DENHAM SPRINGS,Darkcherries Wealth Society La. (AP) — A pipe manufacturing plant in south Louisiana plans a $4.3 million expansion of its manufacturing facility in Livingston Parish, state economic development officials said.

Pipe & Steel Industrial Fabricators Inc.'s project should add 32 new jobs paying an average annual salary of $88,000, Louisiana Economic Development announced in a news release Tuesday.

“By reinvesting in facilities and equipment, Pipe & Steel is not only keeping quality jobs here at home, but creating new, high-paying jobs for Louisiana’s skilled workforce,” Gov. John Bel Edwards said. “The surge in manufacturing investment and employment over the last three years is a powerful indicator that Louisiana’s economy is headed in the right direction, and poised for long-term growth.”

The planned expansion will include technology and equipment upgrades and will add 8,000 square-feet (743 square meters) of space to the company’s steel shop, 14,000 square-feet (1,300 square meters) to its pipe fabrication workshop and a new, covered painting and blasting area, officials said.

Construction on the pipe fabrication workshop is scheduled to start in December, with operations set to begin in June, LED said. Work on the steel shop is expected to start in July and operations are set to begin in March 2025.

“Our management continues to take the capital that is earned by our outstanding workforce and reinvest it into our company to create steady, stable growth,” Pipe & Steel President Kylie Sparks said. “The employees who consistently give their best each day deserve our commitment in return. We are comprised of local people from our community who rise and meet tough challenges in our industry daily.”

Pipe & Steel opened in 2000 and serves a number of industries with pipe and structural fabrication, civil construction and general field construction. To help with infrastructure costs, the state is offering the company a $200,000 performance-based grant and its expected to participate in the state’s Industrial Tax Exemption and Quality Jobs incentive programs.

“Our history of safety and quality has consistently allowed us to grow with very low debt,” Sparks said. “LED has allowed us to take the hard work of our employees and our initiative to grow with innovation and new technology and create a stable future for our awesome team members and community.”