Gov. Kathleen Blanco traveled to Germany this week to meet with representatives of ThyssenKrupp, a German company that named Louisiana as one of its remaining prospective locations for a $2.9 billion steel plant. Marie Centanni, Blanco’s press secretary, said the governor left Sunday and plans to return today. “Due to the confidential nature of this final stage of the competition, I can’t discuss the details of the trip, but the governor is confident her aggressive recruitment efforts will pay off in terms of good jobs with benefits for our citizens,” Centanni said. Blanco skipped the National Governors Association conference in Washington D.C. for the trip. Doreen Brasseaux, policy and planning director, and James Clarke, chief of staff, represented Blanco at the conference. ThyssenKrupp narrowed down its prospects for the steel plant earlier this month. The company plans to construct a steel plant in St. James Parish, Louisiana or Mobile County, Alabama. The steel plant will be the second-largest manufacturing plant in the state if the company chooses Louisiana as its locale. Alabama Gov. Bob Riley called the Alabama Legislature into a special session Monday to discuss $400 million in incentives to lure the German company to the state. Riley told the Associated Press in a Feb. 25 interview that he wants the special session to convene before the regular session starts on March 6.
—–Contact Angelle Barbazon at [email protected]