Baton Rouge Business Report, Sept., 2022 by Baton Rouge Business Report

REVIEW BY DECADES BUSINESS EVOLUTION COMMUNITY LEADER ESSAYS SEPTEMBER 2022 • BUSINESSREPORT.COM Celebrating the PAST while casting a vision of the FUTURE of business in the Capital Region

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4 BUSINESS REPORT, September 2022 | BusinessReport.com

EBR’S OVERDOSEFATALRATE IS MORE2XTHAN THEAVERAGENATIONAL EMPLOYEES.KILLEDFENTANYLTWOOFMY COULD I HAVE SAVED THEM? 100%201720182019202020212022 75% 50% 25%FentanylOtherDrugs PortionofFentanyl-RelatedOverdosesinEBR 88% OFSPECIFICALLYDEATHSOVERDOSEINVOLVEDFENTANYL In East Baton Rouge Parish, 88% of all drug overdoses were caused by drugs laced with fentanyl, an opioid that is more than 50x stronger than morphine. While this may sound like a problem that only exists on the streets, it is lethal to even first-time drug users. From counterfeit Xanax pills to illicit drugs like cocaine, it only takes one hit, one bump, or one pill to be laced with a deadly dose. How can you help? Join in allegiance with Baton Rouge business leaders to speak as one voice for change. A BROUGHTMESSAGETOYOU BY To learn more, volunteer, donate, or get help for someone struggling with addiction, visit whenyouarereadybr.com. IT’S TIME TO SOUND THE ALARM

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CONTENTS businessreport.com facebook.com/businessreport twitter.com/brbizreport instagram.com/brbizreport CONNECT WITH US: Publisher: Julio Melara EDITORIAL Editorial Director: Penny Font Associate Publisher, Executive Editor: JR Ball Managing Editor: Contributing Photographers:Contributing Writers:Digital Content Editor:Staff Writers:Online News Editor:Allan SchillingDeannaB.NarvesonDavidJacobs,EricL.TaylorDillonLoweSam Barnes,Tom Cook,Maggie Heyn Richardson,ChelseaBrasted,EmilyKernHebert,HollyDuchmannBrian Baiamonte,Marie Constantin,Don Kadair,Tim Mueller,Collin Richie ADVERTISING Sales Director: Kelly Account Executives:Senior Account Executives:LewisMarielle Land-HowardGabiBivins Porter, Angie Laporte, Meredith LaBorde, Matt Wambles, Connie Zaragoza Advertising Coordinators:DevynMacDonald,Brittany Nieto, Cassidie Tingle STUDIO E Director: Taylor Multimedia Strategy Manager:Gast Timothy Coles Corporate Media Editor: Lisa Tramo ntana Content Strategist: Allyson Guay Account Executive: Judith LaDousa MARKETING Marketing & Events Coordinator: Taylor Falgout Training & Events Coordinator: Emma Dubuc Events: Abby Hamilton ADMINISTRATION Business Manager: Receptionist:OfficeBusiness Associate:Tiffany DurocherKirsten MilanoCoordinator:SaraHodgeCathy Varnado Brown PRODUCTION/DESIGN Production Manager: Jo Glenny Art Director: Hoa Vu Senior Graphic Designer: Melinda Gonzalez Graphic Designers: Emily Witt, Ashlee Digel AUDIENCE DEVELOPMENT Audience Development Director and Digital Manager: Audience Development Coordinator:James Hume Ivana Oubre Audience Development Associate: Catherine Albano A publication of Melara Enterprises, LLC Chairman: Julio ChairmanChiefViceExecutive Assistant:MelaraBrooke MottoPresident:PennyFontOperatingOfficer:GuyBaroneEmeritus:RolfeH.McCollister Jr. Circulation/Reprints email:225-928-1700circulation@businessreport.com

Volume 41 - Number 1 ©Copyright 2022 by Melara Enterprises, LLC. All rights reserved by LBI. The Greater Baton Rouge Business Report (USPS 721-890 ISSN 0747-4652) is published monthly by Louisiana Business Inc. Reproduction without permission is prohibited. Business address: 9029 Jefferson Hwy., Ste. 300, Baton Rouge, LA 70809. Telephone (225) 928-1700. Periodicals postage is paid at Baton Rouge, La. Subscription rate is $96.00 for 12 issues, with 2 additional issues published annually in April and December.

POSTMASTER: Send address changes to The Greater Baton Rouge Business Report 9029 Jefferson Hwy. Ste. 300, Baton Rouge, LA 70809. The Greater Baton Rouge Business Report cannot be responsible for the return of unsolicited material—manuscripts or photographs, with or without the inclusion of a stamped, self-addressed return envelope. Information in this publication is gathered from sources considered to be reliable, but the accuracy and completeness of the information cannot be guaranteed. No information expressed here constitutes a solicitation for the purchase or sale of any securities.

COVER STORY - PAGE 26 FIRST WORD 11 Publisher: Building on the past to create a better future STARTUP 13 Big Story: Addressing a burden 15 3 Things to Know: Jill Kidder 16 Entrepreneur: Jay Bennett 19 Design: Louisiana Farm Bureau 20 Tom Cook: Count me grateful and blessed 23 Bottom Line: Economic Indicators VIEWPOINT 145 Rolfe McCollister: It’s time for Baton Rouge to come ALIVE 149 JR Ball: Getting the cool kids to eat at our table 150 Stephanie Riegel: Revitalization must extend beyond downtown YOUR BUSINESS 196 Company News 202 Moving Up 206 Passion: Ralph J. Stephens | Teaching Celebrating the PAST while casting a vision of the FUTURE of business in the Capital Region 6 BUSINESS REPORT, September 2022 | BusinessReport.com

Russell Alleman, Builder / Owner 225.773.8789 / manchachomes.com / manchachomes from receipt of this proof. A shorter timeframe will apply for tight deadlines. • Additional revisions must be requested and may be subject to production fees. Carefully check this ad for: CORRECT ADDRESS • CORRECT PHONE NUMBER • ANY TYPOS This ad design © Louisiana Business, Inc. 2022. All rights reserved. Phone 225-928-1700 • Fax 225-926-1329 7Daily-Report.com | BUSINESS REPORT, September 2022

Infrastructure: A long road ahead Billions of dollars will be spent on easing traffic and promoting alternative transportation, but the solutions may be only temporary as long as we’re addicted to cars—and sprawl.

Fashion: Dressing for success

What is the essence of B aton Rouge? What is our brand? Let’s begin by focusing on the positives while embracing change.

Restaurants: Foodies finding more diverse options

128 John Kirwan: Connection-driven research

State Politics: Making a hard right turn While Louisiana politics have historically been dominated by Democrats, Republicans began to assert control st arting in 2008.

Economic Development: Seeking diversification

119 GUEST ESSAYS Nine essays from community leaders and young professionals on how B aton Rouge can fulfill its potential as an economically thriving midsized city.

122 Kenny Nguyen: Becoming the creative epicenter of the South Turning the potential of B aton Rouge into reality requires hard work and the bravery to embrace innovation.

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130 Stafford Wood: Needing a new brand

The evolution of fashion for B aton Rouge executives. 83 Notable quotables 88 Restaurants: Changing tastes

106

40TH ANNIVERSARY SPECIAL SECTION JUNE 2022 BUSINESSREPORT.COMJUNE 2022 BUSINESSREPORT.COM INSIDE BREAKING DOWN THE RESIDENTIAL, OFFICE, RETAIL AND INDUSTRIAL SECTORS REALREPORTESTATE

136 Camille Manning-Broome: Taking the risk on a sustainable future Building a better Baton Rouge st arts with making the changes necessary so that it’s a thriving, climate-resilient city.

The B aton Rouge dining sector has grown from sleepy to inventive.

Energy: Powerful forces Increasingly severe weather, growing demand for alternative fuel sources and an aging transmission grid mean changes are coming to the electricity market.

2022 Hot markets, fueled by limited supply and highdemand, are the story with most sectors, but risinginterest rates and inflation are cautionary flags.

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111

124 Stephen RenewingMoret:theAmerican dream

Industry: Dawn of a new day Whether it’s a push for renewable energy or net-zero emissions, experts are confident Louisiana’s petrochemical sector will evolve, adapt and thrive.

Though the industrial sector will continue powering the Capit al Region economy, there are promising opportunities in the health care and research technology markets.

141 Beverly Brooks Thompson: The right thing to do Corporate social responsibility encompasses how your company and its employees interact with the community and, when done right, can appeal to a new generation of talent.

120 William F. Tate IV: An immeasurable amount of potential LS U’s commitment is to improving lives in measurable, impactful ways that evolve from evidence-based research and study.

102

From expanding cuisine choices to how we ‘dine out,’ there are some major shifts in the B aton Rouge dining market.

114

Education: A matter of choice Top-rated suburban districts, award-winning magnet programs and the growth of openenrollment charters are selling points for public education in the Baton Rouge area but challenges, especially with low-income students, remain.

FUTURE 40 Changes are in store for key business sectors as the Capital Region looks to grow its economy and keep up with an evolving world.

Baton Rouge can become a place that provides equit able pathways to opportunity for everyone—no matter their starting point in life.

The B aton Rouge Health District and the New Orleans BioInnovation Center partnership could make the Baton Rouge-New Orleans corridor a national leader in health sciences.

133 Julia-Claire Evans: A problem of attraction Convincing young professionals to call Baton Rouge home begins by actually welcoming them and breaking down the unspoken barriers to access.

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126 Adam Knapp: Punching above our weight class Building a strong talent pipeline, industry diversification and inclusivity are keys to the Capit al Region’s long-term economic success.

Success: They started right here A sampling of B aton Rouge standouts that have made their way out of the Capital Region to new heights.

CONTENTS 29 THE FIRST 40 A decade-by-decade look at the past 40 years, what was said and how we’ve evolved since 1982. 31 Decade in Review: 1980s 41 Decade in Review: 1990s 53 Decade in Review: 2000s 63 Decade in Review: 2010s 77 Decade in Review: 2020s 81

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PRODUCTS MADE FROM OIL FAR MORE THAN JUST GASOLINE IS MADE FROM OIL While approximately 40% of a barrel of oil is used to produce gasoline, the rest is used to produce a host of other products. Clothing, Ink, Heart Valves, Crayons, Parachutes, Telephones, Antiseptics, Deodorant, Pantyhose, Rubbing Alcohol, Carpets, Hearing Aids, Motorcycle Helmets, Pillows, Shoes, Electrical Tape, Safety Glass, Nylon Rope, Fertilizers, Hair Coloring, Toilet Seats, Candles, Credit Cards, Aspirin, Golf Balls, Detergents, Sunglasses, Glue, Fishing Rods, Linoleum, Soft Contact Lenses, Trash Bags, Hand Lotion, Shampoo, Shaving Cream, Footballs, Paint Brushes, Balloons, Fan Belts, Umbrellas, Luggage, Antifreeze, Tires, Dishwashing Liquids, Toothbrushes, Toothpaste, Combs, Tents, Lipstick, Tennis Rackets, House Paint, Guitar Strings, Ammonia, Eyeglasses, Ice Chests, Life Jackets, Cameras, Artificial Turf, Artificial Limbs, Bandages, Dentures, Ballpoint Pens, Nail Polish, Caulking, Skis, Fishing Lures, Perfumes, Shoe Polish, Antihistamines, Cortisone, Dyes, Roofing, Jet Fuel, Heating Oil, etc.

OTHER PRODUCTS MADE FROM OIL

MEDICINE Most over-thecounter homeopathicmedications,productsandvitaminsarederivedfrompetroleumproduct s COSMETICS Makeup and shampoo that has oils, waxesperfumes,andcolorallproducedwiththehelpofpetrochemicals. PLASTICS Almost all plastics are made thewater.frompetrochemicals.fromyouriPhonetothatbottleofItis4-5%oftotalpetroleumconsumption. SYNTHETICRUBBER breasttires,suchrelyofThousandsproductsonrubberasshoes,wetsuits,implants,gloves,etc. PRODUCTSCLEANING All those ingredients you can’t pronounce in the ingredients list of cleaning products being used to keep us safe from COVID-19. ASPHALT There are over 11 million miles of paved road in the world. Asphalt is the glue that binds the together.minerals SOURCES: HUFFINGTONPOST.COM, OILANDGASINFO.CA, RANKEN-ENERGY.COM, EARTHSCIWEEK.ORG, LISTVERSE.COM, WIKIPEDIA.ORG, ENERGY.GOV, CONOCOPHILLIPS.COM, OILFIELDPULSE.COM www.BartlettGrp.comsales@bartlett.group(855)80 4-4443 ENERGYRENEWABLEPRODUCTS Oil is necessary to produce components used to create renewable energy, from wind turbine parts and solar panels to batteries for electric cars. Environmental Coatings Services We’re not number one—you are!® 9Daily-Report.com | BUSINESS REPORT, September 2022

Whether you’re expanding into new locations, building your assets or working to increase cash flow, we are committed to serving all of your business and borrowing needs. With focus on building relationships and supporting our community, our experienced lenders offer competitive rates and fast turn-around times, without losing the personal banking experience.” LOUISIANA • ALABAMA • TEXAS | InvestarBank.com Years of CongratulationsExcellence TO BUSINESS REPORT FOR John D’Angelo PRESIDENT & CEO

The Executive Leadership Academy and the Professional Educators Academy are designed to cultivate rising leaders and impact the next generation. Studio E, our full-service, creative content studio, is a robust partner for compa nies and organizations wanting to leverage our talent, experience and audiences to share their story in engaging and innovative ways.

As we have for the past four decades, we remain focused on our integrity and credi bility. We strive to create healthy discourse to push for transparency and better out comes that lead us to a place of growth and understanding.Iaminaweof the perseverance and grit this community continues to display in the face of adversity. Melara Enterprises is committed to supporting local businesses, empowering leaders, and throwing on its apron to humbly serve others. Our goal is to be a destination for connectivity and impact, inspiring others to extend their talents to this city we call home.

Building on the past to create a better future

I believe in collaboration and know that the only way we reach the next major milestone is by actively seeking out feedback from the peo ple who got us here. We want to hear from you about how we can better serve you through our publications, events, services and beyond. Thank you for your continued partnership and trust, and I look forward to hearing your thoughts and ideas over the coming weeks and months. The best is yet to come!

PMS 187 Red PMS 294 Navy 11Daily-Report.com | BUSINESS REPORT, September 2022

Respectfully, Julio Melara Chairman & CEO | Melara Enterprises

FROM THE PUBLISHER TO OUR VALUED READERS, partners and stakeholders: Thank you. This month we celebrate 40 years. Forty years of bringing you the stories about the people, places, experiences and opportunities that distinguish this community. Forty years of celebrating the best among us through our events and honors like the Business Awards and Hall of Fame, Best Places to Work, Influential Women in Business and Forty Under 40. Forty years of partnering with com munity leaders and organizations to make the Capital Region an even better place to call home.Butthis milestone also marks the beginning of a new chapter for Melara Enterprises. Our new name reflects the change in ownership; however, our vision remains the same: to be a company of excellence, innovation and impact everyNow,day.itis time for us to be a second-mile or ganization. Over the past few months, we be gan crafting a new strategy to meet the future needs of our community head-on. We have set ambitious goals and are passionate about providing more events and resources to build an experience economy. We are going above and beyond to offer new solutions, foster con nections and relationships, and continue the distribution of our beloved core products: Business Report, 225 magazine, inRegister and 10/12 Industry Report It is because we care deeply about the Baton Rouge region and believe in its potential that we created new facets to our business.

To that end, I want to acknowledge the ex traordinarily talented team I am blessed to work with here at Melara Enterprises. Their energy, their drive, their passion for this com munity and their unwavering commitment to excellence inspires me every day.

12 BUSINESS REPORT, September 2022 | BusinessReport.com

THE

THE HISTORY: The past 40 years have featured multiple lo cal efforts that were described as a “war on litter” or something along those lines. This time, ad vocates hope to build and main tain the momentum behind their movement.

• The Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality pro vided $400,000 in supplemen tal funding while the lieutenant governor’s office kicked in $75,000.•TheGovernor’s Litter Abatement and Beautification Task Force submitted its initial report with recommendations for establishing and sustaining litter prevention efforts across Louisiana, which include build ing public awareness, strengthen ing anti-litter enforcement efforts and improving waste disposal and recycling practices.

• 44 tons of trash from road ways before mowing. These numbers don’t include B IG STORY

| BUSINESS

CONSTANTINMARIE

WHY IT MATTERS: Litter creates a flood hazard when it clogs wa terways and drainage systems, and “quality of place” can be an important factor when it comes to attracting and retaining busi nesses and residents. The Burden Center event may be a sign that public officials and the general public are starting to treat litter as a serious issue in the Capital Region and statewide.

WHY IT LOOKED FAMILIAR: The Burden pit where Gov. John Bel Edwards, Lt. Gov. Billy Nungesser, Mayor Sharon Weston Broome and LSU officials held their press conference was featured last year in a Business Report cover story about Baton Rouge’s litter problem.

• State lawmakers this year passed legislation that gives mu nicipalities the option to establish stormwater utilities and charge fees for litter abatement and flood prevention, which EBR of ficials will consider later this year as part of a stormwater manage ment plan.

MEETING THE CHALLENGE: Broome has launched a local task force for East Baton Rouge Parish bringing together busi ness, nonprofit and government stakeholders.•Theirefforts will include a public awareness campaign and a close look at enforcement.

LAST WORD: “What we’re trying to do is activate as many people as possible,” says Mark Armstrong, a spokesperson for Broome’s ad ministration. “We’ve got to chal lenge each other.” Daily-Report.com REPORT, September 2022

NEW PERSPECTIVE: Advocates such as the Louisiana Stormwater Coalition are explicitly tying the litter problem to drainage and flooding, which gives the issue an urgency beyond aesthetics. “Flooding is something that affects everyone,” says Johanna Landreneau, a Baton Rouge attor ney who founded Clean Pelican, an anti-litter nonprofit, about two years ago. “In 2016, every one flooded, [or] if they didn’t have flooding in their house, they knew someone who did.”

THE PROBLEM: While the scope of the litter problem is hard to de fine, a few data points from the first half of this year give some idea. East Baton Rouge Parish’s maintenance department during that time reports collecting: • 9,300 bags of trash on week end cleanups. • 905 tons of illegally dumped trash from rights of way, includ ing 2,100 tires.

anti-blight efforts on private property.

STARTUP

WHAT YOU SAW: State and local officials gathered at the Burden Museum and Gardens on Aug. 16 to announce major cleanup ef forts that will take place there and at two other Baton Rouge loca tions, along with the completion of a state task force report focused on litter prevention.

HE SAID IT: “The governor’s press conference was one of the best days of my life,” says Jeff Kuehny (pictured), resident director of the Burden Center and a co-founder of the Louisiana Stormwater Coalition. “People are sick of living in filth. They’re sick of seeing our beautiful environment spoiled, and everybody wants to do some thing about it.”

Addressing a burden

THE DETAILS: The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency awarded $500,000 to the LSU AgCenter to implement lit ter abatement projects at three demonstration sites across Baton Rouge: Burden, the Capitol Lakes and Bayou Fountain at BREC’s Highland Road Park.

CampusFederal.org | 888.769.8841 | Business@CampusFederal.org Branch locations available in Baton Rouge, New Orleans and Shreveport As Louisiana’s Top Business Credit Union we’re here to help maximize your business success. We offer a full suite of business products and personal service. Local decisions with quick turnaround. Business Loans Business Mastercard® and Lines of Credit Practice, Real Estate and Equipment Loans 24/7 Online & Mobile Banking Campus Clicksm Clover© Business Management Solutions TOGETHERYOUR BUSINESSBUILDING BRBR - Business Services Woman - 40th Anniversary - Full Page Ad - 2022.indd 1 7/29/2022 1:07:38 PM 14 BUSINESS REPORT, September 2022 | BusinessReport.com

STARTUP EXECUTIVE BRIEFING

Club soda with a splash of cranberry and lime “It’s like a li’l spritzer without the alcohol.”

Cooking “I do traditional home-cooked meals, like gumbos and etouffees. I love in-season vegetables.”

Pontoon boat rides “My husband and I have had a place on Lake Rosemound for years now, north of St. Francisville.” Barcelona, Spain “I love Spanish culture. It reminds me a lot of our Louisiana culture—a little laid back but always fun.”

President and CEO, Visit Baton Rouge

| BUSINESS REPORT,

KADAIRDON

ISTOCK ISTOCK ISTOCK ISTOCK ISTOCK 15Daily-Report.com September 2022

Oysters “I love any kind of oysters— grilled, raw and sushi.”

3 Kidder took the helm at Visit Baton Rouge last month and oversees a roughly 20-member staff. She believes that creating and fostering quality of life in Baton Rouge will help drive tourism, and that tourism helps attract people to move to and invest into Baton Rouge. In her new position, she hopes to better align VBR with other economic development organizations in town. “The visitor is the first date in the economic development cycle. You always have to be prepared and be putting your best foot forward because you don’t know when people are coming to visit.”

3 THINGS TO KNOW:

FAVORITE THINGS: JILL KIDDER

Jill Kidder started her career in the hotel hospitality industry after graduating from LSU with a degree in business. She worked at several positions in south Louisiana before being promoted to work properties in Mississippi and Connecticut. After getting married, she moved to work at a hotel property in Chattanooga, Tennessee. It was there that she transitioned from the hotel industry to economic development. “Hotels sell the front-end product, when downtown and economic development agencies try to create the product.” 2 Kidder returned to Louisiana in 2000 to head the Alexandria/ Pineville Area Convention and Visitors Bureau. In 2004, she started her own tourism consulting business, and the Louisiana Travel Association hired her right after Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. She wound up co-directing the organization part time for roughly a decade before becoming the sole CEO of LTA in 2016. “My whole career has been preparing me for this job with Visit Baton Rouge. I think the experience I had as a hotelier, in economic development, in downtown development, and my experience as a CBV director has all played into this moment.”

ADDRESS: 18605 Barnett Road, Zachary NEXT GOALS: Host more events at the school facility

DROPPING SKIS

Owner, Bennett’s Water Ski & Wakeboard School

Jay Bennett

WHAT THEY DO: Water ski school

STARTUP ENTREPRENEUR

RIVER RETREATS

While Bennett estimates that most water skiing schools stay open a decade, his operation in Zachary is entering its 46th year. He hosts international students in the spring, domestic adult clients through May, and focuses on camps for local children in the summer. Though he had expanded to include a boat business and retail pro shop at the school site, he sold those arms of the business to his daughter and her husband so that he could focus on running the school. “We had a vision of being a onestop shop for everything. Having a facility that can cater to all aspects of water sports is very unique, and I’m not sure if anyone in the U.S. is doing it to the level we are at in Zachary.”

“To train and do well in any sport at a high level you have to be committed and dedicated. Anyone who has done well in a sport can do well in business because you have the drive and willingness to succeed that other people don’t.”

Baton Rouge native Jay Bennett grew up going to his family’s False River camp on weekends to water-ski. At age 10, he started skiing competitively. After graduating from trade school, Bennett worked in a north Baton Rouge plant—the same one where his father worked—but after two years, he realized he didn’t want to work in a plant. Bennett and his wife ran a ski club together on False River and a barefoot water-skier from New York, who owned his own ski school, suggested the couple start their own school. “And then he left a sizable tip on the table—it got me and my wife’s attention that maybe a ski school could be a reality for us.” Bennett started his business in May 1977.

PUBLIC WATERS

—By Holly Duchmann • Photography by Collin Richie

16 BUSINESS REPORT, September 2022 | BusinessReport.com

Because he couldn’t control the boat traffic in public waters, Bennett and a few local families started looking for a piece of property where they could create lakes to water-ski. An abandoned catfish farm in Zachary with 11 ponds over 63 acres caught Bennett’s eye and he began building his own facility in 1979. Today, Bennett maintains and runs three lakes— with nearly 40 acres of land underwater—in Zachary for his school, where he’s hosted collegiate, national and pro championship events. “The best advertisement is wordof-mouth with people endorsing us—repeat customers are our bread and butter.”

During the pandemic, when more than 55 million American students moved to online learning, one in five teens reported the inability to work on their assignments because of unreliable internet access. And 12 million children had no internet access at Additionally,all. underserved communities and rural areas struggle with inadequate internet speeds needed to stay connected to friends, family, school and work. Two-fifths of adults with annual incomes less than $30,000 lack broadband services or a computer. Cox is committed to bridging this digital divide, the gap between those who have reliable internet service and those who do not. Addressing the issue of affordability will chip away at that gap. “Ensuring digital equity for households of all incomes and economic statuses in the communities we serve matters,” said Anthony Pope, Senior Vice President of Cox’s Southeast Region. “The past two years have proven that access to reliable, affordable internet is crucial for everyone, especially students.” Cox is working toward digital equity by participating in the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP), which provides financial support to families in need so they, too, can gain access to the internet to stay connected with others –whether learning from home, working remotely or having a video chat with a friend or loved one.

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INDUSTRY INSIGHTS

Our commitment to digital equity is keeping families connected and at an affordable cost.

Digital Equity:

How COX is offering relief

monthlythroughsubsidies 17Daily-Report.com | BUSINESS REPORT, September 2022

To bridge the divide, Cox has doubled download speeds of its low-cost internet products Connect2Compete and Connect Assist to 100 Mbps; and with the ACP $30 subsidy, Cox can provide even more people with free internet access at higher speeds. Cox is also expanding its footprint to reach underserved and rural communities. To this effort, they have pledged $400 million over the next three years to provide fast and reliable internet services to new andhomesbusiness in communities near its existing footprint. For more information on the ACP and to see if you are eligible for free or discounted internet, visit cox.com/digitalequity

ACP is a U.S. government program that helps low-income households through subsidies for service and Accordingequipment.totheWhite House, nearly 40 percent of American households are eligible for the $30/month subsidy through the ACP and 11 million households have already signed up to lower their monthly bills and access affordable high-speed internet. Most people with household incomes below 200% of the Federal Poverty Line are likely eligible. So, too, are those receiving government benefits such as SNAP, Medicaid, SSI, WIC, Pell Grant and Free or Reduced-Price Lunch.

Cox Homelife is available to residential customers in select Cox service areas. A high-speed Internet connection is required. Cox Homelife Security service plan required monitoring services for intrusion, smoke/fire and related system components. Applicable monthly service charges, installation, additional equipment, taxes, trip charges fees may apply. Subject to credit approval. Other restrictions may apply. Local ordinances may require an alarm user permit or external lock box. Cox Homelife Service provided Advanced Services: Arizona, LLC – Alarm Lic. #18141–0 &nROC Lic. #310876; Arkansas, LLC – Lic. #E 2014 0026 & #CMPY.0002278; California, LLC – Alarm Lic. #7196 & Contractor’s Connecticut, LLC – N/A; Florida, LLC – Lic. #EF20001232; Georgia, LLC – License: Bryan David Melancon #LVU406595; Idaho, LLC – Lic. #024933; Iowa, LLC – Lic. #C121646 & #AC268; LLC – Lic. #F 2006; Nebraska, LLC – Lic. #26512; Nevada, LLC dba Cox Homelife – Lic. #78331; Ohio, LLC – Lic. #53– –1671; Oklahoma, LLC – Lic. #2002; Rhode Island, LLC – Lic. LLC – Topeka Lic. #109 & Wichita Lic. #2015–36492; Virginia, LLC – DCJS Lic. #11–7776 & DPOR Lic. # 2705164725 © 2022 Cox Communications, Inc. All rights reserved. MAG108474

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Anthony Pope, Senior Vice President of Cox’s Southeast Region

DESIGN

2. Adjacent to the lobby-area staircase is a wood and metal design element that not only continues the agricultural theme but does so in a sophisticated way.

4. The boardroom, located on the third floor, has a built-in ellipse board table with seating for 19. Wood and stone accents create a sophisticated aesthetic while the floor-to-ceiling window wall looks onto landscaping and reflection ponds.

STARTUP REAL

3. The facility includes a 2,350-square-foot cafe for staff to take a break from work throughout the day. The space can also be used for banquets and enter taining as it opens onto a 6,000-square-foot, covered outdoor patio.

BUSINESS

7000FARMLOUISIANAESTATEBUREAUCommerceCircle

Owner: Louisiana Farm Bureau Federation Architects: Grace Hebert Curtis Architects Contractor: Arkel Constructors Cost: $21 million Date completed: August 2022 Use: Headquarters 19Daily-Report.com | REPORT, September 2022

1. Louisiana Farm Bureau, celebrating its 100th anniversary, has opened its new $21 million, 84,555-square-foot headquarters off Corporate Boulevard. The pattern on the exterior facade is representative of a grain elevator, emphasizing the building’s agricultural theme.

PHOTOGRAPHY BY TIM MUELLER

FORM FOLLOWS FUNCTION: “The architects at Grace Hebert Curtis looked to the farm for inspiration in designing the building. The gray accents between the windows were inspired by the metal grain bins farmers use to store rice, corn and soybeans. The stone on the bottom floor resembles stone fences found on some ranches.”

—Avery J. Davidson, communications director, Louisiana Farm Bureau Federation

PROTECTING WHAT MATTERS! some of you, but I wanted to take a few lines this month to talk about how blessed and grateful I am to have been part of this publi cation for the past 35 years. Believe it or not, my first col umn for the Baton Rouge Business Report was written for the fifth anniversary edition. I think the only person who has written for it longer than me is Rolfe McCollister. In the early days, McCollister had several folks from the industry write a column for his “new” publication. I re member when it first came out, he had guys like Oren Russell and Princeton Bardwell, people who everyone in real estate knew and respected. When Bardwell decided to give up writing the column, I called McCollister and asked if he would give me a chance. I had the blessing of working for one of the finest men you will ever meet in Bill Cobb at Cobb Corporation and had just opened my own firm. McCollister gave me an oppor tunity, and I have been blessed to be a part of Business Report for the last 35 years. The associ ation with this publication has allowed me to meet some fine people—great editors like JR Ball, and reporters like Mukul Verma and Stephanie Riegel. I remember when they brought in a new guy named Julio Melara to help run things. Melara told me they were going to take the publication to the next level—and they did. I have reported on a lot of changes in our industry over the years, not just the interesting sales that have taken place. I can remember when Mike Wampold came to town and started ren ovating apartments before he had much. I remember when Holly Hidalgo-DeKeyzer was a loan officer at Hibernia Bank; now she is EVP/regional presi dent at Investar Bank. I watched Charlie Cole put together a group to develop the Country Club of Louisiana and go on to make Santa Maria a success. I watched as Tommy Spinosa began creating Rouzan and Perkins Rowe. I can remember when Kevin Nguyen came to my office to talk about one of his first single-family de velopments. I watched as Alvarez and DSLD developed into the major players they are today. I can remember helping Princeton Bardwell’s son, Scott, when he first began to build and develop. I can remember when Donnie Jarreau was an agent living off commissions, now he has Jarreau Real Estate and the JRE Private Equity Group. I have felt a part of all these stories by being able to write about them. My association with Business Report has influenced the growth of my firm, from when I started in a one room of fice. I am blessed that my assis tant, Susan Brown, has been with me for 40-plus years, blessed to have brought in Wesley Moore as a partner, and later Craig Davenport.So,Iwant to say thanks to Rolfe, Julio and JR, and all the others at Business Report for let ting me be a part of it. Congrats on 40 years! Tom Cook of Cook, Moore, Davenport and Associates has been an independent real estate appraiser for more than 20 years.

HURRICANE DAMAGE? LET US HELP! WE ARE A LOCAL COMPANY & EXPERTS IN HANDLING INSURANCE CLAIMS. Issue Date: OCT 2021 Ad proof #2 • Please respond by e-mail or fax with your approval or minor revisions. • AD WILL RUN AS IS unless approval or final revisions are received within 24 hours from receipt of this proof. A shorter timeframe will apply for tight deadlines. • Additional revisions must be requested and may be subject to production fees. Carefully check this ad for: CORRECT ADDRESS • CORRECT PHONE NUMBER • ANY TYPOS This ad design © Louisiana Business, Inc. 2021. All rights reserved. Phone 225-928-1700 • Fax 225-926-1329

WE SERVE SOUTH LOUISIANA

Count me grateful and blessed

20 BUSINESS REPORT, September 2022 | BusinessReport.com

STARTUP REAL ESTATE

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10949 Airline Highway • Baton Rouge (225) 424-2277 • www.mbobr.com Facebook.com/MBBatonRouge Twitter.com/MBOBR YouTube.com/MBofBatonRouge Instagram.com/mb_BatonRouge10949 Airline Highway • Baton Rouge (225) 424-2277 • Facebook.com/MBBatonRougewww.mbobr.comTwitter.com/MBOBR YouTube.com/MBofBatonRouge Instagram.com/mb_BatonRouge 9 WINNERBestBestTIMEoftheAward from receipt of this proof. A shorter timeframe will apply for tight deadlines. • Additional revisions must be requested and may be subject to production fees. Carefully check this ad for: CORRECT ADDRESS • CORRECT PHONE NUMBER • ANY TYPOS This ad design © Louisiana Business, Inc. 2022. All rights reserved. Phone 225-928-1700 • Fax 225-926-1329 22 BUSINESS REPORT, September 2022 | BusinessReport.com

BATONROUGECLINIC.COM 7373 PERKINS ROAD l BATON ROUGE, LA 70808 l (225) 769-4044 With 39 internists, 20 pediatricians, on-site full-service lab and radiology, and numerous specialties, we have everything you need to keep you and your family healthy and happy. TO THE BUSINESS REPORT ON Total revenue earned by Baton Rouge’s three riverboat casinos in July 2022 STARTUP ECONOMY A S O N D J F M A M J J 2021 The bottom line The latest indicators giving insight on how well Baton Rouge’s economy is performing. BY HOLLY DUCHMANN 4.5% East Baton Rouge Parish unemployment rate in June 2022 UNEMPLOYMENTTRACKER RIG TRACKER REAL ESTATE TRACKER CASINO REVENUE TRACKER 101516171819202122232425260 (thousands)priceSales (millions)revenueCollective 13-month comparison $277,000 Median home sale price for East Baton Rouge Parish for July 2022 66 Rigs offshoreinlandoperatingandLouisiana(asofAugust19) SOURCES: U.S. Department of Labor, Louisiana Department of Natural Resources, East Baton Rouge Parish Finance Department, Greater Baton Rouge Association of Realtors, Louisiana Workforce Commission, Louisiana Gaming Control Board. J A S O N D J F M A M J J A J A S O N D J F M A M J percentageUnemployment 10.011.012.013.09.08.07.06.05.04.84.64.44.24.03.83.63.43.2 3638404244464850525456586062646668 200205210215220225230235240245250255260265270 J A S O N D J F M A M J J 2021 13-month comparison $18.9 MILLION Sales tax collections in East Baton Rouge Parish for May 2022 2021 2021 22 2022 22 MILLION$2012131415161718192021(millions)dollarsTax M J J A S O N D J F M A M SALESTRACKERTAX 2021 2022 2022 23Daily-Report.com | BUSINESS REPORT, September 2022

4 40 4,800projectsmultifamily units 1650 hotel rooms Over 1,650,00 sq. ft. of commercial office space Our team counts our many blessings which include our talented and committed executive team and associates, our extraordinary properties and our best practices which have been developed since our inception in 1982 We are as excited and energetic today as we were 40 years ago about the prospects of continued growth and evolution of Wampold Companies. Cheers! THE WATERMARK HOTEL 4040 OVER celebratesCompaniesWampold40 projects over 40 years...

Looking Ahead... • I Rivermark Centre • II Rivermark Centre Scan to See More of What’s to Come! CITY PLAZA THE RENAISSANCE HOTEL II CITY PLAZA UNITED CENTRE BAYONNE AT SOUTHSHORE THE CRESCENT

26 BUSINESS REPORT, September 2022 | BusinessReport.com Celebrating the PAST while casting a vision of the FUTURE of business in the Capital Region

27Daily-Report.com | BUSINESS REPORT, September 2022 THE FIRST 40 ................................... 29 A decade-by-decade look at the past 40 years, what was said and how we’ve evolved since 1982. FUTURE 40 ..................................... 101 Changes are in store for key business sectors as the Capital Region looks to grow its economy and keep up with an evolving world. GUEST ESSAYS 119 Nine essays from community leaders and young professionals on how Baton Rouge can fulfill its potential as an economically thriving midsized city. Special thanks to Holly Duchmann for the countless hours of historical research that went into the making of this issue. MUELLERTIM

EQUAL HOUSING LENDER | MEMBER FDIC We’re community bankers - growing, investing and serving in the Capital Region. Whether it’s business, personal or mortgage - we have you Findcovered.outwhy more people are coming home to Home Bank. Visit us at home24bank.com. Local Lending Experts CORPORATE | BLUEBONNET | SHERWOOD | LONG FARM LeVar Anderson Sr. Commercial Relationship Manager CMYCYMYCMYMCK ai166180786121_BRBR_LoansMadeLocal_8.875x10.875_0822.pdf 1 8/29/2022 4:17:43 PM 28 BUSINESS REPORT, September 2022 | BusinessReport.com

29Daily-Report.com | BUSINESS REPORT, September 2022

30 BUSINESS REPORT, September 2022 | BusinessReport.com

www.iem.com

For over 37 years in Louisiana and across the country, the team at IEM takes pride in delivering strategic, innovative solutions to communities affected by disasters and other crises. As the world’s largest woman-owned disaster management firm, IEM brings diversity, equity, and inclusion to the forefront of the work that we do to help create resilient communities for everyone.

As we experience a spike in disasters and continued hardships from the coronavirus pandemic, IEM is committed to serving our clients as the nation’s premier leader in emergency management and disaster recovery to build back stronger. Founded in Baton Rouge in 1985, team IEM is now made up of more than 1,000 employees to meet growing demands. With our continued growth we remain dedicated to delivering impactful services for our clients, including although not limited to:

• Mitigating against future impacts to create resilient communities • Stabilizing housing for homeowners and renters affected by COVID-19 and other emergencies

• Helping homeowners repair, replace, or reconstruct disaster damaged homes Despite the challenges faced since the onset of the coronavirus pandemic, our team of professionals quickly pivoted to meet the demands of the clients and communities we serve to build a safe, secure, and resilient world

• Deploying to emergency operations centers when crisis strikes • Standing up testing, vaccination, and treatment sites to keep Americans healthy and safe

Business Report publishes its first edition, in September, profiling Baton Rouge’s most prolific entrepreneursofthetime. The Telephone Book Company enters the local market as Baton Rouge’s second phone number directory competitor. MILLION$1.59 Sale price listed for the historic Myrtles Plantation in St. Francisville • A 100-acre tract at O’Neal Lane and Interstate 12 is purchased for a new general medical surgical hospital. • The Backpacker opens on Jefferson Highway in October. 1982 Thethewillannouncescity-parishitcompleteextensionofCourseyBoulevardtoAirlineHighway. Real estate agent Steve Wicker tries to get “exchanging” to catch on, in which properties of equal value are exchanged without taxes. 31Daily-Report.com | BUSINESS REPORT, September 2022

Number of units of Diet Coke delivered to the Baton Rouge market in a single day when the soda launches in March One of the city’s oldest law firms, Sanders, Downing, Kean & Cazedessus, divides into three firms: Kean Miller, Steen Rubin, and Downing Cazedessus. The restored World War II destroyer USS Kidd opens to the public for tours. Work begins on Corporate Atrium, an 82,000-square-foot hexagon office project across from the Baton Rouge Hilton.

More than 18 shopping centers are under construction in Baton Rouge, including Bocage Village, Connell’s Village, Bluebonnet Village and Lake Sherwood Shopping Center. 82 Number of Piccadilly Cafeterias in the U.S. at the time (now 33) The Silver Volt emerges as Baton Rouge’s first electric luxury car, retailing for around $49,000.

32 BUSINESS REPORT, September

Juban’s Restaurant Inc., specializing in New Orleans-style Creole cooking, files for corporation. 2022

| BusinessReport.com

Motorists begin using the newly constructed Industriplex Boulevard, a 1.4-mile stretch of cut-through glory. 1983

American Airlines signs a 25-year lease with Baton Rouge Metropolitan Airport 700,000

33Daily-Report.com | BUSINESS REPORT, September 2022

The Allied LeBlanc—hopeLeBlancWashauer,Group—MarkPrice“Pre”Jr.andCrewsR.tobreathe new life into Corporate Mall, off of Corporate Boulevard and I-10, with a $2 million remodel and rebrand into Esplanade.

New Orleans supermarket mogul John Schwegmann brings his chain to Baton Rouge, opening a $10 million Schwegmann Giant Supermarket on South Sherwood Forest Boulevard, intensifying competition in an already fragmented market.

Adams and Reese expands into Baton Rouge with the opening of a new law office, the second major New Orleans firm to do so. Earlier in the year, Phelps Dunbar entered the market.

34 BUSINESS REPORT, September 2022 | BusinessReport.com

Price paid for Bon Marché Mall by New York-based Security Capital Real Estate Fund Holding Company

River Road Recipes, published by the Junior League of Baton Rouge, sells its millionth copy.

Catfish Town opens over the peruse. forrestaurants80withsummeraboutshopsandpatronsto

Ben Alford of Benny’s Car Wash gains local prominence for his full-service car washes and advertising featuring stuffed gorillas and mechanical chickens. City headquarters,newBankNationalopensitsdowntown City Plaza.

Development on the 600-acre communityresidential Country Club of Louisiana gets underway, with a Jack Nicklaus signature golf course, palatial clubhouse, rolling hills and stately homes.

• After a six-year hiatus, Gris Gris announces it will resume publication in August under the new leadership of co-owner and political writer John Maginnis Developers begin negotiating with the Robert Trent Jones Group to design a championship golf course on the 455-acre site of the old Santa Maria Dairy off Perkins Road. The project is ultimately saved when BREC handles the golf course while Charlie Cole develops the surrounding residential property.

1984 1985

$36 million

Developer Victor Coursey announces plans for Fantasea Park, “a little bit of Disney for Baton Rouge,” at I-10 and Highland Road. Today, the water park is known as Blue Bayou.

C.J. Brown Realtors announces plans to open a real estate store in Cortana Mall, following a national trend of Realtors setting up shop in malls.

