
The Chamber SWLA represents the five-parish region of Allen, Beauregard, Calcasieu, Cameron and Jeff Davis. The Chamber SWLA works with and through its membership to build a solid foundation for economic growth and diversity. We are the voice of our regional business community and we take that voice to Baton Rouge and Washington, D.C. as Southwest Louisiana advocates.
To streamline economic development efforts throughout the region, the Chamber SWLA, its foundation (The SWLA Alliance Foundation) and the SWLA Partnership for Economic Development joined forces in October 2006 to form the SWLA Economic Development Alliance. Since its formation, the Alliance has played an integral role promoting Southwest Louisiana as a great place to live, work and raise a family. The future of Chamber SWLA is directly tied to the prosperity of our region and our goal is to cultivate a solid workforce, strong inter-parish relationships, national and international trade and a great quality of life for the citizens of Southwest Louisiana.

The next big step for the Alliance is the building of the Southwest Louisiana Entrepreneurial and Economic Development (SEED) Center. Already under construction, the SEED Center is the culmination of the exhaustive efforts of the Calcasieu Parish Police Jury, the City of Lake Charles, McNeese State University and the Southwest Louisiana Economic Development Alliance.
The building, designed by Champeaux, Evans & Hotard, will be approximately 50,000 square feet and be comprised of:
• Facilities for developing businesses (incubator offices, labs and workshops)
• Offices for the McNeese State University Small Business Development Center
• Conference and training rooms
• Classrooms
• Faculty offices for McNeese State University School of Business
The SEED Center will house economic development offices for regional organizations such as the SWLA Alliance, the IMCAL Regional Planning Commission and others.
For more information about the SEED Center or the other programs, projects and services of the Southwest Louisiana Economic Development Alliance or Chamber Southwest Louisiana, contact George Swift, President/CEO, at 337-433-3632 or gswift@allianceswla.org.
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