ARDMORE, Okla. -- A national publication aimed at some of top business executives now ranks Ardmore as one of the best places for business. While you may not have heard of Southern Business & Development, its readers are the people who end up deciding where big corporate dollars are spent.

Ardmore has been ranked as the #7 small market in the south. The rankings were based on several mainstream economic criteria, most notably the presence of employers who have more than 200 workers. Also taken into account were population, per capita income, home prices, and cost of living.

Civic leaders say it all adds up to a booming local economy and that Ardmore’s #7 ranking proves it.

"Having an independent, outside expert say it is a lot more effective than us saying it, and that's where it really serves us a great purpose," Wes Stucky, Ardmore Chamber Of Commerce, says.

Southern Business & Development agrees with the Chamber Of Commerce, saying Ardmore is a great place to do business.