Chamber Express - October 2022 Edition

Bayou Fest has food, festivities, fireworks and fun for all ages

Oct. 15 at Highland Bayou Park in La Marque

From live music to children’s activities to fireworks, Bayou Fest offers fun for people of all ages. And the best part is admission and parking are free!

Tell all of your coworkers, friends and family to meet up on Saturday, Oct. 15 at Highland Bayou Park (exit 10 off I-45 South) and get ready to enjoy these activities:

BARBECUE COOK-OFF

Compete with the Best of the Best as part of the Galveston County Triple Crown! On Oct. 14, the

cook-off ramps up as teams compete for $10,000 in prize money. Rules and reservation forms are available from the Chamber. Call 409-9351408 for more information. Bayou Fest Cook-Off features 100 barbecue spots with easy access, stabilized ground, water and power hook-ups.

KIDS QUE COOK-OFF

Enjoy the First Annual La Marque Kids Que Cook-off. This is a FREE event limited to the first 20 kids to sign up. There are two age groups and 10 kids per group. Ages

7-11 (Junior) and 1216 (Senior). The Junior group will take place from 10:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m., and the Senior group will take place from noon to 1 p.m. Registrations are being accepted now. Email the Chamber at lauren@ tclmchamber.com for registration forms and more information.

ARTS AND CRAFTS VENDORS

Get a jump on your Christmas shopping at the Bayou Fest’s vendor fair. More than 20 craft vendors are expected. Are

you crafty yourself? There are still a couple vendors spaces open. Call the Chamber at 409-935-1408 to inquire right away!

CORNHOLE TOURNAMENT

Grab your partner and come throw some bags! This event is presented by Lone Star Cornhole Organization. Bring your own partner doubles, upper and lower divisions. $20 per player or $40 per team. Boards open at 11 a.m. and the tournament will start at noon. This event is open to everyone.

‘COWBOY’ JONES CHILDREN’S FISHING TOURNAMENT

Bring your little one to enjoy fishing with the Rusty Hook Fishing Club. The first 200 children to register to fish (ages 12 and under) will receive a free t-shirt and lunch. Participants

must provide a rod and reel, but Boyd’s One Stop provides the bait. Registration starts at 8:30 a.m. Kids can fish from 9 a.m. until 1 p.m. with parent or guardian supervision. For 10 categories of fish, kids can win a new rod, reel and tackle box, provided by La Marque Lions Club. Alex’s A/C provides goody bags stuffed with items from some TCLM Chamber members.

PUMPKIN PATCH AND DECORATING CONTEST

Beginning at 9 a.m., pick a pumpkin for FREE, find a spot under the pavilion and

get creative! The La Marque Lions Club will present cash prizes for the first-, second- and third-favorite pumpkins. Age divisions are 5 and under, 6-10 years, 11-14 years and 15-19 years. A parent must accompany children under 12.

KIDS ACTIVITIES

Purchase a $5 wristband for kids to enjoy bounce houses and other kid-friendly activities.

MUTTON BUSTIN’

Dress up your little cowboys and cowgirls and meet up near the

FROM THE CHAMBER PRESIDENT

Thanks for the welcome home!

What a great time to be back at the Texas City – La Marque Chamber of Commerce!

Whew, I had forgotten how much goes on every day here in Texas City and La Marque, and I can tell you that every day brings so much opportunity and energy for our businesses. As we move forward with the process of finding the next President and CEO of our Chamber, we will continue our mission to serve our members and enhance economic and community development. I am excited to be serving as the Interim President and CEO of this amazing organization. As everyone knows, this

Chamber is always moving at warp speed, and I stand in awe of the staff and volunteers.

I am so eager to work with each of you as we continue the great work of this Chamber — four star accredited and absolutely one of the best in the nation!

