An early draft of the Recovery Plan for Bastrop and Morehouse Parish shows a strong and ready workforce, among several economic assets.
The state-funded recovery plan is meant to target those economic assets that can be marketed and promoted after the recent closure of International Paper’s Louisiana Mill.
Taimerica Management Co. of Mandeville, La. began research for the plan in April. The preliminary draft has been presented to local officials by Taimerica president Ed Bee.
Taimerica’s research has found a good deal of manufacturing talent in the region, with 137,000 workers living within a 30-mile radius of Morehouse Parish. Of this number, 11,000 workers have experience in manufacturing.
Younger Associates, an affiliate of Taimerica, conducted surveys of 463 workers, both employed and unemployed, in Morehouse Parish.
The surveys showed 71 percent of Morehouse workers are employed in Morehouse Parish, while 18.6 percent are employed in Ouachita Parish. An estimated 30 percent of Morehouse workers are currently employed outside the parish.
Based on the surveys, Taimerica estimates 84 percent of Morehouse workers have high school diplomas. This is above the average rates for both Louisiana and Arkansas.
The majority of International Paper employees are now unemployed, and most of those now working have expressed an interest in switching jobs.
An estimated 67 percent of Morehouse workers are willing to work shifts.
Taimerica estimates 3,173 people in Morehouse Parish are now unemployed and seeking full-time work. About 2,197 people are employed and seeking higher wages, while about 647 people are employed part-time and seeking full-time work.
The bottom line: Morehouse Parish has a ready manufacturing workforce with a high unemployment rate. This is an asset for new business development.
Bastrop has additional assets cited in the plan, not the least of which are two railroad lines with daily switching, and water and sewer capacity of one million gallons per day.
The recovery plan also cites regional colleges -- such as Louisiana Technical College Bastrop Campus -- as valuable assets with large welding and industrial electronics programs.
Industries cited as “Recovery Targets” in the plan are those that require workers with skills similar to those in the paper industry, and those industries in need of rail service. The plan cites as potential targets:
- Iron and steel mills and ferroalloy manufacturing
- Resin, synthetic rubber and artificial synthetic fibers
- Basic chemical manufacturing
- Pesticide, fertilizer and other agricultural chemicals
- Fruit and vegetable preserving and specialty foods
- Animal food manufacturing
- Steel product manufacturing and purchased steel
- Boiler, tank and shipping container manufacturing
- Other food manufacturing
- Wet corn milling
Taimerica’s final Workforce Assessment report will be available soon, and plans are underway to launch a marketing and public relations campaign that will highlight assets in Morehouse Parish.
