Chamber Mission To serve our members and enhance economic and community developmentChamber VisionTo be recognized as a vital resource, providing relevant, innovative and impactful programming that produces a health business climate and an enhanced quality of life.InsideMember Profile .........................................................................................................................................................................................2Bayou Festival ...........................................................................................................................................................................................3Business of the Month ...........................................................................................................................................................................4Shrimp Boil 2019 .....................................................................................................................................................................................6Ribbon Cuttings .......................................................................................................................................................................................8Groundbreakings ..................................................................................................................................................................................10New Members ........................................................................................................................................................................................11Vol. 24 | Issue 9 September 2019Shrimp Boil 2019 >> Page 6The Young Professionals of the Mainland is host-ing a Handshakes and Headshots event from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. Sept.12 at the Texas City-La Marque Chamber. Stop by for an evening of networking while enjoying fin-ger foods, cocktails and a free professional head shot. Young Professionals of the Mainland is an organization for young professionals be-tween the ages of 21 and 40 in our business community. It was created to engage young professionals in the surrounding areas and provide an opportunity to make busi-ness connections and become acquainted with the Texas City — La Marque Chamber of Commerce and the value of involvement. From the medical field to the industrial complexes, Young Professionals of the Mainland is geared to-ward individuals looking to improve their place in their community and workplace. The Young Professionals of the Mainland program was de-veloped to encompass every-thing the surrounding commu-nities have to offer. “I’ve participated in several networking groups throughout my 17-year career, and when I was asked to chair the kick-off of Young Professionals of the Mainland, I knew this was my opportunity to combine every-thing I’ve learned and make this group truly something special,” Sam Navarro, Womble Company plant manager, said. “Each event is focused on developing another form of professional development and valuable networking, we wanted to be sure those who attended walked away feeling that their time was well spent.” To participate in this month’s event or future events, inquire at yp@texascitychamber.com.“I enjoyed being able to network with the like-minded people in our community and discuss issues that we may be facing. I believe that being able to share ideas on how we have over-come issues within our professional lives is also a benefit of the program. I hope to build my professional network so that I can continue to grow and be successful as well as help others to do the same.”— Heather Bernard, MSN, RN-BC“I enjoy Mainland YP because it gives me the opportunity to con-nect with like-minded young professionals in my hometown and also to be able to network with other local businesses.”— Brandon Brooks, JSC Federal Credit Union branch manager“I originally joined the Young Professionals group to network and start getting involved with the chamber through the YP group. However, I found more than just a few network contacts. I found a group of friends that I enjoy hang out with, and the YP opened doors to join other groups such as the Texas City La Marque Jaycees.”