Grow NELA is Leading Growth in Northeast Louisiana
Grow NELA is the driving force behind economic growth in Northeast Louisiana, representing 10 parishes and over 300,000 residents. As the Regional Economic Development Authority, Grow NELA delivers impactful results that attract new jobs, expand the tax base, grow the population, and create long-term prosperity in the region.
When attracting new businesses, new jobs and new investment, a community must have the sites and buildings that allow a company to compete in a global marketplace. For more than 20 years, leaders in Northeast Louisiana have invested money and resources into site identification and preparation. That investment has resulted in more Certified sites in Northeast Louisiana than in any other region in the entire state.
As the center point between Dallas, and Atlanta, Northeast Louisiana has a logistic advantage over most other locations in the US. Access to these markets from Interstate 20, as well as daily flights to and from Monroe Regional Airport (MLU), connect business to customers all over the globe.
When you combine the multitude of development-ready sites with the abundance of natural resources, no area has better opportunities for business growth than Northeast Louisiana. This advantage was on full display in December 2024, when Meta announced construction of its newest AI data center in Northeast Louisiana.
Meta’s Artificial Intelligence (AI) development in Northeast Louisiana is the largest Meta data center in the world. The $10-billion investment will dramatically change the Northeast Louisiana economy, and it will change the financial outcomes for generations of Northeast Louisiana residents.
Meta’s AI Data Center is the largest single project in the history of the State of Louisiana. During the five-year construction period, more than 5,000 people will work at the Holly Ridge site. Once completed, Meta will employ 500 full-time residents, with an average salary over $80,000 – more than double the average income in Richland Parish.
Meta’s announcement is a direct result of the site readiness work that was done to create the most diverse, and largest quantity, of developable sites in the State of Louisiana. Northeast Louisiana is the clear leader in Louisiana’s emerging technology boom, and Meta’s investment is only the start of transformational change in the region.
“Meta’s commitment to Richland Parish is the result of more than 20 years of investment and partnership by Louisiana Economic Development, property owners and community leaders, all focused on creating new jobs for local residents. Meta chose Northeast Louisiana because of the availability of reliable, low-cost energy, access to flat, developable land, and a business-friendly environment, led by Governor Landry. This project opens the floodgates for data center development in Louisiana, and we are prepared for what’s ahead.” Said Rob Cleveland, President & CEO of Grow NELA.