Document 8ReZarnD9x0bpYokVqryp3YQo

hill and knowlton, Inc. The Bayshore Sun T-huxsa^y, reoru^ry Page 1 / 1978 j New Plant Head At ^ Chamber Luncheon i - -.,_ . ' j A total of 58 members and neighborhood and we want the j guests heard A. J. Pokomy, best for ourselves, our families ; vice [resident and general and our employes," he said. : manager of the American A problem of name ldentifi- t Hoechst corp. Bayport works, cation for many people was at the first La Porte-Bayshore solved by Pokomey. He said Chamber of Commerce mem- the name Hoechst, pronounced bership luncheon Friday, Feb. phonetically comes out Herat. 17. He said he learned to say the The lunch was catered at St. name after the company f John's Episcopal Church ; fellowship hall by John f Karageorgos of Mediterranean f gardens. Pokomy who was in charge of the search for the best loca tion for die facilities said "Bayport was, without ques tion, our first and best choice. The industrial concept of Bayport with its pipeline spaghetti bowl, deep water port, access!faility of raw materials and acquired Foster-Grant Co. in Baton Rouge in 1975 where Pokomy had been employed since 1955. The new facility at Bayport to be completed early in 1980 going onstream later that year will be part of an organisation that dates back to 1963 when seven employes began making dyes in a shed near Frankfiat, Germany, he said. In something over 100 years ^ mergy, and best of all, its his tory o' '-'elciunng industry were all deciding factors." , Bayport is also very close to some major customers, he added. "We are going to live in the the company has grown to a market of almost $10 billion In 1977. "Growth has been a tradition with Hoechst over the years," he said. "Today our parent company has branches in 120 "' countries around the world." j The comosny moved Into the | U S. in 1953, with ft million in < sales that year u. .j.; sales i are expected to be about $800 mUllon... .... .... . More than 9,000 people are Pokomy tawed a aeries of employed thrughout tbs U.S., slides illustrating uses of the Pokomy said. Headquarters Hoechst products in American ' are in Bridgewater, NJ., but a homes. . district office has been open in Styrene and high density Dallas several yean. polyethylene will be major | Some of file more familiar products of the Bayport pint, | products of the American Pokomy said. The company ! Hoechst company Include Foa- haa 24 yean' experience in sty 1 tar Grant sunglasses; polyest rene monomer production and er fibers used fa) clothing, 23 in producing high density carpeting and upholstery; polyethylene. plaafica for food packaging, "Our record of safety, ; appliances, dishes, record health, performance and our ` albums, blisterpaclu, etc.; off- good neighbor reputation are ` set printing platea; dyes and well known in Baton Rouge nd ; pigments for paints, fdt pen other cities in the U.S. nd markera, clothing and can; around the world," he said. pharmaceuticals like Lads, a Pokomy outlined how the i leading diuretic; diagnostic Bayport site was chosen. A ' agents for medical laborator- common site for two facilities : las; plastic for piping. was sought since both use a hdiim raw material, he aid, nd both make a product for flie plaafica market. So `it made good sense to pin on constructing both at fa single location." At the close, Pokomy fielded questions from the audience. Those who posed questions were Kathy Henderson of Galveston Bay Conservation and Preservation Association; Brent Miller of Harris County Cosnmiafioner Tom Bass' of fice; Rufus Smith of La Porte. fiFGl69J6 21874001