Bulletin for November 14, 2023

Louisiana Economic Development

Larry Collins, Executive Director International Commerce

Thanks to member George Messina for catering this week’s networking event at Rooftop on Basin.

Larry Collins, Executive Director of International Commerce at LED, reaches out to businesses to convince them as to why it makes sense to do business in Louisiana. LED represents one tenth of one percent of the state’s budget and operates with a staff of roughly 120. He reviewed the programs offered by LED such as small business and entrepreneurial services, business retention and expansion group that is charged with helping businesses grow, a national marketing group that recruits companies in the U. S. to do business in Louisiana. The International Commerce office and an incentives division which manages the incentives offered by LED. The Fast Start training program is a workforce and labor solutions program. Their Competiveness group constantly compares LED Louisiana to other peer states like Texas, Alabama and Tennessee. The Small Business Development center will put graduates together to assist small businesses with putting a business plan together. The State trade expansion, an export promotion office, referred to as a scholarship for companies, who have never exported before or would like to export to a new country. This office will reimburse the company up to ten thousand dollars when the money is spent at an international trade show or for an international marketing event and is available to a for profit company.