economic development
Gov. Jindal featured speaker at CLEDA’s Quarterly Innovation Luncheon
Governor Bobby Jindal will be the featured guest speaker at CLEDA’s Quarterly Innovation Luncheon on February 1. NOTE: Reservations are mandatory. Tickets are $20 each, and a table of ten tickets is available for $175.00. Location: SAI Convention Center, Alexandria, LA. Full information.
JELD-WEN restarts construction of mfg facility in Winn Parish
Gov. Bobby Jindal and JELD-WEN recently announced that JELD-WEN Inc. will open a $120 million Winn Parish production facility by the end of 2012. The project will create at least 75 new direct jobs, and an annual payroll exceeding $2.5 million. LED estimates the project will result in an additional 117 new indirect jobs. Full article.
CENLA advocates see opportunity
Despite the tough economy, Central Louisiana business leaders are optimistic about CENLA’s future. Jim Clinton, president of Central Louisiana Economic Development Alliance:"Like any other region, we're subject to the whims of the global economy. We can be hurt by that, but I think we're soundly positioned from doing some things that were needed to make a difference in the long term…” Full article.
Louisiana Economic Dev 2011 Economic Highlights
LED Secretary Moret: "Since Gov. Bobby Jindal took office in early 2008, LA's economy outperformed the South and U.S. by reasonable measures…LA's job performance has been better than nearly every other Southern state since January 2008…employment levels grew faster than the South and the U.S.” Full article.
Hotels being built in Cenla—just not downtown
Despite a restrictive lending climate, hotels are still being developed in Central Louisiana—just not downtown. The lack of quality downtown hotels has been an issue for the city, with the Hotel Bentley closed since December 2004 and the Alexander Fulton Hotel in need of major renovations. "The greatest need right now is to take care of the downtown hotels," said Sherry Smith-Ellington, Alexandria/Pineville Area Convention and Visitors Bureau. Full article.
Merger makes sense as Central LA seeks to grow
Central LA has no shortage of people and organizations interested in all matters related to economic development. In late 2003, The Rapides Foundation decided to form Cenla Advantage Partnership (CAP), a private, nonprofit economic development group. This week, it was announced that CAP will merge May 1 with the Central LA Economic Development Alliance. Important to note is that the reconstituted regional development alliance will quantify its efforts in a 10-parish region by tracking and reporting all jobs added, higher-paying jobs added and growth in the entrepreneurial economy. Full article.
Cleco secures financing for future expansion
Cleco Corp. recently announced that Cleco and its subsidiary, Cleco Power LLC, recently finalized a revolving credit facility to strengthen liquidity and allow for future growth. Combined, the two new credit facilities equal $500 million. In other Cleco news, Mike Madison was elected vice chairman of the statewide Committee of 100 for Economic Development. Full article.
Utility incentives program approved
Alexandria’s City Council recently passed a utility incentives program to aid economic development and job creation, with emphasis on three cultural restoration areas. The program distinguishes between businesses within the city of Alexandria and those located specifically in areas defined by the city's Specially Planned Activity Redevelopment Corridors initiative. Full Article.
Best Buy opens Alexandria store June 25
One of Best Buy's newest stores debuts this week in Alexandria Commons Shopping Center on MacArthur Drive. A grand opening is scheduled for June 25 in the 36,000-square-foot space formerly occupied by Goody's. The building was completely gutted and rebuilt, and the store will employ about 70 people, general manager Gabe Austin said. Full Article.
Jim Clinton: Help build a livable Central Louisiana
We never plan, think or work in a static environment. So it's not surprising that as Cenla Advantage Partnership works on its Initiative for the Future of Central Louisiana, we are constantly affected by different influences, developments and conversations. We hope that the initiative will result in a widely adopted brand for the region, and have a number of volunteers signed up to work on that process. Initiative for the Future of Central Louisiana Full Article.
