Gov. Bobby Jindal and EPIC Piping President Kent Shepherd announced the company will make a $45.3 million capital investment in Livingston to establish an advanced pipe fabrication facility and corporate headquarters. The entire 200,000-square-foot facility – with future expansion to 300,000 square feet – will be air-conditioned workspace, with advanced robotic equipment to optimize pipe fabrication for a host of industries. The project will create 560 new direct jobs with an average annual salary of $56,600, plus benefits. Louisiana Economic Development estimates the project will result in an additional 732 new indirect jobs, for total of more than 1,200 new jobs in the Capital Region and surrounding parishes. The company estimates the project will generate an additional 385 construction jobs.
Gov. Jindal said, “Epic Piping represents an exciting economic development win for Livingston Parish, the Capital Region and our entire state. With skilled, productive workers and outstanding resources in the Capital Region, our best-in-the-nation business climate continues to pay great dividends for our economy. Today, more people have a job in our state than ever before, and the quality of those jobs continues to climb with each major business investment we attract. Epic Piping could have taken this state-of-the-art facility and headquarters to Texas, Mississippi or Tennessee, but instead the company’s leadership recognized the great advancement and opportunities taking place in Louisiana today.”
In Livingston Parish, Epic Piping will build on a 70-acre site immediately southwest of the Interstate 12 interchange at La. Highway 63. Epic’s headquarters space will occupy 20,000 square feet of the new facility, with 500 employees dedicated to manufacturing and production roles, and 60 employees dedicated to professional administrative roles. In conjunction with an affiliated 350-job manufacturing location under development in San Marcos, Texas, Epic Piping is creating what the company forecasts will become the fastest-growing industrial pipe fabrication organization in the world. Epic also will establish 60,000 square feet of auxiliary fabrication space in Baton Rouge.
“We are proud to be the fastest-growing piping fabricator not only in the United States, but globally,” Shepherd said. “Our new state-of-the-art, air-conditioned manufacturing facility will be the first of its kind built anywhere. We are committed to providing quality, high-paying jobs to this region, and we would like to thank our state and local economic development partners for making this possible. We chose this location because of the quality workforce available and the accessibility for our products and future growth. As we expand and continue to grow, Louisiana was the perfect place to double-down to make that possible.”
To secure the project, the State of Louisiana offered Epic a competitive incentive package that includes a performance-based $1.8 million Economic Development Award Program grant to offset site infrastructure costs, and the company will receive the comprehensive solutions of LED FastStart®, ranked the nation’s No. 1 state workforce development program. The company also is expected to utilize the state’s Quality Jobs and industrial Tax Exemption programs.
“For quite some time, I have recognized the potential that exists along the I-12 corridor through Livingston Parish for the establishment, expansion and development of major industry and commercial enterprise,” Livingston Parish President Layton Ricks said. “Livingston Parish is just beginning to realize the advancement of that potential. I am excited that Epic, the fastest-growing pipe fabrication organization in the world, is moving into our parish and will provide high-paying, quality jobs for our residents in a plant that will offer modern technology and a totally climate-controlled environment. In our meetings, the founders of Epic have expressed their eagerness to work with local officials to ensure that this facility will be a safe, friendly and community-minded industrial complex. This is a great day for Livingston Parish.”
Epic Piping will begin recruiting immediately, with construction starting in the second quarter of 2015. Epic anticipates completing construction and beginning operations in the second quarter of 2016.
“Epic Piping’s decision to establish both its corporate headquarters and a major manufacturing facility here in Livingston Parish represents new investment and new quality jobs for the people of the parish while reflecting the strength of Livingston Parish’s business climate,” said President and CEO Randy Rogers of the Livingston Economic Development Council. “We welcome Epic Piping to our parish and look forward to working with them to assure many years of success.”
“BRAC, LEDC and LED worked very well together in pursuit of this major economic development win for the region, in a textbook example of regional partnership,” said President and CEO Adam Knapp of the Baton Rouge Area Chamber. “Epic Piping’s investment will be transformative by creating new high-wage jobs in the materials fabrication sector. Congratulations to the company and the community on the location of this project in the Baton Rouge area.”
About EPIC Piping
Epic Piping is the fastest-growing, turnkey, industrial pipe-fabrication organization in the world. Epic’s management team has been working together for more than 26 years and represents a combined 500 years of experience servicing the power, chemical, refining, offshore, and oil and gas industries. Epic’s total fabrication capacity currently exceeds 360,000 square feet and will expand to 500,000 square feet by 2016. The company’s fabrication capabilities include: carbon steel, chrome moly, stainless steels, duplex steels, nickel-based alloys and jacketed piping. For more information, visit epicpiping.com.