The Medical Center of Baton Rouge celebrates its grand opening in March. Daily-Report.com

Thank you, Blue Cross employees, for being Louisiana True. Because of your hard work in the community, our company has been recognized as one of the 50 most communityminded companies in the country by former President George H.W. Bush’s Points of Light organization. This is the fourth year in a row you’ve won this honor.

The Greater Baton Rouge Chamber of Commerce launches its Leadership Baton Rouge program—with an initial class of 30—to train professionals to become community resources.

Last year, Blue Cross employees volunteered 35,000 hours to Louisiana nonprofits.

| BUSINESS REPORT, September 2022

$154.4 million

01MK7087 R06/20 Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana is an independent licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association.

POINTS OF LIGHT

Last year, Blue Cross employees volunteered more than 30,000 hours to neighbors and communities in Louisiana.

Developers Walter Bankston, Jim Sumrow and Don Hayden acquire 187 acres—with more than 1,000 feet of frontage on Highland Road—to create Woodgate.

Thank you to the employees of Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana. Because of your hard work in the community, our company has been recognized as one of the 50 most community-minded companies in the country by former President George H.W. Bush’s Points of Light organization.

Multilevel marketing takes Baton Rouge—and the nation—by storm with the rise of Amway, Mary Kay, Shaklee, Herbalife and other direct-sell brands.

Price that Service Merchandise paid for the H.J. Wilson operation

R08/2201MK7087

Frank Kean III purchases the dry-cleaning end of the Keans Louisiana Partnership from 23 other former partners and vows to changes, including the end of hat cleaning services. Maurin-Ogden Development Corp. announces plans for Siegen Village, to be anchored by Kmart, Gulf States Theaters Siegen Cinema 10 and Burger King.

Issue Date: Sept 2022 Ad proof #2 • Please respond by e-mail or fax with your approval or minor revisions. • AD WILL RUN AS IS unless approval or final revisions are received within 24 hours from receipt of this proof. A shorter timeframe will apply for tight deadlines. • Additional revisions must be requested and may be subject to production fees. Carefully check this ad for: CORRECT ADDRESS • CORRECT PHONE NUMBER • ANY TYPOS This ad design © Louisiana Business, Inc. 2022. All rights reserved. Phone 225-928-1700 • Fax 225-926-1329 On site phone solutions Hosted phone solutions Photon opens in Baton Rouge as a lasergamesizedlife-videoakintotag. Toys R Us breaks ground on its location.Boulevardmillion$1.4Florida 1986 The Metro Council enacts a moratorium on the permitting of any new billboards in the parish, further fueling billboard wars between Lamar and new competitor 3-M National Advertising Company Blue Cross Blue Shield of Louisiana announces plans to build new headquarters on Bluebonnet Boulevard, incorporating its existing offices on Reitz Boulevard. Exxon begins offering workforce reduction incentives to many of its 40,500 employees to avoid Newlayoffs. Orleans-based Ochsner looks to enter the Baton Rouge market.

make

36 BUSINESS REPORT, September 2022 | BusinessReport.com

Jim Bernhard, then 32, establishes National Fabricators, which quickly becomes one of the nation’s top three pipe fabricators.

Chef John Folse closes on a deal to lease with an option to buy the 22-acre White Oak expandbusinessahopingPlantation,todevelopcateringandhisbrand.

Number of points the stock market loses on Monday”“Black

Number of beds at ZacharyHospitalMemorialLanein

508

37Daily-Report.com | BUSINESS REPORT, September 2022

Developer Mike Wampold, then 32, lands a military contract to build 600 housing units in Fort Polk, Louisiana.

Lee Michaels Fine Jewelry congratulates the Business Report for being a true gem in our community for 40 years!

• Wal-Mart signs a lease to occupy the former Woolco building at Acadian Thruway and Perkins Road, now the site of the Acadian Village shopping center.

Davis Rhorer is ofexecutiveappointeddirectorthe DistrictDevelopmentDowntown , a position he holds until his death in 2021.

The landmark Coca-Cola sign in downtown Baton Rouge is refurbished. It will need another refurbishing nearly three decades later.

1987107

• Piggly Wiggly expands into the B aton Rouge market.

• Once billed as a harbinger of rejuvenation for downtown Baton Rouge, Catfish Town struggles to attract and retain shoppers.

Boudoir photography gains gift-giving steam in Baton Rouge, with women posing semi-nude for boyfriends or husbands.

Charlie D’Agastino is tapped to lead Control Data Corp.’s Business and Technology Center, which would eventually be taken over by LSU.

1988 1989

The former H.J. Wilson corporate headquarters on Florida Boulevard is sold to the Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry for more than $4 million. Great American Corp., holding company for Baton Rouge’s AmBank, is acquired by Union Planters Corporation, marking the first purchase of a major Louisiana bank by an out-of-state institution.

Tudor Construction Co. proclaims its confidence that no projects underway at the complexofSwaggartJimmyWorldMinistries will cease in the wake of the evangelist’s sex scandal. Ralph and Kacoo Olinde sell their sixrestaurant seafood chain for $33 million to Cafeterias. Piccadilly

Dan Juneau is tapped to lead the Louisiana Association of Business and Industry after a two-year search to replace retired president Ed Steimel. Gerry Lane of Polk Chevrolet acquires the Terry Spitzer Buick-Subaru dealership on Florida Boulevard.

Dr. George Bray is named director of Pennington Biomedical Research Center. Baton Rouge’s ranking in Money magazine’s annual survey of the nation’s best places to live

Officials for the Country Club of Louisiana and Jack DevelopmentNicklaus Corp. announce a mutual agreement for JNDC’s buyout. 159

The LSU Interfraternity Council implements a policy prohibiting fraternities from using money collected for rent or dues to buy alcohol. Exxon Co. USA begins construction on a $45.4 million lube-oil blending plant in West Baton Rouge Parish.

Previously available on tap at only eight restaurants, Abita Brewing Co. Inc. puts its Golden and Amber brands on the shelves of some 30 stores.

38 BUSINESS REPORT, September 2022 | BusinessReport.com

Issue • Please respond by e-mail or fax with your approval or minor revisions. • AD WILL RUN AS IS unless approval or final revisions are received within 24 hours from receipt of this proof. A shorter timeframe will apply for tight deadlines. • Additional revisions must be requested and may be subject to production fees. Carefully check this ad for: CORRECT ADDRESS • CORRECT PHONE NUMBER • ANY TYPOS This ad design © Louisiana Business, Inc. 2022. All rights reserved. Phone 225-928-1700 • Fax 225-926-1329 Celebrating 40 years of helping businesses in Baton Rouge. WWW.BARINGERLAWFIRM.COM 201 ST. CHARLES STREET, BATON ROUGE 225-383-9953 B aringer L aw Firm , LLCaTTorneysThe aT Law Business & Commercial Law • Mediation Real Estate Law • Estate Planning Tax Law • Construction Litigation Succession Litigation • And More We wish to recognize and honor the passing of our esteemed partner, James S. Holliday, Jr., on March 18, 2022, after a distinguished career spanning 57 years in the practice of law. Jimmy’s illustrious career is highlighted by his co-authorship of two scholarly legal manuals, Louisiana Corporations, first published by West Publishing in 1985, and Louisiana Construction Law, first published in 1979 by West Publishing, now Thompson Reuters, which are updated annually. Blue Bayou celebrates its grand management.andimprovementsrebrand,$1followingopeningamillionnew

Construction

The

Ending Woman’s Batonnon-charity21-year-monopolyHospital’sonthebabybusinessinRouge,the Medical Center of Baton Rouge announces the addition of the Genesis obstetrics unit. Pistol, about Pete Maravich’s youth, begins filming with more than 50 local basketball players trying out roles. begins on the $1.5 million Riverfront Plaza dock, all-steel spiraling ramp project.

for

After more than 18 months of roadwork, Perkins Road merchants grow frustrated with construction delays and the loss of business. 39Daily-Report.com | BUSINESS REPORT, September 2022

Cotton Brothers Baking Co. ceases production at its Baton Rouge bakery, with bread now coming from Monroe and Alexandria.

CONGRATS great years! For four decades, you’ve told the stories of local businesses and entrepreneurs helping them grow and succeed. Raising Cane’s appreciates your support over the past 26 years! Thanks for being an important part of our hometown! SERVING COMMUNITYOUR 19 BATON ROUGE AREA RESTAURANTS 40 BUSINESS REPORT, September 2022 | BusinessReport.com

1990

• Mike Wampold’s plans for a $15 million, 336-unit luxury apartment complex off St anford Avenue adjacent to One Lakeshore Place are delayed after the Planning and Zoning Commission refuses to rezone part of the property.

• Livingston Parish is one of about 10 sites being considered by an MIT-Caltech partnership hoping to land a proposed $60 million research project known as LIGO, short for laser interferometer gravitational wave observatory.

• The East Baton Rouge Parish Parks and Recreation Commission enters into an agreement to buy Santa Maria Golf Club for $1.8 million.

East Baton Rouge Parish begins its pilotprogramrecycling , collecting residentsmaterialscontainingbinsrecyclablefrominmorethanadozensubdivisions.

Law firm Stone Pigman of New Orleans expands to Baton Rouge and lures five attorneys away from Phelps Dunbar. TJ Ribs openingconsidersa Las Vegas franchise. Louisiana ofpreservingtowardConservatoryNaturemovesacquiringand80acresthe SwampBluebonnet , with the help of Vulcan Chemicals and Exxon Company USA.

Within an eight-day span, six MMR Holding Corp. executives leave the company, including CEO James “Pepper” Rutland, CFO Samuel Weems and COO Robert Bening, as it moves closer to filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. Rutland—a 2022 Baton Rouge Business Hall of Fame inductee—will regroup and ultimately rebuild MMR into a global force among industrial contractors.

BUSINESS REPORT, September 2022

By the end of the first week in January, Exxon’s Baton Rouge refinery reaches 50% of normal operations following a Christmas Eve explosion that claimed the lives of two men.

The Economides family breaks ground on the 4,400-squarefoot Zorba’s Greek Place at the corner of Perkins Road and Bluebonnet Boulevard. While the majority of Baton 1980stothestrugglesRougetomaintainstatusquothanksadepressedeconomy, southeast Baton Rouge undergoes a metamorphosis as the population more or less doubles and drives area. constructioncommercialinthe 41Daily-Report.com |

1992 Developer Charlie Cole proposes a 300-acre, 750-home high-end development lining the layout of Santa Maria Golf Course.

Phone calls logged in the first month of the Morning Advocate’s “Talk to Me” 900-number, an electronic classified personal ad service Members of the Country Club of Louisiana finalize a deal to purchase the development from Chuck McCoy, reimbursing him some $12 million that he spent to buy the community in March.

Students in the LSU School of Medicine’s residency program begin rotations at the Baton Rouge General Medical Center in November, marking the city’s first medical teaching program based at a community hospital rather than a public medical center. South Central Cell and Southern Bell merge into Inc. CommunicationsBellSouth

Cost of U.S. Postal Service’s mail BoulevardforcenterprocessingplannedBluebonnet Third Street, in downtown, reclaims its name after being called Riverside Mall since the ‘70s.

As part of his reelection campaign, President George H.W. Bush gives a speech at the Pete presidenttheAssemblyMaravichCenter,firsttimeasittingvisitedBatonRougesinceWilliamHowardTaftin1910.

After more than 80 years, The State-Times shutters, leaving Baton Rouge with just one daily newspaper—The Morning Advocate.

1991

After 72 years, Griffon’s Drug Store closes its location at South 19th and Government streets. State officials mull a proposal to set production limits on natural gas in an effort to help independent producers battle depressed natural gas prices.

3,700

Christel Slaughter becomes the first woman to chair the Greater Baton Rouge Chamber of Commerce after Bill Little resigns as president and CEO.

The first CortanaHighwayopensworldwideMcDonald’srestaurantdrive-thrudoubleinchainonAirlinenearMall as a prototype, featuring a limited menu, two walk-up windows, and outdoor seating for 30.

Lee FineMichaelsJewelry opens its first store outside of Louisiana, in Mobile, Alabama. 25 Number of businessmen from the Mexican state of Veracruz who visited Baton Rouge months before the nation’s free trade agreement with Mexico was finalized

CommissionerInsuranceSuspended Doug 25-yearreceivesGreenasentence for mail fraud and money laundering in U.S. District Court. million$25.6

42 BUSINESS REPORT, September 2022 | BusinessReport.com

Stanley K. Tanger signs agreementspurchasefor a 46-acre tract in Gonzales, where he plans to build a factory outlet mall. The chaindepartmentGoudchaux’sstore is sold by the Sternberg family.

The Belle of Baton Rouge docks at its new home, a downtown dock with a connecting pier to Catfish Town.

Woman’s Hospital celebrates the ribboncutting of its largest expansion yet— Physicians Tower I on Florida Boulevard.

Louisiana Insurance Commissioner Jim Brown places Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana in conservation, taking control of the nonprofit insurer.

The Centroplex is hit by scandal after two employees plead guilty to felony charges and its executive director is indicted on charges of malfeasance in office, felony theft and more.

Plans are finalized for a Wal-Mart Supercenter and Sam’s Wholesale Warehouse Club to anchor the new Marketplace Siegen Lane development. September 2022

Jim Bailey donates a 200-acre site on River Road to the Tiger Athletic Foundation for a proposed championshiplevel golf course. This development, along with the extension of Bluebonnet Boulevard, will trigger an explosion of residential and commercial development in the area.

In September, former Mayor Pat Screen is found dead in a French Quarter hotel room.

• Capstone Development Corp. announces plans to spend $6.2 million developing a 132-unit student housing complex at 4600 Burbank Drive, the first new decadeareadevelopmenthousingintheinroughlya

Copeland’s of New Orleans announces it will soon open Copeland’s Cajun-American Cafe on Essen Lane as a prototype for future franchise expansion.

Fifty-year-old Buddy Roemer, Louisiana governor from 1988 to 1992, announces he will run again for governor in 1995.

• BRAF forms a new division, Forum 35, to attract young professionals 35 and younger to community service projects.

The Louisiana State Police Riverboat Gaming Division awards its two remaining licenses to Jazz Enterprises and Louisiana Casino Cruises, with each planning to open riverboat casinos in downtown Baton Rouge.

After months of negotiation, Executive Hotel Management closes on its purchase of the Sheraton Baton Rouge off College Drive from Aetna Life Insurance and changes the property’s affiliation to Radisson. The property would later change hands and be rebranded to the Crowne Plaza

• Exxon Corp. joins several restaurantcompaniesfast-foodtoopenoutletsin its gas stations, joining a national trend.

• 100 Black Men launches a Baton Rouge chapter, led by Brace Godfrey, to address problems in the Black community. 100 Years of LSU Tiger football in Baton Rouge

43Daily-Report.com | BUSINESS REPORT,

19931994

The Securities and Exchange Commission approves the $2.3 billion merger between Gulf States utilities Co. and Entergy Corp

QUALITY CARE, right where you need it.

The luxury apartment market expands, with The Park on Bluebonnet Boulevard breaking ground on some 300 units near Perkins Road and The Gates at CitiPlace starting on its 369 units on Corporate Boulevard.

On the Border Cafe, MacaroniAmericanGrady’sGrillandRomano’sGrill.

44 BUSINESS REPORT, September 2022 | BusinessReport.com

Alabama-based Jim Wilson and Associates Inc. unveils plans for the Mall of Louisiana, with an anticipated 1997 opening date. The $200 million project would break ground in late 1996 and open in 1999.

20 Years celebrated by the Louisiana Association of Business and Industry

Schedule a Virtual Visit

For more than 20 years, our family of care has been dedicated to providing quality, convenient care to Baton Rouge and the surrounding areas. We continue to strive for an excellent patient care experience, and to be your family’s favorite urgent care facility. Give us a follow: The Powell Group forms a new company, Powell Broadcasting Inc., and begins negotiating to buy several radio stations in Iowa. The move was not unexpected; earlier in the year, the company had hired former WBRZ-TV news director John Spain.

1995

Community Coffee announces its first Baton Rouge location for its CC’s Gourmet Coffee House, in the Highland Village Shopping Center outside the LSU South Gates.

Local retailer Jerry Pearson announces plans to build a 17,000-squarefoot commercial shopping center on Jefferson Highway to house his store and travel agency, along with other tenants. LSU sells out its first home football game in 12 years as the Tigers square off against Auburn on the way to the school’s first winning season since 1988.

restaurants—nearlyModernageInc.buys6acresinCitiPlacewithplanstodevelopthree

Walk-In Book Your Check-in Time Online LakeUrgentCare.com

Two opening,followingmonthsitsMarble Slab Creamery takes the local market by storm. The company’s first Baton Rouge location at George O’Neal and Jones Creek roads is one of several Louisiana franchise outlets for the growing chain.

11640 Burgess Ave. | Walker, LA 70785 | 225.686.3982 | info@ledc.net WWW.LEDC.NET | @LivingstonEDC | @Livingston_EDC THE SMART MOVE IS LIVINGSTON PARISH CONVENIENT LOCATION GREAT COMPETITIVESCHOOLSLAND & INCENTIVES BUILD, MOVE, GROW OR EXPAND from receipt of this proof. A shorter timeframe will apply for tight deadlines. • Additional revisions must be requested and may be subject to production fees. Carefully check this ad for: CORRECT ADDRESS • CORRECT PHONE NUMBER • ANY TYPOS This ad design © Louisiana Business, Inc. 2022. All rights reserved. Phone 225-928-1700 • Fax 225-926-1329 45Daily-Report.com | BUSINESS REPORT, September 2022

Gov.-elect Mike Foster appoints 24-yearold Bobby Jindal to head the embattled Department of Health and Hospitals, calling Jindal a genius and saying he has “never felt more comfortable” about an appointment.

46 BUSINESS REPORT, September 2022 | BusinessReport.com

The former Catfish Town announces a combination brewpub/sports bar and rooftop grill as one of two new tenants at Argosy Gaming Co.’s development under construction. The development would eventually become the atrium of The Belle of Baton Rouge.

1996

52,000 Square footage of Academy Sports and Outdoors on Airline Highway, which took the place of Jack’s Grill II, formerly The Village

The owners of Mansurs on the Boulevard announce plans to open the French Market Bistro on Highland Road. BREADA holds its first farmers market on Boulevard. North Barnes and Noble is among the new tenants to open at CitiPlace on Corporate Boulevard, Tommy Spinosa’s new mixed-use development. With a skit involving horses, Jim Wilson & Associates breaks ground on the $200 million Mall of Louisiana.

Banc One Louisiana Corp. renames Premier Bank as Bank One Louisiana. The company would later be acquired by JP Morgan Chase and the name would change again. Lamar Advertising goes public with an initial public offering in 1996 that raises $75.8 million.

1997 Construction begins on Baton Rouge Community College’s $11.5 million, 51,800-square-foot facility. 168 Number of itsGiantat SchwegmannemployeesSupermarkets’twoBatonRougelocations,wholosttheirjobswhentheNewOrleans-basedcompanyshuttereditsCapitalRegionstorestofocusoncoremarketintheCrescentCity Baton Rouge welcomes its newest sports team—the Bombers—who play in the Eastern Indoor Soccer League. Maxco Properties, comprising 17 heirs to 200 acres in north Baton Rouge, announces plans to develop Howell Place Rebuilding begins on the kitchen and two offices at Mike Anderson’s Seafood Restaurant on Lee Drive after a fire in September. 48 Bus Corp.TransportationwithunderAdvertisingbyinstalledsheltersLamarCo.acontractCapital House Bill 1162 is signed into law, transferring the entire $753 million Charity Hospital System with nine hospitals from the Louisiana Health Care Authority to the LSU Board of Supervisors. $480,000 Salary of LSU football coach Gerry DiNardo The Metro Council unanimously votes to remove candy machines from public areas of city-parish buildings, fearing someone would slip on dropped candy and sue. 47Daily-Report.com | BUSINESS REPORT, September 2022

48 BUSINESS REPORT, September 2022 | BusinessReport.com

New urbanism guru Andres Duany leads Baton Rouge through a yearlong series of design charrettes that will result in Plan Baton Rouge, a master plan for downtown that will guide the development of more than $500 million in public investment and over $1.5 billion from the public sector. 2 Number of bowl victories for Baton Rouge’s college football teams, as LSU beats Notre Dame in the Independence Bowl and Southern defeats South Carolina State in the Heritage Bowl Bob Dean’s Lyceum Dean, an events hall on Third Street, holds its grand opening.

A beer imported from Singapore with purple and gold marketing and a trademark Lion bristles the feathers of LSU officials who say it too closely resembles the school’s branding.

Baton Rouge’s new 225 area code goes into effect on Aug. 17. Daily-Report.com REPORT, September 2022

United Companies’ stock plummets from a high of $27 a share to nearly $0.

Baton Rouge’s newest high-profile resident, Master P, prepares to launch a multimillion-dollar recording studio in Floridatown.

SAMPLE 200+ CRAFT BEERS AND SUPPORT BREC’S BATON ROUGE ZOO! TO LEARN ABOUT THE V.I.P. EXPERIENCE, VISIT BRZOOBREW.ORG 1998

Business Report begins a countdown to the millennium bug.

Boulevard Land Co., a group that includes local developer Jimmy C. Thompson, inks an agreement to buy the languishing Bon Marché mall for an undisclosed sum, with plans to redevelop the mall into uses other than retail. Yet another major real estate development comes to Baton Rouge in the form of Mallard Lake. “But with room for just 43 homes and prices starting at $220,000 this place won’t be for everyone.”

| BUSINESS

50 BUSINESS REPORT, September 2022 | BusinessReport.com

Argosy Gaming Co. begins construction on a $20 million, 300-room hotel next to its casino boat and land-side development. Developer Mike Wampold announces plans to expand City Plaza with a second, 12-story building. Construction on the 260,000-square-foot structure is delayed for several years, but it eventually opens in 2009. Starbucks Coffee Co. announces its expansion into Baton Rouge with a store planned for Corporate Boulevard.

1999

150,000 Number celebratedayaattendeesofatBonneFête,free,three-festivaltoBatonRouge’s300years

Issue Date: Sept 2022 Ad proof #3 • Please respond by e-mail or fax with your approval or minor revisions. • AD WILL RUN AS IS unless approval or final revisions are received within 24 hours from receipt of this proof. A shorter timeframe will apply for tight deadlines. • Additional revisions must be requested and may be subject to production fees. Carefully check this ad for: CORRECT ADDRESS • CORRECT PHONE NUMBER • ANY TYPOS This ad design © Louisiana Business, Inc. 2022. All rights reserved. Phone 225-928-1700 • Fax 225-926-1329 THERE’S SOMETHING ABOUT TURNING 50 Once you cross the age of 50, retirement becomes real. You start to think differently about planning for the future. In The Runway Decade, local financial advisors Bill and Pete Bush serve as your guide in simplifying the process of navigating the crucial years leading up to retirement so you can provide, protect and prosper for yourself and those who depend on you. Scan here to buy the book, listen to the podcast, and download other resources or visit runwaydecade.com Pete Bush,CFP® Bill CRPSBush,® REGISTERED REPRESENTATIVES: Securities and advisory services offered through Cetera Advisors LLC, member FINRA/SIPC, a broker/dealer and Registered Investment Adviser. Cetera is under separate ownership from any other named entity. 8280 YMCA Plaza Dr., Bldg. 5 | Baton Rouge, LA, 70810

Hilton announces plans to develop a 129-room Hilton Garden Inn on Harding Boulevard in Howell Place Lamar Advertising undertakes a massive $1.9 billion cash-andstock deal to buy the billboards of AMFM Inc. To satisfy U.S. Department of Justice antitrust concerns, Lamar sells $30 million in billboards in 31 areas. Mark Emmert takes over as LSU chancellor. YMCA announces it will “return to its roots” with a downtown facility in the Louisiana state parking garage under construction.

Chef John Folse makes headlines unveiling the new location for his flagship restaurant, Lafitte’s, after its old home burned to the ground.

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Baton Rouge Research Park Corp. approves for a high-tech incubator to be attached to the data center at Bon Carré during its redevelopment. After taking more than a year to plan, build and open Mia Tavola, Louis DeAngelo Jr. returns to DeAngelo’s Pizzeria Co., which is poised to begin signing up franchises.

33 Acres bought by Bethany World Prayer Center near Interstate 10 and Siegen Lane

R.W. Day and Associates announces plans for a $50 million mixed-use development near Nicholson and Burbank drives, just off the LSU campus, with nearly 850 apartments and 170,000 square feet of retail and office space.

Plans for a bike path along the levee and River Road from downtown to Brightside Drive are discussed, after the idea was initially proposed in the ‘90s.

53Daily-Report.com | BUSINESS REPORT, September 20002022

Charges, out of 26, that former Gov. Edwin Edwards was convicted on with regard to riverboat casino licensing, in his third federal trial Work begins on a $32 million building at Third and North streets to house the Department of Revenue.

Tommy Spinosa acquires nearly 29 acres on Perkins Road east of Bluebonnet Boulevard, giving Spinosa a total of more than 50 acres at the site, which would be developed into Perkins Rowe

225 Acres purchased by the Woman’s Hospital Foundation as part of a $5.9 million deal that encompasses Briarwood Country Club

Parishes in Louisiana receiving a disaster declaration from Gov. Mike Foster following the flooding from Tropical Storm Allison Ron Richard takes the helm of the Tiger Athletic Foundation as CEO.

The state Department of Transportation and Development begins erecting sound barriers around Baton Rouge to satisfy federal noise mitigation requirements. WAS MAYBE THE WORST DAY OF MY LIFE.”

SAID ISMAIL, owner of Po-Boy Express, who closed his two stores early on Friday following the Sept. 11 attacks, fearing for the safety of his family and employees after receiving threatening emails and phone calls.

8 Number of local CC’s Coffee Houses

“FRIDAY

Main Street Market opens on Main Street between Fifth and Sixth streets downtown, offering restaurants, gifts and groceries to downtown workers, visitors and residents.

The Shaw Group and Wampold Co. break ground on the $30 million initial phase of Shaw’s new corporate headquarters on Essen Lane. After years of lawsuits and money issues, the Louisiana Research Park Corp. finally sees the Louisiana Technology Park open in Bon Carré. 20+

One week after it was announced that The Shaw Group would buy Turner Industries for up to $350 million, the companies announce the deal was scrapped because they couldn’t come to terms.

Baton Rouge hosts its inaugural Louisiana Book Festival Developer Richard Preis and a group of investors buy the General Lafayette Hotel downtown with plans to raze the building and develop a riverfront condominium project. Inventor Dean Kamen unveils his self-balancing Segway, and Downtown Development Director Davis Rhorer signs up to buy one to replace his Sporty 24 self-propelled scooter.

Acreage purchased by then-LSU football coach Nick Saban on Highland Road, near Woodstone

54 BUSINESS REPORT, September 2022 | BusinessReport.com 20022001

First Worthing announces plans to acquire the University Shopping Center at LSU’s North Gates, razing half of it to make way for upscale student apartments. Target opens its first Baton Rouge store, which offers a grocery section, bakery, pharmacy, coffee bar and photography studio.

| BUSINESS REPORT, September

50 to 75 Gallons of gumbo sold per day by Mike Cashio and his Heads and Tails Seafood after The Wall Street Journal declares his gumbo the best mail-order seafood gumbo in Louisiana Determined to not follow in Bon Marché’s footsteps, Cortana Mall engages in a plan to reinvigorate the shopping26-year-oldcenter.

Kip Holden beats incumbent SimpsonBobby in Baton mayoralRouge’srace. Union Planters Corp. and Regions Financial Corp. enter into a $6 billion merger.

Phil Witter sells 48 acres along the eastern edge of his Jefferson Highway property to Creekstone Builders for development of a new lifestyle center called Towne Center. Whole Foods Market confirms it will anchor the development with a 45,000-square-foot store.

Age of Stephen Moret when he was chosen to replace Jimmy Lyles as president and CEO of the Baton Rouge Area Chamber Forbes magazine names Bill Borne of Amedisys its U.S. Entrepreneur of the Year.

The Shaw Group surprises analysts with its announcement that it fell short of its earnings forecast, losing nearly $50 million in one quarter.

GrigsbyownerConstructorsCajunLane forms a political committee,action BRNext. Number of students implicated in Southern University’s gradebuying scandal32 541

LSU wins its first national college football championship since 1958 by defeating Oklahoma 21-14 in the Sugar Bowl. 36 Hours spent in Baton Rouge by The New York Times during a visit that highlighted Louie’s, George’s, Red Stick Farmers Market and other hot spots around town.

Baton Rouge celebrates the 50th anniversary of its bus boycott, which set the stage for similar civil rights protests in Montgomery, Alabama. 47 Years the East Baton Rouge Parish desegregation case lasted before ending in August, when Federal District Judge James Brady signed the final order and settlement agreement and dismissed the case $18.6 million Construction cost for Woodlawn High School, the first new public high school to be built in East Baton Rouge Parish in 25 years Despite neighborhood complaints, Mayor Bobby Simpson and Department of Public Works chief Fred Raiford come out in support of a planned Wal-Mart Supercenter proposed for College Drive. Netflix opens a distribution center in the former Maison Blanche complex on Main Street, the first lease at the site since it was converted into office space.

20032004

55Daily-Report.com 2022

Bottling Co. in Baton Rouge

The Shaw Center celebrates its grand opening, symbolically ushering in a new era for downtown Baton Rouge by featuring a theater, museum, gallery and rooftop restaurant, Tsunami.

Brendan O’Connor of Celtic Media announces he will turn Master P’s

Street. DONKADAIR

5,000 Hibernia Bank customers who received replacement debit cards with a customer service number that reached an adult hotline

BRAF pushes to create a redevelopment authority, a public agency that would be given broad legal powers to acquire, rehabilitate and redevelop property in a particular area or neighborhood.

The Planning Commission approves Richard Carmouche’s plan for Willow Grove, on Perkins Road between Bluebonnet Boulevard and Siegen Lane, featuring high-end homes as well as retail and office space.

BroussardAlleywounded Tiger 71 2073 26 Louisiana Business Inc. unveils the first issue of its new lifestyle publication, 225

2006

Lamar Advertising purchases a 110,000-square-foot building on Corporate Boulevard for $8.75 million that will become its new corporate headquarters after an extensive

The Capital House Hilton opens downtown after a $65 million renovation spearheaded by BRAF’s real estate company, Commercial Properties Realty Trust. The hotel is the first to open downtown in decades—outside of a casino hotel—and inspires a new wave of downtown hotel projects.

56 BUSINESS REPORT, September 2022 | 2005BusinessReport.com

Baton Rouge hosts the Miss Teen USA pageant, where contestants venture to Alligator Bayou for photo ops and to learn about Louisiana’s favorite reptile.

4th National ranking of LSU’s landscape architecture graduate program, by Design Intelligence magazine After turmoil with commissioners, BREC’s board buys out Superintendent Mark Thornton’s contract, and Commissioner Warren Pratt asks the entire board to resign because of community distrust. Metro Council member Mickey Skyring writes asking developer Tommy Spinosa to donate land for a new library in the Southdowns area. LSU football coach Nick Saban leaves to be head coach for the Miami Dolphins. Construction begins on the $2.4 million Carver Branch Library on Terrace

After 60 years in business, the family-owned photography store Kadair’s branches out into the home entertainment business, a niche that owners Elizabeth Kadair Smith and Howard Kadair hope will sustain them into the future. The stores would close permanently in November 2013.

Hurricane Katrina slams the Gulf Coast, shuttering New Orleans and sending more than 200,000 displaced residents to Baton Rouge. Though many would eventually return to the New Orleans area, nearly 100,000 would make the Capital Region their permanent home, forever altering the landscape of what was already a growing market.

Developersrenovation. Jimmy Nunnally and Steele Pollard announce plans for a traditional neighborhood development in Central called The Village in Magnolia Square, on 185 acres they acquired for $1.7 million.

A continuous flow intersection—the second in the nation—opens at Airline Highway and Siegen Lane.

EAMES ERA GETS GOOGLE THIS, SMILEY 14 AROUND cosmopolitan?IsBRturning–darewesayit–brushwiththe funk therapyFood Overcoming WWW.225BATONROUGE.COM ere needs element of not knowing what’s coming next.”—Noah Danos, keyboards, Reception is Suspected

Developer Mike Wampold submits plans to the Planning Commission for City Plaza II, a downtown office tower to be constructed behind the existing City Plaza building on North Boulevard.

BREC unveils two plans for the redesign of City Park, one with the existing golf course and one without.

from receipt of this proof. A shorter timeframe will apply for tight deadlines. • Additional revisions must be requested and may be subject to production fees. Carefully check this ad for: CORRECT ADDRESS • CORRECT PHONE NUMBER • ANY TYPOS This ad design © Louisiana Business, Inc. 2022. All rights reserved. Phone 225-928-1700 • Fax 225-926-1329 to the Baton Rouge Business Report on 40 years! CONGRATULATIONS Russel Baltazar Team Toyota Andre Adams Team Toyota Bryan Grigsby Team Toyota Stephanie Diez Team Automotive Joe Jenkins Team Toyota Leonard Benoit Team Honda Lynn Drummond Team Toyota Ron Jackson Team Toyota Shane Bercegeay Team Honda James Bertrand Team Honda Julie Fields Team Automotive Ervin Cobb Team Honda Craig Mixon Team Honda Cathy Decker Team Honda TEAM Toyota I-12 @ O’Neal Lane 225.273.5880 TEAM Honda 6363 Siegen 225.298.4100Lane TEAM Mazda 10968 Airline Highway 225.295.3900 TEAM Honda of Acadiana I-49 @ Harry Guilbeau Exit 337.381.3600 Everyone at The TEAM AUTOMOTIVE GROUP is proud to celebrate 40 years of The Baton Rouge Business Report. CONGRATULATIONS, and here’s to 40 more! Collectively, The TEAM AUTOMOTIVE GROUP has proudly been serving the Baton Rouge area for over 75 years, and we want to recognize these TEAM members who have been with us for over 25 years. Thank you for all that you do! 57Daily-Report.com | BUSINESS REPORT, September 2022

Pinnacle Entertainment unveils plans for a $250 million casino resort complex on River Road in south Baton Rouge near Gardere. L’Auberge opens in 2013.

$12.9 million Cost of LSU’s announced charity outpatient clinic on Airline Highway in north Baton Rouge

#5 • Please respond by e-mail or fax with your approval or minor revisions. • AD WILL RUN AS IS unless approval or final revisions are received within 24 hours from receipt of this proof. A shorter timeframe

The Smokefree Air Act takes effect, banning smoking in Louisiana restaurants.

Sen. David Vitter’s name appears in the records of D.C. madam Pamela Martin and whichAssociates,hecallsa “very serious sin in my past for which I am, of course, responsible.”completelyDate: Sept 2022 Ad proof will

Issue

58 BUSINESS REPORT, September 2022 | BusinessReport.com 2007

Kleinpeter Farms Dairy announces it is launching an ice cream product line. 65,000 Shortage of skilled workers estimated by the Greater Baton Rouge Industry Alliance Baton Rouge Metropolitan Airport lands its first low-cost carrier, Frontier Airlines, which begins daily nonstop service in August between Baton Rouge and Denver. Nine months later, the flights end.

The One Baton Rouge committee is formed to promote diversity and celebrate May as “One Baton Rouge Month.”

apply for tight deadlines. • Additional revisions must be requested and may be subject to production fees. Carefully check this ad for: CORRECT ADDRESS • CORRECT PHONE NUMBER • ANY TYPOS This ad design © Louisiana Business, Inc. 2022. All rights reserved. Phone 225-928-1700 • Fax 225-926-1329 Taylor Porter – Celebrating 110 years of representing our business and industrial clients. CongratulationsCongratulations to the Baton Rouge Business Report for 40 years40 years of service in the Baton Rouge Community! www.taylorporter.com | LA – 22-13929 Robert W. Barton, Managing Partner Baton Rouge | Lake Charles

AND WE’RE COOKING! years

40 whiteoakestateandgardens.comJfolse.comnicholls.edu/culinary/ 59Daily-Report.com | BUSINESS REPORT, September 20082022

Albemarle, a global developer, manufacturer and marketer relocates its headquarters here from Richmond, Virginia. The deal costs the state an estimated $26 million in incentives. would leave in 2016.

STILL

Issue Date: Sept 2022 Ad proof #1 • Please respond by e-mail or fax with your approval or minor revisions. • AD WILL RUN AS IS unless approval or final revisions are received within 24 hours from receipt of this proof. A shorter timeframe will apply for tight deadlines. • Additional revisions must be requested and may be subject to production fees. Carefully check this ad for: CORRECT ADDRESS • CORRECT PHONE NUMBER • ANY TYPOS This ad design © Louisiana Business, Inc. 2022. All rights reserved. Phone 225-928-1700 • Fax 225-926-1329

Albemarle

Hurricane Gustav delivers a direct hit to Baton Rouge on Sept. 1, killing two and leaving 85% of the area without power— thousands for more than a week.

Todd Graves moves most of his Raising Cane’s Chicken Fingers operations to Dallas to address difficulties in hiring talent, though the headquarters would remain in Baton Rouge.

BRAC President Stephen Moret is appointed secretary of Louisiana DevelopmentEconomic EA Games announces plans to build a video game testing center in Baton Rouge.

Voters approve Baton Rouge’s third casino, to be built by EntertainmentPinnacle on River Road. 71% Percentage of votes for Kip Holden, who is presidentreelected mayor-inNovember.

of specialty chemicals,

80 Age of Huey Wilson, local businessman and philanthropist, at the time of his death in February.

Mayor Kip Holden unveils plans for a $1 billion bond issue that will fund a variety of infrastructure and public safety projects as well as a controversial riverfront attraction called Audubon Alive. The proposal goes down in flames at the ballot box, the first of three bond proposals during Holden’s tenure that would fail.

Sean O’Keefe resigns under pressure as LSU chancellor, and Michael Martin takes over.

WAY TO GO, BATON BUSINESSROUGEREPORT! It’s hard to believe that it’s been 40 years! Happy anniversary from your friends at Gage. 11815 SUN BELT COURT BATON ROUGE, LA 70809 225.753.4243 . 800.960.0032Gage.Cloud FIND OUT HOW EASY TECHNOLOGY CAN BE. If you’re looking for business continuity, Gage has you covered. IT services? Cloud-based phone systems? Backup power? Look no further. Our experienced team of engineers has offered white glove service for over 40 years, leading to our reputation as one of the nation’s premier technology solutions partners. WHAT CAN GAGE DO FOR YOU?

The Planning Commission and Metro Council become embroiled in a controversy as residents of Southdowns oppose developer Tommy Spinosa’s plan for a mixed-use development in their area. Rouzan eventually was approved and residential construction would begin in 2010, but it would be more than a decade before commercial construction would break ground. Louisiana Business Inc. announces it is acquiring inRegister magazine for an undisclosed price.

Texas financier Robert Allen Stanford is charged with heading an international Ponzi scheme totaling some $7 billion—one of the largest Ponzi schemes in U.S. history. The fraud would cost thousands of Baton Rouge investors hundreds of millions of dollars in total. Though Stanford would go to jail in 2012, only about 2% of his investors had received any of their money back as of 2017.

For forty years we have been able to rest easy knowing Business Report was at the helm. It’s been quite a ride. Fortunately for us, Business Report was at the wheel. Since 1982, they’ve been our most trusted source for what’s going on. And our most sage guide for what’s heading our way. From all of us at Window World, congratulations on your most newsworthy milestone! (800) GET-WINDOWS | GetWindows.com Bass Pro opens its 150,000-squarefoot superstore at I-12 and La. 1032 in Denham Springs, some five years after the plans were first announced. The store’s development was entangled in a three-year legislative battle over sales tax incentives that was eventually settled by the Louisiana Supreme Court. Baton Coca-ColaRouge moves into a Road. facilityfoot781,000-square-newdistributiononPlank

61Daily-Report.com | BUSINESS REPORT, September 2022

2009 Nucor billionhomethatJames890$16.3MayannouncesSteelinitwillpaymillionforacresinSt.Parishwillbecometoa$4steelplant.

Woman’s Hospital announces plans for a $350 million state-of-the-art campus at Airline Highway and Pecue Lane. Electronic Arts announces a partnership with LSU on the South Campus to develop EA’s lone U.S. test center. The project promises to create 20 full-time jobs and more than 200 part-time jobs for students.

62 BUSINESS REPORT, September 2022 | BusinessReport.com

Russell Mosely unveils plans for Long Farm, a TND on farmland in south Baton Rouge owned by his grandfather, the late U.S. Sen. Russell Long. Center developer Phil Witter sues partner Steve Keller in what would be a years-long legal battle over the popular development. The lawsuit was settled in early 2016 when Witter sold his 50% ownership in the development to Houston-based commercial real estate investment firm Moody Rambin for an undisclosed price.

Baton Rouge Police Chief Jeff LeDuff announces plans to retire at the end of the year. 53,000 Number of barrels of oil that leaked into the Gulf each day for three months after the Deepwater Horizon rig exploded April 20 A New Year’s Day blaze burns The Caterie club in the Acadian-Perkins Plaza shopping center. Stephen Keller announces plans for Juban Crossing, Livingston Parish’s largest retail development, which would open in 2015 after years of delay. $1 13thmillionAmount of federal stimulus money that the Baton

Police Department spent on a new R44 Raven II police copter Interstate 10’s ranking on the list of most-congested traffic commutes in the country, according to online publication The Daily Beast

63Daily-Report.com | BUSINESS REPORT, September 20102022

Towne

Embattled Rouge

(225) 342-5055 X 2259

NMLS # 745291 $1.5 billion

Value of the stock-for-stock merger between Hancock Bank and New Orleans-based Whitney Bank Latter & Blum acquires the residential side of ERA Stirling Properties’ business in the Baton Rouge and New Orleans markets. Former Gov. Buddy Roemer he’sannouncesrunning for president. The campaign ends in May 2012. The Baton Rouge Area Chamber launches a rebranding for the region, calling it “The Creative Capital of the South.” of which voters had already defeated in 2008 and 2009.

