Job Hunting? Lafayette, LA, is Your Oyster
Find a host of thriving industries in this region.
Take it from us… if you’re looking to snag a great job, Lafayette should be at the top of your list. This Southern Louisiana parish (county) is your oyster, if you will. Long known as a hub for the oil and gas industry, Lafayette has diversified, adding sectors like technology, health care, manufacturing and logistics — oh, and they’re growing like weeds.
“In the last four decades, community and economic development leaders have been intentional about strengthening and diversifying the economy,” says Mandi D. Mitchell, president and CEO of the Lafayette Economic Development Authority (LEDA). “Lafayette has a strong entrepreneurial spirit, and the community takes much pride in its home-grown businesses, which present job options for young professionals who prefer to work in a more intimate, small team setting. The entrepreneurial ecosystem consists of the university’s small business development center, a vibrant small business incubator, an active angel investor network and enhanced venture capital match funding in the works, a very active chamber of commerce, and a new CDFI (community development financial institution) coming online to support enhanced capital access.”
LEDA has been at the forefront of securing wins, such as CGI, which is among the largest IT and business consulting services firms in the world; Westfield Hydraulics, an aerospace company; logistics giant Amazon; SafeSource Direct, a PPE manufacturer; and Halliburton, which provides products and services to the energy industry.
Ahead, let’s dive into some of the city’s thriving industries.
In This Article
IT/Technology
In addition to IT giant CGI, Lafayette is home to a growing cluster of information technology companies, such as L3Harris, a global aerospace and defense technology company that provides a wide range of products and services, and Techneaux Technology Services, which was named one of the top 10 companies for economic growth in Louisiana.
Techneaux is expanding into a new 22,000-square-foot space in the spring of 2024. This top-tier provider of data services regularly participates in the LEDA-sponsored job fairs in search of employees.
Also growing in Lafayette is SchoolMint, an education software development company that recently relocated its headquarters here from California.
The growth in the IT and technology sectors is thanks in part to the University of Louisiana at Lafayette — a Carnegie R1 institution with high-performing programs like computer science and informatics — and Lafayette’s fiber-based broadband infrastructure.
Health Care
A variety of sizes and types of health care companies are making waves in Lafayette.
LHC Group, established by Keith and Ginger Myers in 1994, is among the most extensive in-home health care services in the country and is the joint venture partner for approximately 350 hospitals across the U.S.
Other health care innovators here include SCP Health, one of the nation’s largest and fastest-growing health care organizations, and Acadian Cos., which was co-founded more than 50 years ago by Richard Zuschlag. Acadian began as a small ambulance company and has grown to approximately 5,000 employees in four states. It includes air medical transport and other services.
“Lafayette is widely known as the destination for primary and specialty health care and health innovation companies, such as Tides Medical,” Mitchell says.
Tides Medical, a producer of skin graft products distributed nationwide to treat chronic or difficult-to-heal wounds, recently announced it is investing $1.5 million to upgrade its corporate headquarters and manufacturing facility in Lafayette. The expansion will allow the company to increase production of its amniotic skin substitutes to meet growing demand.
Manufacturing
Manufacturing also has a strong foundation in the region, thanks to companies like Supreme Rice, one of the state’s largest rice-milling operations. Supreme launched an approximately $16 million expansion project in 2022. The company processes more than 1 billion pounds of rice annually and ships to more than 50 countries.
Stuller Inc. is a homegrown company with a global reach. Founded in 1970 by Matthew Stuller, the company is the largest jewelry manufacturer in the United States and provides a wide range of goods and services for jewelry professionals worldwide. Stuller’s core product categories include bridal jewelry, wedding bands, fine jewelry, mountings, diamonds, gemstones, findings, metals, tools and packaging.
Manufacturing is thriving – and hiring – across all sectors, including oil and gas equipment, metal fabrication and machining, chemical and petrochemical, pharmaceutical and biotech, and electronics.
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Logistics
Location, location, location. Lafayette is at the intersection of Interstates 10 and 49, giving its industries easy access to major markets in the Southeast and Midwest. Plus, the parish is served by the Lafayette Regional Airport and multiple rail lines, and it’s close to several ports, making it a perfect location for Amazon’s warehouse operations.
Dupré Logistics is among the signature companies providing transportation and logistics services, including freight brokerage, reliable transportation, supply chain logistics, and energy distribution services. The company specializes in serving industries such as energy, chemical, and consumer packaged goods.
Energy
Even with all the diversification, energy companies continue to play a key role in the economic strength of the region. About 6% of the jobs in Lafayette are directly tied to the oil and gas industry – and those jobs pay nearly double the average of other industries. These companies are involved in oil and gas exploration, production, equipment manufacturing, and related services.
At the close of 2022, Schlumberger, an oilfield services company, announced plans to consolidate the divisions at a newly-renovated hub in Lafayette, creating dozens of new jobs while also retaining nearly 1,400 existing jobs in Louisiana.
Troy Wayman, president and CEO of One Acadiana, the region’s business-led, privately funded economic development organization and Lafayette’s chamber of commerce, says young professionals are attracted to the quality of life in Lafayette as well as the availability of jobs.
“Tradition says attract companies, and talent comes for the jobs,” Wayman says. “That’s changed. Now, talent goes where they want to live, and they find a job when they get there. Talent follows place, and investment follows talent. We’re creating a place where people want to live. We have an incredible quality of life. The people here have a great work ethic and a play ethic. We have a culture of family, faith and enjoying life.”
This article was sponsored by the Lafayette Convention & Visitors Commission, Lafayette Economic Development Authority and One Acadiana.
