Manufacturer invests $13.1 million to build industrial coating plant in Louisiana
Southland Industrial Coatings has announced plans to build a new fireproofing facility in St. Landry Parish, Louisiana. The company, which provides protective coatings for the industrial and energy sectors, will invest $13.1 million into the project, creating 120 new jobs in the process. According to the company, the new 100,000-square-foot facility will serve Southland’s fabrication and coating facility in Amite in addition to external customers.
The project is expected to be completed in 2025. To help aid the project, Southland Industrial Coatings was given an incentive package from LED that featured a $2.5 million performance-based, forgivable loan from the Economic Development Award Program.
What people are saying
In a recent quote, Southland CEO Joey Lombardo said, “Southland Industrial Coatings is very excited about our expansion in St. Landry Parish. We are appreciative of the support provided by LED and are grateful to be working with local government and becoming part of the Washington community. As a Louisiana company, we are proud to not only grow our footprint in the state, but to provide quality jobs for years to come.”
Louisiana Economic Development (LED) Secretary Susan B. Bourgeois added, “The continued expansion of Southland Industrial Coatings, and its parent company Southland Steel Fabricators, is a Louisiana success story. We thank this family-owned business for its ongoing commitment to the skilled workers of Louisiana and continued investment in rural Louisiana.
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About the Author
Alexis GajewskiAlexis Gajewski
Senior Content Strategist
Alexis Gajewski is a manufacturing writer and editor with nearly 20 years of experience covering the people, practices, and technologies that keep industrial facilities running. For more than a decade, she served as Senior Content Strategist for Plant Services, creating content for plant managers, engineers, and maintenance professionals on a variety of industrial topics.
During her tenure, Alexis worked to develop the brand’s digital strategy and helped launch and produce Great Question: A Manufacturing Podcast. She also created The Lighter Side of Manufacturing, a weekly blog that explored the inventive and sometimes humorous side of the industry.
Alexis co-founded Influential Women in Manufacturing, a recognition program that honored 49 women in its first two years, earned an industry award for Best Product Launch, and received a proclamation from Illinois Governor JB Pritzker and a commendation from U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth.
She also led newsroom operations and development at a large media company where she set editorial standards, developed training curriculum, and helped support AI adoption for more than 150 editors across 80+ brands spanning manufacturing, industrial processing, automation, and more.
Additionally, Alexis works as a freelance writer and editor, and her areas of interest include continuous improvement, the skilled workforce, and the role of emerging technology on the plant floor.
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