May 2019

FREE PORT OF TERREBONNE SHOWS SIGNS OF PROGRESS

FOCUS ON MARINE INDUSTRIAL

FORECAST FOR PORT FOURCHON LOOKS BRIGHT

CAUTIOUS OPTIMISM AS INDUSTRY RETURNS

MAY 2019

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MAY 2019 | BAYOU BUSINESS MONTHLY

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PUBLISHER’S NOTE |

MAY 2019 • VOLUME 2 • ISSUE 5

TABLE OF

CONTENTS 06

OIL AND GAS UPDATE

08

HAS THE CORNER BEEN TURNED?

11

CENAC EXPANDS HIS GRANDFATHER’S VISION

Deepwater drilling is down Cautious optimism as industry slowly returns

Main Iron Works – a welding of family affairs

12

ACTIVITY AT FOURCHON MAKING PROGRESS

16

MANY MOUTHS TO FEED

Signs of a comeback are surfacing

Local companies service marine industry

20

PORT OF TERREBONNE CHUGGING ALONG

24

MELACO SISTERS SERVES COMMUNITY IT LOVES

28 32 35

Hope for a brighter future

Sisters open hardware store to support their community’s dreams.

MARINE DIESEL SIMULATORS BRING TECHNOLOGY Future students at Fletcher will benefit.

MOVERS & SHAKERS News Briefs

ON THE AGENDA

Corporate calendar of events

FOCUS ON MARINE INDUSTRIAL

L

ast year’s Marine Industrial Issue focused on the key phrase “cautiously optimistic.” I wish I could report that more had changed in this area, but the truth is, we are still in about the same place.

Companies locally have diversified, in an effort to not fall any further. Some companies have explored the “Shale Revolution”, trying their hand at fracking and land drilling. But the big dollars remain in the Gulf- both in cost to drill and in profits made.

In our annual Marine Industrial issue, we take a closer look at what some of our area’s largest companies and leaders are saying. In our industry overview, we take a look at the Trump administration’s roll back of some industry requirements enacted by the Obama administration after the crippling Deepwater Horizon explosion and oil spill, drafting what it says are improved rules concerning blowout preventer systems and well-control regulations.

We also take a closer look at our area’s two main Ports and how they are keeping their heads high since the industry began its decline.

At Port Fourchon, Executive Director Chett Chiasson is quick to point out that his tenants are resilient, fighting daily to stay ahead. A little further north, the Port of Terrebonne is moving at a steady pace. The port is currently performing two expansions for port tenants utilizing the Port Priority Program administered through DOTD. Work is also on going when it comes to the constant battle of the depth of the Houma Navigation Canal.

We also take a closer look at what it takes to service the marine industry with a look at several local businesses. When it comes

PUBLISHER

Brian Rushing EDITORIAL Bonnie Rushing EDITORIAL DIRECTOR Mary Ditch MANAGING EDITOR

Casey Gisclair MANAGING EDITOR

Drew Miller CONTRIBUTING WRITER

John DeSantis CONTRIBUTING WRITER

CREATIVE Amber Duplantis SENIOR DESIGNER Paul Guidry GRAPHIC DESIGNER

Nicholas Boutte GRAPHIC DESIGNER

ADVERTISING Elise Falgout, Linda Pontiff, Deanne Ratliff, Lanie Roberts, Emily Rini

DIGITAL MEDIA SPECIALIST Monica Harrison

OFFICE/CIRCULATION MANAGER Michelle Ortego

to working on rigs, its takes an army of people–and someone has to feed them! Erik Lind, president of G&J Land & Marine Food Distributors, Donny Rouse, CEO of Rouses Markets, and Vince Cannata of Cannata’s Family Markets share what goes into filling the marine grocery orders and how that part of all their businesses remains important.

Sisters Lauren Melancon and Vanessa Melancon Pierce know what it’s like to work in a fast-paced and often hard industry.

Coming from the oil field service industry themselves, the pair has proudly opened Melaco Sisters Hardware & Supplies to help serve the people of south Lafourche.

There is also a bright star on the horizon when it comes to educating future generations. Fletcher Technical Community College was recently awarded an over $144,000 grant that will go towards implementing new simulators and other equipment into the college’s Marine Diesel program. Future technicians will learn how to work on heavy diesel engines in a safer environment, preparing them to be able to diagnose, fix and repair in the field.

Through conversations with other business owners in the bayou region, it seems that most are seeing growth this year and expect that to continue. Whether that is from higher sales due to confidence in our current economic situation or business growth driven by getting back to old-fashioned hustle, we’ll take it.

CUSTOMER SERVICE Kimberly Ross

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GOVERNMENT UPDATE |

BY MARY DITCH

SENATE CANDIDATES KICK-OFF RACE

MAY 2019 | BAYOU BUSINESS MONTHLY

T

4

he race is on for Louisiana Senate District 20, which covers Terrebonne and Lafourche parishes. The Senate seat is currently held by Norby Chabert, who took the seat in a special election to replace Senator Reggie Dupre. It is the same seat held by Norby’s late father Leonard Chabert from 1980-1991 and his brother, Marty Chabert, from 1992-1996.

Norby has held the seat since 2009 and cannot run again due to term limits.

At press time, three candidates have announced their intention to run for the seat.

The first is Michael “Big Mike” Fesi Sr., a local businessman. Fesi is the founder and chairman of Pipeline Construction & Maintenance, Inc. (PCM), a local oil and gas industry service company, which has operated out of Houma for more than 20 years. Fesi challenged Chabert for this seat in 2015, and is excited to run again.

“The encouragement from the community has been overwhelming and humbling. I’m officially announcing my campaign, because I’m on a mission to improve the direction of our state. I saw the potential of our community last time and believe now, more than ever, that we can unify our parishes to bring about the reforms we so desperately need.”

Fesi is a self-proclaimed “common sense conservative” and a registered Republican. In 2016 he was selected as an at-large delegate to the Republican National Convention, supporting nowPresident Donald Trump. He is also a member of the Republican State Central

Committee, representing District 20. Fesi is an advocate for pro-life causes and is a lifetime member of the National Rifle Association.

Fesi is also involved in the community.

His motto, “Big Mike Cares” speaks to his efforts locally. He has given back greatly to the community over the years, including several weekly lunches to veterans at the Regional Military Museum, donating to cancer patients at the holidays, Christmas bike giveaways, and providing volunteer and financial support at MacDonell Children’s Services.

Dr. Brenda Leroux Babin, a Houma Democrat, has also announced her candidacy. The coastal scientist, educator, and businesswoman stated, “I am running for this seat because I have Faith in Our People, Hope for Our Future, and a Love for Louisiana and Our Bayou Region. I am planning to continue the successful leadership that this district has had in the past. When I first voted, we elected Leonard Chabert to this seat. That was followed by Marty Chabert, Dr. Mike Robichaux, Reggie Dupre, and now Senator Norby Chabert.”

After spending 8 years representing District 5 on the Terrebonne Parish School Board, Dr. Babin wants to continue this service to the community in the state senate. Dr. Babin is a proud Nicholls graduate with degrees in English education and Curriculum and Instruction.

She also has a Master’s degree in Ministry from Loyola University New Orleans. And she holds a PhD in Oceanography and Coastal Science from Louisiana State

University.

Currently, Dr. Babin owns and operates several local businesses: Busy Bee Clinic, her computer training and support center, provides workforce development as well as personal enrichment, Bee Cool Snowballs strives to promote Louisiana culture while providing healthy treats, and most recently she acquired the brand and lifestyle apparel business, Bayou Strong.

She spent 10 years monitoring the coast as IT Director at LUMCON and 30 plus years as an educator in Terrebonne Parish Schools, at Nicholls State University, Louisiana State University and now at Fletcher Technical Community college where she teachers computer science as an adjunct instructor.

