Summer 2006

It's a Unity I've Never Seen Before

Louisiana officials are all for one, one for all as they recruit and rebuild

Mike Randle, Editor

The practice of economic development is naturally competitive, particularly here in the South. Used to be towns and counties next to each other in the same state were economic enemies, dog-cussing one another to shocked prospects who then easily figured out how to play one against the other in order to gain more than what they needed to launch a project.

It wasn't just local economic development officials who battled each other at the county line. Not too long ago, gas providers and electric utilities also went toe-to-toe when it came to landing industry in their territories. Today, most utilities are no longer competitors, but essential partners for locating industry.

Working together has never been more popular in the economic development game. Adjoining counties and parishes (counties in Louisiana) are now found under the same organizational umbrella. It's now understood that what is good for one town or county, is almost as good for the one next door.

Examples of cooperation among economic development entities took the highest road I've ever seen while visiting Louisiana for three weeks this past summer quarter. I met with more than 75 economic development officials throughout the Bayou State in an effort to understand what it's like to rebuild areas of Louisiana post-Katrina and Rita and how to recruit industry to a state that has been the poster child of the disaster-focused, frenzied, strung-out, addicted media (Is anyone from CNN or Fox News reading this?). I mean, come on. How much of 9/11 and Katrina can we take without hurling? Maybe, now that we're past the five-year and one-year mark for both, we can move on.

Moving on and moving forward is exactly what Louisiana is doing. They are doing it together, showing a unity I've never seen before in economic development circles. No matter where I went in Louisiana, I found that locals, regional and utility reps, statewide officials ... they all are on the same page, working together to bring prosperity to their state. There isn't a state or anywhere else, for that matter, that is trying harder than Louisiana is right now.

We've got plenty for you to read about Louisiana moving forward. Click on the Louisiana icon found under the features section on SB-D.com to discover what has really become an unprecedented new opportunity for expanding industry in the Bayou State.