Seacor, Electra and 90 jobs are coming to St. Mary

After four long years of economic knocks, east St. Mary is getting some good economic news.

A Friday morning event is planned to welcome home Seacor Marine, which left its Railroad Avenue location 12 years ago for Houma and is now moving back to Morgan City.

Seacor's return will bring back 50 jobs, according to Morgan City Mayor Pro Tem Lou Tamporello.

"We're finally competing with Houma," said Morgan City Mayor Frank "Boo" Grizzaffi.

The Coast Guard and Petroleum Helicopter Inc. have consolidated some of their Morgan City-area functions in Houma in recent years.

Another company, Electra, is taking over the old Hudson Dry Dock facility and will bring another 40 jobs repairing craft for parent company Enterprise.
The Electra move represents an investment of more than $1 million in property and renovation.

"That's another good get for us," Grizzaffi said.

Seacor has maintained the Railroad Avenue building near Oceaneering since its departure for Houma. About 20 employees already live in east St. Mary and commuted to Houma, Grizzaffi said

The expiration of Seacor's lease in Houma led to six months of intense negotiation that also involved the H & B Young Founding, resulting in Seacor's decision to move back to Morgan City, Grizzaffii said.

Seacor Marine is a subsidiary of Seacor Holdings Inc. of Houston.

"SEACOR Marine operates a fleet of offshore marine support vessels, serving the offshore oil and gas exploration and production industry," according to the company's website.

"With vessels strategically deployed offshore in the Gulf of Mexico, Latin America, the North Sea, West Africa, Southeast Asia and the Middle East, we provide a broad range of offshore support services coupled with the highest standards of safety, service and technology available in the industry."