Happy Birthday Alliance

This October marks the third anniversary of the formation of the Southwest Louisiana Economic Development Alliance. On October 16, 2006, Bill Willis (2006 Chair of the Chamber SWLA and Foundation Board) and Lake Charles Mayor Randy Roach (2006 Chair of the SWLA Partnership for Economic Development Partnership Board) signed the memorandum of understanding which combined the resources of these three organizations to establish the SWLA Alliance.

Representing public and private entities and serving the five parishes of Allen, Beauregard, Calcasieu, Cameron, and Jeff Davis, the Alliance unites the region for a common purpose of economic stability and growth for all.

We’ve made good progress, but are still only at the tip of our potential. After being dealt major blows by several hurricanes, our region has embraced the need to adapt and chart new courses, so we can be viable for future generations. There are some who want things to remain the same. There are some who want big changes.

It’s only natural to have these competing desires. As I mature and witness many changes, I’ve come to embrace change. The fact is there will always be change. It’s up to us - as stewards of our region - to make the correct changes to prepare a well planned and stable region for our children and their children.

The Alliance has been busy during the last three years.

We have beefed up our research department with all economic indicators and demographic information, and maintain a data base of potential sites and buildings for companies wanting to expand or relocate to Southwest Louisiana. We have increased our proactive marketing with a new website, regional videos, ads and brochures, and attended major trade shows.

We have worked with existing industry on expansion and retention projects, formed a close working relationship with Louisiana Economic Development and other regions around the state as well as Southeast Texas. We have retained our own representative in Houston to tell our story there and we are beginning discussions with the Houston Partnership, our very large counterpart, on how we can work together on a larger mega-regional basis.

Houston is expected to double in size by 2025 and that growth will impact our area with development opportunities. In case you think that’s a long time away, it’s only 16 years. So, after we have gone through four more presidential elections, Houston will be the fifth largest metro area in the nation. We also are working on infrastructure projects including a new I-10 bridge at Lake Charles, a DeRidder by-pass, Cameron bridgeworks over the ship channel, and development of a new deep water port at the Calcasieu Pass in Cameron.

We have restructured the Alliance Foundation board, the only 501c3 organization in the region devoted exclusively to economic development. The new board has mandated seats from public and private entities spanning all five parishes. All parishes are at the table and we are seeing more regional cooperation than ever thought possible when we began.

We are tackling the need for skilled workers in our area by working with McNeese, our state technical and Community colleges, and parish school boards to prepare our incoming workforce for the jobs available in our region. We have worked with City of Lake Charles, Calcasieu Parish Police Jury, and McNeese to develop the region’s SEED Center, a business incubator and one-stop economic development center which will focus on and foster entrepreneurship within our five parishes. Plans are moving forward and we hope to break ground by next summer.
These are a few of the things we are working on, with more on the way.

We conducted a successful capital campaign with over 110 investors, large and small, to fund our region’s economic development efforts. Buy-in has been strong and more funds are needed if we are to gear up. Time is of the essence. The world economy has changed and makes our competitiveness more crucial. We will beef up our international trade efforts and continue to be a part of the state’s new “Blue Ocean” initiative to identify bold new industries and opportunities for our region and the state.

It’s been a fast and progress-filled three years. As they say, for Southwest Louisiana, the Best is Yet to Come! Think globally, act regionally, and talk up Southwest Louisiana.

A Salute to Women in Business

THE SWIFT REPORT- By George Swift
President/CEO: SWLA Economic Development Alliance

As the Times salutes Women in Business, so do we.

Do you know there are over 10 million women owned businesses in the United States? There are over 9,000 businesses in our five parishes. Of that over 2,500 are owned by women, but I suspect the number is really much larger. Women entrepreneurs are the fastest growing segment in small business with an almost unlimited potential for growth.

As we strive to diversify our economic base in our five parishes, The SWLA Alliance and Chamber SWLA will be encouraging folks in our area to consider starting their own businesses. It’s not for everyone, but business owners who make it have freedom to chart their own course and be their own boss. There are risks and small business owners can’t call in sick or take the day off. You are the business and, if you are not there, you are out of business. The rewards top the negatives and many wouldn’t consider returning to work for someone else.