— Whitney Ziegler, A&A Machine and Fabrication, LLC2 | Chamber Express | September 2019Tell us a little about your background.It started in 1893, when the Myers Brothers — Jacob, Henry and Benjamin — and Capt. A.B. Wolvin of Duluth, Minnesota, founded the Texas City Improvement Company and purchased 10,000 acres of land, devoting 5,000 acres to the devel-opment of a town site, now known as the City of Texas City, and 5,000 acres for the establishment of a port, railroad and industrial area. The compa-ny is the oldest business in Texas City with contin-uous business operations. To get the business off the ground, a 4-mile railroad was constructed to connect with the Galveston, Houston and Henderson Railway Company and the North Galveston, Houston and Kansas City Railroad Company, thus opening the area to nationwide rail service. The same year, the U.S. government granted permission to dredge an 8-foot deep by 100-foot wide channel, which now known as the Texas City Federal Channel. In 1926, three line-haul railroads purchased the company. The Texas City Terminal Railway Compa-ny/Port of Texas City is now privately held by the Union Pacific and Burlington Northern Santa Fe. How would you summarize what you do?The company has three principle lines of business. Firstly, we provide rail switching services for the Tex-as City industries, and, in 2018, Texas City Terminal handled 23,000 line-haul loaded railcars. Secondly, Texas City Terminal Railway Company does business as the Port of Texas City and, as such, provides water MEMBER PROFILETexas City-La Marque Chamber of Commerce members have amazing talents and stories to tell. With this series we want to introduce you to some of our members and spotlight their businesses. If you would like to be spotlighted in our Member Profile, contact Lorrie Koster at lorrie@texascitychamber.com.Port of Texas City/Texas City Terminal Railroad2425 State Highway 146 N.409-945-4461Chamber Express NewsletterThe publication of the Texas City-La Marque Chamber of Commerce is published monthly (second Sunday of the month). Some content and photos provided as a courtesy by The Galveston County Daily News.Editorials & Photos:Lorrie Koster, Texas City- La Marque Chamber of Commerce409-935-1408Advertising:The Galveston County Daily News409-683-5224advertising@galvnews.comTexas City-La Marque Chamber of Commerce9702 E.F. Lowry ExpresswayTexas City, Texas 77590409-935-1408www.tclmchamber.comRon AssadGallant BuildersKevin BogardMarathon Petroleum Sally BriggsGulf Greyhound ParkKirk BroilesScribbles Embroidery Aaron CameronAshlandDr. Rodney CavnessTexas City Independent School DistrictJoshua ChapmanChapman Front End & BrakesCraig ColelliFaust DistributingKedge CookCook FordChris DevriesStandard Steel SupplyJames DickinsonKodiak Metals RecyclingShannon DoyleSouth Land Title Pete Dunn Jr.Dunn Heat Exchangers Gail FigueroaAmoco Federal Credit UnionJason Hayley Port of Texas CityFelix HerreraAwesome Auto AccessoriesBrook HrachDow ChemicalManny LopezEl Cubano Cigar FactoryJim MacphersonValero RefiningSergio MatuteEastman Chemical – Texas City Inc.Genevieve McGarvey Mcleod, Alexander, Powel & ApffelColleen MerrittLa Marque Economic Development Corp.Georgia MeyerKarat Creations JewelryTripp MontalboHCA Houston Healthcare MainlandSam NavarroApache Industrial ServicesDr. Warren NicholsCollege of the MainlandRay NunezTaylor & HillPerry O’BrienDomac Inc.Philip OrangeTeam Mancuso Power SportsRusty PlackemeierLyons & PlackemeierKitty PotterTexas First BankTerrance TrevinoBP Texas City ChemicalsBecky Trout UnbehagenUTMBDiana VasquezTNMPBoard of DirectorsSEE MEMBER PAGE 5CourtesyFrom left, Jason Hayley, vice president, general manager and deputy port director; and Ramiro Barba, president and executive director, stand at the Port of Texas City. September 2019 | Chamber Express | 3LA MARQUE BAYOU FESTIVALThe city of La Marque and Texas City — La Marque Chamber are proud to announce Clay Walker as the headlining act for La Marque Bayou Fest 2019. La Marque Mayor Bob-by Hocking would like to extend an invitation to all citizens, business owners and friends of La Marque to join us for our annual family-friendly festival at the 230-acre Mac Mc-Gaffey Highland Bayou Park, 1991 Getty Road, on Oct. 19. Come Interstate 45 South and take Exit 10.Families can enjoy daytime activities, includ-ing a free kids’ fishing tournament, pumpkin carving contest, mutton bustin’, bounce houses and the new ACU Kid Zone. ACU Kid Zone activities are sponsored by The University of Tex-as Medical Branch, MD Anderson Cancer Center and the Associated Credit Union of Texas. Visit the food trucks and shop craft vendors while you stroll through the demonstrations from local civic clubs. The VIP Experience is presented by Miller Lite. Partners include Waste Management, Amoco Federal Credit Union, Dow and Associated Credit Union of Texas. For information, follow us on Facebook, visit lamarquebayoufest.com or call Colleen Merritt at 409-938-9255.FREE CONCERTSA series of concerts kicks off around 4 p.m. with Shinyribs, Kevin Fowler and headliner Clay Walker. Attendees are encouraged to bring chairs or blankets and dance the night away at this free community con-cert. No coolers will be allowed. Beverages will be sold on site. Proceeds go to La Marque Lions Club and will be used to provide scholarships to La Marque youth.NEW PARKING RULES From 8 a.m. to 1 p.m., parking is free at High-land Bayou Park. Begin-ning at 1 p.m., parking will be $20 at Highland Bayou Park. Cash only. A free shuttle service is available from Gulf Grey-hound Park, 1000 FM 2004, La Marque. Chairs, fishing poles, wagons, strollers and blankets are welcome on the shuttle buses. No coolers of any kind are allowed on shuttles or at the festival.