At La Capitol, we design each commercial loan to meet the needs of your individual business. So whether you want to re�nance your current property or expand into something new, a commercial loan from La Capitol can make it happen.

East Baton Rouge Parish Library Director David Farrar resigns after the Library Board of Control discovers his 1996 arrest in Alabama on sexual abuse charges. Although a judge overturned the jury’s guilty verdict, Farrar was convicted of impersonating a police officer.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers opens the gates of the Morganza Spillway for the first time since 1973, flooding the Atchafalaya Basin to spare Baton Rouge and New Orleans from Mississippi River flooding.

2011

64 BUSINESS REPORT, September 2022 | BusinessReport.com

$368 million Price tag for L’Auberge Baton Rouge, which opens in September Costco Wholesale Corp. signs a purchase agreement to acquire the former Coca-Cola bottling site on Airline Highway for a new store that would open in 2014. Supporters at the time declare that Costco’s arrival signals Baton Rouge is becoming “a world-class city.”

The East Baton Rouge Parish School board hires Bernard Taylor in April to be its superintendent, with strong backing from the business community and BRAF. Taylor, whose tenure would be marked with controversy, lasts just three years in the job.

Age of Darian Chustz, president of Coca-Cola Bottling United in Baton Rouge, at the time of his death Jan. 13 following a brief illness. Chustz was named Business Report’s Young Businessperson of the Year in 2009, and was a member of Business Report’s 2006 class of Forty Under enforcement and elected officials unveil a crime fighting initiative called BRAVE to target the 70805 ZIP code, the highestcrime area in Baton Rouge.

Voters in the city limits of Baton Rouge and Baker approve a dedicated 10.6mill, 10-year property tax to fund needed upgrades and improvements to the Capital Area Transit System 65Daily-Report.com REPORT, September 2022 Paula Pennington de la Bretonne’s compound at 11001 Highland Road is listed for sale at more than $20 million.

Lipsey’s Inc., the nation’s largest firearms distributor, breaks ground in early December on an 80,000-square-foot warehouse at Rieger Road and Exchequer Boulevard, which will house offices and serve as the distribution center. The company moves into its new digs in early 2014. Developers Mike Wampold (right) and John Fetzer (not pictured) announce plans for Harveston Baton Rouge, a TND on Nicholson Drive.

40. Law

| BUSINESS

2012

John Georges announces he’s buying The Advocate from its longtime owners, the Manship family. The deal, announced in January, closes in April for an undisclosed amount.

CB&I announces it will acquire The Shaw Group for $3.2 billion, signaling the end of one of Baton Rouge’s few remaining homegrown, publicly traded companies. The deal closes in early 2013, and founder Jim Bernhard and his top executives would go on to form the private equity firm Bernhard Capital Partners Trader Joe’s opens as the anchor tenant in the newly completed Acadian Village Shopping Center at South Acadian Thruway and Perkins Road.

2013

Born out of frustration over the parish school system, a group of residents in the southeast section of East Baton Rouge Parish launches an effort to incorporate the city of St. George

Baton Rouge General Hospital CEO Bill Holman, who led the hospital for 12 years, steps down in a surprise announcement following a late-night meeting of the hospital’s board.

66 BUSINESS REPORT, September 2022 | BusinessReport.com

Jim Bernhard acquires Richard Preis’ 1.3-acre tract of downtown riverfront property that the developer had tried to develop into a residential project called RiverPlace.

A growing number of Louisiana businesses look to unmanned aircraft technology for various corporate uses as state and federal regulators continue to look for proper guidance on how to regulate drones.

The Metro Council votes to allow companiesride-sharing to enter the market, which Uber does late in the summer.

Kleinpeter

Frank Duke takes the helm of the East Baton Rouge Parish Planning Department as the cityparish implements its new master plan, FuturEBR

A flurry of residential construction projects, new retail and restaurant development, and a full-service supermarket mark a turning point for downtown Baton Rouge as it strives to become a viable live-and-work district.

The East Baton Rouge Redevelopment Authority looks for a firm to develop 115 blighted acres of inner-city property, including the 6-acre former Entergy site on Government Street. The site would be redeveloped into Electric Depot, a multi-use property with retail, restaurants and residential spaces that opened in 2019.

The Jindal administration comes up with $18 million—$7.2 million in state dollars and $10.8 million in matching federal funds—to keep Baton Rouge General Medical Center’s Mid City emergency room open through June as the hospital struggles to financially support the facility.

67Daily-Report.com | BUSINESS REPORT, September 2022

A growing number of Capital Region women are training for industrial jobs traditionally held by men. Farms Dairy hires consultants, contracts with an LSU food scientist, and fires several employees in an effort to pinpoint why milk is spoiling before it should and why some batches have a peculiar, chemical taste.

2014

Mike Wampold acquires the 12-story old State Office Building on Third Street from the Baton Rouge Area Foundation to develop the Watermark hotel.

Business First Bank announces it is merging with American Gateway Bank

Local attorney Phyllis Cancienne of Baker Donelson breaks a glass ceiling as she becomes the only female managing partner of a major law firm in Baton OrganizersRouge. for the proposed city of St. George fall 71 signatures short of collecting the required number to get their petition on the ballot.

2015 Companies along Airline Highway north of Cortana Mall are migrating south as the population also shifts in Prairieville. direction—towardthat

Creditors drag Barry Bellue’s Thinkstream into bankruptcy court for the second time in two years over allegations of unpaid debt and mismanagement.

Matherne’s SupermarketDowntown opens on the ground floor of the former Capital One Building, now called 440 on Third, giving downtown Baton Rouge its first full-service supermarket in decades. Innovation invades the Capital Region cuisine scene as dozens of new restaurants plan to open with boutique and farm-to-table

Jeff Kleinpeter steps down as head of Kleinpeter Farms Dairy amid mounting quality control issues that threatened to shutter the 102-yearold family-owned dairy in 2014. Baton Rouge-based Albemarle Corp. completes its $6.2 billion acquisition of New Jersey-based Rockwood Holdings Inc., one of the largest lithium producers in the world. Later in the year, Albemarle announces it will move its corporate headquarters to North DespiteCarolina. a state budget crisis and slumping oil prices, economy watchers remain optimistic as the Capital Region enters the second quarter of 2015.

68 BUSINESS REPORT, September 2022 | BusinessReport.com

Developers target Mid City—as well as the neighborhood’s crime and infrastructure challenges—as the next frontier in Baton Rouge.

Constructionofferings. getsunderway on a 14,600-square-foot retail storefront at the rear of Esplanade Mall along Corporate Boulevard.

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70 BUSINESS REPORT, September 2022 | BusinessReport.com 2016

On the eve of a short special session called to address Louisiana’s fiscal crisis, the business community grapples with how far it’s willing to go with tax increases.

The Rev. NetworkBroadcastingSwaggart’sJimmySonLife hisnew breatheslifeintoonce-dyingministry.

PRESSASSOCIATED

Baton Rouge police shoot Alton Sterling outside the Triple S Food Mart on North Foster Drive in the early morning of July 5, touching off more than 10 days of racially charged protests followed by the ambush killing of three law enforcement officers by a lone gunman on July 17.

The Baton Rouge Health District takes a huge step forward with the hiring of its first executive director, Suzy DanSonnierBorné steps down as president of the Louisiana Chemical Association. Developer John O. Hearin breaks ground on downtown’s newest apartment complex, Lofts at 6C, a 142-unit complex on Florida and Sixth streets.

Political attention turns toward underdeveloped north Baton Rouge, but challenges abound for sustainable economic development. Voters approve a 2% occupancy tax on hotel stays within the Baton Rouge North Economic Development District.

Five new video games are set to emerge during the year from studios at the Louisiana Technology Park.

Torrential rains on Aug. 12-14 flood Baton Rouge and surrounding areas, affecting thousands of homeowners and businesses and causing billions of dollars in damage.

After selling the family’s insurance business earlier in the year for $127 million, Deborah and Hans Sternberg launch a new company, Highflyer Human Resources, in a new field—selling human capital management software and services.

Cost to expand the NICU at Woman’s Hospital, including 11 new rooms allowing parents to stay overnight with their infants After a Departmentinvestigation,10-monththeofJusticedeterminesthereisinsufficientevidencetoprosecuteofficers

| BUSINESS REPORT, September

Despite a history of mismanaging public funds, the East Baton Rouge Council on Aging is set to start receiving an $8 million annual windfall in taxpayer dollars.

billion$1.4

$ MILLION6.5

Blane Salamoni and Howie Lake II for violating Alton Sterling’s civil rights.

The fledgling Baton Rouge Health District touts Provident ProtonCare’s plan to build an $85 million proton therapy center.

Amid a flurry of luxury apartment construction, local experts start warning of an oversupply that will take the market years to absorb.

Ground is broken for the third component of the downtown Central Green, part of Plan Baton Rouge II, to connect North Boulevard Town Square to Repentance Park.

J.C. Penney Co. closes its doors at Cortana Mall, leaving only one retail anchor open at the Thesite.Trump administration’s hard-line stance on immigration threatens to leave key Louisiana industries with a crippling labor shortage.

With about 280 partner restaurants, Baton Rouge quickly becomes a top market for food delivery service Waitr Knock Knock Children’s Museum opens its doors in City Park after seven years of planning. Baton Rouge celebrates its bicentennial. Daily-Report.com 2022

2017

Estimated cost of the Mid-Barataria Sediment Diversion project, which took its first major step toward becoming a reality when the state’s Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority began soliciting proposals from engineering firms Beer sales in Tiger Stadium move closer to reality as LSU officials plan for a beer garden to be added to the stadium.

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BREC considers moving the Baton Rouge Zoo from its spot in north Baton Rouge to south Baton Rouge, near the Baton Rouge Fairgrounds on Airline Highway. The effort to move the zoo would ultimately fail.

Crime prevention districts—and the sense of security they provide—are popular in older Baton Rouge neighborhoods, but do they actually help reduce crime or are they simply mandatory HOA fees?

The state’s Industrial Tax Exemption Program is under fire as community groups such as Together Baton Rouge question whether the corporate tax incentive is pulling its

2018 73Daily-Report.com | BUSINESS REPORT, September 2022

The Louisiana Board of Pharmacy awards its lone medical marijuana pharmacy permit for the Capital Region to Capitol Wellness Solution, run by Randy Mire. The pharmacy would open in 2019 as the state rolled out its first batches of medical marijuana products.

$275,600

weight.NumberofcrimepreventiondistrictsinBatonRougeasof2018 27 REAL ESTATE MARKET OUTLOOK TARIFF WAR IMPACT ON INDUSTRY MANAGEMENT CHALLENGES WARNING VIDEOTHISNEIGHBORHOODISPROTECTED24HOURSBYPATROLANDSURVEILLANCE

Cost of rebranding the state with the new logo and slogan: “Louisiana: Feed Your Soul”

An analysis by Business Report properties in East Baton Rouge Parish suggests PATTERN OF UNDER-ASSESSMENT that is leaving potentially tens of millions of dollars in lost tax revenue on the table. why does the tax assessor say it’s only Baton Rouge building was purchased for $108.5 million in 2015…

worth This

In response to an increase in mass shootings across the nation, a growing number of Baton Rouge businesses are learning how to respond to an active shooter.

To address a local nursing shortage, Baton Rouge General and FranU expand their nursing school options.

An analysis by Business Report of select commercial properties in East Baton Rouge Parish suggests a pattern of underassessment that is costing the parish potentially tens of millions in lost tax revenue.

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74 BUSINESS REPORT, September 2022 | BusinessReport.com

Dr.GriffithBarbara is tapped to succeed longtime TeriHospitalWoman’sCEOFontenot.

Our Lady of the Lake’s $230 million Children’s Hospital opens, offering 80 pediatric patient beds with the capacity to expand to 120.

A class-action lawsuit involving some 900 mostly Baton Rougebased victims of the Stanford Group’s Ponzi scheme is transferred to the U.S. Middle District Court in Baton Rouge. Baton Rouge and eBay officials enthusiastically announce that the city has been selected to participate in the company’s Retail Revival program, a 12-month e-commerce and business training program, joining just five other cities worldwide.

Following disappointment in the legislative session, three of the state’s most well-respected policy organizations—the Committee of 100 for Economic Development, Council for a Better Louisiana and the Public Affairs Research Council of Louisiana—team up to push for major systemic change across Louisiana in key policy areas. LSU launches an ambitious distance learning initiative with the long-term goal of enrolling 30,000 students in online programs H&E Equipment Services Inc. acquires We-Rent-It, a nonresidential construction equipment rental company in central Texas, for $100 million. Electric Depot opens on Government Street at the former Entergy site, offering a mixture of entertainment, restaurants, retail and residential spaces.

VUHOABYRICHIE/ILLUSTRATIONCOLLINBYPHOTO 75Daily-Report.com | BUSINESS REPORT, September 2022

. Baton Rouge General breaks ground on a neighborhood hospital in Prairieville as the hospital system broadens its footprint outside of Baton Rouge

Officials announce that Cortana Mall will be repurposed into a regional distribution and fulfillment center for Amazon $1,800 Cost of a rat sculpture on display at the abatementmosquitofacility

Short-term rentals are causing controversy in Spanish Town and other Baton Rouge neighborhoods. The Metro Council mulls regulations, but ultimately does not pass any ordinances on the issue.

2019

Find Your Place at Associated Grocers. We Are #AGBRProud For employment opportunities, visit AGBR.com! Join Our Team! “Dedicated to the Support and Success of the Independent Retail Grocer.” A 501(c)3 non-profit affiliate of Associated Grocers, Inc. 76 BUSINESS REPORT, September 2022 | BusinessReport.com

• Women come forward with allegations that Derrius Guice raped them just months apart in 2016, when Guice was a st ar freshman running back on the LSU football team, raising questions and spawning several investigations into how the school handles its sexual assault cases.

Baton Rouge-bred Marucci Sports is acquired by a Connecticut-based publicly traded investment trust, Compass Diversified Holdings, for $200 million. The coronavirus hits Louisiana, wreaking economic havoc across the region as restaurant dining rooms are closed and businesses must adapt to the “new normal” created by the pandemic.

Grön Fuels, a portfolio company of Houston-based Fidelis Infrastructure, signs a deal with the Port of Greater Baton Rouge to develop a renewable diesel facility on 141 acres of port property. While plans have shifted for the complex to now produce sustainable aviation fuel instead of diesel, the proposed complex would represent more than $9 billion in investment if fully developed.

BUSINESS REPORT,

The pandemic prompts Mike Hackley to sell his 20-year-old BBQGuys business—which he founded in the late 1990s astoShoppersChoice— BrandPartnersVelocity .

2020 Gov. John Bel Edwards pushes for changes to the state’s Industrial Tax Exemption Program to let manufacturers appeal to the Board of Commerce and Industry if a local government denies their request for a tax abatement, shifting the ITEP balance of power from local governments back to the state.

Contractors break ground on a centerfoot112,000-square-nearlydistributionfor Amazon in Industriplex. the $4.2 million Amount of Main Street Recovery Program funds distributed to East Baton Rouge businesses through mid-September in an effort to offset some of the economic destruction from the pandemic 68,000 Baton powerhomesRougewithouttheday after Hurricane Delta hit 77Daily-Report.com | September 2022

While telemedicine isn’t new, the COVID-19 pandemic leads to a surge in virtual visits as local hospitals and clinics close their doors to all nonemergency procedures. Local startup Relief Telemed, a health care delivery platform, doubles its initial revenue projection as a result of the pandemic. But the boom doesn’t last and the company now finds itself in bankruptcy amid mismanagement allegations.

$1.6 BILLION Amount of damage Hurricane Laura caused to Louisiana crops and forests

Former Gov. Mike Foster, who made lasting contributions to Louisiana’s business communities throughout his two terms as governor, dies in October at age 90.

The Right People. The Right Place. The Right Time. That’s Hargrove.

Sharon Weston Broome begins her second term as mayor-president after defeating Republican challenger Steve Carter with 57% of the vote.

2021

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Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center announces it’s ending its affiliation with Our Lady of the Lake and will partner instead with an out-of-state network of independent cancer centers. Later, OLOL announces plans to build a $100 million cancer center.

With final investment decisions in the works for some $6 billion in Capital Region projects, the petrochemical sector looks to continue as an economic driver of the local economy.

The LSU Board of Supervisors in May selects William F. Tate IV to be LSU’s next president— the first Black leader in the university’s history. Supply chain issues, rising costs and soaring demand are making it difficult for local homebuilders to keep pace.

Hurricane Ida blows onto the Louisiana shore as a Category 4 storm, leaving parts of the Capital Region without power for more than a week.

78 BUSINESS REPORT, September 2022 | BusinessReport.com

Three-term representativestateandformermayoralcandidate Steve Carter dies at 77 from FormerCOVID-19. Gov. Buddy Roemer and longtime DevelopmentDowntownDistrictExecutiveDirectorDavisRhorer also pass away in 2021.

Brand Velocity Partners and BBQGuys announce a planned merger with blank-check firm Velocity Acquisition Corp., with the intention of going public on the Nasdaq. The planned merger would be scrapped in the fall because of ongoing supply chain issues.

Amount in tax revenue the state has collected from sports betting through the first half of 2022, according to records from the Louisiana Gaming Control Board Ad hoc Judge Martin Coady rules that the incorporation of St. George is “unreasonable” under state law. St. George incorporation organizers plan their appeal.

2022

CONNECTING#LIVEUNITEDTHE COMMUNITY HEALTH -UNITED WE FE E D CISAB EEN D S CAUW21-1RESOURCE HOTLINE E D U NOITAC -KOOBYALPRETCARAHC MOCNI E S T ABILITYVOLUNTEER INCOME TAXASSISTANCE

A wicked thunderstorm in the middle of an unusually wet May dumps as much as 13.5 inches of rain on parts of the Capital Region, flooding some properties for a fourth time in recent years.

Scott Wester, Our Lady of the Lake Regional Medical Center local market president, transitions to a new position in the organization in February, overseeing a $170 million partnership with LSU. In May, Wester is named CEO of Memorial Hospital System in South Florida. After years of sporadic discussion, the Planning and Zoning Commission finally considers regulating short-term rentals.

With the NCAA adopting a new policy allowing name, image and likeness, or NIL, deals with student-athletes, LSU athletes are poised to cash in big. As of December, LSU gymnast Olivia Dunne was set to earn more than $1 million in deals.

$13.1 MILLION

79Daily-Report.com | BUSINESS REPORT, September 2022

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Dressing for success

The evolution of fashion for Baton Rouge executives. BY HOLLY

THEIMPRESSIONFIRST can make or break a business deal, and the clothes a person dons helps paint that impressionable image. When it comes to the closets of Baton Rouge’s business class, it’s all about dressing for success, although what that looks like has changed over the last four decades—especially for women. Though oversized business coats and long-skirt suits may have exited the boardroom for now, some trends still ring true. Here’s a look at how Baton Rouge business fashion has evolved over the past 40 years.

PIN-STRIPED,DUCHMANN

DOUBLE-BREASTED SUITS, oxford shirts and suspenders were all the rage for men in 1980s corporate Baton Rouge thanks to Wall Street’s Gordon Gekko, while local businesswomen donned silk suits, pantyhose and pussy bow blouses inspired by Princess Diana. As Baton Rouge Business Report wrote in spring 1983: “Take a look at most Baton Rouge professionals and chances are you’ll find that what comes off the hanger in the morning is calculated to please everyone but the wearer. Politicians dress for constituents, lobbyists dress for politicians, borrowers dress for bank presidents and bank presidents dress for the public. Lawyers dress for judges, and judges, well, they could be stark naked under those black robes and we’d never know who it was for.” 1990 2021

81Daily-Report.com | BUSINESS REPORT, September 2022

TODAY, CASUAL AND comfortable holds sway among “workleisure”“businesslikeusingNationalexecutives.brandsarebuzzwords“powercasual,”comfort”andtopromote their professional-wear offerings as workers continue to shed their blazers and sport coats for cardigans and sweaters. “The business community is moving toward an open-collared look with their tailored clothes, foregoing the tie, and they add an accent pocket square to add a little bit of personality,” says Bobby Berthelot, general manager of Perlis. While tailored suits have been “slim-and-trim” the past two decades, Berthelot predicts a relaxed look will return to corporate boardrooms. “But the slim trend has been with us for more than 20 years—it can’t get any tighter. You can expect a move toward a more relaxed fitting garment in the coming years.” LATE ‘80s, fall.especiallytogether,startedstylestorelaxslightlyandexecutivesbeganhavingabitmorefunwiththeirwardrobebymixingtextures,patternsandcolorsinthe

FIRST 40 | FASHION

BY THE

198419881983

WHILE THE ‘80S were more stringent, the ‘90s brought more flexibility. “Cool and comfortable but elegant will be the watchwords in business wear for the 1990s,” Business Report wrote for its 1990 spring fashion preview. “Freedom is the word in fashion today. Visually, it’s a breath of fresh air, coming after years of dark, drab color in men’s suits and the overtailored, pinched look of long skirts, boxy jackets and bow-tied blouses that made women executives resemble men.”

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We’re Here When You Need Us BXS Insurance’s name may be changing, but as we’ve grown, we’ve stayed true to our relationships and focus. At the same time, we’ve created a stronger, more sophisticated and more diversified organization, with a greater range of offerings and depth of expertise. Our longstanding customers look to us for stability and continuity. We are excited to have the opportunity to continue serving you as Cadence Insurance. We’ll be here when you need us, for the long term.

—Mike Wampold, developer, 1987 “We’ve got to balance what we do economically with what we do ecologically. If we don’t, there’s going to be an unpleasant world in the future. I don’t think anybody wants that.”

| NOTEABLE QUOTABLES

“A friend says that if I swam up on an island in nothing but my undershorts, it wouldn’t be two years and I’d own the island. I haven’t figured out yet whether that’s a compliment or a slam.”

“The real problem with Baton Rouge is too often we’re our own worst enemy, limited by our own lack of vision.”

—Jim Benham, Airport Commission member, 1989

COMPILED BY HOLLY DUCHMANN

Psychologically, I think maybe some of these people need to go to church more often.”

—Paul Templet, Department of Environmental Quality secretary, 1989 “In people’sLouisiana,ideaoflong-rangeplanningistostartthinkingofwhatthey’llhaveforluncharound11:30.”

—Ken Uffman, president of Credit Bureau of Baton Rouge and the Greater Baton Rouge Chamber of Commerce, 1982

—Steve Myers, publisher, Tiger Rag, 1989 83Daily-Report.com | BUSINESS REPORT, September 2022

—Ray Gunther, merchandising vice president for A&P’s divisional office in New Orleans, 1984 “I don’t want to be another fish in the chain that’s eaten up by a bigger fish. I want to be that last fish.”

“I knew that Bluebonnet— once we built the stretch between Perkins and Highland Road—was going to be the most important east-west corridor in this in the last 25 years.”

—Kevin Reilly Sr., president, The Lamar Company, 1983 “Now if you had told me when we formed Jack Nicklaus Development Corp. that Baton Rouge was going to be our first project, I would have said, ‘Come on, you’ve got to be crazy.’”

—Price LeBlanc, Gonzales Toyota dealer, 1984 “Baton Rouge is one of the hottest markets in the South right now. There are going to be more stores than there are people to shop. It should be exciting.”

—Butch Spyridon, executive director, Baton Rouge Area Convention and Visitors Bureau, 1989

“It’s those fans that have a blind loyalty to LSU.

—Carl Clayton, developer, 1982 “My business, whether I’m in the office or not, those billboards are out there working for me. God bless ‘em.”

—E.J. Ourso, entrepreneur, 1982 “Although previously hailed as recession-proof, Baton Rouge has been battered by the oil and petrochemicals slump. But our economy is still anchored by state government, two major universities and port payrolls.”

—Jack Nicklaus, referring to the Country Club of Louisiana golfing community, 1984 “This is the calm before the storm. The growth in this area is really phenomenal, I’m sure that Gonzales and Baton Rouge will be intermingled together as a metropolitan area in the next five to 10 years.”

—Mayor Kip Holden, 2007 “It’s hard to remember a time when there has been such a confluence of factors that argue so strongly for a renaissance in Louisiana chemical manufacturing.”

—Ron Rogers, Baton Rouge Business Report reader, 2003

“Florida Boulevard is a big, long-term project that requires a huge lift. I think as part of our future planning, once we can get some more wins from a standpoint,redevelopmentwecouldlookatit.”

ADVENTURES IN PEPPERLAND PLANK ROAD TECHNOLOGIES TRACKING GUNS AUG. AUG. 15, 2016 BUSINESSREPORT.COM Will the recent tragedies in Baton Rouge be the starting point for real change in a divided, hurting city? MOMENT DEFININGA 84 BUSINESS REPORT, September 2022 | BusinessReport.com

—Garey Forster, state secretary of labor, 1999 “We love to go to Disney and ride the monorail. It’s quiet, fast, clean and fun to ride. Monorails don’t need to be driven by anyone or even manned. If Disney can do it, why can’t we?”

—George Williams, owner of Jason’s Bar and Grill on Essen Lane, 1993

“I firmly believe in 10 years there won’t be any smoking allowed in any buildings.”public

—Dan Borné, president, Louisiana Chemical Association, 2012 “The fact that it happened is devastating, but what will define Baton Rouge is how we address it. This is a defining moment. We can either let this drive us further apart or we can galvanize support from everybody to improve Baton Rouge.”

—Chris Tyson, president and CEO, EBR Redevelopment Authority, 2019

… We have jobs, a lot of jobs, in Louisiana, and they are not the alwaysjobshamburger-flippingminimum-wage,strictlythatwe’vehad.”

—George Bell, Capital Area United Way chair, on the Alton Sterling shooting, 2016

FIRST 40 | NOTEABLE QUOTABLES “[Riverboat casinos are] going to draw thousands of people down to the riverfront every day and that’s what we want.”

“Nothing as we know it in state government will ever be the same over the next 10 years.”

—Chris W. Barnette, president and CEO of Baton Rouge General Medical Center and executive vice president and COO of General Health Inc., 1990 “There’s just no such thing as bad luck in Louisiana anymore.”

—Dan Juneau, president, LABI, 1991

“The Baton Rouge [hospital] market is perhaps one of the most competitive markets in this region of the country right now.”

—Davis Rhorer, director, Downtown Development District, 1993 “It is truly remarkablea time.

—State Sen. Jay Dardenne, following Hurricane Katrina, 2005 “We don’t have the luxury of waiting on the state or Congress to address our [traffic] needs. We’re taking the ourselves.”initiative

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—Don Pierson, LED Secretary, on hydrogen and carbon capture sequestration, March 2022 86 BUSINESS REPORT, September 2022 | BusinessReport.com

“We’re trying to be more than a restaurant. It’s more than just burgers and beer. Our purpose has always been bringing people together.”

—Paul Arrigo, president and CEO, Visit Baton Rouge, July 2021

“This is a new frontier. This is a transition that will take decades to move through.”

—Brandon Landry, co-founder, Walk-On’s Sports Bistreaux, March 2021

—John Engquist, H&E chair and real estate developer, at the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic, April 2020 “This is what we call progress, for better or worse. We are giving all this business to this e-commerce company, so stores are going to be impacted. But there will be winners—the guys who are putting these facilities up, the construction companies, the developers, the real estate guys. There’s good and bad with everything.”

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—Marc Wulfraat, president of MWPVL, a global supply chain and logistics consulting firm, on Amazon’s expansion, April 2021 “[The pandemic] showed us something that we were not aware of: The amount of leisure travel Baton Rouge does receive. People want to pass through or stay in Baton Rouge. That was significant, and with riverboats starting up again … we realize how valuable they were.”

“We’re in Everythingwatersunchartedhere.isrunningonfear.”

BRAF.org/membership

The Foundation is primed to advance key quality of life initiatives and envision our next chapter of impact. We have built the momentum and support to restore nine historic pieces of public art this year. Based on the Foundation’s $1 million master plan, a network of partners is kicking off a $50 million project this summer to save and beautify the University/City Park lakes. This fall, more than 11,000 students will attend exceptional schools that are supported by New Schools, a project of the Foundation. To do even more, the Foundation is engaging stakeholders across the community to develop our next strategic priorities. As we implement these initiatives and set our next course, we ask you to take this journey with us. Join or renew your membership today.

87Daily-Report.com | BUSINESS REPORT, September 2022

CHANGING TASTES: The iconic Fleur de Lis was a Baton Rouge pizza tradition until it closed earlier this year. Meanwhile, the current hot dining topic is a night at the exclusive Supper Club.

BATON ROUGE GROWS UP Decades back, numerous ca sual eateries specializing in fried seafood and Cajun influ ences together with a handful of steakhouses and fine-dining restaurants defined Baton Rouge’s culinary poles, says Stephen Hightower, managing partner of City Group Hospitality, which op erates seven restaurants in Baton Rouge.“There were all these restau rants, Jack Saban’s, Chalet Brandt and others that were relationship places,” Hightower says. “Then, as we grew, we saw more chains and corporate investment coming into town.”And while New Orleans restau rants have always fought for tourist dollars, Baton Rouge restaurants vie for loyalty among local patrons who reward good service and cuisine with repeat business.

88 BUSINESS REPORT, September 2022 | BusinessReport.com

COLLIN

PHOTOFILE RICHIE

Changing tastes

IT’S FRIDAY NIGHT in Baton Rouge, and finding a table at one of the area’s growing number of pop ular eateries is tough. Peak hours see queues of patrons waiting to sample the latest grazing boards, craft cocktails or DIY desserts, ea ger to leave evidence of their eve ning out on social media. These days, dining options in the Capital City are robust, even as restau rateurs navigate continued chal lenges from labor shortages and soaring commodity costs. New spots keep coming, part of a sev eral-years trend in which the local culinary landscape, once set in its ways, is embracing new things. Thus far in 2022, Baton Rouge has seen the opening of buzzy spots like Tap 65, an edgy Mid City bar with self-serve taps and Indian pub grub; the $7 million luxe Supper Club, the all-day breakfast diner Spoke & Hub and its haute speakeasy out back; the Lotus Lounge, a stylish tiki bar sit uated inside Soji Modern Asian; the SoGo Tea Bar within Red Stick Spice Company; the artisan ice creamery Gail’s Fine Ice Cream; the second location of the popu lar Mississippi Gulf Coast barbe cue restaurant The Shed; and the massive renovation and reopen ing of Juban’s, which first opened in 1983 and closed during COVID to rebrand and keep pace with Baton Rouge’s changing sensibil ities. Other concepts like Chad Hughes’ new barbecue restau rant, Unleaded, and Chase Lyons’ Mediterranean concept, Capri, are underway.Fromthe early ‘80s to today, the local hospitality sector has ex panded considerably, fueled by factors both local and national, restaurateurs say, including an ex plosion in consumer awareness about food trends, the use of so cial media and technology by both operators and diners, the local foods movement, the collective accomplishments of restaurant groups, and, most recently, the global“Batonpandemic.Rougehas always been an eating out town with a large number of independent restau rants,” says Stan Harris, presi dent and CEO of the Louisiana Restaurant Association and for mer general manager of Ruth’s Chris in Baton Rouge. “Now, it has really exciting variety.”

In the last decade, Baton Rouge diners have continued to support their favorite local restaurants while also welcoming new con cepts, operators say.

“We’ve really transitioned to be a higher concept restaurant town,” says restaurateur, food blogger and radio show host Jay Ducote, who has reported on the Baton Rouge food scene since 2009. “If you look back, it was really more, ‘there’s an Italian restaurant, there’s a Mexican restaurant, there’s a barbecue restaurant,’ and now you have a lot more modern American restaurants that are willing to put a lot of different flavors on the same menu. That’s a trend around the country also happen ingInhere.”other words, restaurants in Baton Rouge no longer feel the need to be siloed. Their menus pull from a variety of influences, and their brand identity is estab lished through splashy design, decor and features that keep them relevant on social media.

The Baton Rouge dining sector has grown from sleepy to inventive.

FIRST 40 | RESTAURANTS

“It’s all about creating a

BY MAGGIE HEYN RICHARDSON

RESTAURANTS CHANGE IN SIZE AND STYLE

FRESH TAKE: Soji executive chef Thien Nguyen offers a modern take on Asian cuisine.

LOYAL FOLLOWING: The most popular Italian restaurant remains Gino’s Restau rant, opened by Grace Marino in 1966 and today operated by her son, Gino.

Seafood has long been a main stay in Baton Rouge, and in the ‘80s and ‘90s, that meant deepfried shrimp, catfish and oysters at spots like Mike Anderson’s and The Chimes. At legacy fine-din ing establishments, including Juban’s, Mansurs and others, sea food meant Gulf fish sautéed and topped with beurre blanc and lump crabmeat, the hallmark cel ebratory dish that appeared on numerous local menus. In 1983, Juban’s rolled out what would be come a local menu icon, the Hallelujah Crab, iningwithsoftshelldeep-friedcrabfilledseafoodstuffanddrizzledhollandaisesauce.

Thousands upon thousands were served un til the restaurant closed in 2020, and now the dish, while tweaked slightly, is still included on the restaurant’s new menu. Sushi came on the scene in the early ‘90s, with just two restau rants in the College Drive area morphing to more than two dozen today. Along with satisfy ing local diners’ seemingly insa tiable appetite for raw fish and Americanized rolls, the local su shi subsector comes with a bene ficial byproduct—an abundance of fresh seafood deliveries arriv ing nearly daily, keeping fine-din ing establishments also supplied with fresh fish, Sclafani says. Mediterranean, classified as “Greek and Lebanese,” has occu pied a significant part of the din ing experience in Baton Rouge for decades, first led by the highend Serop’s on Government Street more than 30 years ago. Multiple locations of Albasha, Roman’s, Serop’s Cafe and Serop’s Express, along with many other Mediterranean concepts, have been a key part of Baton Rouge’s dining scene, especially at lunch.

FIRST 40 | RESTAURANTS moment,” says Peter Sclafani, managing partner of Making Raving Fans Hospitality, which operates Juban’s, SoLou and other local concepts. “It’s not enough to just have good food, you’ve got to have other elements inLocationsplace.” of restaurants have also changed sharply in the Capital City, says Mestizo owner Jim Urdiales, a third-genera tion restaurant owner whose fa ther owned and operated Carlos’ for 50 years and whose uncle founded El Rio Grande, both on Airline Highway. “The difference today from 40 years ago is night and day,” Urdiales says. “The hub then was Airline Highway. You had Ralph and Kacoo’s, Don’s Seafood, the Village and the Mirror Steakhouse, and that’s all changed.”Urdiales also compares how, in the past, Baton Rouge consumers patronized Chinese restaurants largely for lunch buffets. “Now you have an audience that wants authentic Asian and understands the difference between different Asian cuisines,” he says.

Across the ‘80s and ‘90s, the late T.J. Moran, who owned Baton Rouge’s Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse, and who founded TJ Ribs, Ninfa’s and Ruffino’s, believed that the formula for success depended on a large footprint advantageously located near an interstate, recalls Harris.Today, that calculus has been upended. The behemoth restau rants of the past have largely been replaced by small- to medi um-sized establishments, Harris says.“The number one limiting factor is capital,” Harris says. “If you think about the size of, say, a Ralph and Kacoo’s on Bluebonnet, a building that’s probably 35,000 square feet, to build that today would be as tronomical. You might have $15 [million] to $18 million in it be fore you even furnish it.” Chains and franchise opera tions have also shrunk, Harris says.“We’re seeing chains squeezing these spaces down even more to become more efficient,” he says, adding that the original Walk-On’s on Burbank is much larger than subsequent locations that opened nationwide. The Baton Rougebased company recently opened its 65th Walk-On’s in Tampa. Restaurant design has also changed sharply from Moran’s straightforward formula, says Sclafani, a foodnesstoRougedesign.”moneyingrestaurants,beenfortable.ittaupe“Heenvironment,’”justonbodyDiNardo’s.Moranmanywhorestaurateurthird-generationfromNewOrleansworkedasexecutivechefforyearsatRuffino’s,whichfirstlaunchedasGerry“T.J.[Moran]usedtosay,‘nogoestoarestaurantbasedwhat’sontheoutside.Peoplewantacomfortable,cleanSclafanirecalls.likedtousedarkwoodsandwallsbecausehethoughtmadepeoplefeelreallycomNow,IthinkguestshaveexposedtosomanyothertheywantthatfeelthatsomeoneputalotofandintentionalityintotheAgrowingnumberofBatonoperatorsconsiderdesignbefundamentaltodoingbusitoday,placingitonparwithqualityandservice.

PHOTOFILE RICHIECOLLIN 89Daily-Report.com | BUSINESS REPORT, September 2022

Must be 21 or older to enter Casino. ©2022 PENN Entertainment, Inc. All rights reserved. GAMBLING PROBLEM? PLEASE CALL 800.522.4700. INYEARSTHEGAMETHANKYOUBATONROUGE! Celebrating 777 L’Auberge Avenue | Baton Rouge, LA 70820 | lbatonrouge.com | 866.261.7777 90 BUSINESS REPORT, September 2022 | BusinessReport.com

FIRST 40 | RESTAURANTS

XDESIGNCOURTESY BRIANBAIAMONTE 91

“We’ve really transitioned to be a higher concept restaurant town … and now you have a lot more modern American restaurants that are willing to put a lot of different flavors on the same menu. That’s a trend around the country also happening here.”

| BUSINESS REPORT,

“One of the biggest things that’s changed is the anonymity of on line reviews,” he says. “This has introduced a lot of bad behavior, including a recent rash of over seas folks threatening to place one star reviews unless you send cash cards. We’re in this world where there’s a lot of ‘gotcha’ go ingNewon.”technology platforms have also radically changed the way restaurants do business, partic ularly with online ordering and third-party delivery services.

Consumers of all ages—not just millennials and Gen Zers—now want to combine the excitement of dining out with the conve nience of online and app-based to-go ordering. The surge in dig ital orders has meant restaurants have had to retool kitchen lo gistics to absorb significant in creases in off-premises dining.

2022

Social media, and media in general, transformed the way restaurants do business, oper ators say. In the ‘80s and ‘90s, diners brought only their per sonal food knowledge to the ta ble, along with awareness gained through reading or travel. But by the early 2000s, an explosion of culinary familiarity promulgated by the Food Network, the Travel Channel, food blogs, and later social media, meant diners were more aware of the latest culinary trends, and they wanted to see them on local tables.

The recently opened Supper Club’s much-discussed design includes elements sourced from global designers, including carpet from Holland, chandeliers from Italy and iridescent chains from Spain draping the walls. Founders Brandon and Mackenzie Landry worked with local firm Monochrome to find features not yet seen in Baton Rouge, they say. “It was very important to us to create a design that was totally unique,” Brandon Landry says.

Social media became a main stay of how diners and opera tors interacted. Once maligned, cellphones are now ubiquitous on restaurant tables, allowing consumers to check in, post pic tures of food, and log reviews. For operators, it has become a con suming part of the business. And while it’s an easy way to interact with current and new markets, it has a dark side, Harris says.

THE LOCALLY OWNED BRAND

EMBRACING SOCIAL MEDIA AND TECHNOLOGY

JAY DUCOTE, restaurateur, food blogger and radio show host

“This is my Instagram wall,” says Tap 65 owner Rick Patel, who spent months working with a designer to create a scheme for the Mid City bar that combines bright colors with stylish natu ralist drawings that signal India, Louisiana and other cultures. One wall features an elephant image over which Tap 65’s Instagram ad dress is mounted in neon.

“The Food Network had a lot to do with educating diners about what they wanted and what they started requesting,” Urdiales says.

ATMOSPHERE MATTERS: Operators today are putting more thought into design and ambiance, like the Tigre Room at the recently reimagined Juban’s Restaurant and Bar. Daily-Report.com September

One of Baton Rouge’s most de fining features is the way patrons reward their favorite restaurants with loyalty, say many operators, including Gino Marino, whose mother, Grace, first opened the still-popular Gino’s Restaurant in 1966. The Bennington Avenue Italian restaurant specializes in Sicilian-influenced fare, including seafood, veal, steak and classic pasta“Evendishes.through dips in the econ omy and so many new restau rants coming to town, I have people who have been coming here for years,” Marino says. “We have incredibly loyal customers.” Proximity also plays a part, Urdiales says. “I always tell new restaurants that they have got to look at the neighborhoods they’re operating in,” Urdiales says, “because that’s where their repeat business is go ing to come from.”

“We have observed significant work, progress and development investment by the Fidelis companies, including receiving the minor source air permit for Grön Fuels, the successful consummation of the operating agreement between Capio Sequestration and the state of Louisiana for two, large-scale carbon sinks to permanently sequester carbon dioxide from the production process,” says Jay Hardman, P.E., Executive Director of the Port of Greater Baton Rouge. He continued, “We have also observed significant engagement by Fidelis and its subsidiary companies with local engineers, contractors, subcontractors and fabricators, as well as the community, to move this project forward and commence construction this year. We’ll continue working with the Fidelis leadership, companies and local partners to make the Fidelis flagship Climate GigaSystem™ at the Port of Greater Baton Rouge a reality.”

•

Grön Fuels

expansion looks to produce climate positive fuels 92 BUSINESS REPORT, September 2022 | BusinessReport.com

•

Grön Fuels has selected and will be using proven and bankable technologies from renowned global technology providers to manufacture sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) and renewable diesel (RD). The planned facility is also designed to produce other renewable materials as well as green hydrogen.

•

RENEWABLE ENERGY COMING TO THE PORT

Located at the Port under a long-term lease, the base plant will produce over 60,000 barrels per day of climate positive fuels. To date, the project has received its minor source air permit, selected proven technologies, completed its engineering and design, and is finalizing commercial agreements.

The Grön project incorporates carbon capture and sequestration by capturing onsite carbon dioxide and utilizing nearby world-scale, high-quality carbon sinks to sequester the carbon dioxide. This in conjunction with its on-site 200-megawatt renewable carbon negative electric power plant will produce carbon negative SAF and RD. The entire system at the Port is the flagship Fidelis “Climate GigaSystem™” and is expected to mitigate over one gigaton of carbon dioxide from facilities located at the Port over the production facility’s lifetime.

