By Mark Scott
Buffalo, NY – For the second year in a row, "Expansion Management" magazine ranks Buffalo among the top 50 cities in which to do business.
Buffalo-Niagara was number 44 in the latest listing. Local development officials says the ranking is viewed positively by companies and site selectors nationwide.
Buffalo Niagara Enterprise President Thomas Kucharski says many people here dwell on the problems -- a control board running the city and a county budget crisis among them. But Kucharski says out-of-towners, such as the editors of "Expansion Management," are seeing the positives.
"We sometimes forget that through a lot of hard work, we now have $1 billion in new investment across the region in the next three years," Kucharski said.
Kucharski says having people like billionaire businessman Warren Buffett touting the region's attributes has site selectors checking out Buffalo.
"I can tell you from recent experience during a recent trip to New York to attract more retail for the Bass Pro project that people were congratulating us for that announcement," Kucharski said.
The survey by "Expansion Management" magazine is based on such factors as business climate, work force quality, and the ease of working with local government and economic development officials.