recounts, “That is an area we’d like to see get developed. It has a brewery now, and we’re looking at trying to entice some other developers to come in there.” Natchitoches Parish is home to five major employers, referred to by Laura Lyles, Chamber of Commerce President, as “The Big Five.”These include RoyalOMartin, a family owned company specializing in wood products, Trus Joist, manufacturers of joists and beams for homebuilding, and International Paper, who produce packaging products. Within the city itself is Alliance Compressors, who make parts for AC units, and Pilgrim’s Pride, a poultry processing plant.“So those are our major industries.We are open for business,” Williams conveys. He also highlights Northwestern State University, noting,“That’s a major economic driver as well, they’re really important for us. They have a lot of economic impact, and they create jobs for our economy. We certainly want to see them do well.” He says the city is dedicated to supporting these local industries, prioritizing their needs during major weather events to ensure production can resume as quickly as possible, and maintaining a close relationship with plant managers through monthly calls, and an open door policy. Natchitoches also leverages Louisiana’s Industrial Tax Exemption Program (ITEP) to help these businesses save money and reinvest in job creation. “We feel like that’s a win win for us. We get a lot more out of the deal 7 CIVIL AND MUNICIPAL VOLUME 05, ISSUE 08 NATCHITOCHES, LA
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