Ascension Economic Development

1
Ascension Economic Development Corporation Board
Meeting Winter 2007 Tommy J. Kurtz, CEcD,
MPA Edie Michel Brandi Duplessis
2
Key Operational Highlights-4th Qtr.

• Location of Dynamic Fuels (Tyson) biofuels plant
  and local/state financial package offered with
  400,000 EDAP grant applied for in 2008 and 1
  local construction sales tax rebate
• Expansion of Bevel Tech Group to new location in
  the Parish
• Visit of company officials of new theatre
  considering Parish
• Pointe Sunshine Megasite certified
• Coordination with final business park sites and
  owners and national developers on business park
  for Ascension
• Coordination of AEDC for major reception at
  American Film Market in Santa Monica promoting
  Louisiana and Baton Rouge region

3
Key Operational Highlights (cont)

• Finalist but not final site for Project
  Sonoma-Shaw project
• Pending expansion projects including chemical
  plant and gas plant over 450 million and 135
  jobs
• Tenant contracts up to 16 with 12 active tenants
  at LECC
• Flash freezer operational at LECC
• Downstream Fine and Specialty Chemical project
  progressing into SOCMA in New Orleans in Jan.
  2008

4
Announced Projects Dynamic Fuels-(Project
Archie (8/1/07)) -25 acre tract within Lion
Copolymer -45 jobs (avg salary of 96 k), 126
million cap. Inv. -Refund of local 1 sales tax
on construction and 400k EDAP grant pending
thru AEDC for rail spur -First biofuels plant of
its kind for Tyson
5
Current Attraction Projects 25 prospect visits
in 2007 (5 since last meeting) -Theatre -Mini
Mill (megasite)-(dead) -Fire truck manufacturer
(dead) -Gasification plant Still
pending -Theatre -Fire truck manufacturer -Biomass
Plant (October mtg in Atlanta) -Hotel-Gonzales -C
all Center -Asphalt Plant -Spent Carbon Plant
6
Request for Proposals 23 in 2007, 4 since last
board meeting
7

• 2007 Trade Shows/Conferences (2 since last
  quarter)
• Intl Builders Show (with BRAC)-February-Orlando (
  Edie-completed)
• National Petroleum Refinery Assc.-March (Tommy)
• International Council of Shopping Centers-May
  (Edie)
• Corporate Home Office Visit-Houston-Summer
  (Tommy)-July 16-18
• LA Restaurant Assc. Food Show-New Orleans-Aug.
  4-6
• Theatre prospect HQs visit- (Edie/Tommy)
• American Film Market-November (Edie/Tommy)
• Corenet Global-Fall Meeting-November (Tommy)

8

• Business Retention and Expansion
• Announcements
• Bevel Tech, Prairville, 15 jobs, 2.5 million
  investment
• (AEDC helped with finding sites and state
  incentives)
• 2007 pending projects
• --Chemical Plant-300 million expansion
• --Gas Plant Project-150 million expansion
• -Distribution Center, 1.5 million expansion
• 1 retention visit-LeBlancs

9
2007 AEDC results summary
10

• Attraction Projects-2007
• Dynamic Fuels (Tyson ) 45 jobs, 126 m
• Kelloggs Distribution 28 jobs 1m
• Kinder Morgan Terminal 43 jobs, 37 m
• Total 116 jobs, 164 million in investment

11

• Attraction Efforts
• -25 prospect visits in 2007
• -23 RFPs (one location-Archie biofuels)
• -8 trade shows/industry conferences
• -national marketing of megasite and Flour
• Call center by Entergy/BRAC
• -state of the art website

12

• Business Retention and Expansion
• Pearce Foundry 15 jobs, 3 million
• Pax 50 jobs, 1.5 million
• Dupont 5 jobs, 66 million
• Bevel Tech 15 jobs, 2.5 million
• Total 85 jobs, 73 million in capital investment

13
Retention and Expansion Efforts

• 19 retention visits in 2007
• 5 visits to corporate headquarters in Texas of
  local companies
• Use of synchronist software for reports and
  project monitoring

14

• LA Edible Creations Center
• 16 contracts signed, 12 active tenants
• --Chef KD, Omis
• -Key Gazel, Cuddin Eddies
• -Jazzy Bird Café Coffee, Tfathers
• -Folse Seafood, Chef JP
• -Drakes Catering
• -Catering to you-Stuffd
• -BB Gourmet

15

• LA Edible Creations Center
• 16 contracts signed, 12 active tenants
• -1 tenant (Jazzy Bird Café) has products in local
  stores
• -Part-time incubator manager hired
• -Temporary Flash Freezer operational
• -Advertising in food magazines, new brochure,
  Eatel news, and article in the Advocate
• -70,000 in grants awarded in 2007
• -50,000 in grants pending from LED for LECC for
  flash freezer

16

• Movie Locations
• 2 movies shot in Ascension, 2 in pre-production
• Curious Case of Benjamin Buttons (February 2007-2
  days of shooting)
• Loss of a Tear Drop Diamond- (August 2007-3 days
  of shooting)
• Bonnie and Clyde
• casting call 8/23 in Donaldsonville filming 2008
• STATE-
• securing financing in 2008
• Placed more than 600 location photos on website
• AEDC coordinated statewide reception at American
  Film Market in November in Santa Monica with Chef
  KD cooking from LECC
• Responded to 20 RFPs for film locations

17

• Ascension Megasite
• Certified on December 13th
• Becomes only certified, deep-water access
  megasite in America
• Under past consideration for three prospects even
  before
• certification
• Mailout of maps and certification documents to
• national site selectors in early 2008 and
  marketing with
• economic development partners
• www.deepwatermegasites.com
• www.louisianamegasites.com
• www.industrialmegasites.com

18

• Business Park Development
• Final three sites and feasibility analysis
  completed
• Working with developers and property owners on
  possible partnerships
• Development of aerials and maps on sites for
  future marketing and website-
• www.ascensionbusinessparkproject.com

19

• Downstream Specialty Chemical Initiative
• Streams identified, target companies and
  marketing plan to potential fine and specialty
  chemical companies to co-locate at BASF
• Targeting SOCMA chemical members in New Orleans
  in 2008 and on-going national marketing effort on
  chemicals available for downstream processing in
  Ascension

20

• Grants and Funding
• -157,500 raised for operational activities
• (megasite, incubator, business park
• 125,800 thru AEDC, 31,700-AEDF,
• of which 75,000 state line item appropriation)
• -35,000 raised for prospects/retention
• (Pearce Foundry)
• -50,000 LBIA grant pending for
• purchase incubator flash freezer
• -400,000 EDAP pending for Tyson Biofuels project

21

• 2008 AEDC Initiatives
• -Training of new council and administration on
  economic development
• -Strategic economic development plan
• -National/international marketing of certified
  megasite
• -Business park development with national
  developers and local property owners

22

• 2008 Initiatives
• -Placement of food incubator tenants products in
  local stores
• Marketing program to SOCMA (specialty chemical
  assc.) membership on Ascension and chemicals
  processed in Parish
• Partnering with BRAC on national public relations
  with DCI on Ascension business and ED stories
• -Feasibility study for movie studio in Ascension

23
(No Transcript)
24
(No Transcript)
25
Questions? www.ascensionedc.com tkurtz_at_ascensione
dc.com emichel_at_ascensionedc.com bduplessis_at_ascensi
onedc.com 225-675-1750-p 225-675-1751-f 6967
Highway 22 Sorrento, LA 70778