Housing is still a rare commodity in New Orleans and so are the tradespeople needed to build them.
So two Nova Scotia companies are making and exporting homes to the city that was devastated by hurricane Katrina in 2005.
The panelized homes, which will be fabricated in more than 25 pieces by MacPherson Brothers in New Waterford, will be trucked to New Orleans and the remaining construction will be done on site, says Julien Co-meau, owner of R.A. Belliveau Export Ltd. in Church Point, Digby County.
"If (the New Orleans contract) comes through, it is going to be worth millions," said Mr. Comeau, who has formed a New Orleans partnership to sell, truck and finish the homes in the Louisiana city. He expects a deal to be finalized soon.
"I am very, very optimistic because I know the market. I know Louisiana. I know the demand. I’ve been there several times already and there is nothing being built."
Atlantic Canadian companies seeking new business should set their sights on New Orleans and the rest of the state, says Eugene Schreiber, managing director of the World Trade Center of New Orleans.
About 200,000 residents of Louisiana had their homes destroyed or severely damaged by hurricanes Katrina and Rita, said Mr. Schreiber, who was in Halifax on Tuesday to address a business luncheon organized by the city’s World Trade and Convention Centre.
Only now are Louisiana residents starting to get federal money to rebuild.
"The money is starting to flow," he said.
"Out of this tragedy there
really are tremendous opportunities."
Homeowners in the state can apply for up to $150,000 for uninsured losses from a federal program that has been operating for 35 weeks. The average award is about $75,000.
Business opportunities in Louisiana for Canadian companies abound in just about every sector, but the most promising fields are construction, building material, engineering, environmental technology, real estate development, transportation, oil and gas support services, agriculture and seafood, and tourism, Mr. Schreiber said.
Mr. Comeau said he expects to finalize a contract in New Orleans within days. Although the first contract is small, for 10 homes, it will likely mean big business down the road, he said.
The housing idea blossomed last year when Mr. Comeau visited New Orleans on a trade mission with Le Conseil de developpment economique de la Nouvelle-Ecosse, which assists French-language companies in the province.
Mr. Comeau formed a partnership with a New Orleans contractor originally from New Brunswick. The two are buying the homes from MacPherson Brothers, trucking them to New Orleans and finishing them.
The homes include exterior walls with windows and doors already installed, wiring, fibre-cement siding, interior walls and roofing supplies.
"We do not put the insulation or the drywall in as it has to be inspected in Louisiana anyway," Mr. Comeau said.
The rest of the construction is done locally, as is fixture installation, but it takes much less labour than a home built from scratch, he said. A labour shortage exists in New Orleans, mostly because there are not enough places to live, Mr. Schreiber said. Generous tax incentives are available for companies that do business in Louisiana, he added.
( cmellor@herald.ca)