Dr. Babin takes an active leadership role in service to the community. Currently, she is president of the Keep Terrebonne Beautiful Board of Directors, serves on the Houma Downtown Development Corporation, the Houma Travel and Visitors Board, and the Board of Directors of the Girl Scouts Louisiana East. Dr. Babin is an active member of the HoumaTerrebonne Chamber of Commerce, a member of the Bayou Industrial Group, a member of the Mother Teresa Women’s Giving Circle, and the Loyal Knight of the Houma Elks Lodge #1193. She is an active member of Annunziata Catholic Church where she serves as a lector.

Houma businessman, attorney, and former State Representative, Damon J. Baldone, Republican, has announced that he too is running to replace term limited Senator Norby Chabert for Senate

District 20.

“After being term limited in 2012, having served my three terms in the legislature, I came back home to work back in the private sector. There is no other place in the world I would rather live and I want to see our area get the best representation possible. I have the skills and work ethic to make sure that Lafourche’s and Terrebonne’s voices are heard in Baton Rouge,” Baldone’s press release reads.

A lifelong resident of Terrbonne Parish, Baldone opened his law practice in Houma in 1992. In addition to being a practicing attorney, Baldone also is a real estate broker, representing buyers and sellers as well as managing residential and commercial real estate that he owns. In the oil and gas sector, he owns and operates Baldone Oil & Gas, LLC as well as Baldone Offshore, LLC, a boat company. Baldone also owns the Dansereau House Bed and Breakfast in Thibodaux and co-owns Laundry Diva, LLC, a commercial laundry company servicing the hotel industry.

As State Representative from 20012012, Baldone served on the Commerce Committee, Ways & Means, and was Vice-Chairman of the Criminal Justice Committee. He also was appointed by Governors Foster, Blanco, and Jindal to serve on the Governor’s Advisory Commission on Coastal Restoration, as well as the DWI Task Force. He also served on the Bayou Lafourche Freshwater Diversion Committee. In 2017, Baldone was appointed Public Service Commissioner for District 2 for the State of Louisiana.

Since the age of 14, Baldone has always given back to the community by volunteering as a softball coach, soccer coach, as well as with United Way, American Cancer Society, American Heart Association, TARC, South Louisiana Wetland’s Discovery Center, and Nicholls State University Business Department Advisory Board.

The election is slated for Oct. 12. If more than two candidates run, and one garners 50 percent of the votes plus one, that person will be the winner. If that doesn’t occur then the two candidates with the greatest number of votes will face a runoff on Nov. 16.

•

MAY 2019 | BAYOU BUSINESS MONTHLY

5

OIL & GAS |

BY CASEY GISCLAIR

DEEPWATER DRILLING IS DOWN, BUT THE OIL WE DRILL IS UP...

MAY 2019 | BAYOU BUSINESS MONTHLY

CAN THAT LAST?

6

FOURCHON EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR SAYS THE NUMBERS INDICATE THE

GULF IS STILL KING

T

he amount of oil the United States is drilling is up, but the oil isn’t necessarily coming from the Gulf of Mexico — bad news for Southeastern Louisiana and our local economy.

Is it sustainable? Is the so-called “Shale Revolution” leaving the Gulf of Mexico in the dust?

Well, recent numbers would seem to indicate that the Gulf of Mexico is still King — soon to retake its throne in the future.

With deepwater Gulf drilling on a bit of a slump in recent years, companies have gotten heavily invested in fracking and land drilling — cheaper methods of drilling that have grown over the past several years.

The w o r k has helped stabilize and somewhat sink the global price of oil amidst struggles from several oil-producing nations around the world.

But those plays are not longlasting and data suggests that they’re not producing at the levels they were expected, which could drive down supply, drive up the price and drive business right back into the deepwater of the the Gulf where the oil is far more abundant.

“I’ve seen some data that says there’s not as much production coming off of each well over the last several years as they thought when they started,” Port Fourchon Executive Director Chett Chiasson said. “That’s actually one of the things that’s caused the price of oil to go up a little bit in the last several months. Those wells are cheaper than deepwater, but they don’t produce like those huge rigs offshore. It’s like a flash

Well, it all comes full-circle.

Fracking became a thing because it was a cheaper way to produce oil.

If those supplies dry up a little, global supply does, too.

If profit margins for fracking go down and the global price goes up a little, as well, suddenly, drilling in the Gulf of Mexico heavily becomes a more attractive option again, which helps put local people back to work.

Chiasson said he’s heard forecasts that say the oil price could recover significantly in 2020 and into 2021 — a forecast that most locally hope holds true.

Drilling in the Gulf is a little costlier than inland drilling, but when the price is right, it could be far more profitable to companies because of the sheer amounts that can be produced in a day.

“It’s not cheap to drill in the Gulf,” Chiasson said. “But when you explore and find oil in the Gulf, it’s huge amounts and they produce for decades with huge amounts. It’s big money to get into the game, so to speak, yes. But you can make so, so much more, too.

“From the information we’re hearing, things are looking good and it looks like there can be a slow resurgence into 2020 and steady growth going toward 2021.”

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in the pan. It’s a lot right off the bat, but then it dwindles very quickly and it looks like that’s what’s beginning to happen to an extent right now.”

Chiasson’s information echoes others in the global market.

Schlumberger is the global leader in energy services. Their CEO, Paal Kobsgaard, said on a conference call in late April that company profit fell about 20 percent in the past 12 months and the reason was because of a slowdown in United States shale plays.

Pioneer Natural Resources has had the same problem.

In January, The Wall Street Journal reported that Pioneer’s drilling and fracking predictions were far underperforming projections set when drilling began.

In 2015, the company estimated that their most productive wells, located in the Eagle Ford Shale in Texas, could produce 1.3 million barrels of oil each in its lifetime.

But The Wall Street Journal said the Eagle Ford Shale wells are now on pace to produce less than 500,000 barrels.

The famed Permian Basin in Texas isn’t immune. Pioneer once said 960,000 barrels could be produced from its shale wells there, but those projections have now dropped to 720,000 barrels.

Other companies are finding the same problems.

“The oil they thought was there maybe isn’t there in the amounts they thought,” said Rystan Energy Senior Analyst Lai Lou said. “And, quite frankly, a lot of the best locations have become crowded.

And that’s not helping the issue, either.”

So what does it all mean, and why is this important to a monthly business magazine in the HoumaThibodaux area?

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MAY 2019 | BAYOU BUSINESS MONTHLY

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he downturn in oil and gas industry activity in the Bayou Region continues to negatively affect local business providing service to both near-shore and deep-water operations, but there are signs of improvement, and that after a harrowing fall better times are coming, even though the progress is slow.

“I am hearing from my member companies that things seem to be slowly getting better,” said Christy Alley Naquin, executive director of the South Central Industrial Association.

“They are cautiously optimistic, but they think things are beginning to take a more positive outlook.”

Naquin answered a question about the local state of the industry while returning to Houma from Port Fourchon, where she heard U.S. Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement director Scott Angelle make an announcement with important ramifications.

The Trump administration has rolled back some industry requirements enacted by the Obama administration after the crippling Deepwater Horizon explosion and oil spill, drafting what it says are improved rules concerning blowout preventer systems and well-control regulations.

The change – welcomed by the industry – is seen as a good sign in an industry where even small victories are celebrated, aiding bit-bybit in what is defined as a steep uphill climb.

The final revised rule leaves 274 out of 342 original well control rule provisions – approximately 80 percent – unchanged. Sixtyeight provisions were identified as appropriate for revision, and 33 provisions were added to

improve operations on the outer Continental Shelf. The final rule addresses offshore oil and gas drilling, completions, workovers, and decommissioning activities.

“BSEE’s review has been thorough, careful, and tailored,” said BSEE Director Scott Angelle. “Free of undue regulatory burden while ensuring that operators conduct outer Continental Shelf activities in a safe and environmentally responsible manner, today’s rule will fuel and sustain responsible energy exploration and production.”

The announcement, made last week, was delivered at a strategic location which has, like other facilities, suffered losses in business and morale since the oil industry’s activities in Louisiana offshore waters bean its decline around 2015.

