By ROBIN SHANNON

L’Observateur

RESERVE – A Nashville-based marine company, which has a barge and fleet operation on the Mississippi River in St. John the Baptist Parish, has purchased property to construct more permanent offices in Reserve.

Ingram Barge, which has had a presence in St. John Parish since the mid 1970s, has purchased various plots of land around the old Stell Furniture Store on River Road for its new office space, said General Manager Arnie Rothstein. He said the company is currently working with the parish to re-zone the property prior to construction.

Rothstein said the company had been operating out of temporary rented offices on West 19th Street in Reserve and the new facility will consolidate Ingram’s operations. The offices will be closer to the company’s barge facilities on the river.

Rothstein said Ingram currently employs about 80 people in St. John Parish who run the company’s transportation, bulk storage, barge and fleet operations. He said Ingram also services ship anchorage with Associated Terminals. He said the company arrived in the parish in 1974 and was one of the original partners in what would become the Marathon oil refinery in Garyville.

Rothstein said the company hopes to break ground on the new offices sometime this year, once zoning has been addressed. The offices will not add any new permanent jobs, but will bring some construction jobs to the region.