Corridor cities recognized for their top deals, hot markets

Louisiana picked up a trio of top honors from Southern Business & Development magazine for its economic development wins in 2008. The state was named Co-State of the Year, while Baton Rouge and New Orleans were named as the top cities in their respective categories. This is the second time in three years Louisiana was named State of the Year, and the second consecutive year Baton Rouge topped the mid-market category. “Over the last three years no state in the South has performed better than Louisiana,” says the magazine, noting that the state has come a long way since the mid-1990s when its biggest deals were new Walmart stores. Louisiana tied with Tennessee because of big economic development projects like the Shaw Group’s decision to build nuclear power plant modules in Lake Charles, the $110 million Federal City project in New Orleans and Albemarle’s decision to move its corporate headquarters to Baton Rouge. Terrebonne Parish also received an honorable notice, for its success in attracting new jobs in the offshore industry. See the full list of winners from Southern Business here.