EXHIBIT J: Jefferson EDGE 2020 - RFP NUMBER: 171116 - Jedco
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EXHIBIT J: Jefferson EDGE 2020
RFP NUMBER: 171116
Economic Development Strategy
August 2015
1
TABLE OF CONTENTS
I. History and Purpose of the Jefferson EDGE 2
II. Planning Process and Engagement 3
III. Baseline Assessment 4
Demographic and Economic Data 4
Cluster Analysis 6
CEDS Analysis 10
Status of Previous Economic Development Action Items 14
IV. Strategic Framework 15
Industry Cluster Strategies 15
Cross-Cutting Issues 28
V. Going Forward 34
Appendix A: List of Stakeholder and Elected Official Participants 35
Jefferson Edge 2020: Economic Development Strategy
2
I. HISTORY AND element of the EDGE 2020 was updated
and additional action items were
PURPOSE OF THE incorporated into the plan.
In 2009, when the Jefferson EDGE 2020
JEFFERSON EDGE plan was first developed, Jefferson
Parish was still focused on the needs
In 2000, the Jefferson Parish Economic of disaster recovery. Several years had
Development Commission (JEDCO) passed since Hurricane Katrina made
completed a community based 5-year landfall, yet the Parish’s future was very
economic development strategic plan, much unclear. Community and business
The Jefferson EDGE. It was adopted as leaders wanted the EDGE to encompass
the parish’s official plan for guiding its a broader set of issues that were of critical
economic growth. In 2004, JEDCO began importance to the future of Jefferson
updating the EDGE for an additional Parish: Beautification, Crime Abatement,
five years, focusing on physical projects Economic Development, Public Education,
as well as policies to generate jobs and Fat City Redevelopment, Flood Protection,
economic growth. This process was Hospitals & Health Care, and Insurance. In
completed in August 2005; however, less the ensuing years, JEDCO and the parish
than a week later, Hurricane Katrina and its have made significant strides in addressing
aftermath shifted the needs of the parish. the needs identified in these areas.
Parish and business leaders met to craft
a business recovery strategy that would In the last several years, there have been
be incorporated into the Jefferson EDGE significant shifts in demographic and
2010 plan. economic conditions as local, national,
and international markets have changed,
In 2008, as the recovery was well underway, and the Parish seeks to respond and
the process of updating the EDGE plan adjust accordingly. In this context, JEDCO
began once more. The Jefferson EDGE decided that an update to the EDGE 2020
2020 was released in 2009 and included that refocuses efforts on current economic
detailed plans for addressing quality of development opportunities was necessary
life issues critical to the future of Jefferson to maximize JEDCO’s impact on the
Parish. In 2012, after the effects of the Jefferson Parish economy over the next
national recession and the BP oil spill five years.
were clearer, the economic development
August 2015
3
II. PLANNING them of the EDGE plan and the efforts to
update the economic development element
PROCESS AND and seek feedback.
The JEDCO Board reviewed and selected
ENGAGEMENT the final list of clusters to target in the plan
at their meeting on May 28th. Following that
The planning process began with a baseline
meeting, a second staff planning session was
assessment that reviewed previous EDGE
held to begin drafting action items for the
plans and collected relevant data on Jefferson
clusters and cross-cutting issues, followed by
Parish’s demographics, economy, and industry
a second round of stakeholder meetings. At
clusters. The assessment also examined
each stakeholder meeting, the draft framework
regional economic development planning
and action items were presented. Stakeholders
to look for larger trends and alignment
provided feedback on the cluster strategies as
opportunities.
well as the cross-cutting issues outlined in the
JEDCO conducted a staff planning session on draft framework. Finally, a public meeting was
March 30th, reviewing the baseline assessment held on July 8th to present the draft framework
findings and held a Strength Weaknesses for comment.
Opportunities Threats (SWOT) analysis of the
Additionally, JEDCO conducted visits with
parish’s strengths, weaknesses, opportunities,
Jefferson Parish Councilmembers to receive
and threats.
specific feedback on the draft action items.
JEDCO formed stakeholder groups focused
on four key areas: manufacturing, major The final plan was presented to the JEDCO
industries, FIRE (finance, insurance, real estate), Board of Commissioners and adopted by the
and municipal and business groups. These board for implementation on July 30, 2015.
stakeholder groups met in early May to review
the baseline assessment, review and offer
feedback on the SWOT analysis from JEDCO
staff, and develop preliminary action items.
Findings were presented at meetings of the
Civic League of East Jefferson, the West
Jefferson Civic Coalition, and the Jefferson
Chamber Young Professionals group to inform
Jefferson EDGE 2020: Economic Development Strategy
4
III.
This continues a growth rate that has
Population
averaged 0.2% between 2010 and 2013.
Esri Business Analyst projections show 500,000
a discrepancy in the current population
BASELINE of Jefferson Parish, but nonetheless
400,000
they project a similarly flat growth rate 300,000
ASSESSMENT into the future of 0.1% annual growth.
200,000
This population growth is in contrast to
A critical component of the planning the region as a whole that continues to 100,000
process for updating the Jefferson grow more rapidly at 1.2%. Esri Business Projected
EDGE 2020 economic development 0
Analyst estimates that this growth is
strategy was using an initial
11
12
14
15
17
18
10
13
16
19
expected to continue and projects a
20
20
20
20
20
20
20
20
20
20
assessment to base the strategy and 1.3% annual growth rate. This growth Jefferson Parish Orleans Parish
recommendations on a foundation of is primarily fueled by Orleans Parish, St. Tammany Parish Other MSA Parishes
relevant data and analysis. With the whose population is projected to
economic conditions of the Parish Source: 2005-2013, US Census Bureau: ACS; 2014, 2019,
exceed that of Jefferson by 2019.
having changed significantly since the Esri Business Analyst; 2015-2018 Calculated by GCR, Inc.
last EDGE analysis in 2009, this baseline
assessment reexamines many indicators Education
of economic conditions, as well as the
Jefferson Parish has a higher percentage
current status of action items developed
of residents over the age of 25 with an
in original EDGE 2020 and updated in
Associate’s degree or higher than the
2012.
state overall. This is a positive trend as it
DEMOGRAPHIC AND indicates that the workforce is becoming
ECONOMIC DATA more skilled and positioned for better
jobs in the parish. However, Jefferson
This section highlights key demographic is not increasing the number of college
and economic indicators. graduates in the population as quickly as
Orleans Parish, where 34% of residents
over 25 have a bachelor’s degree
Population compared to 24% in Jefferson Parish.
