Why do Companies Leave California? Here Are Ten Reasons (Updated)

The Top Ten Reasons Why California Companies
Are Calling the Moving Companies©

by Joseph Vranich
The Business Relocation Coach

* Revised April 2011 *

Many organizations and companies provide reasons why companies leave California. Below are some of the findings, updated in light of recent studies and reports.

The #10 Reason (New!) – Unprecedented Energy Costs: The California Manufacturers and Technology Association states that commercial electrical rates here already are 50% higher than in the rest of the country. However, a law enacted in April 12, 2011 requires utilities to get one-third of their power from renewable sources (e.g., solar panels, windmills) within nine years. Look for costs to increase by another 19% in many places to a whopping 74% in Los Angeles. Such new burdens along with upcoming regulations stemming from the “California Global Warming Solutions Act” set potentially overwhelming obstacles to companies here as they try to meet competition based in other states and in foreign nations.

#9 – Severe Tax Treatment: The Tax Foundation in their 2011 State Business Tax Climate Index lists California at No. 49 for tax fairness. CFO Magazine ranked California the worst state for tax treatment. The Council on State Taxation ranks California as the only state to receive a D- grade (the lowest grade). Last year the National Conference of State Legislatures said California remains the number one state in raising taxes – raising them higher than any other state that increased taxes in 2009.

#8 – Worst Regulatory Burden: The consulting firm Bain & Co. constructed a “regulatory hassle index” that found "California is far worse than any other state by a very significant margin." The finding was echoed by Development Counselors International that found that 72% of surveyed corporate executives listed California as having the “worst business climate” in the entire United States. The newest survey, released in March 2011, found that 87.7% of California executives who also operate in several states say California is a harder place to do business than anywhere else. The survey, by the California Foundation for Commerce and Education, found that among the other 12.3%, not one executive said it’s easier doing business in California.

#7 – Dreadful Legal Treatment: The Civil Justice Association of California said the state ranks 44th in legal fairness to business. Los Angeles was again named the least fair and reasonable litigation environment in the entire country.

#6 – Most Expensive Business Locations: The Rose Institute of State and Local Government reported in its 2010 survey that California cities continue to be some of the most expensive locations to do business in the United States. That was confirmed by the Milken Institute, which found that California businesses are paying 23% more than the national average just to operate here.

#5 – Provable Savings Elsewhere: Again Bain & Co. found that more than half of California business leaders – an astonishing 60% – said their policy is to restrict job growth in the state or move jobs to other U.S. locations. Some companies are quite open about this, like Intel, which has said it will never build another plant in California, and McAfee in 2010 admitted it intentionally avoids hiring in California and saves about 30 to 40% every time it hires outside of the state.

#4 – Downright Unfriendly: The Small Business & Entrepreneurship Council in Virginia found that California ranked 49th overall in terms of business friendliness. That was echoed in February 2010 when The Mercatus Center at George Mason University ranked California 48th in economic, regulatory and personal freedoms in the 50 states.

#3 – Uncontrollable Spending: Extravagant spending causes California to now have the lowest credit rating of any state. The American Legislative Exchange Council points out: "Despite the dubious distinction of having both the highest statewide personal income tax and the highest state sales tax in the nation, California still finds itself with far and away the largest budget deficit of any state."

#2 – Excessively Adversarial: For two years in a row Chief Executive magazine found California to be the worst state in the nation in which to do business. Said one CEO, “California is terrible. Even when we’ve paid their high taxes in full, they still treat every conversation as adversarial. It’s the most difficult state in the nation.” The magazine calls California the “Venezuela of North America.”

#1 – The ‘Outpouring’ of Poor Rankings Continues: California ranked dead last in the latest Pollina Corporate Top 10 Pro-Business States for 2010 study. The finding was based on a composite of labor-related factors, business and personal taxes, the litigation environment, demographics, crime rates, school dropout rates, lifestyle and a multitude of other issues. There is little evidence that California’s business environment will improve considering that that the legislature in 2011 has voted down litigation reform, tax-increase plans are underway, and a host of new regulations are to be implemented that will increase costs for literally every business.

When I speak with business clients I see that the cumulative impact of all this results in unhappiness. I wasn’t surprised when I saw LiveScience.com in 2010 report that California ranks 46th on a national "Happiness" list. The political culture – impacted by radicalized, powerful, anti-business interest groups – causes many problems for those in California who attempt to attract and retain businesses.

Joseph Vranich is available for public speaking on the subject of business relocation in the U.S. regardless of whether California issues are involved.

© Copyright by Joseph Vranich, 2011. Use is permitted provided attribution is given to "Joseph Vranich, The Business Relocation Coach, located in Irvine, Calif."