DISCOVER SOUTH LOUISIANA’S ACADIANA REGION
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: ACADIANA WHERE CULTURE MEETS INGENUITY K
nown for everything from internationally recognized business to unparalleled recreational opportunities, the bustling region of South Louisiana has something for everyone. The New York Times calls South Louisiana “the last cohesive cultural enclave in the United States.” The entire region is rich in Acadian French heritage, and South Louisiana’s residents stay true to their Cajun and Creole roots,
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infusing tradition into everyday modern life. An important center of industry, history, and the arts, Lafayette is the hub of Acadiana culture, anchored by a vibrant downtown area filled with commerce, cultural activities, bars, and restaurants. Lafayette has a downtown designed for business and pleasure. Huge bald cypress trees line the streets and there are signs of urban renewal all around.
“SOUTH LOUISIANA IS THE LAST COHESIVE CULTURAL ENCLAVE IN THE UNITED STATES.” —The New York Times
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DISCOVER SOUTH LOUISIANA’S ACADIANA REGION
SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION
Cleco Corporation
Bayou Rum distillery Downtown Lafayette
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DISCOVER SOUTH LOUISIANA’S ACADIANA REGION
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BUSINESS IS BOOMING
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his is a place with an economic landscape as rich as its cultural roots. Lafayette has shown itself to be economically resilient since the recession, with a low area unemployment rate and competitive wages. A recent tech boom – sparked by public and private investments – gives a glimpse into the bright future of this region. Home to McIlhenny Company and its legendary TABASCO® pepper sauce, this region is known for nurturing generations of mold-breaking brands. This wildcatting and entrepreneurial legacy continues with fresh newcomers like Bayou Rum and food delivery tech company Waitr. Both companies are experiencing significant growth out of the gates. After an exceptional proof of concept run, Waitr was recently purchased for $308 million and will continue to call South Louisiana home even as it will be traded on the NASDAQ. Likewise, Bayou Rum has become buzzworthy — handmade from Louisiana sugarcane in the largest privately-owned rum distillery in the US, it’s America’s most decorated rum. Between South Louisiana’s diverse infrastructural network and its nation leading workforce development program, the region is ripe for expansion. This dynamic pairing allows tech companies like CGI Group, Perficient, and Global Data Systems to flourish alongside international manufacturers like Stuller Inc. and Frank’s International.
Falcon rice mill, Crowley
POPULATION & WORKFORCE • 9 parish region population: 691,000 • Lafayette MSA population: 491,558 (3rd largest MSA in Louisiana) • 1.4 million people within a 60-mile radius
GEOGRAPHY OF THE REGION • 9 parish region located midway between Houston and New Orleans with the Lafayette MSA as the hub city. • South Louisiana sits at the intersection of Interstates I-10 and I-49.
• Regional workforce over 300,000 people
Stuller Jewelry, Lafayette
CGI, Lafayette
MAJOR EMPLOYERS Company Name
Jobs
Industry
Lafayette General Hospital
4200
Health Care
University of Louisiana at Lafayette
2000
Higher Education
Stuller Inc
1200
Manufacturing
Oceaneering
1200
Oil and Gas
Acadian Companies
950
Transportation/Health
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Building the In astructure of the Future South Louisiana's rich accessibility network has you and your operations covered, and we're developing a different kind of in astructure: our workforce pipeline. Learn how we're aligning higher education resources with businesses’ needs to create tomorrow's tech workforce.
