2017
Report
Foundation Staff WHO ARE WE?
GEORGE SWIFT PRESIDENT/CEO
LIZ DEVILLE EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT
R.B. SMITH V.P., BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT
MORGAN TURPIN RESEARCH & ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR
MICHELLE MCINNIS REGIONAL & WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR
GUS FONTENOT ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT PROJECT COORDINATOR
ERIC CORMIER V.P., POLICY & STRATEGIC DEVELOPMENT
COBY SAMMIS SPECIAL PROJECTS DIRECTOR
BRITTANY DUPLECHIAN FOUNDATION DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR
ADRIAN WALLACE SEED CENTER BUSINESS INCUBATOR EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
CHERYL HUREN SEED CENTER BUSINESS INCUBATOR ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT
AMANDA WHITE V.P., COMMUNICATIONS
2017
Activites
In 2017, the Quality of Life Task Force held its first Better Block presentation in downtown Lake Charles. It also promoted shopping locally during Small Business Saturday in preparation for its upcoming Choose Local Campaign it will be rolling out in 2018. The next Better Block project will take place on April 7 in Sulphur. Visit Facebook: QualityofLifeSWLA or www.betterblockswla.com for more information.
Leadership SWLA completed its 32 year, and just started with its 2018 Class!
Gus Fontenot, Economic Development Project Coordinator, has selected five sites for the Site Certification Process: Lake Charles Regional Airport (158 acres), Port of Vinton (156 acres), Calcasieu Industrial Park (2 sections that are 39 acres and 23 acres) and DeRidder Industrial Park Site #1 (13 acres). We currently have 8 certified sites within our five-parish region. A certified site eliminates any development uncertainty about a site. A "shovelready" site has greater marketability and allows business a faster time to market. LED offers state funding of up to 75% of the cost to certify a site. Louisiana is 2nd in the nation in the number of certified sites!
Budding Entrepreneurs In 2017, the staff of the SEED Center Business Incubator conducted Core Four (entrepreneurial training) for 20 small business clients. All clients successfully completed their training. Staff has been conducting monthly Peer-to-Peer Roundtable meetings for established businesses to work through business issues and challenges. This year, they began entrepreneurial training for 11 additional small business clients in 1st Quarter 2018. Currently, the SEED Center Business Incubator has 24 businesses and room for 5 more. Alliance for Positive Growth Baby Safety Button Barker Support Systems Blueprint Construction Calcasieu Distributed Supercomputing Cypress Group Catalyst Medical Scribe Management Duhon Wealth Management Exodus Trucking Empire Industrial Sales Guardians of SWLA Gulf Coast Diversity Harp Creative Media Involve U Jackson & Tull Kowarsch & Judice Pizza Artista Principle Engineering ProCon Professional Contractors Sassy Oil & Vinegar Team Publications Vivid Image Consulting Wing 7 Yulanda Parker Insurance Services
What's Next!
A Fond Farewell
In 2017, the following businesses have graduated & moved out of the Incubator.
Earline D. Marchand dba:Social SecurityNon-Attorney Representative
In May, the Alliance launched Health Worx. The campaign is a collaborative effort between the Alliance and Beauregard Memorial Hospital, DeQuincy Memorial Hospital, Jennings American Legion Hospital, CHRISTUS Lake Area Hospital, and Lake Charles Memorial Health System. Michelle McInnis, Regional Business & Workforce Development Director, stated, "Our main goal is to emphasize that health care in Southwest Louisiana is a good job, a stable job and a job that ranges from entry level to professional.� For more information, visit http://allianceswla.org/healthworx
Industry Works is the next phase of the Southwest Louisiana Economic Development Alliance's Ready, Set, Work workforce initiative. It is a collaborative effort between the Southwest Louisiana Economic Development Alliance’s Workforce Development Committee, Phillips 66 Lake Charles Manufacturing Complex, Louisiana Economic Development and the Regional Economic Alliance of Louisiana. The goal of the project is to increase awareness of, interest in and access to information about the wide range of career opportunities in our local refineries and manufacturing facilities, as well as the service providers who support these companies. Record-setting industry expansion is taking place in Southwest Louisiana. Good jobs are available now and for years to come: operators, electricians, welders, lab techs, engineers and more. Average salaries range from $50,000 to $100,000 and up, with good benefits. For more information, visit http://allianceswla.org/IndustryWorks
STAFF DEVELOPMENT
In Training Turpin, Cormier, McInnis continue their professional development Morgan Turpin, Research & Economic Development Director for the SWLA Economic Development Alliance, was named a Certified Louisiana Economic Developer (CLED) by Southeastern Louisiana University - Executive Education, Louisiana Department of Economic Development and the Louisiana Industrial Development Executives Association. The Louisiana Economic Development Certification Program is designed for economic development professionals who are interested in best business practices in the field of economic development. In addition to attending the required courses, Morgan submitted a research paper on "Building a Talent Pipeline for a Progressive and Adaptable Workforce during an Economic Expansion." Eric Cormier, VP, Policy and Strategic Development, is also going through the process of CLED Certification. He has completed the training and is working on his paper.
Michelle McInnis, Regional & Workforce Development Director, has the distinction of being the first and only representative from Louisiana to attend the Talent Pipeline Management (TPM) Academy in Washington, D.C. TPM training helps close the employment skills gap in participating areas. In 2014, the U.S. Chamber launched TPM Academy to mobilize the business community to work with education partners in order to close the gap between the skills they need in new employees to what is being taught in schools. The idea is that if employers play an expanded leadership role as “end-customers” of a talent supply chain, they will be more effective at organizing performance-driven partnerships with responsive education and workforce training providers. Building off of the goals of the Chamber SWLA’s Education and Workforce Development Committee, TPM builds collaborations within major employer sectors. Employers decide on common language using proven strategies to plan what will be needed in the immediate future and down the line, and define what levels of competency and credentialing requirements will be required of new hires.
Alliance by the Numbers
NATIONAL RECOGNITION
SWLA was named fastest growing region
RESEARCH
INCUBATOR
Seven New Businesses
BUSINESS RETENTION
ON THE MOVE: FOUNDATION INVESTORS
ASSISTANCE
Visited 35 Major Industry Leaders
Helped 15 Entrepreneurs with Spotlight data
MARKETING
WORKFORCE
DIVERSITY
Placed 26+ ads in national economic development publications
Hosted 2 Intern meet & greets
Diversity Task Force Presented 2 Awards at Banquet
Completed 44 Requests for Proposals from industries looking at SWLA