JEDCO fights for Diamond Data

Diamond Data Systems isn’t going anywhere. The Jefferson Parish Council has approved an incentive package that will ensure the information technology company remains and expands in the parish. Having outgrown its Elmwood headquarters last year, the company considered moving to the Gulf Coast of Mississippi, where it already has a satellite office at the Stennis Space Center. The Jefferson Parish Economic Development Commission, or JEDCO, worked with parish officials to utilize the Jefferson Economic Future Fund to retain Diamond Data. Although the incentive program is earmarked to attract companies from outside the region, in limited instances it can be used to retain businesses. “Losing Diamond Data was not an option for Jefferson Parish or JEDCO,” says Dottie Stephenson, JEDCO’s deputy director for business outreach. “This technology company was founded here and has become a significant asset for our economy, offering quality jobs and attracting talent from all over.” The company has committed to maintain its headquarters and 90 existing positions in Jefferson Parish, where it recently opened a new corporate office in the Heritage Plaza Building in Metairie. The firm is also obligated to create 75 new jobs. Diamond Data recently won an information technology and engineering support contract for the Navy Warfare Development Command.