Start, Locate, or Expand in
REA L INNOVAT ION
TM
Jim Bourgeois O: 337.408.3662 | Jim@OneAcadiana.org SouthLouisiana.org Lafayette, LA 48 10/12 INDUSTRY REPORT • FOURTH QUARTER 2018
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DISCOVER SOUTH LOUISIANA’S ACADIANA REGION
SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION
FERTILE MINDS GROW HERE
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his region is home to a growing talent pipeline shaped by long-standing sectors like oil and gas, health care and advanced manufacturing. It continues to be cultivated by demand from sectors like software and aviation. The workforce pipeline is strong. Major employers from a variety of industries hire from this highly trained
talent base, thanks to strong publicprivate partnerships in the region. Business leaders work together strategically with higher education institutions like the University of Louisiana at Lafayette, Louisiana State University Eunice and South Louisiana Community College. With a talent pipeline fueled by more than 75,000 postsecondary students and
University of Louisiana Lafayette
Issue Date: Q4 Ad proof #3
• Please respond by e-mail or fax with your approval or minor revisions. • AD WILL RUN AS IS unless approval or final revisions are received by the close of business today. • Additional revisions must be requested and may be subject to production fees.
backed by the nationally ranked LED FastStart program Acadiana has transformed workforce recruitment and development into a science. The LED FastStart program creates customized workforce recruitment and training solutions to eligible companies, for free. Each unique program package is crafted with a specific business in mind, ensuring trained professionals are prepared and ready for work on day one. South Louisiana Community College’s International School of Aviation Excellence, which brought a pilot training program to the community college while expanding its current Aviation Maintenance Technology Program. The new 11,250- square-foot training facility sits on 5.54 acres of land adjacent to Acadiana Regional Airport in New Iberia. University of Louisiana at Lafayette was ranked as the most affordable university in the state, with the lowest net price (balancing scholarships with external student expenses) to attend at $5,233 a semester.
Acadiana proud since 1942
Metal Shark boats, Jeanerette
Carefully check this ad for: CORRECT ADDRESS • CORRECT PHONE NUMBER • ANY TYPOS This ad design © Louisiana Business, Inc. 2018. All rights reserved. Phone 225-928-1700 • Fax 225-926-1329
R E S U LT S .
Governmental Affairs & Lobbying | Association & Issues Management | Business Consulting | Public & Private Procurement Louisiana | Washington, D.C. 1012industryreport.com
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DISCOVER SOUTH LOUISIANA’S ACADIANA REGION
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LOCALLY POWERED. GLOBALLY CONNECTED
Market accessibility is an important differentiator for growing companies. Having instant and reliable access to the surrounding world is paramount for reaching consumers, suppliers, and collaborators. LEADING THE WORLD
Lafayette’s LUS Fiber offers upload speed of 1000 Mbps and a download speed of 1000 Mbps. This is so fast, it earned Lafayette the #6 spot alongside Tokyo and Hong Kong on The Times Free Press list of the top 10 global cities with the fastest internet in the world. This ultra-high speed supports expansion because you have plenty of room to grow without sacrificing speed of productivity.
ACCESSIBLE INFRASTRUCTURE
Market accessibility is an important differentiator for growing companies. Having instant and reliable access to the surrounding world is paramount for reaching consumers, suppliers, and collaborators. HB-KELV-1012-8.875x5.pdf
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Strategically located at the crossroads of I-10 and I-49, the Acadiana region offers two Class 1 rail lines, seven coastal ports and two commercial airports. This interconnectivity provides companies with optimal access to shipping and transportation routes, reaching 38 interior states via the Mississippi River and international destinations via the Gulf of Mexico.
TWO COMMERCIAL AIRPORTS
FOUR RAIL SYSTEMS
FIVE COASTAL PORTS
TWO INLAND PORTS
Lafayette Regional Airport
Two Class I
Port of Iberia
Port of Krotz Springs
DEVELOPMENT-READY SITES
Poised for future growth, South Louisiana is also home to a number of industrial sites. With ample low-cost land prime for development, more companies are taking advantage of opportunities to expand their footprint.
10/8/18
Acadiana Regional Airport
BNSF Union Pacific
Port of Morgan City
Two Class II Louisiana and Delta Railroad Acadiana Railway Company
Port of Vermilion
Port of Mermentau
Port of West St. Mary Twin Parish Port
9:05 AM
INVESTED IN BUSINESS. FOCUSED ON YOU.
