Looking Back On the Move to Houma, LA

Twenty-five years ago, Submar moved to Houma, LA. At the time, no one knew that Submar would grow to become a leader in pipeline exposure remediation in the United States. Since then, Submar has engrained itself into the fabric of the Houma community.

A Blue-Collar Work History

Houma is located on swampland and is an industrial-rich area filled with culture. Many people in the region continue to make a living doing the same jobs that the area’s original colonists did years ago, working as:

• Oystermen
• Shrimpers
• Crabbers
• Fishermen
• Trappers

Houma is a blue-collar town with a strong work ethic. As time marched on, however, Houma became a bit more industrialized. Residents began building ships and working in the oil industry. According to the United States Government Patent and Trademark Office, Terrebonne Parish’s deepest oil well is actually located in Houma.

Submar Moves to the Area

With a motivated workforce and an area prime for pipelines, Submar decided to move to Houma in late 1993. At the time, Submar had only planned to move a manufacturing facility to the area. With nearly a decade of experience in the oil and natural gas pipeline industry and the fact that Terrebonne’s oil and gas pipeline industry was already utilizing Submar’s articulated concrete mats, the timing and the location seemed right. At the time of the move, Submar President Thomas Angel told a reporter, “We looked at where our sales were going. Eight-five percent of our sales were going into Houma or through Terrebonne Parish to get down to Fourchon.”

Submar Changes Corporate Offices

At the time of the move to the Houma manufacturing plant in 1993, Submar’s administrative offices were located in Houston. So just a few years later, the administrative offices changed locations. Today, Houma also serves as the corporate headquarters for Submar.

The fact that Submar felt it worthwhile to move its corporate headquarters from a large hub like Houston to a town like Houma is indicative of the people and culture that exists in the region. Submar is deeply appreciative of the people of Houma; Submar could not have become the leader in the oil and gas pipeline industry without the hard work ethic of Houma residents.