2425 Ernest Wilson Drive P.O. Box 380 Port Allen, LA 70767-0380 PH: (225) 342.1660 FAX: (225) 342.1666 www.portgbr.com

BY DAVID JACOBS

| BUSINESS REPORT, September 2022

PRESSASSOCIATEDPRESSASSOCIATED WHO’S

While Louisiana politics have historically been dominated by Democrats, Republicans began to assert control starting in 2008.

YEAR 8283848586878889909192939495969798990001020304050607080910111213141516171819202122 GOVERNORSENATEHOUSE R R D D D D D D D R D D D D R R R R R R R R D D D D R R R R R R R R D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D R R R R R R R R R R R R D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D R R R R R R R R R R R R FIRST 40 | POLITICS

IN THE 1964 presidential election, Louisiana was one of five states formerly part of the Democrats’ “solid South” that supported Republican Barry Goldwater, fol lowing the Democrats’ embrace of the Civil Rights Act that Goldwater opposed.However, as most of the South turned just as solidly for the GOP, Louisiana took its time joining the party. But when the shift hap pened, it happened quickly. Though Dave Treen, the state’s first Republican governor since Reconstruction, took office in 1980, the position would flip back and forth between parties in the decades that followed. Edwin Edwards, the four-term Democratic governor who re lied on Black and Cajun voters to provide the base of his support, mounted two separate political comebacks to return to the fourth floor during Business Report’s lifetime.InEdwards’ final win in 1991, he outpaced sitting governor Buddy Roemer in the primary. Roemer had been elected as a conservative Democrat but switched parties while in office in a doomed attempt to fend off challengers from the left and rightInthe subsequent run off, Edwards trounced former Democrat David Duke, who had made a successful run for the state Legislature as a Republican. While the overall margin was 61%-39%, Duke, a former Klansman, nonetheless won 55% of the white vote and even 40% of whiteDuke’sDemocrats.raceforetold white con servatives’ wholehearted embrace of Republicans, and he would later argue that he deserved credit for the political movement that brought Donald Trump to the White “PerhapsHouse.themessenger was re jected in this state of Louisiana, but the message wasn’t,” Duke said following his 1991 loss. “The people believe in what I believe.”

As recently as 2005, Democrats held every state-level elected post. But also in 2005, David Vitter took office as the state’s first Republican U.S. senator since Reconstruction, and Vitter would go on to be one of the key architects of the coming Republican dominance. He played a lead role in creating the Louisiana Committee for a Republican Majority, raising money for candidates through out the state and helping the GOP win control of both houses. The nadir for the Democrats may have been 2011. Democrats had just spent four years getting pummeled by Republican Gov. Bobby Jindal and his allies in the Legislature, where the GOP held solid majorities in both cham bers. And in that year’s election cycle, Democrats barely even contested the statewide offices, allowing Jindal to win reelec tion with nearly 66% of the vote against token opposition. Term limits had a lot to do with helping Republicans gain the upper hand by dislodging entrenched incumbents. Many white Democrats jumped on the bandwagon and switched parties, including Westwego state Sen. John Alario, a former Edwards ally who gained Jindal’s blessing in his successful bid for Senate president.WhenDemocratic Sen. Mary Landrieu lost her 2014 reelection

CHANGING DYNAMICS: Democrat Edwin Edwards dominated state politics from the 1970s through the mid-1990s but state voters moved decidedly right as Bobby Jindal became governor in 2008. IN CONTROL?

Democrats generally ran state government until 2008 when Republicans began taking control. 93Daily-Report.com

Making a hard right turn

TREND BUSTER: John Bel Edwards, running as a conservative Democrat, won election as governor in 2015 but that success has not repeated itself in the state Legislature.

Louisiana’s political winds began shifting to the right with the election of President Ronald Reagan, prompting many Democrats to switch parties. A look at statewide officeholders who went from D to R: ROEMER MIKE FOSTER FOX

Source: Business Report research. Kennedy Donelon

PHOTOSFILE Roemer

JIMBUDDYSCOTTJOHNMcKEITHENKENNEDYANGELLECALDWELLDONELON

BUDDY

FIRST 40

Office Louisiana Office Solutions Co Supply Co. Office LOUISIANALOUISIANA Furniture Co. Janitorial & Facility Supply Co. LOUISIANA The Only Locally-Owned Complete Office Products Company in Baton Rouge! 7643 Florida Boulevard, Baton Rouge, LA 70806 225-927-1110 • LOSCO.com • Mon.-Fri. 8-5 Louisiana Office Solutions Co. Louisiana Office Solutions Co. Supply Co. Office LOUISIANALOUISIANA Furniture Co. Janitorial & Facility Supply Co. LOUISIANAOffice Solutions Co. LOUISIANA Furniture Co. Janitorial & Facility Supply Co. LOUISIANA Issue Date: September2021 Ad proof #1 • Please respond by e-mail or fax with your approval or minor revisions. • AD WILL RUN AS IS unless approval or final revisions are received within 24 hours from receipt of this proof. A shorter timeframe will apply for tight deadlines. • Additional revisions must be requested and may be subject to production fees. Carefully check this ad for: CORRECT ADDRESS • CORRECT PHONE NUMBER • ANY TYPOS This ad design © Louisiana Business, Inc. 2021. All rights reserved. Phone 225-928-1700 • Fax 225-926-1329

REAGAN REVOLUTION

94 BUSINESS REPORT, September 2022 | BusinessReport.com

POLITICS

PRESSASSOCIATED

bid to Baton Rouge Republican Bill Cassidy, the minority party lost its last statewide elected of ficial, and the Deep South lost its last Democrat in the U.S. Senate. The John Breaux-style conserva tive Democrat no longer seemed viable.Asto why the Democrat label suddenly became toxic in much of Louisiana, it’s hard to over look the 2008 election of Barack Obama as the nation’s first Black president, given the prominent role race plays in American poli tics. But policies unpopular here, ranging from support for abor tion rights and gun control to Obama’s offshore drilling mora torium following the Deepwater Horizon disaster, helped cast Democrats as the enemy to many voters.Sothe emergence of a lit tle-known state representative from Amite named John Bel Edwards caught many by sur prise. Even after he had secured the endorsement of the state Democratic Party, some prom inent Democrats urged him to bow out of the race to give breathing room for a moderate Republican who might have a better shot to knock off the heav ily favored Vitter. But Edwards, a pro-gun, an ti-abortion former Army Ranger, gained credibility with voters otherwise uncomfortable with Democrats, while Vitter was tarnished by a prostitution scan dal. Edwards easily beat Vitter in 2015, then held off Baton Rouge businessman Eddie Rispone to narrowly win reelection in 2019. Edwards’ success has not trick led down to the rest of his party. The same year he was reelected, Republicans gained a veto-proof supermajority in the state Senate, and as the governor reaches his two-term limit, a viable Democrat successor has not emerged. White elected Democrats are an in creasingly rare species, and while the pundits have been wrong be fore, there’s little expectation the GOP’s dominance will end any time soon.

SO YOU’RE NOT A MILLIONAIRE. To Live at St. James Place, You Don’t Have to Be. Our residents come from all walks of life—retired ministers, educators, homemakers and executives. They’re a fun, social group of people. So come for a visit and discover why St. James Place is the place to be (whether you’re a millionaire or not). Schedule your tour 225-470-4687today 333 Lee Dr. Baton Rouge, LA 70808 StJamesPlace.org BRBR YEARSCELEBRATINGIN2023Take a look at St. James Place–it might be more affordable than you think. 96 BUSINESS REPORT, September 2022 | BusinessReport.com

RICHIECOLLIN RICHIECOLLIN COLLINRICHIE FILE PHOTO KADAIRDON WOODDAVID 97Daily-Report.com | BUSINESS REPORT, September 2022

CEO VALIOLLAHIMATTHEWcreated the brand, which sells hats, fishing shirts and travel kits, in 2008. The first storefront opened in fall 2018, but the brand sells online to customers across the South.

LEE MICHAELS FINE JEWELRY

THE FAMILY-OWNED company, launched by Lee Michael Berg (pictured) and his wife, Brenda, began with one store in Baton Rouge at the Cortana Mall four decades ago. Today, it has grown to nine stores across Louisiana, Texas, Mississippi and, most recently, New Mexico, with revenues of more than $56 million.

BY DEANNA B. NARVESON

WALK-ON’S SPORTS BISTREAUX

FERRARA FIRE APPARATUS

MARUCCI SPORTS MARUCCI BAT Company was founded in 2004 by retired professional baseball players Kurt Ainsworth and Joe Lawrence along with LSU trainer Jack Marucci. In 2009, Ainsworth and Lawrence partnered with Reed Dickens to launch Marucci Sports, which then acquired the bat company. In 2020, the company, which supplies bats for Major League Baseball, was purchased for $200 million by Compass Diversified Holdings. Its headquarters remain here with Baton Rouge native Kurt Answorth (pictured) serving as CEO.

WALK-ON’S founders Brandon Landry (pictured) and Jack Warner became fast friends as a pair of walk-ons on the LSU basketball team. In 2003, the pair opened their first restaurant, near LSU on Burbank Drive. In 2014, Warner sold his stake in the company to a new partner, and the company began a large expansion push. In 2022, with 65 locations across the country and dozens more franchises in the works, the company announced plans for a new corporate office in Atlanta.

RAISING CANE’S CHICKEN FINGERS FOUNDERS TODD GRAVES (pictured) and Craig Silvey opened the first Raising Cane’s, now dubbed “The Mothership,” in 1996 near LSU’s North Gate. The fast-food chain now has more than 50,000 employees and more than 470 restaurants in 27 states and five countries.

FIRST 40 | SUCCESS They started right here A sampling of Baton Rouge standouts that have made their way out of the Capital Region to new heights.

SOUTHERN MARSH

FOUNDER Chris Ferrara came up with the idea in the 1970s when he was a volunteer firefighter in Central. The manufacturer, located off of I-12 in rural Livingston Parish, produces tankers, platforms and other vehicles for fire departments from San Francisco to New York City. In 2017, the business was purchased by Milwaukee-based REV Group.

A LEADING designer and manufacturer of both recording and live-sound hardware and software solutions for the music industry, PreSonus was founded by LSU graduates Jim Odom and Brian Smith in 1995. In November 2021, the Baton Rouge company was acquired by Fender. (Pictured, from left: Eric Welch, product manager, and Ryan Roullard, documentation manager.)

COLLINRICHIECOLLINRICHIECOLLINRICHIE 98 BUSINESS REPORT, September 2022 | BusinessReport.com

PRESONUS AUDIO

LUCAS+MCKEARN

FORMERLY CALLED Flambeau Lighting, this company sells sconces, table lamps and chandeliers from its showroom on Perkins Road. In 2017, it merged with a British company and now sells its products worldwide, with partner Joe McKearn (pictured) managing operations in Baton Rouge.

HEADQUARTERED IN Baton Rouge for 21 years, this company creates technology for businesses and organizations. It serves clients in 35 states, and has offices locally, in Lafayette, New Orleans and San Francisco. Dallas-based Rosewood Private Investments bought a majority stake in General Informatics in 2020 and developed an aggressive growth plan. Don Monistere (pictured) is the company’s CEO and president.

ELECTRONICS

FIRST 40 | SUCCESS GENERAL INFORMATICS

tallulahrestaurant.com thegregorybr.com

SouthtownDowntown or

ORION INSTRUMENTS

KELLI PALMER created this skin and hair care line in 2016. The company went viral across the U.S. in late 2018 after it was featured in beauty magazines. Now, Breedlove has tens of thousands of devotees and is sold on national cosmetic websites and in boutiques as far away as Oakland, California.

BATON ROUGE DAD and Ph.D. Boyce Clark (pictured), set out to make a hair product to tame his daughter’s frizzy hair, leading to the launch of Lubricity Labs in 2015. The brand is now used by more than 2,500 hair salons around the U.S., and the company, based in LSU’s Innovation Park, produces more than 1,500 bottles a day.

COURTESY

BREEDLOVEBEAUTYCO RICHIECOLLINPHOTOFILE

99Daily-Report.com | BUSINESS REPORT, September 2022

FOUNDED IN 2001 in Baton Rouge, Orion Instruments is a global magnetic-based instrumentation company with a 50,000-square-foot facility on Oak Villa Boulevard. The company serves chemical, refining, wastewater, power generation and oil and gas processing industries.

BREEDLOVE BEAUTY CO.

LUBRICITY LABS

Now operating under the name PSC Group with more than 4,000 employees working across the country, PSC is the industry leader in and the petrochemical,

LEADING THE WAY FOR 70 YEARS

product handling, site logistics,

sustainability services for

refining, terminal, and marine transportation industries. THE BEST AT WHAT WE DO PSC operates at all stages of the manufacturing process, offering the technical expertise, experience, and knowhow to provide critical support through all levels of the supply chain, including: • Marine Terminal & Dock Operations • Tankerman Services • Rail & Truck Loading • Transloading • Rail Switching & Track Maintenance • Railcar Repair INNOVATIONS FOR A BRIGHT FUTURE We now offer an array of Sustainability services to help manufacturers protect the environment: • Operation Clean Sweep® Support • Scrap Plastic Washing, Blending, Extrusion & Custom Compounding • Advanced Recycling Solutions CONTACTwww.pscgroup.comUSTOLEARN MORE ABOUT THE VALUE WE COULD BRING TO YOUR OPERATION. Baton Rouge Office: (225) 343-8262 Pasadena TX Office: (281) 991-3500 24-hour Dispatching: (844) 441-1987 100 BUSINESS REPORT, September 2022 | BusinessReport.com

Petroleum Service Corporation was founded in September of 1952 as the nation’s first shoreside tankerman service, loading and offloading barges on the Mississippi River in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. From those humble beginnings, a proud legacy of service and operational excellence was established that has fueled the company’s growth and success through the years.

A collection of stories and essays exploring the potential, the possibilities and the challenges on the Baton Rouge horizon.

THERE’S NO DISPUTING that Louisianans are resilient. The last couple of years have shown that much at least. But will they be able to respond and adapt to an industrial market that is likely to undergo some rather radical changes in the coming decades?

“The switch to hydrogen, for example … if we can get large enough volumes and can store it, that flip is not going to be particularly hard for Louisiana industry,” he adds. “They also

Whether it’s a push for renewable energy or net-zero emissions, experts are confident Louisiana’s petrochemical sector will evolve, adapt and thrive.

“The average decline rate of oil and gas production around the world is faster than the most aggressive scenario for reducing oil demand. In other words, no matter what demand does, we must continue to invest in oil and gas supply to meet demand.”

MARK FINLEY, an energy and global oil expert at Rice University’s Baker Institute

102 BUSINESS REPORT, September 2022 | BusinessReport.com

BY SAM BARNES

No matter what happens, he adds, Louisiana has a global rep utation of resiliency, whether in the aftermath of a hurricane, oil spill or economic downturn, “and that resiliency is going to be our biggest strength.” Even though a forecast re cently published by Princeton University predicted that Louisiana would be the worst economic performer through 2050, Zappi feels it grossly un derestimated the state’s ability to transition to new industries.

No one can reliably predict what the market might look like 40 years from now, says Mark Finley, an energy and global oil expert at Rice University’s Baker Institute in Houston. But that doesn’t mean they shouldn’t try. “The starting point of any dis cussion must be to acknowledge how uncertain the future is,” Finley adds, “then to consider those policies and business plans that can succeed in a lot of differ ent scenarios or have the flexibil ity to Finleyadapt.”says that looking 40 years down the road is a tricky proposition. That’s why most companies examine a variety of possible scenarios, with different outcomes based upon the perfor mance of different variables. Any such scenario begins with some basic assumptions about future economic growth, technology, governmental policy and con sumer“Thebehavior.reasonthere’s so many companies doing it is because they’re considering multibil lion-dollar investments in plants that are going to have economic lives measured in decades,” he adds.Most current scenarios predict that climate policies are going to become an increasingly relevant factor, whether that be through renewable forms of energy, the electrification of processes, car bon capture or other similar measures.Butthat doesn’t mean that fossil fuels will disappear. In its Annual Energy Outlook 2022, the U.S. Energy Information Administration predicts petro leum and natural gas will remain the most consumed sources of energy in the U.S. through 2050, even though renewable en ergy will be the fastest growing. Furthermore, U.S. oil production will reach record highs, while natural gas production will in creasingly be driven by natural gasInexports.nearlyevery scenario a reli ance upon renewables will con tinue to grow, but there’s another commonality—a continuing need to invest in oil and gas. “The average decline rate of oil and gas production around the world is faster than the most ag gressive scenario for reducing oil demand,” Finley says. “In other words, no matter what demand does, we must continue to in vest in oil and gas supply to meet demand.”DavidDismukes, executive di rector of LSU’s Center for Energy Studies, says the likelihood is high that petrochemicals, oil and gas will remain major forces in Louisiana 40 years from now. “It’s hard to envision a sce nario where that’s not the case,” Dismukes says. “As the world stands now, and likely will stand over the next two decades or so, there is no replacement for fossil fuels. No substitute will be able to meet the demand for fertilizers, food, energy, transportation, etc. We’re just not going to get there without fossil fuels.” Even in the most aggressive scenario, Rice’s Finley says, de mand holds steady for oil and petrochemicals. That’s because oil is much more than a source of energy.“How will you replace petrochemicals as a basic build ing block of modern life? How are you going to replace all the plastics in food packaging, the medical industry, etc.? The reality is that even in the more aggres sive scenarios most people think there’s a significant role to play in petrochemical feedstocks.”

FUTURE 40 | INDUSTRY

Mark Zappi, executive direc tor of the Energy Institute of Louisiana at UL Lafayette, says the energy and petrochemical in dustries are inseparably tied, and while the industrial market will undoubtedly look very different 40 years from now “you’re still going to see a lot of our people employed in facilities that make things. I think a lot of it will be fu eled by solar and hydrogen, but I wouldn’t be shocked to see natu ral gas and crude oil still being a major part of this economy.”

Dawn of a new day

fuelbyconsumptionEnergy BTUs)(quadrillion POWERED BY PETROLEUM While renewables

103Daily-Report.com | BUSINESS REPORT, September 2022 discounted the impact of off shore wind, which I think is going to be big once we get past some hurdles.“Ithink we’re going to come out of this just fine. With our ports and transportation infrastructure, we’re the perfect state to lead many of these transitions.”

DON’T BURY FOSSIL

• Wind and solar incentives, along with falling technology costs, support robust competition with natural gas for electricity generation, while the shares of coal and nuclear power decrease in the U.S. electricity mix.

102030405001990200020102020203020402050Petroleum and other liquids Natural gas OtherCoal renewable energy LiquidHydroNuclearbiofuels HistoryProjections2021 FUTURE 40 | INDUSTRY

Still, ULL’s Zappi says fuelsfromtransitioningcarbon-basedwillbean immense technical challenge.

• Petroleum and natural gas remain the most-consumed sources of energy in the United St ates through 2050, but renewable energy is the fastest growing.

• U.S. crude oil production reaches record highs, while natural gas production is increasingly driven by natural gas exports

FUELS JUST YET

PIVOTING FOR THE FUTURE Tommy Faucheux, president of the Louisiana Mid-Continent Oil & Gas Association, feels it won’t take 40 years to see significant change in the industrial space. “I think it’s going to look dif ferent five years from now, hon estly,” Faucheux says. What excites him most is the drive to a lower carbon future. “All of my members are talking about reducing carbon emissions,” he says. “They’re not going to stop producing oil and gas, but they’re going to find ways to reduce car bon emissions in the process. But at the same time, they’re becom ing the leaders in investing in re newables and new technology.” Future investments in the en ergy industry, he says, will likely include a mix of oil and gas pro duction, LNG exports and carbon capture and sequestration. “All of that provides revenue to the state and creates jobs,” Faucheux says. “Will those jobs look different? That’s quite pos sible, but I think when you look out over the next several years, if Louisiana plays its cards right, we can build on our energy expertise and lead the nation in lower car bon energy and new technology.” The policy piece of the puzzle, he adds, will determine the de gree in which Louisiana will ben efit from the changes. “As we go through this en ergy transition, we’re going to need state regulatory help for Louisiana to become the leader that it’s capable of be ing,” Faucheux says. “It’s going to take a partnership between industry and state government policymakers.”Thatpartnership extends to ac ademia as well. Seeking to proac tively stay ahead of the training curve, River Parishes Community College is using a $1.49 million Delta Regional Authority grant from the U.S. Department of Labor expressly for renewable en ergy training. Co-sponsored by GNO Inc. and Associated Builders and Contractors’ Pelican and Bayou chapters, the DRA invest ment assists RPCC in providing training opportunities for jobs in hydrogen, solar and wind energy, primarily through a new process

There are some real-world ex amples that show change is hap pening quickly. Tim Harris, site manager at Eastman Taminco in St. Gabriel, says terms such as “circular economy” and “molecu lar recycling” have become buzz words at his company. Achieving net-zero emissions is a corpo rate goal for Eastman, and locally that means pursuing sustainably sourced raw materials. “We’re actively engaged in try ing to figure out how to do that,” Harris says. Nutrien’s green ammonia operation and Air Products’ green hydrogen plant will both impact his plant, as they are major suppliers. Energy reduction is another goal.“We have a group in our corporate office looking at that, be cause we can’t get to net-zero without that being one aspect of it,” Harris says. “Solar is on the table, and I know they’re looking at “Iothers.definitely see industry going in that direction. A lot of my colleagues at ExxonMobil, Dow, etc. have projects in place or have announced plans to get to netzero by 2050. That’s most everyone’s goal.”

CHANGE IS ON THE WAY Even as political forces swing the regulatory pendulum back and forth, the progression toward a changing industrial landscape will continue to move forward. Most of the change will be in re newable forms of energy and bio-based feedstocks for the pet rochemicalRegardless,industry.industry will be the primary driver of change, not government, says LSU’s Dismukes.“Thereare just so many things happening outside of politics that are driving this, particu larly in finance,” Dismukes says. “The financial community looks at this from a risk exposure per spective, and they want to mini mize the risk of returns on their investments.“Whatpoliticians say on the left or the right really doesn’t matter. The markets don’t need incen tives to pursue renewable energy. Many of them have already made these commitments to their in vestors and they don’t take those commitments lightly. In fact, the market is way out ahead of the mandates. We do more at the state level than any mandate says we should be doing.”

Source: Annual Energy Outlook 2022 / U.S. Energy Information Administration

NOTE: Biofuels are shown separately and included in petroleum and other liquids. SOURCE: Annual Energy Outlook 2022 / U.S. Energy Information Administration grows fastest, it will remain far below petroleum and natural gas in 2050

“It’s not going to happen to morrow,” he says. “Everybody is still getting in their cars and still flying, and our number one source of fuel is carbon based. That’s not going to change dra matically fast. “The biggest question is what can technology enable us to do and do affordably? Nevertheless, I feel if we don’t do this in Louisiana somebody else is going to do it for us. We have to move toward change.”

“We’re in discussions about green ammonia, blue hydrogen KADAIRDON CHANGING TIMES: Tim Harris, site manager at Eastman Taminco in St. Gabriel, says a corporate goal is achieving net-zero emissions, meaning the facility is looking for sustainably sourced raw materials. and solar. Those are getting to be big items in our part of the world, so we’re talking about that now. They’re on the horizon, we can see it and we’re working toward helping with curriculum so we can train operators to do the best job they Regardless,can.”RPPC’s Taylor says, “there will always be a need for human capital to get the work done.

FUTURE 40 | INDUSTRY

“We’re in constant contact with them,” Gross says. “We have a lot of lines of communication with our partners that we work with.

104 BUSINESS REPORT, September 2022 | BusinessReport.com FUTURE 40 INDUSTRY equipment training plant at the school’s Gonzales campus. RPCC commissioned the PET plant in July. Quintin Taylor, in terim chancellor at RPCC, says the project has been years in the making.“Thecollege is poised to be a major player in this space,” Taylor says. “We’re focusing on clean en ergies, job creation and will ini tially be focused on renewable energy sources, including solar, wind, geothermal and eventually biomass and biowaste and hydro electricalUltimately,processes.”RPPCwill have the ability to train students as wind and/or solar technicians, in ad dition to providing a variety of other opportunities in renew ables. It’s also purchasing training equipment for solar technician training to support new so lar farms in the area, as well as equipment for the offshore wind farm initiative in the Gulf of Mexico. The portfolio will also in clude electrolysis training in sup port of efforts by CF Industries and others to produce green ammonia.“Byworking with industry, we’re ensuring that we move at the pace of business and that we’re aligned in lockstep with them as they reimagine what they’re operations will be,” Taylor says.Jay Gross, applied sciences de partment chair at RPCC and PET plant director, says industrial partners communicate their fu ture needs and assist with the de velopment of curriculum through RPCC’s advisory committee, which meets every other month. That conversation often goes out five years and beyond and pro duces some very real results.

There was a huge collaboration in building our PET plant between LCTCS, RPPC and our industry partners to get this done.

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HARRIS SAYS THAT the Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry has done a good job of encouraging ranchers to produce beef, pork and lamb, which could add to Louisiana’s homegrown produce and seafood markets. Locally raised menu items could save restaurants money when global fluctuations cause commodity prices to skyrocket.

RESTAURANTS IN Greater Baton Rouge have never been more di verse and dynamic than they are today, but there’s still room for growth and innovation both on the plate and in back offices, op erators say. Here’s what could be in store as investors and restaura teurs vie for business in a city that likes to dine out.

AN EXPANSION OF LOCAL FOODS

COLLIN RICHIE

Still, restaurants will continue to make the argument that a career in the industry is nothing to scoff at, says Stephen Hightower, City Group Hospitality managing partner.

“When TOPS became the value proposition that it is, a lot of those people didn’t have to work anymore, so that’s a tremendous part of the workforce being pulled out,” Harris says.

BY MAGGIE HEYN RICHARDSON

106 BUSINESS REPORT, September 2022 | BusinessReport.com FUTURE 40 | RESTAURANTS

AN EXPANSION OF NICHE FLAVORS

Foodies finding more diverse options

The question, he asks, is do we have the population to support exclusively focused concepts, or are we more likely to see examples of such cuisines integrated onto existing menus?

“If we can see an expansion of beef and lamb, and do more of these things closer to home, it’s going to help our cost structure,” Harris says.

“I have a server at Beausoleil making $75,000 a year,” he says. “Yes, it’s hard work, but it’s a great option for many people and it has opportunities for advancement.”

OPERATORS SAY THAT labor continues to be their biggest single challenge, following a massive workforce defection after the COVID-19 pandemic. Enticing servers, cooks and busboys back to work has sometimes required bidding wars among eateries.

Korean barbecue galbi ISTOCK ISTOCK ISTOCK

GOOD LIFE: With its high-end menu and equally dazzling design, the Supper Club is bringing a unique dining experience to Baton Rouge.

Some restaurants have opted to shrink their pre-pandemic capacity as they live with smaller staffs. “I’m at about 75% capacity, and I’m fine with that,” says Gino Marino of Gino’s Restaurant. “We have a lot of loyal employees, but it’s gotten harder and harder to find people.”Bynature, the restaurant industry tilts on onboarding younger, lower-skilled workers—a group subject to generational whims. Louisiana Restaurant Association President and CEO Stan Harris says that the industry within the state had to adjust to the creation of the TOPS program in 1989, which provided financial relief to many students who otherwise would have waited tables throughout college.

LABOR ISSUES CONTINUE

BUILDING ON AN already robust range of cuisines, restaurateurs could be comfortable rolling out notyet-seen concepts in the Capital City, says Gov’t Taco owner and “Bite and Booze” radio host Jay Ducote. “We really do have a lot of variety and diversity for the city that we are,” says Ducote, who believes it’s important to compare Baton Rouge to peer locations like Jackson, Mississippi, or Tallahassee, Florida, rather than measuring the area’s culinary culture against Austin and New Orleans. “I think compared to a lot those [peer] cities, we’re doing quite well,” he says. “We have a lot of good options and we’re keeping up with a lot of trends around the country. We also have a strong international food scene, with a lot of Greek and Lebanese, Vietnamese and other global restaurants for a city our size.” However, there are plenty of niche concepts we’ve yet to see, including “true hot chicken, Korean barbecue, real Ethiopian and Filipino,” Ducote says.

From expanding cuisine choices to how we ‘dine out,’ there are some major shifts in the Baton Rouge dining market.

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TWO OF THE COVID-19 pandemic’s biggest ripple effects are outdoor dining and to-go ordering, elements that will continue to be a big part of the way concepts do business and new eateries are designed. Thirdparty deliveries will continue, and now include the option of ordering beer, wine and cocktails. Where possible, restaurants will invest in drive-thru windows to allow consumers a hassle-free, to-go option. And patio dining will continue to grow among both independent and franchise operators, helped by favorable weather most of the calendar year, local experts say.

HARRIS SAYS THAT while COVID-19 triggered what looks to be a 15%-20% closure rate for restaurants around the state, empty spaces were quickly taken over by new operators partnering with private investors. That will continue, he says. “I think we’re going to continue to see growth. I think the best is yet to come,” Harris says. “There’s more Wayne Stabilers, T.J. Morans and Brandon Landrys (pictured) out there. There’s the next generation coming up who we haven’t yet seen.”

RICHIECOLLINRICHIECOLLIN

OUTDOOR DINING AND TO-GO ORDERING CONTINUES

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Creating Clearer Paths

CLOSURES WILL INVITE NEW TAKEOVERS

assurance - consulting - tax - technology

OK, SO IT’S hardly a new industry; people have been farming for 10,000 years. But there’s a growing world to feed and information technology can help the industry do it more efficiently and effectively. Bioproducts made from crops can be used for energy and consumer goods. Led by the LSU AgCenter, Baton Rouge ranks 10th in the U.S. for agricultural research-and-development spending, according to the Baton Rouge Area Chamber.

ENERGY EVOLUTION

LSU PRESIDENT William Tate connects the university’s early history as the “Ole War Skule” to the current fight to protect information assets from digital thieves. Assuming state officials keep funding them, Louisiana can offer robust incentives for software and digital media companies that don’t have to pay major-market operating costs, though convincing knowledge workers to come and/or stay here is a challenge.

BATON ROUGE IS positioned to be the “capital of low-carbon energy” due to its “geological makeup, immense plant network, and talent-ready workforce,” BRAC says. Though much of the region’s history has been built on fossil fuels, south Louisiana might have a chance to be a leader in the climate-driven energy transition.

CYBERSECURITY, SOFTWARE AND DIGITAL MEDIA

COLLIN RICHIE ISTOCK ISTOCK KADAIRDON

Though the industrial sector will continue powering the Capital Region economy, there are promising opportunities in the health care and research technology markets.

108 BUSINESS REPORT, September 2022 | BusinessReport.com FUTURE 40 | ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

BY DAVID JACOBS

Seeking diversification

HOPEFUL OPPORTUNITY: There are numerous cancer research efforts underway in the Baton Rouge area, including one by LSU professor Elizabeth Martin, who is overseeing a group seeking better breast cancer treatment methods.

AGRICULTURE RESEARCH AND TECHNOLOGY

Jeff Moulton, an international cybersecurity expert, is president of Stephenson Technologies Corporation, a classified federal government contract resource for cybersecurity located at The Water Campus.

THOUGH THE HEALTH CARE and public assistance sector pro vides the most jobs, the Capital Region’s most important eco nomic drivers arguably are pet rochemical manufacturing, industrial construction and gov ernment. When we think of Baton Rouge, these are the sectors that typically come to mind. But the world is changing and while officials are happy to main tain those three legs on the local economic stool, a more diverse economy would do Baton Rouge and the rest of the state a lot of good. So, what might the future bring?

WHILE THE Pennington Biomedical Research Center has struggled to attract consistent funding, its potential as a research hub remains tantalizing. Cancer research holds promise, in part because of the region’s high rates of the disease. Collaboration among members of the Baton Rouge Health District theoretically could help attract large clinical trials and make the Capital Region more of a health care destination for patients and entrepreneurs from outside the region.

BATON ROUGE already has more than its share of water-related jobs, and more growth in this sector is expected. Home to the Water Institute of the Gulf, the state’s Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority and the LSU Center for River Studies, the Capital Region could become an epicenter for expertise and execution in this space and help humanity learn how to better live with water.

IT’S ALL ABOUT LOGISTICS

COLLINRICHIE

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BATON ROUGE already is home to more than 700 logistics companies representing more than 12,000 jobs, BRAC says. The presence of the Mississippi River, three mainline railroads, six interstate highways and a network of shallow and deepwater ports could help drive further growth in this sector.

Steve Ceulemans, executive director, Baton Rouge Health District

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RIDING THE WATER AND COASTAL SCIENCES WAVE

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MovEBR, the nearly $1 billion initiative to alleviate traffic congestion in the Baton Rouge area, lists more than 70 completed, under construction, or proposed infrastructure projects on its website. Mayor Sharon Weston Broome has prioritized a “complete streets” approach that takes all users, not just drivers, into account, though some advocates hope to see those principles codified into East Baton Rouge Parish law so they will outlast the current administration.

BY DAVID JACOBS

ISTOCK ISTOCK KADAIRDON TIM MUELLER

Baton Rouge residents might finally have to stop calling the circa-1968 Horace Wilkinson Bridge that carries Interstate 10 between Baton Rouge and Port Allen the “new bridge.” Louisiana lawmakers this year approved a $300 million down payment for another Capital Region bridge over the Mississippi River. There are several steps left before final approval is granted and work can begin on the multibillion-dollar project, so when it could open is anyone’s guess, though drivers likely will have to pay a toll to get across.

CHARGING AHEAD WITH ELECTRIC VEHICLES

BATON ROUGE MAY not have the worst traffic in America, but at least one recent study ranks the congestion here right up with some of the biggest cities in the country, a dubious dis tinction for a metro area with fewer than a million residents.

Electric vehicles aren’t all that popular in the Capital Region right now, which is partly because the Baton Rouge area doesn’t have many charging stations, and they’re not all available to the public. But the infrastructure shortage should be addressed soon: President Joe Biden’s administration wants zeroemissions vehicles to make up half of new auto sales by 2030, and the federal infrastructure bill dedicates about $75 million for charging stations in Louisiana.

111Daily-Report.com | BUSINESS REPORT, September 2022 FUTURE 40 | INFRASTRUCTURE

A long road ahead

GET MOVING ON ‘COMPLETE STREETS’

Planned federal, state and local infrastructure investments may loosen up some of the bottle necks, but the region’s housing sprawl and auto-oriented cul ture may present even greater challenges when it comes to making it easier to get around.

HOPING FOR A NEW, NEW BRIDGE

Billions of dollars will be spent on easing traffic and promoting alternative transportation, but the solutions may be only temporary as long as we’re addicted to cars—and sprawl.

112 BUSINESS REPORT, September 2022 | BusinessReport.com

NO PAIN, NO GAIN ON I-10 TRAFFIC WOES

The state’s plan to widen Interstate 10 from La. 415 to Essen Lane may cost around $2 billion and will, over a 20-plus-year window, significantly add to the highway’s congestion; officials plan to shut down one lane of traffic in each direction for at least a year beginning in 2024. Whether having a total of four lanes in each direction compared to the current three by 2028 or so will shorten anyone’s commute remains to be seen. A counterproposal that is smaller in scope and price to address local I-10 traffic has failed to gain traction.

PEDALING ALONG…

Perhaps some of the Capital Area Transit System’s struggles can be attributed to mismanagement, and maybe someday the system will be privatized, but the region’s sprawling and auto-loving population also presents challenges. CATS is planning a bus rapid transit route from LSU to north Baton Rouge, which should benefit some commuters within the city. The long-sought passenger rail service from Baton Rouge to New Orleans is finally inching closer to reality. But unless Baton Rouge embraces greater density, most people will probably still want a car to get around.

The idea that riding a bicycle is a viable form of transportation, not just recreation, seems to be catching on in Baton Rouge, and getting around via bike should get easier in the coming years. More than 100 miles of marked bicycle lanes and 250 miles of off-road bike paths and walking trails are part of the city’s master transportation plan.

While major infrastructure projects get headlines and may well be needed, some argue that Baton Rouge can’t fix its traffic woes solely by adding lanes and bridges to major highways. What’s needed, they say, are more connections between neighborhoods, giving drivers added options for getting around. But politically, connectivity is a touchy subject, as many residents would prefer not to see more cars on their quiet, streets.suburban

ISTOCKISTOCK

IN CARS WE TRUST

RICHIECOLLIN FUTURE 40 | INFRASTRUCTURE

TROUBLE WITH THE CONNECTION

113Daily-Report.com | BUSINESS REPORT, September 2022

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FUEL SOURCES

114 BUSINESS REPORT, September 2022 | BusinessReport.com

FEW AMENITIES ARE more basic for doing business and just living life than electricity, and few pastimes are more frustrating than waiting for that bucket truck to make it to your neighborhood after the power goes out. But Baton Rouge may see major changes in the years to come regard ing where our power comes from and how it gets to us.

Entergy recently warned south Louisiana users to expect their power to be out for at least a week after even a Category 1 hurricane. The utility says it’s continuing to harden the grid, but after a major storm there’s always talk about burying the lines, which would be costly. Whether we’re talking about protecting the grid ahead of time or repairing it after a storm, ratepayers generally foot the bill, though the 2021 federal infrastructure bill includes billions for power infrastructure that Louisiana should be able to tap.

CLIMATE CHANGE

Louisiana gets about three-fourths of its electricity from natural gas, which was fine when gas was cheap. But recent price spikes have called that reliance into question, and if history is any guide, prices will continue to fluctuate. Moving the state away from gas dependency and into a less carbon-intensive future will take years, though several large-scale solar projects are in the pipeline and major offshore wind developers are eying the Gulf of Mexico.

ISTOCK FUTURE 40 | ENERGY

Powerful forces

GRID STRENGTH

MORE PLAYERS? Baton Rouge-based Bernhard Capital Partners is pursuing public infrastructure business, including electricity. While the firm’s efforts to get into power production and distribution in Louisiana have been rebuffed so far, new players such as BCP and its $2.6 billion equity fund could provide new sources of investment.

BY DAVID JACOBS

The planet’s warming climate hangs over any discussion about energy, including the desire to diversify into low-carbon alternatives. More powerful storms will deliver more wear and tear on the power infrastructure, and hotter summers will boost demand for electricity.

Increasingly severe weather, growing demand for alternative fuel sources and an aging transmission grid mean changes are coming to the electricity market.

ENTERGY’S MONOPOLY

Entergy Louisiana serves more than a million customers in the Capital Region and beyond who don’t have other options. State regulators are looking into whether the current system should be tweaked to allow for more competition, in hopes of forcing the company to focus on its ratepayers rather than its shareholders. But Entergy and its supporters will fight for the status quo, which has generally produced relatively low rates compared to other states.

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CONNECTING HIGH SCHOOL CURRICULUMS TO CAREERS Under Superintendent Sito Narcisse’s leadership, the EBR school system’s new Pathways to Bright Futures program in troduces options for students to earn college credit and gain career exposure while in high school. This includes adding more dual-enrollment courses, and even earning an associate degree in certain cases. The pro gram will offer disciplines in technology, construction, liberal arts, health care and transpor tation. In addition, the school system is planning to introduce

“I think Baton Rouge is becom ing a national model for what high-quality educational choice looks like,” Meyer says. So, what else might the future hold for public education in the Baton Rouge area?

“We have a school system that serves children in very differ ent ways, particularly around race and socioeconomics,” says Adonica Duggan, president and CEO of Baton Rouge Alliance for Students. “We are doing an abysmal job of serving children who live in poverty, and that’s a lot of children in this city.” But Duggan and other advo cates also point out that there’s also a half-full side. School choice, the catch phrase for enabling parents to opt into a better-fit school than the one their child is assigned to, is more popular than ever, largely due to the opening of close to 30 high-quality charter schools over more than 10 years. The expan sion of such schools is position ing Baton Rouge as a national paradigm for school choice, says Baton Rouge Area Foundation President and CEO Chris Meyer, the founding CEO of choice school facilitator New Schools for Baton Rouge. Meyer speculates that by the end of the decade, 50% of all public-school students in East Baton Rouge Parish will attend an open-enrollment char ter, with another 25% taking ad vantage of the school system’s magnet programs.

FUTURE 40 | EDUCATION

MUELLERTIM

“I think Baton Rouge is becoming a national model for what highquality educational choice looks like.”

‘CHOICE’ WILL BE AN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT SELLING POINT Selling the range of educational options across the region will continue to be the strategy de ployed by the Baton Rouge Area Chamber, says President and CEO Adam“FromKnapp.atalent recruitment standpoint, we tell the story of the region,” Knapp says. That in cludes top-rated school systems in Zachary and Ascension and West Feliciana parishes, as well as numerous private schools, magnet programs and public, open-enrollment charter schools. “Commuting from home, where your kids are in school, to work 45 minutes away is just not un common among our peer cities,” Knapp says.

CHRIS MEYER, founding CEO of New Schools for Baton Rouge and current president and CEO of the Baton Rouge Area Foundation ISTOCK

A matter of choice

Top-rated suburban districts, award-winning magnet programs and the growth of openenrollment charters are selling points for public education in the Baton Rouge area but challenges, especially with low-income students, remain.

116 BUSINESS REPORT, September 2022 | BusinessReport.com YOU CAN LOOK at public educa tion in Baton Rouge in one of two ways.On the glass half-empty side, East Baton Rouge Parish is still crippled by educational inequity, home to a chronically C-rated public school system with Dand F-rated institutions dispro portionately serving children in poverty.TheEast Baton Rouge Parish school system’s enrollment peaked in 1976 and has dropped 40% since, due to breakaway school districts in Baker, Central and Zachary, suburban flight and a private and parochial school use rate that is one of the na tion’s highest. And when families remove their children from the school system, advocates point out, they also take away their per sonal stake in its success.

STUDENT ATTRACTION: Magnet schools, like Liberty Magnet High School, are expected to edu cate 25% of all public-education students in East Baton Rouge Parish by the end of the decade.

Not unlike the K-12 public school landscape, early child hood education is defined by two poles: limited, publicly funded early education programs and pricey, private or church-based day care programs, Meyer adds. “We need to have an inten tional focus on applying the les sons learned in our K-12 reforms to early childhood reform,” he says. “We need to be a statewide and national leader in how we put those pieces together.”

