South Louisiana Economic Council Extends Recruitment Agreement
THIBODAUX, LA — The South Louisiana Economic Council (SLEC), in partnership with Entergy Louisiana (Entergy), has renewed their agreement with a third-party consultant firm to identify potential companies looking to locate new facilities and expand within Louisiana’s Bayou Region.
In 2022, the firm and Entergy Louisiana’s business and economic development team will work with SLEC to focus on developing a prospect list of up to 300 highly qualified companies and securing 15 meetings with some of these companies regarding their new projects by the end of the year. Target sectors for 2022 included: Agrifood Supply Chain – Food Processing & Equipment, Advanced Manufacturing & Automation (Industrial Equipment), Plastics, Marine Industry, and Oil & Gas.
“Louisiana’s Bayou Region continues to be a competitive market for businesses to locate or expand. Along with our proximity to numerous transportation hubs via rail, water, and highway, we remain known for our reputable and strong workforce. SLEC is eager to continue this partnership with Entergy as we work to bring more wins to our region,” said Vic Lafont, SLEC President & CEO.
As a result of their 2021 partnership, market coverage (the percentage of companies surveyed for new expansions) reached 88% of 430 companies targeted — a metric that is significantly above average as normal coverage falls in a range of 30% – 50%. The contacted target companies resulted in 13 qualified meetings with one that has moved into advanced discussion.
Targeted companies spanned several industries including manufacturing, food and beverage, transportation and logistics, computer and electronics, and energy –– including businesses of all sizes. It was discovered that the prospects’ interest in expanding to Louisiana can be attributed to three factors:
- Existing clients situated in Louisiana and companies require a facility to better serve the local clients.
- Easy access to a qualified workforce and a high-quality educational environment.
- Quick and easy logistics and commercial access.
“We’re proud to partner with the South Louisiana Economic Council again this year to help grow a region that’s important to our state’s economy,” said Perry Pertuit, Entergy Louisiana business and economic development manager. “With SLEC’s partnership, we’re better equipped to share what Louisiana has to offer and, ultimately, compete for highly desirable companies and industries so that people in our communities have access to quality job opportunities.”