The nation's fastest-growing construction technology and heavy equipment rental company is making a major play in Louisiana. EquipmentShare has opened a new $33 million branch in Lacombe as the first visible step in a broader $187 million expansion across the state, a move officials say will create roughly 120 new jobs and significantly deepen the company's Gulf Coast footprint.
State and parish economic development leaders recently gathered for a ribbon-cutting at the Lacombe facility, which sits just north of Interstate 12 on Krental Road. For months, drivers along the busy corridor have watched the site quietly fill with rows of machinery. Now it's official: the lines of scissor lifts, excavators and towering cranes belong to EquipmentShare, which plans to grow to 13 Louisiana locations as part of this expansion effort.
Company co-founder and CEO Jabbok Schlacks framed the move as a strategic bet on the state's long-term growth. Louisiana is in the middle of a wave of activity in coastal resilience, infrastructure, energy and industrial development, and each of those sectors relies heavily on access to modern equipment and the technology that keeps it productive. By scaling up in Louisiana, Schlacks said, EquipmentShare aims to position itself as a core partner for the contractors and builders doing that work.
State leaders see the company's decision as both a validation of recent economic development efforts and a signal to other investors. Louisiana Economic Development Secretary Susan B. Bourgeois has been aggressively pitching the state as fertile ground for new and expanding businesses, and she recently pointed to 58 projects that could translate into as many as 70,000 new jobs. In that context, EquipmentShare's commitment is being held up as a concrete example of that messaging paying off.
Local officials in St. Tammany Parish are equally eager to highlight the Lacombe branch as a win for the regional economy. Russell Richardson, president and CEO of the St. Tammany Economic Development Corporation, said the company's decision to plant roots there demonstrates confidence in the area's workforce and business climate. The Lacombe operation alone is expected to bring about 25 new jobs to the parish, with positions ranging from service technicians and yard staff to sales and management roles.
Founded in 2015 and headquartered in Columbia, Missouri, EquipmentShare has already grown into a major national player, with 348 locations across the United States. The company is not limiting its ambitions to Louisiana: it has also announced expansion plans in Georgia and Montana, where it expects to invest another $266 million. The broader strategy is clear—build a dense network of branches that can support large-scale construction and industrial activity across multiple regions.
The company is also working to establish community ties beyond the job numbers and equipment inventory. As part of its St. Tammany presence, EquipmentShare has committed to donating $2,500 annually to two local charitable organizations: Miracle League Northshore, which provides baseball opportunities for children with special needs, and Hogs for the Cause, which supports families navigating pediatric brain cancer. While modest in dollar terms compared to the capital investment, those recurring contributions are a deliberate nod to the community-focused image the company is cultivating.
For now, the most visible symbol of EquipmentShare's Louisiana ambitions is the Lacombe yard full of iron and steel just off I-12. But for local leaders, the more important story is what it represents: an indicator that national firms see long-term opportunity in the region's economy and are willing to commit serious money, jobs and equipment to be part of its next chapter.
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