Governor Greg Abbott: Texas Offers The Freedom To Succeed

Texas leads the nation in job creation and innovation because Texas offers businesses the freedom to succeed.

That’s why the nation’s CEOs rank Texas as the Best State for Business—for 20 years and counting—and why the Texas economy is eighth largest compared to the nations of the world.

Texas is where entrepreneurs can cast a vision and know they can achieve it. The successful CEOs I meet each week credit that freedom as well as our business-friendly climate—with no corporate or personal income tax, our highly skilled and diverse workforce, easy access to global markets, robust infrastructure, reasonable regulatory environment and exceptional quality of life.

Those advantages are why Texas leads all states in attracting capital and relocation and expansion projects.

Texas is the headquarters of headquarters. With the Best Business Climate in America, Texas is home to the world’s biggest brands, 52 Fortune 500 headquarters, 1 in 10 publicly traded companies in the U.S. and more than 3.3 million small businesses.

Texas welcomes more CEOs each day who are seeking to relocate and incorporate in our great state. In fact, over 300 businesses and major global brands have relocated their headquarters to Texas since I’ve been Governor. They fled the stranglehold of over-regulation in other states for the freedoms found in Texas.

Industry leaders like AECOM, Caterpillar, CBRE, Charles Schwab, Chevron, HPE, Jacobs Engineering, NRG Energy, McKesson, Tesla and hundreds more have joined others with headquarters or significant operations in Texas, like American Airlines, AT&T, Dell Technologies, D.R. Horton, ExxonMobil, Firefly Aerospace, Kimberly-Clark, Lockheed Martin, Samsung, SpaceX, Sysco, Texas Instruments, Toyota and more.

Texas is a talent magnet. Texas has long led the nation in population growth. With a younger, faster-growing population than the nation, Texas is also the “stickiest” state: 82 percent of Texans born here stay here. And with more new tech jobs than any other state, Texas leads for attracting Gen Z and Millennials. As a result, our labor force is the largest ever—larger than 46 states’ populations.

Much of our skilled workforce is drawn from our top-ranked colleges and universities. Texas leads all states with 16 Tier One research universities and is a top state for biotech, engineering and electrical engineering doctorates. And each year, more than 4 million Texans participate in upskilling and training programs through our workforce development system.

Texas provides easy access to global markets. Texas’ central location in North America and robust infrastructure and transportation networks provide timely access to domestic and global markets for increased trade opportunities and reduced supply chain issues.

With 23 seaports, including 12 deepwater ports, the top U.S. port and the top port for waterborne tonnage, Texas is built for global trade. Add to that more miles of roadways, state highways, freight railways, airports and Foreign Trade Zones than any other state, it’s no surprise Texas has been the top exporting state for more than two decades.

Texas offers a framework for diverse industries to thrive. “Made in Texas” is a powerful global brand, and Texas is a leader for advanced manufacturing, including aerospace and defense, automotive and semiconductor manufacturing. We are the epicenter of energy production, the new capital for corporate and financial services and where the technologies of tomorrow are built.

By cultivating a thriving innovation ecosystem, supporting emerging and advanced industries and harnessing public-private partnerships to secure critical supply chains, Texas is driving even greater economic expansion.

Texas moves at the speed of business. With faster permitting, lower energy and land costs and fewer land-use restrictions, Texas offers unmatched competitive advantages.

To ensure Texas continues to move at the speed of business, the state has launched the Texas Business Courts—statewide, specialized trial courts created to resolve complex business disputes, presided over by judges with judicial or litigation experience in commercial matters. I also directed state agencies to eliminate unnecessary government regulations that impede business formation and growth.

In Texas, we want businesses to succeed. When our businesses succeed, Texas succeeds. By unleashing the power of entrepreneurs and innovators, we will build a stronger, more prosperous Texas. I invite you to join us.