MUELLERTIM more “focused choice” schools, which will give students and families more curriculum op tions. The new fine arts con servatory to be housed at Broadmoor Middle School and the Eva Legard Center for Coastal and Environmental Studies, a partnership with LSU and the Water Campus, are two such programs.

SCHOOL CHOICE EXPANSION

117Daily-Report.com | BUSINESS REPORT, September 2022

EARLY EMPHASISLEARNING

FUTURE 40 | EDUCATION

Sweeping education policy changes in the state in 2012 ush ered in an era of charter school growth, including the addi tion of well-regarded national charter schools like BASIS and IDEA. Parents have voted with their feet, advocates contend, pulling their children out of underperforming neighbor hood schools for better op tions. Moreover, parents who can afford private schools are also queuing up to participate in high-achieving charters. Many schools have waiting lists.“We have to continue to expand excellent schools,” Meyer says. “It’s very easy for some folks to say, ‘we have enough,’ but I don’t think you ever have enough excellent schools until every family is able to make a choice. Let’s continue to expand high-qual ity schools of any kind that are in demand by families.” Duggan agrees. “This growth is driven by par ent behavior,” she says. “When I am faced with a decision about the best possible option to ed ucate my child, I learn how to navigate the system and find it. I think there’s an overemphasis in the discussion on school type, when all parents want is school quality.”

Knapp says 95% of at-risk 4-year-olds are in a public early learning program, but more needs to be done to en sure birth to 3-year-olds are getting the early literacy they need to be successful.

“We at BRAC want to see a path to universal pre-K,” Knapp says. “Education and literacy starts at birth, and it’s so import ant we focus on early education.”

from receipt of this proof. A shorter timeframe will apply for tight deadlines. • Additional revisions must be requested and may be subject to production fees. Carefully check this ad for: CORRECT ADDRESS • CORRECT PHONE NUMBER • ANY TYPOS This ad design © Louisiana Business, Inc. 2022. All rights reserved. Phone 225-928-1700 • Fax 225-926-1329 CHANGING LOCAL LIVES FOR THE BETTER Visit www.goodwillno.org to learn more! 225.308.0220 | Goodwillno.org College Dr. | Coursey Blvd. | Burbank Dr. | O’Neal Ln. Goodwill Industries of Southeastern Louisiana’s mission has been changing lives through the power of work since 1947. Your donations fund programs that help people with barriers improve their economic selfsufficiency by providing training, education, support services, and employment. We turn your donations into opportunities that help people for the rest of their lives. We operate three divisions: contracts, retail, and workforce development. Each contributes to the community and wellbeing of others in an essential and diverse way. Workforce Development Good Transitions Foster Care Veterans Housing Ex-Offender Re-Entry Disability Employment Job Readiness Training PROGRAMS AND SERVICES: 118 BUSINESS REPORT, September 2022 | BusinessReport.com

BeverlyThompsonBrooks

William F. Tate IV Stafford Wood Kenny Nguyen

Stephen MoretJohn Kirwan CamilleBroomeManningAdam Knapp

Julia-Claire Evans

119Daily-Report.com | BUSINESS REPORT, September 2022

Nine

Visions of the future essays from community leaders and young professionals on how Baton Rouge can fulfill its potential as an economically thriving midsized city.

A SUCCESSFUL UNIVERSITY aims to change the life course of its students and impact ev ery family and community in its state. LSU’s flagship status and our land-, sea- and space-grant designations require that we ac complish these two aims while charting a course as a model in scientific and health-related dis covery, healing by way of clinical education and practice, and tech nical support as part of agricul tural extension, coastal use and restoration efforts, and space sci ence and outreach.

120 BUSINESS REPORT, September 2022 | BusinessReport.com

LSU’s commitment is to improving lives in measurable, impactful ways that evolve from evidence-based research and study. BY WILLIAM F. TATE IV LSUCOURTESY

William F. Tate IV is president of LSU, providing leadership, vision and direction for all campuses across the university system.

There are two things that make LSU different than other higher education institutions in terms of responsibilities and outputs: a commitment to producing re search including basic science, clinical and translational sci ence, social science, humanistic inquiry, and practically appli cable research that changes the lives of everyday people, and the provision of social and eco nomic mobility for our gradu ates. In other words, we have a deep and abiding commitment to improving lives in measurable, impactful ways that evolve from evidence-based research and study.But I know firsthand that, upon hearing the word “university,” most people think purely of tradi tional education, of degrees and classes and lectures in large halls or tiny classrooms. No doubt, that is a large part of what we do and will remain central to our very core. But it’s not the extent of who we are—and it’s certainly not where my vision stops.

As a leader, I operate with tun nel vision aimed on two broad but critical goals. First, what I want most for LSU involves collectively and relentlessly con necting our research and schol arship to the problems facing our state, nation, and society so that we improve lives and livelihoods of everyday Louisianans and our neighbors across the country. This goal requires a transforma tion of our research infrastruc ture—which is, unfortunately, less than state-of-the-art in places— into a world-class operation that supports basic research but also focuses on the practical applica tion of discoveries from individ ual scholars and research teams to the living room. Achieving suc cess means that LSU’s research impacts parish by parish across theMystate.other primary goal calls for the development of new and in novative ways to create upward economic mobility for our stu dents. When we talk about in clusion, we use many words, but I’ve yet to see any individual be included in anything if they don’t have the means to take care of themselves or their families. It’s a basic fact of life: We need to generate income to live, and a university education offers one pathway to income mobility and a family’s economic security. In addition, the university educates its students to transition into learned citizen scholars prepared to contribute to civic capacity and problem solving. Our com pact with the state calls for us to ensure we support creating an educated citizenry. LSU, through our eight cam puses across the state, presents a nearly immeasurable amount of potential. Consider the incredi ble research capacity represented by your flagship, the AgCenter, Pennington Biomedical Research Center right here in the capital, and our Health Sciences Centers in Shreveport and New Orleans. And think about LSU’s incredi ble opportunities to improve our students’ economic mobility at the flagship, as well as our cam puses in Alexandria, Shreveport, and Eunice. All told, LSU’s cam puses educate students in pro grams offering associate degrees to Ph.D.s and medical degrees, as well as every major professional degree. Our educational reach takes many forms including ag ricultural extension and research agents, coastal and space-related programs, as well as our health screenings and medical outreach that touch every parish in the state.Interms of our research capac ity, we have come a long way in the last year. You may have heard about our Pentagon priorities, or the LSU ABCs: agriculture, bio medical, coast, defense and en ergy. We built a plan to leverage our research in these areas be cause they directly impact the people of Louisiana whether per sonally or professionally. So when our researchers make discoveries and translate findings to societal challenges, we all benefit Through partnerships with LCMC and Our Lady of the Lake, we’ve secured $245 million to help us enhance our cancer re search and biomedical enter prise. Right now, the people of Louisiana suffer a cancer mor tality rate among the highest in the nation, and if they have the means, many leave the state for treatment upon diagnosis be cause we do not have a National Cancer Institute-designated hos pital here. With this historic in vestment, we are already making An amountimmeasurableofpotential

ESSAY LSU

A reason celebrate!to BATON ROUGE • DENHAM SPRINGS • NEW ORLEANS • HAMMOND www.htbcpa.com 225.928.4770 It takes people and businesses focused on growth to move our city forward. For almost 100 years, our team has been proud to help so many Capital Region companies achieve their success. Congrats to the Business Report on 40 years of celebrating our business community. ASSURANCE • TAX PLANNING & CONSULTING CLIENT ADVISORY SERVICES LITIGATION SUPPORT & BUSINESS VALUATION HTB PROUDLY OFFERS THE FOLLOWING Issue Date: Sept 2022 Ad proof #3 • Please respond by e-mail or fax with your approval or minor revisions. • AD WILL RUN AS IS unless approval or final revisions are received within 24 hours from receipt of this proof. A shorter timeframe will apply for tight deadlines. • Additional revisions must be requested and may be subject to production fees. Carefully check this ad for: CORRECT ADDRESS • CORRECT PHONE NUMBER • ANY TYPOS This ad design © Louisiana Business, Inc. 2022. All rights reserved. Phone 225-928-1700 • Fax 225-926-1329 BROAD REACH. LOCAL ROOTS. 121Daily-Report.com | BUSINESS REPORT, September 2022 great strides in this direction. As a university, we endeavor to enhance our resources and tal ent base in order to contrib ute to solutions associated with Louisiana’s health disparity chal lenges and to lower the cancer mortalitySimilarly,rate.our research and de velopment efforts related to en ergy, Louisiana’s number one industry, resulted in a partner ship with Shell supported by its $27.5 million investment seek ing to model evidence-based approaches to energy transition so that those jobs remain in our state and our economy remains strong. Our vision for LSU in cludes setting a standard of excel lence in discovery and supporting the development of novel policy recommendations for industry andLSUgovernment.enteredacompact at its inception to support learning and economic mobility. At the flag ship alone, we have welcomed re cord-breaking graduating classes in terms of size and academic rank for five consecutive years. And our graduation numbers continue to accelerate, with our spring 2022 commencement cel ebrating the largest number of graduates on record for LSU in totality as well as across demo graphic groups including low-in come students, first generation students, and historically under represented students. We provide an educational environment that supports students from all back grounds through graduation. With a degree in hand, we see that our graduates are positioned to grow as professionals and ex perience positive growth in their income mobility. Many of our students realize an intergenera tional change in economic status that impacts their children and futureLookinggenerations.intothe future, my colleagues and I work toward a goal in which every student in our ecosystem experiences three opportunities that grant a true competitive edge in the en try-level job market: (1) under graduate research, (2) internship in their field of study, and (3) study abroad. Studies indicate that these experiences can add as much as 15% to the salary of a new graduate when compared to a peer who holds the same major without the additional ac complishments. Moreover, stu dents with these experiences recognize the importance of civic engagement.Thisisjust a taste of what we’re planning for the future of your university. We are setting expec tations higher than ever before and building a culture across our eight campuses that accepts nothing less than excellence in everything that we do. We seek to develop a culture of intellec tual entrepreneurship and solving challenges so that we can better serve our state. And we do this while reallocating more resources toward the quality education we provide to more than 50,000 stu dents across the state. That’s how we will fulfil our compact with the state and its people. Our vision for LSU requires support, and I need every one of you behind us as we chase down these goals and turn them into a reality. Together we can secure the future of Louisiana.

RELATIONSPUBLICLSU

LSU’s flagship campus in Baton Rouge.

The Baton Rouge Area Chamber released a shocking study this year that revealed that for every eight people who leave Baton Rouge, only one enters. Accepting this means accepting that our city’s best export is our talent.

It’s even sadder to see this “phe nomenon” reinforced by data.

RICHIECOLLIN

ISTOCK

I see creative thinkers and doers reinvesting back into their com munity, creating high-quality jobs and collectively raising Baton Rouge’s quality of place. Tying it all together, I imagine a com munity that is tolerant of diverse ideas, beliefs, and opinions unlike one’s own. We have a long way to go to make this our reality.

I’ve had the privilege to witness the growth of leading research in stitutions, our nationally ranked park system, and key infrastruc ture improvements. After 10 years of working with Baton Rouge’s best and brightest, it’s clear our city has the potential to become the creative epicenter of the South.Through the years, I’ve also wit nessed the resiliency and cama raderie exemplified by the people of Baton Rouge. Crisis builds connection, and there’s been no shortage of crises around here lately. Together, we’ve faced natu ral disasters, cultural awakening, and a global pandemic. During the toughest times, our people show up for each other. At its core, I know the heart of this city is in the right place. I believe in us, but please don’t call me an optimist. We must ac knowledge that we have a lot of work to do as a community.

122 BUSINESS REPORT, September 2022 | BusinessReport.com

Meanwhile, out-of-state friends call me “Mr. Baton Rouge” for how much I hype this city. Yes, I love my city. So much that I’ve made it my life’s work to invest in a better future for Baton Rouge through my creative agency, ThreeSixtyEight. We ac tively seek work that improves the perception of Louisiana, and we produce our Assembly Required conference series with the central goal of equipping communities to create a better future through civic and business innovation.

ESSAY EMBRACE CHANGE Becoming the creative epicenter of the South

A FEW WEEKS AGO, I met a movie producer in Los Angeles who worked on several notable projects that I love. I almost fell out of my chair when he revealed he’s from Baton Rouge! He still visits and loves the city, but the hard reality is he doesn’t spend his creative energy here. It’s sad how often I experience this phenome non: meeting someone incredibly talented from Baton Rouge that couldn’t find a reason to stay.

When I imagine the “creative epicenter of the South,” I see a thriving technology, entertain ment, and media-arts-food scene booming with world-class cre ative talent and infrastructure. I see an innovation district where public and private sectors fre quently intersect, walkable paths lined with green space, and ac cessible capital and mentorship.

A mentor recently shared a key distinction between innovative and stagnant cities: Stagnant cit ies are stuck in their fears. Look at how your community responds to weird and bold ideas. The fearful community gets stuck at, “What if it doesn’t work?” While the brave responds, “What if it does?” Innovation requires bravery. Hearing this helped clarify a tension I struggled to articulate for years. This is Baton Rouge’s problem. When I hear fellow residents trash-talking our city, I hear fear. Collectively, we don’t believe in Baton Rouge’s potential to be great. We want change, but we are scared of changing. Look to low voter turnout in local elections as an example. I regularly hear complaints about leadership at all levels. How will you see change if you don’t con sciously pick the right leaders? Making change means getting into the ring. Our future is at risk. Consider this: According to a BRAF sur vey, 45% of parents in East Baton Rouge Parish want their kids to leave the city in adulthood, but 90% would want their kids to stay if there were career opportunities. It’s time we rally together for change.Ichallenge you to reject the “what if it doesn’t work” mindset and embrace the “what if it does work” notion as a real possibility. Imagine that Baton Rouge does become the creative epi center of the South. What if we build the community where our loved ones thrive? What a legacy. Join me for cof fee, and I’ll happily share my perspective on collectiveofcommunityress,tolongthisaccomplishingvisionovertheterm.However,kick-startprogweneedtosetabaselineactionsthatbuildpride: 1. We must encour age active citizenry. Informed local votes go a long way.

Turning the potential of Baton Rouge into reality requires hard work and the bravery to embrace innovation.

BY KENNY NGUYEN Kenny Nguyen is CEO and co-founder of ThreeSixtyEight, a creative agency whose mission is to challenge common thinking to create an uncommon future.

a city the

Choose leaders willing to collab orate on a shared agenda, with low egos, the courage to speak the truth, and the grit to steward change. It’s time we elect people based on merit and talent, not what high school they attended. Stepping away from “good ol’ boy” norms and welcoming dif ferent perspectives is how we begin to turn this city’s future around. It’s time to embrace di versity to recruit and retain the best talent today so they can build the foundation for tomor row’sLeaders,leaders.engage in respectful dialogue (listen before speaking) and give your people time off to vote while providing them re sources to make their decisions.

225-334-7494 ACTIVITY & SOCIALIZATION for those affected by Alzheimer's RESPITE & RELIEF for caregivers OCTOBER 15, 2022OCTOBER 15, 2022 2022 Honorary WalkMULKEYMULKEYKIMKIMChairLSUWomen'sBasketballHeadCoach Join Coach Mulkey as she honors friend and mentor Pat Summitt to raise awareness and funds for those affected by Alzheimer's in the Greater Baton Rouge area. CORPORATE PARTNERS WALK PRESENTING SPONSORS ALZBR.ORGALZBR.ORGRegister/Register/DonateDonateStart yourStart your team now!team now! 123Daily-Report.com | BUSINESS REPORT, September 2022

that I

Cheers to making

3. We must embrace the “what if it does work” mindset as an ac tive practice. This means find ing tangible ways to support your community’s progress. If you have the means, join an angel network like Red Stick Angels and learn how to invest in the startup ecosystem. If you’re driven to serve, give your time and exper tise to organizations working to improve Baton Rouge’s quality of place, such as BRAF. The point is simple. Step out side your comfort zone and find a network that challenges your per spectives while stimulating your love for our city. If you don’t know where to start, allow me to help. This com munity has introduced me to some of the most incredible peo ple. As thanks for reading this letter, send a note to nity@threesixtyeight.comcommuand 100 people in Baton Rouge think you should meet. These folks share the “what if it does work” mindset. Baton Rouge future

is proud to call home! ISTOCK

I’ll share a list of

2. We must combat littering. This seemingly minor issue eats away at community pride while cor relating with crime. The broken windows theory suggests that litter, graffiti and vandalism will only increase and lead to more serious crimes if left unchecked. Some credit broken windows policing with curbing New York City’s crime rate in the ‘90s. Baton Rouge’s high crime rates stand as a significant barrier to our future potential, and through anti-litter ing efforts we can all play a part. For example, the Texas Department of Transportation’s famous “Don’t Mess with Texas” campaign decreased litter by 72% in just three years. Our neighbors in Lafayette also provide a com mendable example via their Parish Pride program. Leaders, I urge you to rally your network against littering and in spire pride in what your commu nity could be. When our city is clean and safe, we can focus our energy on creativity.

My greatest hope for my ad opted hometown of Baton Rouge is for the region to become a place that provides equitable pathways to opportunity for everyone—no matter their starting point in life. Many things will be required to bring this vision to life, but the most important single element will be education. While pre-K-12 will be essential, I focus here on five key steps related to education or training after high school. Ensure that employment out comes are accessible and clear. While education is about far more than employment, most people who pursue higher education do so largely to improve their job prospects. Every person who con siders a higher education program should have access to clear, re liable insights about its employ ment outcomes. The importance of this information is especially vital when someone is considering taking time away from family and/ or using a substantial amount of debt to complete a program prin cipally to improve their earnings potential.Mostpeople who complete some form of higher education earn substantially more than those with only a high school diploma, but many do not. Unemployment today may be relatively low, but underemployment (i.e., when someone has a job that doesn’t make meaningful use of their ed ucation) is relatively high—in the Baton Rouge area and across the nation. Roughly one in four full-time employed adults in the Baton Rouge area with a bach elor’s degree is not working in a college-level occupation—and that fraction is much worse for re cent grads. Underemployed col lege grads generally earn little more than individuals with just a high school diploma. Many of these unfortunate situations can be avoided if we equip individuals with clear information to inform their higher education choices, including helping them under stand how particular activities (e.g., paid internships) can im prove post-completion earnings no matter what field one studies. Some information about col lege outcomes already is available through the College Scorecard and other sources, but there are big gaps—especially for small-en rollment programs and non-de gree credentials (e.g., certificates). State leaders can close these gaps so that people can have the infor mation they need to make well-in formed choices. Provide quality coaching and guidance in K-12, college and be yond. Individuals who grew up surrounded by college grads work ing in high-wage occupations of ten have a good sense of what is required to pursue a college de gree and how to navigate the job market. Those with less-privileged backgrounds usually do not. Most people would benefit from quality coaching and guidance, yet only a small fraction of people receive it. Local and state leaders can work together to ensure that adequate coaching is available for all learn ers, including guidance on the full range of postsecondary education, training and career opportunities available (including the pathways that lead to particular outcomes), as well as coaching on mindsets needed to overcome challenges experienced along the way to completion of education/training and a good job. As in most of the country, coaching and guidance in Baton Rouge often is inadequate. State and local leaders can priori tize staffing and professional Renewing the American dream

124 BUSINESS REPORT, September 2022 | BusinessReport.com

A chance recommendation from my high school trumpet teacher led me to my first trip to Baton Rouge, an audition for The Golden Band from Tigerland and a full scholarship to attend LSU. I had a magical and transformational ex perience at LSU, which prepared me for an interesting career as well as advanced degrees at two top research universities. Thanks to my education at LSU and beyond, treasured faculty and mentors, much hard work, and some good fortune, I largely have achieved my own American dream. Today, I lead Indianapolisbased Strada Education Network, a national nonprofit, where I am working to help others across the country to achieve their own unique version of that same dream.Strada supports programs, policies and organizations that strengthen connections between education and employment in the U.S., with a primary focus on helping those who have faced the greatest challenges securing eco nomic opportunity through post secondary education or training.

ISTOCK

Stephen Moret is president and CEO of Strada Education Network, a national nonprofit social impact organization. Prior to joining Strada, he was CEO of the Virginia Economic Development Partnership. He has also served as president and CEO of the LSU Foundation, secretary of Louisiana Economic Development, and CEO of the Baton Rouge Area Chamber.

ESSAY HIGHER EDUCATION

GROWING UP AS the son of a single mother in rural Mississippi, I experienced a recurring sense of economic insecurity. From a young age, I saw higher education as a pathway to the American dream of economic opportunity.

BY STEPHEN MORET

Baton Rouge can become a place that provides equitable pathways to opportunity for everyone— no matter their starting point in life.

PHOTOFILE

125BUSINESS REPORT, September 2022 ISTOCK development necessary to ensure that every learner has access to the coaching and guidance they need to succeed.

Virginia implemented a statewide Tech Talent Investment Program through which it is providing per formance-based funding to public higher ed institutions to double the number of graduates in com puter science and closely related fields. Louisiana has implemented similar initiatives on a smaller scale. A more ambitious program would help thousands more in dividuals secure good jobs, while enabling employers to better meet their talent needs. Baton Rouge-area employers also can create more opportu nities for individuals and better meet their talent needs by drop ping college degree requirements for positions that don’t require specialized knowledge or training. As Opportunity@Work has noted, hiring based on degrees directly results in less diverse candidate pools, especially when the job in question does not require a col lege degree.

Offer universal access to workbased learning opportunities.

Make higher ed affordable for all. Even with the availability of TOPS and the new M.J. Foster Promise Program, many folks in Baton Rouge struggle to afford the total cost of higher education.

Individuals who complete one or more paid, work-based learning opportunities (e.g., internships, apprenticeships) while pursu ing higher education have more confidence about their future job prospects, learn more about what interests them and often earn considerably more once they complete their degrees. Yet large numbers of higher ed students in Baton Rouge, like their counter parts across most of the country, don’t complete paid, work-based learning opportunities during their postsecondary studies.

Considering that a college degree or other credential will be required for most good jobs in the future, state and local leaders can work together to provide more needbased financial aid and targeted funding support for institutions to ensure that affordability is not a barrier to equal opportunity.

While not easy to achieve, higher ed institutions and employers in the Baton Rouge area could work to ensure that every learner can complete at least one paid, workbased learning opportunity prior to completion of their studies. The payoff would be many more thou sands of people with good jobs, as well as far more employers able to meet their talent needs.

As in most other metros, the Baton Rouge area faces shortages of graduates with particular spe cialized education or training, such as engineers, tech workers, skilled tradespeople (e.g., welders, electricians), and health care pro fessionals and technicians. These types of jobs tend to pay relatively well. Unfortunately, because these higher-wage, high-demand pro grams tend to cost more for in stitutions to deliver, and because tuition generally does not vary by program, the state must provide incremental funding to support those programs to ensure ade quateStatesupply.andlocal leaders can work to make performance-based funding available for programs that consistently help their grad uates secure wagemorelargederemployment.well-compensatedForexample,inortomeetthedemandsofitstechsectorandtoenableindividualstosecurehigh-employmentopportunities,

Much good work already has been happening in higher educa tion in Louisiana, and meaningful progress already has occurred in several of these areas. For exam ple, the Board of Regents, through the creation of its state master plan, has embraced several of these key principles, and state leaders recently have substantially increased need-based financial aid. Nevertheless, there is much more work remaining to ensure that higher education in Louisiana consistently provides equitable pathways to opportunity. These five focus areas—clear outcomes, quality coaching, af fordable programs, work-based learning opportunities, and em ployer alignment—will distinguish regions in the future that provide equitable pathways to opportu nity while also meeting the talent needs of employers. These also are the things that will shape the future economic development of the Baton Rouge area, as talent-driven economic development is the future (and largely the present) of effec tive economic development in America.Noregion or state has yet deliv ered on these five enablers of op portunity. That means there is an opening for inspired leadership.

Improve alignment with em ployers. Even with an unprece dented number of job openings across the country and in Baton Rouge, many employers are strug gling to meet their talent needs. Millions of good jobs nationwide and many thousands of good jobs in the Baton Rouge area are going unfilled due to a lack of properly educated or trained individuals. At the same time, many college grad uates have been unable to secure jobs that enable them to earn a good living and pay off their stu dent loans. In short, there is a sub stantial misalignment between supply and demand.

A growing number of institu tions across the country have committed that every student will complete one or two internship opportunities prior to graduation.

THE PATH FORWARD

Baton Rouge and Louisiana can become national leaders in pro viding equitable pathways to op portunity, positioning everyone to have a real shot at their own American dream.

PHOTOFILE

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126 BUSINESS REPORT, September 2022 | BusinessReport.com

Our BRAC vision is a dynamic, midsized metro that’s punching way above its weight class. To get there, we see four things that are critical: investing to become a talent magnet for 25- to 44-yearolds, a hyperfocus on growing jobs in emerging industry sectors, expanding our economic inclu sivity, and boosting the region’s livability.Forming a strong talent pipe line has become the most import ant goal if we want to succeed economically. Over the last de cade, record job growth and an expanding skills gap created a battle for talent in communi ties of every size, a trend that has been accelerated by remote work. Targeted initiatives across the entire workforce pipeline are necessary for the region to pros per and that starts with expand ing early childhood education to achieve universal pre-K3 access.

To diversify the economy, we have to provide even greater support for local entrepreneurs and exist ing businesses and super charge growth in emerging sectors such as life sci ences, technology, transi tional energy, and water. We started this initiative in January and the response of new investment is al ready happening. We cannot stop there though. To be a truly re silient community, our economy must be inclu sive and intentional about job access and invest ment. Exponential growth sounds great, but if it is not grounded in inclu sivity, then we will con tinue to leave behind a large portion of our residents. Prioritizing economic inclusion— focusing on disinvested neigh borhoods, helping individuals lower barriers to employment and aiding minority business growth—creates a virtuous cycle by uplifting our whole communi ties, generating new wealth and expanding our region’s available workforce.So,weprepare the talent, we bring the jobs and we ensure in clusivity, but how do we keep tal ent here and attract new talent? above our weight class a strong talent pipeline, industry diversification and inclusivity are keys to the Capital Region’s long-term economic success.

ESSAY ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT Punching

In addition, we must continue to advocate for great school choices, reinvent high school for more real-work experiences with in ternships and career programs, help college students access jobs after graduation, and boost ef forts to reskill adults. Today, we have more jobs than people look ing for them, so we must also try new things, like marketing to recruit talent outside of Louisiana.Industry diversification is also critical for eco nomic growth. Job growth across more sectors will provide greater employ ment opportunities for varied skill sets, and bet ter insulate the region from economic shocks.

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT is undergoing a sea change. While regions and states in the past have relied heavily on traditional busi ness recruiting, today economic success is determined by access to talent. When many workers can live anywhere for remote jobs, working on placemaking that at tracts and retains talent becomes central to the fight for economic development.Thisbringsus to a pivotal mo ment for rethinking how we do economic development and plan for the Baton Rouge area’s eco nomic future. I’ve asked this question of business leaders over the last year: Will we rise to the task to emerge as an economic powerhouse? The answer is a re sounding “hell yes.” Businesses— whether small or large—are more than ready to push beyond the status quo and embrace a mind set that the finish line does not exist.But what does that look like?

Building

BY ADAM KNAPP

Adam Knapp is president and CEO of the Baton Rouge Area Chamber.

Your Library team is skilled at helping you find the tools and resources you need to keep your organization moving forward. You can search our Digital Library. You can call a librarian. You can even text our team at (225) 361-8476 with your top challenges and questions. Visit ebrpl.com/DigitalLibrary Available 24/7 Online • ebrpl.com Reference Service: (225) 231-3750

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The answer is by enhancing the region’s livability. While this year has finally brought us some ex citing developments like fund ing for a new Mississippi River bridge, that singular victory is just the jumping off point to get it built and to reduce congestion. Businesses also talk about lit ter cleanup initiatives as closely connected to livability. When it comes to retaining talent, how a place looks can be just as im portant as congestion, schools or nightlife options. We’ll know all these initiatives are working when the Baton Rouge area is more confident in its progress, and even more res idents talk positively about our future. In our view, it all goes back to that one important piece: Talent, talent, talent. To grow and thrive, we should focus on the things that make us successful for attracting, developing and re taining talent. It takes commit ment, regional collaboration on these goals, and an unwavering vision for the future. We’re ready to bring it. Are you?

ISTOCK

BUSINESS REPORT, September 2022

business skills business skills learning business skills training Free business skills online learning business plans YOU

March 2022 Ad

Pennington Biomedical Research Center

128 BUSINESS REPORT, September 2022 | BusinessReport.com

The Baton Rouge Health District and the New Orleans BioInnovation Center partnership could make the Baton Rouge-New Orleans corridor a national leader in health sciences.

• Creating a critical mass of elite cancer researchers.

ESSAY HEALTH CARE

• Showing a record of innova tive clinical research studies in the community.

• Establishing a program of cancer prevention and control research.NCIcancer centers must also show they draw a minimum of $10 million a year in National Institutes of Health funding for cancer research. By themselves, no single entity in Baton Rouge or New Orleans can meet the stan dard. It will take a coalition of re search institutions to accomplish thisThat’sgoal.why I say the future of health care research in Baton Rouge will be driven by connec tions. Connections are central to adding the cutting-edge treat ments, customized for the com munity, that are available only through large networks like the NCI cancer centers. Connections describe the way we learn how things relate to one another. Connections help us explain the way the physical world works. Connections are the key to sci entific discoveries. Connections help us imagine the future.

• Demonstrating the ability to transfer research findings into clinical practice.

THE FUTURE OF health care re search in Baton Rouge will be driven by connections, not just scientist to scientist, academic institution to academic insti tution, or provider to provider. Researchers will collaborate across specialties, institutions, and even cities. Some might say the future is already here. The Baton Rouge Health District and the New Orleans BioInnovation Center, or NOBIC, have partnered on a venture that could help make the Baton Rouge-New Orleans corridor a national leader in health sciences. The Gulf Coast Health Sciences Corridor was named one of 60 finalists for the U.S. Economic lyzingatoafacilityupsuniversities,biotechnologyjortivethesignaturepointsthedementia.obesity,tionscutting-edge,helpBiomedical’sprojects,closepartnershipBetterAdministration’sDevelopmentBuildBackRegionalChallenge.Theiscompetingforto$86millioninfunding.Themoneywouldfundseveralincluding:•AnewcenteronPenningtoncampusthatwouldphysiciansquicklyadoptscience-basedsolutoprevent,treatandcurediabetes,cancerand•AprojectthatwilltransformprimaryinterstateentrytotheHealthDistrictintogateways,enhancingsenseofarrivalintoadistinchealthcaredistrictandamaurbancenter.•AsharedfacilityforadvanceddevelopmentforbusinessesandstartontheNOBICcampus.Thewillincludewet-labspace,hurricane-proofcelllinevaultprotectresearchmaterials,anddatavisualizationlabforanacomplexdata.

RICHIECOLLIN

ARCHITECTUREWHLCCOURTESYISTOCK

Connection-driven research

BY JOHN KIRWAN John Kirwan is executive director of Pennington Biomedical Research Center and an internationally renowned obesity, diabetes and nutrition scientist.

The Gulf Coast Health Sciences Corridor is the kind of advance the Health District’s members envisioned when they formed the organization. The district includes the Baton Rouge Area Foundation, Baton Rouge General Medical Center, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana, Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center, Ochsner Medical Center, Our Lady of the Lake Regional Medical Center, Woman’s Hospital, and Pennington Biomedical. The goal is to lever age the resources and influence of the hospitals, health systems, research centers, and affiliated organizations to create a culture ofThehealth.Health District is also lead ing the push to establish the Baton Rouge-New Orleans corri dor as Louisiana’s first National Cancer Institute-designated can cer center. NCI cancer centers develop and translate scientific knowledge from promising lab oratory discoveries to prevent, diagnose and treat cancer, tailor ing their services to their com munities’ unique needs and populations.Therequirements for the NCI designation include:

Thank You Baton CommunityBusinessRouge www.lacharterschools.org Thank you, Baton Rouge business community, for supporting charter public schools for over 25 years! We know a one-size-fits-all approach to education doesn't work. Charter schools provide Baton Rouge families with more high-quality public school options. According to the 2022 CREDO study by Stanford University, students enrolled in charter public schools in Baton Rouge learn more than their peers in traditional public schools. Compared with peers in traditional Baton Rouge public schools, charter public school students received 24 more days of reading instruction and 43 more days of math instruction in a single school year. Baton Rouge's mix of public schools works and has led to an increase in graduation rates. LAPCS is proud to support free, public, and open to all charter schools. Together, we will continue to advance equity and educational access to Baton Rouge families. 25+ YEARS SUPPORTOF 129Daily-Report.com | BUSINESS REPORT, September 2022

WHEN A COMPANY comes to me and says they want to rebrand, it sometimes means they want a new logo. I often counsel that a new brand should be the result of a change in direction, a move ment toward a new vision and a transition to a new purpose. Choosing a new mark, typography and colors does not give a com pany a new brand. A brand is the perception of your company. It’s what makes someone “one of us” and what makes someone proud of buy ing from “us.” It’s the feeling you get when you talk about a com pany. It’s the agreement we have for what a company is. Nike is for winners. Apple is for creatives. Manda is for Louisiana kitchens. “Brand means everything con nected to the essence of a [com munity]. The directors, all the people, the efforts, the [com munity] itself, its logo, its physi cal visual presence, its voice, its reputation, its associations and endorsements, its audience per ception and the sum total of the [community’s] communication. It means every incarnation, and every living, breathing second of a [community’s] life,” writes Will Murray in his book Brand Storm. Organizations, communities, and people have brand identi ties, too. The brand of Austin, Texas, used to be weird and a music city, but it has added tech. Las Vegas’ brand is tied to entertainment. New York’s to cul ture, arts and finance. Brooklyn’s brand has shifted from plumbers to DUMBO in my lifetime. When you travel somewhere and say where you are from, what do peo ple know about this place?

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BY STAFFORD WOOD Stafford Wood is the founder of Covalent Logic, a corporate communications agency based in Baton Rouge. With offices in Austin and Houston, she works along the I-10 corridor for clients including Shell Chemical, Cleco, BTR airport, Manda Fine Meats and other local and national organizations.

As much as I love purple and gold, this brand is the Opiate of our Economy. We rise and fall with wins and losses and we ignore the other contributors to our local economy. PHOTOFILE

What is the essence of Baton Rouge? What is our brand? Let’s begin by focusing on the positives while embracing change.

Needing a new brand

ESSAY COMMUNITY

130 BUSINESS REPORT, September 2022 | BusinessReport.com

A brand position represents the essence of the community and, as such, should guide all insider conversations and external pro motion. We get to define what we talk about to each other and to the outside world. If successful, our words will define something that is desirable (by residents and prospective residents), distinctive (from the competition), deliver able (by the community) and du rable over time. So, what is Baton Rouge’s brand? It’s what people hear about us and what we talk about. It’s what we obsess about: LSU football, Southern, LSU, state government, LSU, industrial cor ridor and LSU, LSU, LSU. We talk about problems like health, crime, racism, and education, in stead of assets like the river, the parks, the trees and the beauty of what life is like when you know your neighbors. In Baton Rouge, so many peo ple went to LSU or Southern that you don’t even talk about other colleges. And if you do, it’s prob ably because they went to an other SEC or SWAC school. When someone has an area code that’s not 225 or 504 or, maybe, 318, you are surprised. As much as I love purple and gold, this brand is the Opiate of our Economy. We rise and fall with wins and losses and we ig nore the other contributors to our localAustineconomy.6highlighted that in 1978 Austin and Baton Rouge had the same strengths, the same population and the same posi tion in their respective states. At a recent cocktail party in Austin, someone said, “Thirty years ago, everyone in Austin had gone to UT. But, Austin embraced new culture and new people coming into the community and now it’s a rarity.”Wedon’t need to become like Austin in our character traits, but we do need to become welcom ing of people from other cultures like Austin is. What will it take to make that true in Baton Rouge? We must celebrate outsiders and the people who come to us with new ideas and new per spectives. How many times has an organization in Baton Rouge brought in a leader from outside our area and we feel that they aren’t “one of us” because they didn’t go to Southern or LSU? We try to invite them into our culture instead of embracing theirs. Hiring managers need to seek out candidates who received an education that didn’t happen un der the Recentlycampanile.onFacebook, Mike Polito commented that it’s OK if Baton Rouge hires a firm from out of town, because companies like his and mine get hired in other communities all the time because we are the best for the job. Other places don’t have the “foreign invasion bias” that Baton

225.361.0899 Rouge, LA 24 shorter timeframe subject check this CORRECT ADDRESS CORRECT PHONE NUMBER TYPOS This ad design © Louisiana Business, Inc. 2022. All rights reserved. Phone 225-928-1700 • Fax 225-926-1329 131Daily-Report.com | BUSINESS REPORT, September 2022 Rouge seems to have. At the same time, we are grow ing and changing. The Baton Rouge Gallery, the Water Campus, the industrial growth and change that’s happening as the epicenter of climate change with consid erations for oil and gas and the changing coast. We are the center of this transition for the economy, and we need to embrace it. We have to be proud of where we are. We have to celebrate what is great about Baton Rouge. In other Southern cities like Austin or Nashville, you might hear complaints about issues in the city, but you also hear a determi nation to fix those problems. And a belief that our city is awesome despite it. Like Sigmund Freud says to the unicorn, “You need to believe in yourself.”BatonRouge needs a new brand.Idon’t mean we need a new logo or tagline or creative advertising campaign to create community pride, encourage tourism or build awareness of our strengths. We need to define who weI’llare.never forget a quote from JR Ball, who said that “Baton Rouge is the vanilla in the Neapolitan of south Louisiana.” I think he meant it as a slight, but what if that is our brand? We go well with anyone or anything! Like artwork on a neutral wall, you look at the artwork, not the wall. What if we’re the uniters in a state that features a multitude of cultures? Where New Orleanians and people from Shreveport can work together. Where Texans and Floridians meet in the middle. What if we’re the place you want to raise your family, start a business, build a career and re tire? If we aspire to it together and focus on the positives, we can build a future that is desir able, distinctive, deliverable, and durable over the next 40 years.

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IF YOU’VE BEEN living in Baton Rouge for very long, chances are you know this city has a young people problem.

By a young people problem, I mean that the city has a hard time attracting and retaining young professionals between the ages of 25 and 40, an issue that’s echoed by organizations such as the Baton Rouge Area Chamber. As a young professional and recent graduate of LSU, I am the only one in my group of friends who remained in Baton Rouge post-graduation to work. The only others still here were ei ther trying to get into graduate schools and taking gap years or were completing fifth years of college. Now, almost everyone I know has left the city, and now I, too, have left for New Orleans.

So what is it about Baton Rouge that makes young peo ple want to leave? And what is it about places like New Orleans or Lafayette that makes them want toWhenstay?

133Daily-Report.com | BUSINESS REPORT, September 2022

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I talk to my friends from New Orleans and Lafayette, a lot of them fall back on the word “culture.” New Orleans and Lafayette just have more of it, they say. But, I ask, Baton Rouge has music festivals, parades and good food, all key to Louisiana’s culture, so what makes it different?Theiranswer is that Baton Rouge doesn’t have nearly as much in the way of south Louisiana culture. For exam ple, the city has festivals, like Blues Fest, but they don’t seem to be as celebrated through out the community as events such as Festival International in Lafayette or Jazz Fest in New Orleans. The food here is incredible, but some would say the options don’t compare to Cajun food-rich Lafayette and NewThenOrleans.there are the issues that everyone recognizes, and the city acknowledges, but are tak ing a good bit of time to address. For example, we know traf fic is an issue. For my friends, leaving LSU’s campus to go to, say, Target on Siegen Lane, was considered a full-afternoon af fair. Crime, too, was a big issue for many of my friends, even though it can be argued that crime in New Orleans is just as bad, if not worse. For me, I think the issues run a bitSpeakdeeper.toany outsider, any young family who has moved into Baton Rouge, and they’ll tell you it’s hard. For some reason, it’s difficult as a newcomer to break into Baton Rouge societal circles.When I was 3, my family moved from the small Lafayette suburb of Youngsville to Baton Rouge. My parents enrolled me at St. Aloysius, where my mother taught, but stayed for only about three years. It was hard for my parents, even after enrolling me at one of the largest Catholic elementary schools in the area. The people from Baton Rouge seemed to have an edge over everyone else, and it was challenging to break into their circles. As for how exactly you break that trend, I’m not sure. It’s a cultural issue here in Baton Rouge that will change only when people want it to. I think the fact that the city has an is sue retaining young people has a roundabout effect. As a result, many of Baton Rouge’s young people are from Baton Rouge, making it even more difficult to adjust as a new resident. I also don’t think Baton Rouge does a great job marketing itself to its college students. For ex ample, I didn’t know what BREC was and had never known about its parks until I was a senior in college. I had never been to a bar downtown unless it was for a college-sponsored event, and I had never shopped outside of near-campus stores and Perkins Rowe. Looking back, many of my friends had not, either. I think the city and the uni versity are disconnected when it comes to letting students know about community events and other attractions, like festivals. When sticking just to LSU’s cam pus, Baton Rouge just doesn’t seem as impressive, which I think is a reason a lot of stu dents graduate and move—with out really knowing what the city has to Lastly,offer.Ithink a lot of young professionals move because of better jobs offered elsewhere. I wanted to work in a more envi ronmental and coastal-related profession, and New Orleans affords greater opportunities in that area. My boyfriend recently graduated in electrical engi neering and is going to graduate school for robotics, a field for which Baton Rouge offers al most no opportunities. It’s not that Baton Rouge isn’t working on these issues. BRAC’s five-year plan is seemingly shap ing up to address the majority of these points. The project’s goals include increasing the re gion’s young professional pop ulation by 5% while putting an A problem of attraction

Julia-Claire Evans is a former Business Report writer who now lives in New Orleans working as a communications associate for the Conservation for the National Wildlife Federation.

