St. Landry Economic Development

What St. Landry Economic Development does

St. Landry Economic Development (SLED) is a parish-level government economic development organization headquartered at 5367 I-49 S. Service Rd., Opelousas, Louisiana, serving twelve communities within St. Landry Parish (Arnaudville, Cankton, Eunice, Grand Coteau, Krotz Springs, Leonville, Melville, Opelousas, Palmetto, Port Barre, Sunset, and Washington). Founded in 2013 and led by CEO Bill Rodier from May 2013 until his passing in June 2026, the organization delivers non-commercial economic development services including business attraction, retention and expansion support, site selection assistance, workforce development coordination, grant program administration, and infrastructure planning.

The organization's core products and services include the Building Improvement Grant (BIG) Program launched in 2021 (up to $10,000 in matching funds per commercial rehabilitation project), the Cajun Acceleration Station business support facility, the I-49 Midway Corridor Project strategic planning initiative, and direct oversight of three formal economic development districts: Central St. Landry Economic Development District (729 acres around Harry Guilbeau Road and I-49, with sales and hotel/luxury taxing authority), Opelousas Downtown Development District, and Grand Couteau Economic Development District. SLED does not sell commercial products or services; it operates as a public-sector coordination body funded through parish appropriations, district tax revenue, and state/local grants.

The business model is government-style rather than commercial: there is no pricing model, no revenue line, and no equity ownership. SLED coordinates with allied organizations including Louisiana Economic Development, Workforce Investment Board 40, LSBDC at UL Lafayette, Acadiana Planning Commission, One Acadiana, St. Landry Chamber of Commerce, and Vision St. Landry. The organization's go-to-market approach is community-led, engaging entrepreneurs, developers, existing businesses, and municipal stakeholders through direct outreach, signature events including the Derby Networking Luncheon and Lunch and Learn series, and targeted marketing across website (opportunitystlandry.com), LinkedIn, Facebook, and X/Twitter. Notable recent outcomes include securing Walmart's $330M+ modernization investment in its Opelousas distribution center (the largest such announcement in recent years) and continued retention of anchor employers such as Walmart (1,900+ jobs, ~25 years of operations), Delek Refinery, International Snubbing Services, and Design Precast Concrete and Pipe.

Name

St. Landry Economic Development

Legal name

St. Landry Parish Economic Development

Website

https://opportunitystlandry.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2013

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

St. Landry Economic Development is a parish-level government economic development organization serving twelve communities in St. Landry Parish, Louisiana. It provides non-commercial business attraction, retention, site selection, workforce development, and grant program services to entrepreneurs, existing businesses, developers, and municipalities, and manages three formal economic development districts with taxing authority.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Opelousas

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, Infrastructure, Others

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

St. Landry Parish Economic Development (SLED) is the parish-level economic development organization for St. Landry Parish, Louisiana, providing business attraction, retention, and expansion support; site selection assistance; workforce development coordination; grant programs such as the Building Improvement Grant (BIG) Program for downtown revitalization; and management of multiple economic development districts (Central St. Landry EDD, Opelousas Downtown Development District, Grand Couteau EDD) and strategic initiatives such as the I-49 Midway Corridor Project.

Product overview

St. Landry Economic Development is an economic development organization, not a technology product company. Its offerings consist of economic development programs and services including business attraction and retention support, site selection assistance, workforce development coordination, and grant programs such as the Building Improvement Grant (BIG) Program for downtown revitalization. The organization also manages economic development districts and infrastructure initiatives like the I-49 Midway Corridor Project.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Building Improvement Grant (BIG) Program: Matching grant program supporting rehabilitation and improvement of commercial properties in downtown Opelousas
• Cajun Acceleration Station
• I-49 Midway Corridor Project

Products and services

• Economic Development Services Core economic development services for St. Landry Parish, Louisiana, including business attraction, retention, and expansion support; site selection assistance; workforce development coordination; and community development programs. Intended audience: entrepreneurs, existing businesses, developers, and municipalities within St. Landry Parish.
• Building Improvement Grant (BIG) Program A matching-grant initiative supporting rehabilitation and improvement of commercial properties in the Opelousas Downtown Development District. Provides up to $10,000 in funding requiring a dollar-for-dollar match from recipients. Target audience: small business and commercial property owners in downtown Opelousas.
• Central St. Landry Economic Development District An economic development district encompassing 729 acres surrounding the Harry Guilbeau Road and I-49 intersection, with taxing authority for sales and hotel/luxury taxes to fund infrastructure improvements. Target audience: businesses locating or expanding within the district.
• Cajun Acceleration Station Business support facility offering meeting room reservations and resources for entrepreneurs and business owners in St. Landry Parish. Target audience: local entrepreneurs and small business owners.
• I-49 Midway Corridor Project Strategic planning initiative for economic development along the I-49 corridor between New Orleans and Shreveport, covering communities from Washington through Opelousas to Carencro and Lafayette. Target audience: regional stakeholders, developers, and businesses considering the corridor.

