TCI Plastics to build at New Orleans port

   Jensen Companies will develop a new, 500,000-square-foot logistics facility for TCI Plastics at the Port of New Orleans, Jensen Chief Executive Officer and Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal announced Monday.
   A $36.5-million capital investment will be made by TCI, and the project will create 160 new direct jobs, the company said in a statement, adding that a significant increase in plastics-based chemical production in Louisiana has driven the expansion.
   TCI will acquire 32 acres from the Port of New Orleans for $3.1 million, and will begin construction in the middle of this year. TCI said the facility should be completed in 2016, with 50 new jobs created by 2015, and the rest by 2020.
   “Today’s announcement marks the culmination of a lot of hard work by the Board of Commissioners of the Port of New Orleans and our staff and economic development officials,” port President and Chief Executive Officer Gary LaGrange said in a statement. “TCI is a valued partner and a key player to capture new chemical cargoes primarily produced right here in Louisiana. We look forward to TCI’s continued growth and success.”