Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Economic director says retail sales broke records; First Solar hiring could drive local jobs
Summary
Mike Tarantino, president and CEO of the Iberia Industrial Development Foundation, presented November 2024 retail‑sales figures (reported as a record) and said First Solar and other projects are contributing to local investment and hiring; Tarantino cited conservative estimates of about 700 direct jobs from First Solar.
Mike Tarantino, president and CEO of the Iberia Industrial Development Foundation, told the council on Dec. 11 that Iberia Parish posted record retail sales in November 2024 and that several major projects are generating hiring interest across the parish.
Tarantino said the parish "shattered the record" for retail sales, citing a reported figure of $208,716,666,164.77 for the 13‑month reporting window presented to the council. He cautioned that some numbers remain…
Already have an account? Log in
Subscribe to keep reading
Unlock the rest of this article — and every article on Citizen Portal.
- Unlimited articles
- AI-powered breakdowns of topics, speakers, decisions, and budgets
- Instant alerts when your location has a new meeting
- Follow topics and more locations
- 1,000 AI Insights / month, plus AI Chat