The US Census Bureau reported that
Jefferson Parish had 433,477 residents Source: US Census Bureau ACS 2005-2013
in 2013, a 0.2% increase over 2012.
August 2015
5
Household Median Income Household Median Income
The median household income in Jefferson $55,000
Parish is higher than the average for both $50,000
the New Orleans Metropolitan Statistical
Area (MSA) and Louisiana. Over the past $45,000
five years, household median incomes have The number of $40,000
Projected
not grown substantially in Jefferson Parish,
people working
2011
2012
2014
2015
2017
2018
2009
2010
2013
2016
2019
following trends at the state and regional level.
Household median income in the MSA has also
stagnated, while the state averaged a 1.0% in Jefferson Lousisana
New Orleans MSA
Jefferson Parish
annual growth in wages. However, Esri Business
Analyst projections indicate annual household Parish has Source: 2005-2013, US Census Bureau: ACS; 2014, 2019,
income will increase by between 2.0% and
2.5% each year through 2019.
been steady Esri Business Analyst; 2015-2018 Calculated by GCR, Inc.
Employment over the last
The number of people working in Jefferson five years while
Parish has been steady over the last five Unemployment Rate
years while employment in the region has employment in 8.0%
been slowly increasing from 2009 to 2013.
In particular, Orleans and St. Tammany the region has 6.0%
Parishes have performed better during this 4.0%
period, adding 12,000 and 5,000 people that been slowly 2.0%
are employed in the parishes, respectively.
Jefferson Parish lost 2,000 employees during increasing from 0.0%
2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014
this same period, but continues to employ
more people than any of the other parishes in 2009 to 2013. Louisiana Jefferson Parish
the MSA. Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics QCEW
Unemployment in Jefferson Parish is stable
at an average of 6.0% in 2014. This is slightly
below the state and national average of 6.4%
and 6.1% respectively.
Jefferson EDGE 2020: Economic Development Strategy
6
FDIC Deposits Overview: What is a Cluster?
FDIC Deposits as % of 2005 Deposits
Any bank that is insured by the Federal Reserve Industry clusters are a commonly used tool for
180%
must report the deposits that occur at every data analysis in economic development. The
160%
one of their branches. In Jefferson Parish, concept was originally developed by Michael
140% FDIC deposits spiked dramatically following Porter at Harvard University in the early 1990s,
120% Katrina, but since then, growth has tapered off and is now a feature of many major economic
and reflects the growth of the state. The five development strategies.
100%
banks with the highest number of deposits in
80% Because economies cross geographic
the parish are concentrated around the larger
boundaries, the industry cluster concept
07
11
05
06
08
09
10
12
13
14
business centers in the vicinity of the Metairie
20
20
20
20
20
20
20
20
20
20
was developed to capture the regional
Louisiana Jefferson Parish CBD and Elmwood. Nearly a third of the bank
concentrations of related businesses. Clusters
deposits in the MSA occur in Jefferson Parish
comprise many facets of an industry. For
and about half are in Orleans Parish.
Source: Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation: SOD example, a health services cluster contains
Tax Collections not just doctors’ offices and hospitals, but
the educational institutions that train nurses
There has been steady growth in revenues and laboratory researchers, the suppliers of
within the parish over the last five years. Sales medical equipment, and even the food and
tax revenue continues to bring in about half as laundry services purchased or provided by
Jefferson Parish Tax Revenue (in
much revenue as ad valorem (property) taxes inpatient institutions. Examining employment
thousands)
and the two revenue sources increased at concentrations across clusters, rather than
$800,000 roughly the same rate between 2009 and 2013. just looking at major employers, allows for a
$600,000 comprehensive view at the unique economic
$400,000 strengths of a region or area.
$200,000 CLUSTER ANALYSIS Figure A shows some nationally prominent
$0 industry clusters, from the US Cluster Mapping
This section examines the Jefferson Parish
2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 Project (www.clustermapping.us).
economy through the lens of industry clusters,
Ad Valorem Sales showing which groupings of industries provide Clusters can also be divided into two types:
the most employment in the parish and are traded and local. Whether a cluster is traded
Source: JEDCO Annual Report 2013
projected to grow over the next ten years. or local depends on the customers. Traded
clusters primarily serve external markets and
customers; the clusters in the national map
above are all traded clusters. Because the
August 2015
7
customers are external to the region, traded
clusters make regions more competitive and
dynamic by bringing in additional capital to a
Figure A: A Sample of Prominent Industry Clusters in the US
region.
Local clusters primarily serve local markets;
the set of local clusters is the same in every
region. Local clusters include the types of
industries and companies that every region
needs: doctors, elementary schools, grocery
stores, real estate, and more. At the national
level, 36% of jobs are in traded clusters, while
64% of jobs are in local clusters. Local clusters
are major employers in every region in the
country, and Jefferson Parish is no exception.
Local clusters are 72% of jobs in Jefferson
Parish, while traded clusters are 28% of jobs – a
stronger concentration of local jobs than at the
national level.
Traded Clusters
Because traded clusters are critical to the
growth of the economy as a whole, looking at
the major clusters by the number of jobs, as
well as their projected employment growth
or decline, offers a snapshot into the major
industry strengths of Jefferson Parish.
