The Interstate 12 corridor continues to buzz with life as a leading geospatial company plants roots in Slidell.

The parish is living up to the “technology corridor” tag it was penned earlier last year after a year-long study of the I-12 corridor concluded St. Tammany is prime real estate for technology and energy businesses.

The latest global defense and technology giant Northrop Grumman Corp.’s 3001 International recently broke ground at 2050 Gause Blvd. in Slidell where in the coming months, a 20,000-square-foot, $4 million building will be erected. The site will bring 50 new high-tech positions to the area. In total the building will house about 85 employees.

3001 International, a leading geospatial company, has planted its roots in Slidell. Shown is an abstract of what their 20,000 building will look like.

3001 provides geospatial data production and analysis including airborne imaging, surveying, mapping and geographic information systems for domestic and international government intelligence, defense and civilian customers.

“In other words, we make maps using state of the art telemetric instruments secured to aircrafts that fly over designated areas taking pictures,” Bart Bailey, 3001 International division director, said.

Data gathered is then supplied to their growing list of clients which includes the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, U.S. Navy Facilities Command, National Geospatial Intelligence Agency and the U.S. Department of Agriculture to name a few.

“It’s a big move for St. Tammany especially Slidell,” Mayor Ben Morris said at the groundbreaking ceremony that featured several area leaders including state Rep. Kevin Pearson and state Sen. A.G. Crowe.

Bailey said the St. Tammany Economic Development Foundation was the driving force behind their decision to move to the Northshore, though their move was riddled with obstacles.

Born a Louisiana company, 3001 International began looking for a location in St. Tammany several years ago. When the DISA building became available, 3001 took a serious interest in it.

Ultimately, it didn’t work out, Bailey said.

Then the company was interested in occupying a floor in the doctor’s building at Slidell Memorial Hospital, but Hurricane Katrina had other plans for them.

The company eventually moved into the wellness center belonging to SMH on Robert Boulevard where they’ve been operating ever since, Bailey said. 3001 also employs several people working at the Stennis Space Center.

The building should be completed by June, Bailey said, with the majority of employees there by July.

The Northrop Grumman Corporation is a global defense and technology company that employs 120,000 people worldwide.

The company acquired 3001 International last October to help secure its information technology sector. Northrop Grumman is currently the largest private industrial employer in the state with more than 6,000 employees, most of which operate out of Avondale building LPD 17 amphibious transport ships.