ENROLLED
2019 Regular Session
HOUSE RESOLUTION NO. 32
BY REPRESENTATIVES JORDAN AND SMITH
A RESOLUTION
To designate Monday, April 15, 2019, as ExxonMobil Day at the legislature, to commend
ExxonMobil for their long-term contributions to the economy of the state of
Louisiana and to the prosperity of her citizens, and to commend and congratulate the
employees and retirees of ExxonMobil for their continuous pursuit of excellence.
WHEREAS, it is with great pride and gratitude that the Louisiana House of
Representatives commends ExxonMobil for the contributions its operations have made for
the past one hundred ten years to the economy of the state of Louisiana and to the prosperity
of its citizens; and
WHEREAS, the Standard Oil Company of Louisiana, which began in April 1909 on
two hundred twenty-five acres of Baton Rouge farmland with some seven hundred workers,
has grown into an ExxonMobil family of companies in Louisiana that, besides the Baton
Rouge Refinery, now also includes world-class facilities such as: the Baton Rouge Chemical
Plant, the Baton Rouge Polyolefins Plant, the Baton Rouge Plastics Plant, the Port Allen
Lubricants Plant, the Port Allen Aviation Plant, the ExxonMobil Production Company, the
ExxonMobil Pipeline Company, and XTO Energy; and
WHEREAS, as one of the top employers in the state of Louisiana, employing more
than six thousand employees and contractors in the Baton Rouge area, ExxonMobil has
workers in nearly every corner of Louisiana, from the Haynesville Shale to the Baton Rouge
chemical plants to the deep waters of the Gulf of Mexico; and
WHEREAS, the ExxonMobil Baton Rouge Refinery is the largest manufacturing
employer in Louisiana and the fourth largest refinery in the United States, and the Baton
Rouge Chemical Plant is the second largest manufacturing employer in the state with
ExxonMobil's Louisiana operations; and
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WHEREAS, ExxonMobil's engineers, scientists, skilled workers, and support staff
in Louisiana have played crucial roles in shaping the energy and petrochemical industry
during the past century with revolutionary research innovations and technological
breakthroughs, such as the world's first catalytic cracking technology and the development
of alkylation processes for the production of high octane aviation fuel during World War II
as well as the development of butyl rubber, which led to Baton Rouge's nickname as the
"Cradle of Synthetic Rubber"; and
WHEREAS, ExxonMobil's Louisiana operations pay over one hundred million
dollars in state and local taxes each year, including over thirty-three million dollars in
property taxes in East Baton Rouge Parish alone, and has paid more than one billion dollars
in state and local taxes over the past ten years; and
WHEREAS, ExxonMobil and its thousands of employees and retirees take an active
role in the betterment of the surrounding communities throughout the state of Louisiana by
providing more than thirty thousand volunteer hours annually to numerous nonprofit
organizations as well as providing financial assistance through charitable contributions and
matching grants of over four million dollars each year to hundreds of civic, community, and
educational organizations; and
WHEREAS, ExxonMobil's recognition that the challenges of the 21st century, for
both the energy industry and our country, will rely on our children having a strong
foundation of math and science education in our schools that is reflected in the commitment
of a thirteen million dollar funding grant to the National Math and Science Initiative for
Louisiana schools and its educational programs such as the Advanced Placement Training
as well as support of numerous other educational programs through the Foundation for East
Baton Rouge School System; and
WHEREAS, ExxonMobil's facilities in Louisiana are dedicated to operating in an
environmentally responsible manner and have been recognized for their efforts as a recipient
of numerous awards for their environmental leadership; and
WHEREAS, ExxonMobil is committed to continuous improvement in the safety of
its employees, contractors, and the community and its Louisiana facilities have been
recognized by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration for their voluntary
protection programs and safety performance; and
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WHEREAS, ExxonMobil is committed to the workforce of the oil and gas industry
with the start of the North Baton Rouge Industrial Training Initiative to help address the craft
skills demands with a free training program on electrical, welding, pipefitting, and
millwright in partnership with Baton Rouge Community College; and
WHEREAS, ExxonMobil's facilities are expanding to construct a new polypropylene
production unit in Baton Rouge that will expand production capacity by up to four hundred
fifty thousand tons per year, create six hundred jobs during construction, and sixty-five
permanent jobs once completed; and
WHEREAS, ExxonMobil's facilities in Louisiana represent substantial long-term
investments and their operations retain existing jobs and attract new jobs, provide tax
revenue, spur economic growth, and help meet the world's growing energy needs; and
WHEREAS, the success of the state of Louisiana, the strength of our communities,
and the overall vitality of American society depend, in great measure, upon businesses like
ExxonMobil, which is taking on the world's toughest energy challenges.
THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the House of Representatives of the
Legislature of Louisiana does hereby commend ExxonMobil on more than a century of
partnership and progress with Louisiana and does hereby recognize Monday, April 15, 2019,
as ExxonMobil Day at the legislature.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the House of Representatives of the Legislature
of Louisiana does hereby commend and congratulate the employees and retirees of
ExxonMobil for their continuous pursuit of excellence in safety, corporate responsibility,
environmental preservation, and contributions to local education and volunteer leadership.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a suitable copy of this Resolution be transmitted
to ExxonMobil's Louisiana Operations.
SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
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