By LEONARD GRAY

Managing Editor

RESERVE — Baumer Foods Inc., the maker of the Crystal Hot Sauce brand and several other sauces and condiments including Figaro Liquid Smoke, signed the agreements Thursday to take over their new location in Reserve.

Baumer Foods, an 80-year-old business, will eventually build a work force of 200 employees, according to Vice President of Finance Ronald Wendel, with a 192,000 square foot building being leased on West 11th Street in Reserve. That would place the company as the fourth largest industry in St. John Parish.

&#8220It’s hard to describe what we went through,” Al Baumer Jr. commented on the impact of Hurricane Katrina. &#8220We had no production facility, no prod-

uct. We scrambled around, some even working out of their cars.”

The company’s original location on Tulane A, with five to six feet of water in their plant. The company, Baumer said, is committed to rebuilding the greater New Orleans area and is focused on getting its products back on the shelves.

The convoluted way Baumer came to St. John Parish was almost happenstance. A vice-president of Baumer had been living with his daughter in LaPlace, and mentioned the company’s need. He was put in touch with Julia Remondet, St. John Parish’s Director of Economic Development.

Remondet brought on board Parish President Nickie Monica and Monica, in turn, went to Port of South Louisiana Executive Director Joel Chaisson.

Baumer has signed a 15-year lease at $4 per square foot for the former ConStar building, with St. John Parish putting in $10,000 a month on the lease for 16 months out of its economic development fund.

In addition, state economic development funds are providing $1.5 million for improvements to the building, and the port will sell $4 million in bonds to cover all the other improvements needed.

&#8220This is using our economic development fund as it was intended,” Monica said.

&#8220It seems like a lifetime has passed,” Baumer said. The company expects their new Reserve plant to be fully operational by the summer of 2006. &#8220This is really a great day.”

&#8220We are very excited about our new location and are eager to get back to work. We are very committed to the New Orleans area and its people. Our customers are local, national and international and are very loyal and we are doing everything we can to make sure our products are back on the shelves and in restaurants for them,” said Al Baumer Jr., CEO and President of Baumer Foods Inc.

Also on hand for the signing was Don Pierson, Assistant Secretary of Economic Development for the state. &#8220This is a great success story,” he commented.

During this transition period, Baumer products are being produced with the help of manufacturers in other states and plan to bring the production to the new location in Reserve.

Baumer Foods is in touch with many of its employees and all employees who are able to work at the new location will have the opportunity to return to Baumer Foods.