Kongsberg Maritime Inc., a Norwegian maritime tech company, has made a major investment in Louisiana with the purchase of of 5.2 acres of land. The company plans construction on a 82,980 square foot office and training facility in St. Rose.
This new, reportedly $17 million project, scheduled to begin this spring, will be an expansion of the currently leased 35,000 square feet of space in the St. James Business Park property.
Building the new offices from the ground up was said to be the most favorable long-term financial solution.
The currently leased space houses a 110 person staff, which is a significant increase from the original nine person staff that the company had in Louisiana in 2003. The new facility is designed to hold between 220-250 people over the next 10-15 years, according to Kongsberg President Jon Holvik.
Kongsberg still has its headquarters in Houston, and the company’s regional customer base is also growing. “It is important to continue to offer them the world’s best service facilities close to their operation,” explains Holvik.
“We believe in the future of the (Gulf of Mexico) offshore market, which is why we are now investing in a large Louisiana technical support center and a new training facility,” Holvik said. “Our customer base has grown significantly, and it is important to continue to offer them the world’s best service facilities close to their operation.”
The 3-story building will be built on approximately 3 acres, and the remaining acreage will be held for future expansion.
“Kongsberg has a history of investing and innovating during hard times,” said Holvik. “Despite a low oil price and a downturn in the offshore markets, we believe the market will bounce back as it always does.”