Paul Murphy / Eyewitness News
JEFFERSON, La. -- There is a now a path forward for Avondale.
The shipyard on the West Bank of Jefferson Parish is now set to close in 2013.
Tuesday, Mike Petters, the CEO of Huntington Ingalls Industries, the shipbuilder now consolidating its operation in Mississippi, said the company now plans to help more than 3,800 Louisiana workers hang on to their jobs.
"Because the decision to consolidate is not one reflective of their hard work or their commitment to building great ships or their service to our great nation. They are great shipbuilders and they are great Americans," Petters said.
Petters joined Gov. Bobby Jindal in announcing a new effort to redevelop Avondale.
The state is offering a $214 million incentive package to help Huntington Ingalls find new potential partners for the site.
The package includes job credits and money to retool and modernize the plant.
"Before now, really it appeared that the most likely outcome would be just complete closure of the facility," said Jindal. "Today is a very positive step, but I want to emphasis we're not done yet."
Finding new tenants for Avondale won't be easy. Most of the non-Navy, commercial shipbuilding is now done overseas.
So, the press is on to find a new manufacturing business to take over at least part of the site.
"A skilled worker who has got skills in manufacturing is going to be very valuable to this site," said Petters. "We're looking at manufacturing kinds of jobs."
State Sen. John Alario, R-Westwego, said Avondale gave him his first real job, and losing the regions economic engine is not an option.
"The taxes that are generated by the sales taxes from employees working, from the income taxes that are gathered, from the economic effect of it is in the billions of dollars," said Alario.
The Save Our Shipyard, Avondale Coalition released a statement calling the announcement "good news."
Metal Trades Union President Ron Ault said, "We look forward to working with the state and all our stackholders to maintain Avondale as the largest private employer in the state and as a pathway to the middle class for future generations."
