COLAB

Yesterday, COLAB attended the Louisiana Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority meeting where Henri Boulet, Executive Director of the Morganza Action Coalition, provided an update on the LA 1 Improvement Project. LA 1 is the only road connecting the mainland to Port Fourchon, which supports 100 percent of the nation's deepwater oil and gas production. One road carries a lot of weight. The project is expected to be complete in Q3 or Q4 of 2027. Progress is being made in the #BayouRegion.

Bollinger is investing in the #BayouRegion workforce. The Bollinger Bootcamp program has expanded, and applications are open. This is the kind of training and development opportunity that grows talent right here at home.

The organizations investing in this year's Bayou Business Summit share a common belief: the future of the #BayouRegion is worth building together. Join leaders from business, industry, education, and government for conversations on workforce, defense, innovation, energy, and economic development. You'll leave with fresh insights, valuable connections, and a deeper understanding of the opportunities shaping the future of our region. Get your tickets today: https://lnkd.in/egm6EFNZ

A Bayou Region company is bringing local expertise to one of the region's most significant energy projects. GIS Engineering, LLC, has been awarded an engineering services contract with ARGENT LNG to support the federal permitting process for the proposed LNG export terminal at Port Fourchon. This is exactly what regionalism looks like in practice. Local knowledge, local talent, and local investment working together to build something that lasts. Congratulations to the GIS Engineering team! https://lnkd.in/dVEwUHNb 

Last week, Lori LeBlanc represented COLAB at the Louisiana Future Energy meeting, where we heard Mark Zappi, Executive Director of the Energy Institute of Louisiana at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette, State Representative Joseph A. Orgeron, Ph.D., and Steven Jahng, Vice President of Hyundai Motor Group, discuss the future of clean hydrogen in Louisiana. One message stood out: education, transparency, and stakeholder engagement are essential to the success of any major energy project. Communities deserve access to factual information, opportunities to ask questions, and a seat at the table as projects are evaluated and developed. Thoughtful conversations build understanding, strengthen trust, and help ensure that decisions reflect both community priorities and Louisiana's economic future. Collaboration is key.

The Times of Houma/Thibodaux published an op-ed this week from COLAB CEO Christy Alley Zeringue, and it is worth a read. Her message is straightforward: the Bayou Region does not just power this country. It helps protect it. From the offshore rigs to the shipyards building vessels for the U.S. military, the people of Lafourche, Terrebonne, Assumption, and St. Mary parishes have spent generations doing work that matters. As America turns 250, that story deserves to be told. https://lnkd.in/e8z7N45i

This July 4th, as America turns 250, the Bayou Region has every reason to be proud. The people of Assumption, Lafourche, St. Mary, and Terrebonne Parishes did not sit and watch America become the world's leading energy producer. They built it. They left before dawn, worked the rigs, welded the pipelines, built the boats, and kept this country running. They also keep it safe. Companies like Bollinger Shipyards, Conrad Shipyard, Metal Shark Boats, and Saronic Technologies are building vessels for the U.S. military right here in South Louisiana. That is not a footnote. This region powers and protects America. The Gulf still holds enormous energy reserves. Defense contracts are growing. The next chapter of American energy and national security is being written right now, and this region will be in the middle of it. That is who we are. Happy 250th, America.

Where business leaders connect. Where ideas become action. Where the Bayou Region moves forward. The Bayou Business Summit brings together the leaders, innovators, and changemakers shaping the future of South Louisiana. Through meaningful conversations, strategic partnerships, and bold ideas, we are building a stronger, more competitive region together. Join us on August 19-20, 2026, at Cypress Bayou Casino & Hotel and be part of the conversation driving the future of the Bayou Region. #BBS26 #BayouBusinessSummit #EconomicDevelopment #Leadership #SouthLouisiana #Innovation

Before sunrise every morning, trucks roll down LA Highway 1 toward Port Fourchon — the #BayouRegion port that services nearly 100% of deepwater Gulf energy production. In this piece, Greater Lafourche Port Commission Executive Director and COLAB Board Chair Chett C. makes the case plainly: expanded Gulf leasing means 133,000+ jobs and $11 billion in GDP by 2040, and the workforce, infrastructure, and expertise to deliver it are already right here in South Louisiana. America's energy future runs through the Bayou Region.

These companies are putting the #BayouRegion on the map. Louisiana's maritime industry has deep roots here, and Saronic Technologies, Metal Shark Boats, Thoma-Sea Marine Constructors LLC, and Conrad Shipyard are proving it. They're building the future of autonomous shipbuilding and creating jobs along the way.