News Summary
Louisiana Economic Development Secretary Susan Bonnett Bourgeois has initiated a statewide business tour aimed at boosting economic growth in conjunction with Super Bowl LIX. This initiative, part of the ‘Nine by Ninety’ plan, targets visiting 800 key businesses over multiple regions to gather insights on expanding local industries. The tour includes visits to significant companies and aims to enhance support mechanisms for businesses, addressing their challenges while promoting Louisiana’s economic development strategies.
New Orleans – Louisiana Economic Development Secretary Susan Bonnett Bourgeois has officially launched a statewide business tour aimed at enhancing economic growth during a prominent media outreach at the Louisiana NOW Pavilion on February 4, 2025, coinciding with Super Bowl LIX. Bourgeois’s initiative follows Governor Jeff Landry’s recent announcement and aims to integrate Louisiana businesses with significant investments.
Bourgeois’s tour will cover eight economic development regions, commencing in Monroe. The planned statewide tour is part of LED’s Nine by Ninety plan, which targets attracting new investments and supporting established businesses with a goal of visiting 800 “driver companies” by the end of the fiscal year.
In selecting the businesses for the tour, Bourgeois collaborated with legislative partners to identify companies significantly impacting each region. After the completion of the tour, the LED will analyze the data gathered to determine effective strategies for further supporting Louisiana’s business landscape. The initiative aims to gather insights that Bourgeois indicated would be crucial in presenting to the governor and the legislature concerning the challenges and needs faced by businesses in the state.
As part of her outreach, Bourgeois will promote SourceLouisiana.com, a statewide business directory designed to connect local vendors with various projects. During the initial visit in Monroe, she is scheduled to meet with representatives from Louisiana Plastics and D&J Construction, both of which are involved in the Meta data center project. This meeting aims to discuss potential avenues for state support.
Additionally, a press conference is set to occur at Hotel Monroe to discuss the local tourism benefits linked to the data center development. After Monroe, the tour will proceed to Shreveport, where Bourgeois intends to conduct meetings with Metro Aviation and Sumitomo Forestry. Other scheduled events include an engagement with House Speaker Mike Johnson and a ribbon cutting for Bienville Lumber, a company pursuing expansion.
After a break from the tour for a panel discussion in Baton Rouge, which will feature representatives from diverse companies, the tour will resume as it takes Bourgeois across the state, targeting completion by mid-October. The objective is to facilitate dialogue between economic leaders regarding their expansion plans, barriers they encounter, and how the LED can assist in promoting growth and solving local business challenges.
Bourgeois outlined the significance of the visits in understanding the needs of the business community in Louisiana. Reinforcing the importance of these dialogues, she emphasized the critical insights that will emerge from connecting directly with business leaders.
In the broader economic context, Louisiana was recently recognized by Area Development Magazine as a Top 10 state for business, securing the ninth position in the 2025 edition. This recognition highlights the state’s commitment to fostering a robust economic environment. Initiatives by the LED include the LED FastStart workforce training program and Project Lightning Speed, aimed at improving project efficiency and enhancing support for businesses in Louisiana. The state has also launched a $150 million Site Investment and Infrastructure Improvement Fund to develop investment-ready sites for companies seeking to establish operations in Louisiana.
Simultaneously, new policies designed to enhance business operations and maintain competitive advantages in economic growth have been introduced. However, there have been public and environmental concerns over the fast-tracked approval of gas turbines for the Meta data center, raised criticisms include the anticipated energy costs and assurances regarding job creation for local communities.
Deeper Dive: News & Info About This Topic
- Biz New Orleans: Louisiana Ranked Top 10 by Area Development
- Google Search: Louisiana Economic Development Area Development
- Business Report: Louisiana Named a Top 10 Economic Growth Leader
- Encyclopedia Britannica: Economic Development
- New Orleans City Business: Louisiana Data Centers and Meta Energy Investment
- Google News: Louisiana Meta Data Center Investment
