Bercen Inc. Officially Opens New Headquarters and Research Facility in Denham Springs

DENHAM SPRINGS, La. - Today, Gov. Bobby Jindal joined Bercen Inc. President Jim Thorpe, Cranston Print Works CEO George Shuster and other company officials to announce the opening of Bercen's new corporate headquarters and research-and-development facility in Denham Springs, La. This represents a $5 million relocation and expansion project that is creating 20 new high-paying professional jobs. Company officials report that 18 of the 20 new positions already are in place.

Gov. Jindal said, "Since early last year, leading companies have announced moves of their headquarters or other significant operations to Louisiana from states, such as California, Georgia, Mississippi, Rhode Island, Virginia, Wisconsin, Illinois and Oregon. Bercen's move to Louisiana is another example of why Louisiana's economy has outperformed the South and the U.S. during a difficult national economic period.

"The decision by Bercen to relocate and expand in Louisiana is a great example of our commitment to grow Louisiana's economy and create more opportunity for our people. We've worked to position Louisiana as a frontier of opportunity by passing vital reforms to improve the business climate as well as emphasize the resources we already have. We'll continue to aggressively pursue more projects that create a better quality of life for our citizens and increase the economic momentum of the state."

The company relocated its corporate headquarters, as well as its research-and-development and technical-services laboratories, from Cranston, R.I., to Denham Springs, La. The relocation required expanding the existing Denham Springs facility to include 13,000 square feet of office and laboratory space, as well as infrastructure improvements.

In June of 2008, Louisiana Economic Development used performance-based financial assistance of $500,000 from the state's Rapid Response fund to secure the relocation win. The funds are being used for relocation expenses and site infrastructure, including expansion of a rail spur to increase rail shipment capacity and services to paper mills. The company also is expected to take advantage of the state's Quality Jobs program, as well as the state's Industrial Tax Exemption Program.

The relocation and expansion will create 92 indirect jobs – and will also generate approximately $4.4 million in new state tax revenues over a 15-year period.