Southwest Louisiana

The region was hit by two major hurricanes in threeyears—Rita in 2005 and Ike in 2008. The people ofSouthwest Louisiana refused to be discouraged, howev-er, and now they’ve banded together to rebuild and growthe area’s economic base. Today, if you visit there, you’llfind major building projects, new airport industrialparks, and some of the trendiest resorts on the GulfCoast.

“Many major corporations and small-to medium-sized businesses are flourishing in our region,” saysGeorge Swift, president/CEO of the Southwest LouisianaEconomic Development Alliance, a new regional coali-tion formed after Hurricane Rita. “We offer a unique,strategic location and immediate access to deep water,which has helped fuel our growth.”

In part, Swift attributes the region’s strong recov-ery to key industries, which have been drawn by thearea’s natural assets. One example is the energy indus-try, which continues to have a huge economic impact.With three refineries, three liquefied natural gas (LNG)facilities, one major electrical power generating plant,and 16 petrochemical facilities, Southwest Louisiana

Southwest Louisiana has a

track record of handling

adversity and emerging from

it stronger and more resilient.

The Beauregard Parish Airport includes more than4,200 acres and a 5,495-foot runway. In land area, itis the largest in the state and one of the largest in thecountry. The airport is bounded by U. S. 190 on thenorth and two rail lines on the south and west. It alsooffers ample water supplies and natural gas. A majoreast/west traffic corridor, I-10, is 46 miles south andconnects to U.S. 171. Currently, Beauregard ParishAirport offers 3,100 acres for immediate industrialdevelopment. Fort Polk, home of the Joint ReadinessTraining Center, is 15 miles to the north.

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Southwest Louisiana

serves as the energy hub of the Gulf Coast. In addition, thearea houses the Strategic Petroleum reserves, an importantnatural resource. Several large energy companies now have apresence in Southwest Louisiana including CITGO Petroleum,ConocoPhillips, PPG Industries, and Westlake Chemical.

Several recent energy-oriented projects have helpeddrive the economy. For example, Lake Charles Cogeneration isbuilding a $1.3 billion coal gasification plant at the Port ofLake Charles. This project, where a refinery byproduct will beburned, is taking advantage of a federal extension of the GulfOpportunity Zone incentives, which will result in sizable costsavings. In addition, in August 2008, Liberty Gas Storageannounced plans for a $250 million expansion of its CameronParish facility.

In addition to energy, Southwest Louisiana is also seeingexpansions in the gaming industry. For example, PinnacleEntertainment recently built a $370 million casino resort inLake Charles and has already expanded it. The company hasalso broken ground on another $350 million casino resortadjacent to the first one, which is scheduled to open laterthis year.

Larry Lepinski, vice president and general manager ofPinnacle says that a strategic location and pro-business lead-ers have played a major role in the company’s decision togrow in Southwest Louisiana. “We are so well positioned toattract visitors from throughout the country because of I-10and the fact that we are 2.5 hours from Houston,” he says.“Also, the business climate could not be better. From day onewe have had great support from this community as well asour public officials.”

Southwest Louisiana’s growth goes far beyond tradition-al energy and gaming. The region is also seeing activity ingreen energy technology, aviation, farming, timber, seafoodharvesting, and chemicals. Employers across all of theseindustries have said they’ve been drawn in large part by thehard-working people and the spirit of unity they’ve found inSouthwest Louisiana.

A well-trained loyal work force and numerous sites

To prepare a work force that’s well-educated and produc-tive, Swift notes, Southwest Louisiana offers a strong educa-tion system from elementary to college. In particular, thearea is home to McNeese State University, located in LakeCharles, which offers more than 100 degree programs and aconcentration in Terrorism Preparedness and Security, the

THE POPULATION OF SOUTHWEST LOUISIANA IS MORETHAN 285,000 AND THE REGION IS COMPRISED OF FIVEPARISHES:

Allen—With four rivers, Allen Parish is a haven fornature enthusiasts. It has a diverse economic base includingplywood manufacturing, a natural gas relay facility, threeprison facilities, and a rapidly growing gaming and hospi-tality industry.

Beauregard—Beauregard Parish is centered on one ofthe world’s largest aquifers and its economy is based on tim-ber, paper and plastics, chemicals, and insurance. It alsooffers abundant natural beauty with numerous lakes and awildlife preserve.

Calcasieu—Calcasieu Parish boasts a population ofnearly 185,000 including the City of Lake Charles. The petro-chemical industry is a mainstay of the economy along withaerospace and gaming.

Cameron—Because of its proximity to the Gulf ofMexico, Cameron Parish offers world-class outdoor activities.Its location also makes Cameron Parish popular for petrole-um companies as well as those working with support vesselsand offshore drilling. Three liquefied gas pipelines are in theworks in this Parish and the coastal town of Cameron isregarded as one of the world’s top commercial fishing ports.

