St. Helena Parish-based Southland Steel Fabricators Inc. announced Monday that it is investing $25 million to add 100,000 square feet of production space and acquire cutting-edge welding technology.
The expansion is expected to increase robotic welding capacity by 50% and double material processing capabilities as industrial megaprojects create surging demand for fabricated steel in Louisiana.
With the expansion, company officials expect to create 80 direct new jobs over the next three years with an average annual salary of $60,000 while retaining 340 current positions.
Southland Steel has been family owned and operated in Louisiana for more than 35 years. The company has experienced rapid growth in recent years, which led it to open a second fabrication facility in Amite in 2020. In July, the company’s subsidiary, Southland Industrial Coatings, announced it was establishing a new fireproofing facility in St. Landry Parish.
Construction and installation of new equipment at its Greensburg facility is expected to begin by mid-2025 and continue through 2026.
To secure the project in St. Helena Parish, LED offered Southland Steel a competitive incentives package including a $2.5 million reimbursable grant from the Economic Development Award Program for site development and equipment, subject to approval by the Louisiana Economic Development Corporation board. The company is expected to participate in the state’s Industrial Tax Exemption and Quality Jobs programs.
Read a 2017 Baton Rouge Business Report feature on Southland Steel Fabricators.