Landry Administration Launches New Economic Strategy Focused on Local Businesses and Faster Growth

Governor Jeff Landry’s administration is rolling out one of its most ambitious economic-development shifts to date — a broad effort to strengthen homegrown Louisiana businesses, speed up project approvals, and rewire the state’s economic-development system for competitiveness in 2025 and beyond.

Unveiled this week, the new approach is built around four pillars: a statewide business-matching platform, a parish-to-parish outreach tour, a fast-track permitting and coordination effort, and a push to ensure Louisiana vendors benefit from projects using state incentives. Together, they signal a sharp pivot toward empowering Louisiana’s own supply chain rather than relying primarily on out-of-state recruitment.

“We are building an environment where Louisiana businesses can compete, grow, and win,” Governor Landry said in announcing the plan. The message was clear: economic development must move at the speed of business — and must benefit Louisiana companies first.

At the center of the initiative is Source Louisiana, a statewide directory designed to help Louisiana suppliers and service providers get matched with large projects, prime contractors, and opportunity pipelines that were historically difficult for small and mid-sized firms to access. The administration is positioning it as the most comprehensive effort yet to make Louisiana’s supply chain visible and competitive.

Complementing the platform is the Driving Louisiana Opportunity Tour, which sends Louisiana Economic Development (LED) officials across the state to hear directly from business owners about obstacles, red tape, and regional needs. For a state with strong regional economies but uneven access to capital and resources, the tour carries symbolic and practical weight — a recognition that economic development must be built from local insight, not just Baton Rouge planning.

Landry’s Project Lightning Speed may ultimately be the most consequential component. Through an executive order, the administration is directing state agencies to streamline inter-agency coordination, assign cabinet-level liaisons to major economic-development efforts, and cut approval times that have long frustrated companies choosing between Louisiana and competing Gulf-South states. The governor has insisted that slow government cost Louisiana real projects in recent years — and that is no longer acceptable.

The fourth component — Ensuring Louisiana Participation — signals a strategic shift in how Louisiana will evaluate projects seeking tax incentives or state assistance. The administration plans to review current programs and propose changes to ensure Louisiana-based vendors have real opportunities to participate in incentive-supported projects. The policy direction is clear: if the state helps finance a project, the economic impact should stay in-state as much as possible.

From a policy perspective, the timing is significant. While Louisiana has continued to land major industrial and energy-transition investments, the state still battles slow population growth and an aging economic base. Landry’s message — echoed throughout the rollout — is that Louisiana must modernize the way it courts investment, and that starts with clearing bottlenecks, boosting local capacity, and creating a fairer pathway for Louisiana businesses to compete.

If fully implemented, the strategy could strengthen regional economies that often feel distant from LED’s reach. However, challenges remain. Directories are only as strong as their users. Streamlined approvals must still balance speed with oversight. And vendor-participation reforms will require careful design to avoid squeezing out emerging or minority-owned firms.

Still, the administration’s intent is unmistakable: Louisiana wants to build from within.

As of November 4, 2025, business groups across the state — from parish chambers to industry associations — are watching closely. The big question now is whether these initiatives will convert from announcements to measurable gains: more contracts for local firms, shorter approval timelines, stronger regional engagement, and a clearer statewide strategy for incentivizing business growth.

Governor Landry has made his bet: Louisiana’s future isn’t just about attracting the next outside company — it’s about unlocking the potential of the companies already here.