SIMSBORO — Lincoln Parish breathed a collective sigh of relief Tuesday with Gov. Bobby Jindal's announcement that the state and Saint-Gobain Containers had completed an agreement to keep the glass container manufacturer in the parish for another 10 years.
The agreement will keep at least 350 jobs at the facility. It calls for a $12 million state incentive over the next 10 years to offset the cost of modernizing the facility's two furnaces, which are critical in the glass manufacturing process.
Speaking before a small crowd of local and state officials at the facility, Jindal said the state has been recognized over the last two years for its improvements in economic development. "Since Day One, we have said that business retention is our top economic development priority," Jindal said. "It's more than just being on a list. The bottom line is we've been able to make job creation announcements like this one."