IN Development by Julie Landry
AT THE ST. TAMMANY Economic Development Foundation, we work to bring new businesses into our parish and enrich the local economy with new jobs, new dollars and new growth. We want to remain competitive, and in order to do so, we rely on a number of business development and retention practices, including regional marketing, workforce development and land development—specifically, site certification. As technology improves and information becomes more readily available, businesses looking to build new facilities take less time to decide where to locate. For companies considering relocation or expansion into Louisiana, Certified Sites are a powerful time-saver and a selling-point for St. Tammany.
offers quick access to major infrastructure hubs, connecting businesses to the Gulf-South region and beyond while offering some of the lowest business costs available. As part of the Greater New Orleans metro region, St. Tammany recently ranked no. 4 in KPMG’s list of metro-areas in the southeastern United States with the lowest business costs. St. Tammany has already proven itself as a successful and favored home for national and international corporate headquarters such as POOLCORP, Hornbeck Offshore Services, Nestlé Health Science-Pamlab, Netchex, Rain CII and more. By working with developers to ensure that our parish offers a dynamic selection of Certified Sites, STEDF paves the way for even more companies to establish
Certified Sites Foster Growth Louisiana Economic Development—the statewide economic development organization—designates available sites as development-ready or “shovel-ready” after a strenuous pre-qualification process, ensuring Louisiana’s Certified Sites are primed for a speedy groundbreaking. Developers value Certified Sites for their considerable documentation and extensive prescreening, which mitigate the risks associated with land development. STEDF works diligently with local land developers to certify their sites, promoting maximum exposure to the largest clientele of businesses nationwide and positioning St. Tammany for strategic growth. With more than 800 acres distributed among seven Certified Sites, St. Tammany offers wide-ranging, diverse opportunities for growing businesses—and we expect to announce two more Certified Sites before the end of the year. Site selectors demonstrate particular interest in St. Tammany’s Certified Sites because they are deliberately housed in close proximity to the Interstate 10-12 corridor. Each Certified Site in St. Tammany 124
Inside Northside
their operations quickly and easily, creating new jobs for our residents. STEDF also works with land developers to expand the business parks in our parish. Across the country, campus-style business parks have become the norm for accommodating, attracting and growing industry. Many business parks—in St. Tammany and elsewhere—now include a residential component, and these mixed-use parks help to minimize commutes. As some of these parks are close to capacity, STEDF continues to collaborate with local land developers to identify new opportunities for strategic planning and to certify eligible sites. When a business decides to relocate or expand, we want St. Tammany to be ready to accommodate that need with speed and dexterity. Certified Sites improve the chances for both. More information about Certified Sites in St. Tammany can be found online at www.stedf.org. Julie Landry is the Communications Specialist at the St. Tammany Economic Development Foundation.