03/11/2026
Ignite St. Mary – Economic Development & Industry Day (Part 2)
After a great lunch, the Ignite St. Mary class continued their Economic Development & Industry Day with several more stops highlighting both small business and large industry in St. Mary Parish.
The afternoon began with a stop on Main Street in Franklin for coffee at The Lamplighter Bistro, where the class met with St. Mary Parish Economic Development Director Evan Boudreaux. Evan led an engaging discussion about how economic development works behind the scenes, from attracting new businesses and supporting existing industries to encouraging job creation and investing in infrastructure and workforce growth. The conversation sparked thoughtful questions and great participation from the class.
Next, the group headed to Gather on Main, home of Fifolet Candle Makers, a small business and the St. Mary Chamber of Commerce 2023 Small Business of the Year. Owner Chad Boutte welcomed the class for a candle-making soirée where participants created their own custom luxury candles. Chad’s storytelling, humor, and passion for his craft had the class completely engaged, making this stop a clear favorite of the day!
The final stop of the tour brought the class to Cabot Corporation, where they were welcomed by Damon Denson and Eric Gorman, Senior Reliability Engineer. Eric, a 2025 Ignite St. Mary graduate, joined the class on the bus and led an informative tour of the carbon black facility, giving participants a closer look at the large-scale industrial operations that play a vital role in the local and global economy.
Economic Development & Industry Day gave the Ignite St. Mary class an incredible opportunity to see firsthand the industries, small businesses, and leaders who help keep St. Mary Parish growing and moving forward.
A special thank you to Cabot Corporation for the beautiful candle gifts given to the class. The candles were hand-poured by Fifolet Candle Makers, and it was wonderful to see one of our major industries supporting a local small business in such a thoughtful way. Each participant was able to take home a unique keepsake from the day!
Special thanks to our Corporate Sponsors: Cabot Corporation Chitimacha Tribe of Louisiana and New Industries!
