The five-parish region of Southwest Louisiana offers a great combination of interstate for trucking, extensive rail, a world-class port facility, a commercial airport offering five daily flights to Houston, TX, and an industrial airport with over 600 acres of available sites.

Road, Rail, Port and Air : I-10 provides easy access to Houston, TX, only two hours to the west, and to New Orleans, about three hours to the east. Seven exits off of I-10 allow for plentiful southwest Louisiana locations with quick access.

Located on the Calcasieu River, the Port of Lake Charles is the 12th largest in the US, and boasts three marine terminals and several inland terminals. It also features an on-site industrial park and six public agency sites with foreign trade zone status. Rail and trucking access are provided. Two shallow-draft ports are also located in Southwest Louisiana, all providing great access to the Gulf of Mexico.

Chennault International Airport Authority is an industrial airport offering sites up to 600 acres with access to rail, road and port. Foreign trade zone status allows for duty-free storage, and assembly and manufacturing of foreign goods. Enterprise zone designation provides for special tax incentives. With its 10,000’ runway, this industrial air complex is home to companies such as Northrop Grumman, Aeroframe Services and Louisiana Millworks.

Workforce Training: Louisiana ’s manufacturing workers are ranked #1 in productivity measured by value of shipments per production worker (Bureau of Census 2002).

• McNeese State University is located in Lake Charles and, in addition to its many programs of undergraduate study, offers a concentration in Terrorism, Preparedness and Security, a first of its kind in the nation.
• Also located in Lake Charles, Sowela Technical Community College offers customized worker training programs. Approximately 6000 have been trained in aviation for companies such as Boeing, Northrop Grumman and EADS. Students are prepared for employment in the Petrochemical industry through Sowela’s Process Technology (PTEC) Department which qualifies them to be hired as Operators at the local plants. Citgo and other petro-chemcial plants have been very vocal in their praise of these graduates.

Recent successes: Citgo Petroleum Corporation completed a $293 million expansion at its Lake Charles Manufacturing Complex in March 2005, making it the fourth largest refinery in the US.

Sasol North America has moved its research and development staff from Austin, Texas to Westlake, in southwest Louisiana. The staff includes 43 scientists, chemists, engineers and support personnel. “The move is being made to reduce costs and locate research scientists closer to the company’s largest manufacturing facility, where they can interact more readily with plant personnel,” said Dan Plummer, research and development manager.

Sites are Ready: Maybe you need a shovel-ready megasite with all infrastructure located on I-10; or a 35-acre property with existing buildings, steam, barge dock and access to three rail sidings; or a building located on the river with quick access to the Gulf featuring helipads, hazardous materials staging area and wired for a backup generator. Southwest Louisiana has a variety of site and building offerings, whether you are looking for an industrial park environment or a location focused on access to water, rail, air and/or interstate.

More than Just Business: A great example of southwest Louisiana’s fast-growing economy is the recent opening of L’auberge du Lac, a $365 million hotel, casino, and golf resort joining other well-known attractions such as Harrah’s, Isle of Capri and Delta Downs Horse Racing Track, Casino and Hotel. And, don’t forget, you can also enjoy the world-renowned Cajun cuisine and incredible hunting and fishing. A drive along The Creole Nature Trail All-American Road offers breathtaking wildlife.

Visit southwest Louisiana and you’ll see plenty of reasons why your company would be successful here. For more information, call George Swift at 337-721-4100 or email: gswift@swlaped.org. Or visit www.swlaped.org.