Oilfield services giant pledges nearly 600 jobs at shuttered GM plant in Shreveport

By Wesley Muller
Contributing Writer

(lailluminator.com) — A global oilfield services company plans to open a facility at the former General Motors plant in Shreveport that closed over a decade ago, promising to create nearly 600 jobs over the next three years.

Schlumberger Limited, which rebranded last year to SLB, signed a seven-year lease agreement with the Shreveport Business Park to renovate and occupy one million square-feet of the former GM parts assembly plant that has been vacant since 2012.

Gov. John Bel Edwards announced Friday his administration helped negotiate the deal by offering the company a $4.5 million performance-based grant for building improvements once the company meets investment and employment targets. SLB will also receive significant tax credits through the state’s Quality Jobs program.

In return for those incentives, SLB will invest $18.5 million and create 596 new jobs with an annual payroll of more than $50 million.

SLB expects renovations of the former GM facility to be complete early next year. Production is estimated to reach full capacity by the end of 2026, according to the governor’s press release.

Recruitment for the nearly 600 new positions will begin in the coming weeks. Those interested in job opportunities can register for hiring updates through Louisiana Economic Development’s recruiting program.

This article originally published in the July 24, 2023 print edition of The Louisiana Weekly newspaper.