If you regularly eat oyster po-boys, gumbo or red beans and rice, chances are you're familiar with Crystal Hot Sauce. Baumer Foods, which produces Crystal along with several other sauces and condiments, was established in New Orleans in 1923. Since then, the family-owned business has grown to 200 employees, producing three million gallons of hot sauce annually, which is sold in 120 countries around the world - all from its plant on Tulane Avenue.

But that was before Katrina hit.

"The storm hit and put our production facility out of commission," said Alvin Baumer, Jr., whose parents started the company.

The facility was beyond repair, employees were scattered across the country, and Baumer had a decision to make - close his business permanently, open it elsewhere or stay in Louisiana. He chose to stay in his home state and as close to New Orleans as he could feasibly manage.

"Louisiana is my home," Baumer said. "And it's the home of my products. I couldn't go to another state and produce Crystal Louisiana Hot Sauce. It just wouldn't rhyme."

Baumer searched the area and was able to find a suitable space in Reserve, La., just 25 miles from New Orleans. St. John Parish offered incentives to reduce the lease rate for the 50,000 square-foot facility, which is twice the size of the one in New Orleans. Baumer plans to open operations there in late 2006, creating 150 new jobs. Baumer Foods will also maintain administrative offices in Metairie, La., a suburb of New Orleans.

"We're here to stay," Baumer said. "There's enormous room for growth here. New Orleans is going to grow to be a bigger and better place. And the state in general, along the Gulf Coast and the hurricane-affected areas, is going to grow to be better. There's just a world of opportunity here."

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