BATON ROUGE, LA – Cox Communications' South Louisiana operations have supported or created 9,206 local jobs and personal earnings of $364.7 million and contributed $51.1 million in state and local tax collections, according to an economic impact study released last Tuesday.
A recent study, conducted for the years 2013-2015 by LSU economist Dr. James Richardson, shows the impact Cox has on employment and earnings as well as its impact on developing the state's communications infrastructure. In fact, the Cox Louisiana's 18-parish service area includes half of Louisiana's population, 51.5 percent of all business establishments, and 54.2 percent of total employment.
With operations in the metropolitan areas of Acadiana, Baton Rouge and New Orleans, Cox employs 1,235 in Louisiana with a payroll of $120 million. Over the last three years, the company has averaged net new capital expenditures of $112 million, including investments in its network infrastructure, Cox reps said. The Cox infrastructure, made up of 276,000 fiber strand miles, across 3,080 fiber route miles and more than 15,000 miles of coax cable, supports the growing needs of customers, they said.
"We are incredibly proud of the millions we spend annually to upgrade our telecommunications infrastructure and provide the leading-edge technology necessary to keep Louisiana residents and businesses connected to their world and make their lives easier," said Anthony Pope, senior vice president and region manager. "Cox is uniquely positioned within our industry with the strength and backing of a national company. We remain committed to giving back to the local communities we serve and investing in future technologies."
In addition to the economic impact associated with capital expenditures and ongoing activities, Cox Louisiana provides the communications infrastructure essential for Louisiana to remain competitive with other states and other countries, Richardson said in his report.
"Moving information quickly is a prerequisite for any region to develop and expand economically in today's business climate," said Richardson, alumni professor of economics and public administration at LSU. "This infrastructure is an extremely significant investment in such an economy since it becomes part of the backbone of Louisiana's long-term economic and social development."
Cox Louisiana contributed more than $3.5 million in cash to charitable causes in the state between 2013 and 2015, and also presented two $250,000 James M. Cox Foundation grants, one to the Bayou District Foundation and one to Café Reconcile, both in New Orleans. Additionally, Cox donated $10.97 million for in-kind services such as public service announcement campaigns, free airtime and employee volunteer hours to our communities over three years.
Cox's local operations cover all or parts of 18 parishes – Acadia, Ascension, East Baton Rouge, East Feliciana, Iberia, Iberville, Jefferson, Lafayette, Livingston, Orleans, Plaquemines, St. Bernard, St. Charles, St. Martin, St. Mary, St. James, Vermilion and West Baton Rouge.