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The West Baton Rouge Parish Chamber of Commerce stays busy balancing the needs of industry, small businesses, and the community. 2023 brought announcements of three industry expansions and a new ExxonMobil project, demonstrating that interest in West Baton Rouge Parish has never been greater.
“West Baton Rouge is kind of a hidden gem because we have the Port of Baton Rouge, which is one of the top five busiest ports in the Gulf,” says Executive Director Anna Johnson.
The Chamber also monitors federal and state legislation that may influence its industrial corridor and educates the public regarding any changes, including potential environmental and economic impact.
AT A GLANCE
Top executives: Anna Johnson, Executive Director; Jason Manola, Parish President; Phillip Bourgoyne, Chief Administration Officer; Tony Clayton, District Attorney
Phone: 225.383.3140
Address: 7520 LA Hwy. 1 S, Addis, LA 70710
Website: wbrchamber.org
“We like to keep the community engagement level high and keep everybody in the know. We stay transparent with what’s going on,” Johnson says. “It can be easy for things to get misconstrued, especially within the industry and pulling the lever in the race to net zero.”
Like many other organizations, the COVID-19 pandemic presented major disruptions and new opportunities, such as a new business model that has yielded positive results for the parish. The Chamber’s annual Small Business Summit grew from a business support group to a high-profile event that boasts attendees from across Louisiana, even hosting a panel for gubernatorial candidates to discuss their plans for small business. In the two years since the event began, the Chamber has helped 47 small businesses qualify for state grants, loans, or incentives they weren’t aware they were eligible for.
“A lot of our business owners get frustrated when they’ve got to deal with all the red tape. And that’s where we step in and say, ‘Come sit with us. We’re going to help you get through this,’” Johnson says. “That’s the staple of what I want our legacy to be at the Chamber—that businesses can say we helped them. We did this together.”
Johnson anticipates more expansion and new projects on the horizon for West Baton Rouge Parish in 2024. The Chamber helped break ground on a Career Academy in Port Allen in January. Supported by a Reimagine Grant awarded to the parish in 2022, the academy offers dual enrollment to approximately 70 students and is scheduled to be completed in May.
“We continue to support the community while exploring evolving markets like renewable energy or permanent capital, expansions, growing small businesses, and supporting industry,” Johnson says. “Those have really been the hallmark of what the Chamber has been for the last 50 years.”