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Good for business. Good for life. 1012industryreport.com
DISCOVER SOUTH LOUISIANA’S ACADIANA REGION
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GOOD TIMES ABOUND
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rom its vibrant hub city of Lafayette to neighboring locales rich with Acadian French heritage, South Louisiana’s residents embrace a lifestyle of working hard and playing harder. It’s a place where home and heart meet—a colorful mixture of bootstrap-grabbers and envelope pushers who never sacrifice quality for quantity and the only standard of living is living well.
SOUTH LOUISIANA’S HUB CITY NATIONALLY RECOGNIZED
Parc Sans Souci
A Harvard study ranked Lafayette as the happiest city in America - and rightfully so. From global cultural events, like Festival International, to arts and enrichment opportunities like Art Walk, Rhythms on the River, Bach Lunch and more, residents can experience life out loud with a variety of entertainment activities. Lafayette is a vibrant city offering the perfect mix of city-life with a down home spirit. In addition, Travel & Leisure
magazine ranked Lafayette the 17th best college town in America, for being the “most well-rounded” with its wide array of cafes, bars, burgers, and of course, friendly people. If you prefer to mix food with your fun, buckle up. The hub city was also named the “Tastiest Town in the South” by Southern Living. With the region’s annual array of food festivals, cookoffs, culinary classes, and cultural influence, any local excursion will leave you hungry for more. From attending festivals to
exploring the sportsman’s paradise, there is no shortage of things to do in South Louisiana. Spend the day visiting Avery Island, home to the McIlhenny Company and its legendary TABASCO® pepper sauce Tabasco factory. Here you’ll learn the history of the company and observe the process of producing and distributing this iconic South Louisiana product around the world. Guided tours are available, as well as a new self-guided 10-stop tour through the greenhouse, barrel warehouse, factory building, and country store. Travel to St. Martinville to see some of the oldest oak trees in the country including the Evangeline Oak which attracts 15,000-20,000 people each year. Enjoy the abundance of live music around the region. The Festival International de Louisiane is the largest international music and arts festival in the United States with a special emphasis on the connection between Acadiana and the
Francophone world with an estimated economic impact of 49 million annually. When you finally take it all in, it’s no mystery why the region is one of the most sought-after places in the South to invest, work, and live.
PRIME PROPERTY AVAILABLE CALL 364-1065 TODAY! Craig F. Romero – Executive Director
BUSINESS GROWTH & PORT EXPANSION The Port of Iberia in New Iberia, LA is in the final stages of acquiring approximately 146 acres for expansion. According to Port of Iberia Executive Director, Craig Romero, the Port is purchasing 106 acres for $5.5 million, under the previously appraisal value ranging from $8 to $16 million. “We’re excited about this great deal,” stated Romero. The other 40 acre expansion will include new canal construction giving more access to the Port of Iberia. Romero said, “We have two companies interested in both sites. We’re looking into establishing a foreign trade zone on the property as well as making infrastructure improvements. If these companies choose the Port of Iberia they will enhance what we already do here.” Business growth continues at the Port of Iberia. RedGuard, an expert in the design and build of blast-resistant buildings is fully operational on 9 acres and are discussing possible expansion. Custom Compression Systems chose the Port of Iberia due to its strategic location for shipping. They have direct access to the Gulf of Mexico, the Port of Houston, the Port of New Orleans, inland locations by barge via the Mississippi River and on into areas of the Northeast. Custom Compression Systems is the only gas compression packager in the United States with this unique capability available from their facility. Dynamic Industries, Inc. continues to fabricate pre-assembly modules for one of the world’s largest energy companies.
Craig Romero discusses blast-resistant buildings with James Osborn of RedGuard.
Craig Romero touring Custom Compression Systems with Joey Belfour.
P.O. Box 9986, New Iberia, LA 70562-9986 • Phone (337) 364-1065 • Fax (337) 364-3136 • E-mail: info@portofiberia.com • www.portofiberia.com
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