“COWBOY” JONES CHILDREN’S FISHING TOURNAMENT Join Rusty Hook Fish-ing Club for the annual kids’ fishing tournament. The first 200 children 12 years old and younger to register will receive a free T-shirt and lunch. Partic-ipants must provide their own rod and reel, but bait will be provided by Boyd’s One Stop. Regis-tration starts at 8:30 a.m. Kids can fish from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. with parent or guardian supervision. For 10 categories of fish, kids can win a new rod and reel, plus a new tackle box provided by the La Marque Lions Club. Alex’s A/C provides gift bags stuffed with goodies from several Texas City — La Marque Chamber members.PUMPKIN PATCHPick a pumpkin for FREE, find a spot under the pavilion and get cre-ative! The La Marque Li-ons Club will present cash prizes for first, second and third place winners of the favorite-pumpkin contest. Age divisions are 5 and younger, 6-10, 11-14 and 15-19. Children younger than 12 must be accompa-nied by a parent.MUTTON BUSTIN’ Dress up your little cowboys and cowgirls and meet us near the pavilion. Registration is at noon and the events start at 1 p.m. The fee is $20. There are two age catego-ries, 2-5 years old and 6-7 years old. Belt buckles will be awarded for Grand Champion and Re-serve Champion in each age group. The weight limit is 65 pounds, and a waiver must be signed by parents at registration. Mutton Bustin’ is pro-duced by Lonesome Dove 4H out of Hitchcock. Can your little one hold on for eight seconds?FIREWORKS Stay until 10 p.m. to watch the spectacular AMOCO Federal Credit Union Fireworks Show.BARBECUE COOK-OFF On Oct. 18, the barbe-cue cook-off ramps up as teams compete for $10,000 in prize money. Secure one of the 100 barbecue spots with water and power hook-ups while you still can! The Bayou Fest Cook-Off is part of Galveston County’s Triple Crown. Contact Lauren Perez for more information at 409-935-1408 or lauren@texascitychamber.com.FREE CONCERTSFree Parking 10-19-19Highland bayou parkI-45 South, exit 10LAMARQUEBAYOUFEST.COMfacebook.com/LaMarqueBayouFestPARKING8:00 A.M. - 1:00 P.M. Parking is free at Highland Bayou Park.1:00 P.M. - 11:00 P.M.Free shuttle service from Gulf Greyhound Park! Chairs, shing poles, wagons, strollers, shades and blankets are welcome. No coolers of any kind are allowed on the shuttles. Expected wait time is ve minutes. $20, cash-only parking is available at Highland Bayou Park. If eld conditions are wet, all parking will be shifted to the shuttle service. Handicapped parking and ride-share services are available at both locations.FREE CONCERTSGrab your friends, bring chairs and dance the night away at this free community concert. Shinyribs starts around 4:30 p.m., Kevin Fowler at 6:30 p.m. and headliner Clay Walker hits the stage at 8:30 p.m. No coolers please. Food and beverages sold on site. Beer proceeds benet La Marque youth programs. Stay for the amazing Amoco reworks show at 10:00 p.m.Kids’ fishinge rst 200 children 12 years old and younger to register will receive a free t-shirt and lunch. Participants must provide their own rod and reel, but bait will be provided by Boyd’s One Stop. Registration starts at 8:30 a.m. Kids can sh from 9:00 a.m. until 1:00 p.m. PUMPKIN PATCH Pumpkin decorating is very popular with the kiddos! Pick a pumpkin for FREE and nd a spot under the pavilion. Age divisions are 5 years and under, 6 to 10 years, 11 to 14 years and 15 to 19 years. Children under the age of 12 must be accompanied by a parent.La Marque Lions Club will present awards for rst, second and third place. BBQ Cook-off, Mutton Bustin’, Food Trucks, Craft Vendors, Bounce Houses & Rides, Plus the new ACU Kid Zone!Free family-friendly festival. 4 | Chamber Express | September 2019BUSINESS OF THE MONTHFattig Office Systems815 Ninth Avenue N.Texas City409-945-9591Representative: Miguel OrtizFattig Office Sys-tems continues as a family-owned and operated business committed to carrying on the tradition established by Harold Fattig by pro-viding the best service possible, making custom-er satisfaction its number one priority. Now under the new ownership of Miguel Ortiz, the store continues to offer every-thing related to office supplies, from paperclips to furniture. Fattig can also help with upcom-ing events by facilitating invitations, prints, copies and fax or email corre-spondence. Fattig wants the opportunity to be the one source solution for all office needs.September 2019 | Chamber Express | 5Robert Balderas – Roofing Specialist409-945-6920u need any type of refractory material on or repair, call us. You will get superior roducts and services, when and where them. urnaroundsr Unit Turnaroundses & Heatersnings & CoatingsBoilerse RestorationDiamond Refractory Services An EMCOR Industrial Services Company ofing8412 Mosley, Houston, TX 77075 