We are fortunate to have many successful women-owned businesses in Southwest Louisiana. Congressman Charles Boustany and the U.S. Chamber Trade Roots program recently presented one such business woman with an impressive award. Alta Baker, CEO of Safe Haven Enterprises of Jennings, was honored for her work manufacturing and exporting blast-resistant buildings, doors, and windows used for high-security areas such as U.S. Embassies and throughout the world. Alta had the dream and she acted on it. Now, her company sells their in demand units worldwide.

On the Chamber SWLA Board, we have several successful women leading our Chamber and Economic Development efforts. Next year, Patricia Philmon of Merrill Lynch will be our Board Chair and Celia Case of The Southwest Call Center remains our Workforce Vice Chair on the Chamber SWLA Board Executive Committee. Tobie Hodkins, President of Bessette Development, always lends a hand there when a tough task to be done. Tobie and Mandi Mitchell headed up the Task Force which revamped the Chamber SWLA Leadership program.

(The new Leadership program and curriculum begins in January 2010 and the application deadline is October 1st.) While Dr. Andrea Lewis Miller, the new Sowela Chancellor, is relative newcomer to our area, she is remolding the institution into a fine two-year community college and technical school which will provide training for thousands of our citizens in the future.

Andrea Bacarisse of E2E Technology does triple-duty on the board representing her business, the technology sector while also serving as Chair of Fusion Five, our young professionals group, which is helping to develop our up and coming leaders today. (Membership in Fusion Five is open to those in business between the ages of 21 and 45 in Southwest Louisiana.) Cynthia Hoffpauir of the Jeff Davis Business Alliance and Avon Knowlton of the Greater Beauregard Chamber are a few of the other women on the Chamber board representing regional allies.
I hesitate to mention only these few, but I wanted to make a point.

Without our strong women leaders and business persons, our region would be greatly diminished. That is why we’re excited about developing a new forum for women in business to help women get into business and stay in business.

At the Alliance, we have conducted entrepreneurial training programs for the last several years and roughly 2/3 of those attending have been women and we have only scratched the surface. Today, we salute our women business leaders. At the Alliance and the Chamber SWLA, we look forward to working with both the business women and business men of our region to build a better future for Southwest Louisiana.

Think globally, act regionally and let’s talk up Southwest Louisiana.

Honoring Our Elected Officials

Recently, The Chamber SWLA hosted our fourth annual Legis-gator Luncheon at L’auberge du Lac Casino Resort. Over 500 people attended including many statewide elected officials, legislators, and area officials. The Legis-gator Luncheon is our annual wrap-up of federal and state legislative issues and a means to honor legislators who support the pro-business plan of the Chamber SWLA.

In addition to recognizing the efforts of our Southwest Louisiana legislators, we invite and honor those legislators from around the state who support our plan.

We invited the entire state congressional delegation to attend and find out more about our region, our Chamber and our mission for Louisiana and Southwest Louisiana in particular. For the record, the Chamber SWLA does not endorse candidates, but we do take positions on issues and legislation.

Having legislators around the state familiar with our area and issues is critical when issues arise and we need their support.

We were pleased to have John Gonzales, Regional Manager of the U.S. Chamber, attend to present their Spirit of Enterprise Awards to our congressional delegation. Accepting in person were Congressmen Charles Boustany and Charlie Melancon. Senators Mary Landrieu and David Vitter sent video messages in their absence.

At the Legis-Gator, we heard from Louisiana’s Ag and Forestry Commissioner Dr. Mike Strain, Insurance Commission Deputy Director Ed O'Brien (subbing for Commissioner Jim Donelon), Attorney General Buddy Caldwell, and Public Service Commissioner Clyde Holloway. To cap the statewide officials presentations, Lt. Governor Mitch Landrieu presented a strong, thoughtful message about our state and its future in his keynote address.

