Ergon, Inc. – A Company that Works to Make a Difference in Times of Disaster Cooking for and serving hot meals to first responders in times of disaster and crises is what Jerry Wally, representing Ergon, Inc., does very well. Jerry, a long time employee of Ergon, Inc., a family –owned and operated petroleum company operating world-wide, is from Tallulah and has been a part of serving home-cooked meals across the southeastern portion of the United States for many years, including Louisiana, Mississippi, Florida, Texas and the Carolina’s. Most recently, Jerry and his Ergon team, which included the LA Department of Transportation and Development’s Monroe Unit lead by Manager Marshall Hill, prepared and packaged meals and then traveled to Southwest, Central and North Louisiana, where they cooked and served meals to over 2,000 linemen and first responders working during the aftermath of Hurricane Laura. They plan to leave again this week for another week of serving over 2,000 in the Lake Charles region. In all, Ergon’s disaster food service team has fed first responders for 14 years. Most noted of those years was their work after Hurricane Katrina. Those who were there stated that they were so thankful for what the Ergon team did. There were no restaurants and the meals were at best, makeshift. When Ergon and Jerry’s team came down with their giant mobile cooking trailers, serving pork tenderloins and other great meals, it was a large morale booster to everyone there working to rebuild the New Orleans area. When a storm hits, Jerry’s team starts making plans to arrive approximately 3 days later with a goal of feeding three hot meals per day for several days. The heart of the operation comes from Ergon’s founder, Leslie Lampton, Sr. (1925-2018), who was best known as a man of honor and integrity who put his family and his employees and his faith above all else. His commitment to serving others was evident as well as his work ethic, which continues today with the employees in our region, which certainly includes Jerry Wally. Representative Francis Thompson (Dist. 19), a long- time friend of Jerry describes him well. “Jerry’s heart for serving others and his talent in the culinary arts is second to none. The time and energy he spends planning, cooking and traveling is a model for service for us all. We are extremely grateful to Jerry and the Ergon family for their investment to our communities across Louisiana for over a decade.” As Jerry has stated before, “Were it not for the Lampton family’s, and Baxter Burns’, President of A&E, willingness to serve the communities in which we work and for those who say, ‘Let’s go’, when the storms roll in, Ergon employees wouldn’t have opportunities to help so many people in their greatest time of need. There really is love in the Ergon family. You just don’t find that every day.”
