New public platform highlights economic expansion across Northeast Louisiana

MONROE, La. (KNOE) – Grow NELA announced the launch of NELAGrowth.com, a new regional data platform designed to give residents, businesses, elected officials and community leaders a clearer look at economic growth across Northeast Louisiana.

Grow NElA unvails new public platform highlights economic expansion across Northeast Louisiana.(Grow NELA)

Created in partnership with Crenshaw Analytics, the platform turns sales tax collection data into an interactive, easy-to-use site where users can explore trends and see where economic activity is increasing across Grow NELA’s 10-parish region: Caldwell, East Carroll, Franklin, Madison, Morehouse, Ouachita, Richland, Tensas, Union and West Carroll.

Grow NELA said the website is intended to provide transparency and help users visualize how sales tax collections have changed over time, both regionally and within individual parishes.

According to Grow NELA, visitors can explore:

A regional overview of economic trends across all 10 parishesParish-level dashboards highlighting local tax growthSearchable entity-level data showing where economic activity is occurringInteractive charts and maps designed to make public data easier to understand

“NELA Growth was created to provide transparency about the economic benefits being felt directly by Northeast Louisiana communities and citizens,” Rob Cleveland, president and CEO of Grow NELA, said in a statement. He pointed to Meta’s investment in Richland Parish as a major driver of growth that can be difficult to measure without accessible data.

Grow NElA unvails new public platform highlights economic expansion across Northeast Louisiana.(Grow NELA)

The launch comes as Northeast Louisiana continues to see major industrial projects, workforce expansion and business growth, Grow NELA said. The organization also noted the regional growth is part of more than $150 billion in new investment recruited by Louisiana Economic Development in the last two years.

Grow NELA said the platform will be updated quarterly, with new updates highlighted through the organization’s social media channels.

Residents and stakeholders can explore the platform, here.