Newsroom

State, regional and local elected officials along with executives with solar panel manufacturer First Solar broke ground Thursday on a $1.1 billion manufacturing facility in Iberia Parish, a project officials say will benefit the entire region.

Ohio-based First Solar, the largest solar module manufacturer in the Western Hemisphere, celebrated the start of the two-year construction project at the Acadiana Regional Airport; it will be the company’s fifth manufacturing site. State and elected officials have tabbed it as the largest capital investment ever in the region.

1. Give us a brief history of your organization. 

One Acadiana wants your idea for a small business that would work inside one of downtown Lafayette’s most historic buildings.

The organization is hosting a months-long Small Business Challenge, a contest to find an entrepreneur who may have the best idea for a business to occupy the Sans Souci building, 219 E. Vermilion St., next to Parc Sans Souci possibly by the start of Festival International next year.

One Acadiana and other partners have launched a website geared toward helping small business owners and budding entrepreneurs get connected to necessary resources.

The website, louisianabizhub.com/acadiana-region, will offer a database of resource providers throughout the state along with lists of services for things such as business planning, entrepreneurial training, business counseling, sales, marketing, human resources and other topics, officials announced Wednesday morning.

Dee Stanley has been named President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of SIDES & Associates, the Lafayette-based advertising, public relations and communications program management firm. For the past seven years, Stanley has served as Vice-President and Chief Operating Officer (COO) of SIDES.

LAFAYETTE, La. – Regional partners have launched a new digital platform to connect entrepreneurs and small business owners with resources to help them start and grow their businesses.

LAFAYETTE, LA (September 1, 2023) – Advancial Federal Credit Union is excited to launch its 3rd Annual Swipe and Support campaign to raise funds for Second Harvest Food Bank of South Louisiana. Funds raised by this campaign will go to support Second Harvest’s Makin’ Groceries Mobile Market program, a custom-built truck that brings fresh groceries to underserved areas throughout the Acadiana area.

1. Give us a brief history of your organization. 

Firefly started out in the late 90s by designing and developing some of Louisiana's very first websites. Firefly published proprietary software that made it easy for businesses to translate their business from the books to the digital space. We keep that same notion and have grown and evolved as technology and the marketing industry has. We're steadfast in delivering marketing tactics and solutions that make sense and scale with our clients. 

1. Give us a brief history of your organization. 

A 33-acre site in Broussard has been certified for economic development under the state’s certified sites program.

The site, referred to as the Maxie & Vida Girouard site at 205 N. Girouard Road, is the 24th certified site in Acadiana and eighth in Lafayette Parish, One Acadiana officials announced. The certification helps agencies connect companies who are interested in locating in Louisiana find potential sites, which leads to job growth and investment in the region.