Interview: Lafayette County Bets on Lithium — and Community
Lafayette County is preparing for a once-in-a-generation economic shift as lithium projects move closer to reality — and local leaders are focused on making sure growth sticks.
In our latest Lithium Link interview, Venesha Sasser, the county’s economic developer and a ninth-generation resident, said the moment brings “more momentum than I’ve ever seen.”
Two major projects power that momentum:
Tetra Technologies has a bromine facility — the Evergreen project — under construction now, while Smackover Lithium’s $1.5 billion direct lithium extraction plant is expected to break ground this year.
Together, they put rural Lafayette County at the center of a nationally significant critical minerals push.
What She’s Saying
Sasser frames the work as bigger than any single project: “Economic development is community development,” she said, describing efforts to align infrastructure, housing, utilities and workforce planning so growth improves daily life — not just balance sheets. But there are challenges:
The county’s biggest hurdle isn’t a talent gap, Sasser argues, but a “proximity gap.” Many residents leave the county daily for jobs in Louisiana or Texas. The goal now: bring training and high-quality jobs home.
Watch the Complete Interview:
The full video interview dives deeper into the projects, partnerships and personal motivations driving Lafayette County’s lithium moment.
Previously:
Watch our interview from last year with Lafayette County Judge Valarie Clark, who shared more about how the county is preparing to accommodate the new industry.
