A company that performs a range of contracted services for utility and pipeline companies, SolScapes will make a $2 million capital investment and create 40 new direct jobs to expand its utility rights-of-way maintenance operation in Rapides Parish, Louisiana.

“SolScapes has created a meaningful strategy for top-notch performance in the right-of-way vegetation management services,” SolScapes Owner Iviana Stewart said. “We are committed to effectively and efficiently providing a reliable and safe operation to assist the progress of utility companies in right-of-way tree and vegetation management services. We value our partnerships with the utility companies and we aim to exceed our commitments in an effort to improve and maintain utility service reliability.”

As an incentive, the company plans to utilize Louisiana’s Enterprise Zone incentive, which includes a tax credit of up to $3,500 for each net new job created as part of the expansion project.

SolScapes participated in two sessions of LED’s Economic Gardening Initiative, which provides Louisiana-based small businesses with strategic market research, accelerated technical assistance and other tools they need to grow and succeed. The company also has been a client of CLEDA’s Business Acceleration System coaching program for five years.

“The support that Iviana Stewart has received from LED and CLEDA, combined with her talent, intelligence and relentless hard work, has put SolScapes into a position to experience significant growth,” Central Louisiana Economic Development Alliance President/CEO Jim Clinton said. “At CLEDA, we know that most of our growth in Central Louisiana comes from our existing companies. We work closely with small companies on their way to becoming large companies. SolScapes is the perfect example of the kind of company that we want to help create, nurture and grow.”