4 minute read
SWLA – A History of Industry Leadership
SOUTHWEST LOUISIANA
AN INDUSTRY LEADER FROM ITS INCEPTION by George Swift
In the very early years, the woodlands of this region allowed for a booming timber production industry. The families who built our region were active in timber and trade.
Then, in the 1890’s, the Frasch Method – a new process to extract sulphur from underground – was perfected in West Calcasieu. That development changed everything from a strong agro-based economy to chemicals and industry.
In the 1930’s, another pioneering industry began with the Mathieson Alkalie Works. To aid the nation’s efforts in World War II, additional chemical plants and refineries were built, ushering in a new era of our on-going petrochemical legacy.
These industries supply chemicals, fuels, and raw materials that are used in thousands of products and have provided a good livelihood for thousands of families through the years. Several generations have worked in industry and understand their value to our region, state and nation. Today, the Lake Area Industry Alliance has over 23 member companies which employ over 12,000 workers. Without this industrial base, the Southwest Louisiana region would not have been able to grow and prosper.
In the 1980’s, Trunkline LNG was built and thus began Southwest Louisiana’s entry into the Liquified Natural Gas sector. With the construction of Cheniere Energy at Johnson Bayou in Cameron Parish and SEMPRA’s Hackberry LNG, our region is becoming the center of this important and clean fuel industry. Venture Global has begun production in Cameron and has plans for an additional plant, CP2, right next door. In addition, Driftwood LNG at Carlyss is getting underway and at least four more LNG industries are in the permitting and investment-seeking stage. This “Second Wave” will bring another huge increase in employment to the area.
Naysayers who oppose this industry don’t have answers to questions about how else to increase our economy and provide needed fuels for the U.S. and the world. The industries must meet rigid safety and emission standards; otherwise they are fined millions of dollars.
As our region continues to recover from the disasters of the last two years, the industrial base and jobs created are vital contributors to the comeback.
1890’s 1930’s 1980’s 2022
Without the thousands of industry jobs, there would be no great demand for new grocery stores, restaurants, retail and other service companies.
It is easily computed that one job in industry will create the need for five to seven jobs in the community. These are jobs in automobile sales, medical services and hospitals, insurance, banking, and more. As a result, Southwest Louisiana is seeing a number of new businesses coming to the area with more on the way.
We must not take our industrial base and the jobs it has created for granted. If these jobs were not here, neither would our neighbors, friends, and the next wave of entrepreneurs and community builders.
George Swift is the President/CEO of the Chamber SWLA.
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