Naquin said such changes are important to an industry making its way off the ropes.

“SCIA supports the well-control revision because although safety is a top priority,” Naquin said. “Every time a man or woman kisses their family good-bye as they leave to work offshore, the main goal is to get that person back to see their family. But you don’t want to have regulatory redundancies to paralyze the oil industry. We don’t want to loosen the belt without loosening the safety harness.”

Angelle’s announcement, Naquin said, is the type of news that can ultimately result in the potential for more people getting back to work in the Gulf, which benefits the companies – large and small – that are locally based.

The effects of the oilfield’s utilization of local companies are felt far beyond the industry itself.

Terrebonne Parish Sheriff Jerry Larpenter,

NO REFFERAL NEEDED & MOST INSURANCE ACCEPTED

9

who is also the parish’s chief tax collector, says he is too aware of what has occurred due to industry issues.

His own agency’s share of sales taxes has shown a slight improvement. A loss of $3 million in the sales tax share for the Sheriff’s Office in 2017 was eased slightly in 2018, when its loss was an improved $2.5 million.

“In 2018 this parish was down 2500 more jobs,” Larpenter said. “We lost middle class jobs and higher paying jobs in the oil industry, fifty and eighty grand and above. Hopefully as the price of oil is going up you will have these oil companies invest, and that’s an investment in other manufacturing jobs and service companies.”

Among experts who see the potential for improvement is Baton Rouge economist Loren Scott, who has predicted a comeback.

In a report prepared for Louisiana State University’s E.J. Ourso College of Business Economics and Policy Research group, released late last year, Scott saw a better future for the state overall, and the Houma area.

Part of his predictions for greater success, however, is related to companies that have

made progress in diversifying, something that economists have seen as important for survival and future success.

“After much bloodletting, the corner appears to have been turned in the Houma (area),” the report reads. “Fabricators and shipbuilders are making a reasonably successful shift to non-extraction-related customers. An oil price of $80 a barrel by 2020 is expected to start a serious revival in the Gulf by 2020. We are projecting 700 new jobs (+0.8%) in 2019 and a healthier, extractiondriven bump of 2,100 jobs (+2.4%) in 2020.”

“It is a tough situation when an economy is tied so closely to a commodity and that commodity’s price fluctuates in a most unpredictable way,” Scott said. “Such is the lot of the Houma MSA. The oil price decline after 2014 sent this economy into another slide down the ‘V’ and this has been a bad one. In the last three years, Houma has lost 15,800 jobs, a 16.1% decline. This is more than 2 1⁄2 times worse than what U.S. employment declined during the Great Recession over 2008-09.”

The job toll was dramatic, as recounted by

Scott. Edison Chouest’s LaShip dropped from 1,000 people to 500, Scott noted, with half of the parent company’s ships stacked and personnel working half as much as before the crash. Baker Hughes and also Hercules Offshore laid off about 50 workers each at the time of Scott’s study. CCHI Aviation in Galliano laid off 74 pilots.

But Scott said there is good news.

Danos, a major oilfield operator which supplies personnel to projects all over the globe, was seen by Scott as looking to boost its workforce by 5-10 percent in 2019-2020.

Noting that a lot of the company’s personnel are involved in maintenance, repair, painting and refurbishing, Scott said some of its expected new business will be in the Gulf of Mexico. A good sign of the future, Scott said, is a Shell contract awarded to Danos for mechanical and maintenance work on that company’s Auger, Ram Powell, Enchilada, and Salsa platforms.

“It appears Houma (and

surrounding communities including those in Lafourche Parish) has reached the bottom of the ‘trough’ in this recession,” Scott said. “Employment has been up every month in 2018 in the Houma Metropolitan Statistical Area since February. The numbers obviously do not show great growth, but at least they are up.”

•

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CENAC EXPANDS HIS GRANDFATHER’S VISION A

A WELDING OF FAMILY AFFAIRS As Cenac’s paternal grandfather’s business Cenac Marine grew in stature and scope, another branch of the family was working hard at marine construction and repair, right in downtown Houma. Main Iron Works established a reputation in its own right for quality work and became a local standard for its industry from the time of its founding

by Guidry. Main Iron Works has performed work for the Cenac fleet in the decades since its 1948 founding.

In July 2015, Main Iron Works was acquired by an LLC owned by Cenac, who continued to grow its construction of world-class, innovative push boats, and merged the labor from both his grandfathers. Under his leadership, Main Iron Works continued to expand their services to include a full-service machine shop.

Today, working alongside Cenac Marine Services, Cenac is able to oversee both the construction and repair, as well as the transportation of materials, creating a more effective system that provides customers with greater ease. Main Iron Works has transformed into a staple point of the

regional maritime industry and continues to innovate and grow its capabilities.

Today, both companies operate out of a state-of-the-art facility with an investment

by Cenac of around $75 million. From the original “ways” winch systems to five new drydocks, with the largest boasting a 4,500ton capacity, facilities and operations have since been modernized in order to improve upon the foundation of quality set so many years ago. Main Iron Works has remained a leader in tug construction while also becoming a perfect complement to Cenac Marine Services’ core mission. The two companies combined make for a dynamic duo in the region’s growing maritime industry.

Cenac continues to foster the values that his grandfather embedded into both Main Iron Works and Cenac Marine Services decades ago, including a commitment to customer satisfaction and respect for all employees. As a family-focused company, Cenac works to ensure that every employee is treated like family, regardless of their status in the company.

Having been born and raised in Houma, Cenac’s roots have inspired him to carry these values outside of the company where

he works with many local and national organizations to support various causes from protecting Louisiana’s pristine shores, supporting U.S. veterans, and animal and wildlife conservation programs.

On his own ranch, Golden Ranch Farms, Cenac has raised various animals on Louisiana’s largest privately-owned refuge.

This includes white-tailed deer, blackbuck, antelope, oryx, Père David’s deer, fallow deer, axis, and even a zebra. In addition, Cenac has contributed his time to protect the beautiful and diverse ecosystem of Louisiana with organizations such as Restore or Retreat, a non-profit coastal advocacy group working to protect the Barataria and Terrebonne basins of Louisiana from further destruction.

As a leader in his community, avid philanthropist and strong conservationist, Cenac understands the value of giving back to his Houma community in a non-tangible manner. Building on the foundational values that his family set for these companies, Cenac is grateful to continue the incredible work of his grandfathers and works each day to push for the economic and social growth of his Houma community and Terrebonne Parish.

•

MAY 2019 | BAYOU BUSINESS MONTHLY

rlen “Benny” Cenac Jr., Houma resident and avid phlianthropist, often reflects on the rich history of his community and the impact that his company has had on the economic and social progress of Terrebonne Parish.

As one of several companies under his leadership, Main Iron Works continues to operate on the baseline morals and values that founder, Horace “Jack” Guidry, embedded into the fabric of the company over 70 years ago.

Founded in 1948, Main Iron Works has stimulated the local economy of Houma and Terrebonne Parish since the company began converting conventional wooden oyster luggers to be utilized as supply vessels for oil exploration inland and offshore in the Terrebonne Parish area.

Starting the company with his partner, Lawrence Mazerac, Guidry, who is also Cenac’s maternal grandfather, used his skills as a welder by trade as well as his expertise in welding and boat construction to form the foundation of what has become the modern Main Iron Works boat and barge building business.

11

CHIASSON SAYS THERE ARE SIGNS THAT

A COMEBACK IS SURFACING

MAY MAY 2019 2019 | | BAYOU BAYOU BUSINESS BUSINESS MONTHLY MONTHLY

BY CASEY GISCLAIR

12

When oil prices were at their peak, there were 65 deepwater rigs drilling in the Gulf of Mexico.

Now, there are a little more than 20.

Obviously, that’s a bone-crushing blow to Port Fourchon, the tenants at the port and, ultimately, the people who are employed by the marine industry in Southeast Louisiana — the root cause of the economic slump our area has been in for the better part of the past half-decade.

