St. Bernard Economic Development Foundation

🏥 Investor Spotlight: St. Bernard Parish Hospital

A strong economy starts with a healthy community, and St. Bernard Parish Hospital, plays a vital role in both.

With 40 private inpatient rooms, a 24/7 Emergency Room, more than 100 credentialed physicians, and hundreds of healthcare professionals on staff, the hospital serves as a cornerstone of health and wellness in St. Bernard Parish.

By providing high-quality healthcare close to home, St. Bernard Parish Hospital helps support a stronger workforce, improves quality of life for residents, and enhances our parish's ability to attract and retain families, businesses, and investment. The campus offers a wide range of services, including primary care, women's health, pediatrics, laboratory services, imaging, cardiopulmonary care, endoscopy, and intensive care services.

The hospital's commitment to excellence has earned national recognition, including being named one of Becker's 100 Great Community Hospitals in both 2023 and 2024, as well as receiving an "A" Hospital Safety Grade from The Leapfrog Group in 2025.

We are proud to recognize St. Bernard Parish Hospital, managed by Ochsner Health, as an SBEDF Investor and thank them for their continued investment in the health, well-being, and economic vitality of St. Bernard Parish.

🔗 Learn more: https://www.ochsner.org/locations/st-bernard-parish-hospital/

💼 Looking for a new job? Hiring for your business?

WorkNOLA now offers an updated platform designed to make connecting local talent and employers easier than ever.

For nearly 20 years, WorkNOLA has helped strengthen the Greater New Orleans workforce by connecting job seekers with opportunities and businesses with qualified candidates. Best of all, it's completely free to use.

Explore opportunities and talent across the region at worknola.com 🚀

🎈 Welcome Creations by Liz! 🎉

Since launching in St. Bernard Parish in 2023, Balloons Creations by Liz has continued to grow, recently relocating to a new storefront at 1201 East Judge Perez, right next to Chalmette High School, allowing them to expand their offerings and better serve customers throughout the parish. 📍

Owner Liz is a professionally trained balloon designer with certifications through internationally recognized balloon industry programs. Her expertise in custom balloon decor, event design, and creative installations helps bring celebrations of all sizes to life. ✨

From balloon arrangements and party decor to gifts and floral arrangements, Balloons Creations by Liz offers St. Bernard residents a unique, locally owned destination for life's special moments. 🎁🌸

Small businesses like Balloons Creations by Liz help strengthen our local economy by creating opportunities, investing in our community, and providing quality products and services close to home. We are proud to celebrate this milestone and officially welcome Balloons Creations by Liz to their new location in St. Bernard Parish.

Congratulations, Liz, on this exciting new chapter! 🎊

📢 Workshop Rescheduled - Grow St. Bernard Workshop: Starting a Business

Our upcoming Grow St. Bernard workshop, "Starting a Business," originally scheduled for June 25th has been rescheduled.

📅 New Date: Tuesday, July 7
⏰ Time: 1:00 - 3:00 PM
💲 Free for St. Bernard Chamber Members, $15 for non-members
📍 Nunez Community College
3700 Paris Rd, Chalmette, LA

Join us to learn the essential steps of starting a business, including business registration, licensing, banking, and building your professional support team.

https://business.stbernardchamber.org/events/details/grow-st-bernard-workshop-session-1-starting-a-business-3465

We appreciate your understanding and look forward to seeing you there!

🏭 Chalmette Refining is the largest private employer and the largest private taxpayer in St. Bernard Parish.

The facility supports approximately 500 employees and 200 contractors on site while helping fund local services, infrastructure, and community priorities through its significant tax contributions.

Beyond its local impact, Chalmette Refining is a major contributor to the regional economy, with the capacity to process approximately 189,000 barrels of crude oil per day and produce about 1.2 billion gallons of gasoline annually.

The company’s renewable diesel investment, publicly announced at about $550 million, is expected to create approximately 20 direct jobs, support about 90 indirect jobs, generate 200 construction jobs, and retain 516 existing positions.

Economic development is about creating opportunities, supporting jobs, and strengthening communities. Companies like Chalmette Refining play an important role in all three.