Convincing young professionals to call Baton Rouge home begins by actually welcoming them and breaking down the unspoken barriers to access.

BY JULIA-CLAIRE EVANS

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Market President – Baton Rouge NMLS#: 1118625 e: bnosacka@ayeee.com

Issue Date: july Ad proof #1 • Please respond by e-mail or fax with your approval or minor revisions. • AD WILL RUN AS IS unless approval or final revisions are received by the close of business today. • Additional revisions must be requested and may be subject to production fees. Carefully check this ad for: CORRECT ADDRESS • CORRECT PHONE NUMBER • ANY TYPOS This ad design © Louisiana Business, Inc. 2021. All rights reserved. Phone 225-928-1700 • Fax 225-926-1329

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Baton Rouge Branch Manager, Banking Officer NMLS#: 1264360 e: kdiarra@ayeee.com 5379 Highland Road Baton Rouge, LA 70808

134 BUSINESS REPORT, September 2022 | BusinessReport.com emphasis on diversifying eco nomic opportunities. But I think one of the most important aspects of the plan is enhancing the region’s livabil ity. The primary goal is to boost positive perceptions of the Baton Rouge area by 20% by upgrading infrastructure, beautifying the city and rallying pride. Upgrading infrastructure, as we all know, can and has taken time. But I think rallying Baton Rouge pride is a big one. Residents of Lafayette and New Orleans are fiercely loyal to their respective cities. Bumper stickers dot cars and city flags decorate front yards, something virtually unheard of in Baton Rouge. However, I can’t write this piece without mentioning the city’s wins. It has gotten better in re cent years. The development of downtown has made the entry way to the city more attractive to both residents and visitors. The revitalization of Mid City has made the area more colorful and dotted it with unique restau rants, boutiques and other great businesses. Restaurant groups have added flavor to the city’s growing food scene, and live music venues are making the city a larger music destination. In order to retain more young people, the state’s capital city needs to face a hard fact: No mat ter how much organizations such as BRAC want the city to attract more outsiders, it won’t happen until businesses and residents make the necessary changes to allow it.

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SHOPSTOPONE FOR ALL &CONSTRUCTION,MAINTENANCE,YOURITNEEDS COMMERCIAL CONSTRUCTION & PROJECT MANAGEMENT BUILDING MAINTENANCEGROUNDS MAINTENANCE IT SERVICES from receipt of this proof. A shorter timeframe will apply for tight deadlines. • Additional revisions must be requested and may be subject to production fees. Carefully check this ad for: CORRECT ADDRESS • CORRECT PHONE NUMBER • ANY TYPOS This ad design © Louisiana Business, Inc. 2022. All rights reserved. Phone 225-928-1700 • Fax 225-926-1329 Our recent award for the maintenance of a five year federal contract for 300+ acres of building and ground maintenance at the Naval Academy in Annapolis, MD is just one example of the level of discipline and determination the Genesis 360 team will bring to your job. Owner Craig Stevens’ 25+ year Air Force career guarantees your facilities needs will be handled with precision and attention to detail unlike anything available in Louisiana. Craig and Genesis 360’s commitment to excellence are reflected in their being named Business Awards Company of the Year 2022, SBA’s Louisiana Firm of the Year 2022, a fastest growing Inc. 5000 company and Craig was recently awarded SBA’s 2022 Business Person of the Year. BATON ROUGE • HOUSTON • MARYLAND • (225) 304-6657 • CRAIG@GENESIS360LLC.COM • GENESIS360LLC.COM COMPANY OF THE YEAR • 2022 LOUISIANA FIRM OF THE YEAR • 2022 BUSINESS PERSON OF THE YEAR I nc. 5000 • FIRST TIME ON THE LIST • #71 IN CONSTRUCTION • #8 IN LOUISIANA • #4 IN BATON ROUGE 135Daily-Report.com | BUSINESS REPORT, September 2022

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Let’s talk about a few of the key actions we need to take to ensure that Baton Rouge can successfully adapt, evolve and progress as a leading Gulf Coast city. What follows is by no means an exhaustive list, but would rep resent a great start.

• Update our land use and mobil ity practices for a greener, more sustainable future During the ‘50s and ‘60s, gov ernment investments overwhelm ingly backed the expansion of our highway infrastructure, which effectively drove and subsidized sprawl. The consequences of this car-centric, sprawling de velopment have been well-doc umented—we now have cities that are struggling with long com mutes, outsized congestion, de graded air quality, health issues associated with sedentary life styles and unmanageable infra structure expenses. This pattern also accelerated racial and eco nomic disparities along neighbor hoodInsteadborders.ofinvesting in cen tral, connected neighborhoods and commercial corridors seen in older parts of the city, like the Garden District, Mid City and Beauregard Town, we have con tinually expanded Baton Rouge’s PLANNING Taking the risk on a sustainable future

136 BUSINESS REPORT, September 2022 | BusinessReport.com

Building a better Baton Rouge starts with making the changes necessary so that it’s a thriving, climate-resilient city.

RICHIECOLLIN ISTOCK

AS A CITY PLANNER, a Baton Rouge native, and a parent, I spend a lot of time thinking about the fu ture of this place that I love. I worry about building a safe, healthy community where all residents can thrive, and where newcomers can find plentiful opportunities. I want to leave behind a strong and resilient city, where my kids and grandkids can enjoy a vibrant, productive life. Baton Rouge, if we are to achieve all this, we first must understand our history, our current challenges and our future opportunities.Overthepast 40 years Baton Rouge’s population has grown by 200%, our infrastructure has expanded throughout the par ish and new developments have continued to proliferate on the periphery. We have grown into a bustling, culturally rich, midsized Gulf Coast city—and our chal lenges around flood risk, poverty, congestion, water resources, and infrastructure maintenance have grown as well. Looking ahead to the next 40 years, I feel a deep re sponsibility to ensure that my two children inherit a city that’s bet ter than the one I grew up in—but the planning and development patterns we’ve established are not going to get us there. Providing a bright future for all of our kids re quires understanding our past, being clear-eyed about our chal lenges and working together to create a climate-resilient, eco nomically equitable place where the next generation can thrive. We have thriving;safe,Rouge:oftoopportunitiesonce-in-a-generationwithinourreachcreatethefuturethatsomanyushaveenvisionedforBatonacitythatisresilient,inclusive,andeconomicallywithwalkable,bikeable neighborhoods characterized by a special sense of place and a wide variety of opportunities that brings in (and retains) top talent. Achieving this vision will also require doing something dif ficult, courageous and necessary: addressing the risks we face as a city on the front lines of climate change.According to the data presented in the International Panel on Climate Change’s fourth assess ment report, over the next 10-30 years Baton Rouge will experi ence almost three times as many extreme heat events, increases in flash flooding, and eight times as many extreme rain events an nually. These challenges will greatly exacerbate Baton Rouge’s long-standing problems, while making it almost impossible to achieve our potential—unless we are intentional about making cli mate resilience a key feature of our future city. But first, it must be said: To build a future where our children and grandchildren can thrive, we must denounce the po litical division on this topic and direct our efforts toward ensur ing that we are making the right land use, transportation, water management, housing, and eco nomic development investments, using the best available data and science.There is greater consensus around our climate realities than we might think. According to the Baton Rouge Area Foundation’s 2021 CityStats, 55% of Baton Rouge residents think global warming is an “important” issue, and an additional 25% believe it is “somewhat important.” Over 70% of the representative sample of re spondents support changes to our built environment, tax incentives and energy investments that will help address climate change im pacts. The next step is to under stand that the public investments of the past (expansive highways and sprawling, car-centric sub urbs) are no longer sustainable for our future. With historic lev els of funding available from both the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act and the Inflation Reduction Act, we can seize the opportunity to set a new, more sustainable course.

BY CAMILLE MANNING-BROOME Camille Manning-Broome, president and CEO of the Center for Planning Excellence, is internationally recognized for her expertise in resilience and adaptive planning.

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CONTINUING TODAY Honore, of Fame Inductee Daily-Report.com September 2022 periphery and built subdivisions that are disconnected from one another and from daily destina tions like work, school and shop ping. Baton Rouge drivers lose 62 hours every year to traffic, and one ranking puts us fourth in the nation for traffic congestion, just behind New York, Los Angeles and Miami. While a strong majority of our residents support the devel opment of bicycle, pedestrian and transit networks as part of our cli mate solution, only 44% support changing zoning “to encourage building denser communities to reduce vehicle trips.” Density is vital for preserving green space and facilitating the travel op tions that people want. It doesn’t mean that everyone must live in a high-rise—there are many ways to achieve the benefits of density while still offering a wide range of housing choices.

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• AD

Issue Date: Sept 2022 Ad proof #4 respond by e-mail or fax with your approval or minor revisions. WILL RUN AS IS unless approval or final revisions are received within 24 hours from receipt of this proof. A shorter timeframe will apply for tight deadlines. revisions must be requested and may be subject to production fees. check this ad for: CORRECT ADDRESS CORRECT PHONE NUMBER TYPOS This ad design © Louisiana Business, Inc. 2022. All rights reserved. Phone 225-928-1700 • Fax 225-926-1329 10245 Siegen Ln., Suite C Baton Rouge, LA 70810 225.766.6624

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Harvey

• Diversify our economy to create high-quality opportunities for all As we look ahead to the next 40 years, we already know that our city will be transformed by climate change, economic shifts and pop ulation movement. It’s no secret that Baton Rouge-area businesses struggle to attract new hires, and natives are encouraging their kids to build their futures elsewhere.

Young people are looking for places to live and raise their fam ilies that offer economic oppor tunity and are also safe. We must ensure that Baton Rouge’s trans formation brings new economic opportunities and greater security for everyone in our shared future. As the state capital, Baton Rouge has been at the center of decades of economic policies that have supported high-carbon indus tries. Oil and gas have been pil lars of our economy and created pathways to opportunity for many people in our region. Globally, those industries are now taking big steps to transition to what they know is the future: cleaner energy sources and renewables such as wind, solar and hydro. Locally, we ISTOCK Highway-enabled sprawl has created traffic nightmares and disconnected neighborhoods.

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| BUSINESS REPORT,

Sr. 2015 Business Report Hall

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From humble beginnings, Harvey Honore, Sr sought out to build a construction company focused on honesty, integrity & quality work. Over 65 years later, his son Harvey Honore, Jr & grandson Aaron Honore have found success following the same guiding principles. CONSTRUCTION TRADITION BORN IN 1957

A key strategy for Baton Rouge would include retrofitting ex isting suburban areas to create 20-minute neighborhoods, where daily needs and destinations can be reached by walking, biking or public transit in 20 minutes or less. This type of investment has the additional benefit of limiting the proliferation of impervious surfaces, enabling us to reserve natural areas for managing storm water instead of paving them over for new developments. By incentivizing growth toward ex isting infrastructure and ensur ing that all public investments deliver multiple benefits for our climate, city and people, we can accomplish so much for the fu ture of Baton Rouge, including curbing sprawl, reducing flood risk, decreasing vehicle travel (and associated emissions), lowering infrastructure costs, and improv ing our health and quality of life.

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225-308-4467 | info@exigotechnology.com | exigotechnology.com BE DIFFERENT. THINK DIFFERENT. EXECUTE DIFFERENT. Carlo MacDonald, President CELEBRATING 30 YEARS of providing technology to Baton Rouge! We deliver industry leading solutions to help you stay competitive in a changing world. SecurityManaged CommunicationsUnified DevelopmentApplication ServicesManaged Issue Date: Sept 2022 Ad proof #3 • Please respond by e-mail or fax with your approval or minor revisions. • AD WILL RUN AS IS unless approval or final revisions are received within 24 hours from receipt of this proof. A shorter timeframe will apply for tight deadlines. • Additional revisions must be requested and may be subject to production fees. Carefully check this ad for: CORRECT ADDRESS • CORRECT PHONE NUMBER • ANY TYPOS This ad design © Louisiana Business, Inc. 2022. All rights reserved. Phone 225-928-1700 • Fax 225-926-1329 1992 – 2022 2022 under40 Forty 2003 138 BUSINESS REPORT, September 2022 | BusinessReport.com can work with oil and gas indus try stakeholders to ensure that the Baton Rouge region is well-posi tioned to lead this transition and capitalize on the new opportuni ties it will yield. Given our wealth of natural resources, skilled work force and existing industrial in frastructure, we have the capacity right here to provide clean energy to residents and businesses, pro vide jobs for the energy workers we have today and expand oppor tunities for the many people in Baton Rouge who need entry into the workforce. As energy markets shift, we must also open the door for new innovators and investors. Going forward, it will be essential to further diversify our economy, cultivating new industries beyond the energy sector to reduce our vulnerability to volatile markets and increase our overall economic resilience.

ESSAY PLANNING

• Modernize and future-proof our energy grid Our energy grid is fundamen tal to community resilience. Over 100 years ago, we built this vital infrastructure to distribute power to neighborhoods so that our res idents could enjoy a higher qual ity of life and more comfortable, healthier home environments. Today, that infrastructure is anti quated and vulnerable to increas ingly severe weather events. It’s past time for another transforma tional investment in our energy infrastructure. We can improve the ability of our existing grid to with stand extreme heat events and storms while providing affordable energy to households experienc ing increased demands. Strategic infrastructure upgrades can also support the development of re newable energy like wind and solar, along with policies that fa cilitate private investment and empower our residents and busi nesses to share equitably in the benefits. As Louisiana stands to receive billions of dollars in fed eral funds, we must pursue these essential investments. We can’t let this moment pass us by.

• Foster bold leadership and ef fective governance to address our greatest challenges and opportunities Without strong leaders and good governance, the transformational changes we need will not happen. We must recalibrate the capacity of our governance structures to match the scale, scope and com plexity of our challenges and op portunities. One way to achieve this is by designing operations that allow us to adapt to changing circumstances. Systems that fa cilitate data-informed, adaptive, collaborative and transparent de cision-making will be better posi tioned to address climate disasters as they arise. Incorporating pro jections of future environmental, social and economic conditions into decision-making processes will help Baton Rouge prepare for the chronic stressors of climate change and leverage individual investments toward a clear vision for the future. Our processes for designing infrastructure must fa cilitate cross-sector collaboration that results in multi-benefit proj ects that result in a higher quality of life. We must use the data and planning tools at our disposal to understand future risk, cultivate champions for change and build processes that help us adapt to the change we know is coming.

I’m ready to double down on my commitment to Louisiana and hope to do so hand in hand with leaders old and new, from all sec tors, who are willing to step for ward and help build the future that we want and need. We must be courageous, innovative, com passionate and unafraid to dis rupt the status quo in service of the greater good. Many of these leaders are already among us, working day in and day out to help our region build an equita ble and resilient future. Some of these leaders will probably come from other places, bringing fresh perspectives and new ideas. We should be ready to welcome and support them.

RICHIECOLLIN

Celebrating 100 years and the grand opening of our new headquarters in Baton Rouge.

From left; 1st Vice-President Marty Wooldridge, 3rd Vice-President Richard Fontenot, President Jim Harper, Secretary/Treasurer Mike Melancon, 2nd Vice-President Scott Wiggers

Louisiana Farm Bureau is proud to serve farmers, ranchers, and rural residents on a local, state, and national level.

LAFARMBUREAU.ORG

The Voice of AgricultureLouisiana® 139Daily-Report.com | BUSINESS REPORT, September 2022

7000 Commerce Circle | Baton Rouge, LA

THANK YOU, LOUISIANA!

Increased severe weather is exacerbating many of Baton Rouge’s long-standing problems.

• Investing in our future Our city-parish government is faced with limited resources and tough choices to make every sin gle day. In order to make the best use of our resources, every pub lic dollar invested should deliver multiple benefits to our commu nities—for example, parks that provide healthy recreation and are also designed for flood mitiga tion during heavy rain events. In order to synchronize and expand the efforts that are already under way, we need a robust resilience planning effort that will engage our community in a discussion about our values, priorities and future goals. A comprehensive ap proach is critical—siloed efforts to address narrowly defined prob lems can get us only so far. To move the needle in a meaningful way on the issues that are stand ing between the Baton Rouge of today and the Baton Rouge we envision, our challenges must be addressed in concert by a diverse, committed group of multisector stakeholders.Inmanyways, the path has al ready been laid for us. In 1998, Plan Baton Rouge was launched to revitalize our downtown. City leaders and diverse stakeholders came together, strategic partner ships were developed and private resources were deployed to lever age public investment in smart growth. Today, downtown Baton Rouge is a major employment center that is home to thriving businesses and restaurants, ho tels, residential property, public art and cultural events, parks, and beautiful, flood-mitigating green space.Wehave another model in Louisiana’s Climate Action Plan— the Gulf South’s first plan to ad dress our climate challenges, with action steps for reducing greenhouse gases and achieving net-zero emissions by 2050. With these efforts already underway, Louisiana and Baton Rouge are well-positioned to lead through this challenging time of change andClimateopportunity.change impacts are transforming communities ev erywhere and forcing people to make decisions differently. In so many places, families that have invested in their communities for generations are pulling up stakes and leaving to find opportuni ties elsewhere—like Baton Rouge. Climate-driven migration is only going to escalate in the coming years. We have the choice to make the most of this change by making sure our city stands tall as a safe, resilient place, where new and old residents thrive together. Baton Rouge is home to a lot of wonderful people, rich culture and history, and a wealth of natu ral assets—and it’s worth fighting for. In order to preserve the things we love about our city, we must be willing to do some things dif ferently, seize new opportunities and address our challenges with the urgency they call for. Let’s kick off Baton Rouge’s next 40 years by setting the table, inviting all the diverse voices that make up our city to have a seat, and tackle this moment with optimism, hope and bold vision. Future genera tions will thank us.

800.383.8681 repcon.com info@repcon.com New Corporate Office located on Essen Lane SPECIALTYCONSTRUCTIONTURNAROUNDSWELDINGPIPEFABRICATIONMAINTENANCE The Right Solutions. The Right Way. Whether large capital projects, turnarounds or maintenance, Repcon offers a full spectrum of capabilities ranging from detailed planning on the front end to safe and efficient execution on site.

• It helps you focus your giving Picture for a moment a typical commercial construction com pany in just about any city across the nation. Odds are this build er’s ongoing construction proj ects prominently (and smartly) display the company logo around the sites in an effort to raise its community profile. But this type of visibility can also have the un intended consequence of making the company a high-profile target for individuals and organizations seeking charitable donations. This hypothetical company most likely wants to contribute to important organizations and causes in the community—it’s socially responsible and a good business practice—but requests for contributions can quickly spi ral out of control without proper planning.It’svital for a company of any size, public or private, to set some clear parameters about what it will and will not support—and those decisions start with a care fully crafted corporate respon sibility plan. Branding expert Stafford Wood cites recent client requests for “aligning the compa ny’s profit goals with a commu nity mission as a key part of any brandingWhetherstrategy.”you’rea single-person operation or a fast-growing com pany with hundreds of employ ees, there are three reasons why developing a plan to make your giving and community outreach more impactful is so important: Business leaders approach us all the time with a stack of re quests for sponsorships and con tributions and say, “Help me stop

While this is no doubt an import ant element, the reality is that corporate responsibility covers much more ground, encompass ing all the ways your company and its employees interact with the community. Companies of the future should be utilizing corpo rate philanthropy as a business strategy that can appeal to a new generation of employees.

Since 1985, the Center for Corporate Citizenship within the Carroll School of Management at Boston College has been help ing organizations align corporate citizenship objectives and busi ness goals. It defines corporate citizenship as how a company exercises its rights, obligations, privileges, and overall corporate responsibility within local and global environments. As a value proposition, companies who op timize CSR as a sound business practice and transparently offer information on those practices to their customers and stakeholders see it as a competitive advantage to employee job satisfaction, risk reduction, improvement of finan cial performance and connecting money with Companiesmission.oftenmake the mistake of thinking corporate re sponsibility starts and ends with being environmentally conscious.

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BY BEVERLY BROOKS THOMPSON Beverly Brooks Thompson is a published academic and practitioner in the field of philanthropic leadership and currently serves as a managing director at Carter Global, an internationalconsultingphilanthropicfirm. RICHIECOLLIN

The right thing to do Corporate social responsibility encompasses how your company and its employees interact with the community and, when done right, can appeal to a new generation of talent.

141Daily-Report.com | BUSINESS REPORT, September 2022 IN TODAY’S GLOBAL economy, corporate citizenship initiatives are no longer seen as just a “nice thing to do,” they are a business imperative within a company’s value chain. Corporate social re sponsibility, or CSR, is a core prin ciple of strengthening corporate governance, according to the National Association of Corporate Directors.Goneare the days when corpo rate social responsibility was seen primarily as an opportunity for risk mitigation, brand equity and reputation management. When done effectively, corporate citi zenship is a serious investment of money, resources and time. It is also a demonstration to other C-suite leaders, partners, con tractors, community leaders and broader stakeholders on the core values of the company and the firm’s performance in the envi ronmental, social, and gover nance of business.

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Sigma Consulting Group, Inc. congratulates Julio Melara and his staff on celebrating 40 years of excellence. As Sigma commemorates our 35th anniversary, we are proud to have grown together in helping make this community a vibrant, progressive place to call home. We look forward to providing innovative infrastructure and development solutions to the Metro area for years to come. MACONSULTINGGRO PU35 Issue Date: Sept 2022 Ad proof #1 Please respond by e-mail or fax with your approval or minor revisions. AD WILL RUN AS IS unless approval or final revisions are received within 24 hours from receipt of this proof. A shorter timeframe will apply for tight deadlines. Additional revisions must be requested and may be subject to production fees. check this ad for: CORRECT ADDRESS • PHONE NUMBER ANY TYPOS

Recognized as one of the Best Places to Work since 2014 142 BUSINESS REPORT, September 2022 | BusinessReport.com the bleeding.” One of our first steps is to help them develop a plan that identifies what their in terests and values are—the things important to them and their company.Theplan both helps them say “no” when necessary, without the guilt, while saying “yes” in a more strategic and impactful way. A re sponsibility plan doesn’t always necessarily mean you’ll spend any less money, but it can help you engage employees while giving to things you’re passionate about and are meaningful to your orga nization and your team. It can help you drive your char itable donations to organizations that make sense from a business perspective. For example, a com mercial builder whose business is primarily building hospitals and schools could choose to do nate only to health care and edu cational organizations. Building those relationships makes sense for them over the long run, and it’s much easier to decline re quests outside of these parame ters if the corporate responsibility policy is clear and transparent.

• It keeps your employees engaged corporate responsibility plan

• www.sigmacg.com “where quality and innovation design our future”

CIVIL | TRANSPORTATION | STRUCTURAL | PROGRAM

Carefully

• It’s a marketing and recruit ment tool Employees are much more likely to stay with your company if they feel empowered to make a difference. A clear CSR plan is a powerful way to remind your team members that they’re part of an organization with a mission to impact the community in a positive way. CSR is playing an increasing role in the recruitment of top talent, particularly among mil lennial workers who overwhelm ingly want to work for companies that are socially responsible and making a positive impact in the community. Three-quarters of millennials onsider a company’s social and environmental com mitments when deciding where to work and nearly two-thirds won’t take a job if a potential em ployer doesn’t have strong CSR practices.Intoday’s highly competitive environment for talent, the cost of recruitment, training, and re tention demands a paradigm shift in thinking. Millennials and Gen Zers are hitting the workforce in huge numbers. Our employ ees are now considered “inter nal customers,” consumers and delivery operators of the cor porate culture. Businesses strive for engaged team members who demonstrate loyalty to the orga nization. This is the same goal we have for our “external customers” or consumers of our products or services. We must now think of CSR as an employee retention strategy to engage our internal customers in the delivery of our corporate value system by giv ing them meaningful outlets and vehicles to engage and deliver that message. A corporate responsibility plan shows prospective and current employees precisely where your values are as an organization. The data is clear: if your company does not have a strong statement of corporate responsibility, you are at a severe disadvantage when recruiting the young talent neces sary to succeed over the long run.

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• It’s the right thing to do All of us in business are mem bers of our community first. What better way to give your life pur pose and meaning than to focus on our community during busi ness hours the same way you do in your personal life. Your cus tomers want it, your employees need it, your investors value it, and, as a leader in our commu nity, you have the ability to di rect your resources,resources—strategicfinancialresources and your time—toward making the world a better place, right in the place where you and your family live.

Responsible Attorney: Hays M. Alexander | ECfiling #: LA-22-13933 143Daily-Report.com BUSINESS REPORT, September 2022 that focuses your charitable con tributions on where your employ ees live, work and play can be an effective tool for employee en gagement while also encouraging your team to make a meaning ful contribution within their own community.Thereareplenty of ways to use your plan to empower em ployees and help them feel more connected with their community outside of the office walls. For example, an employee commit tee could determine what grants you give to assist team members or outside organizations like youth sports teams. In the Capital Region, most companies create an emergency assistance fund for employees in need of help for serious medical or family emer gencies. During the 2016 floods, many companies with branches in multiple locations, such as law firm Kean Miller, not only en couraged donations to local rep utable organizations such as the Capital Area United Way—who was stepping in with volunteers and resources to help vulnerable residents—but also set up funds through the Baton Rouge Area Foundation’s Employees First pro gram to help employees whose homes flooded. This commitment to both external and internal stakeholders in times of crisis is remembered long after the crisis and deepens brand loyalty. Some companies compensate their employees for volunteer time, a great way to encourage your team to do outreach in the community. This can include paid time off to participate or as a measure for evaluation for or ganizations who receive funding. Are you currently evaluating em ployees’ participation on non profit boards, membership in professional associations, or their volunteer service to the commu nity as a measure for promotion and advancement? Many orga nizations avoid sponsorships al together and instead focus only on matching employee contri butions in either money or ser vice. They’re encouraging their employees to give, which not only empowers them in the de cision-making, but also gives leadership a standard for how to budget as well as a powerful tool for mission measurement and employeeWhateverevaluation.routeyou choose, a well-constructed corporate re sponsibility plan encourages smarter and more strategic giv ing, builds brand loyalty, and serves as a critical tool in a hyper competitive workforce market for recruitment and retention. It’s no longer just a nice thing to do. It’s a business imperative.

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Issue Date: Sept 2022 Ad proof #4 • Please respond by e-mail or fax with your approval or minor revisions. • AD WILL RUN AS IS unless approval or final revisions are received within 24 hours from receipt of this proof. A shorter timeframe will apply for tight deadlines. • Additional revisions must be requested and may be subject to production fees. Carefully check this ad for: CORRECT ADDRESS • CORRECT PHONE NUMBER • ANY TYPOS This ad design © Louisiana Business, Inc. 2022. All rights reserved. Phone 225-928-1700 • Fax 225-926-1329 TO THE BUSINESS REPORT FOR BEST WISHES FOR CONTINUED SUCCESS! 40years CONGRATULATIONS 4232 Bluebonnet Boulevard | Baton Rouge, Louisiana, 70809 | www.alexandersides.com | 225-238-1800

THANKS TO OUR RegisterSPONSORSforfree at BusinessForumUSA.com/batonrouge SEPTEMBER 14 • 11 AM CST WEBCAST • BE OUR GUEST! UNLEASH THE POWER LINKEDINOFLinkedInexpert Richard Bliss will share the top secrets to growth & how you can crack the code. Richard Bliss is a LinkedIn Top Voices Influencer, social media coach and the author of Digital First Leadership. Presents

This feature is a tribute in honor of Business Report founders, Rolfe McCollister Sr. & Rolfe McCollister Jr.

THIS SPECIAL EDITION cel ebrating the past 40 years of chronicling the life of our busi ness community in the pages of Business Report gives one the op portunity to reflect.

We are often so busy with life today or worrying about tomor row that we don’t look back to celebrate or learn from the past. Sometimes the issue isn’t the changes we’ve made, but, in fact, it’s those we failed to make—usu ally because of an unwillingness to abandon the past and embrace theThatfuture.has been, and remains, one of the biggest obstacles to Baton Rouge reaching its potential. It’s the reason we’ve struggled to in novate or grow. We have a love af fair with the status quo and “that’s the way we’ve always done it.” We have lacked vision. We have thought small. We have avoided risks. All of which is, in part, ex plainable by the fact 80% of our residents are Louisiana natives. We’ve grown up wanting some thing for nothing. If there is a cost, then the state should pay for it.

It’s time for Baton Rouge to come ALIVE

TOWARD THE END of Proverbs, Solomon reports of a man who confesses his stupidity. Proverbs 30:2-3 reads: “Surely I am more stupid than any man, and I do not have the understanding of a man. Neither have I learned wisdom, nor do I have the knowledge of the Holy One.” The rest of this Proverb and all 31 Proverbs gives the remedy to bring us out of “stupidity” and into “spiritual intelligence.” Spiritual intelligence is having understanding, learning wisdom and having knowledge of the Holy One.

Let’s face it, mediocre or average is just fine for many of us because at least it’s a little better than our parents had it. Too often, opportunities have come … and, unfortunately, gone because we either chose not to pay or didn’t trust the government to be good stewards of tax dollars.

One good example that some may remember was the pro posed downtown ALIVE project on the Mississippi River in 2008. This was the idea of then-Mayor Kip Holden and the Baton Rouge Area Foundation, developed in conjunction with the Audubon Nature Institute, which operates the Aquarium of the Americas and the Audubon Zoo in New Orleans.

The starting block of understanding is given in Proverbs 3:5-6 and is spoken of frequently throughout the Proverbs. Wisdom comes through learning from the mistakes of others and one’s own mistakes as well as getting revelation from the writings of the wisest man who ever lived who wrote Proverbs, The Song of Solomon and Ecclesiastes.

BRAFOFCOURTESYRENDERINGS

At ALIVE, you could “get close to spectacular plants and animals. Be active: play, ride, climb and soar.” Plans called for a “floating park, outdoor amphitheater for con certs, a dock, river model, satellite station and an area to ‘live in the zone’ around the world. One could soar high above the Mississippi and fly with the birds.” It would have been a spectacu lar tourist attraction on the river known nationwide, right here in the Capital City. The pitch concluded with, “Baton Rouge is changing. Baton Rouge is Soundsenergetic.”wonderful, yes? Unfortunately, not to the voters of East Baton Rouge Parish, who not once but twice rejected the boldManyplan.complained that down town, undergoing its renaissance, was already getting too much love. Others were OK approving taxes for local roads and bridges, but not for game-changing, transfor mative projects that would not only boost the economy but also be an incredible asset for our chil dren and Instead,grandchildren.we’retheones cram ming the family into a car or plane and spending thousands of dollars to experience something like this in another city. Our parochialism and lack of vi sion also meant we missed out on the economic benefits of growing tourism and upgrading our down town community living room. Why dream big when we can be content relying on govern ment jobs and those tied to the petrochemical section (which are shrinking)? We chose to embrace the status quo, believing the world will never change and we’re just fine being average. An economic analysis of the ALIVE project done in 2008 by Wade Ragas and Jim Richardson concluded that there would be millions of dollars in new tax col lections and investments as well as $375 million in earnings along with 1,000 construction jobs by 2016. By 2021—last year—the pro jected all-in count was 22,000 jobs created.Thepresentation for ALIVE stressed creating a learning envi ronment using virtual reality and 4D film. It would have added to our quality of life using the latest design and technology. But, again, the enabling bond issue lost—not once, but twice. It came within 3,071 votes of pass ing, with 72% turnout, in 2008, but a second passage attempt a year later got trounced 64%-36%. What a shame and missed op portunity for our region. A video presentation touting the project declared, “Baton Rouge is

ROLFE MCCOLLISTER JR.

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Lastly, is the fatal mistake of any person who does not have the knowledge of the nature and attributes of the three most holy and beautiful people in the universe—the Father, the Son and the Spirit, who are all Holy. Two books that will bring you into knowledge of the Holy One are two classics: Knowing God, by J.I. Packer, and Knowledge of the Holy, by A.W. Tozer. Beloved, seek understanding, learn wisdom and possess knowledge of the Holy One!

REFLECTIONS

—Jeff Mitchell, Retired COL and Army Chaplain

STUPIDITYDEFINED

ALIVE was going to be built on the river side of the levee on the bat ture near the state Capitol. It was described as “an inter active adventure; a celebration of Louisiana culture; an explora tion of places around the world where great rivers meet the sea.”

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VIEWPOINT MATTER OF PERSPECTIVE RENDERINGCOURTESYOFBRAF PHOTOFILE (Continued from page 144) The Water InstituteDowntown festival The Lakes Project MUELLERTIM 146 BUSINESS REPORT, September 2022 | BusinessReport.com

IWhy?love Baton Rouge and my par ents and family have invested our lives here. We have many capital assets, and many wonderful and hardworking people. But our community must have aspirational goals for the future. The world is changing fast. We must build on our wins:

• Downtown renaissance. We have many to thank here, too, in cluding the late Davis Rhorer, John Davies and Mark Drennen. And if there were a new Mr. Downtown it would be Mike Wampold who has four office towers and a first-class hotel, the Watermark, shaping our skyline. He has embraced change, innovated and invested big in Baton Rouge.

OTHER EXAMPLES

• Water Institute of the Gulf and Water Campus. Many can be thanked for this effort and the critical work so many tal ented people are doing to benefit Louisiana, the nation and others around the globe. Tying into re search at LSU enables us to stand out. And I count the iconic build ing on the old rusting “City Dock” as a wish come true for me after so many years of complaining of this eyesore at the entrance to our city on Interstate 10.

We have had some wins in the past 40. We have had big misses that could have brought us more wins. Looking at my wish list, some are projects or ideas that I’ve repeated over and over and still have not become reality. Perhaps some of my ideas aren’t for every one, but they seem like such a big deal to me. In fact, most would be routine in other cities. But here in my good ol’ hometown it’s like moving a mountain.

• A safe city. Without this, much of the rest doesn’t matter.

Gaebler, a professional city man ager, went on to author the inter national bestseller Reinventing Government. Baton Rouge needs to reinvent its government.

I know we can look back with 20/20 hindsight and see missed opportunities. And I wonder what Baton Rouge would be today had we made different choices and taken the risk to be bold in our thinking?Hereare a few wishes for our future:

• A city manager and at-large council seats. What if Mayor Tom Ed McHugh in 1988 had hired Ted Gaebler as city manager to change the way our city operated and become more innovative?

• An all-charter/magnet school system. What if we had chosen to embrace charter schools in 2003 and allow KIPP Academy into our community to help the under served children trapped in fail ing schools for the last 20 years? Where would those children be today?Orwhat if we had supported the effort in the Legislature to es tablish an independent school district in southeast Baton Rouge like the one in Baker, Zachary and Central? Would there be a city of St. George approved by the vot ers and the resulting lawsuit by Sharon Weston Broome and oth ers to stop it?

• The Lakes Project. This is just getting underway, but it is finally happening. And the finished proj ect will be beautiful and a tremen dous asset for our community to enjoy. This has been a long time goal of BRAF (Davies and John Spain) and happened with the collaboration of LSU, the state, city-parish government, BREC and others.

• Pennington Biomedical Research Center. Thank you Doc Pennington for such a generous gift to LSU. That’s not to say LSU has always been a good steward, but it is a world-class facility and now has world-class talent. I be lieve it is a gem and positioned to be known worldwide for the re search and benefits it can provide.

WISHES FOR THE FUTURE

on the brink of greatness awaiting the spark that will ignite. ALIVE … an experience like no other.” Well, our children may never know that experience. That “spark” never came and 14 years later it seems we are still on the brink and waiting.Isittoo late to come alive? I contacted an expert who said, “Definitely doable. Many similar projects have had a major impact on rebranding cities both eco nomically and quality of life.” Does Baton Rouge need a re branding? Are we content being known simply as “Louisiana’s state capital?”Itissad for me to read the CityStats survey that shows a ma jority of parents encourage their children to move away to seek other opportunity. I am blessed that my children and grandchil dren live here and provide such joy for my wife, Teeta, and me. But that isn’t the case for many of you—and it could happen more often in the future. We must turn it around if we want the talent to compete and our businesses to thrive. ALIVE would take our mayor, Metro Council, legislators, BRAF, BRAC, LED, Visit BR and DDD working together. It’s time to come ALIVE, redeem past mistakes, think big and rally our community for our future—finally.

• A clean city. It doesn’t seem that hard. We all must commit.

• A true City Park. Not one with a dusty and hard-turf nine-hole golf course running through it, but one reimagined that ties in with a beautiful new lake system, Knock Knock Children’s Museum, BR Gallery and Cane’s dog park. So many possibilities for this spa cious green space in the heart of Baton Rouge.

• Synchronized traffic sig nals. For decades it has been dis cussed—and was part of the failed 2009 bond issue that included ALIVE—but remains nonexistent in much of the parish. The tech nology has been available for de cades. What’s the problem? You probably have your own wish list for the future of our com munity. We have to dream—and then make it happen. THANK YOU FOR 40 YEARS! This 40-year journey is one I hold near and dear for the mem ories and many valuable relation ships. One of joy and making a difference in my hometown and state.God has blessed me and my family to work with so many tal ented people in our company and in our state to make things a lit tle better. I couldn’t have made it without Teeta by my side as well as my girls, Jeanne and Elizabeth. I had great role models in my dad and mom. And good mentors in friends Buddy Roemer and Milton Womack. And what great partners in Julio and Sherry Melara. There are so many to thank for getting to this milestone. It took teamwork—dedicated team mates and clients, loyal readers and friends. I’m proud to be on Baton Rouge’s team. Thank you all for your support and the special memories.

• A collaborative ecosystem for entrepreneurs to start and thrive.

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The details: Ideal candidates will be self-driven, not easily prone to frustration and willing to take a long-term view. Working in Baton Rouge isn’t a requirement, but you gotta live here.You’ll be constantly told the people are incredibly friendly, but don’t expect to be embraced or welcomed because 1) you are not from here and/or 2) your job title isn’t worthy of respect from the powerYourelite.salary will be consider ably lower than your big-city peers but don’t fret because the cost of living here is much lower—if you don’t factor in an assortment of mandatory—and ever-esca lating—fees or have school-age children.Those clouds billowing from petrochemical plants aren’t haz ardous, that’s just “water vapor” (trustThere’sus). a strong community of entrepreneurs but the sup porting ecosystem is just ripe for improvement.You’vebeen told that working in a city like Houston is crucial for rapid advancement and a C-suite office at a major corporation, but who says joy can’t be found here as a middle manager or by run ning a midsized company? Or, if you’re so brilliant, start a company here, build it into a huge success and then open a corporate head quarters in Dallas or Atlanta to hire those slacker C-suite folks un willing to do it the hard way.

Getting the cool kids to eat at our table

The benefits: There’s fun to be had here, but we like to keep all the interesting stuff a secret. Just 90 minutes from New Orleans, and a mere four hours from some of the best beaches in the country.Localentities might not do business with you, but clients out side of the state will love your tal ent, services and low prices.

There’s a lot of health care fa cilities in the region, which is nice since there’s a lot of unhealthy people.Ifa fan of fixer-uppers with huge ROI upside, then this is the place for you. To apply: No need. Just show up.

Intrigued by the concept of be ing a big fish in a small pond? Interested in taking your own Rebecca Bunch (Crazy ExGirlfriend) adventure by ditching that high-paying, big-city job and searching for true happiness— and love—in a midsized town? Entering your “what the hell” era?

HAM MON D, LA RUBIO HOSPITALITY SISENORTAQUERIA.COMONETHIRTEENRESTAURANT.COMCARRETARESTAURANT.COMSTREETSIDEMARKET.COMGROUPSALTYJOESBBQ.COM

The goal: Create a super Gucci Baton Rouge by convincing edu cated and creative dope types to move here in semi-large numbers.

Young, ProfessionalsEducatedWanted

Requirements: Must be be tween the ages of 25 and 35 with at least one professional degree— preferably in a STEM field—and a desire to either solve a significant problem, create a must-have product or simply be willing to live here.Other acceptable forms of ex perience: artists who create some thing besides swamp scenes or blue dogs; makers of movies or TV shows (like Yellowstone) that peo ple actually watch; or musicians, any genre is fine but preferably singers not requiring auto-tune but leading a crazy enough life to attract national attention (think Britney Spears but, again, without the auto-tune).Mustbewilling to think outside the box and be an ear ly-adopterBonustype.points for being a fre quent social media content cre ator with enough followers so that your posts on the fabulousness of Baton Rouge go viral. Must be willing to replace the letter “o” (or any combination of letters that sound like “oh,” such as “ough”) with “eaux.”

VIEWPOINT RANDOM THOUGHTS

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FOR THE BETTER part of 20-plus years the siren song of Baton Rouge has been our desire for young, ed ucated professionals to make this place their live-work-play destina tion of choice. The most influential among us—mostly old, white guys—have traveled from sea (Portland) to shining sea (Richmond) in search of the secret sauce that lures the cool kids to our lunch table. They got weird in Austin, and later bewildered in Nashville when former Mayor Kip Holden and Stephen Moret, then head of BRAC, hopped on stage to kara oke their way through “Ebony and Ivory.”Our quest to land the star quar terbacks and head cheerleaders of the knowledge-based world has taken us to such places as RaleighDurham, Pittsburgh, Louisville, Cincinnati, Tampa/Orlando and Phoenix/Tucson.We’verecitedthe Memphis Manifesto. Declared ourselves the “next great American city.” Gone chumming with parties and TEDx talks. We’ve done all that—and more—and yet Baton Rouge and the Capital Region remains “cre ative class” deficient. These tatted and pierced wun derkinds who create wealth by breaking paradigms—or creating TikTok videos—remain our great white whale. They and their VC cohort are swimming in the blue ocean while we’re trolling blissfully clueless in the red. Adding insult to our “Jiggle Jiggle” memes, the best and brightest of our most desired gen eration have this nasty habit of getting the hell out of Red Stick once TOPS is done funding their college education. Which explains why TOPS is really an acronym for the Texas Opportunity Program for Students.Let’sface it, nothing seems to be working. So why not spill the tea and see if that attracts any CVs?

Downtown skyline from library balcony.

WHEN I WAS a student reporter for the LSU Daily Reveille in the late 1980s, I used to cover meetings of the Louisiana Board of Regents in a downtown building on Third Street, then called Riverside Drive.

