Greater New Orleans

What Greater New Orleans does

Greater New Orleans, Inc. (GNO, Inc.) is a 501(c)(6) regional economic development nonprofit founded in January 2004 and headquartered at 1100 Poydras Street, Suite 3475, New Orleans. The organization coordinates economic development across the 10-parish Southeast Louisiana region (Jefferson, Orleans, Plaquemines, St. Bernard, St. Charles, St. James, St. John the Baptist, St. Tammany, Tangipahoa, and Washington), an area that accounts for roughly one-third of Louisiana's economy. GNO, Inc. operates as a private, investor-funded entity with 11–50 employees, governed by a Board of Directors drawn from the regional business community.

GNO, Inc.'s core offering is a free, confidential concierge service for companies evaluating, expanding, or retaining operations in the region. Functional capabilities include site selection, real estate options research, incentive assessment and application assistance (in partnership with Louisiana Economic Development's LED FastStart and Quality Jobs programs), workforce development curation, market and demographic data, talent attraction/retention support, and introductions to local partners. It runs the GNOu demand-driven workforce program, WorkNOLA, GNOCareerGuide, DestinationGNO, and houses the World Trade Center New Orleans division. Distribution is direct-to-enterprise plus a channel network of 10 parish economic development commissions and 13 higher education institutions.

The organization does not sell products or software and has no AI/ML, API, or proprietary technology stack; its underlying "technology" is its network of public, private, and academic partners and its brand credibility (IEDC Top Economic Development Organization, Mac Conway Award). Revenue is generated through corporate investor/member dues, event revenue (Annual Luncheon, GNOu Summit), and likely state and federal support, but specific financials are not publicly disclosed. Lifetime reported impact includes more than 6,500 new jobs created and over $11 billion in investment across the region, with recent flagship wins including UBE Corporation's $500 million EV battery ingredients facility in Jefferson Parish and Birdon America's $3.3 million expansion for a $1.1 billion U.S. Coast Guard contract.

Name

Greater New Orleans

Legal name

Greater New Orleans Inc.

Website

https://gnoinc.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2004

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Greater New Orleans, Inc. is a 501(c)(6) regional economic development nonprofit that provides free concierge site-selection, incentive navigation, workforce development, and retention services to companies across the 10-parish Southeast Louisiana region, coordinating a network of 10 parish commissions and 13 higher education institutions.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Economic Development Services

NAICS

Civic and Social Organizations (813410), Social Advocacy Organizations (8133)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Economic Development & Business Licensing (Local) (BPAIACAN)

Keywords

• Economic development services
• Business attraction consulting
• Site selection assistance
• Workforce development programs
• Regional investment promotion

Headquarters

HQ city

New Orleans

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Greater New Orleans, Inc. is a regional economic development nonprofit that provides free, confidential business concierge services to companies evaluating or expanding in the 10-parish Southeast Louisiana region. Its core offerings include business attraction, retention and expansion support, site selection and incentive navigation, workforce training coordination through the GNOu program, talent recruitment assistance, market data and research reports, and international trade promotion via World Trade Center New Orleans.

Product overview

Greater New Orleans, Inc. (GNO, Inc.) is a regional economic development nonprofit organization, not a product or technology company. It does not offer software products, platforms, or modules. Instead, GNO, Inc. provides economic development services including business attraction, retention, and expansion support; workforce development programs such as GNOu; site selection assistance; incentive program navigation; market data and research reports; talent recruitment services; and market integration support for companies looking to invest in the 10-parish Southeast Louisiana region.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• GNOu: Demand-driven workforce development program coordinated by GNO, Inc. for the benefit of employers, higher education, and the community.
• WorkNOLA
• GNOCareerGuide
• DestinationGNO
• Louisiana Innovation

Products and services

• Business Concierge / Business Development Services
• GNOu Workforce Development Program
• WorkNOLA Job Platform
• World Trade Center New Orleans (International Trade Promotion)

Quantifiable outcome

• Delivered over 6,500 new jobs and $11 billion in investment per annual report
• +2 more outcomes

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

16 partnerships are on record, tiered core, minor and flagship.