Legislators from around the state were honored with Business Champion Awards and three special awards were presented to the three legislators determined to have fought hardest on the same issues which concern the Chamber SWLA.

Ben Bourgeois, Chair of our Governmental Affairs Committee, honored Rep. Nickie Monica of LaPlace who authored several of our energy bills in our REEL initiative, which stands for “Renewed Energy Economy for Louisiana.” This legislation would provide incentives for enhanced oil recovery projects to boost state and local income.

Chamber Chair Ken Broussard presented the Chair’s award to State Senator Willie Mount, a tireless booster of our state and supporter of higher education and workforce training along with many other issues.

Our 2008 Legis-gator of the Year award went to freshman Rep. Steve Carter of Baton Rouge who took on the tough issue of school board reform. It takes courage to lead the charge as Rep. Carter did.

Even though many of our initiatives did not pass, we appreciate those legislators who supported our platform. We will be back next session, looking for success. We realize not all legislators will agree with us on every issue, and we appreciate those elected officials who are open to meeting with us and discussing our issues.

Despite differing views on various issues, we believe Southwest Louisiana should set the example for the state by working together toward a common goal. The Chamber is proud to be a catalyst in bringing business issues to the forefront and in pushing the progress agenda for Southwest Louisiana inside and outside of our state.

United we can accomplish more than by going it alone. We work closely with the Louisiana Association of Business & Industry, the Council for a Better Louisiana, Blueprint Louisiana, the Coalition to Insure Louisiana and with other regional allies such as Greater New Orleans, Inc., and Baton Rouge Area Chamber.

We collaborate often with organizations within our five parish region such as the Greater Beauregard Chamber, West Calcasieu Association of Commerce, and the Jeff Davis Business Alliance. We also work across state lines with organizations including the Greater Beaumont Chamber and the chambers in Orange, TX and Port Arthur, TX.

Think globally, act regionally, and talk up Southwest Louisiana.

Think Big!

Think Big!
By George Swift

There’s no doubt the regional approach to economic development is the successful way to go. To those doubters, check out what has happened in Tupelo, Houston, Hattiesburg, Mobile, Charlotte, and Louisville.

Our Southwest Louisiana region (the five parishes of Allen, Beauregard, Calcasieu, Cameron, and Jeff Davis) will need to work with other regions in order to optimize our future.

North
The SWLA Economic Development Alliance recently signed a community covenant with Fort Polk in Vernon Parish. We are pledging to support the efforts of this important military facility and its personnel as they work to expand to double their size. Since Vernon Parish and Fort Polk play such a key role in the economic dynamic of our region, we are happy we are now officially playing ball.

West
Since Rita, Southeast Texas, and Southwest Louisiana have traveled together on several important missions to Washington, D.C. We have an excellent working relationship with the Chambers in Beaumont, Port Arthur, and Orange. The Alliance is working with the Greater Beauregard Chamber and the Jeff Davis Business Alliance to further strengthen our efforts with our friends in Southeast Texas. We can combine forces to recruit new workers to both areas rather than raiding each other’s labor pool.

East
Some time ago, the officers of the Chamber SWLA met with the Lafayette Chamber leaders, and the roof didn’t collapse. With that major accomplishment, it is time for us to forge a working relationship with the Lafayette region to tackle some mutual issues. Mayor Roach and Lafayette Parish Mayor Joey Durel get along well and both support regionalism. Lafayette is pushing for the completion of I-49 and our area needs a new wider, safer I-10 bridge over the Calcasieu River in Lake Charles. While we have yet to get SWLA and Acadiana together on this, I believe we would be much more effective if we sought funding for both projects together. A powerful case can be made when you tie SWLA and Acadiana together and emphasize the energy we supply to the entire country. It’s an impressive story. If both regions spoke with a combined voice, we would be a strong force in Baton Rouge.

Statewide
The airports and airparks in Lafayette, Lake Charles, and Alexandria have worked together on aviation issues and that effort has been expanded to include the other airports and industrial parks in the state. We have precedents for working outside narrow geographic lines. We have to check our egos at the door and realize that while we may compete with these areas at times, we all benefit by expanding our mental boundaries.

