With no personal or corporate state income tax, a strong economy, a stable regulatory policy and a low cost of doing business, Wyoming is quickly becoming recognised as one of the most business-friendly states in the US.

Wyoming is located in the heart of the Rocky Mountain region and is bordered by Utah, Nebraska, Idaho, Montana, South Dakota and Colorado. Wyoming has 99 incorporated municipalities and 19 cities. With around 563,600 residents and more than 97,000 square miles, Wyoming means less traffic and less stress.

This year, Wyoming ranked fifth in the 2013 Pollina Pro- Business States Study for the lowest cost of labour, taxes and other business-friendly factors. According to the Wyoming Taxpayers Association, Wyoming’s personal tax burden is the second lowest in the US.

To encourage businesses to grow, expand and relocate, Wyoming invests in pro-business, community-owned infrastructure programmes to improve the high-tech and physical infrastructure of its cities and counties. The state’s combination of good infrastructure, a cool climate relatively sheltered from natural disasters, a large workforce pool and targeted incentives have attracted world leaders in the digital data storage and delivery business such as Microsoft and the EchoStar Corp.

The state’s cool climate – Wyoming’s summer temperatures rarely exceed 28 degrees centigrade (82F) – and chilly winters mean ambient air can cool rows of servers in data centres three-quarters of the year. Wyoming’s low electricity costs also help keep data centres’ utility bills low.

While the state has several notable wins under its belt in recruiting large digital companies, it continues to be proactive, championing incentives such as the data centre sales exemption and the Managed Data Center Cost Reduction Grant programme. Wyoming is always examining ways to make itself more attractive to the industry, including the revision of existing statutes to make them more usable and consistent with requirements from local governments; and a recommendation to allow a tax exemption to extend beyond single use data centres to co-locate data centres.

This legislative policy work and projects such as EchoStar and Microsoft illustrate why Wyoming is becoming a stronger magnet for the high-tech and manufacturing industries.

Wyoming is often referred to as the “energy capital of the US” because it ranks in the top 10 nationally in major energy industries, including: coal production (first); coal reserves (first); uranium source (first); soda ash production (first); bentonite production (first); natural gas reserves (third); natural gas production (second); oil reserves (seventh); crude oil production (eighth) and wind energy production (tenth).

The state values a strong work ethic and puts a premium on training workers, utilising a programme that offers up to $4,000 (£2500 @ October 2013) per new employee for training costs. The diversity of Wyoming’s workforce not only includes educated and skilled individuals, but also people leading the way for the next generation of highlyqualified workers. High education standards and effective workforce development programmes reinforce the abilities of the state’s workforce.

The Tax Foundation ranked Wyoming the Most Business Friendly Tax Climate in 2013 and the state earned a AAA Credit Rating from Standard and Poor’s. Other notable rankings from highly-credible and influential publications include:

• 1st Business Tax Index (Source: Tax Foundation, 2013)
• 1st Lowest Electrical Price per million BTU (Source: Beacon Hill Institute, 2012)
• 2nd Emerging Data Centre Hub (Business Facilities Magazine, 2012)

From recreation areas to vibrant cities, Wyoming is a state with a lot to offer. The winter offers cold-weather outdoor enthusiasts 10 downhill ski areas and more than 2,000 miles of snowmobile trails. In the summer, Wyoming offers visitors and residents the opportunity to explore two National Parks, Yellowstone and Grand Teton, as well as 12 state parks and other state lands which can facilitate hiking, backpacking, fly-fishing, rock climbing, horseback riding, canoeing, kayaking and much more. Many of Wyoming’s cities offer visitors and residents rich cultural opportunities including orchestras, art centres and playhouses.

The aesthetic scenery, recreational opportunities, safe communities and excellent business benefits make Wyoming the best place in the US to live and do business.