Allain steadfast on snapper
May 14, 2013Diana Waguespack Foret
May 16, 2013
Most folks recognize Dan Borne’ as the official public address announcer for the LSU football and men’s basketball teams.
But did you know that he’s the President of the Louisiana Chemical Association, a Thibodaux native and a Nicholls State graduate?
He’s not afraid to tell anyone who asks about his pride in being a Colonel.
Borne’ spoke Monday at the Bayou Industrial Group’s monthly luncheon.
In his 30-minute address, he touted Nicholls’ growth and said the university is a key cog in our local economy – especially as the natural gas industry continues to blossom in our area.
“We’ve seen that school literally explode over the years,” Borne’ said. “What a magnificent economic and academic engine it is that we have here in Thibodaux with that university.”
Borne’ said the coming months will be an exciting time for the Tri-parish area.
He talked about the number of jobs coming back into the area because of the natural gas boom, saying the industry has made an “unexpected, but remarkable comeback.”
“Five years ago, I would have been up here telling you that the petro-chemical industry in Louisiana was on its way out,” Borne’ said. “We were shipping jobs overseas. In 10 years from 1999-to-2009, we lost 10,000 jobs in chemical plants along the Mississippi River and in Lake Charles. … That’s because natural gas was going through the ceiling. It was too expensive for us to do what we do.”
In recent years, Borne’ said, “American ingenuity won again,” and the industry was able to make a comeback.
He said the ability of drillers to find natural gas in shale deposits has made Louisiana a player again – lowering the price of the natural resource and giving our area the ability to be a major player in the global economic landscape.
“All of a sudden, this reservoir became a major economic engine again,” Borne’ said. “Because of that, we have a surrounding of investment coming into this state. And guess what? This parish will benefit from it – as is Terrebonne, as is St. Mary and the River Parishes.
“At least $60 billion will be coming to Louisiana. … It is an incredible change of events in terms of economics, and now instead of shipping jobs overseas, companies are dismantling their overseas operations and are coming back into this area.”
Borne’ said this push makes Nicholls’ future even more important because of its ability to train workers for this impending boom.
He said in the next five years, 40,000 workers will be needed to keep up with the various jobs that come with the natural gas industry.
“You name it, and we’re going to need it to build this tsunami of investment that literally is a second Industrial Revolution in our state,” Borne’ said. “This is a Renaissance in our country.”
Borne’ said as the boom sinks its footprint into Louisiana, Nicholls State, Fletcher Technical Community College and the surrounding trade schools in the area are in line to play a major role in educating and training the future workers that will benefit from this anticipated boom within our area.
“Nicholls, all of the community college and all of the technical schools in this area are extremely important,” Borne’ said. “We need to begin training for our young men and women to build these plants we need, and then oh, by the way, to also maintain them.”
Of course, at the end of his speech, Borne’ had to talk about the Tigers.
The longtime Tiger Stadium voice shared stories about Skip Bertman and other tales from his LSU past.
But on this day, the main focus was pride for home.
Borne’ said he is proud to be a Lafourche Parish native, and he’s excited to see what the future holds for our area.
“It’s just great to be home,” Borne’ said. “It’s great to be among so many friends or daughters and sons of friends … who helped a young guy growing up in Thibodaux to understand what life meant. … They say you can’t go home again, but I think you really can, and this is a very special time in the history of our state.”
Tiger Stadium voice Dan Borne’ talks to the audience at the Bayou Industrial Group’s monthly luncheon. Borne’ is a graduate of Nicholls State University. He credited the university as being a vital cog in our local economy.