713.378.9200 diamondrefractory.com CAL PROJECT EXECUTION FOR THE REFINERY AND PETROCHEMICAL INDUSTRIES When you need any type of refractory material installation or repair, call us. You will get superior quality products and services, when and where you need them. •FCCU Turnarounds•Sulphur Unit Turnarounds•Furnaces & Heaters•Acid Linings & Coatings•Power Boilers•Concrete RestorationDiamond Refractory Services An EMCOR Industrial Services Company •Fireproofing8412 Mosley, Houston, TX 77075 713.378.9200 diamondrefractory.com CRITICAL PROJECT EXECUTION FOR THE REFINERY AND PETROCHEMICAL INDUSTRIES When you need any type of refractory material installation or repair, call us. You will get superior quality products and services, when and where you need them. TRIR 0.00 for 3+ years running8412 Mosley Road Houston, Texas 77075Phone: 713-378-9200 Fax: 713-378-9103 www.diamondrefractory.com Absolute Commitment: Absolute Results!• FCCU Turnarounds• Sulphur Unit Turnarounds• Furnaces & Heaters• Acid Linings & Coatings• Power Boilers• Concrete Restoration• Fireproofingfront and dock facilities for the movement of cargo, which is principally bulk liquid and petrochemical. In 2018, more than 40 million net tons of cargo moved through the Port of Texas City. Thirdly, the company owns real estate primarily in Texas City and, as such, leases property to the Texas City industries and compa-nies, which, in turn, supports their business operations.How has your business evolved over time?The old saying is “everything gets bigger over time,” and, for the waterfront operations, this is true. The size of the vessels and the amount of cargo keeps getting bigger. About 10 years ago, the Tex-as City Channel was deepened to 45 feet, which now allows vessels to carry more product than ever before. Commodity shifts are another one. For years, the main commodity that moved through the Port of Texas City was imported deep-draft foreign crude oil, and crude oil was never exported out of the port. That has changed to some extent. Now, domestic crude oil is being exported through the Port of Texas City. Also, the volume of distillates (diesel) that is being exported over the docks has increased signifi-cantly in recent years.But what hasn’t changed is Texas City Terminal working closely with its business partners and pro-viding them with consistent rail services and first-class waterfront infrastructure.What are some of your proudest accomplishments?The Port of Texas City is an economic engine for the region and the state of Texas, and, as such, the economic impacts are tremendous. Almost 47,000 jobs in Texas are in some way related to the cargo moving through the terminals at the Port of Texas City. About 6,445 direct jobs are generated by the marine cargo and vessel activity in the port. In 2018, marine cargo activity at the terminals at the Port of Texas City supported a total of $16.2 billion of eco-nomic activity in the state of Texas.But closer to home so to speak, I would say being the oldest business in Texas City and arguably on the mainland is an accomplishment. As such, the company has served the community and industrial complex for decades on end, but by doing so, it has provided jobs and security for its employees for 126 years. There are not many companies in the area that can say that.What are you working on now?A few years ago, the Port of Texas City acquired some additional real estate holdings in Texas City and La Marque. With these additional properties in our portfolio, the company hired a leading industry port property consultant to assist in developing a strategic land use plan associated with these new properties but also including all our real estate hold-ings. The company is working on developing a new bulk liquids dock in the Port of Texas City to accom-modate deep-draft vessels.MEMBER PROFILEContinued page 2MEMBER PROFILE6 | Chamber Express | September 2019September 2019 | Chamber Express | 78 | Chamber Express | September 20192425 SH 146 North • Texas City 409-945-4461 • Fax 409-945-8479 • Email: tctrr.comNo. 4 In Texas No. 10 in U.S. Gulf CoastNo. 15 inU.S. NationwidePORT OF TEXAS CITYTexas City Terminal Railway CompanyPort AuthoritySERVICING YOU IS A PLEASURE409-948-4589My clients say I am their“Favorite Realtor”.Over forty-three (43) yearsservicing Galveston CountyWanda AblesRealtor®/Broker Associatewmables@aol.com822 6th Street NorthTexas City, TX 77590409-771-4775 Cell409-948-4589 Direct409-948-2321 FaxRIBBON CUTTINGSSTONEHOUSE MANOR EVENT VENUE 316 W. NASA Road 1, Webster281-993-3773September 2019 | Chamber Express | 9RENT • SALES • REPAIR2830 TEXAS AVE., TEXAS CITY • 409-948-4497MAINLANDTOOLMAINLAND TOOLStore Hours: Mon-Fri: 7am-6pm, 24 Hour Call Out Service AvailableMAINLANDTOOL.COMWHILE SUPPLIES LAST!Porter-Cable20 Volt Cordless Drill$7995RIBBON CUTTINGSTHE CHANDELIER RECEPTION HALL9111 Emmett F. Lowry ExpresswayTexas City409-256-3047Representatives: Amanda Taylor and Cecy ContrerasNext >