W.R. Grace outlines safety, small hiring and storage upgrades in Norco industrial tax exemption hearing

W.R. Grace plant officials on Monday presented an industrial tax exemption application for the company's Norco facility to the Contract Finance and Administrative Committee of the St. Charles Parish Council, describing safety upgrades to the control room, an administrative building replacement and modest storage increases that the company says will improve efficiency.

The company’s plant manager, Kyle Robichaud, told the committee W.R. Grace has produced polypropylene catalyst at the Shell West site since acquiring the SHAC process in 2013 and that the application covers capital investments focused on worker safety and on-site administration. “It is an expansion in safety controls, especially around our control room…upgrading safety aspects from both HVAC and hardening from a blast proofing,” Robichaud said. He also said the company plans a new admin building to replace two double-wide trailers and added storage tanks to hold more raw material to reduce shipment frequency.

The committee’s questions focused on the manufacturing impact, construction activity and local hiring. Robichaud described the changes as improving efficiency rather than enlarging the core production process: “It's how do we go make it more efficiently with a little bit more volume and a much safer” he said. He told the council the project will create one additional salaried scheduling/administrative position on a small 52-person site and stressed recruitment efforts focused on Saint Charles Parish through a community advisory panel, local colleges and the parish school board.

Robichaud said construction activity varied by component. The control-room upgrade involved multiple subcontractors and at peak had as many as 45 subcontractors on site; the planned tank work is expected to use a single contracting group with an estimated 10–15 contractor personnel. He also described community outreach such as sponsorships and volunteer efforts with local events.

Council members publicly praised the company’s neighborhood engagement and condition of the site. Councilman Fisher said, “You're a great neighbor to Norco…you never hear a bad thing about you,” and Parish President Jewell reviewed the aerial location and confirmed the control room sits where the existing control room is located. No committee vote on the application is recorded in the transcript; the public hearing was opened and closed with no speakers and committee members asked follow-up questions of the applicant.

The committee asked the applicant to confirm local hiring commitments and construction impacts; Robichaud reiterated that vacancies would be recruited locally when they occur and that the headcount change tied to this application is one additional salaried position.