virginia is truly in a class by itself."

RICHMOND – Virginia has been named the most pro-business state in the country by the Pollina Corporate Real Estate study: "Pollina Corporate Top 10 Pro-Business States for 2011: The Rise of the West." Virginia won the 2011 top-ranking by the largest margin in the history of the study. This marks the third straight year that Virginia has held the top spot in the Pollina rankings. In July, CNBC also named Virginia as America's "Best State for Business."

Brent Pollina, Vice President of Park Ridge, Illinois-based Pollina Corporate Real Estate (www.pollina.com) and author of the study, noted, "Virginia can certainly be emulated by other states, which should view Virginia's economic policies as a coloring book. All they need to do is stay between the lines of the coloring book, and they, too, can create a powerful pro-business environment."

Commenting on the top ranking, Governor McDonnell remarked, "The number one priority of our administration is helping the private sector create the new jobs our citizens need. Virginia is 'wide open for business,' providing a nationally recognized pro-business environment which includes low taxes, limited regulation and litigation, a highly educated workforce, a strong economy and a great quality of life. We are dedicated to attracting businesses from around the country and the world to Virginia. We want them to move here, create jobs here and grow here. The recognition given us by this study will only help in that bipartisan effort.

"To be named as the top pro-business state in this respected national survey for a third consecutive year is exciting. But, to be lauded as 'the model for the rest of the county' by its authors shows we are not only doing things right, we are providing a roadmap for how states can navigate these difficult economic times and create pro-business environments that allow the private sector to create jobs and spur economic health. We will continue our efforts to attract investment, foster job growth, and provide a model location for business investment for years to come."

The Pollina Corporate Top 10 Pro-Business States for 2011 are: 1) Virginia 2) Utah 3) North Dakota 4) Wyoming 5) Nebraska 6) Kansas 7) South Dakota 8) Missouri 9) South Carolina and 10) Indiana. The study, considered the most comprehensive, unbiased and unvarnished by the economic development industry, is the "Gold Standard" for evaluating and ranking states based on 32 factors controlled by state government, including taxes, human resources, education, right-to-work legislation, energy costs, infrastructure spending, workers compensation laws, economic incentive programs and state economic development efforts. Two new factors—state budget deficit and state property tax index—along with a comprehensive State Report Card have been added to this year's study.

The full study can be found at http://www.pollina.com/top10probusiness.html.