Business Services is the major employer in
Source: US Cluster Mapping Project Jefferson Parish. This is a broad category,
includes businesses and jobs like engineers,
architects, computer programmers,
management consultants, and other
professional services. The cluster also includes
businesses like executive search services,
Jefferson EDGE 2020: Economic Development Strategy
8
telemarketing bureaus, payroll services, thousands of people, they are not all projected
limousine services, and other businesses that to grow over the next decade. Water
exclusively serve other businesses. Transportation, one of Jefferson’s most
specialized clusters, is expected to lose
Distribution and Electronic Commerce is
fully one third of its jobs, as is Oil & Gas
another major employer in Jefferson. This Production and Transportation. These are
cluster is comprised mainly of wholesale major losses that would have significant ripples
distributors. Water Transportation includes throughout the economy, especially given the
both the actual transporting of goods via barge
high average wages in these industry clusters.
or other waterborne vessel, but also ship and
boat building and repair, the major source
of jobs in this cluster in Jefferson Parish. The
Transportation & Logistics cluster rounds out
other modes of freight, like air, rail, and truck. LOCAL CLUSTERS
Source: US Cluster Mapping Project’s Jefferson Parish Data
While many of these traded clusters employ A look at the local clusters similarly shows
trends in the industries that comprise the
Table 1: Jefferson Parish Top Ten Traded Clusters by Employment majority of employment in Jefferson Parish.
Current Local Health Services is the largest cluster,
Projected either traded or local, in Jefferson Parish.
Wages, Projected
Growth
Cluster 2014 Jobs Salaries, & % Growth This is owing to the major presence of Ochsner
2015-
Proprietor 2015-2024 as well as East Jefferson and West Jefferson
2024
Earnings
Medical Centers. This local cluster also has one
Business Services 10,795 $69,997 2448 22% of the highest average wages.
Distribution & Electronic Commerce 10,021 $66,421 161 2%
Hospitality and Tourism 4,427 $59,949 -580 -14% The second largest cluster, Local Hospitality,
Water Transportation 4,223 $69,472 -1297 -33%
employs nearly 20,000 people but the
average wage is very low at around $16,000
Insurance Services 2,861 $78,064 -290 -11%
– the lowest average wage of any cluster.
Construction Products & Services 2,607 $64,330 -73 -3%
Similarly, local retail employs over 10,000
Transportation & Logistics 2,028 $44,914 172 9%
people but at very low wages, around $17,000.
Oil & Gas Production & Transportation 1,745 $107,768 -550 -34%
Food Processing & Manufacturing 1,425 $43,362 33 2% Across the board, local cluster average wages
Financial Services 1,290 $58,205 264 20% are lower than traded cluster average wages.
However, a few industries like Financial
Source: EMSI
August 20159
Table 2: Local Clusters in Jefferson Parish • Water and sewer line construction
2012 2012 Average • Industrial building construction, and
Local Cluster other professional and scientific
Employment Wages
Local Health Services 28,229 $50,113
services.
Local Hospitality 19,142 $16,026 This industry cluster has been a focus post-
Local Real Estate, Construction, and Development 16,679 $47,221 Katrina and was defined through case-making
Local Commercial Services 15,593 $37,210 research from Deloitte that was commissioned
Local Retail 10,650 $17,031
by Greater New Orleans, Inc. (GNO Inc).
Water Management has also been the focus
Local Food and Beverage Processing and Distribution 7,540 $29,757
of multiple regional and state plans, including
Local Motor Vehicle Products and Services 6,571 $39,263
the Greater New Orleans Urban Water Plan
Local Financial Services 5,826 $51,096 and the state’s Coastal Master Plan. Both of
Local Community and Civic Organizations 5,788 $20,149 these plans would provide tens of billions in
Local Personal Services (non-medical) 3,903 $23,922 economic impact for the region if they were
Local Logistical Services 3,485 $39,150 to be fully funded and implemented. The
cluster is also one of five areas of special
Local Entertainment and Media 2,626 $22,311
consideration for economic resilience in the
Local Household Goods and Services 2,268 $28,280
Comprehensive Economic Development
Local Utilities 2,161 $61,823 Strategy (CEDS) prepared by the New Orleans
Local Education and Training 2,121 $28,329 Regional Planning Commission (RPC) and
Local Industrial Products and Services 627 $44,406 discussed in the next section of this memo.
The Data Center has also conducted some
Source: US Cluster Mapping Project
research in this cluster, showing projected job
Services and Utilities are in similar ranges as major industries or subclusters are: growth of over 7,500 new jobs in the region
traded cluster wages. This could be because through 2020. Many of those jobs share skills
• Engineering Services and projects with other clusters in our region,
financial services institutions often have both
local and external customers. • Fabricated pipe manufacturing like Energy and Petrochemical, Construction,
and Engineering.
Water Management: A Special Case • Heavy and civil engineering
construction Water Management in Jefferson Parish is
A special cluster that comprises elements of already a prominent cluster. Below are some
multiple traded clusters is Water Management, • Power and communication line highlights of the cluster’s current performance
a strong specialization for both Jefferson Parish construction using EMSI data:
and the greater New Orleans region. The
Jefferson EDGE 2020: Economic Development Strategy10
• Over 10,165 jobs in 2015 There are also significant overlaps Tammany. The CEDS also includes
between local and traded clusters. analysis for all seven parishes within the
• Employment is projected to grow
Food and Beverage Processing and Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) which
16% to 11,751 by 2024
Manufacturing industries have both has the previous five parishes, plus St.
• Average wage of $72,867 local and external customers, as do Charles and St. John the Baptist parishes.
Transportation & Logistics and Finance & All EDA applications must reference how
• The largest subcluster is Insurance. The presence of these clusters their project fits with the relevant CEDS.
Engineering Services, with nearly in both categories, traded and local, Other relevant features of the CEDS
3,000 jobs indicates strong assets and workforce that include:
should be leveraged to grow the Jefferson • Last updated for 2014-2018
When examined this way, Water
Parish economy.
