LED Highlights Manufacturing Excellence With 2019 Lantern Awards

BATON ROUGE, La. — Louisiana Economic Development honored the state’s 2019 Lantern Award winners during a private reception today at the Governor’s Mansion. Lantern Award winners demonstrate excellence in manufacturing and outstanding service to their communities through the involvement of their businesses and employees.

“Manufacturers are important economic drivers in Louisiana, providing good jobs and generating the real foundation of economic activity that ripples across our communities in many ways,” LED Secretary Don Pierson said. “Our manufacturing industry is a key to our state’s economic future, because modern manufacturing relies on advanced technologies, state-of-the-art facilities and an efficient, skilled and productive workforce. Our state will certainly prosper when we are committed to helping our Louisiana manufacturers succeed. At this event we are happy to acknowledge and congratulate these Lantern Award winners for their leadership and impressive achievements.”

Lantern Award honorees are selected by Louisiana’s eight Regional Planning and Development Districts, based on the contributions of the manufacturers to their communities, including investments in employment growth and facility expansion. Each business also must demonstrate sustainability by remaining in operation at least three years prior to the nomination.

The 2019 Lantern Award winners are:

Acadiana Region
Cabot Corp.
Ville Platte

Bayou Region
Marathon Petroleum Co.
Garyville

Capital Region
Electro Medical Equipment Co.
Prairieville

Central Region
Manchac Technologies
Alexandria

Northeast Region
Neighbors LLC
West Monroe

Northwest Region
Metro Aviation
Shreveport

Southeast Region
Computrols
Gretna

Southwest Region
Southside Machine Works
Lake Charles

As part of the Lantern Awards ceremony, the Louisiana Quality Foundation recognizes Louisiana Performance Excellence Award winners. This year’s winners are the Dove Group, MMR Group, Louisiana Department of Wildlife & Fisheries Office of Management & Finance and Xavier University Department of Finance.

Since LED launched the Lantern Awards in 1979, the program has recognized more than 300 Louisiana manufacturing businesses. LED’s program partners include the Louisiana Industrial Development Executives Association and the Louisiana Quality Foundation.

Award-winners receive lanterns handcrafted and donated by Bevolo Gas and Electric Lights of New Orleans. The lanterns have become an internationally recognized trademark of New Orleans, and Bevolo is the oldest and largest copper gas lantern manufacturer in the U.S., and the second-oldest in the world.