Jenny Senter Interim President/CEO

BAYOU FEST

pavilion. Registration is at noon and events start at 1 p.m. The entry fee is $20. Two age categories: 2-5 and 6-7. Belt buckles are awarded for Grand Champion and Reserve Champion. Weight limit is 65 pounds and parents must sign a waiver at registration.

Back by popular demand is Stick Horse Racing for kids who don’t want to ride live animals but still want to take part in the fun.

FREE LIVE MUSIC CONCERTS

Bring chairs and kick back or dance the night away! Get rockin’ with Dion Pride at 4:30 p.m., Hamilton Loomis at 6:30 p.m. and Stoney

LaRue at 8:30 p.m. Visit food trucks and craft vendors between shows. The La Marque Lions Club will be selling beer on site, so no coolers.

FIREWORKS SHOW

Stay until 10 p.m. to watch the spectacular AMOCO Federal Credit Union Fireworks Show! Rideshare services are

welcomed and encouraged. Parking for the festival is in a grassy field, rain or shine. All possible accommodations are made for handicapped parking, but space is limited.

Bayou Fest is

Dion Pride at 4:30 p.m.

Abba’s Place

4915 E� FM 517 Rd�, Dickinson, TX 77539 281-615-1445

Representative: Toni Long abbasplace2022@gmail�com abbasplacesoulfood�com

Restaurant

Stoney LaRue at 8:30 p.m.

Hamilton Loomis at 6:30 p.m.

WELCOME NEW MEMBERS

D.R. Horton

9614 Wall St��, Texas City, TX 77591 281-615-1445

Representative: Lori Evans drhorton�com/texas-city/ central-park

Realty Services

Glad Tidings Church

902 N� Logan St�, Texas City, 77590 409-945-9468

Pastor: John Humphries info@gladtidingstexascity�org Non-Profit

Industrial Cooling Towers

8031 Airport Blvd�, Houston, 77061 832-982-2421

Representative: Marcus Carrell icooltowers com

Industrial Services

presented by the City of La Marque and the Texas City-La Marque Chamber. For more information, follow Bayou Fest on Facebook or visit the website lamarque bayoufest.com.

Lamont Brands

920 Gemini St�, Houston, 77058 281-286-7553

Representative: Jewell Hernandez

lamontbrands com

WOMEN IN LEADERSHIP

Education

Small

Judy Slocumb

Independence Village

Large Business

Jones

LEADERSHIP MAINLAND

Leadership Mainland focused on entertainment and media at its September session. The group met at the Texas City-La Marque Chamber of Commerce office, where they heard from Galveston’s Unscripted JR Shaw. The group then departed for The Galveston County Daily News office, where they heard from Editor Michael A. Smith. They also were given a tour of The Daily News facility and were able to see where the papers are printed.

The session included a stop at the Mainland City Center. The Leadership group was given a tour of the building, led by Developer Jerome Karam.

Thank you to all who inspired and motivated the Leadership Mainland Class of 2022 at this exciting session. The next class forms in December. Contact the Chamber office for details about how to get in volved in the 2023 Leadership Mainland class.

JIMMY HAYLEY GOLF CLASSIC

RIBBON CUTTINGS

Faust Distributing Company

3001 Gulf Freeway, La Marque, TX 77568 409-933-9500 www.faustdistributing.com.

Faust Distributing Company was founded by Galveston native Don Faust in 1957 and recently celebrated it’s 65th anniversary. The company began as Falstaff Distrib uting Company, operating out of a 3,000-square-foot warehouse in Bay town. The company grew rapidly and, in 1960, Falstaff Distributing moved to a 6,000-square-foot warehouse on North Main in Baytown. The distribu torship gained even more momentum when it began distributing Miller Brew ing Company products in 1965. Be cause it was no longer solely a Falstaff beer distributorship, the name was changed to Faust Distributing Compa ny. In 1966, the newly named distribu torship moved to a 12,000-square-foot warehouse to handle the recent Miller acquisition.

