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Advanced Manufacturing

Where innovation originates.

NASA has relied on the skills and the technology of the Greater New Orleans Region to power each rocket and shuttle in its history. More recently, NASA made another long-term commitment to the region. Michoud Assembly Facility, located in New Orleans, will house production of the equipment that will propel the next-generation manned space vehicles, meaning the road to the Moon, Mars and beyond begins with the advanced manufacturing capabilities of the Greater New Orleans Region.

When innovative armored vehicles are required for American soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan to conduct missions safely, the U.S. Army relies on the Greater New Orleans Region to get the job done. Textron Marine & Land, based in Slidell, provides the Army with a variety of armored vehicles – including the ASV Armored Knight and the M1117 ASV – that have provided exceptional levels of soldier protection and operational readiness.

“The conquest of air and space, the pursuit of scientific discovery in space, is the toughest business in the world. It is unforgiving of the most minor errors, but, when we do it right, it is the most exhilarating business there is. It needs the best people that our nation has to offer. Fortunately, we have them.” – Michael D. Griffin, NASA Administrator

When the oil & gas industry requires drilling at depths of more than 2,000 feet, the Greater New Orleans Region can answer the call. New Iberia’s Dynamic Industries Inc. designs and fabricates drilling technologies that have safely reached depths 400 feet deeper than the closest competitor.

And that’s not all.

Take a closer look at Advanced Manufacturing in the Greater New Orleans Region

The advanced manufacturing industry in the Greater New Orleans Region has the advantage of perfect location, unparalleled infrastructure, lucrative incentives and a talented workforce. Look closely at what’s going on.

NASA Michoud Assembly Facility

NASA’s Michoud Assembly Facility is one of the world’s largest manufacturing plants. With 43 acres under one roof and a deep water port to enable transportation, the site has long been the production home of large space structures, including space shuttles’ external tanks. NASA has demonstrated its high-level confidence in the Michoud Assembly Facility for at least another decade and several billions of dollars with its commitment to manufacture its next generation of launch systems, including NASA’s Ares I and Ares V. NASA’s recent decision to diversify the facility to include private contractors and other federal programs provides new opportunities for access to technology, equipment, relationships and customers.

National Center for Advanced Manufacturing (NCAM)

The state of Louisiana’s ongoing commitment to fund state-of-the-art equipment at NCAM has long put the region on the cutting edge of advanced technologies and research. The state’s recent commitment to fund the expansion of equipment offerings guarantees that this partnership of the state, NASA and the University of New Orleans will continue to provide leadership in technology, combining education, applied research and advanced manufacturing technologies. Examples of current activities at the center include:

• friction stir welding
• advanced fiber placement
• non-destructive evaluation
• high-speed 5-axis machining

“The Advanced Manufacturing Skills Alliance is an effort of the industry in the New Orleans area to ensure a talented available workforce now and in the future. The Advanced Manufacturing Center of Excellence shows the Alliance is making progress.” – Woody Oge, Northrop Grumman Shipbuilding

NASA Stennis Space Center (in nearby Hancock County, Miss.)

Just across the Louisiana border, NASA Stennis Space Center fortifies the region’s role in advanced manufacturing and space exploration. For more than 40 years, Stennis Space Center has served as NASA’s rocket propulsion testing ground. Both the upper stage of NASA’s Ares I and Ares V and the main stage of the Ares V are slated for future testing here.

World-Class Shipyards

The Greater New Orleans Region is home to a high concentration of world-class shipyards specializing in commercial, military and luxury crafts..

UNO School of Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering (NAME)

The only program of its kind in the region, UNO’s School of NAME was established to supply the region’s shipbuilding and offshore industry with a qualified workforce. NAME graduates are in constant demand throughout the marine industry.

Louisiana Optic Network Initiative (LONI)

A state-funded, state-of-the-art fiber optics network that runs throughout the connecting Louisiana research institutions, including NASA Michoud Assembly Facility, the state and universities in Louisiana and Mississippi to one another and globally through National LambdaRail and Internet2, LONI allows greater collaboration on research, producing faster and more accurate results. With LONI, researchers have access to one of the most advanced optical networks in the country and some of the most powerful distributed supercomputer resources available to any academic community with over 85 teraflops of computational capacity.

Key Incentives

Federal, state and local incentives available to the advanced manufacturing industry in the Greater New Orleans Region comprise one of the most aggressive, and potentially lucrative, financial packages in the nation.

• The Gulf Opportunity Zone (GO Zone) federal tax incentives offer a competitive advantage for the relocation or expansion of large manufacturing facilities in the region.
• The state equalizes the overall taxes between a Louisiana site and a competing site in another state if your advanced manufacturing company is planning an expansion.
• Lucrative job-based incentives also mean bottom line savings
  The region is home to wide array of location options including large tracts of available land. HUBzone designations are available in many areas enabling federal bid preference.
• Competitive tax and wage rates compared to against competitor cities along the Gulf Coast.

Multimodal Transportation

The advanced manufacturing industry in the Greater New Orleans Region benefits from a complex transportation infrastructure providing easy access to the rest of the world. The region contains:

• The largest port complex in the world
• Major highway systems
• An international airport
• All six Class 1 railroads operating in North America

Workforce

The Greater New Orleans Region boasts an advanced manufacturing workforce touted by national leaders as second to none. NASA Administrator Michael Griffin describes the workforce at NASA’s Michoud Assembly Facility as some of the best people the nation has to offer.

“Their pride in being able to contribute to the American Space Program shows in their every move,” Griffin said. “This is an incredible team down here, truly a national treasure.”

The state and the business community have given their financial commitment to the sector, evidenced by the region’s many industry-certified advanced manufacturing training opportunities that will ensure your company’s ability to meet hiring needs and training requirements. These include:

• A high school-based shipbuilding academy
• New training and research centers under development, including manufacturing training centers in Jefferson and St. Tammany Parishes
• An education emphasis beginning early in the school system and continuing through and advanced manufacturing career
• The Advanced Manufacturing Center of Excellence, an initiative of the Advanced Manufacturing Skills Alliance, opened in January 2008 with a goal of training 1,000 individuals in multiple occupations, including certified manufacturing specialist, welding, pipe fitting, electrical, maintenance, mechanics, press process and CAD/CAM.

Industry Presence

Boeing Company
Bollinger Shipyards
Dynamic Industries, Inc.
Guico Machine Works, Inc.
Intralox
Johnson Controls Interiors, LLC
Lockheed Martin Manned Space Systems
NASA Michoud Assembly Facility
NASA Stennis Space Center (just across the border in MS)
Northrop Grumman Ship Systems’ Avondale Operations
Textron Marine and Land
The Laitram Corporation
Trinity Industries
Trinity Yachts

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Aerospace / Defense Industry Analysis