The new shrimp processing plant opening soon on Neosho Avenue, north of downtown, aims to boost sales of U.S. shrimp nationally and abroad, officials say. Baton Rouge Shrimp Company CEO Tommy Lusco says his company’s goal “is to keep more of our raw product in the U.S. and, with it, jobs and tax revenue.”
The plant will purchase hauls from shrimpers along the Gulf Coast. Mayor Kip Holden says the setup will bring new jobs to the state and also benefit an industry beleaguered over the past year by the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. “Think of what those shrimpers have been through,” Holden says. “We’re investing not only in Baton Rouge, but in shrimpers who have faced tough times.”
Lusco says the shrimp will appeal to U.S. consumers who want to eat domestic seafood. The minimal, environmentally friendly processing will be another selling point. “We want to set higher standards for shrimp processed in the gulf region,” Lusco says of the plant’s sulfite-free process. “It’s new to the market, and it’s what got me into the market.”
Holden says that international demand for Gulf coast shrimp is also rising. He says he has already heard from companies in parts of Africa, Spain and the United Kingdom. “I’m going out to every nook, cranny and corner I can to sell gulf shrimp,” Holden says. Lusco added that his company has also seen interest elsewhere. “There’s a company in Australia that wants to buy a whole line from us,” he says.
The plant, currently undergoing a $2.1 million renovation, is expected to open in six weeks and will be fully operational by Dec. 1, Lusco says.—Ian McGibboney
