Locals hear about prospects for new St. Mary employers

FRANKLIN — St. Mary Parish is celebrating a big economic development win, with hints of more to come.
St. Mary Economic Development Director Evan Boudreaux told a Chamber of Commerce audience Wednesday about three prospective employers considering relocation to the parish. Boudreaux didn’t name them.
But he said that together, they could bring $80 million-$100 million in investment and 1,300 jobs.
Not all economic development comes in the form of big numbers. Sometimes it’s a local art show, or buying a stamp for a shop local promotion.
That was the word Wednesday from a panel of local people involved in nurturing the St. Mary economy during a Chamber luncheon at The Forest.
The panel consisted of Holden Murray, the Chamber chairman and the economic development director for Patterson; Boudreaux; President and CEO Christian Bergeron of COLAB, the four-parish economic development agency; and Ed “Tiger” Verdin, head of the Franklin Main Street Program.
December’s announcement by Saronic, a Texas company that bought the Gulf Coast shipyard near Franklin, promised 1,500 jobs and a $300 million investment.
That deal required two years of talks with the builder of autonomous surface vessels, Boudreaux said.
“That involved working not only with the city of Franklin, but working with our regional partners, our workforce partners, the state entities to deliver a holistic, well-rounded package to this company …,” Boudreaux said.
“Realistically, the parish wasn’t equipped to handle a project of that size. However, I will say I give Franklin kudos for meeting all the needs that needed to be met to make sure that project could come here and grow and develop successfully.”
Now, Boudreaux said, the focus has turned to health care, housing and other issues that will be important to Saronic employees.
“Our job is to essentially give them every reason to continue to invest in St. Mary Parish,” he said.
The Saronic expansion, plus the jobs that would be created by the three prospects, would increase St. Mary employment by nearly 16%.
That’s a welcome development in a parish where population has declined by 13% to 46,552 since 2000, according to the Census Bureau. Employment is down 23% to 17,812 in the last decade, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics and the Louisiana Workforce Commission.
Saronic’s starting pay is 30% higher than the average for the parish, Boudreaux said.
COLAB partners with Louisiana Economic Development to focus on business relocation and retention in St. Mary, Assumption, Lafourche and Terrebonne parishes. CEO Bergeron said businesses once devoted to the energy industry are diversifying.
“That’s coming,” Bergeron said. “We’ve got to be prepared. … We will be the ones defending the country, especially in the maritime space.”
Military contracts play an increasing role in local shipbuilding. In addition to Saronic and cross-canal neighbor Metal Shark, the Conrad and Bollinger yards are doing business with the Pentagon.
Patterson’s Murray has taken a different perspective. He talked about people who may lack financial planning skills or knowledge of how insurance works.
Murray’s version of development is educating them to make their lives better.
He also ran a recent Shop Patterson promotion in which customers at local businesses could collect stamps and get freebies. The program generated 1,000 transactions, he said.
Verdin’s Franklin version was Mayor Eugene Foulcard’s Shop Local First, Eat Local First, Play Local First and Fuel Local First, all designed to generate commerce in Franklin.
He also praised the virtues of arts advocacy as a revenue generator.