Louisiana Leads Nation In Top Corporate Investment, Community Impact Projects For 2012

BATON ROUGE, La. — Trade & Industry Development magazine has released its Eighth Annual Corporate Investment and Community Impact, or CiCi, Awards, in which four of Louisiana’s business development projects from 2012 received awards – more than any other state. The four total awards tie Louisiana’s previous record for CiCi Awards, set in 2009.

Trade & Industry Development selected 15 Corporate Investment and 15 Community Impact recipients nationwide, for a total of 30 project winners in the 2013 CiCi Awards. Louisiana’s winning projects include the $6 billion Sempra Energy LNG project in Hackberry, La., (740 new direct and indirect jobs, 60 existing jobs) and the Sutherland Global Services project in Alexandria, La., (1,021 new direct and indirect jobs), which were selected among the Top 15 new Community Impact projects. The $2.1 billion CF Industries Holdings Inc. project in Donaldsonville, La. (779 new direct and indirect jobs, 599 existing jobs) and the $900 million Benteler Steel/Tube project at the Port of Caddo-Bossier in Shreveport, La. (2,215 new direct and indirect jobs) were selected among the Top 15 new Corporate Investment projects.

Gov. Jindal said, “These awards are proof of our commitment to making Louisiana the best place in the world to invest and own a business. Our economic development wins are generating tremendous momentum for our state’s economy and creating more opportunities for our children. In fact, Louisiana has been among the Top 10 states for private sector job growth since 2008. Louisiana – a state that once lagged behind in business climate rankings – now ranks in the Top 10 of three major national business climate rankings. And we are one of only six states that have more jobs now than at the beginning of the recession. The bottom line is that Louisiana’s economy is outperforming the South and the nation, and more and more companies are choosing to invest in our state because of our strong business climate, our world-class infrastructure and our incomparable workforce.”

According to Trade & Industry Development, more than 400 submissions were considered for CiCi Awards this year. The Corporate Investment awards are based on projects that create the most new jobs, retain the most jobs and invest the most capital. The publication determines Community Impact winners by the number of jobs created, jobs retained, unemployment figures, regional income levels, plant closings and other relevant factors.

“Louisiana’s achievement of being home to four companies that are recipients of the Eighth Annual CiCi Awards from Trade & Industry Development magazine, more than any other state for the 2013 Awards, speaks volumes about the business climate in Louisiana,” said Scott Swoger, publisher of Trade & Industry Development. “Having two companies in the Corporate Investment category announcing two of the largest capital investments in 2012 and two more in the Community Impact category is an economic development achievement that should receive the attention of site selectors.”

Louisiana’s four project winners represent approximately one in every 6.5 jobs and more than half of all capital investment associated with CiCi Award winners nationwide this year.

For more information on this year’s CiCi Awards, visit www.tradeandindustrydev.com.

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