[StBernard] Competing in the global economy and keeping Louisiana on a path to prosperity

[Westley Annis]

Competing in the global economy and keeping Louisiana on a path to prosperity


A column by Governor Kathleen Babineaux Blanco

Just this week, German manufacturer ThyssenKrupp announced that Louisiana is one of two states in final consideration for a state-of-the-art manufacturing and processing facility.

This project is a significant investment that would create unprecedented opportunities for our people and communities. It would bring thousands of direct, quality jobs with benefits to our citizens and create amazing opportunities for our people to come home and build a brighter future for their families.

Our team is competing at the highest level and we're one step closer to scoring a monumental win. We continue our sales pitch to these company executives and we are doing everything possible to bring this project home.

We should all be proud that Louisiana has beaten out more than 20 states who have aggressively pitched 70 potential locations. Today we are in the final round and positioned to close the deal. For too long, Louisiana sat on the sidelines while neighboring states attracted new businesses and grew their economies.

I promised you that I would bring new investments to our state and create quality jobs with benefits. As your Governor, I've stood in board rooms around the world, making personal pitches to top business leaders and pushing an aggressive economic development agenda. 

That work is paying off. We've landed more than $23 billion in new investments and created more than 34,000 new jobs since I took office---and we're just getting warmed up.

The major manufacturing facility proposed for our state is one of more than 70 active projects my Administration is currently pursuing with a potential capital investment of nearly $9 billion and the promise of thousands of new permanent quality jobs.

Today, we are transforming Louisiana's economy together. Legislators supported my efforts to cut taxes for businesses and create new tax incentives to improve our state's business climate. And our community leaders are continually working with us to identify sites for major projects. When it comes to economic development success, that is a winning combination. 

We continue the important work of diversifying our economy by seizing the opportunities created by our new construction economy while also growing other economic sectors like our booming film industry.

Through significant investments in our workforce and innovative development programs, we are preparing Louisiana people for the jobs of Louisiana's future.

We've shown the world that Louisiana is moving forward. Now we are working hard to reel in the big one - the largest durable goods manufacturing facility in our state's history.

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The Louisiana Disaster Recovery Foundation
Louisiana's Fund for Louisiana's People
www.louisianahelp.org