NOLA.com / The Times Picayune
The Baton Rouge Area Chamber (BRAC) was recently named among the nation’s top ten economic development organizations (EDOs) for 2013 by Site Selection magazine.
This is the fifth year in a row that BRAC has been recognized on the publication’s “Best to Invest – Top U.S. Groups” list.
Economic development organizations from only two other major regions have received the honor five years in a row including the Greater Houston Partnership (Houston, TX) and World Business Chicago (Chicago, IL).
“Site Selection magazine is an invaluable asset for the economic development industry, and their recognition of BRAC as one of the top ten groups in country is a testament to our team, our regional partners from the nine parishes, our counterparts at LED, and our investors,” said Adam Knapp, BRAC’s president and CEO in a statement. “This is BRAC’s fifth year in a row on this list, showing that the Capital Region is experiencing an economic development boom. Without the excellence of our parish partners and the state, this sustained level of performance would not be possible.”
Site Selection magazine focuses on economic development activities throughout the United States and has ranked Louisiana and projects in the state among the best. BRAC’s most recent ranking, which does not designate a specific position within its listing, was based on four objective categories: new jobs, new jobs per 10,000 residents, new investment amount, and new investment per 10,000 residents, as well as some subjective attributes, including innovation, leadership, and customer service.
Last year, BRAC worked on fifteen projects which announced relocations or expansions in the region. These new projects secured 2,167 jobs across the state and generated more than $112.5 million in payroll. It was also a record-setting year for the amount of capital investment produced through these projects, with $4.4 billion in announced projects.