But Port Fourchon Executive Director Chett Chiasson said there are real, tangible signs of progress at the port and folks are getting optimistic that oil is about to comeback in a big way in the next 12-18 months.

Chiasson also said that the industry is resilient, applauding the tenants of the port who have stayed committed to the area through all of the struggles of the past several years — a group that he said is hanging on, but fighting daily to stay ahead of the tough economy.

“Business certainly could be better,” Chiasson said. “But we see some resurgence in traffic and vessel activity and things are moving around the port at our tenant facilities. That’s good news. We’re excited about some information we’re hearing and some things we’re seeing coming into 2020 about the potential of a good 2020 going into 2021. That’s positive news for us.”

A couple things happening around the industry are helping give Fourchon a boost, as well.

Scott Angelle, the former Louisiana Lt. Governor and current Director of the United States Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement, recently announced revisions to the United States’ well-control rule — a move which

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some stress and cost behind drilling without reducing any of the safety factor in any way. Any time you can reduce costs from a business standpoint, that has trickle down effects and it lets us be a more attractive option to companies who are doing business literally all around the world.”

Chiasson said despite some of the slow times, occupancy at the port is good — a constant theme throughout the tough years.

He said all of the port’s waterfront facilities are under lease and there are just 5 smaller landside leases available.

“For us, given the circumstances, that’s a really good number,” he said.

He said Fourchon recently has constructed some new sites, as well, which will allow the port to be ready for the next surge in oil and gas exploration.

“This allows us to be ahead of the game,” Chiasson said. “When people call and say, ‘Hey, is anything available?’ We’re able to say yes.”

But no matter how one slices it — deep down, every expert in the field knows it all comes down to that global price for a barrel of oil.

Chiasson said the current price of just

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MAY 2019 | BAYOU BUSINESS MONTHLY

Chiasson said is going to be a gamechanger for businesses who do business offshore.

The well control rule was put in place by former President Barack Obama after the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill. It placed strict regulations on oil companies as a way to ensure safety measures were being met during the process of drilling.

But the regulations and safety requirements were incredibly expensive and burdensome to meet — making it virtually impossible for smaller oil companies to get into the deepwater game. Angelle said the regulations were politically driven, saying that the oil industry is now more efficient, but just as safe.

Chiasson agreed. He said the safety components of the rule are still in place, but some of the regulations are lifted, which will make drilling a cheaper process and, thus, more profitable.

This, he said, will allow Fourchon to be a more competitive port in the global offshore market.

“This removes some of the burdensome regulation in how you drill and explore for oil,” Chiasson said. “That kind of relieves

13

more than $60/barrel isn’t ideal, but is manageable — especially now that the price has stabilized in recent weeks.

“A steady number is good because companies can start to plan,” Chiasson said. “It’s a little easier to forecast and make projections when you know exactly what you’re up against. It’s easier to hit a still target than a moving target.”

Chiasson said the ideal sweet-spot is something around $70/barrel even maybe cheating a little bit upward toward $75/ barrel.

Will we get there anytime soon? One can never be certain.

But Chiasson said long-term forecasts being given to industry leaders show the there are opportunities for a pretty significant comeback for oil and gas in the next year — one which hopefully serves as the final blow to the prolonged local struggles.

“I believe we are,” Chiasson said when asked bluntly if there are signs that the port is turning the corner. “Yes, I think it’s coming.”

MAY 2019 | BAYOU BUSINESS MONTHLY

•

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Did you know the same place you buy your groceries for home is the same place you can buy provisions H H Hpickandup,supplies H H H for your vessel? Rouses Markets offers dockside delivery and shopping service to your area seven days a H

Youngsville,LA

R23.management@rouses.com (337) 362-2814

• Beaumont, TX • Port Arthur, TX • Sabine, TX • Orange, TX • Johnson Bayou, LA • Cameron, LA • Creole, LA

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JANUARY

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MARCH

APRIL

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• Port Fourchon, LA LA • Newa Orleans, week. That means you•• Lockport, no Isle, longer bigLAout-of-town chain store, a limited-assortment store, or corner •have LaRose LAto rely on Grand LA grocery to get your supplies.

JUNE AUGUST MAY JULY

H H H H At Rouses, our fresh meat is always prepared and packed daily. We offer full-case groceries, paper goods, local H products, cleaning supplies, water and soft drinks. All orders can be packed in dry ice upon request. And whether H you’re stocking a single boat or a whole fleet, our dockside pick up and delivery makes it easier to shop at Rouses than ever before.

H H H H H HOf course, we’re fully prepared to handle large orders, and you always get our everyday low in-store shelf prices. For H

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your convenience, orders can be carried in, called in or e-mailed to Rouses. We deliver to boats, docks and shipyards, and delivery is available to all areas listed above.

ROUSES

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MAY 2019 | BAYOU BUSINESS MONTHLY

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MAY 2019 | BAYOU BUSINESS MONTHLY

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MAY 2019 | BAYOU BUSINESS MONTHLY

any hands do much work on the rigs, platforms and vessels connected to the Bayou Region’s portion of the oil and gas industry. As an army moves on its stomach, so too does the Gulf of Mexico’s energy workforce. A variety of local companies sue their expertise and resources to make sure that happens.

“People rely on us, and we know we are contributing to the morale of the offshore oilfield workers by supplying them with a highquality product,” said Erik Lind, president of G&J Land & Marine Food Distributors, Inc., a third-generation, Morgan City based company which for more than half a decade has supplied the industry with every product a rig or ship galley might need to keep crews nourished.

Raw meats and produce, canned products and other grocery needs are delivered by G&J 18-wheelers to docks throughout the region, equipped to meet the company’s demand for freshness and proper storage, to be delivered over water. The company has a growing landbased business as well, Erik said, noting that like other oilfield-related businesses in the

area, G&J is diversifying its client base.

His grandparents, Gerry and Eileen Lind, were retail grocers in Seattle back when Gerry was recruited by a service company to shepherd a distributor into its operations, and the couple relocated to south Louisiana. They eventually went out on their own, founding G&J in 1964. Their son, Mike Lind, joined the business in 1974, eventually becoming its president, the position now held by Erik.

“It’s a high intensity business,” Erik said.

“People rely on us and everyone works hard to minimize mistakes.”

Companies such as G&J are more generally known to men and women of the industry rather than casual shoppers.

But a number of local companies that Bayou Region families interface with everyday play a major role in feeding offshore workers. That category of suppliers has lost a name long associated with marine food services recently, however. Frank’s Supermarkets ran offshore supply operations from two of its stores for decades. Those two stores have become part of the Rouses family of supermarkets, leaving one Frank’s location, the store the company still maintains in Des Allemands.

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Rouses is a household name – here in the region where it began and the places where it is forging further growth. CEO Donny Rouse said in an interview that the marine delivery component of the business remains an important part of its operation.

He has long maintained that while the marine market makes up a small segment of overall business, the demand has remained strong. Rouses’ position regarding service of the industry is bolstered by its tremendous growth over the years. Docks from Galveston to Mobile see frequent visits by the company’s signature delivery vehicles.

“We’ve gotten real active and have really been going after the marine industry and showing the services we can provide in comparison to our competitors,” Rouse said in an interview on the marine aspect of his business. Adapting to industry changes by increasing service to inshore operations – with a reach to allow a wide range of that diversity – has been a help, Rouse said. The orders generally received by Rouses, he said, can range anywhere from $800 to $30,000 or more, depending on the size of the vessel and how long it is expected to be out of port.

“The oilfield industry has slowed down. But we’re a little more diversified in our marine area as far as the customers who we serve. So we picked up more marine business that’s not directly involved with the price of oil,” Rouse said.

For both Rouses and another well-known local company, Cannata’s Family Markets, experience supplying boats and rigs was an important tool for developing retail customer pickup at stores. Rouses has also developed home delivery as a feature families now use.

