McIlhenny Company is working to save Louisiana's coastal wetlands.

A Letter From Paul McIlhenny
President & CEO of McIlhenny Company

Avery Island, LA, situated in the upper coastal wetlands of south Louisiana, has been the home of the Marsh/Avery/McIlhenny family for over 185 years and home to TABASCO^® brand Pepper Sauce for 135 years. And though Avery Island is well elevated, it is surrounded by swamps, marshland, and bayous - an area that's home to many indigenous plant and animal species as well as a prolific seafood habitat.

Our family members have always taken seriously their role as stewards of this special place. We are, therefore, quite naturally concerned with the drastic loss of Louisiana's coastal wetlands.

Since 1930, Louisiana has lost approximately 1,500 square miles of marsh due to land subsidence and erosion. Each year, the state is still losing an average of 25 to 30 square miles of this important coastal environment. As a result, the very land we live and work on is washing away.

As an active and concerned member of the community, I served on Governor Foster's Committee on the Future of Coastal Louisiana, and currently serve on his recently established Advisory Commission on Coastal Restoration and Conservation.

For those of you interested in helping us reverse this loss of our wetlands, I encourage you to learn more about our corrective initiatives by visiting www.americaswetland.com.

Many thanks for your consideration.

Paul McIlhenny
President and CEO
McIlhenny Company

In the TABASCO Country Store^®, you can find Pelican Coast ties, 100% silk ties created by a fifth-generation New Orleans family. Each tie in their Coastal Collection depicts an image of the unique culture here in coastal Louisiana, and 20% of all proceeds are donated to America’s WETLAND Foundation.