St. Mary Parish is located in the mid-southern part of Louisiana along the Gulf of Mexico. The parish (county) area is 691 square miles and contains 660 miles of inland navigable waterways, making it very attractive to shipping, fabrication and fishing industries .

The parish (county) is located along U. S. Highway 90 (Future I-49) between the major metropolitan areas of New Orleans and Lafayette, Louisiana. The state capital in Baton Rouge is within a 1½ hour drive (map of Southern Louisiana). There are more than two million residents in this region.

St. Mary Parish is multi-modal in its transportation. There are two ports with access to the Gulf of Mexico. The Port of Morgan City is an import/export port for medium draft vessels and the Port of West St. Mary is an industrial site with access to rail and the Gulf of Mexico. The Burlington Northern and Sante Fe railroad has the main trunk line in the parish and Interstate 49 offers ready access to Interstate 10 connecting markets coast to coast. St. Mary has a municipal airport at Patterson that can land aircraft as large as a Boeing 737. The Louis Armstrong (New Orleans International) and the Lafayette airports are within an hour’s drive.

Over the years, St. Mary Parish has diversified from an agricultural base (sugar cane, fishing, shrimping,…), to a mix of agriculture and industry. Industrial segments include mineral extraction (oil/gas) and support industries, to leaders in shipbuilding, underwater services and metal fabrication. The State of Louisiana and St. Mary boast of the most productive workers in the world.

St. Mary believes in keeping its skilled workforce well trained and flexible to face the many challenges of tomorrow. Programs are offered at the leading vo-tech institution in the state, Young Memorial, in durable goods/metal fabrication, medical technologies, administrative systems and marine/coastguard safety. The parish also compliments the vo-tech school with Louisiana Community College. College bound students have an abundance of colleges and universities to select from within close proximity. These include Louisiana State University (LSU), University of Louisiana at Lafayette, Tulane University, Nicholls State University, Loyola University, University of New Orleans, Southern University, Dillard and Xavier. If your child graduates from high school in Louisiana they may be eligible for a free education at one of the state universities based upon their high school performance (Tops Program).

Ideas of tomorrow are being advanced today through entrepreneurs. A new cosmeceutical firm has developed advanced analgesic and skin restorative products from all natural ingredients. A growing advanced machine shop has improved productivity and customer satisfaction by providing engineering design, production monitoring and customer information via the internet. A local group has developed welding techniques and processes (patent pending) to match the strength of high tensile steel enabling substantial weight reductions in steel girders, heli-pads and ship hulls, etc. There is a concentration of advanced oceanography equipment and service providers that are growing rapidly.

Tourism is growing as local diversity, friendly citizens and many festivals promote local culture, wildlife activities and water sports. Families enjoy quiet country living, numerous outdoor activities and a safe environment in a friendly community. It is a community where neighbors care for each other.

Parish and State governments will work with companies to facilitate the regulatory and permitting processes. There are a variety of incentives that can be made available including Quality Jobs, Enterprise Zone, training, ad valorem and new equipment purchase tax abatements. The parish can offer Industrial Development Bonds that enjoy tax-free status. Public/private partnerships are encouraged and the parish economic development office can assist.