Fortunately, people who did un derstand redevelopment and the planning that goes into it already had downtown in their sights. In the decades that followed, I watched and, later, wrote in these pages about the revitalization of the city’s central business dis trict—an imperfect process that has occurred in fits and starts but one that, on balance, has proven hugely successful. Other parts of the Capital City also have been developed or redeveloped over the past few decades, bringing new life to aging or underutilized areas. (Mid City, Rouzan and the Health District spring to mind). But downtown is par ticularly instructive because it shows what can happen when intentional planning intersects with public and private invest ment to make a community better for everyone.

To be fair, the fault does not lie exclusively with Baton Rouge, its people, or its leaders. Many of Baton Rouge’s problems are state wide in nature, rooted in decades of intergenerational poverty, dis investment in education, health care and social safety net pro grams, and a tax system that is not only regressive but generously bequeaths exemptions to corpo rations at the expense of local gov ernments that rely on property tax dollars to fund basic services. Throw in a culture that still winks at political corruption—at least, one could draw that con clusion from the recent spate of headlines about the fourth wife of the late Gov. Edwin Edwards— add in two years of a pandemic and mix it altogether with backto-back hurricane seasons that wreaked havoc on the state’s coastline.Givenall that, Baton Rouge isn’t doing so bad. But locally, there’s a lot more we could be doing to invest in programs and places within the city-parish that remain over looked. While we have focused at tention on downtown, the lakes, levee bike paths, and the Health District, we continue to ignore blight-ridden areas in Old South and north Baton Rouge.

As I’d walk past the vacant build ings on the once-thriving retail strip, I’d dream about fixing up one of the historic storefronts and turn ing it into a bistro or coffee shop. I had little money to invest in such a venture and even less knowledge of historic renovations or commer cial real estate, so my pipe dream remained just that.

MUELLERTIM 150 BUSINESS REPORT, September 2022 | BusinessReport.com

What about Build Baton Rouge, formerly the East Baton Rouge Redevelopment Authority? I know it has struggled in its now 12-year existence to find a permanent source of funding. But what, be sides a few plans, has it actually redeveloped? More than a de cade ago, the city-parish trans ferred title of 100 tax-adjudicated properties to the agency. Some of those lots have since been re turned to commerce, but not all. Even if they had, the city-parish still counts some 6,000 tax-adju dicated properties on its books. (Admittedly, blighted and tax-ad judicated properties are not the same thing, but there is consider able overlap between the two, so the number is a useful estimate.) Public safety is a growing prob lem, along with trash and litter, and the police union continues to fight with the chief and ad ministration. It’s a feud that has been going on for too long and it hampers BRPD efforts to get stuff done. Meanwhile, proponents of St. George are still fighting in court to create what would be a sepa rate, mostly white, upper-mid dle-class city in south EBR. In New Orleans, fed up with its own problems, the business community recently created a bi partisan coalition of some 200 businesses, nonprofit organi zations, civic associations and churches to solve common prob lems. The NOLA Coalition, as it’s called, includes truly diverse groups that have banded together to demand improvements to pub lic safety. But it’s not just threat ening or pointing fingers. The coalition has pledged $15 million for youth services. It’s actually doing something to attack the problem at its roots. It’s too soon to say whether the coalition will stick together and continue to flex its collec tive muscle to help reverse the city’s dangerous downward spiral. But it’s encouraging to see bipartisan, biracial unity around the things that matter most.It’sa model that local busi ness leaders might want to consider replicating. Baton Rouge has come so far. But its sights for the future should be set on doing better.

Why, given all the positive things that have happened here in recent decades, does it feel like things are moving in the wrong direction?

I would like to think Baton Rouge will continue to see the fruits of that kind of collabora tion, creativity and public-pri vate partnership over the next 30 or 40 years. But I’m not so sure it will. Like all of south Louisiana, the Capital City is blessed with many natural resources, a rich history and a diverse culture. Yet it continues to be plagued by poverty, provincialism and shortsightedness.WhenImovedto Baton Rouge from New Orleans 17 years ago in the wake of Hurricane Katrina with my then-young family, this city was cleaner, safer and higher functioning than New Orleans, which, at the time, was still par tially underwater and not func tioning at all. Today, Baton Rouge is still cleaner, safer and higher functioning than the Crescent City. But it’s also a lot dirtier, more dangerous and more dysfunc tional than it was in 2005, which is what concerns me.

One of the first stories I wrote for Business Report in 2006 was about the challenges of clearing title to adjudicated properties so they can be redeveloped. I under stand it’s a complex, complicated problem. But have we made any substantive progress toward ad dressing it?

Revitalization must extend beyond downtown

VIEWPOINT THE BIG PICTURE

Stephanie Riegel is a former editor and longtime columnist with the Business Report

STEPHANIE RIEGEL

PARISH LIBRARY

Dynamic, technologically advanced facilities with innovation and maker spaces. A new South branch almost ready for construction and renovations planned for Baker and Scotlandville branches. Increased technological services. Expanded online Digital Library offerings. More meeting spaces. Career Center employment assistance and workforce training and skills development – even with augmented and virtual reality! Small Business Services. And more online classes and databases than ever. The East Baton Rouge Parish Library not only offers 14 convenient locations open 7 days a week, but also inspiring spaces for personal discovery, community meetings and access to free programs, services, and resources all year. The nationally acclaimed East Baton Rouge Parish Library continues to increase services for the community. Our resources deliver up-to-date training and new tech initiatives so local employment needs are met at a level that helps them grow and compete globally. And the best part about it is – it’s FREE. As we continue to expand our workforce development and emerging technology offerings, the Library also diligently strives to assist in the forward momentum of the city’s development. We will continue responding to your needs to build capacity and work toward growth and development. Check us out at ebrpl.com.

83 YEARS 7711 GOODWOOD BLVD. 225.231.3750 EBRPL.COM EAST BATON ROUGE

SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION 152 BUSINESS REPORT, September 2022 | BusinessReport.com

The award-winning River Center Branch Library at the corner of North Boulevard and St. Louis Street Patrons can enjoy inspiring spaces for personal discovery. The library offers more online classes and databases than ever before. Entrepreneurs and businesses can arrange a consultation with a business librarian to see what the library can do for you. SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION 153Daily-Report.com | BUSINESS REPORT, September 2022

Carter Leak III Carter Leak IV

In 2023 we will celebrate our 45th year serving our community. We’ve supported local businesses, watched families grow and welcomed new residents. Our goal has always been to help friends and neighbors prosper and make informed business and personal banking decisions. With Baton Rouge-based businesses increasingly seeking concierge-style banking as well as many years of steady growth in the region, we are opening our first Baton Rouge branch this fall on Highland Road. Market President Douglas Dupont strives to replicate the culture and the overall experience that has made Bank of St. Francisville a cornerstone in the West Feliciana business community.

Conville Lemoine Douglas Dupont

SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION 154 BUSINESS REPORT, September 2022 | BusinessReport.com

This means building banking relationships that are rooted in accessibility, flexibility, and attention to detail. Dupont describes his approach as banking the person behind the deal. He explains, “We want to establish real relationships with our customers. That’s what community banking is all about.” Our dedicated team has helped us build a solid reputation for service and respect in West Feliciana, Baton Rouge and beyond. We’re a relationship bank characterized by familiar faces and friendly folks ready to answer any of your questions, take care of your statements, open an account, or find the right banking solutions.

BANK OF ST. FRANCISVILLE

44 YEARS 5700 COMMERCE STREET, ST. FRANCISVILLE 225.635.6397 BSF.NET

Daily bus service is also provided so that transportation is not a barrier to care. It is our plan to expand our model to other markets in hopes of servicing more children, creating meaningful community partnerships, and continuing to be an open door to future RNs, LPNs and other therapeutic professionals. We also hope to create more hands-on learning experiences, in a clinical environment, for those who are interested in caring for this very special and much-needed patient population.

In Loving Arms Pediatric Day Health Center has positively impacted the Baton Rouge community by providing a “home” for chronically ill medically fragile children. Our unique approach to health care allows these children the opportunity to play, learn and grow in a loving therapeutic environment. Under the care of our nursing, therapy and early education team, children are able to be children.

IN LOVING ARMSHEALTH CARE FOR KIDS SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION 155Daily-Report.com | BUSINESS REPORT, September 2022

Renita Thomas,WilliamsMSN,RN

10 YEARS 2315 HARDING BOULEVARD 225.359.9777 INLOVINGARMSKIDS.COM

OUR LADY OF THE LAKE HEALTH SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION 156 BUSINESS REPORT, September 2022 | BusinessReport.com

Our Lady of the Lake Health has proudly served the Baton Rouge community for nearly 100 years. Beginning as a small hospital run by the Franciscan Missionaries of Our Lady, Our Lady of the Lake grew under the Franciscan Missionaries of Our Lady Health System to become a staple for healthcare in the Baton Rouge area. Our Lady of the Lake now consists of five medical facilities and over 100 clinics providing quality care in the greater Baton Rouge region. Our Lady of the Lake Regional Medical Center, on Hennessy Boulevard off Essen Lane, is the main hub to many invaluable community services and providers. Our Lady of the Lake’s nine-story, 330,000-square-foot Heart & Vascular Institute brings the highest level of cardiovascular care to Baton Rouge and the south Louisiana region in a single, healing environment. Our Lady of the Lake Cancer Institute has been the region’s leading cancer center designation for decades bringing advancements to prevention and treatment.

99 YEARS 5000 HENNESSEY BLVD. 225.765.6565 OLOLRMC.COM

The Capital Region is also home to Our Lady of the Lake Children’s Hospital, which opened its doors in 2019 to provide the best and most comprehensive pediatric care. Additionally, residents can find high-quality primary care with Our Lady of the Lake Physician Group and Our Lady of the Lake Children’s Health clinics located throughout theNoregion.matter who you are or what you need, Our Lady of the Lake is here to listen to your health story and provide the care you deserve.

ROUGE 225.763.6489 AMBROSIABAKERY.COM THE AMBROSIA BAKERY Felix & Cheryl Sherman SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION 157Daily-Report.com | BUSINESS REPORT, September 2022

New Orleans natives Felix and Cheryl Sherman opened The Ambrosia Bakery on December 1, 1993.Early in life, Felix got his start as a delivery route truck driver and worked his way up to branch manager, where he learned to successfully lead a team of people. Cheryl began decorating cakes in the 1980s. After losing his job of 27 years in a company merger, Felix decided to start a business to provide beautiful cakes and delicious desserts to the people of Baton Rouge. After 26 years, Felix and Cheryl retired and passed the business onto their boys: Felix Jr., David and Michael. It has been a challenge to work though the pandemic; however, we have put together an incredible team of leaders.

Our team is what makes the difference. Working tirelessly behind the scenes to make the magic happen are Lynette Sherman, HR; Production Manager Brandy Cook; Chi Phung, BOH GM; our head baker, Logan Sherman; our fresh strawberry manager, Lynn Phung; and Lead Decorator Katlyn Graham. But they are just a few leaders of the average 65 employees we have here at The Ambrosia Bakery. The tremendous support of wonderful customers here in Baton Rouge has kept us energized and inspired to continue to create special birthday, wedding and anniversary, baby cakes and just that one item that makes everyone just feel special! Our hopes are to continue to leave a legacy of what Felix and Cheryl began those many years ago in the Baton Rouge area. 28 YEARS 8546 SIEGEN LANE, BATON

BREC currently has 175 parks with a unique mix of facilities which mirror the rich history and natural resources in the region, including a state-of-the-art children’s museum, swamp nature center, historic home, high-tech observatory, performing arts theatre, equestrian park, art gallery, arboretum and botanical gardens, zoo, six golf courses and an extreme sports park with a 30,000foot concrete skate park, rock-climbing wall, BMX track and velodrome.

Created in 1946 as a political subdivision of the state of Louisiana, BREC has spent the past 75 years purchasing land and developing parks and facilities to improve the health, environment and quality of life for all residents. The organization was among the first park agencies in the nation to achieve accreditation and recently earned reaccreditation for an unprecedented sixth time meeting 150 out of 151 standards. Through the National Recreation and Parks Association (NRPA), BREC is a two-time National Gold Medal winner and 17-time finalist, competing in the large park district category against cities like Chicago and Cleveland.

BREC is the agency that connects people to parks and nature in East Baton Rouge Parish.

BREC

OF BATON ROUGE SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION 158 BUSINESS REPORT, September 2022 | BusinessReport.com

75 YEARS 6201 FLORIDA BOULEVARD 225. 272.9200 BREC.ORG/75YEARS

Since the community approved a tax to fund the Imagine Your Parks strategic plan in 2004, BREC has constructed twelve community parks, five dog parks, a family-sized Aquatics Center, a growing trails system, two new conservation parks, the first surfing simulator in the state and procured two mobile recreation units to serve play deserts in the area. The combination of new and renovated facilities, innovative programming and careful attention to community needs are what makes BREC more than a playground.“ItisBREC’s mission to contribute to a healthier, more vibrant community by providing exceptional parks, open spaces and recreational experiences for all of East Baton Rouge Parish,” BREC Superintendent Corey K. Wilson says. “I believe parks are the solution to almost everything as they bring diverse people together, make communities safer, provide protection against flooding, attract young professionals and contribute to economic development. We are excited about all of the transformational projects underway right now as we work to make BREC the best park system in the nation and Baton Rouge a better place to live, work and play.”

The 75thteamadministrativeBRECcelebratestheagency’sanniversary.

120 YEARS 5321 CORPORATE BOULEVARD 225.926.1000 LAMAR.COM

Currently, approximately 380 Lamar employees call Baton Rouge home. We are routinely involved in initiatives to give back to the community. During the Covid pandemic, we partnered with LSU to convert billboard material into critically needed personal protective equipment (PPE) for Louisiana healthcare workers. We frequently allocate space on our local digital billboard network to help authorities keep Baton Rouge residents apprised of time-sensitive information related to weather or emergencies. We also donate space to local charitable organizations to help them spread their message and sponsor several events around town. This year, we are proud to be celebrating 120 years of leadership in the Out of Home industry and the community of Baton Rouge. We live by the Golden Rule, and we operate with honesty and integrity in every aspect of our business. We are open with our employees, transparent with our customers and loyal to the communities in which we serve. We strive to leave every place better than the way we found it.

LAMAR ADVERTISING COMPANY SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION 159Daily-Report.com | BUSINESS REPORT, September 2022

Today, we are one of the largest outdoor advertising companies in the world, with over 356,000 displays across the U.S. and Canada, as well as the largest U.S. network of digital billboards with over 4,100 displays.

Since Lamar’s founding in 1902, our company has strived to have a profound impact on the local Baton Rouge community. We have maintained our headquarters in the city since the Reilly family moved here in 1926, even as we grew to become a Fortune 1000 company.

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Husband and father of five children.

Orthopedic surgeon. Medical missionary to Colombia, Haiti, Mexico, Honduras and Africa. Entrepreneur. Former commander in the U.S. Navy Reserves. Founder of the Dr. Greene Foundation, which provides disaster aid throughout the world. Louisiana Public Service Commissioner.Thosearejust some of the ways that Dr. Craig Greene, who holds an MBA from Yale University, has served and made an impact in the Baton Rouge community andThere’sbeyond.amantra that Dr. Greene lives by and teaches his children: “Don’t just make a living. Make a difference.” His life of service, he shares, is the key to his happiness. Dr. Greene has a thriving practice with the Baton Rouge

Orthopaedic Clinic, improving the quality of life for people of all ages. He has also performed dozens of surgeries on medical mission trips, and in 2010 helped organize a medical mission trip to Haiti to aid earthquake victims. His foundation continues that work. His passion for public service has only grown after his election to the Louisiana Public Service Commission, where he advocates for safe, adequate and reliable service from regulated utility providers. He has served his country through the U.S. Navy Reserves, both in a leadership role and providing orthopedic care. “Scripture says it’s better to give than to receive, and I know from experience that this is true,” he says. “If I see a situation where I can be of help, then I want to do my part.”

17 YEARS 8080 BLUEBONNET BLVD., STE. 1000 225.408.7852 CRAIGGREENEMD.COM

Peterbilt of Louisiana started in Baton Rouge 37 years ago with only 20 employees. It has since grown to an award-winning resource for trucking companies, with six locations and 115 employees across South Louisiana. Our growth can be credited to a tremendous team that believes in providing exceptional customer service.

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37 YEARS 16310 COMMERCIAL AVENUE 225.273.8300 PETERBILTTRKLA.COM

Peterbilt employees are emphatic in our mission to be a premium brand and to back up the “Class Pays” tagline that accompanies the iconic red oval, meaning every detail counts. We are fortunate to live and work in great communities. We know that our success wouldn’t be possible without support from our neighbors, so we take pride in giving back at every opportunity, creating strong partnerships and making a difference together.

Finally, we congratulate the Baton Rouge Business Report on its 40 years of success. We join you in looking forward to another 40 noteworthy and newsworthy years!

For over 50 years, Brown Eagle has been a leading local provider of supply chain solutions, logistics labor, and warehousing services to the chemical industry and beverage manufacturers across the Gulf South.

54 YEARS 7808 AIRLINE HIGHWAY 225.769.1111 BROWNEAGLE.COM BROWN EAGLE SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION 162 BUSINESS REPORT, September 2022 | BusinessReport.com

We are grateful for the opportunity to serve the Baton Rouge community through our partnerships with the Northwestern State University Foundation (NSUF) , Rotary Club of Baton Rouge, Tiger Athletic Foundation (TAF), Volunteers in Public Schools (VIPS), Baton Rouge Area Chamber (BRAC), Louisiana Chemical Industry Alliance (LCIA), Louisiana Manufacturers PAC (LAMP) and the Baton Rouge Industrial Group (BRIG).

Led by CEO Lela Mae Wilkes (pictured above), Brown Eagle has grown into one of the largest woman-owned businesses (WBEs) in the capital region. We want to thank our client partners in the chemical industry and the Baton Rouge community. It is a joy and a privilege to work with your organizations’ talented and dedicated professionals every day.

Executive Director Hasan Suzuk

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13 YEARS 7600 BOONE AVENUE, BATON ROUGE 225.766.8111 KENILWORTHSCHOOL.ORG K

Our mission is to create a safe, healthy, and studentcentered learning environment that cultivates the knowledge, skills, and competence in Computer Science necessary for academic excellence, STEM careers, and character development. Our vision is to prepare students for high school, college, and competitive career opportunities through an innovative approach, Computer Science education for all, and a challenging STEM-focused curriculum with the goal of empowering students to become productive and responsible citizens.

enilworth Science and Technology School is a sixth- through eighth-grade middle school in Baton Rouge, Louisiana that will be expanding to include grades kindergarten through eighth grade in August 2023. It is a leader in STEM education for middle schoolers in the capital city region and will build on its rigorous program with the new facility. The new K-8 will offer a new state-of-the-art facility and expand to include a comprehensive computer science program for all students. Students at Kenilworth take classes ranging from Lego robotics, aquaponics, art, foreign language, and more. They go on to compete in local, national, and even international science competitions. Not only do Kenilworth’s students have opportunities outside of core classes, but academically they have experienced extensive growth.

In the school’s most recent official state data, the mastery percentage from sixth grade (10.8%) doubled in eighth grade (20%). Kenilworth is not just a leader in STEM education, but exponentially advances the students who walk through their doors.

The Dunham School has proudly served Baton Rouge for more than 40 years. Founded in 1981 with a mission to educate minds and hearts for Christ through a college preparatory program grounded in biblical truth, the school has experienced tremendous growth over the past four decades. Today, Dunham is recognized not only as a leader in Christian education, but also as one of the most innovative and technological advanced schools in the country. Thanks to a longtime partnership with Apple, Dunham students have access to the latest technology as well as opportunities to engage in design thinking, coding, and engineering through the school’s robust STEM curriculum.

Middle School Head Mary Theriot, Head of School Steve Eagleton, Upper School Head Amanda McIlwain, and Lower School Head Deedra LaPlace

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Prospective families are invited to attend an Open House on Friday, October 21, at 8:15 am.

The Harkness Method, a unique discussion-based pedagogy, allows future leaders find their voices, respectfully share opinions, and become effective communicators.Whiletheimmediate impact of a Dunham education is experienced daily by the students who receive personalized attention and instruction as the school works in partnership with parents to deliver the faithbased education they desire for their children, perhaps the greater impact can be seen in lives of more than 2,000 alumni who lead and serve in Baton Rouge and many other communities across the country and abroad.

41 YEARS 11111 ROY EMERSON DRIVE 225.767.7097 DUNHAMSCHOOL.ORG

Meagan Shields, Dania Tanguis Back: Ann Michael Lagarde, Dustin Dowling, Cheryl Comeaux 40 YEARS 5800 ONE PERKINS PLACE, SUITE 8A 225.766.4885 PETERSWEALTH.COM

Front:

For over 40 years, Peters Wealth Advisors has been helping Baton Rouge area residents, businesses and foundations develop and attain their financial goals. Through our holistic approach, we develop strategic investment plans that reflect our clients’ values, lifestyles, and goals. We work together with our clients to navigate their particular financial situation – from planning for retirement to minimizing taxes, mitigating risks, and optimizing the transfer of wealth to the next generation.

Peters Wealth Advisors is Baton Rouge’s oldest independent, fee-based wealth advisory firm with over $250 million in assets under management. We are recognized throughout the community for our passionate and energetic team and objective investment expertise.

ADVISORY SERVICES OFFERED THROUGH ETHOS FINANCIAL GROUP, LLC, AN SEC REGISTERED INVESTMENT ADVISORY FIRM. SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION

ADVISORS

Peters Wealth Advisors values its personal and professional relationship with each client, which is based on mutual respect, trust, resolve, and accountability to one another.

PETERS WEALTH

3.5 YEARS 509 ST. LOUIS STREET 225.239.5152 GLORESOURCES.COM

In an environment conducive of personnel shortages, GLO has acted as a conduit between desperate Baton Rouge clients and a highly soughtafterWe’veworkforce.provided simple business solutions for what can be interpreted as complex business problems.

GLO provides over 1,000 employees per year to the Greater Baton Rouge Area and has an employee retention rate of GLO92%.plans to add locations in Orlando and Miami, Florida—as well as Jackson, Mississippi—in the next 12 months. Though GLO is growing exponentially in many areas of the country, Baton Rouge will always serve as headquarters. Property is being scouted now to build our new home base. Troullier, Jerith Naquin, Hilary Naquin

GLO has exploited the theory that great employees only want to work for great companies. We’ve formulized the process of customer selection and employee recruitment, while not compromising the value of either. Our company has embodied the power of placing employees before profits. GLO does not sacrifice on this principle, and we strongly believe that happy and invested employees are the first step to all business success.

GLO RESOURCES Brittany

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15 YEARS 7844 JEFFERSON PLACE BLVD., STE. A 225.505.2823 MAURICETRAINING.COM

“The greatest thing managers and leaders can do is help their frontline supervisors and teams become highly productive and effective,” Maurice says. “But this doesn’t just happen. It’s intentional. It takes focus. It takes care.”

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If your leadership team doesn’t collaborate well and your frontliners aren’t as productive as they could be, you as an executive may be frustrated because you’re not seeing the growth your company needs.

The lifelong business owner, executive, and publisher is a leadership and management coach who trains executives, middle managers and frontline supervisors how to rebuild long-lasting alignment, collaboration, and highperformance teams at every level of the organization. Business owners who bring his program into their workplace consider it a great success. “Maurice’s Alignment Model really works!” one Baton Rouge CEO has confided.

“Our leaders and managers step up. Everyone becomes more engaged. Our frontliners become more effective, and we practice it long after Maurice exits the building!”

What differentiates Maurice’s approach from others is his unique style of delivering practical solutions that become powerful habits, and combining it with tailored reinforcement coaching after the training to ensure longlasting results. His program, training, and expertise are accessible through public seminars, onsite training customized for your team, in team coaching, and his online on-demand library at mauricetraining.com.

Maurice Velasquez has helped hundreds of companies throughout the Capital Region face these challenges head on, providing them with effective executive and management tools to turn things around.

R ecognizing theatre as a living reflection of the human imagination and experience, Theatre Baton Rouge serves as the region’s pivotal theatre arts organization, providing year-round cultural, educational and social enrichment. Since 1946, Theatre Baton Rouge has produced and staged over 500 high-quality plays and musicals, most recently our hit productions of Clue and Shrek: The Musical We recently celebrated our 75th season during the height of the pandemic (and just finished our 76th), and while it was challenging, we pivoted and produced many live and virtual productions, bringing joy, hope and much needed connection to our community. Thank you to our community for your unwavering support. We will continue to work hard to serve you for another 76 years! We hope you will join us for our 77th season, beginning this fall. Jenny Ballard 7155 FLORIDA BLVD., BATON ROUGE, LA 70806 225.924.6496

75 YEARS

THEATREBR.ORG THEATRE BATON ROUGE SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION 168 BUSINESS REPORT, September 2022 | BusinessReport.com

Crump

Wilson Architects was born and raised in Baton Rouge. We’ve been in business 44 years. During that time, we’ve been active in a number of community and civic organizations. Today, we are blessed with a terrific team of capable architects, interior designers, production personnel, and administrative personnel. We are currently licensed in 15 states and bring income from those states into the Baton Rouge community. We serve the petrochemical, financial, commercial office, and municipal sectors. A priority of each team member is to help all other team members be all they can be. This core value has enabled us to stay focused on our quest that results in successful project endeavors, satisfied clients, and fulfilled team members. Our future is bright. Plans include a branch office in Southeast Texas and further development of our Georgia office.

44 YEARS 9311 BLUEBONNET BLVD., STE. B 225.387.2307 CRUMPWILSONARCHITECTS.COM

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16 MONTHS 516 MOORE STREET, SUITE 101 225.412.2808 MID-CITYARTISANS.COM

MID-CITY

Maria Harris, George Harris and Matt Beshears

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We strive to educate and encourage young artists, through art classes, camps and our Kids Makers Market, where young creators, ages 6-17 learn entrepreneurial skills and network with other young artists. This is also a great event for beginners to attend and be inspired. Scholarships may be available in conjunction with other organizations. Taught by professional artists, educators, and skilled craftsmen, our art classes enable people of all ages to learn art skills, or attend a group event that includes a fun art experience.OurGallery 46, managed by artist Matt Beshears, provides a unique and artsy venue for business events, and group events. Art shows featuring artists from all over the country are hosted throughout the year. Other special events are held as well. See our website for current events and classes.

ARTISANS

Mid-City

Artisans, the vision of two artisans, George and Maria Harris, is all about promoting art, learning, encouraging people and supporting the community. George is also a board member of the Mid-City Merchants organization. Bringing the work of 170+ Louisiana Artisans to Baton Rouge in a welcoming environment for those looking to purchase artwork for their home or a special handmade gift is our passion. Artisans can apply to join our curated gallery and afford them the opportunity to simply drop off their works and leave the rest to us. This affords them time to work on their craft and other things instead of spending time and effort in doing shows. Our artisans are not restricted to only having work in our gallery.

Since 2006, we have worked in this community and in public schools to lessen the negative effects of social disparities on education and quality of life.

17 YEARS 111 NORTH THIRD STREET, SUITE 100 225.663.4228 CITYYEAR.ORG A

Our AmeriCorps members dedicate a “City Year” or 10 months of uninterrupted service, to mentor and tutor Baton Rouge public school students in hopes to move the needle in education in our community.

Now in our 17th year of service, with 40 AmeriCorps members in four East Baton Rouge Parish schools, City Year Baton Rouge plans to continue to implement its Whole School Whole Child program to over 2,000 students with the goals of improving their attendance, behavior and coursework and helping them to timely matriculate through school.

City Year, we believe that every child can succeed, and that supporting children and young adults contributes to strong, vibrant communities. Yet throughout Baton Rouge, students do not have access to the learning environments and resources they need to thrive, due to systemic inequities that impact students of color and students growing up in low-income households. The lack of access to learning opportunities can lead to inequitable educational, health and economic outcomes.

Every day, City Year is contributing to a clearer and bolder vision of what public schools can and should be for all children: places of learning and joy, exploration and risk-taking, where every student feels safe and connected to the school community; where data is used continuously to help promote student growth and achievement; and where all students have access both to positive developmental relationships with adults and other students as well as personalized learning environments that encourage them to persevere through challenges and build on their strengths.

CITY YEARBATON ROUGE SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION 171Daily-Report.com | BUSINESS REPORT, September 2022

City Year’s mission is to build democracy through citizen service, civic leadership and social entrepreneurship. Together, these essential, interconnected and nonpartisan strategies can serve as the civic foundation for a strong, active and responsive democracy.

Our firm, The Design Studio of Louisiana, is about to embark on our 20th year in business in Baton Rouge. Baton Rouge Business Report has been invaluable through our years, and we are honored and thrilled to help celebrate their 40th Anniversary.

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Owner/Principal Designer Becky Walker

TDSOLA offers expertise in many diverse industries: residential, commercial, multifamily and more. Our experienced and expert staff team members are equipped, skilled and able to provide success in most interior and exterior challenges. As the proud leader of our team, it is just as important to me and I’m very passionate about providing our past, present and future team members a positive, healthy, and enjoyable environment and continued growth opportunities. Alongside our team, we continually hire subcontractors, electricians, carpenters, product suppliers, seamstresses, and delivery and installation groups, among other partners. We want to reflect and engage these external team members in our positive outlook as well. The communities in which we live and work are incredibly important. We believe in giving back and have and continue to be engaged in many uplifting community support programs. With our commitment to our clients, staff and external members and our community, the impact is positive expansion, economic growth and supporting for one another. We look forward to striving for continued success and growing both professionally and personally.

19 YEARS 402 NORTH FOURTH STREET 225.927.2880 TDSOLA.COM

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New Schools for Baton Rouge has brought over a dozen new schools to our community, creating access to high-quality educational options for 10,000+ students and their families. After ten years of dedicated effort, NSBR-affiliated schools are beginning to prove what is possible for historically underserved students in Baton Rouge, Louisiana when we pair choice, autonomy, and accountability with empowered educators. But even after a decade, our work is far from over—more than 15,000 students remain enrolled in failing schools across the Capital Region. NSBR remains dedicated to our work by continuing to break down obstacles fostered by a broken system, ultimately enabling ALL children in Baton Rouge to receive an excellent education that unlocks their unique genius and prepares them for the lives of opportunity they deserve.

10 YEARS 100 LAFAYETTE ST., BATON ROUGE 225.614.4444 NEWSCHOOLSBR.ORG

Commerce

40 YEARS 2051 SILVERSIDE DRIVE, SUITE 160 225.769.8800 COMMERCETITLE.COM andCalvertAttorneysStoneNikiBeeson COMMERCE TITLE

SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION 174 BUSINESS REPORT, September 2022 | BusinessReport.com

OF BATON ROUGE

Commerce Title proudly works to have a progressive company culture resulting in selection as one of the Best Places to Work in Baton Rouge by the Baton Rouge Business Report in 2017, 2019, 2020 and 2021. Happy team members are productive team members! From large, complex commercial transactions to small home equity loans, we’re prepared to handle your closing in an efficient, professional manner. For nearly 40 years our founders have maintained a sharp focus on client relationships that we’re known for in the community.

Title will soon be celebrating 40 years as a full service and ALTA certified real estate settlement services provider in Baton Rouge. Our team of highly specialized real estate professionals conducts between 3,000 and 5,000 commercial and residential transactions per year and has the skills and experience to perform legal, administrative, and organizational work. As the largest and oldest locally owned title company in Baton Rouge with a staff of fifty including eleven attorneys and three offices, we have the capability to handle all real estate needs.

52 YEARS 8555 UNITED PLAZA BOULEVARD, SUITE 202 225.769.0596 GBRIA.ORG Jessica BrandonHimel,Smith,LainePeterson,ConnieFabréandSueLeger

Over 30,000 people have completed craft training at the ABC Craft Training Center, a partnership where industry has sponsored students since 1989, and LCTCS and area high schools have grown education in industrial courses by 100% sinceSince2012.1990, the Alliance Safety Council has provided safety awareness training and today trains over 40,000 local industry personnel per year due to the support provided by GBRIA members.Theeconomic role that industry plays in the Baton Rouge area is huge, with over 60% of all jobs attributable to GBRIA members. GBRIA serves as a resource to local communities and an avenue of communication. GBRIA served as a convener of a multi-industry coalition, which begun in 2018 and helped develop the Industry Makes campaign, where the public can learn more about important facts, and industry supporters have the tools and resources to speak out in support of industry. GBRIA has delivered much value to its members, keeping them globally competitive, and to communities and other stakeholders, helping make them as successful as industry.

SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION 175Daily-Report.com | BUSINESS REPORT, September 2022

GREATER BATON ROUGE

TThe mission of GBRIA is to bring value to our communities by developing innovative solutions to common industry issues advocated with one voice. For over 52 years, industrial plant managers have looked to GBRIA as a focal point to solve some of industry’s greatest challenges in the areas of workforce development, safety best practices and outreach to localThroughcommunities.partnerships with organizations such as the Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC), the Louisiana Community and Technical College System (LCTCS), area high schools, the Alliance Safety Council, and the Baton Rouge Area Chamber, ground-breaking successes have been achieved.Toease worker commute issues, GBRIA and BRAC, have advocated for road expansions and a new bridge by forming CRISIS (Capital Region Industry for Sustainable Infrastructure Solutions). GBRIA and BRAC also brought together local tech providers and industry with the TEC Next Conference, which began at the request of members in 2019.

INDUSTRY ALLIANCE

Over the past five to six years, there have been several weather events that have really brought GRS to the next level. From the Great Flood of 2016 to Hurricane Laura and Hurricane Ida, we have the experience and expertise to handle any size loss from water, fire, mold, or any other property damage emergency. As we look to the future and the next 10 years, we anticipate adding three to five new facilities. These areas include Shreveport, Louisiana; Lake Charles, Louisiana; Pensacola, Florida; and Mobile, Alabama. Our team looks forward to serving our communities and its people for many years to come.

48 YEARS 16248 PERKINS ROAD 225.753.8682 GUARANTEERESTORATION.COM

GUARANTEE RESTORATION SERVICES SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION 176 BUSINESS REPORT, September 2022 | BusinessReport.com

Since 1974, Guarantee Restoration Services has served the Greater Baton Rouge community. Initially, we began as a carpet cleaning business and evolved throughout the 1980s and 1990s to be able to better serve the city’s needs by focusing more on fire and water damage restoration. This impact starts with our employees and building our team. Our company has grown through adapting, advancing and continuing education. We pride ourselves on the company culture that we have cultivated. As we have focused on professional growth, we have also grown as a company. Today, we have five strategically located offices in Baton Rouge, New Orleans, Lafayette, and Jackson and Gulfport, Mississippi.

Legacy

Angela’s personal experience fuels her passion to design comprehensive estate plans that best protect you and your loved ones now and continuing that protection for your loved ones after you are gone. Angela has assembled a team of trusted attorneys and staff whose mission is to bring estate planning into the 21st

1 YEAR 324 EAST WORTHEY STREET, GONZALES 225.396.5179 LEGACYLAWOFLA.COM

century by utilizing technology to better assist their clients and fit their individual lifestyle and needs. We can help you make the process simple and seamless. Creating your Estate Plan and winding up an estate after the loss of a loved one can all be taken care of in the comfort of your home. We offer exclusive services such as: a mobile notary, online portals, and affordable payment plans, if needed. We empower greatness by helping you preserve and protect all you possess, reduce stress, and save money on taxes. Take charge of your legacy!

SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION 177Daily-Report.com | BUSINESS REPORT, September 2022

OF LOUISIANA

Law of Louisiana was created by Angela Decoteau after a poorly designed estate plan caused great confusion and hard feelings following her grandfather’s death. The ensuing chaos continues to negatively affect her family today. This tragedy has driven her to make a difference.

Olivia Mahan, BDR; Angela Decoteau, Founder & Attorney; Madeline Bailey, Attorney; Dan Cullen, Attorney LAW

LEGACY

31 YEARS 15961 AIRLINE HIGHWAY 225.756.5090 MMRGRP.COM

Founder James B. “Pepper” Rutland MMR

SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION 178 BUSINESS REPORT, September 2022 | BusinessReport.com

t MMR, we believe that no matter how much you achieve, you should never forget where youWhatstarted.began as a single office in Louisiana’s capital is now the largest privately-owned electrical and instrumentation company in the nation. MMR proudly maintains its principal operations in Baton Rouge, providing over 5,000 jobs and performing $9 billion in industrial infrastructure projects since inception. Our services meet the diverse needs of clients in the chemical and petrochemical, oil and gas, industrial manufacturing, power generation, power development and mission critical construction markets. We contribute to the communities we call home, supporting programs that enhance the lives of our employees and the community at large. MMR has sustained a corporate partnership with Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center since 2018, advancing cancer care and education in Louisiana and Mississippi. We also actively prepare the next generation of leaders for future success by providing education, training and support to localMMRstudents.proudly supports the LSU College of Engineering by providing mentorship opportunities and resources for construction and engineering students. Our establishment of the Building Simulation and Information Modeling Construction Management Studio and Advanced Materials and Methods Laboratory grants students access to innovative virtual reality software to build models andMMRdesigns.ispassionate about people, upholding the same traditions and principles that have shaped our company and endeavoring to make a lasting impact on the Greater Baton Rouge community. We’ve come a long way, and yet, we’re only getting started. For more information about MMR, visit mmrgrp.com

FISHMANHAYGOOD.COM FISHMAN HAYGOOD LA-22-13812 SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION 179Daily-Report.com | BUSINESS REPORT, September 2022

From left to right, partners Quinn Jr., Charles Landry and Scott Chenevert 225.706.4040

Congratulations, Business Report, on forty years of impacting the community by providing the Baton Rouge business sector with leading industry news, insights, and profiles.

Fishman Haygood, LLP provides innovative solutions to the businesses, organizations, people, and places that form the backbone of commerce on the Gulf Coast. Our attorneys advise a variety of commercial and government clients—including large, national and international businesses as well as smaller, entrepreneurial enterprises— across a broad range of practice areas. At the firm’s Baton Rouge office, partners Charles Landry, Louie Quinn, and Scott Chenevert find themselves in the heart of Louisiana’s economic expansion. Resources like the Greater Baton Rouge Business Report offer not only comprehensive coverage of the city’s business scene but also thought leadership and trend analysis as the region continues to develop and grow.

Louie

7 YEARS 100 NORTH ST., STE. 800

GEAUX MARKETING GROUP

2.5 YEARS BATON ROUGE 225.938.6286 GEAUXMARKETINGGROUP.COM

Stephanie Reid Borne, Owner and CEO

SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION 180 BUSINESS REPORT, September 2022 | BusinessReport.com

Geaux Marketing Group was founded with the goal of providing small businesses with affordable, yet incredibly effective websites, social media marketing, and branding services. Owner and CEO Stephanie Reid Borne dealt with thousands of small businesses through her work in Public Relations and Communications for statewide associations and saw a continual need to support our community’s small businesses and their marketing needs. Since forming Geaux Marketing Group in early 2020, Stephanie and her team have helped over 70 local small businesses. “Clients who share their clear vision but let me run creatively, like Istrouma Eatery + Brewery, are my favorite,” Stephanie shares. “That’s really when I do my best work.” In addition to helping small businesses, Stephanie is a passionate advocate for the special needs community. She is currently on the Board of Directors for The Arc Baton Rouge where she donates her marketing services to their mission and fundraising efforts. In 2020, Stephanie spoke at the Louisiana Legislature on the importance of increased funding for centers for adults and children with special needs, like The Arc. “Owning a small business and making time to give back to the community is tough, I won’t lie,” Stephanie says. “I don’t get a lot of sleep and I’m usually running on caffeine and a cookie that one of the kids left behind, but it’s worth it. If it’s your dream to own a business, pray about it and take the leap. I was a terrified, divorced, single mom with a dream when I started my company at the beginning of a global pandemic. If I can make it, you definitely can! When you do make it, be sure to find a way to give back.”

Surrounded by beautiful art and exposed to unique items brought in by clients, Liz says, relaxes her and strengthens her resolve to continue providing affordable framing and local original art, while continuing her community work.

Working with business and community leaders on the redesign of Government Street to improve safety has been a 25-year journey. It’s a project she continues trying to get tweaked to be what the citizens in the area wanted.

35 YEARS 680 JEFFERSON HWY.

In 1988 when Liz Walker moved back to Baton Rouge and opened the Elizabethan Gallery, she already had 11 years of professional picture framing and selling art. She considered herself lucky when there was an open space in the Goodwood Center where popular Joe D’s grocery was located, in the area of Baton Rouge where she grew up.

“It is an emotional high when we see the excitement and satisfaction in our client’s faces when they pick up their framed items or acquire a new piece of original art,” Liz says. “Being an affordable art and picture framing gallery remains the mission of Elizabethan Gallery.”

In 1989, Mid City Redevelopment Alliance director, Boo Thomas, met with business owners in Mid City, which led to the formation of the Mid City Merchants. As one of MCM’s first board members and eventual president, one of the areas Liz concentrated on was the development of the Mid City Cultural District because of the large number of art-related businesses identified in its defined boundaries. As the longtime chair of the MCM Cultural District committee, Liz was one of the organizers of White Light Night and Hot Art, Cool Nights. These two big Baton Rouge art festivals have a huge economic benefit to the metropolitan area with tens of thousands attendees coming from all over the state.

ELIZABETHANGALLERY.COM ELIZABETHAN GALLERY SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION 181Daily-Report.com | BUSINESS REPORT, September 2022

Rachael Tarleton, sales and framing; Heidi Bergeron, gallery manager and head of framing production; Gallery Owner Liz Walker; Chloe Eick, sales and picture framing 225.924.6437

34 YEARS 6400 PERKINS ROAD 225.763.2500 PBRC.EDU

LSU’s Pennington Biomedical Research Center puts science to work for a healthier Louisiana. As one of the largest nutrition research centers in the world, we are addressing some of the biggest health problems that exist today: obesity, diabetes, healthy aging, and a host of related chronic diseases. Since opening more than 30 years ago, Pennington Biomedical has led the scientific community in achieving basic and clinical research breakthroughs that improve human health across the lifespan. Pennington Biomedical has been involved in testing all obesity, most classes of diabetes, and many dementia drugs in market, has started over 725 clinical trials with over 44,000 participants enrolled, and has more than 85 sponsored research partners across the globe. We have over 200 scientists and physicians who are focused on obesity and nutrition related research, many of whom are world’s experts in their domains. As a powerhouse in scientific research, we will continue to be a leader in the fields of obesity, diabetes, and healthy aging for decades to come. “Obesity, diabetes, and healthy aging are important issues to tackle, and we have the people and the resources to be able to do it,” says Dr. John Kirwan, Executive Director of Pennington Biomedical Research Center. “Is it aspirational? Yes. Is it achievable? Absolutely.”

