By ROBIN SHANNON

L’Observateur

GARYVILLE – Gov. Bobby Jindal joined St. John the Baptist Parish officials and representatives from Nalco and its new parent company Ecolab Thursday to tout an $18.7 million expansion at Nalco’s Garyville facility that will bring 22 new direct jobs to the region.

In announcing construction of the company’s dry polymer production facility, Nalco’s new ownership said the skills and work ethic of the current employees at the Garyville site weighed heavily in the decision to expand at the site.

“The management and the engineers were so technically superior, there wasn’t much discussion about where to site the plant,” said Jim Seifert, executive vice-president of Minnesota-based Ecolab, which acquired Nalco last year. “For more than 40 years, the Garyville community has had a significant role in the growth of Nalco, and we are extremely proud of the products our local employees have produced. This expansion further strengthens that relationship we have with the community here.”

Carl Pasquarelli, plant manager at the Garyville facility, said construction on the new 300,000-square-foot unit began in October and is expected to finish by December 2012. He said it will expand the size of the facility to 1 million square feet and will expand the workforce at the plant to more than 250 employees. The construction work will also add as many as 167 new indirect jobs from 10 construction contracts with Louisiana firms.

Seifert said the dry polymer unit will produce material that is used to remove contaminants from wastewater in an effort to increase production efficiency for industries such as paper production and mining. Nalco’s Garyville plant, which opened in 1970, produces industrial water treatment products such as corrosion inhibitors used in boilers and cooling towers. It has also produced wastewater treatment products used in food service, healthcare and other industries.

“The Garyville plant is in an area where it is surrounded by its customers,” Seifert said. “The plants up and down the Mississippi River use Nalco’s products regularly. With the location along the river and the amount of exports we send out, it makes sense for us to expand in Garyville, which is one of our flagship facilities.”

Jindal said the company’s decision to expand in Louisiana is a testament to the state’s strong business climate and reliable workforce. He said the majority of the jobs created in the state as part of recent projects have been created by companies already in the state.

“It’s great when we bring new companies to Louisiana, but it is even better when we help existing companies to grow,” Jindal said. “Ecolab decided to reinvest in Louisiana because of the track record of production success the company has had in St. John the Baptist Parish.”

Parish President Natalie Robottom said Nalco has always played an important role in the parish and in the Garyville community, where the company is often involved in the school system. She said Nalco was enlisted in 2009 to perform an independent audit on parish’s water treatment system in LaPlace

“Industry is vital in St. John Parish, and Nalco has played an extremely important role there,” Robottom said. “You’re right on the river. You’re helping to support St. John’s tax base, as well as our residents, which is a big part of why we’re helping to grow and expand our existing businesses.”