Area Development
Schlumberger Ltd., one of the world's largest oil field services companies, and Computer Programs and Systems Inc. (CPSI), a provider of healthcare information services, will expand and locate, respectively, in Louisiana, according to the Louisiana governor's office. Schlumberger will invest $48 million to expand its operations in Shreveport, Louisiana, with plans to create 400 new jobs over the next four years. The Texas-headquartered company will renovate an existing 250,000-square-foot warehouse, converting the space into maintenance shops, laboratory facilities, and office space. "We will ultimately convert this compound into a state-of-the-art facility that will enhance our regional operations and provide our clients with optimum service using high-tech equipment and highly skilled labor," says Trent Lee, Schlumberger's operations manager. CPSI will locate a service center in Monroe, Louisiana, with plans to create 100 new jobs over the next four years. The Alabama-headquartered company says it chose the Monroe site because of the region's access to a strong medical service market, as well as incentives from state and local government agencies. The state will provide CPSI with a $250,000 performance-based loan; local incentives were not detailed. The governor's office also did not release incentives information for the Schlumberger deal.