Management is the second-largest traded • Used for regional-local alignment
cluster in Jefferson Parish. for any EDA application by JEDCO
Summary of Analysis CEDS ANALYSIS • Any project by applicants for EDA
funding must reference their fit in
To ensure that JEDCO’s economic the CEDS
Jefferson has strong traded clusters, but
development strategy is aligned
many of the strongest specializations
with regional priorities, this baseline The CEDS uses a vision and a set of goals
are facing projected job losses, showing
assessment examines the region’s to frame the five year plan. For the 2014-
that retention of these employers will
economic development planning. JEDCO 2018 edition, those included:
be critical. Other clusters are projected
participates in regional planning efforts,
to grow slowly, but relative to stable
and this update to the EDGE plan will seek VISION: “Greater New Orleans will be a
population growth, slow job growth is less
to further align the organization’s activities thriving, resilient, sustainable, prosperous
of a cause for concern.
with regional trends and priorities. and equitable region”
The parish’s strong local clusters,
The U.S. Economic Development GOALS:
particularly health services, have the
Administration (EDA) requires routine
potential to strengthen the economy in 1. Achieve economic growth
updates to an Economic Development
the same way as traded clusters by finding
District’s (EDD) five-year Comprehensive 2. Leverage workforce needs to upgrade
external customers. Medical tourism is a region’s growth
Economic Development Strategy (CEDS).
strategy that has worked well for other
The New Orleans Regional Planning 3. Improve economic equity
regions with specialized care facilities
Commission (RPC) is the designated 4. Enhance the global competitiveness of
and is already a focus of Ochsner. Other
EDD which only includes five parishes the region
strategies for local clusters may be
comprising the RPC: Jefferson, Orleans, 5. Develop the region’s infrastructure
similarly effective.
Plaquemines, St. Bernard, and St.
6. Promote regional collaboration
August 201511
Each of these goals has a several objectives Table 3: Summary of Jefferson Parish Priority Projects
and an associated performance measure to
track progress over time. Plan of Action:
Priority Projects for Jefferson Parish Only
Regional Priorities
Plan of Action
• Delgado, Avondale Campus
Included in the CEDS is a Plan of Action that Part of “Facilities with a Purpose” to create an Advanced Manu-
includes the following regional priorities: Aerospace & Advanced facturing Center of Excellence by renovating and expanding an
Manufacturing existing facility which will respond to the demands of business and
1. Workforce Development industry for a skilled workforce. The Center will create a sustainable
long term solution to critical workforce shortages and provide a
2. Leverage Strength within the pipeline of skilled workers
Region
• Cluster analysis for City of Kenner
Capacity Building
3. Maintain & Repurpose Assets To examine potential to build strengths in a particular industry or
industries
4. Develop Innovation
• Delgado, Advanced Technology
5. Enhance Infrastructure for One “Facilities with a Purpose” building , the Advanced Technolo-
Energy Production, gy Building and campus expansion will serve the needs of the oil,
Economic Development
Petrochemical & Plastics gas and chemical industry workforce needs with instrumentation,
6. Improve Quality of Life chemical technician, engineering and deep water oil production
programs
The Plan of Action also includes many priority
projects and identified as action for one or • Redeveloping Fat City
a few parishes or for all parishes. Table 3 • Fairfield: Planning & Development of the Fairfield area of the
highlights the priorities specifically identified Enhancing Quality of Life Westbank of the Mississippi River in Jefferson Parish
for Jefferson Parish. • Industrial Corridor Revitalization: Reuse/Redevelopment of indus-
trial corridors including the Harvey Canal and Huntington-Ingalls
shipyard and in Old Jefferson
Entrepreneurial & Small • Churchill Technology & Business Park
Business Support Expansion of entrepreneurial support activities
Green & Environmental • Establishment of a wetlands mitigation bank(s)
Technology Wetlands mitigation and drainage solutions are critical to the sus-
tainability of our coastal region.
Jefferson EDGE 2020: Economic Development Strategy12
Regional Cluster Analysis Findings
• Delgado, Blair Campus
Higher Education
A campus renovation and expansion will provide a state-of-the-art Similar to the cluster analysis described and
classroom and laboratory facility in Metairie conducted in this baseline assessment, the
CEDS contains an analysis of traded and local
• Delgado, River City Campus clusters for the region. A summary of these
One “Facilities with a Purpose” building, the River City Campus, clusters is provided in Table 4. The Location
will be located in the Churchill Technology & Business Park. The
Quotient (LQ) shown in this table is a relative
campus will accommodate training programs to support commerce
along the Mississippi River to include transportation/logistics, mar- measure of the number of jobs in that clusters
International Trade & itime, marine engine, engineering and automotive technology in within the New Orleans region compared to
Logistics the growth area of West Jefferson. the number of jobs in that cluster nationally.
• Expansion of Warehousing & Distribution A LQ of 1 indicates a greater proportion of
The Huey P Long Bridge improvements have opened up portions jobs in the region and is considered a regional
of the West Bank of Jefferson Parish as ideal locations for ware-
strength with economic benefits. The clusters
housing and distribution uses, leveraging and expanding the pre-
dominately developed Elmwood area which is already a warehous- are grouped by Regional Specialties (LQ >
ing and distribution hub 1.3), Regional Strengths (LQ = 1 to 1.3) and
potentially strong Clusters (LQ = 0.5 to 1.0). For
• Churchill Technology & Business Park reference, the cluster’s rank by number of jobs
Regional Economic
Infrastructure Improvements to enable the Phase II expansion of in Jefferson Parish alone is also included.
Development Districts the Business Park
• Enhancement of Rivertown
Enhancements to the Rivertown district in the City of Kenner, in-
cluding LaSalle’s Landing pier and venue for outdoor retail events,
to attract tourists and adjacent properties such as the Old Kenner
High School
• Development of Laketown
Tourism
Enhancements to the existing conference center and surrounding
properties and the addition of mixed-use developments to en-
hance the conference center as a tourism destination.
• Westwego Riverboat Landing
Improvements to the landing and/or adjacent infrastructure to sup-
port use the landing for a river boat cruise line
Source: Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy: Priority Projects Memo, September 2014
August 201513
Table 4: Traded Clusters in the New Orleans MSA Additionally, Nascent Clusters, shown in the
table below, demonstrate promising activity
Location whether from strong companies, growing
Rank in
Cluster Quotient momentum, or underutilized local assets (e.g.
Jefferson
(LQ) Michoud and Avondale).
