A $3.5 million manufacturing facility is coming to Lake Charles. Home for the specialty industrial mechanical contractor, Process Service Specialists (PSS), is the Lake Charles Harbor and Terminal District.

“We are excited to announce that Process Service Specialists has chosen the Port of Lake Charles Industrial Park East as the location to expand its manufacturing capabilities,” said Richert L. Self, executive director of the Lake Charles Harbor and Terminal District. “This decision by PSS will result in meaningful positive economic growth for Southwest Louisiana for years to come.”

PSS will provide commercial and industrial steel, piping and comprehensive services to manufacturers around the world, according to a news release from Louisiana Economic Development.

Self said the company’s lease includes an existing 43,700 square-foot building along with about six acres at Industrial Park East, owned by Lake Charles Harbor & Terminal District, 1101 Sudduth Parkway.

That leaves 339 acres of property suitable for a distribution center and is zoned heavy industrial/manufacturing,” Richert said. “The site has rail and truck accessibility. It’s conveniently located near Interstate 10 and U.S. highways 165, 171 and 90 in Flood Zone A. Infrastructure is in place and utilities are on site.”

Since PSS is utilizing an existing facility that needs very little improvements  to fit its needs, only 15 construction jobs will be added to get the site ready.

The three-year project is expected to create 160 direct new jobs at an average salary of $100,000 – great news for pipe and steel fabricators, pipe and structural welders and helpers and Computer Numerical Control (CNC)  operators. The LED estimates the project will result in 318 indirect jobs.

The new manufacturing facility will fabricate and install structural steel, Digital Command Control (DCC) modules, pipe spools and clean room fabrication for the semiconductor market; fabricate and install structural supports for the solar industry and will manufacture and install piping and structural steel for pipelines and pipeline stations, as well as all pipe, vessel and structural needs for energy and petrochemical industries, said Aaron Reeves, PSS VP of fabrication. Operations to commence in April 2025.

“We are pleased to hear of Process Service Specialists’ investment in our community,” Lake Charles Mayor Nic Hunter said. “This investment will help further diversify our economy while creating hundreds of new employment opportunities. Their global presence will help further solidify southwest Louisiana’s seat at the table when it comes to its vital importance to worldwide industrial growth.”

To win the project, LED offered an incentives package that features the comprehensive workforce development solutions of LED FastStart. It also includes a $750,000 performance-based award from the state’s Economic Development Award Program for reimbursement of infrastructure costs and utility repairs, contingent on approval from the LED board. The company is also expected to participate in the state’s Industrial Tax Exemption and Quality Jobs programs.