DOWN DE BAYOU — Josh Jambon gestures toward a framed photo of his precious baby. Floating there in the water is the Nicholas C, a giant oil rig supply vessel named after Jambon’s grandfather and the last remaining boat in his fleet until he begrudgingly sold it in 2017.
The photo of the 170-foot ship hangs in Jambon’s office as a steady reminder of the good times in this bayou town, when the booming oil business had the Cajuns flush with cash. Jambon, 58, once presided over a company that supported 15 boats like the Nicholas C, employed more than 350 people and operated from multiple locations across the world.