Group sets the course

Patrick Flanagan, The Daily Iberian

1/19/10:

Delcambre — By passing the Oct. 17 property tax, Iberia Parish and Vermilion Parish voters enabled the commissioners of the Twin Parish Port of Delcambre to jump-start an initiative to revitalize the local economy with the launching of a direct marketing campaign and seafood retail Web site on May 1.

The ad valorum millage — a 4 mill tax levied on property owners within the port district that straddles the Iberia-Vermilion parish line at Delcambre — will generate an estimated $303,238 in revenue over the next 10 years for the port.

The project includes converting the port’s northern pier into a marina, expanding the southern pier to accommodate around 50 boats and launching a direct marketing program and Web site on May 1 that will lead to the eventual establishment of an on-site seafood market.

To coordinate the initiative, the Twin Parish Port Commission formed a steering committee to work alongside the LSU Ag Center and the Louisiana Sea Grant Program for the development of a new boat launch, pier and open-air pavilion — a possible site for the seafood farmer’s market — during the first project.

For the second project, also in conjunction with LSU Ag and the Sea Grant Program, the steering committee has been organizing the development of a direct marketing program for Delcambre seafood, a Web site that connects shrimpers to customers and a physical location for the seafood market with parking stalls for boats.

“With dockside seafood sales, the boats can sell seafood to the public straight from the boat,” steering committee leader Jim Wiggins said.

Initiating construction of the on-site seafood market will require an estimated start-up cost of $20,000 from the commission, while the Sea Grant Program and the Louisiana Recovery Authority will provide match-funding through the Iberia Parish Government.

The steering committee also has applied for grant funding from state Department of Transportation and Development’s Port Priority Project, Big P Boating Infrastructure Grants and the Army Corps of Engineers Non-Structural Flood Protection Program.

Wiggins said the intended launch date for the direct marketing program is May 1.

The steering committee recently announced its selection of Donald Dartez of Rad Consulting to oversee the Web site’s development, while Sandy Kaplan of Kaplan Advertising will handle public relations and work in conjunction with LSU Ag on marketing and advertising for the project.

Kaplan said although the Web site does not yet exist, it represents the project’s foundation and will likely be ready to launch in conjunction with the direct marketing program on May 1.

“The Web site will allow customers to deal with a particular shrimper by going to the site and seeing what boats are coming to port and then placing an order for shrimp,” Kaplan said.

In addition, Kaplan said customers will be able to submit their e-mail address on the Web site and receive updates regarding boat arrival times, which will be organized through a public-private partnership between the port and the shrimpers. Currently, the Steering Committee awaits an audience with Delcambre shrimpers “to make sure everyone’s signed on with the thing,” Kaplan said.

Port President Jeff Leblanc said the site is critical to the marketing program’s success.

“This is a significant opportunity for our shrimpers, and it’s all a result of the election in October,” Leblanc said.

The University of Louisiana at Lafayette’s MBA marketing program director, Dr. Geoff Stewart, has led graduate students over the past several years in conducting a study on the viability of linking Iberia, Lafayette and Vermillion Parish restaurants with local shrimpers.

“We interviewed restaurant owners and discovered a definite interest in that concept (dockside seafood market),” Stewart said.

Citing several “logistics issues” that needed to be addressed by the steering committee, Stewart said some restaurants might prefer receiving seafood by delivery.

“The bigger issue is the reception of the consumer to the idea of going down to Delcambre and buying off of the boat,” Stewart said. “But there’s a certain appeal to it, and the people interviewed by the students showed excitement.”

After meeting with U.S. Sen. Mary Landrieu, D-New Orleans, on Jan. 4, Leblanc said she was visibly enthusiastic about the direct marketing program for the shrimpers.

“She definitely wants to see this done ‘first-class’ — her words,” Leblanc said. “She can bring us some very serious horsepower to make this thing go.”

Although the Web site does not yet have a domain name, it will likely be tied into the current Twin Parish Port Commission site — www.portofdelcambre.com.

“Our job now is to make sure all the dreams can be turned into reality in an efficient, economical manner that will be profitable to shrimpers and help recreate the shrimping industry and make the port a viable seafood base,” said Kaplan, the direct marketing project’s coordinator.