SCOTT, La. -- Today, Gov. Bobby Jindal, joined by CEO William Howard of Houston Plating & Coatings LLC, announced that HP&C will invest more than $9 million in building an 80,000-square-foot facility in Scott. The plant will be operated by Louisiana Plating & Coatings, a wholly owned division of HP&C, and will create 120 new direct jobs over the next five years.
The Houston-based company expects to complete the facility in June and initially will hire 35 workers, increasing to 50 in the second year and eventually 120. Average annual salaries will be $35,000, plus benefits. LP&C will provide area industries a variety of corrosion-protection services, including electroless-nickel plating and salt-bath phosphate and spray coatings. Oilfield service machinery will be a primary focus of the Scott facility.
Gov. Jindal said, "Today's announcement continues to send the message that we are coming back stronger than ever after the oil spill and the moratorium. I like to call it our Cajun Ingenuity – our ability to adapt and be resilient no matter what challenges we face. This job win will help our oil and gas industry continue to fuel the country, support thousands of jobs here and across the United States, and also create new opportunities for our people right here at home."
"We are excited about the opportunity to offer Louisiana-based companies, especially those in the oilfield service business, the scope and quality of coatings and customer service that they need and deserve," said Howard, the company's CEO. "HP&C has a significant customer base in Louisiana and having these services available in Louisiana will significantly decrease the turnaround times for those and other Louisiana-based manufacturers."
Louisiana Economic Development is providing assistance to the company through the state's Quality Jobs and Industrial Tax Exemption programs. The state and the Lafayette Economic Development Authority also are assisting the City of Scott with a $920,000 Community Development Block Grant application, which would provide site infrastructure improvements for the project.
"We are delighted to have been selected for LP&C's new facility," said Scott Mayor Purvis Morrison. "This new business will have a significant and positive impact on our local economy by providing good-paying jobs, expanding our property tax base and supporting our existing local service businesses. Additionally, LP&C's corrosion-protection services will support the continued growth and expansion of our region's shale gas exploration and production businesses."
"Today's announcement by Louisiana Plating & Coatings is a prime example of ongoing community building endeavors bearing fruit," said Gregg Gothreaux, president and CEO of the Lafayette Economic Development Authority. "It is the team effort between elected and public officials, the real estate community, LEDA and LED, along with private businesses, that makes projects such as LP&C opening a new division in Scott possible. It is great to see the City of Scott growing new jobs for its citizens."
Sitting on slightly more than 7 acres, the plant will provide comprehensive coating and plating services to companies throughout Louisiana and to customers in Oklahoma and Arkansas. One of LP&C's significant customers, Halliburton, is constructing a large manufacturing facility in Lafayette – which Gov. Jindal announced in 2011 – and this project will help Halliburton reach its production goals.
"The new LP&C facility to be built in Scott represents a valuable addition to Louisiana's oil and gas sector," said LED Secretary Stephen Moret. "We rely on innovative companies to forecast future oilfield supply needs and to expand their capacity to provide key services to the state's energy industry. Given the strong demand and price trends for oil and the growth of unconventional shale plays in the state, this sector continues to be one of our most promising economic leaders."
About Louisiana Plating & Coatings
Louisiana Plating & Coatings is a wholly owned division of Houston Plating & Coatings LLC. Located in Scott, La., the facility will serve Louisiana's vital and growing oilfield service industry by offering a variety of corrosion-protection surface treatments, including electroless-nickel plating, QPQ, phosphate and spray coating treatments. Visit www.louisianaplating.com for additional information about the company.
About Houston Plating & Coatings
Houston Plating & Coatings LLC, a privately held company founded in 1988, is the largest provider of plating and coating services to the oilfield equipment manufacturing industry. HP&C's unique supply chain-based marketing programs have enabled original equipment manufacturers to achieve the fastest production schedules possible by significantly reducing coating turnaround times. Visit www.houstonplating.com for additional information about the company.