When Georges Antoun came to Louisiana from Lebanon in the early 1980s, he needed money.

The country was entering an oil crisis, and cities along the Gulf Coast — especially places like Lafayette that depended on oil and gas jobs — felt the hit first.

As families moved to larger cities like Houston in search of work, Antoun began offering a service: For a fee, he’d drive their moving trucks back to Louisiana.

It's no secret that Louisiana has long lost talent to its western neighbor and has sought ways to entice them back.

The opening of First Solar's $1.1 billion solar panel manufacturing facility near New Iberia has allowed Antoun, now the company's chief commercial officer, to have conversations with families who have chosen to return to Louisiana to work at the facility, which will

See Full Page