The Standard Oil Refinery (now owned by Exxon) that is today the largest in North America began operations in Louisiana in 1909, the same year construction started on the state's first long-distance oil pipeline. Since then, a huge and still-growing petrochemical industry has become a dominant force in the state's economy. Other expanding industries are wood products and, especially since World War II, shipbuilding.
In 1997, the total value of shipments of manufactured goods was $81 billion. The principal industrial regions extend along the Mississippi River from north of Baton Rouge to New Orleans, and also include the Monroe, Shreveport, Morgan City, and Lake Charles areas.
Earnings of persons employed in Louisiana increased from $64 billion in 1997 to $67.7 billion in 1998, an increase of 5.8%. The largest industries in 1998 were services, 27.2% of earnings; state and local government, 13.1%; and retail trade, 9.4%. Of the industries that accounted for at least 5% of earnings in 1998, the slowest growing from 1997 to 1998 was nondurable goods manufacturing (8.1% of earnings in 1998), which increased 2.7%; the fastest was mining (5.2% of earnings in 1998), which increased 15.1%.