The word continues to spread about the Northshore. Two years ago, Niagara Bottling formally announced plans to invest $160 million in a state-of-the-art facility in Tangipahoa Parish — an economic development win for the rapidly growing community that would create 170 direct and indirect jobs with salaries well above the state median income.
For Ginger Cangelosi, executive director of Tangipahoa Parish Economic Development, the Niagara announcement not only marked a major step in attracting more advanced manufacturing today, it also triggered a rapid wave of business inquiries that could shape future growth.
“Industry communicates with industry,” Cangelosi said. “Companies talk to each other, especially when it comes to site expansion and establishing a new facility, even if those businesses aren’t necessarily the same type of manufacturing. And while our staff actively pursues global companies, often the word is already out about our parish and the Northshore because of the proven business advantages of this region.”
Thanks to ample undeveloped land suited for industrial projects, business-friendly relationships at local and state levels, robust intermodal transportation infrastructure, a skilled workforce trained to meet industry needs, and high-performing schools paired with abundant modern housing, the tri-parish area north of Lake Pontchartrain has become a magnet for economic growth across a variety of unexpected sectors.
“Obviously, International Paper has been a major economic driver and community partner for years, but we’ve seen advanced manufacturing really emerge here — smaller companies doing major ‘concept-to-completion’ work on important projects,” said D’Ann Davis, executive director of the Washington Parish Economic Development Foundation. “To encourage further growth, we’ve strengthened our workforce pipeline and developed a collaborative effort with our neighbors in St. Tammany and Tangipahoa to give local residents the tools and skills to fill these rapidly growing careers.”
While many workers in the three parishes still commute across the Causeway or along I-12 to jobs in New Orleans or Baton Rouge, transformational economic development closer to home – sparked by strategic initiatives – has created quality career options with much shorter commutes.
“Our region has built a well-earned reputation as an awesome place to live — something businesses and our economic development staff use to attract top talent, whether it’s in healthcare, manufacturing, logistics, or the energy and marine sector,” said Russell Richardson, President and CEO of St. Tammany Economic Development Corporation (St. Tammany EDC). “People want to live on the Northshore. Our leaders have taken that and transformed this area from a mainly residential community to one with a solid foundation of industry without sacrificing anything when it comes to quality of life.”
While some of that shift occurred organically via population growth, economic expansion across the Northshore accelerated substantially post–Hurricane Katrina through a series of forward-thinking initiatives and a more coordinated regional approach to economic development.
In St. Tammany, those efforts are guided by a formal long-range strategic plan. In February 2019, St. Tammany EDC launched THRIVE2023 – a comprehensive roadmap for a modern economic development approach. This led to the establishment of foundational programs including business retention efforts, targeted workforce initiatives, and support for regional entrepreneurship through the creation of STartUP Northshore. A 2024 internal review found that 85% of THRIVE2023’s original tactics and strategies were successfully implemented, demonstrating strong alignment between stakeholders and measurable progress toward long-term goals.
Building on that momentum, St. Tammany EDC released THRIVE2029 in May 2025 – a second phase of this initiative with a sharpened focus on business retention and expansion and enhancing business attraction and investment efforts. The plan outlines a clear, proactive approach to growing St. Tammany’s economic base while protecting the exceptional quality of life that continues to draw residents and employers to the region.
“THRIVE2029 is a proactive strategic plan,” Richardson said. “It builds on our existing foundation and takes our community to market to pursue economic growth opportunities that fit St. Tammany. And just as importantly, we’re doing this with a clear, concise vision shared with stakeholders, the business community, and our workforce and residents so everyone understands every aspect of THRIVE2029.”
Early wins tied to THRIVE2029 became evident in October when ChillCo – a major supplier of commercial and industrial cooling solutions – invested more than $4 million to upgrade its Lacombe headquarters, a project forecasted to create or retain nearly 150 jobs. At the same time, St. Tammany EDC is advancing the competitiveness of its industrial assets by leveraging Louisiana Economic Development’s newly launched FastSites program. Through this effort, sites such as Gulf South Commerce Park, Lacombe Industrial Park, Bilten Park, and St. Joe Brick are being elevated for greater visibility and development readiness. These efforts position the parish’s industrial sites for the next generation of economic opportunity, ensuring they are development-ready today and aligned with the infrastructure and industry demands shaping St. Tammany’s future.
ChillCo is strategically located within a transportation network that places the region at the logistical crossroads of the Gulf South. The Northshore sits at the intersection of Interstates 10, 12, 55, and 59 — four major corridors that connect businesses to New Orleans, Baton Rouge, the Mississippi Gulf Coast, Mobile, the Midwest, and the Eastern Seaboard. Regional assets such as Hammond Northshore Regional Airport support small-load cargo movement, while the area’s rail system provides direct connectivity to multiple deep-draft ports along the lower Mississippi River. Together, these multimodal options offer companies efficient, cost-effective access to national and international markets.
Hammond Regional Airport enables companies to send and receive small-load cargo, while the region’s rail system connects the five deep-draft ports along the lower Mississippi River to the Northshore — and beyond.
“Because of our location and infrastructure, we’ve naturally blossomed into a hub for distribution,” Cangelosi said. “Whether you’re moving products north, south, east or west — domestically or internationally — there’s an efficient, cost-effective solution to get it done from our parish. As ‘The Crossroads of the South,’ that’s something we don’t take for granted.”