Jefferson Davis—Strategically located between LakeCharles and Lafayette, Jeff Davis Parish is crisscrossed byfour major transportation arteries including U.S. Highways90, 165, 190 and Interstate 10. Its economic base includeshealthcare services, shipbuilding, agriculture and ethanolproduction, and oilfield services with 15 oil- and gas-pro-ducing fields in the area.

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first of its kind in the nation.Meanwhile, SOWELA TechnicalCommunity College offers customizedworkforce training programs for areaemployers.

Along with its workforce,Southwest Louisiana is also attractingcompanies with an abundance of avail-able sites. Whether a company needs ashovel-ready megasite with all infra-structure located on I-10 or an existingbuilding with barge docks and quickaccess to the Gulf, SouthwestLouisiana has a variety of options.

“The biggest advantages for com-panies are the I-10 corridor, availabili-ty of land, the Lacassine IndustrialPark (see photo this page), and theincreasing awareness of the economicdevelopment opportunities availablehere,” says Marion Fox, executivedirector of Jefferson Davis ParishEconomic Development and Tourist

The area is bordered by the Gulf of Mexico to the South and has an abundance of bayous, streams, rivers, and lakes.

Lacassine Industrial ParkSouthwest Louisiana offers several prime sites including the 2,000-acreLacassine Industrial Park, which is off of U.S. Highway 101. The park is located25 miles from the Chennault International Airport and Lake Charles RegionalAirport. It is served by Interstate 10 and two railroads.

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Commission. “Our leaders, both onthe local and parish level have apro-business attitude.”

While the business climate isundeniably strong, leaders arequick to point out that the regionis more than just business.

“The unique blend of culturesand the landscape of SouthwestLouisiana make it the perfect placefor people who enjoy colorfuladventures from festivals and cul-tural celebrations to outdoor recre-ation,” says Angie Manning-Istre,communications director of theLake Charles/Southwest Louisiana

Convention and Visitors Bureau.“Residents can decide to visit Gulfbeaches on a moment’s notice orhit the big time at one of the area’sluxurious casino resorts. With over75 festivals, Cajun food, museums,and art galleries there are plentyof family-friendly activities andthere’s never a dull moment.”

Swift adds, “You’ll enjoy thefinest hunting, fishing, birding,golfing, gaming found anywhere.It all adds up to the quality of lifewe love.” �

Southwest Louisiana features beautiful plants and exotic wildlife such as alligators and rare birds, all among the marshesand bayous. The area is home to several state parks and two wildlife refuges.

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Available SWLA sites and buildings online

The SWLA Economic DevelopmentAlliance working with regional realty com-panies launched SWLAProspector.Companies looking to relocate or expandinto the Southwest Louisiana region canuse the tool to access all available landand buildings for retail and commercialuse, demographics, consumer expendituresand available workforce information. Toaccess the website, users can log onthrough www.allianceswla.org orwww.chamberswla.org. �

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Southwest Louisiana is home tothe 12th largest port in the nationand one of the longest airport run-ways on the Gulf Coast. In total, thearea offers transportation by water,interstate, air and rail.

Water—The Port of Lake Charlesis 34 miles from the Gulf of Mexico,the closest of any deepwater port inLouisiana. Located on the CalcasieuRiver, it is the 12th largest U.S. port,boasting three marine terminals andseveral inland terminals. Other area

ports include West Calcasieu Port, theVinton Port and the ports of CameronParish.

Interstate—Southwest Louisianahas seven exits off of Interstate 10.From the area, I-10 provides easyaccess to Houston, Tex., only twohours west, and to New Orleans,about three hours east.

Air—for companies that rely onair transport, Southwest Louisianaoffers Chennault InternationalAirpark, an old Air Force Base thathas been converted to a civil airfield. Adjacent to the property is an11,000-foot runway that can landsome of the world’s largest cargoplanes. Chennault is also adjacent totwo rail lines, one of which goesdirectly to the Port of Lake Charles,

as well as Interstate 210. TheChennault complex is home toNorthrop Grumman, AeroframeServices, and other companies alongwith a campus of Louisiana RegionalTechnical College. Companies thatlocate at Chennault can benefit fromgenerous incentives because of thesite’s GO Zone designation and theycan select a site from the 800 acresavailable.

For passenger travel, the regionoffers Lake Charles Regional Airport,which has 360 acres available forcommercial and industrial develop-ment. Both air facilities have ForeignTrade Zone and Enterprise Zone des-ignations, which mean special taxincentives for locating companies.

The Lake Charles Harbor and Terminal District is the 12th largest district in the U.S. The Port and its 40-foot shippingchannel play a critical role in the region’s economy. In this photo, lumber from South America is being received at thePort for distribution in the U.S.

Access to Markets

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