Interviewer: Jacob Campbell

Affiliation: University of Arizona

Mr. Trahan was referred by his wife Carline who works at Songy’s Sporting Goods store in Houma. Ronnie knows many of the contract companies working in the Houma area; as operations manager for a major welding company, he negotiates contracts with major oil companies as well as small shops. He agreed to be interviewed in his office at Marine Fabrication Company on Venture Road in Houma.

Mr. Trahan was born in 1955 in New Orleans, but his family moved to Houma when he was one year old. His father worked for the Southern Pacific Railroad. Ronnie took welding in high school, and started his first job with Delta Iron Works after graduation. A year later he began working for a family-owned business, repairing rigs, boats, barges and pipes along the coast. He drove a welding truck constantly, doing “dockside” work, making welding repairs that kept rigs in operation. In the late ‘70s he began going offshore on repair jobs. He also worked in shipyards during this period. In 1992 he started Marine Fabrication and Repair with other partners. He is currently operations manager for the company, after his brother bought him and the other partners out six years ago.