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JEDCO is Launching a New Technology Incubator

Last week, JEDCO began foundation work on its new technology incubator on the JEDCO campus at Churchill Technology & Business Park in Avondale.  JEDCO’s new small business state-of-the-art facility is being financed with a $2 million grant from the Community Development Block Grant’s Disaster Recovery Program for construction.  The incubator will include flexible workspaces, technology enhancements including video conferencing and a backup generator for fail-safe power.

The new JEDCO campus broke ground in February and is expected to be online by October 2010.  As one of Churchill Technology & Business Park’s first structures, the incubator will be a stand-alone building included as part of the JEDCO campus housing its administrative offices and finance building.  All three buildings are expected to obtain LEED certification rated by the U.S. Green Building Council.  LEED, which stands for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, provides an independent, third-party verification that the buildings will meet the highest green building and performance measures.

Operated by JEDCO, the incubator will work with early stage technology-based companies providing opportunities for entrepreneurs to commercialize their ideas and produce successful, financially viable businesses. Incubator tenants will have access to an array of business development services and resources to help accelerate growth including education and networking events, marketing and communications assistance, consulting services and professional administrative support.

“Over the past ten years, about one quarter of our businesses housed in the traditional incubator had a technology focus with the majority focused on software development and engineering application,” said Lucien Gunter, JEDCO’s executive director.  Since its inception in 1987, the JEDCO incubator program has graduated 196 companies resulting in the creation of approximately 7,600 jobs.

Graduation takes place when a company achieves a level of financial and corporate growth that enables it to leave the incubator and become a freestanding business.  JEDCO will continue to provide ongoing services to program graduates including consulting, marketing and educational services.

“Given existing technology companies presence and anticipated growth in the technology sector within Jefferson Parish and the New Orleans region, JEDCO will launch a technology incubator with an emphasis upon entrepreneurial companies which develop and expand technology application and uses,” said JEDCO’s Chairman, Joe Ewell.  “These enterprises will include those that are concerned with primary technology development and those that utilize various types of technology in order to enhance productivity.”

The JEDCO Technology Incubator will be located at 700 Churchill Parkway in Avondale.  For more information about JEDCO or the incubator program, visit www.jedco.org.