“Every customer is important, but these orders are special,” Vince Cannata, president of the eponymous grocery company, said of marine grocery services. “The people work hard and they want fresh food. You are taking the place of them being in the store, so you have to be sure the products you are choosing are fresh, not bruised and that they will keep well. We take our responsibility to that very seriously.”

MAY 2019 | BAYOU BUSINESS MONTHLY

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MAY 2019 | BAYOU BUSINESS MONTHLY

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PORT OF TERREBONNE MAY 2019 | BAYOU BUSINESS MONTHLY

CHUGGING ALONG

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DIRECTOR SAYS ECONOMY STILL REELING, BUT THERE’S HOPE FOR A BRIGHTER FUTURE

BY CASEY GISCLAIR

T

he local economy has just been in a bit of a rut — unable to fully shake back to its normal self now several years running.

We all know this by now.

But there are signs of progress at the Port of Terrebonne and Executive Director David Rabalais said he’s hopeful that tomorrow will be brighter than today.

Expansion has been the story of the past 12 months at the port with several projects on the books — including some which will be completed by the end of the calendar year.

Rabalais said he’s proud of how the port has pushed forward in recent years in the face of the slow economy, adding that lately, there have been signs of light at the end of the tunnel. “(The economy) is still sluggish,” Rabalais said. “But it’s better than last year. And I believe that we will see growth in the next several years. Just how much, I’m not sure.”

But there is still growth in the present, indeed.

Rabalais said in the past 12 months, “things have started picking up.”

“WE HAVE A VERY RESILIENT INDUSTRY IN TERREBONNE PARISH, THIS AREA PIONEERED MARINE FABRICATION AND REPAIR AS WELL AS THE FABRICATION AND INSTALLATION OF LARGE MANUFACTURED STRUCTURES FOR THE OIL AND GAS INDUSTRY. THIS REGION TAUGHT THE REST OF THE WORLD HOW TO FABRICATE AND OPERATE IN THE OIL AND GAS INDUSTRY AND COMPANIES WORLDWIDE RECOGNIZE THE CRAFTSMANSHIP OF THIS REGION AND THE REGION COMPETES VERY WELL WITH THE REST OF THE NATION.” - Executive Director David Rabalais

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He said the port is currently performing two expansions for port tenants utilizing the Port Priority Program administered through DOTD. “Both expansions will be completed before year’s end,” Rabalais said.

The port is also working aggressively with the General Services Administration (GSA) to expanded the U.S. Customs lease at the port and their presence in Terrebonne Parish.

Rabalais said work is also continuing and on-going with the Houma Navigation Canal.

“The port remains active with Houma Navigation Canal maintenance and deepening issues and constantly pursuing grants and ways to leverage dollars earned to promote economic growth in Terrebonne Parish,” Rabalais said.

The fight to stay out in front of the changes in the Houma Navigation Canal are never-ending.

Rabalais said the HNC is a federally authorized channel and the “main artery” to Terrebonne Parish’s economy.

He said that artery only flows when the canal stays at its authorized depth of 15 feet.

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“The shallower the channel gets, the number of vessels that can’t get in grows larger,” Rabalais said.

“Some boat owners refuse to bring vessels in the HNC because of past problems that they encountered. Every time a vessel drags bottom, it scrapes the paint off the bottom, bends rudders and damagers thrusters which cost boat owners a lot of unnecessary dollars.”

So why is it so hard to keep the canal at 15-feet deep at all locations?

Well, that’s complex and is part of the never-ending fight Rabalais and his staff have to deal with.

He said it centers around where the canal is located.

The HNC is a 36-mile long federally authorized channel and it traverses from the Intercoastal Waterway (ICWW) to the Gulf of Mexico.

The final 10 miles of the canal traverses through Terrebonne Bay, which is 10-foot deep. The barrier islands to the east of the HNC erode and the silt migrates to the west with the predominant winds blowing out to the east.

This silt finds its way to the bottom of the HNC, which shallows the canal and often makes it dangerous for ships.

Rabalais likened it to a tunnel or a bridge. If a bridge’s clearance is 15 feet, any truck below 15 feet in height can pass safely — literally every day.

But because the HNC is always changing, some businesses don’t take the chance, and that, in turn, hurts the local economy.

“The depth changes every month in Terrebonne Bay,” Rabalais said.

There are solutions to fix the problem — sort of an easy way and a hard way.

The easy way, Rabalais said, would be if a barrier reef were built to the east of the channel in Timbalier Bay, which would catch that silt and rebuild those islands and/

or preventing them from migrating west into the HNC. But that takes government funds and lots of money, so the hard way is constant dredging — which is what the Port of Terrebonne has been doing for the past several years.

Rabalais said local leaders have worked tirelessly to support the port and millions have flowed in to help.

In 2018, the HNC had $9.5 million to spend on maintenance. In 2019, there is $4 million budgeted, $2.2 million left over from previous years and a $2 million state allocation.

“The status today with the maintenance budget is a testament of how hard our federal delegation has worked in the past several years,” Rabalais said. “And our state delegation has also recognized that the work we lose when the channel is deficient hurts the state’s economy.”

The ultimate goal, Rabalais said, would be to get a deepening study/barrier reef project placed in a WRDA Bill, though it’s not yet known if there will be one in 2020.

So until then, the port waits and does what it can with the resources it has in place.

Rabalais said he’s proud of the progress made and also with how the industry has evolved around the port to stay afloat amidst tough economic times and stiff environmental challenges.

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“We have a very resilient industry in Terrebonne Parish,” Rabalais said. “This area pioneered marine fabrication and repair as well as the fabrication and installation of large manufactured structures for the oil and gas industry. This region taught the rest of the world how to fabricate and operate in the oil and gas industry and companies worldwide recognize the craftsmanship of this region and the region competes very well with the rest of the nation.”

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MAY 2019 | BAYOU BUSINESS MONTHLY

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isters Lauren Melancon and Vanessa Melancon Pierce have worked together their whole lives — a team of go-getters always striving to do more to help the local community.

“We’ve always built stuff,” Lauren said. “That’s just what we do.”

“We are both very passionate about the success of our community,” Vanessa added.

So one day last year, the sisters met for a little chat and the idea came out, ‘Hey, why don’t we just buy the Kief Hardware building?’

The idea being that the local shipbuilding industry was struggling and that a hardware store could service the family’s boat company, Offshore Lift Boats, while also serving as a retail hub for the needs of the people in southern Lafourche.

Kief Hardware was a Lafourche mainstay, but was closing. The opportunity to fill that void could be worthwhile — albeit something the sisters considered a longshot at best to actually happen.

So, they floated their thoughts to family and co-workers — almost in a tongue and cheek manner. But what the sisters thought was a joke quickly gained traction.

And now, many months later, Melaco Sisters Hardware & Supplies has been born.

Located at 16230 La. Highway 3235 (the backroad) in Cut Off, Melaco Sisters Hardware & Supplies has been in operation since the start of the year — a Do it Best co-op with more than 150,000 products for customers to choose from in hardware, plumbing, electrical, fasteners, paint, outdoors, lawn and garden, sporting goods and also a full-service industrial/commercial department.

The sisters say business is growing steadily and their goal is to help locals get through this tough economy and into a better, brighter place in the future.

“We know everyone right now is short-handed,” Lauren said. “We know some supplies are difficult to find or they’re only located at places far away. We said, ‘Let’s just make it all happen in one place.’ We want to be here for our community because they’ve always been here for us. It started as a joke, but it became a passion. This is our backyard. This is where we live. We call it Downtown Cut Off — the little area we’re in. That is our home.”

The store feels like home to those who frequent it — both as customers and employees.

And that’s by design.

The sisters say coming from the business of offshore and moving to hardware has been a total 180 — an entirely new vibe in how business is done and how one communicates with customers and clients.

In offshore, the tone is “hard” and more “cut-throat,” and it was hard for the sisters initially to earn respect, they say, in a male-driven industry.