With the introduction of Miller Lite in 1974, the company grew rapidly, and Miller became the primary suppli er of Faust Distributing. As the Miller

brand gained popularity, Falstaff began losing market share, and Don Faust decided to transfer the distribution rights to one of his close friends and competitors, Pearl Distributing Compa ny of Baytown. The growth of Miller Lite continued after it’s introduction and, in 1980, the company moved to a 69,000-square-foot facility on Flagship Drive in Houston.

Always looking toward the future, Faust began moving heavily into im port acquisitions in 1992. The company

began distributing popular brands, such as Heineken, Guinness, Tecate and Dos Equis. A few years later, in 1998, Faust purchased Brooks Distrib uting in Conroe and Champion Beer in Angleton. That acquisition added Miller Brewing Company products and many other suppliers to the Faust portfolio and enabled Faust to expand its busi ness to cover all of Montgomery and Brazoria Counties, adding to its East Harris County footprint. Other acquisi tions soon followed, and between 1998 and 2015, Faust had completed seven acquisitions and grew the number of counties they serviced from one to 12, covering more than 9,400 square miles. All this growth led to the need for more warehouse space and, in 2002, Faust Distributing moved into a stateof-the-art office and warehouse facility built on 40 acres on the East Freeway in Houston, its current headquarters.

In 2015, Don Faust was given the chance to purchase Dienst Distributing Company of La Marque. He jumped at the opportunity and added Galveston County to his ever-expanding business, and he was able to close out his career by ending where he began in Galves ton County. He built an impressive business with 32 suppliers, covering 13 counties with three warehouses and 350 team members. Don Faust passed away in March 2021, and he left a legacy, as a great family man and great businessman. The company that he built is now in the hands of his two sons, Don Jr. and Tyson, and they will continue to lead the company to new heights.

Faust Distributing Company is a long-time dedicated supporter of the Chamber of Commerce and many com munity events. Kudos to this Business of the Month!

MEMBERSHIP RENEWALS

HOT DEALS

City-

Marque

2022 BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Ron Assad, CHAIRMAN

Gallant Industrial

Ramiro Barba, SECRETARY

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Georgia Barzilay, PAST CHAIR

Karat Creations Jewelry

Jon Branson

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James Brumley, VICE CHAIR

Oiltanking-Texas City, L.P.

Jay Carnes

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Alex Getty

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George Hill

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April Jones

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Thomas Keim

Industrial Commissioning

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AMOCO Federal Credit Union

Mandie McMillan Crowder

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Mike Meyer, TREASURER

Ashland

Frank Mistretta

Houston Hurricane & Security

Cory Moss

Valero

Dr. Warren Nichols, CHAIR ELECT

College of the Mainland

Jason Pollard

Grand Prize Barbeque

Phil Roberts

Roberts, Johnson & Cain

Jim Russell

HCA Houston Healthcare Mainland

Bob Senter

Texas First Insurance

Sonny Tholcken

Trey Industries

Candice Towles

Texas First Bank

Andy Venables

Eastman

Christine Wade

UTMB Health

Cathie Woitena

Associated Credit Union of Texas

Chamber Staff

Jenny Senter, Interim President/CEO

Stefanie Aldrich, Vice President

Lauren Kaiser, Operations Manager

Marielle Gomez, Communications & Promotions Coordinator

Bianca Jenson, Member Services Manager

Chamber Mission

To serve members and enhance economic and community development.

Chamber Vision

To be recognized as a vital resource, providing relevant, innovative and impactful programming that produces a healthy business climate and an enhanced quality of life.

Chamber Express Newsletter

The publication of the Texas City-La Marque Chamber of Commerce is published monthly (second Sunday of the month). Some content and photos provided as a courtesy by The Galveston County Daily News.

Texas City-La Marque

Chamber of Commerce

9702 E.F. Lowry Expressway

Texas City, TX 77590 409-935-1408 www.TCLMchamber.com