Investors of North Louisiana Economic Partnership voted on December 15, 2010 to go forward with the historic merger of two local economic development groups to form one large, regional economic development organization. That pivotal vote propelled economic development forward in North Louisiana.
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NLEP History: Merger Forms a Regional Economic Development Group

2010 marked a pivotal year in the history of North Louisiana Economic Partnership (NLEP). After nearly two years of deliberately working slowly toward a merger, the Northwest Louisiana Economic Development Foundation (NLEDF) officially merged with the North Louisiana Economic Development Corporation (NLEDC).  NLEDF was an economic development group based in Shreveport-Bossier. NLEDC was an economic group based in Monroe-West Monroe. The merger, which went into effect on January 1, 2011,  combined the two groups into one regional economic development group that covered an expanded service territory of 14 parishes in North Louisiana.

That process of regionalism created NLEP with more than 230 investors and a budget of $1.53 million. It has also led to continued wins and successes despite the national economic downturn - a sure sign that regionalism really works.
 

Benefits of Regionalism

A larger regional economic development group offers many benefits and opportunities, including:

  • More resources to market North Louisiana to the rest of the world
  • The larger 14 parish region offers more assets and options to prospective companies
  • Fostering more collaboration among local economic development groups
  • Attracts more serious looks from site selectors and prospects
  • Connects most of North Louisiana together along I-20 and I-49


History of NLEDF and NLEDC


Northwest Louisiana Economic Development Foundation (NLEDF), based in Northwest Louisiana, traces its roots back to 1982 with the formation of the Shreveport Chamber Foundation. It was created to support the Chamber and its economic development functions for the City of Shreveport. Over time, NLEDF evolved to include ten parishes. In late 2005, the Foundation rebranded itself to reflect its larger territory and regional focus. In May 2008, the Foundation’s investors voted to ratify new by-laws, making NLEDF a separate, independent organization.
 
Paving the way for this move, the Foundation launched a five-year “Forward Northwest Louisiana” investment campaign (2007-2011) which funded the organization’s mission to encourage job creation and capital investment in the ten parishes. 

In Northeast Louisiana, the North Louisiana Economic Development Corporation (NLEDC) was also undergoing a similar evolutionary process. NLEDC traced its roots back to the Ouachita Enterprise Corporation which started in Monroe, LA in 1989. The group later rebranded to the Ouachita Economic Development Corporation (OEDC). Like its counterpart in Northwest Louisiana, OEDC recognized the benefits of regionalism.
 
On July 24, 2008, the OEDC Board of Directors authorized its Executive Committee to form NLEDC, a five-parish regional economic development group, and by 2009 OEDC dissolved itself in favor of the larger group. The five-parish NLEDC was funded through remaining OEDC assets and pledges from a three year investment campaign (2009-2011).

Recognizing the benefits of regionalism, NLEDC  and NLEDF began working together under a Memorandum of Understanding in September of 2009.  The two groups operated seamlessly under the trade name North Louisiana Economic Partnership even before the merger became final on January 1st, 2011.