Water Transportation 10.4 4 Table 5: Nascent Regional Traded Clusters
Upstream Chemical Products 4.9 -
Location
Oil & Gas Production & Transportation 3.8 8 Cluster Quotient (LQ)
Specialties
Fishing & Fishing Products 2.9 - Aerospace Vehicles &
0.20
Video Production and Distribution 2.4 - Defense
Construction Products & Services 1.8 6 Information Technology &
0.18
Analytical Instruments
Hospitality & Tourism 1.8 3
Biopharmaceuticals 0.04
Performing Arts 1.5 -
Source: Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy
Environmental Services 1.4 - for the New Orleans Region, 2014
Education & Knowledge Creation 1.2 -
Strengths
Vulcanized & Fired Material 1.2 - Emerging Clusters, shown in the table below,
Jewelry & Precious Metals 1.0 - do not yet exist or fit cluster methodology, yet
present promise.
Distribution & Electronic Commerce 1.0 2
Leather & Related Products 1.0 -
Table 6: Emergent Regional Traded Clusters
Food Processing & Manufacturing 1.0 9
Cluster
Business Services 0.9 1
Potentially Strong
Emerging Environmental, Sustainable Industries
Transportation & Logistics 0.7 7
Disaster Response & Resiliency
Music & Sound Recording 0.7 - Coastal Restoration
Insurance Services 0.7 5 Water Management
Financial Services 0.6 10 Bio-Medical or Bio-Sciences
Downstream Chemical Products 0.6 - Advanced Manufacturing
Downstream Metal Products 0.6 - Digital Media
Lighting & Electrical Equipment 0.5 - International Trade
Source: Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy
Source: Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy for the New Orleans Region, 2014 for the New Orleans Region, 2014
Jefferson EDGE 2020: Economic Development Strategy14
STATUS OF PREVIOUS being leased to private operators, a
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT development that was not anticipated
ACTION ITEMS in 2012
The previously developed EDGE 2020 plan was Certain action items dealt with topics or
released in May 2009. This plan had 19 action projects that are still of concern today,
items in the economic development focus area. including:
An update to the plan, released in 2012, added • The development of the Fairfield area
an additional five items for a total of 24 action and Churchill Park
items in economic development.
• Workforce development in Jefferson
The action items had a wide range of topics, Parish
many of which included infrastructure or other
special projects. Since 2012, the national and • Business retention and expansion
regional economic landscape has shifted
• State tax credits for the film industry
significantly, especially in the following areas:
• The reuse of Avondale Shipyard
• Oil Prices – crude has dropped
significantly, while natural gas • Support for entrepreneurs and small
fluctuations have led to a boom businesses
in facilities that use LNG as a
manufacturing input
• State Budget – continued challenges
with the state’s budget have affected
higher education and health care
• Transportation Priorities – earlier action
items identified specific projects as
priorities, and those are no longer
aligned with current community
concerns and planned improvements
• Medical Facilities – East Jefferson
General Hospital and West Jefferson
Medical Center are in the process of
August 201515
IV. STRATEGIC
FRAMEWORK
The target clusters are:
• Food, Beverage, Fishing and Seafood
• Water Transportation, Distribution and
The strategy framework is divided into
Logistics
two categories. The first, Industry Cluster
Strategies, is the original intention of this • Health Care
plan update – to target and prioritize industry
clusters for growth in Jefferson Parish. The • IT Systems and Products
second category is Cross-Cutting Issues,
• Water, Coastal, and Environmental
derived from staff and stakeholder feedback,
Industries
which identified a need to tackle broader
issues that affected multiple clusters.
INDUSTRY CLUSTER
STRATEGIES
The industry clusters identified in this section
were identified through the planning process
with JEDCO board and stakeholders as the
greatest opportunity for growth in strategic
areas of interest and strength in coordination
with regional efforts. While a cluster based
approach targets needs of those industries, it
does not exclude any industries or businesses
from JEDCO’s overall support services, but
provides a basis for targeting limited resources
for maximizing long term impact.
Jefferson EDGE 2020: Economic Development Strategy16
Industry Clusters
1. Food, Beverage, 2. Water Transportation,
Fishing & Seafood Distribution & Logistics
• Food manufacturing • Freight rail transportation
• Commercial fishing operations • Warehousing
• Seafood processors • Wholesalers
• Fishing products, such as nets, • Trucking
lines, reels, or processing • Airport and air cargo
equipment like conveyors or • Water transportation
peeling systems • Ship, boat, and barge building
• Beverage manufacturing and and maintenance
bottling, including breweries, • Logistics and freight forwarding
distilleries, and bottling plants • Customs brokerages
5. Water, Coastal, &
3. Health Care Environmental Industries
• Hospitals • Engineering and construction
• Doctors’ offices firms that work in coastal
• Medical suppliers environments
• Service providers or • Stormwater planning and
contractors for hospitals water quality management
• Training providers and • Materials providers (pipeline
educational institutions fabricators, etc.)
• Hotels that support destination • Dredging
health care • Waste management
4. IT Systems & Products • Any other companies that can
profitably solve environmental
• Businesses that develop, sell, or challenges
train on software and other
information technology products
August 201517
Food, Beverage, Fishing, and
Seafood
This cluster includes the following types of Louisiana, and especially the New Orleans prowess; the beer scene in the region has
businesses: region, is known for its delicious and unique been an economic driver as well as a quality
cuisine and food products. Jefferson Parish’s of life signal, attracting sought-after young
• Food manufacturing – including business case for this cluster is strong: utilities professionals and millennials.
prominent Jefferson businesses like and water are less expensive, and the parish
Zatarain’s, Magic Seasonings, Kajun has a larger capacity to produce food products Jefferson’s fishermen and seafood producers
Kettle, MMI Culinary and more in places like the Elmwood area. Jefferson also have struggled with the effects of numerous
has tremendous proximity to supply chains, hurricanes and the BP oil spill. Connecting
• Commercial fishing operations these valued businesses to regional retailers
from goods moving in and out of the Port of
• Seafood processors New Orleans to agricultural products grown and wholesalers, as well as direct-to-consumer
in parishes further west, like rice, sugarcane, models like a fresh catch market, will increase
• Fishing products, such as nets, lines, the opportunities for Jefferson quality seafood
bananas, sweet potatoes, and more.
