GRAMERCY — Noranda Bauxite & Alumina is banking on the corporation’s Gramercy location for international growth in announcing a $35 million expansion and a promise of more than five dozen new jobs.

A mainstay in the region for approximately 60 years, Noranda officials said they are establishing their company headquarters at the Gramercy complex — part of an expansion that creates 65 new jobs, including 15 corporate headquarters jobs, at an average annual salary of $90,000, plus benefits.

Louisiana Economic Development estimates the project will result in 185 indirect jobs. In addition, the project retains 395 existing refinery jobs.

The company includes bauxite mining in Jamaica and an alumina refinery in Gramercy.

The Gramercy refinery creates smelter-grade alumina used to produce aluminum and chemical grade products that go into a variety of applications, from flame retardants to catalysts for the oil and gas industry.

Executive Vice President John Habisreitinger said Noranda is expanding the production, storage and shipping capabilities for its chemical grade product lines.

“We’re also adding some new technology to the facility that will allow us to be able to more effectively manage and handle the bauxite,” he said.

“Gramercy is great for logistics. We’re located on the lower Mississippi River, so we have access to large vessels and river assets. From a transportation standpoint, we can service our customers very effectively with ship, barge, truck and rail.”

The expanded work means opportunities for local residents in the form of new jobs.

“We have, we believe, a strong pool of people,” Habisreitinger said.

“When you think about it, we’ve been running that business in Gramercy for 60 years now. It’s been a pool of people who really know that business, and we’re really happy to preserve those jobs and expand on them as we move forward.”

Habisreitinger said those interested in applying should go to Indeed.com, search for Noranda, Open Positions or email resumes to HR.Gramercy@NorandaAlumina.com.

St. James Parish President Timmy Roussel said he is extremely excited with the expansion, adding local leaders are meeting with Noranda officials to learn more about the impact to the region in hopes of sharing the possibilities with area residents.

“There is an enormous opportunity for our citizens, and they should begin to take every measure possible to prepare for one of these upcoming jobs, not only at Noranda, but other opportunities from previous announcements,” Roussel said.

The announcement

Gov. John Bel Edwards championed the news in a statewide release Friday, saying this presents a great opportunity to create new, well-paying jobs and secure hundreds of existing jobs “at an industrial mainstay in our River Parishes.”

“Noranda’s new ownership team is committed to the success of its business, and we are pleased to provide strategic assistance to their efforts to modernize and expand their operation in Gramercy,” Edwards said.

Construction efforts have begun, and company officials say they hope to be finished with the upgrades by the first half of 2018.

Built by Kaiser Aluminum & Chemical Corp., the plant has operated in St. James Parish since 1958 and is located on the East Bank, less than a mile north and east of Veterans Memorial Bridge.

The expansion includes the design and installation of equipment to increase the production, storage and shipping capabilities of chemical-grade alumina — a product used in industrial applications, including water treatment, flame retardants, catalysts for oil, gas and petrochemical refining, building materials and insulation.

The improvements represent the largest capital expenditure at the Gramercy plant in more than a decade, company officials said.

Louisiana Economic Development has been working with Noranda since 2015 on business retention efforts at the alumina-manufacturing site.

LED offered Noranda a performance-based, forgivable loan of $1 million under the state’s Economic Development Award Program for facility construction and equipment, and a Modernization Tax Credit of $200,000 a year for five years on capital investment for facility upgrades and equipment.