City ranks well on best-performing list

Texarkana U.S.A. has been ranked 17th out of 124 smallest metropolitan Best Performing Cities for 2009. The designation comes from the Milken Institute/Greenstreet Real Estate Partners Best Cities Index. According to the Milken Institute Website, the index ranks U.S. metro areas by how well they are creating and sustaining jobs and economic growth. The components include job, wage and salary, and technology growth. “As the national economy impacted other metro areas with rampant foreclosures, job losses and a virtual standstill in commercial and residential construction, our area has remained somewhat steady,” said Jeff Sandford, president of the Texarkana Chamber of Commerce. “It is a tribute to the dedicated workforce, as well as the business leadership, for recognizing the effects of a recession and adapting to the practices necessary to maintain or grow their interests.”