As a valued investor of the St. Bernard Economic Development Foundation, Chalmette Refining continues to be an important partner in building a strong future for St. Bernard Parish. 🤝

Learn more about Chalmette Refining: https://www.chalmetterefining.com/

Today, SBEDF staff and board members had the opportunity to attend Entergy Louisiana’s announcement of a $13.5 million investment to strengthen the power grid across St. Bernard Parish.

This investment will help fortify hundreds of miles of power lines and replace or reinforce approximately 640 distribution and transmission poles designed to withstand winds of up to 150 mph. These upgrades will improve reliability for residents and businesses while helping protect critical industries and essential infrastructure from storm-related outages.

Beyond the immediate resiliency benefits, the project is expected to avoid an estimated $24 million in future storm restoration costs and reduce restoration times following severe weather events. Over the next 50 years, the improvements are projected to generate $117.5 million in long-term capital maintenance and investment benefits through reduced emergency repairs, fewer equipment failures, and extended system life.

Reliable infrastructure is a key component of economic development, and investments like these help ensure St. Bernard Parish remains a strong place to live, work, and do business. Thank you Entergy, for investing in St. Bernard Parish.

Learn more about Entergy: https://www.entergylouisiana.com/

🦀 Louisiana blue crab generates nearly $293 million in annual economic impact and supports thousands of jobs across coastal communities.

While many people associate blue crab with Maryland, Louisiana has been one of the nation's leading blue crab producers and has accounted for about one-quarter of blue crab landed in the United States.

For St. Bernard Parish, blue crab represents more than seafood. It supports commercial fishermen, seafood docks, processors, distributors, and the working waterfront that has helped define our local economy for generations. Every pound harvested helps sustain jobs, businesses, and families that depend on Louisiana's seafood industry.

When you buy local blue crab, you're doing more than bringing home a great meal. You're supporting an industry that contributes to a seafood economy responsible for more than 31,000 jobs and $2.4 billion in economic impact statewide.

Want to support Louisiana's blue crab industry firsthand?

Visit the St. Bernard Seafood Market on Saturday, June 20, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., where Whiteboot Warriors will be bringing fresh Louisiana blue crab straight from the source.

Support local fishermen. Support local jobs. Support St. Bernard. 🦀

📅 Saturday, June 20
⏰ 9:00 AM - 1:00 PM
📍Delacroix Pier – 5655 Delacroix Hwy

Learn more about the Louisiana Seafood Industry: https://www.louisianaseafood.com/industry

We’re officially in hurricane season 🌪️ and preparedness is key. Take a moment to go through this checklist and make sure your household is ready for whatever the season brings.

From emergency supplies to communication plans, small actions now help keep our community strong and resilient. 🤝

We also recommend following the US National Weather Service New Orleans Louisiana on Facebook for official, reliable updates throughout hurricane season. 🌪️ Or visit their website: https://www.weather.gov/lix/

📈Another major investment is coming to St. Bernard Parish.

Rouses Markets has announced plans to open its first St. Bernard Parish location at 8700 W. Judge Perez Drive in Chalmette. Expected to open in the second quarter of 2027, the 47,694-square-foot store will redevelop the former Big Lots and Sav-A-Lot spaces and include improvements to the surrounding property.

The project represents the transformation of a long-vacant retail site into a new commercial destination while expanding grocery options for residents. It is another example of the continued investment and momentum taking place across St. Bernard Parish.

Learn more in this Biz New Orleans article: https://bizneworleans.com/rouses-markets-to-open-1st-st-bernard-store/

🏠 St. Bernard homeowners, applications are now open for the Louisiana Fortify Homes Program.

Through a lottery system, the program will award grants of up to $10,000 to eligible homeowners to help strengthen their roofs to the FORTIFIED Roof™ standard, which is designed to better withstand severe weather and hurricanes.

Before applying, homeowners should review the program requirements to determine whether they qualify. Eligibility requirements apply, and not all homes will be eligible for funding.

📅 Applications are open now through June 19 at 5:00 PM.

Please note: Grant recipients will be selected through a lottery. Submitting an application does not guarantee funding.

🔗 Learn more, review eligibility requirements, and apply: https://www.ldi.la.gov/fortifyhomes

Stronger homes help build a stronger, more resilient St. Bernard Parish.