“Louisiana’s ports have always been a powerful part of how our state grows, connecting businesses, communities and industries to opportunity,” LED Secretary Susan B. Bourgeois said. “As companies expand and supply chains evolve, the ability to move quickly and add capacity becomes increasingly important. These investments strengthen the infrastructure that keeps our businesses growing while giving Louisiana more of what it needs to compete for the next generation of industrial investment.”
The state’s investment includes $2.55 million for the Natchitoches Parish Port to expand warehouse capacity for manufacturing, storage, and logistics operations, as well as nearly $2 million for the Central Louisiana Regional Port to construct a 10-acre heavy-load hardstand supporting the continued expansion of DisTran Packaged Substations.
Together, the projects will add industrial capacity at two of Louisiana’s key multimodal assets while supporting both current operations and future business recruitment.
The Louisiana Legislature recently appropriated an additional $50 million to FastSites, bringing the Site Investment and Infrastructure Improvement Fund to $200 million. The program’s next application round opens October 1, giving communities and site owners another opportunity to advance infrastructure and site-readiness projects across Louisiana.
As part of FastSites’ revolving investment model, the more than $4.5 million invested across the two port projects will be fully repaid by the respective FastSites partners, allowing the state to reinvest those funds into future site and infrastructure projects across Louisiana.
“Our ports are already doing the work of supporting manufacturers, moving products and creating economic activity across Louisiana,” Louisiana State Sen. Jay Luneau said. “These investments build on that foundation by giving both ports more capacity to serve growing businesses and pursue the next generation of industrial opportunity.”
Located in Alexandria, the Central Louisiana Regional Port is developing a 71.8-acre industrial manufacturing and logistics campus to support the continued growth of DisTran Packaged Substations.
By mid-August, more than half of the 10-acre heavy-load hardstand had been completed, with finished portions already in use to provide additional storage and staging capacity. The remaining improvements are anticipated to be completed by Nov. 1.
The Natchitoches Parish Port project is anticipated to begin toward the end of 2026, with completion expected in 2027.
“These types of investments are about preparing our region for growth. Expanding capacity at the Natchitoches Parish Port will support existing industry, create new opportunities for business development, and reinforce our position as a hub for manufacturing, logistics, and commerce,” President and CEO of North Louisiana Economic Partnership Justyn Dixon said.