Schumacher Group has announced it will invest $19 million to complete a major headquarters expansion of its Lafayette, LA, headquarters over the next five years. The project will retain 389 jobs, and create 600 new direct jobs with average salaries of $62,500 (plus benefits). The Louisiana Economic Development Authority (LEDA) estimates the expansion will create 784 indirect jobs over the next five years as well.

Established in 1994, Schumacher Group is the third-largest emergency medicine staffing and management company in the country. It serves over three million patients at more than 180 hospitals in 24 states.

"For the past 17 years, we made the decision to have our corporate base in Louisiana because of the talent, drive and culture of the people, which so define our success.," said CEO/Founder Dr. William "Kip" Schumacher. "We're now an international company, but we're committed to Louisiana as our home base."

"When you combine the average yearly economic impact of $245 million, the number of jobs and the average wage per job, this is the most significant project for Lafayette and Acadiana in more than a decade," asserted Gregg Gothreaux, president and CEO of LEDA.

To secure the headquarters expansion, the state offered Schumacher Group a customized incentive package, including a performance-based grant from the Mega-Project Development Fund to reimburse 50 percent of the cost of expanding headquarters facilities, up to a maximum state contribution of $9 million. Schumacher Group will receive hiring/training assistance from LED's Louisiana FastStart program. It also is expected to use Louisiana's Quality Jobs program as well as the state's recently enhanced Digital Media Software Tax Credit to advance its integrated technology.