Quantifiable outcome

• 729 acres of economic development district area around Harry Guilbeau Road and I-49 intersection
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• City of OpelousascoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021Municipal partner providing funding and support for the Building Improvement Grant (BIG) Program, which has operated since 2021 to assist commercial building rehabilitation in the Opelousas Downtown Development District.
• Opelousas Downtown Development District (ODDD)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021Special district providing funding for the Building Improvement Grant program. ODDD Board Chair Lena Charles leads revitalization efforts in the downtown corridor.
• Opelousas Main StreetmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021Main Street program partner collaborating on the Building Improvement Grant program to preserve downtown's historic character and stimulate private investment.
• St. Landry Parish CouncilcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 25 September 2014Parish governing body that unanimously approved the creation of the Harry Guilbeau Economic Development District on September 25, 2014, with subsequent approval from Opelousas City Council. The district encompasses 729 acres surrounding the I-49 intersection.
• Vision St. LandrycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerVision St. Landry is a key strategic partner that vets qualifications for the Economic Joint Commission board members who govern the Central St. Landry Economic Development District. Board members are formally appointed by the Parish President, Parish Council, and Mayor of Opelousas based on Vision St. Landry's recommendations.
• Louisiana Economic DevelopmentcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerState-level economic development agency providing resources, incentives, and coordination for major business projects in St. Landry Parish. LED Secretary Susan B. Bourgeois acknowledged Walmart's distribution center modernization as part of Louisiana's statewide strategic plan.
• Acadiana Planning CommissioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional planning body collaborating with St. Landry Economic Development on the I-49 Midway Corridor Project, a collaborative initiative involving communities from Washington through Lafayette to create a vision for corridor development.
• Workforce Investment Board 40coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional workforce development board providing workforce programs and resources. Brenda Foulcard, Workforce Director, presented at SLED's Economic Development Week Lunch and Learn on practical workforce programs.
• Louisiana Small Business Development Center (LSBDC) at UL LafayettecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSmall business development center providing entrepreneurial resources and workshops. Heidi Melancon presented on funding opportunities for entrepreneurs during Economic Development Week, and the center partners on AI Coffee Talk sessions.
• University of Louisiana at LafayettemajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic partner leading the Rural Economic Development Innovation Initiative (REDII), a USDA-funded program hosting entrepreneurship workshops and roadshows across rural parishes including St. Landry.
• One AcadianamajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional economic development organization representing the Acadiana region. President and CEO Troy Wayman emphasized the significance of Walmart's investment for regional competitiveness.
• St. Landry Chamber of CommercemajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal chamber providing networking and business advocacy. President and CEO Lori Dupuis spoke at the Derby Networking Luncheon on leadership and collaboration.
• Louisiana Equine Sales and Event CenterminorOthersEvent venue at 372 Harry Guilbeau Road hosting SLED events including Economic Development Week programming and Derby Networking Luncheons.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Regional players

• Baton Rouge Area Chamber (BRAC): Regional chamber and economic development organization serving the Baton Rouge metro. Comparable in delivering site selection, workforce development, and government affairs for a Louisiana sub-state geography, though at larger scale and with a different industry mix (heavy petrochemical rather than Cajun-cultural brand).
• Shreveport-Bossier Economic Development Foundation: Regional economic development foundation for the Shreveport-Bossier City area, anchoring the north end of the I-49 corridor that defines SLED's site-selection pitch. Comparable in providing site selection, incentive coordination, and EDD-style programming at sub-state scale.
• Greater New Orleans, Inc. (GNO, Inc.): Regional economic development alliance for the 10-parish New Orleans metro. Comparable as a public-private partnership running business attraction, retention, and workforce programs, but operates at metro scale rather than parish scale and does not directly compete for the same site-selection projects as St. Landry.
• Northeast Louisiana Economic Alliance: Regional economic development organization serving northeast Louisiana parishes. Comparable in scale and parish-coverage model, working with state LED on site selection and incentive packages, though geographically separated from Acadiana and thus not directly competitive for the same prospects.
• Central Louisiana Economic Development Alliance (CLEDA): Regional economic development alliance covering central Louisiana parishes (Alexandria area). Similar parish-level economic development delivery model and state coordination, though serving a different industry base (military, forestry) and not competing head-to-head with SLED for site selection.

Direct peers

• Acadiana Planning Commission: Regional planning body that co-leads the I-49 Midway Corridor Project with SLED. Comparable in delivering planning and development support across multiple Acadiana parishes and is both a peer in regional development work and a coordination partner on corridor strategy.
• One Acadiana: Regional economic development organization representing the nine-parish Acadiana region, including St. Landry. SLED lists One Acadiana as a core partner, but it operates as a parallel/overlapping economic development body with its own regional competitiveness agenda, leadership, and employer relationships.
• Lafayette Economic Development Authority (LEDA): Parish-level economic development authority serving Lafayette Parish in the same Acadiana region as SLED. Directly comparable in mission (business attraction/retention, site selection, EDD management), partnership stacking with state agencies, and target industries. Geographic overlap on the I-49 corridor makes it the most direct peer for site-selection competition.
• St. Tammany Corporation: Parish-level economic development organization serving St. Tammany Parish on the north shore of Lake Pontchartrain. Functionally analogous to SLED in mission, structure, and parish-level scope, including site selection, EDD-style incentives, and partnership-driven programming. Useful as a Louisiana peer benchmark for program design.

Others

• Louisiana Economic Development (LED): State-level economic development agency that SLED partners with on major projects including the Walmart $330M+ modernization and $10M performance grant. Not a competitor but the principal upstream coordination body whose priorities and incentive packages directly shape SLED's deal flow.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/SLPEconDev
• Facebookfacebook.com/St-Landry-Economic-Development-2196052307388058
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/st-landry-economic-development

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Subsidiaries3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about St. Landry Economic Development