Manufacturing & Fabrication

While manufacturing might be in decline elsewhere, it is anything but here in Livingston Parish!

Livingston Parish maintains its long history of attracting and supporting its manufacturing and metal fabrication community. It has and continues to demonstrate its ability to furnish skilled and trainable workforce ranging from traditional to advanced manufacturing sectors.

Several divisions of Shaw Industries, including Sunland Fabricators have selected to take advantage of the workforce in Livingston Parish. Ferrara Fire Apparatus, a major supplier of fire trucks and equipment to cities throughout the country, has also chosen Livingston Parish to be their corporate headquarters and manufacturing facility. Additional manufacturing companies that call Livingston Parish home include Deltak, Compressor Engineering Corporation (CECO), Traffic Control Products, Bayou Rail Car, Smith Tank & Steel, Champion Steel, Premier Steel Fabrication, and Delta Environmental Products.

Many of these companies have taken advantage of state programs as well as those offered by Southeastern Louisiana University, Manufacturing Extension Partnership of Louisiana (MePoL) and the Livingston Parish School Board.

Louisiana offers several aggressive business incentive programs that are utilized regularly by manufacturers and fabricators. Such programs included:

Louisiana FastStart: Provides workforce recruitment, screening and training to new and expanding Louisiana companies at no cost.

The Industrial property Tax Exemption Program: Provides a 100% property tax abatement for up to 10 years on materials used in new manufacturing.

The Enterprise Zone Program: Provides a $2,500 tax credit for each certified net new job created; and either a 4% sales/use tax rebate on capital expenditures or income and franchise tax credits up to 1.5% of investment.

The Quality Jobs Program: Provides up to 6% rebate on annual payroll expenses for up to 10 years; and either a 4% sales/use tax rebate on capital expenditures or an investment tax credit equal to 1.5% of qualifying expenses.

Modernization Tax Credit Program: Provides a 5% refundable state tax credit for manufacturers modernizing or upgrading existing facilities in Louisiana.

Research & Development Tax Credit Program: Provides a tax credit up to 40% to existing businesses with operating facilities in Louisiana to establish or continue research and development activities within the state.

Additional information on these and other incentive programs offered by Louisiana