June
24
BATON ROUGE, La. — Louisiana is advancing a new phase of its competitiveness strategy, strengthening its inventory of development-ready locations through a statewide refresh of the Certified Sites initiative and participation in REDI Sites, the national site readiness platform used by corporate decision-makers and site selectors.
“The Bayou Region’s six Certified Sites, representing more than 1,300 acres, give us a strong foundation to compete for projects that can bring significant investment and quality jobs to our communities,” said Christy Zeringue, CEO of COLAB. “Louisiana’s continued focus on site readiness strengthens that position by ensuring companies and site selectors have the information, infrastructure and confidence they need to move quickly. This is how we position the Bayou Region for the next generation of economic growth.”
For nearly two decades, Louisiana’s Certified Sites program has helped communities compete for investment by providing companies and consultants with vetted project locations backed by completed due diligence. Today, Louisiana maintains 125 active Certified Sites and leads the nation in REDI Sites participation, with eight sites represented on the nationally recognized platform, more than any other state.
“The way states compete for investment is changing, and Louisiana is evolving with it,” LED Secretary Susan B. Bourgeois said. “Today’s projects require more than an available site — they require confidence that a location is ready to move at the pace of opportunity. By strengthening our certified site portfolio and continuing to invest in site readiness, we are helping communities compete at a higher level and turning today’s momentum into long-term advantage.”
As part of the statewide refresh effort, LED is updating sites certified before 2024, with current infrastructure, cost and due diligence information used by companies and consultants evaluating potential project locations. Participating sites will receive an updated Certified Sites badge identifying the year the information was refreshed.
REDI (Readiness Evaluation for Development and Investment) Sites(opens external page in a new window) is a nationally recognized site readiness platform developed by the Site Selectors Guild and used by site selectors and corporate decision-makers to evaluate development-ready properties across the country.
“Companies don’t slow down for communities that aren’t ready,” Global Location Strategies and REDI Sites Board Chair Didi Caldwell said. “What LED is doing, investing in site readiness before a project arrives, is smart, strategic economic development. A REDI Sites designation tells a site selector that this community has done its homework. That matters enormously when we’re narrowing a short list.”
Louisiana Gold Sites
Louisiana Silver Sites
Louisiana’s competitiveness strategy extends beyond certification alone. The Louisiana Legislature recently recommitted to site investment through a $50 million appropriation to the FastSites Program, bringing the fund to a total of $200 million. Through this site and infrastructure initiative, Louisiana is investing in development readiness before opportunities emerge, reducing risk, shortening timelines and increasing certainty for companies evaluating locations.
Recent project announcements on Certified Sites demonstrate how site readiness can accelerate project decisions and help communities compete for major investment opportunities:
Together, Certified Sites, REDI Sites and FastSites reflect how Louisiana continues to build momentum — preparing locations before projects emerge, investing in infrastructure before it is needed and creating a comprehensive readiness framework that helps communities compete earlier, move faster and capture transformative investment.
Explore Bayou Region Certified Sites: https://buildingsandsites.com/colab/
For more information about all of these efforts, visit OpportunityLouisiana.com
