This Louisiana steel fabrication company will open $13.1M operations in St. Landry Parish

A Tangipahoa Parish steel fabrication company will build a $13.1 million facility in the St. Landry Parish town of Washington that will create 120 new jobs.

Southland Industrial Coatings will build a 100,000-square-foot fireproofing facility at its headquarters in Washington to serve customers in the utility and renewable energy sectors across the country, Louisiana Economic Development announced Friday.

The company plans to break ground in the coming weeks and expects construction to be completed by the spring.

The jobs will pay an average of $53,000, officials said. State officials expected nearly 200 indirect jobs as a result along with 195 construction jobs at peak build time.

Buildout will also include construction and paving of an entrance road, installation of power and utility poles and creation of a 10-acre laydown yard for storing heavy equipment and other supplies.

Southland galvanizes, metalizes, sand blasts, paints and fireproofs steel poles used in the utility, transportation and renewable energy industries.

“Southland Industrial Coatings is very excited about our expansion in St. Landry Parish,” Southland CEO Joey Lombardo said. “We are appreciative of the support provided by LED and are grateful to be working with local government and becoming part of the Washington community. As a Louisiana company, we are proud to not only grow our footprint in the state, but to provide quality jobs for years to come.”

LED offered Southland Industrial Coatings a competitive incentives package that includes a $2.5 million performance-based, forgivable loan from the Economic Development Award Program for site development and infrastructure improvements, contingent on approval from the Louisiana Economic Development Corporation board. The company is also expected to participate in the state’s Industrial Tax Exemption and Quality Jobs programs.