Court OKsTetra Technologies tax break

By: Tiffany Williams , Courier staff

SOUTH COUNTY - In a bid to keep its estimated 300 employees close to home, Montgomery County commissioners on Monday granted Tetra Technologies a 100-percent 10-year tax abatement.

The south Montgomery County company is constructing a seven-story, 159,000-square-foot building near its current facility, located at the southwest side of the Interstate 45-Sawdust Road intersection. The company also leases two other buildings in The Woodlands.
"That was one of the driving factors in our decision to build a building of our own," said Linden Price, vice president of administration for the oil and gas services company. "We wanted to consolidate our space."
In addition to the seven-story building, Tetra is also constructing a six-story parking garage. Price said the structures will satisfy the company's continuing growth plans.
Tetra Technologies has made a name for itself as one of the fastest growing companies in the region. The publicly traded company specializes in operating and decommissioning oil platforms in the Gulf of Mexico, a potential money-maker the company's CEO Geoffrey Hertel said is "dramatically larger than anything we have ever previously experienced," in a company press release.
Price said initially the company is hoping to add at least 100 clerical and professional jobs, with the possibility of more in the long-term future.
Tetra will break ground on the facility in January and likely will relocate in March 2009, Linden said.
He said company executives considered other locations in the Houston metropolitan area, deciding ultimately to remain in Montgomery County where many Tetra employees live. The company even participated in a ZIP-code analysis that determined 75 percent of its workforce reside in Conroe and Spring and the communities in between.
"It made sense for us to stay here," he said.
County Judge Alan B. Sadler said 2007 has been a "banner year" for expansions and new companies coming to Montgomery County. Earlier this year, county commissioners granted tax abatements to lure Petroleum Wholesale and U.S. Oncology, which are building facilities in The Woodlands, bringing between 600 and 750 jobs to the county.
While Sadler said it is important to attract new companies, he said it is equally important to keep the ones already here.
In September, commissioners approved a tax abatement for Conroe Machine LLC, adding at least 30 jobs and keeping those paychecks in Montgomery County.
"If they are going to grow, they are also going to look elsewhere," he said.
"Anytime we can keep 300 jobs here and create an avenue for another 100 jobs is tremendous," Tax Assessor/Collector J.R. Moore said.
Tiffany Williams can be reached at twilliams@hcnonline.com.