ExxonMobil joins with JE Merit to celebrate safety achievements

ExxonMobil Plastics employees recently joined JE Merit Constructors employees to celebrate significant awards in safety at a November luncheon at the Baton Rouge plant.

During the event, OSHA Area Director Greg Honaker recognized JE Merit, the main plant contractor at the ExxonMobil plant, for its recent designation as an OSHA VPP (Voluntary Protection Program) STAR site.

JE Merit joined the ExxonMobil Plastics plant, a STAR site since 1999, as VPP partners in safety excellence. JE Merit is the first VPP STAR contractor at an ExxonMobil Baton Rouge site.

"We are very pleased with the safety performance at the ExxonMobil Plastics Plant," said Jacobs CEO Noel Watson. "This success comes from the dedication and commitment of both our client and our employees."

Watson also congratulated JE Merit for receiving the 2003 Jacobs President's HSE Excellence Award for leadership in health, safety and environmental performance.

OSHA's VPP certification process involves an extensive audit of a candidate's Safety Systems and performance combined with on-site field verification and employee interviews.

Particular emphasis areas include management leadership, employee involvement, worksite analysis and hazard prevention and control. Only 1,500 sites across the country are eligible to fly the OHSA STAR flag.

Committee recommends $800,000 in US 61 improvements

Johnny Bradberry, secretary of the Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development, recently announced that DOTD would authorize $800,000 in improvements to US Hwy. 61 early this year, based on recommendations by the US 61 Task Force Committee.

At the request of Sen. Joel Chaisson and Rep. Gary Smith, the committee was formed to investigate two fatal crashes resulting in six deaths between I-310 and LA 48 in the spring of 2003. The committee is comprised of representatives from DOTD, the Louisiana State Police, the St. Charles Sheriff's Office, the St. Charles Parish President's Office and the Federal Highway Administration.

A public meeting was held in April at Destrehan High School to solicit comments from the community and interested parties.

The committee's recommendations are as follows:

• A public information/education campaign be developed for southern Louisiana, stressing the importance of properly using occupant restraint system and methods for escaping a submerging or submerged vehicle.
  
• Five crossovers were identified for closure, and two new crossovers were recommended.
  
• Left turn lane improvements were identified at three locations.
  
• Traffic control improvements

ExxonMobil Plastics receives 'Best in Louisiana' SAFE awards from LCA

ExxonMobil Plastics in Baton Rouge recently received the Louisiana Chemical Association's "Best in Louisiana" Serious About Fostering Excellence (SAFE) award.

"We are extremely proud of ExxonMobil employees for this tremendous accomplishment and for their daily commitment to working safely," said Rich Mohring, Baton Rouge Plastics plant manager.

The ExxonMobil Baton Rouge Polyolefins Plant also received the "Best in Louisiana" Serious About Fostering Excellence (SAFE) award for its size category.

LCA categorizes Louisiana's chemical producers according to the number of employees and then judges them for outstanding achievement in controlling emissions, excellence in employee and contractor safety and their degree of community involvement.

In addition to individual awards for achievement in each area, the top company in each size class is given a "Best in Louisiana" award.

Louisiana AGC raises Sci-Port exhibit money

The Associated General Contractors Shreveport Chapter recently raised about $250,000 to fund a 10-year permanent construction exhibit so that children visiting Shreveport's Sci-Port Discovery Center can experience the construction industry.

A news conference was held in late October to announce the Kids at Work initiative, to share the names of the local construction industry businesses that supported the project and to accept a check from the Louisiana Construction Education Trust Fund.

Largest single-deck riverboat casino arrives in Lake Charles

L'Auberge du Lac Hotel & Casino, a $365 million Las Vegas-style resort-casino currently under construction in Lake Charles, moved its riverboat casino through the Port of Lake Charles' Industrial Canal to its permanent home in November.

The boat floated nearly 10 miles at 3 to 4 knots during a three-hour trip.

Jennings-based Leevac Industries LLC delivered the completed vessel to its berth in Lake Charles. Pinnacle Entertainment, parent company of L'Auberge, awarded Leevac a $40 million contract to build the riverboat in three separate sections, then float each hull to the Port Industrial Canal for assembly and finish work.

The vessel's final journey up the Calcasieu River was guided by tugboats.

"We are thrilled to reach another milestone in the development of our Lake Charles resort," said Alain Uboldi, regional vice president for Pinnacle Entertainment, Inc. and general manager of L'Auberge du Lac Hotel & Casino.

The casino will be the largest single-deck riverboat casino in the United States and the only single-deck riverboat in Louisiana. The 225-ft. by 330-ft. vessel will feature more than 48,000 sq. ft. of non-stop gaming action. From blackjack to baccarat, video poker to Pai Gow poker, the casino will include 60 table games and more than 1,600 of the newest slot machines, equipped with ticket-in ticket-out technology.

"Another impressive feature of this riverboat casino is its ventilation system," said Uboldi. "To constantly supply the riverboat with fresh air, we have installed state-of-the-art equipment to help keep the air smelling smoke free."

L'Auberge is currently under construction on 227 acres of land and is scheduled to open this spring.

Louisiana contractors honored with CURT awards during conference

Several Louisiana contractors were recently presented Constructor Safety Awards by the Construction Users Roundtable during its 2004 National Conference in Palm Springs, Calif., in November.

CURT is an association of leading U.S. companies working to advance the development of cost-effective construction methods.

The awards are part of CURT's Construction Industry Safety Excellence program and are presented to individual construction firms that have achieved an outstanding safety record during the past three years.

"Training and safety are the cornerstones of the construction industry and these national-level awards demonstrate that safety and workforce development are top priorities for ABC's members and chapters," said Kirk Pickerel, ABC president and CEO.

Receiving Constructor Safety Awards in the Standard Industry Code (SIC) Group 15, the Building Construction: General Contractors and Operative Builders category, was Broadmoor LLC of Metairie.

In SIC Group 16, the Heavy Construction Other Than Building Construction category, CURT recognized Boh Bros. Construction Company of Baton Rouge and Performance Contractors Inc. of Baton Rouge.

For SIC Group 17, the Construction Special Trades category, awards were presented to Insulations Inc. of Harahan and Shaw Environmental and Infrastructure Inc. of Baton Rouge.

SPX sells Bomag to Fayat

SPX Corp. recently announced that it had signed a definitive agreement to sell its BOMAG compaction equipment to Fayat for about $446 million in cash. SPX will us the net proceeds from the transaction to pay down debt.

John B. Blystone, chairman, president and chief executive officer of SPX, said, "As part of our continuing efforts to enhance shareholder value through our Value Improvement Process, we conducted a thorough review of BOMAG and its long term fit within our Industrial Products segment and SPX overall strategy."

BOMAG is expected to have 2004 revenues of about $490 million and will now be treated as discontinued operations for financial reporting operations.