CARENCRO, LA-Newpark Resources Inc., headquartered in Lafayette, LA, will invest $41.1 million in its Newpark Mats and Integrated Services facility in Carencro. The investment will double both the size of the facility and its estimated output.

The facility, located at 2900 SH 93, manufactures composite mats for drill-site construction and other applications. The expansion project will create 35 new jobs, with Louisiana Economic Development estimating that it will also result in an additional 71 new indirect jobs.

Of the $41.1 million capital investment, $3.1 million will be dedicated to a new Research & Development and Technology Center that will create six new jobs with an average salary of $80,000, plus benefits. The manufacturing expansion will create 29 new jobs with an average salary of $36,600, plus benefits. Newpark also will retain 55 existing Carencro jobs, and the company estimates the project will create 35 construction jobs.