Franklin moves to welcome workers

Franklin Mayor Eugene Foulcard and the City Council have introduced a new subdivision ordinance, which they say as a proactive move in the wake of Saronic Technologies’ $300 million expansion of its Franklin shipyard.
In December, Saronic promised as many as 1,500 direct jobs with an expected 3,270 total job opportunities.
Roughly a week ago, Magnet Defense LLC, a developer of fully autonomous national security maritime platforms for fleet operations and missile defense missions, announced it acquired Metal Shark, a Franklin-Jeanerette shipbuilder.
Their plans, however, have not yet been released.
Saronic’s investment though means job growth for St. Mary Parish, high-quality jobs with an average annual salary of nearly $88,000, according to a news release announcing the expansion.
Foulcard said the city administration wants to have everything in place. “Saronic has informed us of anticipated job growth with an influx of folks moving into the area. Our phones are already ringing with many questions from developers to fast food franchise inquiries.”
The mayor expects the council to pass the ordinance next month so that the city can hand over a complete packet to interested developers, listing everything from water and sewer delivery and fire hydrant locations, to the thickness and depth of its proposed streets.
“You know, there is no ‘I’ in team,” Foulcard said. “We have all played a part in working with them, from the city, to the parish, to our state officials. Everyone has played a part. And not only Franklin, but Baldwin, and all of west St. Mary Parish will benefit.”
The mayor said there is a “great deal of property” in the area that is available for future development, but would not elaborate on who the property owners are.
“Saronic is moving rather quickly and we are super excited that they are coming,” he said. The defense tech company is expanding its shipyard to include three new slips, a larger warehouse, and a new assembly line, with construction set to be completed by the end of 2026.
“Franklin is constantly evolving. There are those who think we have been sitting idle, but thankfully there are more out there who see how we’re tackling many issues in our city, always strategizing and revising our game plan. My door has always been open since the day I became mayor,” Foulcard said.
Nearing the end of his second term in office, Foulcard is continuing several improvements, including tackling the city’s water distribution woes.”
“When I took office in 2018, I prioritized securing funding to rehabilitate Franklin’s water distribution system. My first step was to assess the situation thoroughly, so I enlisted Miller Engineering to develop a comprehensive plan and cost estimate for fully rehabilitating our water plant and distribution lines. Their findings in 2018 projected a $35 million price tag for the necessary upgrades,” he said.
“This issue didn’t arise overnight, and it cannot be resolved overnight. Securing funding requires a 25% match from the city for any grants or capital outlay funding we pursue. This is why I consistently emphasize the importance of shopping, eating, playing and fueling local first — those sales tax dollars are to be used for creating the matching funds we need.”
But despite his efforts since, and even though there is an uptick in sales tax collections, city applications for Louisiana Water Sector Grants in both 2020 ($4 million) and in 2022 ($2.4 million) were denied.
However, thanks to the efforts of state Sen. Robert Allain and state Rep. Vinny St. Blanc, the city secured $2.4 million in Capital Outlay funding in early 2025. These funds enabled the city to begin a rehabilitation of the city’s water plant which dates back to 1967.
The mayor said one phase has been completed and a second phase is about to begin, which hopefully will be completed by the end of this year.
“Regardless, we continue to apply for our water distribution system to replace our city infrastructure pipes which are over 110 years old, serving roughly 3,000 customers.”
Other community projects have included upgrades to parks and playgrounds, new HVAC systems for the community center and continued demolition of blighted properties.
The city recently scored another win by receiving national recognition for its pocket park from the National Alliance of Preservation Commissions. The project was featured in “The Alliance Review,” NAPC’s quarterly national magazine, with acknowledgment of the vital support of Main Street America and Louisiana Main Street.
Foulcard said what makes the Historic Downtown Franklin Pocket Park especially significant is that it is a 100% community-funded project.
There is also yet another win for Franklin. A week or so ago, New Orleans Restoration Properties secured funding to redevelop the former Franklin Foundation Hospital into a $25.7 million affordable senior living community featuring 63 rental units. The hospital site has been vacant since 2007.
“We are deeply grateful to New Orleans Restoration Properties for choosing Franklin for this investment, recognizing the potential and promise of our community,” Foulcard said.
Ed “Tiger” Verdin, public information officer for the city of Franklin, outlined a time line of the project:
“In March 2021, New Orleans Restoration Properties initiated conversations with Ms. Beverly Domengeaux of the St. Mary Parish Council on Aging regarding the private redevelopment of the former Franklin Foundation Hospital into much needed senior apartments for residents of our region. Since that time, over the past five years, continued dialogue, careful planning, and strong collaboration have brought numerous community partners together to move this important project forward.”
Foulcard reiterated, “Again, there is no ‘I’ in team. When we all work together, we can get many, many, things done; for all of our city, and even for our parish.”