Today, Southern Business & Development magazine ranked New Orleans as the number one major market of the year among southern cities with 750,000 to 2.5 million people, in a tie with Nashville.

SB&D ranks economies based on economic development project activity broken down in how many manufacturing and service projects were announced in the region each calendar year.

Creating Strong Partnerships Statewide

“The Southern Business & Development rankings confirm our success in creating great economic opportunity for the people of Louisiana,” Gov. John Bel Edwards said. “By forming strategic public-private partnerships, by harnessing the capacity of our higher education systems, and by expanding training opportunities throughout our state, Louisiana is a trailblazer in the South for innovation and economic growth. I’m proud that we continue to attract leading employers, and I’m truly excited about the new career options and quality of life that we’re delivering in Louisiana today.”

In 2018, New Orleans boasted several major economic development wins including:

• DXC Technology’s 2,000-job digital transformation center
• Accruent’s 350-job technology center
• LM Wind Power’s addition of 100 jobs to its NASA Michoud campus
• Dixie Brewing Company’s expansion to New Orleans East.

“The Southern Business & Development rankings validate New Orleans’ role as a regional technology hub,” said Quentin L. Messer, Jr., president & CEO of the New Orleans Business Alliance. “Through partnerships with the City, business community and higher education institutions, we are mobilizing the New Orleans workforce to meet the hiring needs of these employers. As the New Orleans economy continues to diversify, the resulting high-quality jobs have the potential to improve employment opportunities and the quality of life for all New Orleanians. We could not be more excited for the future.”

Within the past year, New Orleans garnered national acclaim having been ranked as a Top Ten Tech Market to Watch by CBRE, #3 City for Young Entrepreneurs by Lending Tree and #3 Lowest Gender Gap for Tech Salaries by SmartAsset.

Louisiana ranks No. 2

The state of Louisiana also fared well in the recent SB&D rankings. Louisiana ranked No. 2 for securing the best economic development performance in the South on a per capita basis. This is the 11th year in a row that Louisiana has ranked either No. 1 or No. 2 in the highly competitive category within the magazine’s annual SB&D 100 Top Deals and Hot Markets issue.

“We are exceedingly proud of this accomplishment and our repeat performance of excellence as a state agency,” LED Secretary Don Pierson said. “This third-party validation of LED’s success communicates to our citizens and businesses, large and small, that Louisiana Economic Development is performing at an exceptional level. Our team includes talented project managers, effective marketing and communication personnel, community development experts and a strong cadre of personnel focused on supporting small businesses. Our nationally acclaimed workforce program – LED FastStart^® – continues to support new and expanding industry. We have an Office of International Commerce that’s second-to-none in securing foreign direct investment for our state. Our legal department and fiscal division ensure strict accountability as we invest in public-private partnerships. Thanks to the strong support of our Governor, Legislature, other elected officials and economic development partners statewide, Louisiana is a leader among Southern states.” 

For more about the SB&D 100 report in Southern Business & Development, visit SB-D.com.