LSU’s College of Engineering is spearheading an effort to get special federal recognition for south Louisiana’s chemical corridor—a designation, that, if granted, would enable the area to compete for a share of $1.3 billion a year in federal economic development dollars. The program for which Louisiana is competing is called the Investing in Manufacturing Communities Partnership, and it’s an initiative created by President Barack Obama’s administration to stimulate manufacturing in the U.S. Last year, the program designated 12 IMCP communities. Those communities have since been given elevated consideration for federal grants and assistance from more than a dozen federal agencies.
This year, 12 more communities will be selected to participate, and Jonathan Shi, a professor in the construction management department in the LSU College of Engineering, hopes south Louisiana will be one of them.
“This would open up a lot of funding opportunities,” Shi says. “The intent is to make the entire community better equipped to compete.”
More than 80 local partners, including industry associations, the Baton Rouge Area Chamber, and companies like Turner Industries, Cajun Industries and Motiva, are backing the effort and have formed the South Louisiana Chemical Manufacturing Community Consortium. Though the state’s chemical industry is thriving, special economic development dollars would help it to remain sustainable and healthy.
“We fully support this effort,” says Dan Borné, president of the Louisiana Chemical Association. “This will cultivate an environment for businesses to create well-paying jobs in our region.”
If designated an IMCP community, Louisiana would be able to compete for grant funding in one of several areas, including workforce training, research and innovation, infrastructure and site development, supply networks, trade and international investment, and operational improvement and capital access. LSU would be the lead entity in the community consortium and, as such, would apply for the grants and disburse whatever funds are awarded to the appropriate programs or companies.
“Think of this as chemical manufacturing 2.0,” Shi says. “A lot of our manufacturing facilities haven’t been upgraded in a long time. This distinction would enable them to apply for funding that will help make the industry more viable long-term.”
—Stephanie Riegel
