Spotlight on Louisiana

Louisiana is known as the ‘heartbeat of America’.  Its population of 4,410,796 consists of a colourful population of Cajuns and people of European, Haitian, French and Spanish decent, which accounts for the world class culinary experience that Louisiana is famous for! Louisiana’s geography, which is almost as diverse as its people, garners the state’s reputation of ‘Sportsman's Paradise.’ With thousands of hiking and biking trails, nearly 20 State Parks, and one of the largest game preserves in the United States, Louisiana is the ultimate playground for all outdoorsmen. Louisiana boasts a diverse geography ranging from marshlands, wet lands, prairies and woodlands.

Baton Rouge is the capital city and the second largest city of Louisiana. It is located in East Baton Rouge Parish which contains 428,000 residents.  Many visitors are drawn to New Orleans for its unique Cajun culture and famous Mardi Gras celebration. New Orleans is the major draw, known particularly for its picturesque French Quarter and the annual Mardi Gras celebration, held since 1838. The New Orleans Mardi Gras is a world renowned celebration that welcomes visitors from all over the world. Scenes of parades and revellers flooding the French Quarter of draw in visitors the world over. While they are there, many discover the regions famous cuisines which centers on its plentiful seafood menu.  Adding to the diversity of all this Louisiana, the state has the biggest and most bountiful freshwater fisheries production in America.  Accordingly, it is named the ‘crawfish capital of the world’, as more shrimp are caught off the beautiful shores of Louisiana than anywhere else in the United States.

The sea is indeed a mighty provider for those in Louisiana. Besides its fishery, it provides the oil that drives the state’s biggest industry: oil. Louisiana is a leader in natural gas, salt, petroleum, and sulphur production. Much of the oil and sulphur comes from offshore deposits. The tropic climate of the state makes it a large producer of crops of sweet potatoes, rice, sugar cane, pecans, soybeans, corn, and cotton. Leading manufactured items in Louisiana are chemicals, processed food, petroleum and coal products, paper, lumber and wood products, transportation equipment, and apparel. Louisiana is a leader in petroleum production and pioneered offshore oil and gas exploration and drilling. As a matter of fact, the first well ever drilled out of sight of land was off the Louisiana coast and most of the techniques used in offshore oil exploration around the world today were developed in Louisiana. Louisiana is America's third largest producer of petroleum and the third leading state in petroleum refining and is responsible for 22% of crude oil and 24% of the nation’s natural gas. As such, Louisiana has the greatest concentration of crude oil refineries, natural gas processing plants and petrochemical production facilities in the Western Hemisphere.

Like most southern states, Louisiana has a fever for football. It hosts the New Orleans Saints at the Saddledome. The stadium garnered national attention in 2005 when it was turned into a makeshift shelter for displaced victims of Hurricane Katrina. The Hurricane temporarily devastated the state and brought issues of poor infrastructure, state aid and economic disparity to the forefront.  Residents have shown themselves to be extremely resilient in the aftermath and are rebuilding their communities, many with a huge emphasis on environmentally conscious technologies which could make Louisiana a leader in this area.

In this issue we are profiling some of the businesses intrinsic to the success and promotion of Louisiana. The presidents and CEOs we have interviewed have all had an assiduous pride and affection for their home state which has come through in the articles that appear in this month’s magazine.

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