The ink is barely dry on Foster's bill, and most state officials agree it is too soon to see any measurable success from the program. But, it has created some buzz. "The program is going in the right direction," says Art M. Wegfahrt, corporate managing director at Julien J. Studley, in Philadelphia. "This is a full-blown program. They have to have very good relationships with all ED people in the state, and that will be the telltale sign whether it will succeed or fail. The hard core economic development of really getting out there and pounding the pavement will be where they hit or miss on this thing."
      Local development officials have jumped on the growth bandwagon and are adding their own initiatives to the state's efforts. For example, MetroVision, the economic development arm for the New Orleans Regional Chamber of Commerce, has launched a campaign to attract and retain local food producers. New Orleans officials think the food cluster program is a natural for the city. "When someone says, 'Louisiana,' they may not think of good food, but when you say, 'New Orleans,' almost everybody does," says Sec. Hutchinson.
      The city has already landed a US$100 million Folger's coffee plant expansion, and food industry officials are hopeful New Orleans will see more food industry investment. "I believe those state marketing efforts do show that there's a government that is interested in supporting this industry," says Lawrence Kurzius, president and CEO of Zatarain's, a leading food service company in New Orleans. "Implicit in that is making some sort of concessions to bring those jobs into the area. I think Louisiana has a pretty good opportunity to do the same thing."
      State officials agree the cluster approach alone will not drive more business investment in Louisiana. The cluster plan is part of an overall economic development plan, Louisiana: Vision 2020. The project took two years to develop, and state officials took a hard look at everything from business retention to taxes and infrastructure to education and workforce development.