Vanessa said she and her sister regularly traveled to meetings around the Southeast and were often the only females in the room.

“We’d meet very few women in those offices,” Vanessa said. “Taking that leap helped us to build our confidence and prepared us to take on any industry without worrying about it being ‘male-driven.’”

But hardware hasn’t been quite the same grind.

Lauren said while getting organized, they met with

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several other store owners and they’ve all been helpful in the transition.

She said she also had to learn to soften her tone and body language when dealing with employees on the hardware side so as to not spook customers.

“The oil industry made my sister and I just so hard,” Lauren said. “It was hard at first to let go of that and to soften up.

That’s been the biggest different — the energy is just totally different.”

Being surrounded by the Melaco Sisters staff makes that transition easier than it perhaps might have been, though.

Workers at the store take pride in their job — the sisters say everyone at the business is family, some blood and others adopted in.

For most business owners, that’s a cliche. But Melaco Sisters said at their store, it’s real.

Since opening, Lauren and Vanessa have discovered the talents of their team — assigning each person to the department that best allows them to thrive.

From there, they try and let their workers “do their own thing,” because they believe that builds pride in the product.

“We let people do their jobs,” Lauren said. “I don’t believe in micromanaging unless you have to.”

On social media, the store’s personality shows through.

In posts, the company is both informative about their products and

services, but also witty. Often, employees are shown enjoying their days.

Vanessa said she credits her little sister with their successes on Facebook and Instagram. But Lauren said it’s a credit to the entire team who has gone the extra mile to make the posts stand out.

“I took it to them and said, ‘Hey, we have to improve our social media presence,’” Lauren said. “And they took it and got ideas together and it’s a group effort. As bosses, we gave it up and gave it to the employees and they took it and ran with it, and it’s been great. It makes for a fun working environment.”

With the business now through four months, the sisters say their focus is on continued successes in the future.

There are plans for growth in clientele, sure, and there are high hopes for the future.

But no matter where things head, that family-like vibe will never go away.

Also, that commitment to servicing the community will always stay in place, as well.

The sisters add that no matter what locals need, they’ll aim to provide.

“We have our good days. We have our bad days,” Lauren said. “But no matter what, we pull back together and we make it work. We’re blessed. We have an amazing team, and working with my sister has been excellent. This has been very, very fun.”

•

“We want to be here for our community because they’ve always been here for us. It started as a joke, but it became a passion.

This is our backyard. This is where we live. We call it Downtown Cut Off — the little area we’re in. That is our home.”

- Vanessa Melancon Pierce

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he Louisiana Board of Regents awarded Fletcher Technical Community College an over $144,000 grant — which will go to implementing new simulators and other equipment into the college’s Marine Diesel program.

“The simulator for the Marine Diesel Engine program is brand new to us. What Fletcher has historically done is primarily just had the actual pieces of equipment, like the engines,” said Fletcher Chancellor Dr. Kristine Strickland. “But with the advancements in technology that we’re seeing, there are more and more of these types of products coming out that are for education and training environments. So this will be the first simulator that we have purchased for this particular program.”

The simulators will educate not only Fletcher technician-hopefuls in the program but also local high school students through the college’s dual enrollment partnership with the Lafourche Parish School District.

The marine diesel simulators — which will be housed at the Lafourche Parish Career Magnet Center in Lockport — will help improve the students’ critical thinking, responsiveness and ability to perform under pressure because the instructors will be able to program different scenarios, Dr. Strickland explained.

“When you’re just working on a singular piece of equipment, oftentimes, that piece of equipment operates however it’s going to operate. And what we’re finding out is under certain pressures, under certain environments and under certain scenarios, sometimes machinery doesn’t operate like it’s supposed to,” Dr. Strickland shared.

“So what the simulator allows us to do is to demonstrate or put in front of students different scenarios where, for instance, a piece of machinery or equipment might malfunction.”

Dr. Strickland said that the students will be able to take what they learned, be able to know how to diagnose what went wrong and then know how to fix and repair it.

Because they are dealing with malfunctioning equipment, Dr. Strickland noted that the simulators will make for a much safer alternative as opposed to dealing with actual

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MAY 2019 | BAYOU BUSINESS MONTHLY

faulty equipment.

The Marine Diesel program prepares the future technicians to fix and repair heavy diesel engines in various fields such as the marine, farming and trucking industries, among others.

Twenty-four high school students from the Lafourche Parish School District have already signed up for the program this fall.

“Fletcher Technical Community College is grateful to the Board of Regents for funding this grant opportunity,” said Dr. Strickland in a Fletcher press release. “With these funds, Fletcher will be able to purchase state-of-theart equipment to train the next generation of technicians. In addition, the partnership with Lafourche Parish School System in offering this program will provide an opportunity

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for our local high school students to learn and train on the best equipment possible.”

Besides the funds received from the Louisiana Board of Regents, Fletcher has received other grants that will allow their students to work with other modern technology used in the workforce.

The college will soon purchase their first round of unmanned aircraft, or drones. This will allow them to expand their program that prepares students to acquire an FAA Part 107 certificate — which is needed to fly most unmanned aircraft for commercial or hobby use.

“Along the lines of this similar grant, we are putting together a precision agriculture program in conjunction with Nicholls State University. That program will use both drones and heavy diesel engine equipment repair,” Dr. Strickland explained. “So a lot of the things that we’re doing are becoming more and more interconnected as folks find ways to use this technology in all areas of business and industry.”

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“FLETCHER TECHNICAL COMMUNITY COLLEGE IS GRATEFUL TO THE BOARD OF REGENTS FOR FUNDING THIS GRANT OPPORTUNITY. WITH THESE FUNDS, FLETCHER WILL BE ABLE TO PURCHASE STATE-OFTHE-ART EQUIPMENT TO TRAIN THE NEXT GENERATION OF TECHNICIANS. IN ADDITION, THE PARTNERSHIP WITH LAFOURCHE PARISH SCHOOL SYSTEM IN OFFERING THIS PROGRAM WILL PROVIDE AN OPPORTUNITY FOR OUR LOCAL HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS TO LEARN AND TRAIN ON THE BEST EQUIPMENT POSSIBLE.” -Fletcher Chancellor Dr. Kristine Strickland

FOREIGN TRADE ZONE #279

Do you Import and / or Export Foreign Materials / Merchandise?

Inverted Duty Savings • Zone to Zone Transfers Savings on Merchandise Processing Fee / Customs Broker Entry Fee Improved Efficiency in Operating with U.S. Customs Store Merchandise Without a Time Limit

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Foreign Trade Zone No. 279 is structured under the Alternative Site Framework.

This allows a company to use an abbreviated application and receive a much faster approval process, saving you time and money.

The Houma-Terrebonne Airport and Industrial Park, along with the Port of Terrebonne are both magnet sites of the zone. While both are prime locations, the Alternative Site Framework also allows you to become a zone user / operator anywhere in Terrebonne Parish. Even if you are located in an adjacent parish, you can still become a sub-zone and benefit.

Houma-Terrebonne Foreign Trade Zone #279 Houma-Terrebonne Airport and Industrial Park Houma-Terrebonne Airport Commission 10264 East Main St., Houma, LA 70363 | (985) 872-4646

Partnered with Port of Terrebonne | Terrebonne Port Commission

MAY 2019 | BAYOU BUSINESS MONTHLY

Experience significant Cash Flow Savings -Deferred Duty Payments

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MOVERS AND SHAKERS |

NEWS BRIEFS

NICHOLLS, CPRA, REACH AGREEMENT ON COASTAL CENTER

MAY 2019 | BAYOU BUSINESS MONTHLY

Last month, Gov. John Bel Edwards and the Coastal Protection and Recreation Authority announced the intention to create a coastal center on the campus of Nicholls State University with the sole purpose of studying the effects of land loss in the Terrebonne and Atchafalaya Basins.

