Louisiana Approves Tax Breaks for Three Ascension Manufacturers
The Board of Commerce and Industry cleared applications from BE Steel, Blue Runner Foods and Electro Medical Equipment, which now go to Gov. Jeff Landry for final approval.
Updated on Nov. 4, 2026 in Manufacturing
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The Louisiana Board of Commerce and Industry approved Industrial Tax Exemption Program applications for three Ascension Parish manufacturers representing nearly $5.4 million in combined investment. The applications now head to Gov. Jeff Landry for final approval.
Why it matters
The Industrial Tax Exemption Program offers an 80% property tax exemption on qualifying investments, and the projects are expected to bring capital and expanded production capacity to Gonzales and Prairieville. Approval at the state level signals that the three companies' expansion plans meet program requirements.
The three projects total about $5.38 million in investment and are projected to receive roughly $88,300 in first-year property tax relief while generating about $22,100 in property taxes for local bodies. Final approval from Gov. Jeff Landry remains pending.
The players
Gov. Jeff Landry
Governor of Louisiana, who must give final approval to the tax exemption applications before they take effect.
Louisiana Board of Commerce and Industry
The state board that reviewed and approved the Industrial Tax Exemption Program applications for the three Ascension Parish manufacturers.
The details
BE Steel plans a $3.25 million office and warehouse facility with an 18,000-square-foot fabrication building and 4,000 square feet of office and storage space at 9226 Ashland Road in Gonzales. Electro Medical Equipment plans a $1.65 million, 9,280-square-foot prefabricated metal building addition at its Prairieville plant, while Blue Runner Foods received approval for a $474,547 boiler investment at its Gonzales facility.
Timeline
August 2025: BE Steel purchased roughly 10 acres of vacant land bordering Ashland and Pierce Roads for $626,000.
January: Blue Runner Foods boiler operations are expected to begin.
March 2028: BE Steel construction is expected to run through this date.
Industrial Incentives
The approvals operate under Louisiana's 2025 Industrial Tax Exemption Program, which grants an 80% property tax exemption on qualifying manufacturing investments. Each approved application applies those rules to a specific expansion in Ascension Parish.
Louisiana residents in Ascension Parish may see new manufacturing jobs and local tax revenue as these facilities expand. The 80% exemption means taxing bodies will collect a smaller share of property taxes during the early years of each project.
The takeaway
Industrial tax incentives trade near-term property tax revenue for new production capacity and investment, and the state's final approval will determine whether these three projects proceed on schedule.
What happens next
Gov. Jeff Landry's final approval of the three applications is the next step, and Blue Runner Foods boiler operations are expected to begin in January.
Further reading
For more on manufacturing expansion across the state, explore Manufacturing coverage.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Baton Rouge Business Report.
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