Industry's Value to the Community

Industry Makes Essential Products

From the shoes on our feet to essential healthcare products, Louisiana’s industries help make it all. Industry not only makes the products we need but also engineers innovations the world demands to create a safer and more sustainable future. In addition, industry creates quality jobs, a predictable and stable tax base, better schools, and a better quality of life for our citizens. 

For more information about how the chemistry we produce right here in Louisiana impacts our daily lives, check out our one-pagers here. Please download and share these resources with business leaders, elected officials, and other community members.

Industry makes our modern lives possible, and many of those products start right here in Louisiana.

Industry Health Benefits

The average life span in the industrial corridor is 74.1 years -- considerably longer than the 72.9-year average outside of the corridor.

Cancer incidence rates are 5.5% lower in Louisiana’s industrial corridor, with 468.6 cases per 100,000 residents, compared to 495.7 statewide. This data challenges long-held misconceptions about health in industrial regions. Communities along the corridor continue to make strides through improved healthcare access, stronger local economies, and healthier lifestyles. 

Source: www.LouisianaHealthFacts.com, 2025

Test your Industry Knowledge!

Check out this Quizlet to test your knowledge about the benefits of Louisiana's industry. 

Economic Benefits of Industry

The economic benefit of Louisiana's industry is substantial. Local industry employs approximately 8% of the workforce in the Greater Baton Rouge area, with a payroll to these employees of over $900 million. Including the economic multiplier effect of an additional 8-9 jobs per employee, this means over 60% of all jobs in the Baton Rouge region are due to industry’s presence.

GBRIA's approximately 80 member facilities employ over 25,000+ plant & contract employees earning a median salary of over $74,000/year for engineers and $47,000 – $100,000+ for industrial trades and technicians.

Industry pays two out of every three dollars in property taxes paid in East Baton Rouge Parish, and in other parishes, industry pays more than 70% of all property taxes collected.

Business and industry pay 50% of all sales taxes collected in the State of Louisiana.

For more data about the economic impact of Louisiana's industry, click here. 

Supporting Education

Industry puts millions of dollars at work in our local communities every year and contributes thousands of volunteer hours to our schools and non-profits such as the United Way.

GBRIA sponsored the development and construction of the Associated Builders and Contractors Craft Training Center and has funded its $1 million/year operation since 1985.

Approximately 1,000+ craft people are trained at the school each year, earning certificates as boilermakers, pipe fitters, electricians, welders and more.

GBRIA also provides steering of programs delivered for industry by the Alliance Safety Council. They train approximately 40,000 construction contractors each year in essential safety skills needed to work in industry.

Promoting Process Technology (PTEC), a two-year associates degree that prepares people to work in the chemical industry as process operators, providing more than $200,000 in PTEC scholarships to students at the five Louisiana campuses offering PTEC.

Retaining and Growing Industry

Local industry is committed to a long term future in the area providing safe facilities that contribute to their local communities. Many area plants have been here for over 50 years, and some over 100 years.

Chemical companies have reduced Toxic Release Inventory (TRI) emissions by more than 80 percent since 1987. The Greater Baton Rouge area is in ozone attainment compliance.

GBRIA Public Affairs Committee

The GBRIA Public Affairs Committee is a group of members who meet quarterly to share best practices and exchange ideas among colleagues in industry. The committee is led by: Chet Peterson (Shintech) and Chris Hernandez (Eastman).