reels, or processing equipment like to reach customers.
conveyors or peeling systems
The potential to continue to grow food,
• Beverage manufacturing and bottling,
beverage, and seafood businesses in Jefferson
including breweries, distilleries, and
is significant. This industry offers opportunities
bottling plants
to scale, easier access to external markets,
and with the right infrastructure, lower costs
to enter. One area where Jefferson can begin
to compete is in brewing and distilling. This
industry has been a major growth area in
places like Colorado and Michigan. Breweries
often start small and rapidly expand, building
tap rooms where customers can taste and
purchase beer on site. For example, Founders
Brewing in Grand Rapids, Michigan, began in
1997 and now employs over 225 people and
brews over 200,000 barrels a year; they just
embarked on another $40 million expansion to
double capacity at their brewery. Grand Rapids
heavily markets its beer-making
Jefferson EDGE 2020: Economic Development Strategy18
Action Item Details Lead & Partners Timeline
Develop comprehensive Incorporate into annual
JEDCO, Port of New
database of existing firms, Utilize products moving in and out of the Port of New Orleans; connect to local strategic operating plan as
1 Orleans, LSU AgCenter,
supplier and production needs, distribution and logistics companies to reach external markets a retention and expansion
others TBD
and target customers strategy
Target marketing to promote Use Jefferson’s existing strengths in this cluster to promote the parish as a Incorporate into annual
2 existing companies in this destination for food, beverage, and seafood businesses; link local producers to JEDCO strategic operating plan as a
cluster wholesalers and retailers like Sam’s Club, Rouse’s Markets, or Associated Grocers marketing strategy
An untapped market niche, brewing and distilling are growing in other parts
JEDCO, Jefferson Identify a champion and
Advocate for new regulations of the region and country. Find and develop model zoning and legislation to
Department of model legislation; use staff
3 permitting breweries and support these businesses. New Orleans and St. Tammany offer examples in our
Planning, Parish time to shepherd through the
distilleries region of areas that have developed the regulatory scheme to permit these
Council approval process
businesses.
Short-term; utilize internal
Re-brand existing JEDCO Market JEDCO’s small business financing products to entrepreneurs or other new JEDCO, financing
4 marketing staff and finance
financial products for this cluster entrants to the food, beverage, and seafood cluster partners
team
Work with developers to
identify and target commercial As part of larger conversations with developers about the need for changes in
JEDCO; development
building stock needed in this Jefferson’s building stock, use business intelligence to communicate market
5 partners; real estate Short to medium term
cluster, such as culinary space, needs to developers; a commissary kitchen model shows promise in Gretna, for
partners
cold storage, or other specific example
facilities
JEDCO; potential
Explore supply chain strategies to connect producers to consumers, and identify
partners include LSU
Develop partnerships, needed transportation or processing links that can be provided in Jefferson. A
Ag Center, Louisiana
6 particularly around local fresh catch market in Bucktown could also complement the Westwego Fisheries Medium to long term
Restaurant Association,
seafood, to promote producers market and provide access on both sides of the river.
and the Urban
Conservancy
August 201519
Water Transportation, Distribution &
Logistics
This cluster includes the following types of The water transportation industry, as well as
businesses: the general industry cluster of trade, logistics,
and transportation, is a foundational industry
• Freight rail transportation cluster in Jefferson Parish and the region.
• Warehousing Jefferson Parish’s hard assets, including the
Harvey Canal, interstate highways, Mississippi
• Wholesalers River, multiple Class 1 railroads, and Louis
• Trucking Armstrong International Airport, combine for
a multi-modal location unrivaled in the Gulf
• Airport and air cargo South. In particular, water transportation – both
• Water transportation the transporting of goods on water as well as
the building and maintenance of water-based
• Ship, boat, and barge building and vessels – is a highly specialized traded industry
maintenance cluster with high average wages.
• Logistics and freight forwarding
• Customs brokerages
Jefferson EDGE 2020: Economic Development Strategy20
Action Item Details Lead & Partners Timeline
JEDCO; HCIA and
Facilitate networking events Provide a platform for companies to connect to discuss critical business
7 other business Short to medium term
for companies in this cluster issues, workforce needs, supply chains, and more
groups can assist
The airport is conducting a demand analysis of general aviation and
Assist in implementing any JEDCO, City
cargo for the southside property, looking at activity from current tenants
future redevelopment/ of Kenner,
8 as well as land uses in airports of similar markets. JEDCO can push to Medium term
re-use strategy for Airport Regional Planning
maximize the potential of the site, as well as assist with marketing and
properties on south side Commission
tenant search/selection.
Medium to long term;
Identify priority needs major funding will be
Monitor the Rail Gateway study to assess the impact on Jefferson; JEDCO, Regional
for major infrastructure needed for upgrades, but
freight rail access on the Westbank could continue to adversely affect Planning
9 improvements, including the work of identifying the
travel times through the region. Determine the future needs of the Commission, HCIA,
freight rail and the Harvey highest priority needs can
Harvey Canal. Public Belt Railroad
Canal be done with a smaller
study or staff resources
Hopefully, short term;
JEDCO, GNO realistically, this could
Continue discussions with the Port of New Orleans about possible trade
Identify a new use for the Inc., Port of New take several more years
10 and value-added manufacturing uses for the Avondale site; listing the
Avondale Shipyard site Orleans; Huntington to identify and implement
property with a broker shows promise as well
Ingalls owns the site a use for the site’s full
potential
Use mapping tools to
Natural gas infrastructure could potentially generate future industrial
promote the potential
activity; balancing this with residential needs is a long-term task.
11 role of natural gas in JEDCO, LED Long term
LED offers significant gas mapping resources for marketing and site
the economic future of
selection purposes that are available for JEDCO to use by request.