We also have been involved in the I-10/I-12 corridor initiative which was financed and hosted by the Baton Rouge Area Foundation. One of the proposals was for the state to pay for a large marketing and branding campaign for the corridor. With the condition of state finances, that is not going to happen. The I-10/I-12 corridor initiative recently added New Orleans, so our efforts now encompass the entire southern half of the state.

GNO, Inc., the New Orleans area regional economic development group, and the Chamber SWLA worked together during the past legislative session to push incentives for increased energy production and to make Louisiana competitive with adjacent states on energy production. That’s a first—SWLA and New Orleans working together. It won’t be the last.

The future of our Southwest Region is dependent on how well we work with those areas around
us. Planners have already identified ten megapolitan areas in the nation. We are in the Gulf Coast Region which is basically from Brownsville to Pensacola. A sub-set of that huge area, is the Texas Gulf Coast which includes 21 counties in Texas and two parishes in Louisiana; Calcasieu and Cameron. So whether we like it or not (and I do), we are a small part of a huge mega-region. Former Governor Buddy Roemer said in a recent appearance to Fusion Five members that the future is strong for the Gulf Coast. We are right where we need to be physically.

Our challenge is to get where we need to be “mentally.” If we do, we will exceed the expectations of even our most positive thinkers.

The Alliance is about building coalitions and we are ready.

Think globally, act regionally and talk up Southwest Louisiana.

You Can Make The Difference

By George Swift



As part of our pro-active efforts to market Southwest Louisiana, I recently attended a huge trade show in Chicago for the plastics industry. Louisiana Economic Development and Southwest Louisiana was represented along with some of the other areas of the state. Thousands attended the gigantic McCormick Center.

It was interesting to see the reactions to the Louisiana booth. As a small giveaway, we used the little bottles of Tabasco. There was universal recognition of this hot sauce from attendees over the world whether they were from China, Korea, Mexico, as well as all over the United States. We are now beginning to get positive reactions about doing business in Louisiana since the new pro-business, Jindal administration and new ethics laws are now in place. Our state is number one in the nation in financial disclosure from elected officials. We’re beginning to see progress in attitudes toward our state.

As a tourist destination, Louisiana also scores high. Folks who have traveled to Louisiana said they loved our state, its culture and people. Lt. Gov. Mitch Landrieu talks about our Cultural Economy and how it can be expanded. There’s no doubt that the positives of Louisiana’s food, music, and friendly people can help us develop our economy.

Those who have visited our state want to return. Granted, most visitors and worldwide citizens know New Orleans more than they know the rest of the state and our region is not as well known, but that is beginning to change. The casino industry brings in 8 million visitors a year. We need to let them know there’s more to our region than our popular casinos. Our wildlife, hunting and fishing, museums, festivals, restaurants and other attractions are worth exploring.

How do we get people to make the transition from visitors to residents and business operators? You can have a big influence on our visitors. We can be friendly and hospitable, which most of us are. It’s part of our Louisiana culture.

We can be positive and informed if someone asks directions or about something to do. All it takes is one negative comment and the visitor is left with a bad impression. The SWLA Convention & Visitors Bureau, along with the Beauregard, Allen, Cameron, and Jeff Davis tourist bureaus, can give you plenty of suggestions for things to do in each parish.

Why not play tourist in your own back yard and take a mini-trip in our region to see all the things we have here. Have you driven the Creole nature Trail All American Road lately? Have you visited the new Leatherwood museum in Oakdale? How about the museums of DeRidder? The Imperial Calcasieu Museum? The Old 1911 City Hall? The Central School in Lake Charles? You’ll enjoy them and will be pleasantly surprised—and you’ll be better prepared to be an ambassador for our area.

Several years ago, Mayor Roach formed a task force of new residents to our area to find out what they wanted from the region. Many of the items they identified are here—just not as well known. We can do a better job of informing our local residents about our attractions and amusements.
Most everyone knows a classmate or fellow member of a civic or religious organization that owns or has influence with companies located outside the state.

