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o�sou Tx <br /> F dx <br /> :J b <br /> W eFacE � � <br /> y� a 1, a2 <br /> 1865 <br /> Office of the Mayor <br /> NEWS RELEASE <br /> South Bend rises in `Best Places for Business' list <br /> Contact: Mikki Dobski, Director of Communications&Special Projects, 235-5855 or 876-1564 <br /> The South Bend metropolitan area leapfrogged over Chicago, Evansville, Ind., and other <br /> Midwestern cities to rise 26 places in Forbes magazine's annual list of the "Best Places <br /> for Business and Careers." <br /> South Bend placed 114a' overall after New York and before Peoria, Ill., in the ranking of <br /> 200 metropolitan areas released this month by Forbes magazine. In 2006, South Bend <br /> ranked 140a' overall. South Bend was one of five Indiana cities listed on the major <br /> metropolitan cities list, while seven Indiana cities made the "Best Places" list for smaller <br /> metropolitan areas. <br /> The rise in South Bend's rank came as the metropolitan area's statistics improved for <br /> both the cost of doing business and for job growth while stayed statistically level in terms <br /> of the share of the population with at least a bachelor's degree. (The cost of doing <br /> business was indexed based on the cost of labor, energy, taxes and office space, while job <br /> growth is based on five years of annualized figures.) <br /> "Rankings are subject to more debate than College Football's national champion, but <br /> they do manage to capture at least a piece of reality. And the reality is that South Bend is <br /> on the move when it comes to creating a strong business environment and finding career <br /> opportunities," said Mayor Stephen J. Luecke. "From affordable high-speed Internet <br /> connections for businesses through the MetroNet and great infrastructure for distribution <br /> to unrivaled educational opportunities and an affordable base for small-business <br /> entrepreneurs, South Bend is poised for new economic development." <br /> South Bend's upward mobility came at atime when the state's largest city, Indianapolis, <br /> fell from 10a'to 27a' place. Following Indianapolis were Fort Wayne (94 ), South Bend <br /> (114th), Evansville (116'') and Gary(144th). <br /> Among the quadrant of metropolitan areas of similar population size (233,000 to <br /> 370,000), South Bend ranked 1 la' in terms of the lowest cost of doing business and 20 <br />