Gov. Edwards and Nicholls President Dr. Jay Clune signed a memorandum of understanding at a press conference in Baton Rouge, which was designed to introduce the idea to the public.

“Nicholls State University is located in the epicenter for coastal restoration, with our service area losing more coastal land than anywhere else on the planet,” Dr. Clune said. “This partnership with the Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority, its board and the State of Louisi-

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ana is vitally important as we focus more of our resources on preserving the land and Cajun culture in the Bayou Region.”

Locally, we’ve been among the hardest hit.

The statistic of a football field lost every 100 minutes is the most common used, but it’s hard for the average person to fully grasp just how much land we’ve lost over the past several decades due to the effects of coastal erosion.

Statistics show that Louisiana has been the hardest state hit by erosion since 1930 in the United States.

Since that period, more than 1,800 square miles of land have turned into open water.

The Coastal Center will study those patterns and seek to begin rebuilding land

across the state.

“This is the beginning of a partnership where we can focus our attention on the Atchafalaya River and its needs; and the potential for it to be a restoration tool for the Terrebonne basin,” Gov. Edwards said. “The Terrebonne Basin has the highest rate of land loss of any basin along our coast, and it presents some of the most difficult conditions for us to implement projects.”

The coastal center at Nicholls, when completed, will mirror the Center for River Studies on the Water Campus in Baton Rouge. It will allow Nicholls to become a leader in restoration research, education and outreach. Projects, models and displays of the Atchafalaya River and the two basins will be housed at the center.

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TOURISM IMPACTS TERREBONNE PARISH

TGMC WELCOMES SPINE SURGEON

National Travel and Tourism Week was last month.

And the Houma Area Convention and Visitors Bureau wants you to know the impact that tourism has on Terrebonne Parish.

The visitor’s bureau sent out a release last month using 2017 data to show the impacts that tourism has on the local economy.

According to the data, visitor spending in Terrebonne totaled more than $166 million in 2017, which means roughly $5.9 million in local and $15.5 million in state taxes.

With those amounts in local coffers, it means that each household in the area pays about $530 less in state and local

Terrebonne General Medical Center has announced that Dr. Sina Pourtaheri has joined its orthopedic medical staff.

Dr. Pourtaheri is an Orthopedic Spine Surgeon and he will practice at Gulf Coast Orthopedics in Houma.

TGMC’s newest addition is a New Orleans native. He attended medical school at Tulane, did his residency at Seton Hall and completed a spine fellowship at the Cleveland Clinic in Ohio.

TGMC says Dr. Pourtaheri has authored more than 45 journal articles and four book chapters on his craft. He’s also a member of the Orthopedic Surgery Department at the University of California San Diego, prior to his move to Houma.

He will treat patients in the Houma,

Morgan City and Galliano clinics.

“We are pleased to welcome Dr. Pourtaheri to Houma,” said Phyllis Peoples, the TGMC President and CEO. “His immense experience in Orthopedics is a true asset to our medical staff and community.

They created the 5K race 13 years ago and they annually give proceeds to The Foundation for TGMC to be used to provide medical and social care needs to the families of infants admitted to TGMC’s Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) with serious medical conditions.

The family said they wanted to show love and support to locals who are in the

same position they were in when Cooper was young.

Since the race’s inception, the Cooper Life Fund has donated $169,000 back to TGMC, and the hospital says the funds have benefitted hundreds of local patients in need.

taxes as a result of the visitor spending.

As a statewide level, visitors spent more than $17.5 billion in Louisiana in 2017 as a whole, which generated $1.8 billion in taxes. Without those funds, each household of Louisiana would pay $1,047 in additional taxes to maintain revenues.

The release also reminds locals that hospitality and tourism in Terrebonne employees 2,340 workers — adding that the Houma Area Convention and Visitors Bureau has gained statewide acclaim in recent months for its successes.

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COOPER LIFE FUND DONATES TO TGMC The Cooper Life Fund has donated $13,000 to Terrebonne General Medical Center – proceeds from the Super Cooper 5K Race, which took place on March 23.

The Cooper Life Fund was founded by John and Ashley Fontenot after their son, Cooper Fontenot, was born with a congenital heart defect called Transposition of the Great Vessels.

Cooper spent many weeks in the hospital and endured several hours of openheart surgery when he was only 9 days old.

But today, he’s alive, well and active because of the advanced medical care and extensive cardiovascular research that’s been done in the medical field.

But the Fontenot’s have always wanted to give back.

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BOARD OF REGENTS GRANTS NEARLY $800K TO NICHOLLS The Louisiana Board of Regents – the state agency that enhances higher education institutes through funding, budgeting and government representation — awarded Nicholls State University a total of $780,435 in grants for the upcoming school year.

“Nicholls aims to put all students on a path to a successful future and to support the Bayou Region with a skilled workforce,” Nicholls President Dr. Jay Clune said in a statement released by the university. “We thank the state for its support through these grants, which will support our students as they pursue their goals.”

The grant funded proposals by three different Nicholls departments: Applied Sciences, Art and Mathematics.

For the Department of Applied Sciences — more specifically the geomatics programs — in a collaborative effort with Tulane University, Nicholls and Tulane received $687,509 for a project proposed by Dr. Balaji Ramachandran, associate professor of geomatics at Nicholls.

The funding will better prepare students in the university’s geomatics program for the rapidly growing drone technologies and mapping industry. The project, according to a press release by Nicholls, will “increase the capacity of both institutions

to train faculty and students in conducting state-of-the-art coastal research using unmanned aerial systems (UAS), or drones, technologies.”

Out of 23 projects submitted in the comprehensive category, Dr. Ramachandran’s proposal was one of three selected to be funded. This will make Nicholls the “leader of drone training in Louisiana,” the release reads.

“Over the years, the demand for high resolution and accurate spatial data has

grown substantially both in the public and private sector,” said Dr. Ramachandran.

“The innovation that is occurring in UAS [aka drone] technology is revolutionizing the way spatial data is collected and analyzed in the surveying and mapping profession. Acquisition of state- of-the-art technology to the geomatics program will help prepare our students for graduate studies and the demand laid out by the emerging technical workforce.”

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Terrebonne General Medical Center has named Emily Taylor, RN, as its Nurse Director of the TGMC Women’s Health Center.

Taylor lands with TGMC after serving as the Women’s Services Nurse Director in Beaumont, Texas — a position she’s held for four years.

Taylor is a local – a Houma native and a graduate of Vandebilt Catholic High School and Nicholls.

“Taylor brings extensive knowledge, experience, a fresh pair of eyes, as well as an enthusiastic attitude to our Women’s Health Center team,” said Phyllis Peoples, TGMC’s President and CEO. “She’s going to be a valuable asset to TGMC as we continue to grow.”

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Dr. Neil Maki, Orthopaedic Surgeon with Thibodaux Regional Orthopaedic Clinic, was recently awarded the 2019 Louisiana State University (LSU) Orthopaedic Outstanding Alumnus Award. This award is presented annually by the LSU Department of Orthopaedic Surgery-New Orleans to an outstanding orthopaedic alumni for past contributions and service to the LSU Orthopaedic Department.

According to Andy King, MD, Past Chairman, Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, LSU – New Orleans, “Dr. Maki has been a huge supporter of academics, and his support has benefitted each of the New Orleans orthopaedic training programs. He has a passion for the entire scope of orthopaedics in general, and the on-going progress and excellence of orthopaedic surgery in Louisiana.”

Dr. Maki is board certified in Orthopaedics and Sports Medicine.

He is also fellowship trained in Hand and Upper Extremity. He has practiced continuously in Thibodaux since 1980 with major contributions to the local, state and national medical communities.

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MAY 2019 | BAYOU BUSINESS MONTHLY

TGMC NAMES WOMEN’S HEALTH CENTER DIRECTOR

MAKI AWARDED ORTH0PAEDIC OUTSTANDING ALUMNUS AWARD

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MOVERS AND SHAKERS |

NEWS BRIEFS

FLETCHER, DOVE STRIKE DEAL TO HELP LOUISIANA’S COAST

MAY 2019 | BAYOU BUSINESS MONTHLY

Fletcher Technical Community College is getting a program that will aid students in learning skills related to rebuilding Louisiana’s battered and fragile coast, in particular at locations in Terrebonne Parish.

