Baton Rouge, New Orleans business leaders looking for common ground to advance region’s interests

Baton Rouge and New Orleans are a classic case of frenemies, which is to say that they have a surface level friendship and a deep-seated rivalry.

The two cities are 80 miles away, but sometimes feel worlds apart. New Orleans, a liberal-leaning city, is the cultural gem of Louisiana known for some of the best food, music and art in the country. Baton Rouge, a more socially conservative place, is the seat of state government. Many residents take pride in what they see as a more business-oriented and family-friendly atmosphere.

Whatever the cultural differences, business leaders, led by the Baton Rouge Area Chamber and Greater New Orleans Inc., want to create more of a shared identity, at least economically. As they see it, if Louisiana’s two economic powerhouses joined forces in a kind of super region, it would both make them more competitive and more of a political force.

“When Houston has 50 percent more people than the entire state of Louisiana, clearly we have to celebrate our diversity as a strength,” said Michael Hecht, president of GNO Inc. “For us to try to compete against Houston with a labor shed of just one parish or even just one region is handicapping ourselves unnecessarily.”

Read more: http://theadvocate.com/news/12196033-123/baton-rouge-new-orleans-business