South Louisiana Economic Council

What South Louisiana Economic Council does

South Louisiana Economic Council, now operating as COLAB, is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit regional economic development organization founded in 1983 and headquartered at NSU-Babington Hall in Thibodaux, Louisiana. It is the official regional EDO for four Bayou Region parishes—Assumption, Lafourche, St. Mary, and Terrebonne—and is one of only eight organizations in Louisiana designated as a strategic partner of Louisiana Economic Development (LED). The organization rebranded from SLEC to COLAB in 2025 following the October 2024 appointment of Christy Zeringue as President and CEO.

COLAB's core offerings comprise a portfolio of economic development services rather than a unified product: business recruitment and retention, startup and entrepreneurship support, certified sites and buildings information (via buildingsandsites.com/slec), administration of state and local business incentive programs (Enterprise Zone, Quality Jobs, Industrial Tax Exemption), strategic planning (2023-2026 Strategic Action Plan developed with Emergent Method), and convening programs including the annual Bayou Business Summit and the quarterly Bayou Region Energy Leadership Series. The organization operates through community-led and event-driven go-to-market motions, including parish-level coalition building, career fairs, Manufacturing Week, and CERAWeek participation.

Revenue is generated through a non-profit mix of membership dues, event sponsorships, public-private partnerships, and LED-aligned funding rather than fee-for-service pricing. COLAB does not sell technology products; its competitive position rests on state mandate authority (LED strategic partner designation), Gulf Coast infrastructure access (three parishes with Gulf frontage, proximity to Port Fourchon which services 99% of offshore oil and gas), and a broad coalition across energy, maritime, manufacturing, education, and finance sectors including Shell, NovaSpark Energy, Viking Attachments, Houma-Terrebonne Airport, Port Fourchon, Nicholls State University, and Fletcher Technical Community College.

Name

South Louisiana Economic Council

Legal name

South Louisiana Economic Council

Website

https://bayouregion.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1983

Operating status

Operating

Short description

COLAB (formerly South Louisiana Economic Council) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit regional economic development organization serving Louisiana's Bayou Region across Assumption, Lafourche, St. Mary, and Terrebonne parishes, providing business recruitment, retention, incentives administration, and coalition building as one of eight LED-designated strategic partners.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Economic Development Services

akta.pro primary industry

Economic Development & Business Licensing (Local) (BPAIACAN)

Keywords

• Regional economic development
• Business recruitment services
• Workforce development
• Site selection assistance
• Incentive administration

Headquarters

HQ city

Thibodaux

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

Revenue model

1. Economic Development Services: As a non-profit EDO, COLAB operates through membership, sponsorships, and public-private partnerships rather than product revenue. Formed in 1983, the organization provides services including business recruitment and retention, startup support, data provision, and site information to support regional economic development in four Louisiana parishes.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

South Louisiana Economic Council (now operating as COLAB) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit regional economic development organization serving the four-parish Bayou Region of Louisiana (Assumption, Lafourche, St. Mary, and Terrebonne). It provides business recruitment and retention services, site selection assistance, incentive navigation, workforce development coordination, strategic planning, and coalition building across parishes and industry sectors.

Product overview

COLAB (formerly South Louisiana Economic Council) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit economic development organization serving Louisiana's Bayou Region (Assumption, Lafourche, St. Mary, and Terrebonne parishes). Rather than a unified software product, the organization offers a portfolio of economic development services including business recruitment and retention, startup support, strategic planning, incentive administration, and workforce development programs. Key programs include the annual Bayou Business Summit conference, the Bayou Region Energy Leadership Series educational program, regional strategic planning initiatives, and business incentive programs administered in partnership with Louisiana Economic Development. The organization does not offer a technology product in the traditional SaaS sense.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Economic Development Services Comprehensive economic development services including business recruitment and retention, startup and entrepreneurship support, economic data provision, buildings and sites information, local government support, coalition building, and workforce development initiatives for the Bayou Region parishes.
• Bayou Business Summit Annual regional business conference bringing together leaders, policymakers, and professionals to discuss innovation, energy, and growth in the Bayou Region, featuring panel discussions and networking opportunities.
• Bayou Region Energy Leadership Series Quarterly education and leadership program designed to cultivate the next generation of energy leaders in the Bayou Region, featuring expert speakers, panel discussions, and field trips across the region.
• Strategic Planning Services Development and implementation of regional strategic action plans outlining economic development priorities, workforce initiatives, and long-term strategies for regional success.
• Business Incentives Administration Administration and promotion of state and local business incentive programs including Enterprise Zone, Quality Jobs, Industrial Tax Exemption, Restoration Tax Abatement, and technology commercialization programs.
• Regional Events and Career Fairs Organization and sponsorship of community events, career exploration days, job fairs, and industry-specific events supporting workforce development and regional economic growth.