Fletcher’s chancellor Dr. Kristine Strickland, signed an agreement on April 4 with Parish President Gordon Dove as part of a cooperative venture.

This fall, students at Fletcher may enroll in a 40-hour intensive course that will provide greater ability to specialize in restoration work. Planners and economists have long predicted that restoration of the coast will provide a new wave of jobs to the region.

“We are excited to launch this new Coastal Workforce Training program in partnership with the Terrebonne Parish Consolidated Government through the RESTORE Act,” Strickland said. “This program will provide our community with opportunities to upskill and retrain for future jobs in our Parish. Our hope is that we will be able to provide a strong and vibrant local workforce for many of the upcoming projects coming to the Bayou Region.”

Signed into law by President Barack Obama in 2012, the Resources and

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BOBBY BOUDREAUX MEMORIAL AED PRESENTED AT COURTHOUSE

Ecosystem Sustainability, Tourist Opportunities and Revived Economies of the Gulf States Act was passed by Congress as a result of the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill, which crippled fishing and oil and gas exploration, and severe environmental damage.

Under the act, civil penalties paid by companies under provisions of the Clean Water Act go into a trust fund. The money is split between emergency response needs, and divided among the five gulf states specifically for restoration activities.

Other directives exist for breakdowns of the finances and where they should be directed.

The agreement signed by Strickland and Dove will allow money that Terrebonne receives to be pumped into the program.

The Kiwanis Club of Houma dedicated a new, automatic External Defibrillator (AED) in honor of long-time member and Circuit Court Clerk Mr. Bobby Boudreaux.

The dedication took place last month at the Houma courthouse, which bears Boudreaux’s name.

Boudreaux was a member of Kiwanis from 1977 until his passing in 2018. The club wanted to do something special to honor his memory and they opted to purchase the AED, which is used in cardiac emergencies to monitor heart rhythms and shocking as a defibrillator, if necessary.

“It seemed a very appropriate memorial considering Bobby had such a big heart,” Club President Lacey Ourso said. “Bobby served our community for so long and in

a small way, this device can honor and continue that legacy.”

At the presentation, Kiwanis club members spoke in honor of Boudreaux and a wall plaque next to the AED was unveiled.

Boudreaux was beloved for his wit and ability to make people smile. He’s known for his Boudreaux and Thibodaux jokes and the plaque will reflect his humor by warning people to not use the device “Bayou Self”.

The Kiwanis Club of Houma’s primary mission is to improve communities with a special focus on the needs of children. Kiwanis Key Clubs in local high schools and the TARC Aktion Club encourage community service and civic responsibility.

•

•

ALUMNI ASSOCIATION HOSTS INAUGURAL GRADUATION BRUCH AND AWARDS CEREMONY Fletcher’s Alumni Association recently hosted the Inaugural Graduation Brunch and Awards Ceremony in the Fletcher Atrium. Chancellor Dr. Kristine Strickland provided opening remarks, and was followed by guest speaker Juan Clara, 2016 Fletcher graduate - Drafting and Design program. Mr. Clara currently serves as Vice President of the Alumni Association.

Faculty and staff nominated 38 students for awards in various categories: “The Alumni Brunch and Awards ceremony was a wonderful event,” commented Fletcher Chancellor Dr. Kristine Strickland. “There are few days in the year that are as special as those where we get to celebrate our students’ successes with them and their families. Many of our graduating students will enter the workforce or transfer onto a University setting and no matter their path, we are honored to have shared a small part of their journey and hopefully have provided them with the tools to be successful in the future. We celebrate and recognize the accomplishments of the graduating class of 2019 and celebrate the contributions they have made to both Fletcher and our community.”

The event concluded with closing remarks and a toast from the Alumni Association President, Jeanne Morgan-Gernon, welcoming attendees to the Alumni Association.

•

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ON THE AGENDA BUSINESS AT LUNCH

Join the Thibodaux Chamber for Business at Lunch featuring Dr. Craig Walker and David Konur, Cardiovascular Institute of the South. Admission is $25 for member and $35 for non-members..

May 15, 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m.

Bayou Country Club, Thibodaux

TGMC, CIS, ANNOUNCE CONTINUED PARTNERSHIP providing world-class cardiovascular care in partnership with our dedicated CIS physicians and for our life-saving technology,” said Phyllis Peoples, president and CEO. “With the recommitment to our long standing relationship, our highly skilled physicians and staff will be able to continue providing patients the most advanced treatment options available and the highest quality technology.”

“We take pride that we have grown into one of the largest and most comprehensive cardiovascular programs anywhere in the world,” added David Konur, CEO at CIS. “Our success would not be possible without our physicians, our team members and our partners.”

Over the years, both TGMC and CIS have provided award-winning, highquality patient care. TGMC was named as an Accredited Chest Pain Center by the Society of Cardiovascular Patient Care (SCPC). TGMC also was named as being in the Top 10 percent in the Nation by CareChex for cardiology expertise and cardiac care in patient safety — an honor achieved through team efforts of both the hospital and CIS. Going forward, both TGMC and CIS have expansion plans to better meet the growing needs of the community.

They plan to introduce a cardiac surgical suite to enhance the patient experience.

This suite will include the most advanced medical imaging devices and also the ability to perform minimally-invasive procedures — all in one location.

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BUSINESS AFTER HOURS

Business After Hours is held each month for Chamber members and their employees to enjoy food, drinks and door prizes while networking.

May 16, 5 – 7 p.m.

Calhoun Vapor – Bayou Cane, Houma

SCIA MEETING

Join SCIA at their monthly meeting featuring guest speaker Randall Luthi, President of NOIA, National Ocean Industries Association.

May 21, 11:45 a.m. – 1 p.m.

Courtyard by Marriott, Houma

GENERAL MEMBERSHIP LUNCHEON

Join the Houma-Terrebonne Chamber for their monthly membership luncheon featuring guest speaker Lt. Governor Billy Nungesser. Admission is $25/member and $30/nonmembers.

May 28, 11:30 a.m. – 1 p.m.

Courtyard by Marriott, Houma

BIG LUNCHEON

The Bayou Industrial Group hosts their monthly luncheon with guest speaker Greg Bowser, President, LA Chemical Association.

June 10, noon Bayou Country Club, Thibodaux

LUNCH WITH THE PROS

This event from the Houma-Terrebonne Chamber consists of five professionals that teach your table about a certain topic. This month is “Business 101.” Individual topics include human resources, insurance, legal, advertising, and customer service.

June 13, 11:30 a.m. – 1 p.m.

Courtyard by Marriott

MAY 2019 | BAYOU BUSINESS MONTHLY

Terrebonne General Medical Center (TGMC) is continuing its partnership with the Cardiovascular Institute of the South (CIS), allowing the two entities to continue to jointly manage the cardiac service line at TGMC. The two local medical leaders recently announced the renewal — a partnership that’s now been going on for more than 35 years.

The two companies have provided the most innovative and cardiovascular diagnosis and treatment to patients in the Bayou Region and beyond for decades — in part by offering the highest-quality cardiology technologies available.

The program has also been internationally-recognized and accredited for its advancements in cardiovascular care.

TGMC and CIS have excelled in recent years, helping to make local patients safer by pioneering the most advanced techniques and technology to treat coronary and peripheral vascular disease, some of which are available only at TGMC in this region, including cardiac ablations to treat irregular heartbeats and also a Hybrid Operating Room for non-surgical valve replacement and abdominal aortic aneurism stenting.

In addition to those advances, there have also been more than 40 groundbreaking cardiac research trials available to qualifying patients of CIS, which offer patients access to the latest devices and treatment options in the world.

“TGMC has a reputation for

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