There was a lot of energy and a lot of fresh ideas today at the Annual GNO Inc Luncheon, where Newell was broadcasting live among some 1,500 business owners & operators who came together to share ideas and celebrate successes.“These folks are bringing new and fresh ideas every day to their jobs, and we are the beneficiaries of that,” Newell said. “”They’re creating new relationships, new paths, new ways of looking at things... this is all going to be so meaningful to our economy, in terms of both diversifying it and growing it. The challenge they face is moving us from a third-tier economic to a second-tier economic region. I love their theme of ‘Relationships, Relevance and Results.’ GNO Inc is built on a simple but broad mission - to create a region with a thriving economy and an excellent quality of life for everyone.”GNO Inc’s President and CEO Michael Hecht delivered a report card to luncheon attendees that showed all the progress that our region has made in terms of economic development. Read the report card by clicking the link below.
“These are real results, folks… these are not contrived in any way,” Newell continued. “They talk about these accomplishments in and around New Orleans, and give out a lot of data about demographics, property valuation in residential, commercial and industrial sectors, and much more.”
In his keynote address, Hecht went over the best success stories of the year and noted the collaborative nature of the work done by so many different parties to bring progress to all corners of Southeast Louisiana."None of these wins happen alone - all of this happens in partnership with Louisiana Economic Development, our state partners, our parish partners, elected officials, business leadership - we're showing off for all of us today."
Some of the most exciting revelations include the return of Dixie Beer and Hubigs Pie's, and that Louis Armstrong International Airport now has 55 non-stop destinations, 8 of them international, with 156 daily departures, makiung it the 5th fastest growing airport in the country. We are the #9 largest metro area in the United States measured by value of exports at our seaports, measured at $8.3 billion.
