Amazon’s Robotic Fulfillment Center opens in Shreveport – September 2024
• The highly automated SHV1 fulfillment center officially opened on September 27, 2024, located at 1625 Corporate Drive.
• Spanning 2.5 million square feet (about 50–55 football fields), it features five floors and is equipped to process up to 1 million items per day, with capacity for “hundreds of thousands” of customer orders daily.
• Starting operations hired 1,000–1,400 employees, with plans to grow to 2,500, especially in technical roles for robotic maintenance and engineering.
• Workers receive $18.50–$18.75/hour, with benefits from day one: healthcare, dental and vision, a 401(k) with 50% company match, up to 20 weeks of parental leave, tuition assistance through Career Choice, and other wellness features like a multi-faith room.
• This center anchors logistics and fulfillment infrastructure in Northwest Louisiana, promising significant job creation—especially higher-skilled, higher-paid roles like technical maintenance and robotics support.
• The facility’s automation—featuring AI systems like Sparrow, Robin, Cardinal, and Proteus—signals a leap in warehouse technology designed to boost efficiency, safety, and throughput by up to 25%.
• Beyond employment, economic ripple effects include boosted local retail consumption, services, and potential for related tech or logistics companies to locate or partner here.
50 Cent’s G-Unit Studios leases StageWorks in Shreveport — June 2025
• Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson’s G-Unit Film & Television secured a long-term lease of the StageWorks facility on the Clyde Fant Parkway in downtown Shreveport. The City Council approved the lease in late March 2025, and the lease-signing was publicly marked on June 6, 2025 when 50 Cent FaceTimed Mayor Tom Arceneaux during the ceremony while rehearsing overseas.
• The arrangement gives G-Unit control of StageWorks as part of a broader push to expand entertainment, sports, and production capacity in the city
• The deal is reported as a 30-year lease with an option to extend (reports say up to a 45-year total if extended). Rent is nominal—widely reported at $200 per month—with G-Unit taking on all maintenance and operational responsibilities for the facility.
• The StageWorks venue is planned to host a wide mix of activity: professional and amateur sporting events (boxing, MMA, basketball, volleyball), concerts, conventions, car shows, and other large-scale events. G-Unit has also tied the space to its film & TV ambitions and event programming.
• This lease complements the larger G-Unit Studios / G-Unit Film & Television campus footprint that 50 Cent previously launched in Shreveport — a sizeable studio/production investment that positions the company as a local content-production anchor.
• StageWorks as an events venue can drive hotel room nights, restaurant and retail spending, and downtown foot traffic when concerts, fights, leagues, or conventions run—helping anchor evenings/weekends downtown. (G-Unit has said it will coordinate events with Visit Shreveport-Bossier.)
• The operational and programming activity can create event-management, security, hospitality, concessions, production-crew, and technical jobs, plus opportunities for local vendors and contractors. Exact job numbers depend on programming intensity and have not been specified publicly.
• Film & production ecosystem: With G-Unit’s existing studio operations in the area, having a downtown multipurpose event/production venue strengthens the local entertainment infrastructure stack — making Shreveport more attractive for shoots that need both studio space and a large event/arena footprint. That can increase on-location spending via things like lodging, props, set construction, and location fees.
Live! Casino opens in Bossier City — February 2025
• The Cordish Companies developed a $270-plus million casino-hotel resort situated on the Red River in Bossier City, the first land-side casino in the Shreveport–Bossier market. It replaces the former Diamond Jacks property.
• The casino includes over 47,000 sq ft of gaming area with more than 1,000 slot/electronic games and more than 40 live table games.
• The property houses a 549-room, 12-story luxury hotel and 30,000-plus sq. ft. of food and entertainment venues, including a 25,000 sq. ft. multi-purpose venue.
• Live! is expected to create in excess of 1,550 total jobs — approximately 750 from construction phase and about 800 permanent positions in hospitality, gaming, and operations.
• It is expected to provide $35 million-plus in gaming tax revenue to Bossier City and more than $168 million to the state over the first 5 years.
• As a new regional draw, especially for visitors from neighboring states with more limited gambling options, Live! offers a new hub for live entertainment, concerts, and conventions in the Ark-La-Tex.
• The project anchors the old riverboat-based gaming economy with a modern resort, potentially catalyzing further development, increasing visitor spend at nearby retail/hospitality venues, and diversifying the local industry.
Ascentek Announces $50 Million Expansion in Shreveport — June 2025
• Ascentek is committing $50 million to build a 270,000-sq-ft Manufacturing Assistance Facility (MAF) alongside upgrades to its existing production and distribution center in Shreveport’s Caddo Parish.
• The expansion is expected to create 91 new direct jobs (in manufacturing, support, and business roles) while retaining 105 current positions.
• When factoring in indirect employment, the expansion may result in up to 338 new jobs regionwide.
• Groundbreaking is slated for late 2025, with an 18 to 24-month construction timeline, aiming for completion between late 2026 and sometime in 2027.
• Louisiana Economic Development (LED) is supporting the initiative through FastStart workforce training, as well as Industrial Tax Exemption and Quality Jobs programs.
• This expansion reinforces Shreveport’s position as a hub for advanced manufacturing, particularly in fluids, lubricants, and chemical processing.
• The addition of high-speed production and enhanced material handling systems aims to significantly boost efficiency and capacity—positioning the region as a logistics-ready industrial hub.
• With high-quality jobs and infrastructure upgrades, this project has the potential to catalyze downstream supplier growth, raise workforce skill levels, and have long-term economic impact.
