Louisiana Ranks No. 3 In Site Selection Governor’s Cup

BATON ROUGE, La. — Today, Site Selection magazine released its annual Governor’s Cup rankings, and Louisiana ranks No. 3 in the U.S. for states that gained the most new and expanded corporate facilities on a per-capita basis in 2013. Louisiana’s per-capita ranking trailed only Ohio and Nebraska, which topped the Governor’s Cup per-capita ranking. The Governor’s Cup measures the quantity of significant business development projects for the calendar year.

Gov. Bobby Jindal said, “When we took office in 2008, we made economic growth and job creation our top priorities, and today’s ranking provides further proof that the world is taking note of our comprehensive reforms. By eliminating burdensome business taxes, reining in spending, overhauling governmental ethics laws and revamping our workforce development system, we have given Louisiana one of the best business climates in the nation, and we continue to outperform our peers in the South. But there is still much work to do, and we remain laser-focused on our commitment to ensure a more prosperous future for Louisiana families right here at home.”

Since January 2008, LED has secured economic development projects that are resulting in more than 83,000 new direct and indirect jobs and more than $54 billion in new capital investment, along with hundreds of millions of dollars in new sales for Louisiana’s small businesses. Louisiana’s No. 3 per-capita ranking resulted from dozens of major business development projects the state successfully recruited in 2013, including expansions of existing companies in Louisiana and attraction of new companies to the state.

For example, IBM in March 2013 announced the creation of an 800-job technology center in downtown Baton Rouge. The IBM project is the result of public-private partnerships that include expanded higher education programs in computer science and related fields, as well as a $55 million urban complex now under construction. Additionally, CB&I announced the centralization of 400 jobs from out-of-state locations to the company’s Government Solutions operating group in Baton Rouge.

Other 2013 projects included Methanex announcing the relocation of a second methanol plant from Chile to Geismar, La., with a combined investment at the site of $1.1 billion and 165 new indirect jobs, along with an estimated 1,203 new indirect jobs and 2,500 construction jobs. The Dow Chemical Company announced a major investment of $1.06 billion in a pair of new polyolefins plants in Plaquemine, La., with more than 540 new direct and indirect jobs to result; and AAR Corp. announced the establishment of a 750-job aircraft Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul operation at Chennault Airport in Lake Charles, La.

In the 2013 Governor’s Cup awards, Site Selection also recognized several metro areas in Louisiana. Baton Rouge ranked No. 2 (tied with Allentown-Bethlehem, Pa.) among metropolitan areas with populations of 200,000 to 1 million, a gain from No. 4 in the 2012 ranking. Only Omaha, Neb., ranked higher than Baton Rouge. Morgan City, La., ranked No. 6 among micropolitan areas with populations of 10,000 to 50,000.

Site Selection’s Governor’s Cup rankings are based on the quantity of new and expanded facilities as tracked by Conway Data Inc.’s New Plant Database, which focuses on new corporate location projects with significant impact. It does not track retail and government projects, schools or hospitals. New facilities and expansions included in the rankings must meet at least one of three criteria: (1) capital investment of at least $1 million; (2) creation of at least 50 new jobs; or (3) addition of at least 20,000 square feet of new floor area.

About Site Selection
Site Selection magazine, published by Conway Data Inc., delivers expansion-planning information to 44,000 executives of fast-growing firms. Read more aboutSite Selection’s Governor’s Cup Awards at www.siteselection.com.