Governor John Bel Edwards and LHC Group Chairman and CEO Keith Myers joined state, local and federal officials to break ground on the home health company’s $46 million Lafayette home office expansion.
LHC Group is expecting to create 500 direct new jobs in Lafayette with an average salary of $40,000, plus benefits. Louisiana Economic Development estimates the project will result in 242 new indirect jobs, for a total of more than 740 new jobs in Acadiana.
The LHC Group expansion follows the April 2018 completion of its merger with Almost Family of Louisville, Kentucky. The combined companies, operating under LHC Group, now cover 60 percent of the nation’s age 65-and-older population.
According to a release, some Louisville-based roles will be relocating to Lafayette as part of the expansion. The company will retain 612 Lafayette-based jobs, bringing the total Lafayette workforce to more than 1,100 employees.
The expansion will include 204,000 square feet of new office space, which will bring LHC Group’s total home office facility to 270,000 square feet. Enlarging the home office will occur in two phases.
The first phase is expected to begin immediately, with completion expected by the end of 2020. A second phase will follow once the first phase is complete.
The LHC Group says the expansion will generate 400 construction jobs at peak building activity.
LED began discussions with LHC Group about a potential expansion project in June 2018.
To secure the project, the State of Louisiana provided a competitive incentive package that includes a $3.5 million performance-based grant to offset the costs of temporary facility space, recruitment efforts and relocation efforts associated with the project.