Port of Caddo-Bossier opens new $12 Million warehouse – December 2024
• The Port of Caddo-Bossier inaugurated a 40,000-square-foot heavy-load, multimodal warehouse—positioned behind an existing 100,000-sq-ft facility that opened in 2022.
• Odyssey Logistics, LLC leased the new space, adding to its existing footprint and bringing its total leased area at the port to 460,000 sq. ft.
• Funding came via a partnership among the Port, the Red River Waterway Commission, and Louisiana DOTD and Office of Multimodal Commerce.
• The expansion enhances the region’s freight-handling capacity, especially for heavy or multimodal cargo, strengthening resilience and flexibility in supply chains.
• As quoted by port and state representatives, this project exemplifies “smart growth” that addresses immediate needs while delivering long-term economic benefits.
• A Louisiana economic study underscores the port’s multiplier effect: for every port job, ~4.1 indirect jobs are generated across Caddo and Bossier Parishes—amplifying local employment and spending
SkyWest Announces Aircraft Maintenance Base at Shreveport Regional Airport – May 6, 2025
• SkyWest Airlines, the largest U.S. regional carrier, selected Shreveport Regional Airport as its next maintenance and repair (MRO) base, expected to become operational in late 2025.
• Direct impact of 150 new jobs with an average annual salary of $70,000, roughly 27% above the local average wage.
• Indirectly, the project is estimated to generate an additional 375 jobs, for a total of ~525 new positions region-wide.
• Louisiana and local partners provided a $750,000 performance-based grant, plus an up to $200,000 energy efficiency grant, alongside workforce training support via FastStart.
• Establishing an MRO base elevates Shreveport’s standing in the aerospace and logistics sectors, aligning with statewide strategic goals.
• High-paying, skilled positions (technicians, engineers) bring immediate economic benefits and attract auxiliary businesses like parts suppliers, training schools, and service providers.
Louisiana Tech and Radiance Technologies announce $80 Million microchip facility in Ruston — August 2025
• Louisiana Tech University, Radiance Technologies, Louisiana Economic Development (LED) and the Louisiana Tech University Foundation announced plans to construct a secure microchip packaging facility in Ruston, an $80 million project expected to create 150 jobs.
• The facility, to be developed by the Louisiana Tech Foundation on city-owned land near the Ruston Sports Complex, will span more than 40,000 square feet. Annual payroll for the 150 new positions is projected to reach $12.7 million by fiscal year 2032.
• Construction is expected to begin in spring 2026 and be completed in summer 2027.
• Gov. Jeff Landry called the investment a continuation of north Louisiana’s role in supporting national defense and positions north Louisiana as a hub for advanced manufacturing.
• LED will support the expansion through a workforce development initiative in partnership with Louisiana Tech and other institutions.
• Radiance already maintains operations at Louisiana Tech’s Enterprise Campus and Louisiana Tech will support the expansion through a workforce development initiative with LED and other institutions.
• Louisiana Tech officials said the partnership will expand research initiatives, create new student learning opportunities and strengthen the university’s role in economic development.
8) Bossier City and economic officials working to bring new development to Louisiana Boardwalk — Spring 2025
• Beginning in Spring through June 2025, multiple tenant closures were reported within the Louisiana Boardwalk Outlets in Bossier City, igniting discussion on potential redevelopment or repurposing of the retail complex.
• Given the Boardwalk’s importance as a retail and tourist draw to northwest Louisiana, its decline poses risks to regional tourism, riverfront activity, and retail-linked employment.
• Redevelopment efforts could include mixed-use projects, entertainment zones, or adaptive reuse — offering opportunities for revitalized economic activity and job creation.
• This transition is critical for property owners, city planners, and local stakeholders who want to reimagine the site’s long-term role.
• Bossier City and economic development officials held meetings in May with the property’s owners to discuss what can be done to boost relevance at the Boardwalk. Property owners assured the city of a path to revitalizing the property and monthly meetings are being held between local officials and the Boardwalk’s management team.
Ward II Industrial Park earns ‘Gold Site Ready’ designation — April 2025
• The Ward II Industrial Park in Vivian — a 950-acre, rail-served site — received the prestigious “Gold Site Ready” designation from Canadian Pacific Kansas City (CPKC) in early 2025. This designation signals full readiness for industrial development.
• The property includes comprehensive infrastructure: proximity to I-49, I-20, rail access (KCS), utilities (electric, water, telecom, gas, sewer), and fiber-optic infrastructure — all within city limits and competitively priced (~$5,000/acre).
• Achieving Gold status drastically reduces lead time for large-scale industrial projects, from months to weeks, attracting manufacturers and distribution centers.
• The park’s connectivity to interstate, rail, and airport routes makes it primed for logistics, manufacturing, and e-commerce players. Strategic industrial expansion here would significantly boost economic development, create jobs, and encourage local investment in workforce and ancillary services.
Chasing Aces Entertainment Complex Opens in Bossier City — June 2025
• Chasing Aces is a $25 million sports-entertainment complex on 27 acres adjacent to the Margaritaville Resort Casino, officially opened to the public on June 16, 2025 following a ribbon-cutting ceremony.
• The venue features 30 tech-enabled driving bays, a nine-hole par-3 golf course, 18-hole putting course, and the region’s first Home Run Dugout Batting Bay Experience™. It also includes a golf academy, social dining spaces, a sports bar, and event areas for tournaments, corporate outings, and parties.
• Chasing Aces fills a quality-of-life and leisure gap in the region, offering fresh social and family-friendly entertainment that draws residents and tourists alike while creating job — from hospitality and event staffing to facility management and marketing.
• The venue supports the riverfront development strategy and increases evening and weekend activity for nearby businesses, especially within tourism and hospitality.