If you let us know at the SWLA Alliance we can send them a video and other information on our area and the positives for doing business here. There’s nothing better than a personal contact from you to open the door. We can all be ambassadors to increase tourism and business just by informing our friends and relatives who live elsewhere about visiting, living and doing business in Southwest Louisiana. Let’s contact those we know—especially our younger folks who have moved away. Invite them back home.

Let’s think globally, act regionally and talk up Southwest Louisiana.

News from Washington

By George Swift

The U.S. Chamber Small Business Summit in Washington, D.C., this month was a great opportunity for me and my fellow Southwest Louisianans to gain new insights on issues affecting small businesses and to take our message to our Congressional delegation. Joining me on the trip this year was Chamber SWLA Small Business Chair Mike Allen, Chamber SWLA Vice-President of Public Policy Monique Thierry and regional allies Avon Knowlton of the Greater Beauregard Chamber and Cynthia Hoffpauir of the Jeff Davis Business Alliance.

We also welcomed our Vernon Parish ally Eddie Wise of the Vernon Chamber. This was also our annual joint D.C. trip with our Southeast Texas friends, Jim Rich from the Beaumont Chamber, Sabrina Gray from the Orange Chamber, and Mary Ann Reid of the Port Arthur Chamber. Mark Viator and Amanda Bryant from Partnership Strategies also attended. Mark is helping The Alliance formulate a workforce plan for our region just as he did for Southeast Texas.

Together, we met with our Senators Landrieu and Vitter and Senator John Cornyn from Texas as well as Southwest Louisiana Congressman Boustany and Congressmen Fleming, Alexander, and Poe and Brady from Texas. We presented our issues of concern to each. We expressed the need for infrastructure funding for the I-10 bridge replacement at Lake Charles, a ferry replacement over the ship channel in Cameron, a DeRidder by-pass, a new water tower for the

Jeff Davis Lacassine site, and improvements at the Allen Industrial Park in Oakdale.
We also talked about national issues including the request for GO-Zone incentive extensions, opposition to the card check legislation and other matters. We also listened as the Southeast Texans talked about their needs for coastal protection, ship channel dredging and other items. Sound familiar? Southeast Texas and Southwest Louisiana are truly linked together through common needs and concerns and we welcome the opportunity to work together.

At the U.S. Chamber Summit, we were joined by Andree and Don Begneaud of Begneaud Manufacturing of Lafayette. They are Chamber SWLA members and were finalists in the National Small Business of the Year competition. We are very proud of them. During our last trip to Washington, Andree and I appeared in TV ads produced by the U.S. Chamber to oppose card check. During the conference, they showed the ads and contrary to my usual assertion that the most dangerous place to be is between me and a camera, I must have blushed 20 shades of crimson. As an aside, when we filmed those ads they put so much make-up on me that I looked embalmed.

At the conference, we heard from and met new Commerce Secretary Gary Locke, and new SBA Administrator Karen Mills. Our own Senator Landrieu launched the summit as Chair of the Senate Small Business committee. With former Louisiana Senator Don Cravins, Jr as her Chief of Staff for the small business committee, we in Louisiana have a great entre’ to key policy makers for small business. We discussed the need for access to capital for small businesses and the need to cut through the red tape and delays to process SBA loans. We are seeing some relief at SBA with more expected soon. Since small businesses account for about 70% of our country’s economy, we are committed to help our businesses in our region to grow and prosper.

Mike Allen, who was our Chamber SWLA Volunteer of the Year for 2008, was a welcome addition at the summit and on the congressional visits. With his knowledge and background, he was able to pick up a lot of good ideas which we hope to implement.

On another note, our recent Chamber SWLA membership drive brought in about 140 new members—which is terrific! Membership is nearing an all-time high. If you’re in business, you need to be in the Chamber. We are working at full blast to develop our total area which helps every business.

Congratulations to Russell Pawlowski, Vice-President Commercial Banking at Business First Bank who won the grand prize cruise generously furnished by Sonny Duplantis of Holiday Travel.

