VILLE PLATTE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
JUNE 25, 2014
The Ville Platte Chamber of Commerce met today (Wednesday) and heard from guest speaker, Stephen Williams, the new plant manager at Union Tank Company. He is a native of Winn Parish and a 27 year Air Force Veteran.
Union Tank Car Company employs 130 people locally including 21 salaried positions. Ville Platte is one of six company shop locations. The company also has two manufacturing facilities: in Alexandria and in Texas. The Ville Platte site maintains tank cars and hopper cars. They can do about 150 cars a month including refurbishing and re fabricating work, interior work and exterior.
Williams announced that the company is planning to hire an additional 26-28 employees later this year and begin a third shift. They are currently partnering with the Coreil campus to train welders to work at the Ville Platte plant.
Chamber Executive Diretor Camille Fontenot announced:
--the Smoked Meat Festival is scheduled for this weekend at the civic center grounds;
--reported a new business joining the chamber: La Dee Da Gifts on Tate Cove Road next to Party in a Box;
--seats are still available for two chamber sponsored bus trips: Sept. 21 to the World War Two museum and November 15 to view the Phantom of the Opera;
--the chamber will sponsor a fund raising political rally August 14 at the Ville Platte Civic Center where all political candidates will be invited to sponsor a table and speak;
--heard from Carlene Jones with the Coreil Campus that the school will be offering new courses in the fall: Associate Degree programs in Accounting and General Business. The school is advertising to hire a Business and Welding Instructor.