There are a lot of people these days claiming how well New Orleans is doing and that in business terms we’re now competitive with almost any city in the country. If you’d like proof that this is fact, and not just feel-good boosterism, this edition of Out to Lunch might convince you.

GE is the 6^th largest company in the Fortune 500. They’ve been quoted as saying “New Orleans is becoming the hub of the South.” And they’re putting their money where their mouth is. In downtown New Orleans, in the Place St Charles building, GE Capital Technology Center has 70,000 square feet of office space. They’re hiring 300 IT experts in all kinds of fields of advanced technology. And they’ve put Chief Information Officer Mike de Boer in charge of the entire operation. 

A company the size of GE doesn’t just stick a pin in the map and hope things work out down in New Orleans. The groundwork for this massive of an investment involves interactions with all kinds of people who benefit from GE’s investment – among them the State of Louisiana. The health of the State – and the well-being of all of us – to some extent rests on our economic development. And that ultimately rests on the shoulders of the Secretary of Louisiana Economic Development – Stephen Moret. 

GE is making a big investment here and are believers in a bright business future for New Orleans. Under Stephen Moret’s leadership of the LED, the State is also invested in GE’s success here. That means if you’re a Louisiana citizen you’ve got a stake in all this too. On this edition of Out to Lunch find out what you, GE, and the State have going on together.