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Release Date: June 25 2004
Grand Opening of Red River Pharma (article) - June 24, 2004 From the front page of the June 20, 2004 edition of the Shreveport Times:
<Red River Pharma taps into local universities
By Kim Klass
Red River Pharma is about keeping people at home.
And Robert Morgan is grateful.
The drug-manufacturing plant, which makes medical foods in tablet form for patients with unique nutritional requirements, is a place where locals are finding jobs.
"It's important to stay in the area," said Morgan, who graduated in May from LSU-Shreveport with a degree in chemistry. "My family's here; my wife's family is here. It's very important that the city brings in jobs. If they keep bringing in these kinds of jobs, it will be a science mecca like Fort Worth and Dallas."
Jai Mehta, president of development for Red River Pharma, said job creation for locals is what motivates him. "When you see that you can make a difference in someone's life, it brings satisfaction."
The company, which will celebrate its grand opening Thursday, employs 30 and hopes to expand to 200 by 2007.
Mehta said some job-seekers researched the company - some waiting six months to a year for an opening.
"At the beginning of last year, there was one employee - me. Now we have 20. It gives you great joy, a real kick...helping people reestablish a family connection."
Brad Evans is three weeks fresh to the company. The 25-year-old Haughton resident and May graduate of LSUS with a biochemistry degree is thankful to be able to stay in the area.
The only other place where he would have been able to work is LSU Health Sciences Center or somewhere out of state, he said.
Evans landed his Red River Pharma job before he graduated. He a laboratory technician, developing formulas used to make products.
"I want to stay...as long as there's an opportunity for me to be here. Having more professional and high-tech jobs helps workers, but it also helps the community. You have a higher-educated populace. It goes both ways."
Charlie Wiggins, president of Red River Pharma manufacturing division, said it's important to "keep our people home.
"The company will offer a lot more as we grow," he said, adding that Red River Pharma is helping build momentum for Intertech Science park - an inner-city triangle with LSUHSC and Willis-Knighton and Christus Schumpert health systems as its points.
As a single mother of a 9-year-old boy, Courtney Fuentes didn't want to move out of town and uproot her child from his life.
Fuentes, a laboratory technician at Red River Pharma and a May graduate from LSUS, said the job benefits both her and her son.
"I don't want to move out of this town," the 30-year-old said. "I've been watching this company. This is a good opportunity.
"When this came up, I jumped on the chance.">
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