STAMFORD CT (970 WFLA) -- A magazine aimed at CEOs of businesses ranks Florida as the second best state for business, behind Texas, the same place where it's been ranked for six years.
Chief Executive magazine says Florida ranks in the top five for living environment and taxation and regulation but only makes 22nd for quality of workforce.
The article says Florida is making progress in technology, pointing to a cluster of firms around Orlando and Cape Canaveral, many employing engineers who used to work in the space program.
Tampa Bay Lightning owner Jeff Vinik was quoted in the Chief Executive article, praising Florida's "low regulations, relatively low cost of labor, a good university system and low cost of living with no income taxes."
The top five in the Chief Executive survey: Texas, Florida, followed by a tie between North and South Carolina, then Indiana.
Governor Rick Scott has made it a point over his eight years in office to make Florida the top place to do business. That includes cutting regulations and taxes, and frequent trips to other states to lure business, and pointing out two long-standing factors in Florida's economy... the lack of a state income tax and right to work laws that limit the power of unions.
Chief Executive is based in Connecticut, which ranks fourth from the bottom in its own survey.