ALEXANDRIA – Louisiana Economic Development has finalized more than $4.5 million in investments at two Louisiana ports.

The investments at the Natchitoches Parish Port and Central Louisiana Regional Port will expand manufacturing, warehousing and logistics capacity to support existing businesses and strengthen the state's ability to attract future industrial investment, LED officials said Tuesday. 

The state's $2.55 million investment at the Natchitoches Parish Port will expand warehouse capacity for manufacturing, storage and logistics operations, while the nearly $2 million investment at the Central Louisiana Regional Port will construct a 10-acre heavy-load hardstand supporting the continued expansion of DisTran Packaged Substations.

"Louisiana's ports have always been a powerful part of how our state grows, connecting businesses, communities and industries to opportunity," LED Secretary Susan B. Bourgeois said in a statement. "As companies expand and supply chains evolve, the ability to move quickly and add capacity becomes increasingly important. These investments strengthen the infrastructure that keeps our businesses growing while giving Louisiana more of what it needs to compete for the next generation of industrial investment."

The investments come from an additional $50 million that was appropriated to the state's FastSites program, bringing the Site Investment and Infrastructure Improvement Fund to $200 million