Jefferson Parish
Link transportation to the
food and beverage industry Identify and prioritize transportation and logistics needs like cold
12 JEDCO Medium term
through specialized logistics storage and freight that can also grow the food and beverage industry
businesses
Use business retention visits Push businesses to be specific about their workforce and training needs; Short term; add to
13 to identify training and communicate these needs to workforce developers and educational JEDCO standard retention visit
other workforce needs institutions practices
August 201521
Health Care
This cluster includes the following types of Health services is the largest employer in
businesses: Jefferson Parish and provides high average
wages. The industry is facing major shifts in
• Hospitals: Ochsner, East Jefferson the parish – with private operators leasing
General Hospital, West Jefferson parish hospitals, the funding changes from
Medical Center, Tulane Lakeside, the Affordable Care Act still filtering through
Louisiana Children’s Medical Center the system, and the growth of private systems
(LCMC) like Ochsner and LCMC, Jefferson’s medical
• Doctors’ offices landscape is radically different than it was just
a few years ago. Additionally, the opening of
• Medical suppliers two new medical centers in downtown New
Orleans – University Medical Center and the
• Service providers or contractors for
new VA Hospital – will add hundreds of beds to
hospitals
the regional capacity, and in new state-of-the-
• Training providers and educational art buildings.
institutions
These changes mean that the parish must
address workforce development, regionally
integrated marketing, and supporting
destination health care (“medical tourism”)
to support continued growth in Jefferson
facilities. These actions will increase the
viability of Jefferson’s health care institutions
by increasing their ability to attract and serve
patients from all over the world, as well as
employ Jefferson residents who are seeking
careers in health care.
Jefferson EDGE 2020: Economic Development Strategy22
Action Item Details Lead & Partners Timeline
Improve career ladders Identify and bolster career ladders, moving people from entry level to
JEDCO, Jefferson Parish
and links to the workforce middle-skill jobs, using partnerships with the workforce development
WIB, Delgado Community Short to
14 development system so system, employers, and training organizations; work with schools like
College, Kenner Discovery medium term
that Jefferson residents can Kenner Discovery Health Sciences Academy as it expands to high
H.S.A., Hospital partners
access jobs in health care school levels to promote and develop career paths for students
Medium to long
Address shortfalls in the Promote and incentivize, if necessary, hospitality development in JEDCO, development term; private
hospitality industry that corridors like Jefferson Highway; promote quality transit links to the partners, Regional funds for hotel
development,
15 affect health care industry airport and throughout Jefferson for medical tourists and employees; Planning Commission (for public and grant
growth, including hotels and examine the eastbound down ramp from Earhart to Deckbar as a infrastructure pieces), JeT funding for transit
transportation priority infrastructure project and RTA (for transit piece) improvements and
road infrastructure
Work with Ochsner
Continue the partnership with Ochsner and Urban Land Institute;
to capitalize on the JEDCO, Parish Council,
address needs for hospitality and other services in the corridor; push
transformative possibilities Parish Planning, Ochsner, Short to
16 for zoning that maximizes the potential of mixed-use and residential
in the Jefferson Highway Urban Land Institute, medium term
development; work with the Feil organization to redevelop the
corridor, including mixed- development partners
Jefferson Plaza site by facilitating discussions on highest and best use
use walkable developments
Promote and encourage the Support efforts by Rep. Patrick Connick and West Jefferson Medical
revitalization of the Hope Center to redevelop the historic Hope Haven campus, in partnership West Jefferson Medical
Haven campus as a catalytic with the Archdiocese and other partners, as a community that can Center, Jefferson Chamber,
17 Long term
development for the West provide multiple types of amenities that address community needs, JEDCO, financial and
Bank that can address such as assisted living, Alzheimers care, or other needs that can be development partners
community health needs identified through a master planning process
JEDCO, GNO Inc.,
Develop alignment around
NOLABA, Regional Planning
a coordinated brand Work with regional partners to promote and market the medical assets
18 Commission, Jefferson and Short term
for the region’s medical on a regional basis, rather than just downtown New Orleans
New Orleans CVB, Medical
infrastructure
partners
Explore the opportunity
for employer-assisted Find best practices and work with employers like Ochsner who are
JEDCO, Ochsner, other
19 housing or tax incentives interested in encouraging additional residential development near their Medium term
partners TBD
to encourage residential facilities
development near hospitals
August 201523
IT Systems and Products
This cluster includes businesses that develop, existing industries and are a more mature part
sell, or train on software and other information of the industry. Jefferson’s largest employers
technology products. This cluster, while a are in engineering, health care, construction,
targeted industry in many, if not most, regions water transportation, and other industries with
across the country, has several strong and significant needs. By tying this plan’s targeted
growing firms in Jefferson Parish, like Geocent, clusters together with information technology,
365 Connect, ReadSoft and Prytania. the IT industry can be the connective tissue
that helps all Jefferson businesses prosper.
Information technology and information
systems are a part of every industry and
business around the globe; there is not just
one kind of IT company. Thus, part of this
strategy is to determine what types of IT
hold the most promise for Jefferson’s future.
Much is made nationally of the companies
that started in a garage, like Microsoft or
Apple, or tech startups that go from an idea
to a billion dollar valuation in a few months.