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

14 partnerships are on record, tiered core and secondary.

• Louisiana Economic Development (LED)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1983COLAB is one of eight regional economic organizations officially designated as strategic partners in implementing LED's economic development policies and programs. This partnership enables coordination between state and regional economic development efforts.
• Nicholls State UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional university offering associate, bachelor and graduate degree programs. Central to ongoing economic development with partnership in workforce alignment and the Bayou Region Energy Leadership Series.
• Fletcher Technical Community CollegecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerVocational college with campuses in Thibodaux and Galliano. Key workforce development partner with a Maritime & Shipbuilding Facility expansion seeking $12M in funding. Co-hosts annual Bayou Region Job Fair.
• South Louisiana Community College (SoLAcc)secondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerHigher education institution partnership in workforce development programs and Bayou Region Energy Leadership Series.
• Port Fourchon/Lafourche Port CommissioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPort Fourchon is America's Gateway to the Gulf of America, servicing 99% of offshore oil and gas industry. Executive Director Chett Chiasson serves as COLAB Board President. Located in Lafourche Parish.
• Emergent MethodsecondaryImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerLouisiana-based management consulting firm with extensive background in economic development and strategic planning. Guided COLAB's 2023-2026 Strategic Action Plan development process.
• EntergysecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerMajor utility company and sponsor of COLAB's Strategic Action Plan. Supports regional economic development through infrastructure and energy services.
• Louisiana Workforce CommissionsecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerState workforce agency partnering on regional job fairs and workforce development initiatives including Career Exploration Days and Manufacturing Week events.
• South Central Industrial Association (SCIA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional industrial association co-presenting the Bayou Region Energy Leadership Series, bringing together industry leaders for quarterly leadership development.
• Louisiana Future EnergycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEnergy-focused organization co-presenting the Bayou Region Energy Leadership Series focused on cultivating next generation of energy leaders.
• AIC (Atlantic Safety Services)secondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerOrganization co-presenting the Bayou Region Energy Leadership Series supporting energy sector leadership development.
• LSU Center for Energy StudiessecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerEducation partner in Bayou Region Energy Leadership Series providing research-informed content and subject-matter expertise on energy policy and economics.
• Houma-Terrebonne Airport CommissioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPublic airport operator supporting offshore energy, maritime, and logistics operations. Selected for FAA's Advanced Air Mobility Integration Pilot Program, creating opportunities for Bayou Region aviation innovation.
• Bayou Region Energy Leadership Series PartnerscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerQuarterly leadership development program presented by SCIA, COLAB, AIC, and Louisiana Future Energy with participation from LSU Energy Institute. Moderated by Lori LeBlanc of Aurora Solutions Group.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Southwest Louisiana Economic Development Alliance: Multi-parish regional EDO serving southwest Louisiana (Lake Charles area), with a closely analogous portfolio of O&G, petrochemical, and industrial recruitment work overlapping COLAB's Gulf-coast focus.
• Northeast Louisiana Economic Alliance: Regional EDO covering northeast Louisiana parishes, with a similar coalition-and-recruitment model addressing workforce, site selection, and small-business support.
• Lafayette Economic Development Authority (LEDA): Parish-level economic development authority for Lafayette Parish, Louisiana, with a comparable mix of business recruitment, incentive administration, and workforce alignment programming.
• North Louisiana Economic Partnership: Multi-parish regional EDO for north/central Louisiana, performing comparable business recruitment, retention, and workforce development functions in a different but structurally similar parish-based geography.
• Baton Rouge Area Chamber: Regional economic development and chamber organization for the Baton Rouge capital region, performing the same cluster of business recruitment, retention, and workforce-development functions across multiple parishes in Louisiana.
• GNO, Inc. Regional economic development organization for the Greater New Orleans area in Louisiana, operating under a comparable public-private EDO mandate focused on business recruitment, retention, and site selection in southeast Louisiana.
• Central Louisiana Economic Development Alliance (CLEDA): Multi-parish regional EDO for central Louisiana, with a comparable structure of parish-based economic development, incentive navigation, and workforce programming.

Regional players

• Mobile Area Chamber of Commerce: Gulf-coast regional chamber and economic development organization in Mobile, Alabama — operates a comparable port-adjacent, energy-and-manufacturing recruitment mandate across the northern Gulf.
• Coastal Bend Economic Development Corporation: Regional EDO serving the Texas Gulf Coast (Corpus Christi area), operating in a comparable Gulf-coast industrial corridor with overlapping energy and port-driven deal pipelines.

Broad incumbents

• Louisiana Economic Development (LED): State-level economic development agency in Louisiana, of which COLAB is a designated strategic-partner regional EDO; LED sets statewide policy and oversees COLAB-level counterparts across the state.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/BayouRegion
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/south-louisiana-economic-council-inc-

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles14 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 South Louisiana Economic Council