North Carolina placed first in the nation in Site Selection magazine's annual ranking of states with small metropolitan areas having the most new and expanded corporate facilities.

The Greensboro-High Point area in Guilford County was named the No. 1 small metro region. Lexington-Thomasville in Davidson County and Statesville-Mooresville in Iredell County swept first- and second-place for rural areas.

"The latest Site Selection ranking proves that it is not just the large cities that benefit from North Carolina's investments in education, work force development and the state's top-ranked business climate," Gov. Mike Easley said. "As industries recognize they can find the 21st century training programs and qualified workers they need in all communities across the entire state, we gain jobs and effectively compete to lead in the global economy."

Greensboro-High Point topped the magazine list for the second consecutive year for areas with populations between 200,000 and 1 million, because of 30 new and expanded corporate facility projects recruited in 2007.

Raleigh-Cary in Wake County was tied for sixth in the same category, with 25 projects. Rocky Mount in Nash County tied for sixth nationwide among metro areas with populations between 50,000 and 200,000, for nine projects.

Site Selection publisher Conway Data Inc.'s rankings are based on states with the most new and expanded corporate facilities.

The article appears in the magazine's March issue and can be found at www.siteselection.com.