The job of selling Vermilion Parish didn’t allow Anne Falgout much downtime in 2016. Falgout has served as executive director of the Vermilion Parish Economic Alliance since being hired two years ago. The past year featured several efforts to spread the word on the parish. “We started a billboard campaign and launched a Vermilion Parish […]
The Louisiana Department of Education today released each district’s ACT scores and Vermilion Parish’s average score is above the state average. In 2016, the state’s average composite score for public school students increased 0.1 points, from 19.4 in 2015 to 19.5 in 2016. In 2016, Vermilion Parish’s average ACT score is 19.7, which is .2 […]
When I think about high-achieving businesses in Acadiana, I often see a powerful and steadfast family behind the scenes. Acadian has the Zuschlags, KTC Telecom has the Turnleys, and families like the Franks, Godchauxs, Patouts, Heberts, Broussards, and plenty more, consistently deliver quality services and community participation generation after generation. As outsiders we see the […]
After Vermilion’s first parish-wide job fair in March of 2016, local civic leaders and workforce partners wanted to create a dedicated pathway to employers and job seekers. Using funds earmarked for workforce development, the Vermilion at Work initiative was designed and crafted. Vermilion at Work is an over-arching brand for employment services of all kinds, […]
We’ve all heard the old adage, you have to spend money, to make money. But we often take conventional wisdom like this as reality, rather than testing the theory to see if it still applies. In the age of the Internet, innovation and ingenuity, I would venture to say this “truth” is in fact, false. […]
School’s out for summer, but businesses don’t get to take a break. In fact, entrepreneurs often face a summer slump in sales as the temperature rises. When regular customers start traveling and there’s less action, it can be tempting to just close up shop or resort to your own vacation mentality, but resist the urge! […]
Vermilion Economic Development Alliance’s website, developvermilion.org, was recognized as one of the 10 Best Economic Development Websites of 2015 by design firm Accrinet based out of Charlotte, North Carolina, which builds websites for both the economic development and non-profit worlds. Each fall, President Jeff Kline seeks inspiration from around the web for economic development agencies planning to […]
Economic Development Alliance meets with local business owners The event started a conversation, so as far as Vermilion Economic Development Alliance Director Anne Falgout said she is concerned, Tuesday’s Business Walk in Erath was a success. Falgout and others, including Erath Mayor John Earl LeBlanc, Alliance Board Chairman Ben Rivera and One Acadiana’s Rebecca Shirley, met with […]
Economic business leaders in Vermilion Parish are walking door to door talking to owners about what they need to remain a viable part of the business community. Today, volunteers and city leaders hit the streets of Erath. Rachel Hoffpauir, a business owner, said, “As I am a nurse and mother at heart, opening up and owning a […]
“Relationship building is so important. If we are not talking to businesses constantly, how are we going to know what is going on?” One of the ways Anne Falgout, Executive Director of Vermilion Economic Development Alliance, plans to do this is by increasing the number of face-to-face meetings in critical areas around the parish. “We […]