LED touts historic levels of investment in La.

 Expansion plans at Saronic's new shipyard in St. Mary Parish helped Louisiana Economic Development achieve historic results in 2025, LED said Monday.
Last year was the largest year of investment and job creation in Louisiana’s history, with more than $61 billion in capital investment and over 9,300 direct new jobs generated since January. These new jobs pay an estimated average salary of $91,000, which is $30,000 higher than the state average.
“This is what winning looks like, for we are no longer defined by what we were, but what we are becoming,” Gov. Jeff Landry said.
Recent project announcements:
•Saronic is investing $300 million to expand the Franklin shipyard and advance large-scale autonomous vessel production, strengthening Louisiana’s leadership in maritime manufacturing and defense-sector innovation.
•SLB is doubling its Shreveport footprint through a $30 million expansion that supports growing demand for digital infrastructure and advanced technology manufacturing.
•Epic Piping is expanding its corporate headquarters in Livingston with a $25 million investment, increasing capacity to meet rising demand across natural gas, nuclear and data center markets.
•ElementUSA is investing $850 million to develop a rare-earth and critical mineral refining facility in Southeast Louisiana, strengthening U.S. supply chains essential to advanced manufacturing, national defense and energy technologies.
•Hut 8 announced it is investing $10 billion to build an AI data center in West Feliciana Parish to support global industry leaders Fluidstack backed by Google.
“Louisiana’s performance this year shows what is possible when we align our strategy with the needs of our workers and the ambitions of our businesses,” said LED Secretary Susan B. Bourgeois.
“The growth we are seeing isn’t just measured in investment; it’s measured in the quality of jobs being created. With new positions averaging more than $91,000 annually, more Louisiana families are accessing the kinds of wages that change lives. This is the progress we planned for, and it is only the beginning.”
These latest wins reflect the meaningful progress seen across Louisiana all year long. As LED approaches its 90th anniversary in 2026, the agency remains committed to advancing this work in the year ahead.