The economy of Baton Rouge largely started thanks to its location as one of the largest deep-water and the furthest inland ports in all of America. This made it the perfect location for a number of shipping and manufacturing industries and still in the center of much of the city's industries today. You might find a debander plant and food processors as well as the creation of products from concrete to rubber. In one year the Port of Greater Baton Rouge handles more than six million tons of goods. But while manufacturing and shipping provide the backbone for this city's economy, there are lots of other industries that have contributed to its past and present industrial picture. Here's a brief overview of the economic history of Baton Rouge, Louisiana.
During the first half of the nineteenth century, one of the chief industries in Baton Rouge was the steamboat trade. This kept the small city of about 5,500 residents going until the Civil War came to the area in 1862. Baton Rouge did not have any real dominating industry again until the 1950s and 60s when the production of petrochemicals came to town. This is still one of the largest industries in the city today with ExxonMobil's oil refinery being the second largest of its kind in the country. Petrochemicals contribute to a wealth of products, from plastics to window weights.
An offshoot of the large petrochemical industry is the presence of several major construction firms in Baton Rouge. Many of these, like Shaw Construction and Turner, began their work by helping to build these refineries. Both of these companies are on the list of Baton Rouge's top employers, each having an employee base of more than ten thousand people. If you're currently working with something like lead glass and want to move up to a larger firm, these would be the best places to apply.
The economy of Baton Rouge has changed drastically in the last decade, partially due to the influx of new residents escaping the destruction of Hurricane Katrina. Before this time the city seemed to be growing out from its downtown core. Now there has been a rejuvenation of the downtown area and the city has been named one of the fastest growing metropolitan areas in the country. Though many New Orleans residents chose to return to their own city as repairs began, others seemed to be heading to Baton Rouge. This growing city showed to be a great starting out point for people in fields from health care to pneumatic conveying.
Recently, the tourism and film industries have started to gain popularity in Baton Rouge. The city is promoting themselves as a "Hollywood South" and has created tax breaks for production companies who choose to film there. Maybe soon those who were working with Lusterstone on a building project will be building sets for some of the largest productions in the country.
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