However, the market is crowded for co-
working spaces, IT hubs, or other ideas aimed
at young coders with big ideas – every city in
the country is trying to attract these people
with downtown investments, and Jefferson is
a developed suburban parish. For those types
of entrepreneurs, the warehouse district in
New Orleans will be a more enticing setting
than a Metairie office. The key, then, is a two-
pronged strategy of offering more choices in
the parish’s built environment – a benefit to
employees who might choose a job offer with
a Jefferson firm if they could walk to lunch or to
run errands – as well as targeting IT companies
that fit right into Jefferson’s
Jefferson EDGE 2020: Economic Development Strategy24
Action Item Details Lead & Partners Timeline
Develop a Jefferson-
Jefferson’s strong IT employers should lead a group focused on
based IT industry group to JEDCO, industry
20 building the inputs needed to grow IT’s presence in the parish Short to medium term
advocate for state and local partners
policies
Advocate for continued
IT companies often hire workers who want downtown or similar JEDCO, industry
development of more Short term for
locations; Jefferson has areas that could be developed further to partners, Jefferson
21 walkable hubs necessary to advocacy, long term for
provide these types of environments, such as Rivertown, Fat City, Old Chamber, developer
attract workforce and retain implementation
Gretna, or Jefferson Highway partners
companies
Jefferson’s strengths in IT align with their other industry presences:
Target specific kinds of IT engineering, military, security, and other B2B software – targeting
Short term; add to
22 companies or products that these types of companies, rather than flashier startups, will be a more JEDCO
strategic operating plan
align with industry targets successful strategy; these types of companies also often look for Class B
office space in more suburban locations
Undergraduate students at Louisiana universities already participate in
Organize “hack-a-thons” to JEDCO, industry
these types of events, where they develop products in a very short (48
23 tackle IT needs of Jefferson partners, business Short to medium term
hours or less) timeframe to solve a specific business challenge – bring
industry cluster targets groups
these models to Jefferson and work with Jefferson firms
Promote high-speed fiber
JEDCO, industry
24 development in Jefferson Identify barriers to high-speed fiber development Medium term
partners
Parish
August 201525
Water, Coastal, and Environmental
Industries
This industry includes the following kinds of This industry has been the result of tremendous
businesses: regional planning and development activity
that came out of a realization post-Katrina that
• Engineering and construction firms Louisiana can and must be a leader in water
that work in coastal environments management and coastal restoration. These
• Stormwater planning and water quality coordinated efforts between government,
management industry, and philanthropic leaders has
resulted in several landmark plans that plan
• Materials providers (pipeline and program billions of dollars of projects and
fabricators, etc.) investments to rebuild the coast and help our
cities live with water: the state’s Coastal Master
• Dredging
Plan and the Greater New Orleans Urban
• Waste management Water Plan. Now, with the prospect of funding
from the RESTORE Act and the settlement
• Any other companies that can with BP after the 2010 oil spill, this industry is
profitably solve environmental ready to grow locally, and for the best reason
challenges – rebuilding the coastal defenses that protect
our region and make it more resilient.
There is no better time to focus on the catalytic
opportunities afforded Jefferson by this
confluence of events. The region’s economic
development leadership is aligned around
this industry as a significant strength, and
Jefferson’s base of existing companies are well-
placed to participate in the work that will take
place over the next decade and beyond.
Jefferson EDGE 2020: Economic Development Strategy26
Action Item Details Lead & Partners Timeline
Identify existing firms and
workforce skills that already
Use retention visits and other meetings to determine which Jefferson Short term; add to
25 align with or can convert to JEDCO
firms can work in this industry, and assist them with market identification strategic operating plan
this cluster
Develop a concise brand
for this industry cluster in This industry is called Sustainable Industries by NOLABA and Emerging JEDCO, GNO
26 alignment with regional Environmental by GNO Inc. – develop a brand for this industry cluster Inc., other regional Short term
marketing that aligns with these regional efforts partners
Prepare for RESTORE Act Determine timeline and opportunities for contracting; research areas JEDCO, GNO Short to medium term,
27 funding where Jefferson companies can participate; work with partners to Inc., other regional long term if the process
ensure small and local business participation partners is delayed
August 201527
Cross-Cutting Issues 27
PERMITTING BUILDING STOCK
GOAL: Jefferson Parish is a national GOAL: Address the long-standing
leader in permitting efficiency and issues with Jefferson’s stock of
excellence residential and commercial buildings
WORKFORCE
MARKETING & DEVELOPMENT
MARKET EXPANSION & MOBILITY
CHURCHILL PARK
GOAL: Jefferson businesses have
& FAIRFIELD GOAL: Improve connections to careers
increased access to international for all Jefferson residents, and remove
markets, and more businesses are barriers to opportunity
aware of the opportunities in the
parish
GOAL: Use Churchill Park and the Fairfield
development to further grow Jefferson’s targeted
industry clusters and address cross-cutting issues
Jefferson EDGE 2020: Economic Development Strategy28
CROSS-CUTTING ISSUES
Permitting
Over the last few years, Jefferson Parish has made significant progress in permitting. However, pushing further and developing a new standard of
excellence in permitting is achievable. Significant consensus on this issue came out of the stakeholder meetings, focused on the following three
areas.
Action Item Details Lead & Partners Timeline
Focus on speed and efficiency – locate and identify the delays, triage
JEDCO, Parish
Address current challenges needs, and improve communication and coordination between the
A Council, Parish Medium term
in permitting Parish and municipalities
Government
Simplify the permitting Push for more permits approved administratively, rather than approved JEDCO, Parish
B process by the planning advisory board and parish council Council, Parish Medium term
Government
Explore use of third party inspectors; cross-train employees so there are
Expand the capacity of the JEDCO, Parish
no gaps in service during business hours; provide a concierge service
C permitting department Council, Parish Medium term
that would offer expedited service and other benefits
Government
August 201529
Marketing & Market Expansion
Marketing should continue to be a JEDCO function. With this new EDGE update, the industry clusters can be marketed as part of
JEDCO’s core services: business retention, expansion, and attraction.
Action Item Details Lead & Partners Timeline
Market Jefferson Parish and
Short term; add to
D the EDGE plan’s targeted Ensure that the industry targets are a part of JEDCO materials JEDCO
strategic operating plan
industry clusters
Develop programming to
Explore partnerships with groups like the World Trade Center or even
connect JP firms to expanded JEDCO, partners
E Jefferson companies that are already doing significant international Medium term
national and international TBD
business like Laitram
markets
Jefferson is one of the most diverse parishes in the state and is home JEDCO, Hispanic
Encourage and market the
to thriving Hispanic and Vietnamese communities, many of whom own Chamber, other
F diversity that makes Jefferson Long term
beloved regional businesses and contribute to the parish’s unique partners to be
unique
culture determined
Develop marketing JEDCO; some
materials that can assist with Jefferson businesses and institutions would benefit from assistance regional
recruitment of employees, promoting the parish’s improvements in education, cost of living, projects like
G Short to medium term
companies, and others housing, and quality of life; these materials would also assist business DestinationGNO.
considering moving to attraction efforts com can be part of
Jefferson Parish this effort as well
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