GONZALES, La., August 4, 2021 — Today, Southern Business & Development named Ascension Parish, Louisiana the magazine’s 2021 Small Market of the Year in a title shared with Jackson County, Georgia. This is the first year Ascension Parish has been awarded this honor for best economic development results in the South.
Helping secure Ascension’s top ranking are industrial projects that include the expansion of Renewable Energy Group (REG), Westlake Chemical, and CF Industries. These projects combined represent an investment of over $1.3 billion.
“It is an honor for Ascension to receive this recognition, especially during a global health crisis,” said Kate MacArthur, President & CEO, Ascension Economic Development Corporation. “We are proud of our local industry that create the raw material for critical products like detergents, disinfectants and sanitizers, necessary to combat the COVID-19 virus.”
Award categories are defined by population size and points are determined by project announcements in relation to population. Small Market of the Year represents a population of 50,000 to 250,000. The Baton Rouge Region gained Honorable Mention honors for Major Market of the Year in the SB&D 100 issue, for metros of 750,000 to 2.5 million residents. The state of Louisiana also received Honorable Mention honors.
View the 2021 SB&D 100 Top Deals and Hot Markets at sb-d.com.