St. Bernard Economic Development Foundation Releases 2025 Annual Review
Report highlights momentum through new entrepreneurial hubs, workforce initiatives, and the launch of the St. Claude Collective
ST. BERNARD PARISH, LA – The St. Bernard Economic Development Foundation (SBEDF) has released its 2025 Annual Review, marking twenty years of progress and transformation in St. Bernard Parish since Hurricane Katrina. What was once a community focused largely on rebuilding homes and infrastructure is now focused on expanding opportunity. The 2025 Annual Review highlights a year of strong investment, innovative partnerships, and continued momentum for the parish’s business community.
In 2025, SBEDF advanced projects that supported both emerging and established businesses, strengthened critical infrastructure, and positioned St. Bernard as a competitive place to live, work, and invest. One of the year’s most significant milestones was the opening of the St. Claude Collective, Louisiana’s first free coworking space designed specifically for entrepreneurs. The initiative removes barriers such as office costs and limited access to professional resources, helping small businesses, freelancers, and innovators launch and grow in St. Bernard Parish.
SBEDF also launched the Real Estate Investor Series in partnership with the St. Bernard Real Estate Investor Group to help residents and aspiring investors better understand opportunities within the parish’s real estate market. The series offers practical workshops and expert-led discussions on development, financing, property management, and investment strategies. By expanding access to this knowledge, the initiative is helping residents participate more directly in neighborhood reinvestment while building long-term wealth and strengthening the local housing market.
Alongside these local initiatives, SBEDF advanced public policy priorities that strengthen the parish’s long-term economic competitiveness. The organization supported Louisiana’s $150 million Site Investment and Infrastructure Improvement Fund, which powers the state’s FastSites Program and accelerates development of investment-ready sites. Locally, SBEDF helped secure $135,000 for the St. Bernard Port to upgrade infrastructure and prepare sites capable of attracting new companies and jobs.
Coastal resilience also remained a priority. SBEDF supported Louisiana’s Coastal Master Plan, reinforcing St. Bernard Parish’s role in coastal restoration and project development, and CEO Meaghan McCormack was appointed to the state’s Community Engagement Workgroup, giving the parish a direct voice in long-term restoration planning. Local innovation is also contributing to these efforts. Glass Half Full, the 2021 winner of Startup St. Bernard, opened a 10,000-square-foot, multimillion dollar glass recycling facility in Chalmette in 2025, redeveloping a former landfill along Paris Road into a hub for environmental innovation. Since winning the competition, the company has worked to establish its operations in St. Bernard Parish, culminating in the opening of the new facility this year. The Chalmette site increases recycling capacity to more than 300,000 pounds of glass per day—roughly thirty times the capacity of its previous headquarters—and serves communities across the Gulf South. Using advanced optical sorting technology, the facility produces cullet for new glass manufacturing as well as recycled glass sand used in coastal restoration projects. The material is already being tested locally in Bayou Bienvenue, a “ghost swamp” that was once a thriving cypress forest, where recycled glass sand is being used to create small islands that help rebuild wetlands and reduce erosion. Founded in 2020, Glass Half Full has recycled more than 12 million glass bottles and currently employs about 20 team members, demonstrating how entrepreneurial innovation can support both economic growth and environmental sustainability in St. Bernard Parish.
SBEDF also engaged in statewide efforts to address rising insurance costs affecting businesses and homeowners. The organization supported the passage of major insurance reforms aimed at improving market stability and expanding options for policyholders. To help local stakeholders understand these changes, SBEDF hosted Commissioner of Insurance Tim Temple for a fireside conversation with business owners and residents on navigating the evolving insurance landscape.
At the federal level, SBEDF supported the reintroduction of the TWIC Efficiency (TWICe) Act, legislation designed to streamline the Transportation Worker Identification Credential process and expand access to maritime and port careers. The organization also worked with industry partners to address transportation workforce shortages and support career pathways that can reduce recidivism while expanding opportunity for St. Bernard residents.
Infrastructure and connectivity also remained key priorities. Funding was secured for the St. Bernard Transportation Corridor, improving mobility, supporting local commerce, and strengthening connections to the regional port economy. SBEDF also supported the release of $1.4 billion in rural broadband funding, achieving first-in-the-nation federal approval to expand high-speed internet access to underserved communities, including areas “down the road” in St. Bernard Parish.
The Annual Review also highlights the launch of the United Way Prosperity Center St. Bernard Campus, launched by the United Way of Southeast Louisiana and is located inside Community Center of St. Bernard. Through financial literacy programs, free tax preparation, benefits screenings, and credit-building resources, the Center is helping strengthen household stability and expand economic opportunity. The center is projected to serve more than 600 St. Bernard families in its first year.
Other notable business developments included the opening of an ALDI supermarket in the former Winn-Dixie location, along with many new businesses such as Cox Mobile, Wendy’s, 7 Brew Drive-Thru Coffee, Savvy Sliders, and the Primary Early Education Center in Meraux. 140 new business registered to open in 2025, bringing the total number of registered businesses in St. Bernard Parish to an all-time high of 1,698.
“Our mission remains clear: to create the conditions for long-term, sustainable growth that improves quality of life for the people of St. Bernard Parish,” said Meaghan McCormack, Chief Executive Officer of SBEDF. “Two decades after Katrina, our story is no longer about recovery. It is about resilience, momentum, and a shared commitment to building a stronger future together.”
The full 2025 Annual Review is available at sbedf.org/about-sbedf.
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About the St. Bernard Economic Development Foundation St. Bernard Economic Development Foundation (SBEDF) is the official economic development organization and public-private partnership of St. Bernard Parish formed to create and retain jobs, build prosperity, and improve quality of life. To learn more about SBEDF and how the organization works to foster business attraction, retention and expansion, neighborhood revitalization, small business assistance, and talent and workforce development in St. Bernard Parish, visit sbedf.org.