The Chamber, which is part of the SWLA Economic Development Alliance, is also busy pushing and opposing legislation in Baton Rouge which will impact our region. For a copy of our 2009 Legislative Issues flyer, please contact us.

One thing is for sure, whether it’s on the local, state, and national scene, now is the time for businesses to come together and represent their interests. And as one speaker in D.C. put it, if you don’t have the time, then you will have all the time in the world.

Think globally, act regionally, and promote Southwest Louisiana.

Planting a SEED

By George Swift


On April 16th, there was a celebration at the Lake Charles
Civic Center that I wish everyone in our region could have
attended. It was the Entrepreneur’s Showcase highlighting the
5th Anniversary of the Microenterprise Development Program and
Small and Emerging Business Development Programs in our
region. After starting off at the City of Lake Charles, these
programs are currently sponsored by the SWLA Alliance and
Louisiana Department of Economic Development (LED).

Adrian Wallace, a man with the vision and desire to help
others, has been the driving force of these operations. For
the last five years, he has supervised and trained
entrepreneurs and assisted dozens of start-up businesses with
technical assistance. At the Entrepreneur’s Showcase, local
businesses in the program celebrated their accomplishments and
showcased their businesses.

The evening’s events were keynoted by Dr. Randall Pinkett, of
Newark, N.J. Dr. Pinkett is Founder, Chairman, and CEO of BCT
Partners, a multimillion dollar technology consulting firm,
and Season 4 Winner of Donald Trump’s Apprentice TV series.

I’ve never heard a better speaker than Dr. Pinkett on sparking
the desire to succeed and start your own business. He talked
about his youth, raised by his mother after his father’s
untimely death. He overcame many challenges, earned three
college degrees, and is now an ultra-successful entrepreneur.

He gives back to the community and firmly believes that “for
those whom much is given, much is expected.” I saw the lights
go on for several people in the audience as he spoke,
especially some very young folks. They can go into business
for themselves and achieve their dreams.

This brings us to the planting of the SEED. I’m referring to
the Southwest Louisiana Entrepreneurial Economic Development
Center, the SEED Center. Dr. Robert Hebert, President of
McNeese State University, came up with that name and it’s
perfect for what we want to do.

Still in the formative stages, the SEED Center will be a one-
stop entrepreneurial center on the MSU campus which will
provide office space, counseling, and other assistance to help
launch businesses. It will provide a home to the MSU Small
Business Development Center, headed by Donna Little, who does
a magnificent job of counseling businesses.

We’re also planning for the Alliance offices and other economic
development organizations to co-locate there. The SEED Center
will make the statement that Southwest Louisiana is serious
about diversifying our economy through entrepreneurship.

The SEED Center will serve as a home to beginning businesses that
can’t yet afford commercial real estate properties. As they
grow out of the incubator after two or three years, the
incubator becomes a feeder for commercial properties. SEED
will also provide services to clients not physically located
in the facility and will serve all of the five parishes of
Southwest Louisiana.

The Center will assist start-ups as well as existing businesses that want to grow. With over one
thousand successful incubators throughout the nation, this
will be the first full size facility of its type in our
region.

There is still much to do before a formal announcement is
made, but McNeese State University, Calcasieu Parish Police
Jury, City of Lake Charles, and the Alliance have entered into
an agreement to construct and manage the facility. An
architectural firm has been hired and is working on the plans.
Funding from the Parish, City, and the State are lining up.

Federal grants are being sought. Things are coming together.
The Entrepreneurs Showcase brought home what it is all about:
giving folks with ideas and desires a little assistance to
open and operate their own business.

All large businesses start small and who knows, as Adrian Wallace always says, “we
might have the next Bill Gates right here in Southwest
Louisiana.” That’s planting a seed! Think globally, act
regionally, and promote Southwest Louisiana.

From left to right: George Swift, Craig Hartberg of LED, Dr. Pickett, Ruth Admal of LED, and Adrian Wallace.