• Jefferson Parish Economic Development Commission (JEDCO)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 8 April 2026JEDCO partnered with GNO, Inc. and U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy to secure $3.65 million federal earmark for the Greater New Orleans Food & Beverage Incubator, bringing total project funding to $8.7 million. JEDCO serves as the primary local economic development partner for Jefferson Parish.
• Persona AIminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 22 January 2026State of Louisiana, through Louisiana Innovation division and supported by Greater New Orleans, Inc., partnered with robotics company Persona AI to launch a humanoid robotics pilot program at SSE Steel Fabrication in St. Bernard Parish focused on training humanoid welders for fabrication and shipbuilding.
• SSE Steel FabricationcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 22 January 2026SSE Steel Fabrication's facility in St. Bernard Parish hosts the Persona AI humanoid robotics pilot program, serving as the testing ground for real-world human movement and task data collection in an operating steel manufacturing environment.
• UBE Corporation / UBE C1 Chemicals America, Inc.flagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 29 February 2024Japanese chemical company UBE Corporation invested $500 million to establish the first U.S. manufacturing facility for EV battery ingredients in Jefferson Parish. GNO, Inc. played a key role in attracting this flagship project to the region.
• Cornerstone Chemical Company / Cornerstone Energy ParkflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 29 February 2024Cornerstone Chemical Company, LLC at Cornerstone Energy Park (CEP) in Jefferson Parish is the host site for UBE's $500 million manufacturing facility. UCCA expects 47 direct new jobs for Cornerstone Chemical Company in support of operations.
• Louisiana Economic Development (LED)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerState economic development agency that partners with GNO, Inc. on business attraction, incentives, and workforce development programs including LED FastStart and Quality Jobs programs.
• Louisiana State University (LSU)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUniversity partnership through GNO RAAMP (Regional Aerospace and Advanced Manufacturing Partnership) for workforce development, and UNO transfer to LSU System includes regional workforce alignment provisions.
• Michoud Assembly Facility / NASAcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNASA's Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans supports thousands of jobs and generates $630 million in local economic output. GNO RAAMP initiative supports space workforce development in collaboration with NASA.
• BoeingcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBoeing partnered with Nunez Community College to create Louisiana's first Aerospace Manufacturing Program, developing pipeline of workers for challenging industrial tasks at Michoud Assembly Facility.
• Bank of AmericacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBank of America is the presenting sponsor of the annual Greater New Orleans Jobs Report, providing data-driven insights on workforce trends and career opportunities in the region.
• Jefferson ParishcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJEDCO (Jefferson Parish Economic Development Commission) works with GNO, Inc. on business attraction, retention, and expansion projects including UBE and Birdon America expansions.
• St. Bernard Economic Development FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal economic development partner for St. Bernard Parish, involved in projects including the Louisiana International Terminal and Persona AI robotics pilot at SSE Steel Fabrication.
• DAQAminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerVideo game quality assurance company opened a center at The Beach at University of New Orleans, with GNO, Inc. facilitating through hosting at GameFête conference and ongoing cultivation of tech and creative community.
• Birdon AmericaflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerAustralian-based marine engineering firm expanded Jefferson Parish office with $3.3 million investment and 25 new jobs to provide engineering for $1.1 billion U.S. Coast Guard waterways commerce cutter vessel contract.
• Port of New OrleanscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerKey partner for trade and logistics initiatives, including the Louisiana International Terminal project. Port represented on GNO, Inc. Board of Directors.
• New Orleans Business AlliancecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCity-level economic development partner working with GNO, Inc. on business attraction and tech ecosystem development including DAQA and digital media initiatives.

Scale indicators11 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Greater Houston Partnership: Larger, well-established regional economic development organization for the Houston metro; comparable as a multi-parish/county economic development nonprofit offering site selection, business retention, and policy advocacy, though it operates at a much greater scale and budget than GNO, Inc.
• Atlanta Metro Chamber (Metro Atlanta Chamber): Large regional chamber and economic development organization for the Atlanta metro; comparable in mission and service breadth to GNO, Inc., though at materially greater scale and resources, and with a stronger tech-industry focus.

Direct peers

• Greater Cleveland Partnership: Regional chamber/economic development hybrid serving the Cleveland area with business attraction, retention, workforce, and policy work; closely mirrors GNO, Inc.'s structure of integrating economic development, workforce pipelines, and government relations for a defined multi-county region.
• Greater Phoenix Economic Council (GPEC): Public-private regional economic development organization for the Phoenix metro offering confidential site selection, workforce support, and incentive navigation; directly comparable in mission, service mix, and regional scope to GNO, Inc.
• Charlotte Regional Business Alliance: Regional economic development organization for the Charlotte region, providing business recruitment, retention, workforce development, and policy advocacy; highly comparable in size, structure, and end-to-end concierge services offered to companies.
• Tampa Bay Economic Development Council: Regional economic development partnership serving the Tampa Bay area with site selection, business attraction, retention, and workforce solutions; closely matches GNO, Inc.'s model of a multi-county nonprofit EDO delivering confidential, no-cost business concierge services.
• San Diego Regional Economic Development Corporation: Public-private regional economic development organization serving San Diego County with business attraction, retention, and policy work; comparable in mission, governance (corporate investor-funded), and scope of services offered to prospective and existing employers.
• Metro Denver Economic Development Corporation: Regional economic development organization for the Denver metro offering site selection, workforce, and incentive support to companies; mirrors GNO, Inc.'s public-private nonprofit structure and integrated business concierge service delivery model.
• Greater Pittsburgh Chamber of Commerce: Regional chamber and economic development organization serving the Pittsburgh area with business attraction, retention, workforce, and public policy functions; structurally similar to GNO, Inc. in combining EDO services with chamber-style advocacy for a defined multi-county region.

Others

• Louisiana Economic Development (LED): State-level economic development agency that partners directly with GNO, Inc. on incentives, LED FastStart workforce programs, and business attraction; an upstream/adjacent entity rather than direct competitor, but highly relevant as the state counterpart shaping the policy and incentive environment GNO, Inc. operates in.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/GNOinc
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCSRMkwNPyR0M1-NugMq7J9A
• Facebookfacebook.com/GNOInc
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/gnoinc
• Instagraminstagram.com/gnoinc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Greater New Orleans