Three Ascension Parish manufacturers are a step closer to receiving industrial tax exemptions after the Louisiana Board of Commerce and Industry approved applications representing nearly $5.4 million in combined investment.
The board, which advises on Louisiana tax incentive requests, approved Industrial Tax Exemption Program applications recently for BE Steel LLC, Blue Runner Foods Inc. and Electro Medical Equipment Co. Inc.
Now the applications head to Gov. Jeff Landry for final approval.
The state’s 2025 ITEP rules govern the three applications and provide an 80% property tax exemption on qualifying investments.
Together, the projects represent about $5.38 million in investment and are expected to receive about $88,300 in property tax relief during the first year of their exemptions while generating roughly $22,100 in property taxes for local taxing bodies, according to information provided in the meeting packet.
BE Steel represents the largest individual investment. The industrial fabrication company plans to invest $3.25 million in a new office and warehouse facility at 9226 Ashland Road in Gonzales. BE Steel specializes in fabricating structural steel, pipe supports and other components for industrial and energy infrastructure.
Plans call for an 18,000-square-foot fabrication facility and another 4,000 square feet of office and storage space. The expansion will accommodate new fabrication equipment, including overhead cranes, welding machines, an ironworker, press brake, plate rolls and a CNC pipe profiler. Construction is expected to run through March 2028.
BE Steel purchased roughly 10 acres of vacant land bordering Ashland and Pierce Roads in August 2025 for $626,000, clerk of court records show.
Of the $3.25 million investment, $2.5 million is attributed to the building and $750,000 to machinery and equipment. BE Steel is projected to receive $51,100 in first-year property tax relief while paying about $12,775, according to the board’s summary. Its estimated exemption totals about $408,800 over 10 years.
Electro Medical Equipment plans a $1.65 million expansion of its manufacturing facility at 38054 Reulet Oaks Drive in Prairieville. The company plans to build a 9,280-square-foot prefabricated metal building addition to increase production capacity and provide additional space for manufacturing equipment and raw-material inventory.
The entire $1.65 million investment is attributed to the building. The project is projected to receive about $29,576 in first-year tax relief while generating about $7,394 in property tax collections. The estimated exemption totals roughly $236,600 over 10 years.
Blue Runner Foods, meanwhile, received approval for a $474,547 investment at its 726 S. Burnside Ave. facility in Gonzales. The project involves installing a new boiler used in cooking and thermal processing. The company says the equipment will improve reliability and efficiency, reduce downtime and support continued production at the Louisiana facility. Operations are expected to begin in January.
The investment consists entirely of machinery and equipment. Blue Runner is projected to receive about $7,638 in first-year tax relief while local taxing bodies collect about $1,910. Its estimated 10-year exemption is about $61,100.