PENNINGTON BIOMEDICAL RESEARCH CENTER SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION 182 BUSINESS REPORT, September 2022 | BusinessReport.com

Treasure White,

Since 1983, Alzheimer’s Services of the Capital Area has been the local resource for those affected by Alzheimer’s in the Greater Baton Rouge area. Through educational events, support groups, and social events for those impacted, we provide a hand to hold and guidance to navigate the Alzheimer’s journey.

PLPC, Respite Director ALZHEIMER’S SERVICES OF THE CAPITAL AREA SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION 183Daily-Report.com | BUSINESS REPORT, September 2022

Ellen Dunn, LMSW, Program Director; Barbara Auten, Executive Director; Kidder Little, Director, MA,

Alzheimer’s Services is dedicated to providing education programs and support services to those affected by Alzheimer’s disease, as well as their caregivers, in an effort to teach, care for, and connect with those in our community affected by Alzheimer’s disease and other memory-related impairments. We look forward to continuing to be the local one stop resource for those affected by Alzheimer’s and their caregivers through continually expanding and improving programs and services.

39 YEARS 3772 NORTH BOULEVARD 225.334.7494 ALZBR.ORG

Debbie

Development

Alzheimer’s Services also provides respite relief for caregivers through Charlie’s Place Activity and Respite Centers in Baton Rouge and Gonzales, as well as the Respite Reimbursement Program, which provides funds for in-home respite. We strive to always be proactive and set the example for the best practices in dementia care to meet the needs of those we serve. Increasing awareness of our organization and the help we can provide as early as possible can assist caregivers in making plans to provide the best quality of life for their loved ones, while also alleviating unnecessary stress.Dr.Jamie Huysman, PsyD, LCSW, CFT, has noted that “education is the least offensive, least intrusive way to connect meaningfully to caregivers.”

Olivia Thibodeaux,ElizabethFunches,Carter-AnnaKatherineDazzio,RichardAverette,LauraComeaux FROST BARBEROF LOUISIANA SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION 184 BUSINESS REPORT, September 2022 | BusinessReport.com

s one of the leading commercial furniture dealers in Baton Rouge for over 75 years, Frost Barber has partnered with many essential Baton Rouge businesses that have created, built and encompass the Baton Rouge culture that exists today.

With the ever-important need for improvements and advancements in education today, Frost Barber has opened the largest education furniture showroom in the state. We are continuously working with school districts across Louisiana to implement the gold standard for preparing tomorrow’s workforce by pairing solid academics and 21st Century Learning styles with a 21st Century classroom andThecampus.principals of integrity, high performance, teamwork, creativity and heart guide the way in which we interact with clients, vendors, our community and with each other.

76 YEARS 9322 INTERLINE AVENUE 225.926.5000 FROST-BARBER.COM

Our main objective is to continue supporting, as we have for seven decades, the businesses in our community, such as the hospitals that are saving lives, the universities and schools that educate our future generations and the corporations that keep our community growing, by assisting them to bring their teams to the next level through enhancing their work environments. We provide a beautiful and supportive framework for these businesses to do their best work thru our design knowledge, technology, industry research and the manufacturers that we represent.

Frost Barber values diversity and is proactively involved in creating a culture that recognizes the contributions and differences in our cultural makeup. We believe that differences in backgrounds and experiences enrich not only our corporate culture, but also our outreach to our community and marketplace.

Vice President/Market Manager

Gordy President/CEOandFlynnFoster

Guaranty also owns digital agency Gatorworks, podcast studio Drop Biscuit Studios, the Guaranty Sports Network, Jay Ducote Hospitality, Gov’t Taco, Guaranty Senior Living and Guaranty Real Estate Management.

Guaranty

“For nearly a century, Guaranty Corporation has operated its many diverse businesses under one guiding principal: to ‘enrich lives, serve others.’ We aim to bring the community together by donating our time as individuals, and resources as a company now and in the future,” says Guaranty President Flynn Foster. “We want our success to benefit our community, our customers, our listeners, and our clients.”

“We would like to congratulate the Baton Rouge Business Report on reaching this milestone and we look forward to watching your publication continue to grow and be an important part of the business community in our region,” Foster says.

Corporation is a privately held Louisiana corporation formed in 1926. It conducts business in the radio broadcasting, digital media, podcasting, video production, senior living, food and beverage, and commercial real estate markets. It owns Baton Rouge-based radio stations 104.5 ESPN, 100.7 The Tiger, Talk 107.3 and Eagle 98.1, the radio flagship for LSU sports.

The Guaranty Foundation supports local charities including ALS, Dreams Come True, Franciscan High School (Cristo Rey).

96 YEARS 929 GOVERNMENT STREET 225.388.9898 GUARANTYMEDIA.COM

Rush

GUARANTY CORPORATION SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION 185Daily-Report.com | BUSINESS REPORT, September 2022

For students desiring a rigorous, college preparatory curriculum and a flexible schedule, Parkview also offers a Flex Program in Baton Rouge & St. Francisville. Learning coaches monitor student progress daily and our subject-area specialists facilitate students’ content mastery.

We are proud to be the only private school in Louisiana to receive national Blue Ribbon School recognition in 2019. Parkview Baptist School looks to continue to provide an education rooted in faith, meant to identify, nurture, and accelerate individual talents both in and out of the classroom.

PARKVIEW BAPTIST SCHOOL SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION 186 BUSINESS REPORT, September 2022 | BusinessReport.com

For over 40 years, Parkview Baptist School’s college preparatory education has equipped students with the intellectual, spiritual, social, physical, and emotional skills necessary for college, for life, and for eternity. Our exceptional educational program is built on the four As: Abundant Life, Academics, Arts, and Athletics. Each day, our team of nurturing, dedicated faculty support and challenge our students to grow and mature into the individuals God created them to be.

41 YEARS 5750 PARKVIEW CHURCH ROAD 225.291.2500 PARKVIEWBAPTIST.COM

Mike

PresidentJuneau,andJasonEngen,ExecutiveVicePresident

The team at Premier Geotech and Testing works every day to ensure construction projects around Baton Rouge are built with the highestWhetherquality.it’stesting environmentally friendly pervious concrete all around the parish, engineering the infrastructure for a new subdivision, or monitoring the installation of piles for a new industrial expansion, Premier is doing its part behind the scenes to provide new development that meets the highest standards and will last for future generations. Their passion lies in being a resource for their clients.

4 YEARS 9434 INTERLINE AVENUE 225.416.0700 PREMIERGEOTESTING.COM

PREMIER GEOTECHAND TESTING SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION 187Daily-Report.com | BUSINESS REPORT, September 2022

They see themselves as part of the construction team, so they adopt the same goals as their clients and help them deliver high quality, financially viable projects.

Serving their clients is not just part of the job – it is the job. On any given day, the professionals at Premier visit sites, draft and certify engineering reports, manage projects, and inspect construction materials, all to help solve their clients’ problems – many times before they know they have a problem!

Premier has been growing since their establishment in 2018 and is poised to continue impacting Baton Rouge for years to come.

34+ YEARS 8440 JEFFERSON HIGHWAY, SUITE 301 225.929.7033 ROEDELPARSONS.COM

Founding Shareholders J. Kenton Parsons and Larry Roedel, and Managing Shareholder Luke Piontek

ROEDEL PARSONS BLACHE FONTANA PIONTEK & PISANO, A LAW CORPORATION SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION 188 BUSINESS REPORT, September 2022 | BusinessReport.com

Our law firm opened its doors in 1988 with a simple mission—provide excellent work at fair prices by serving our community with integrity. Now, almost 35 years later, our mission remains the same while our firm has grown in numbers and talent as we serve the entire State. With practice areas that range from anti-trust to zoning, Roedel Parsons has become a legal leader in Louisiana. We’ve played vital roles in major public projects such as the LSU and VA Hospitals in New Orleans; the New Terminal at the New Orleans Airport; the Superdome and New Orleans Arena rebuilds after Katrina; and multiple sports facilities at LSU. We’ve handled practically every conceivable type of litigation over our history for our private and public entity clients. We have also assisted clients with thousands of business transactions, contractual matters, and real estateRoedeldevelopments.Parsonscurrently serves as the legal advisor to the Capital Area Road & Bridge District, which is tasked with building a new Mississippi River Bridge in the Baton Rouge region. Our firm’s attorneys have acted as advisors to three Louisiana governors. We are staffed with a talented team of professionals in our Baton Rouge and New Orleans offices. We have been blessed with opportunities and are grateful for the relationships formed with the business and public entity communities since 1988. We embrace the future. Thank you Baton Rouge, New Orleans, and our State for trusting us with your legal needs.

Jason Alford, Benny Alford, Justin Alford

71 YEARS 9611B AIRLINE HIGHWAY 225.927.7181 BENNYSCARWASH.COM

BENNY’S CAR WASH

The science of washing cars has evolved tremendously over the years. However, the human element of our business has not changed a bit. We believe that this is what sets us apart from our competitors.Thelivesthat are touched by the organization are surprising. We’ve seen young men and women work with us during the dawn of their adult life and go on to become doctors, lawyers, dentists and architects. We also have cherished employees who have worked with us for 30+ years. From 1953 to now, we have grown from our one original location to nine car washes, six oil change facilities, and three convenience stores and we are not done yet! Our current plans include several new locations to serve the growing Baton Rouge metropolitan area.

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What started as the first “automatic car wash” in Baton Rouge has grown into a multi-faceted organization that prides itself on delivering the best customer service in the Baton Rouge area. Be it an oil change, a tank of gas, or a quality car wash; for over 70 years now, the Alford Family, alongside nearly 400 employees, proudly serve the citizens of Baton Rouge. Benny, Justin, and Jason Alford remain involved in the daily scope of business at every Benny’s Car Wash, Oil Bay and B-Quik facility, and their dedication to the family-oriented business is an essential factor to the company’s success. Benny’s has established a reputation in the community and with their employees to truly be “best in service” to the citizens of Baton Rouge.

t Benny’s Car Wash, our roots run deep. Benny’s has been proudly serving the Baton Rouge Community since 1953.

This is why we challenge the status quo, refuse to take no for an answer, and are one by one cutting the red tape on projects and delivering solutions for our state. We are solving real problems for real people in the Capital Region. Billions of your tax dollars are now at work — flood protection, road projects, funding for law enforcement, disaster recovery, resources for our schools, coastal restoration – efforts that had been stalled for decades – now moving. There is much more to do and many more wins on the horizon for our community and with the right plan, rather than the brain drain, our state can lead the nation in opportunity for the next generation.

P.O. BOX 64845, BATON ROUGE 225.439.7053 GARRETGRAVES.COM

Louisiana is a special place. We have some of the greatest strengths in the nation. The river, the natural resources and the people are second to none. We also know how to have more fun than anywhere else on earth. Despite our blessings, Louisiana will only reach her full potential if government is working with us - not against us. Traffic, crime, education, flooding, insurance, healthcare, gasoline and electricity are all areas where government has failed. Government is often focused on the wrong priorities and is too Louisianabureaucratic.deservesbetter.

GARRET GRAVESCONGRESSMAN SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION 190 BUSINESS REPORT, September 2022 | BusinessReport.com

South

hen we started Emergent Method in 2012, we knew we wanted to have an impact on the communities we served and the companies or organizations that were part of those communities.

John Snow, Nick Speyrer, Rachel Carroccio, Jonathan Percle

10 YEARS 200 LAUREL STREET, SUITE 200 225.372.5102 EMERGENTMETHOD.COM

EMERGENT METHOD SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION 191Daily-Report.com | BUSINESS REPORT, September 2022

Baton Rouge continues to be an ideal home for our management consulting firm to make that impact, although the scale of that impact has evolved significantly over the years. In our early years, we were a few people working from a small office on Third Street in downtown Baton Rouge. Today, we’re in a larger office that is still downtown, but serves as a foundation from which we support clients and communities throughout the U.S. in areas like strategic communication and public outreach, program and project management, strategic and organizational planning, quantitative research, and much more.

Our team of more than 200 works from Baton Rouge and a dozen other states to serve clients in nearly 20 states, advancing that same mission and passion for community impact—from Oregon, California, and Kansas to North Carolina and Maine.

While we have expanded well outside of Louisiana, our commitment to this state and Baton Rouge has neverMovingwavered.forward, we see significant opportunity to continue doubling down on our investment and presence in Louisiana while expanding in areas we’ve seen firsthand can benefit from our unique consulting mindset of blending sound methodologies with custom needs.

20+ YEARS 4523 PLANK ROAD 225.358.4603 EMPLOYBR.COM

LOUISIANA WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT BOARD 21 SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION 192 BUSINESS REPORT, September 2022 | BusinessReport.com

Under the leadership of Board Chair Brett Simon of Aptim and Vice Chair Elizabeth Beckham of Turner Industries, LWDB 21 strives to aid employers in finding workers needed, as well as providing resources for workers to access training for in-demand careers. This is done through a variety of methods to provide the business community with an extensive array of services designed to fill job vacancies with the most qualified and prepared candidates. LWDB 21, EmployBR, and our board members are committed to providing opportunities to our citizens and businesses in East Baton Rouge Parish through training and employment. If your business would like to learn more about how we can assist you with your needs, reach out today!

The Louisiana Workforce Development Board 21 (LWDB 21) of East Baton Rouge Parish is a membership consortium made up of businesses, workforce leaders, and organizations appointed by the MayorPresident.Thisorganization acts as both the planner for the region in workforce development and the Board of Directors for East Baton Rouge Parish. The purpose of the Workforce Development Board is to focus on strategic planning, policy development, oversight of the workforce system, and the establishment of the priorities for employers and job LWDBseekers.21oversees the management of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) funds that flow from the federal government to the local areas, such as East Baton Rouge Parish.

Juanita ElizabethCoverson,Beckham,AmandaStanley,BrettSimon

Rome Sherrod III M.D.

TRANSFORMATIVE HEALTH CENTER SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION 193Daily-Report.com | BUSINESS REPORT, September 2022

10 YEARS 13013 JUSTICE AVENUE 225.888.4041 TRANSFORMATIVEHEALTHCENTER.COM

s a physician working in cities and rural areas, I have seen the impact opioid addiction is having on our communities. I have been more than inspired; I have been challenged to help bring a solution to this epidemic-level crisis for patients, communities and businesses. It is my hope that cannabis may play a role in ameliorating the impact of opioid addiction and decrease overdoses. This pandemic’s impact on our workforce and community safety makes our work more important and impactful than ever. Opioid Use Disorder and related deaths fracture families and have devastating, life altering consequences. Opioid misuse impacts businesses as they experience decreased productivity and employee retention.

Advances in government guidance and corporate policies have produced great results in industries starving for responsible, productive employees. The most recent law HB 988, Act 651 provides protection for public employees prohibiting employers from causing them to lose their job or rejecting them for employment based strictly on a positive drug test for medical marijuana in cases where they have been diagnosed with a debilitating medical condition by a state licensed physician in good standing. Both companies and communities are finally realizing the power of putting people plagued by debilitating conditions back into our workforce and in control of their lives by providing a natural, plant-based solutions. Our businesses, universities, cancer centers, and psychiatric and counseling services must work together to remove the stigma and educate our community on the relative safety profile of cannabis.

NOTTOWAY RESORT

The Nottoway Resort and J Collection Hotels are committed to guest service and delivering unique experiences that capture the history and personality of each of our properties. Supported by an authentically friendly staff of professionals, each of our hotels strives to ensure our guests have wonderful memories of their time with us. We look forward to serving our Baton Rouge guests for many years to come and are working to ensure Nottoway continues to create wonderful experiences and memories for everyone.

Many of our guests arrive from the greater Baton Rouge area for celebratory occasions that include wedding portrait sessions, Easter and Mother’s Day brunches, and special dining experiences. Christmas, too, has created memories for generations, including Brunch with Santa and Bonfires on the River.

SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION 194 BUSINESS REPORT, September 2022 | BusinessReport.com

The Mansion Restaurant offers classic Creole-inspired Louisiana cuisine, outstanding service and stunning views of century-old oak trees. Private groups can dine in Oscar’s Dining Room and indulge in our extensive wine list with more than 100 labels, or sip a favorite martini or craft cocktail.

75+ YEARS 31025 HWY. 1, WHITE CASTLE 225.545.2730 NOTTOWAY.COM

The Nottoway Resort has been part of the hospitality scene for decades. As one of the South’s largest historic homes—dating back to 1859—we have hosted visitors from around the world.

Located on River Road between Baton Rouge and New Orleans, Nottoway has always been a special place offering romance, dining, and a distinctive panorama. Our restored luxury rooms, cottages and suites with an array of modern amenities offer gorgeous views of the river, gardens and grounds. We are a AAA Four-Diamond Property.

Fifteen of the nation’s top super-regional brokerage firms and 14 premiere insurance carriers and wholesalers are collaborating with BTV’s cohort of technology innovators from across the globe. Working in collaboration with the sheer drive to elevate the industry to help our clients identify risks sooner and drive down costs, faster. Learn how the industry’s first broker-led convening platform is lighting the way to maximize technology solutions and amplify innovation within the insurance industry as we know it: BrokerTechVentures.com

195Daily-Report.com | BUSINESS REPORT, September 2022

Fueling the Tech-Enabled Broker

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unless approval or final revisions are received within 24 hours from receipt of this proof. A shorter timeframe will apply for tight deadlines. • Additional revisions must be requested and may be subject to production fees. Carefully check this ad for: CORRECT ADDRESS • CORRECT PHONE NUMBER • ANY TYPOS This ad design © Louisiana Business, Inc. 2022. All rights reserved. Phone 225-928-1700 • Fax 225-926-1329

LeTip of Baton Rouge

The Woman’s bariatric sur gery program was awarded the Bariatric Center of Excellence accreditation from the Clinical Sciences Institute of Optum for a third year. The program was rigorously evaluated on its vol ume of surgeries, number and experience of surgeons, compli cations and mortality rate, cer tifications, length of program existence, and multidisciplinary team. The program has also earned the Blue Distinction Specialty Care Center Plus des ignation from Blue Cross Blue Shield and is nationally ac credited by the Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery Accreditation and Quality Improvement Program for meeting nationally established objective quality measures.

A new business networking group, LeTip of Baton Rouge, has formed and is accepting members. The group, which was started by Luke Costa and Kristina Williamson, is a chap ter of LeTip International Inc., the world’s largest privately owned professional business referral network. The LeTip of Baton Rouge chapter meets at City Pork every Wednesday at 11:30 a.m. to exchange qual ified leads and build business relationships with other profes sionals in the area.

Training the Future of Louisiana’s Workforce lctcs.edu

AWARDS HONORS Selected from among more than 900 Airgas branches across the country, the Baton Rouge Airgas branch has been named one of four national branches of the year, an honor that cele brates excellence in customer service, safety, and financial performance. The Baton Rouge branch of the gas, welding and safety products distributor serves customers across Greater Baton Rouge including large, national customers as well as home hobbyists and small welding shops. The branch has a strong safety record, as keep ing the community safe is its No. 1 priority.

ACCREDITATION CERTIFICATION

196 BUSINESS REPORT, September 2022 | BusinessReport.com

Four LSU researchers have been awarded the National Science Foundation’s most pres tigious grant for early-career faculty, given to those with the potential to serve as academic role models in research and ed ucation. Those receiving NSF CAREER Awards this year are Yu April Chen, School of Education assistant professor; Matthew Hiatt, department of ocean ography and coastal sciences assistant professor; Rui Han, de partment of mathematics assis tant professor; and Don Zhang, department of psychology asso ciate professor. LWCC has been named to the Ward’s 50 group of top per forming companies for the 17th time. LWCC was recognized as a top performer nationally, having Louisiana Credit Union League

Allen Alma Stewart Allen, founder and presi dent of LouisianatheCenter for Health Equity, has won the 2022 Robert Wood LeagueFoundation-NationalJohnsonCivicHealthEquityAward.

The award is presented to individuals that seek to address health ineq uity and improve health out comes within their communities through the implementation of a systems change approach. Allen has advocated for policy changes and health equity for women, children and families across the state. Through LCHE, she has spearheaded initiatives to gain awareness, opportunities and understanding of the areas that impact Louisiana youths.

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APPOINTMENTS MEMBERSHIPS Borel Danielle Borel, a partner Breazeale,at Sachse & Wilson, was re cently elected sec retary of AmericantheBar Association Young Lawyers Division. Her candidacy was unopposed and endorsed by at torneys across the country. After serving as secretary in 2022 and chair-elect in 2023, she will be come chair of the division in August 2024. Borel practices in the areas of commercial and health care litigation. Grodner berStaffordMcGlincheymem GrodnerMarshall has been elected a fellow in the CollegeAmericanof Mortgage Attorneys. Formed in 1974, the American College of Mortgage Attorneys comprises 500 expert commercial real es tate finance lawyers in North America. The fellows share a commitment to giving back to their profession, improving and reforming laws and procedures affecting real estate secured transactions, and raising the level of professionalism of law yers practicing in this area. Leadership Livingston has announced its 2023 class. Twenty-six individuals make up the 11th cohort of the program. They are: David Addison, city of Walker police chief; Kellie Alford, Alford’s Landscaping; Joey Amadeo, First Guaranty Bank; Jeff Ard, Livingston Parish Council; Kenny Bayhi, town of Killian mayor; Yolande Besse, Baton Rouge General Physicians; Shawn Brady, Single Source Communications; Paul Brignac III, Livingston Parish Sheriff’s Office; Tracy Bryson, town of Springfield; Emily Chustz, North Oaks Health System; Rhonda Colar, Entergy;

198 BUSINESS REPORT, September 2022 | BusinessReport.com

The Louisiana Credit Union League inducted eight individ uals into the Louisiana Credit Union Hall of Fame, including two from the Baton Rouge area, during its 2022 annual meet ing and convention in New Orleans. Jointly sponsored by LCUL and the Louisiana Credit Union Foundation, the program was established to recognize the leadership, commitment, dedication and contributions of credit union professionals and volunteers throughout the state. The local inductees are Gary Crockett, Pelican State CU; and Donald Songy, Ascension CU.

A Special Events Venue Now accepting bookings for Winter 2022 121 Convention Street, Baton Rouge, LA 70801: Next to Hilton Downtown | info@the121venue.com | the121venue.com YOUR BUSINESS COMPANY NEWS achieved superior performance and passing all safety and con sistency screens over the ana lyzed five-year period of 2017 through 2021.

The Louisiana Office of Tourism won a Mercury Award at U.S. Travel’s ESTO, or Educational Seminar for Tourism Organizations, in Grand Rapids, Michigan. The award, given in the video, film or podcast series category, rec ognizes LOT’s social video series “Tiny Trips.” The social video series launched in 2020 during the pandemic as part of Lt. Gov. Billy Nungesser and the Office of Tourism’s Sunshine Plan to help the travel industry in Louisiana recover. Stout Amanda Stout of StaffordMcGlincheyand the firm itself have been honored for contributions to the Capital Area United Way. At the organiza tion’s annual meeting, Stout was honored with the Chairman’s Award for serving as CAUW’s board chair for 2021-2022. Additionally, McGlinchey re ceived the Excellence Award, the Corporate Partner of the Year Award and the Community Builder Award. These were awarded based on company participation rate, average do nor gift amount and leadership donor gift amount. In the 2021 United Way campaign, the McGlinchey team had a 64 per cent participation rate and an average employee gift of $683.

Acadian Ambulance Service congratulates the Baton Rouge Business Report on 40 years of service to the Greater Baton Rouge community. Acadian values its commitment to developing local talent and supporting the Baton Rouge workforce and economy through job and training opportunities. AcadianAmbulance.com/JoinOurTeam

Photo: Hilary Scheinuk / The Advocate YOUR BUSINESS COMPANY NEWS Terrance Collins, Essential Federal Credit Union; Mallory Forbes, Holmes Building Materials; Lynda Gardiner, Keep Livingston Beautiful; Zachary Gibbons, Quality Engineering & Surveying; Allison James, Forte & Tablada Inc.; Jeffrey Jones, Empower225; Glenn Lemoine, Livingston Parish gov ernment; Tab Lobell, Lobell’s Waterfront Construction; Traci Miley, Our Lady of the Lake; Seth Mosby, PMI Vivo Properties; Michelle Parrish, Livingston Parish Library; Nathan Sanders, Americans for Prosperity–Louisiana; Shelley Simmons, Elevate Real Estate Services; Destiny Voth, Pelican State Credit Union; and Erika Washington, Our Lady of the Lake.The Louisiana Pharmacists Association installed its board of directors for 2022-23, including Simone Ginn of Walmart phar macy in Baton Rouge, who was installed as central regional di rector. Scott Black of Gulfcoast Pharmaceutical Specialty in Prairieville was installed as a director-at-large for the organization.

NEWS TIPS Business Report welcomes suggestions and ideas for news stories as well as recommendations for people of interest to feature. GET IN TOUCH Email us: editor@businessreport.com Call us: 225-928-1700 Fax us: 225-928-5019 Mail it to us: Executive Editor, Business Report, 9029 Jefferson Hwy., Ste. 300, Baton Rouge, LA 70809

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Schroder Louisiana Treasurer John Schroder has been elected na tional chair of the State forOfficersFinancialFoundationthe2022-23 term. As chair, Schroder will guide a coalition of state finan cial officers from 23 states who collectively represent nearly $3 trillion in cash management pro grams. Prior to his election as national chair, Schroder served as national policy chair for the organization. Stevens Craig Stevens was selected as a mem ber of Committeethe of 100 for DevelopmentEconomic for 2022. Stevens is president of Genesis 360, a com mercial facility maintenance company that works with local property management businesses. Under his leadership, the company has evolved into a full-service grounds’ and build ing maintenance, construction and IT services company. Genesis 360 has commercial and federal clients across the U.S. and maintains offices in Baton Rouge, Houston and Maryland.

MOVING UP Moving Up highlights executive-level promotions and new hires in the Capital Region. Announcements should include the name and title of the professional being hired or promoted, and brief summaries of his or her responsibilities and experience. Accompanying photos should be high resolution: 300 dpi or higher.

Since 1995

PHILANTHROPY GRANTS BASF recently donated $5,000 to support Young Entrepreneurs Academy of Baton Rouge, an af ter-school program that teaches students in grades 8–12 how to build business management skills and then create and run their own independent com panies. Over the academic year, students are taught by in structors from LSU’s E.J. Ourso College of Business and local entrepreneurs. Students grad uate with a certificate in entre preneurship and are eligible for three course credits from LSU.

COMPANY NEWS Company News features announcements about developments at Capital Region companies: new locations, acquisitions, name or branding changes and so forth. We also spotlight professionals who receive business-related awards or honors, accreditations, certifications, appointments and memberships, as well as corporate grants and philanthropy. Accompanying photos should be high resolution: 300 dpi or higher.

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LOUISIANA BUILDING THE FUTURE TOGETHER! ONE DAY, TWO EVENTS CROWNE PLAZA HOTEL BEST PLACES TO WORK AWARDS Doors open at 7:00 AM Starts at 8:00 AM (ticket required) Purchase your tickets today at businessreport.com/events sponsored by: TOP 100 LUNCHEON Doors open at 11:15 AM Starts at 11:45 AM (ticket required) 201Daily-Report.com | BUSINESS REPORT, September 2022

YOUR BUSINESS MOVING UP KEVIN

ARCHITECTURE & DESIGN Kevin Schimpf has been hired by Mullin as its Baton Rouge branch manager. Schimpf has 11 years of experience supervising operations for various companies. On a day-today basis, he will maintain strong relationships with clients and over see many of the branch’s activities while promoting the core values of the firm, which provides com prehensive planning, building and maintenance of outdoor spaces.

ACCOUNTING Four team members—Corey Jambon, Krystal Pertuit, Kyle Mason and Melanie Talley—were promoted by Postlethwaite & Netterville to the newly created role of principal. Principals work alongside the firm’s directors and lead practice areas within their departments.

BANKING & FINANCE Jennifer Clowers has been named chief financial officer of Our Lady of the Lake Health. Clowers has 16 years of service within the Franciscan Missionaries of Our Lady Health System, most recently serving as the system’s vice president of ambulatory services. She also has served in multiple ca pacities at Our Lady of Lourdes Health, beginning as vice president of finance/controller before mov ing up to CFO and eventually in terim market president.

John Pourciau and Shawn Mitchel have been named part ner at Onsite | MPH, formerly Onsite Design. Pourciau is a 2007 graduate of the LSU School of Architecture. After working on re tail projects in New York, Pourciau returned to Baton Rouge to work SCHIMPF Mullin JOHN POURCIAU Onsite | MPH SHAWN MITCHEL Onsite | MPH JENNIFER CLOWERS

Todd Ezell has been hired by Investar Bank as its consumer banking director and senior vice president. Ezell joins Investar from First Horizon, formerly Iberia Bank, where he was a consumer credit manager. Over his 26-year career in financial services, he has held various banking titles in lend ing, credit and consumer banking.

Todd Manuel, who currently serves as director of organiza tional health and diversity for Entergy, has been named by LSU as the school’s vice president of inclusion, civil rights and Title IX. Since January 2021, Manuel has also served as vice president for diversity, equity and inclusion transformation for the Edison Electric Institute, an association that represents all U.S. inves tor-owned electric companies and more than 65 international electric companies.

Bobbi Zaunbrecher, who has been an integral member of the alumni relations team at the Paul

EDUCATION Haley Carville has stepped into a new role at The Dunham School as director of the McKay Academic Center. Carville brings nearly 10 years of experience in differenti ated instruction and special ed ucation, including three years in administration. She also spent more than six years in the class room working directly with stu dents of all ages.

202 BUSINESS REPORT, September 2022 | BusinessReport.com

Filters | Mixers | Screens | Aerators | Clarifiers | Sludge Dewatering U.V. Disinfection | Chemical Feed | Packaged Water Treatment Plant Pumps | Water Meters | Complete Systems | Instrumentation TAKING CARE OF YOUR WATER AND WASTEWATER NEEDS Issue Date: Sept 2022 Ad proof #1 • Please respond by e-mail or fax with your approval or minor revisions. • AD WILL RUN AS IS unless approval or final revisions are received within 24 hours from receipt of this proof. A shorter timeframe will apply for tight deadlines. • Additional revisions must be requested and may be subject to production fees. Carefully check this ad for: CORRECT ADDRESS • CORRECT PHONE NUMBER • ANY TYPOS This ad design © Louisiana Business, Inc. 2022. All rights reserved. Phone 225-928-1700 • Fax 225-926-1329 225.295.1200 info@etec-sales.com etec-sales.com ETEC is an organization with expertise in equipment applications for water treatment, wastewater treatment, solids handling, and air emissions. By concentrating on these related areas, ETEC offers an extensive collection of products, which allows us to present optimum solutions for our clients’ particular environmental problems. 800-251-1047 www.etec-sales.com 800-251-1047 www.etec-sales.com

Our Lady of the Lake Health TODD EZELL Investar Bank HALEY CARVILLE The Dunham School at a commercial architecture firm while getting his license. He joined Onsite Design in 2013. Mitchel has been with Onsite Design since 2015 and became a licensed archi tect shortly after. A 2013 graduate of LSU, he has 10 years of experi ence in custom residential design in the Baton Rouge area.

The Association of Fundraising Professionals Greater Baton Rouge Chapter’s National Philanthropy Day

TODD MANUEL LSU BOBBI ZAUNBRECHER LSU Law STEPHEN HOWELL Ochsner Baton Rouge GREG SNOW Woman’s KEVIN GUIDRY Woman’s CHRIS BROADWATER CSRS System. He previously served in the Louisiana Legislature as a state rep resentative, representing Tangipahoa Parish, and practiced law with firms in both Hammond and Baton Rouge. In addition, he served as assistant secretary of labor during Gov. Bobby Jindal’s administration. Sahar Haddadian has joined Neel-Schaffer Inc. and will serve as a coastal hydraulic engineer based in the firm’s Baton Rouge of fice. Haddadian earned a doctoral degree in civil engineering-coastal engineering from LSU in 2020 and has experience working for the Water Institute of the Gulf and the Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority. Haddadian also worked for multiple years providing coastal engineering and modeling services to coastal cli ents in Florida and the Caribbean. Gary LeBlanc has been hired by Neel-Schaffer Inc. to serve as a trans portation project manager based in the firm’s Baton Rouge office. LeBlanc has 28 years of experience, all with the Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development. He served as LaDOTD’s design devel opment engineer manager the last 10 years. Prior to that, he held roles M. Hebert Law Center for nine years over two periods of service, has been promoted to LSU Law di rector of external relations. Since 2015, Zaunbrecher has served as senior associate director of devel opment, and she served as asso ciate director of alumni relations from 2007 to 2009. Zaunbrecher has extensive experience directing management, donor relations and communications within higher ed ucation, nonprofit organizations, state government and the legal community.

HEALTH CARE Stephen Howell has joined Ochsner Baton Rouge as chief fi nancial officer. Howell spent the first 20 years of his career with Baton Rouge General, starting as a financial analyst and eventually being named director of decision support, strategy, business devel opment and physician analysis. He then formed his own consult ing firm that worked with hospi tals across the country and was involved with the startup of the Louisiana Healthcare Information Exchange. In 2015, he joined Northern Light Health, a $2.1 bil lion health system in Maine, where he served as vice president of cap ital planning and finance before joining Ochsner. Two new members have joined the executive leadership team at Woman’s. Greg Snow joined as vice president of revenue cycle and Kevin Guidry joined as vice president of payor relations. Prior to joining Woman’s, Snow worked as senior vice president of market strategy for complex claims firm Enable Comp in Franklin, Tenn. Guidry spent the last 15 years with Franciscan Missionaries of Our Lady Health System in vari ous capacities. Most recently, he served as president of Our Lady of the Lake Assumption Hospital in Napoleonville, where he was re sponsible for providing strategic direction.

ENGINEERING CONSTRUCTION&

photo credit: Natalie Watson

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| BUSINESS REPORT, September 2022

Tax Credit Services | Direct Investing | thatsolutionsStonehengeTRANSFORMATIONALstonehengecapital.comCAPITALisanationallyrecognizedmarketplaceleaderinfederalandstatehistorictaxequitywithover20yearsofexperienceprovidingcreativecapitaltosponsors,developersandinstitutionalinvestors.Withfreshthinkingleadstobetterresults,Stonehengeisnotthesameoldstyleofinvestmentfirm,butsomethingelseentirely.Somecallittransformationalcapital. We call it the right way to do business.

Chris Broadwater has joined CSRS as vice president and deputy general counsel. Prior to joining CSRS, Broadwater served as vice president for workforce policy and general counsel for the Louisiana Community & Technical College Daily-Report.com

OUR FOUNDER AND BATON ROUGE’S 2022 OUTSTANDING PHILANTHROPIST OF THE YEAR!

LISACONGRATULATIONS&TOMADAMEK

204 BUSINESS REPORT, September 2022 | BusinessReport.com

AMED_BR Business Report 40th Anniversay Ad.indd 1 8/30/22 1:33 PM

MARKETING Olivia Gulino has joined The TJC Group as manager of administration. Her duties in clude day-to-day organization and planning, office management, cli ent services, project management and assisting The TJC Group staff. Gulino is experienced in teaching, strategic planning, content cre ation, writing, team management and project administration. Her previous work includes time as a teacher at St. Joseph’s Academy and as associate director of youth and young adult ministry for the Diocese of Baton Rouge.

GARY

Founded by William F. “Bill” Borne in 1982, Amedisys has stayed true to our mission of providing the very best care possible where our patients most want to be – in the home. Forty years later, we are the nation’s second largest home health and third largest hospice provider delivering care to more than 445,000 patients in need every year. While Amedisys will continue transforming the way healthcare is delivered in America, our heart is always here in Baton Rouge. amedisys.com of HPMS/highway needs engineer and design engineer.

YOUR BUSINESS MOVING UP SAHAR HADDADIAN

The TJC Group JEREMEY MILLER YMCA of the Capital Area BAILEY Lofton Security Service Inc.

INSURANCE Sherri Enright has been named senior vice president and chief human resources officer for Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana. In her new role, she is also a mem ber of Blue Cross’ senior manage ment team. Enright comes to Blue Cross after serving as the CHRO of Dallas College in Texas for the past two years. LAW Zelma Murray Frederick of McGlinchey Stafford has been named office managing attorney in the firm’s Baton Rouge office. In her new role, Frederick will focus on the day-to-day operations and management of the employees and the office itself. Frederick rep resents clients in a wide range of litigation with a focus on commer cial and construction litigation as well as collection disputes. Brook Villa has been promoted to assistant general counsel, state regulatory affairs at Lumen. Villa, based in Baton Rouge, has been with Lumen since 2019. Prior to joining Lumen, she was in private practice for 11 years, focusing on a wide variety of areas including ad ministrative law and commercial litigation.

NONPROFITS Jeremey Miller has been named executive director of di versity, inclusion and belong ing for the YMCA of the Capital Area. Miller has been a community ambassador for Build Baton Rouge and an ExxonMobil YMCA board member. OTHER Matthew Bailey has been pro moted by Lofton Security Service Inc., a division of The Lofton Corporation, to director of secu rity operations. Bailey began his career with Lofton Security in 1998 as an EMT/security officer at one of Lofton’s valued clients, and he has received numerous promo tions over his career because of his industry knowledge and expertise, his ability to understand his cli ents’ security needs and execute the delivery of that service, as well as his ability to identify, train and coach security officers. Neel-Schaffer Inc. LEBLANC Neel-Schaffer Inc. ENRIGHT Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana ZELMAFREDERICKMURRAY McGlinchey Stafford BROOK VILLA Lumen GULINO

SHERRI

OLIVIA

DELIVERING HEALTHCARE TO THE DOORSTEPS OF BATON ROUGE FOR 40 YEARS.

MATTHEW

Elementary • Park

SPONSORED BY: SPONSORED CONTENT INDUSTRY INSIGHTS MAGNET East Baton Rouge Parish School System

This

• Villa

| BUSINESS REPORT, September

• Garden Grow Towers are present in classrooms providing students with hands on learning.

As magnet schools in the Project Explore cohort enters its fifth year, students have been exposed to a series of activities incorporating the tenets of a STEAM project-based model. In addition, innovative educators in the East Baton Rouge Parish School System are introducing students to a variety of ways to incorporate renewable energy into their daily lives. Thanks to the Magnet Schools Assistance Program (MSAP) Grant awarded in 2017, the East Baton Rouge Parish School System implemented four innovative magnet programs designed to ignite the flames of curiosity. These innovative schools are all centrally located in the district. Each offer Creative Sciences and Arts themes, including engineering, animation, coding, entertainment technology, and virtual reality instruction (VRI), with an overall focus on renewable energy. PARISH SCHOOL SCHOOLS del Rey Forest Forest four MSAP schools provide high-quality educational programs through implementation of a STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics) theme-based curriculum with components like: project-based learning, the magnet programs encourage collaboration, criticalthinking and problem-solving to increase student engagement. Students have access to and the ability to use the most sophisticated technology available for understanding the applied use of science and mathematics in the STEAM fields. Students are prepared with skills and technology awareness to succeed a postsecondary environment. For more information or to schedule a tour, visit ebrmsap.org or email msap@ebrschools.org.

• Renewable energy labs are are established at each MSAP school.

• Coding and Robotics • Engineering • Renewable Energy • Entertainment Technology • Digital Animation Through

Program Highlights ad was paid for with funds from the 2017 MSAP Grant.

205

Middle • Belaire High The

5 Years and Thriving— schools prepare students for careers in renewable energy

• Because renewable energy is taught at the elementary level, students are able to continue to grow, progressing through the MSAP middle and high school curriculum.

SYSTEM MSAP

• All four schools utilize outdoor gardens and outdoor learning spaces to enhance the students’ educational experience.

• Villa Del Rey won the National Green Ribbon Award presented by the US Department of Education for their work with renewable energy at their school. The team was honored in Washington, D.C. by the U.S. Department of Education. Daily-Report.com 2022

EAST BATON ROUGE

MSAP

206 BUSINESS REPORT, September 2022 | BusinessReport.com

“Teaching at the school— it’s different from what I do all day as an accountant. I went to Catholic High and my kids went there. I like the kids and I like the idea of giving back. Now that I’ve been teaching for 40 years, the first guys I taught are now in their 50s—and they’re lawyers, judges and even a former U.S. attorney.”

PHOTOGRAPHY BY COLLIN RICHIE Ralph J. Stephens DIRECTOR IN TAX SERVICES GROUP, POSTLETHWAITE & NETTERVILLE PASSION TEACHING

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Baton Rouge Business Report, Sept., 2022

Articles inside

Moving Up

Stephanie Riegel: Revitalization must extend beyond downtown

Rolfe McCollister: It’s time for Baton Rouge to come ALIVE

Company News

JR Ball: Getting the cool kids to eat at our table

Beverly Brooks Thompson The right thing to do

Camille Manning-Broome Taking the risk on a sustainable future

Stafford Wood: Needing a new brand

Julia-Claire Evans A problem of attraction

John Kirwan: Connection-driven research

Adam Knapp: Punching above our weight class

William F. Tate IV: An immeasurable amount of potential

Stephen Moret Renewing the American dream

Education: A matter of choice

GUEST ESSAYS

Energy: Powerful forces

Infrastructure: A long road ahead

Restaurants: Foodies finding more diverse options

Success: They started right here

Economic Development Seeking diversification

Industry: Dawn of a new day

State Politics: Making a hard right turn

Restaurants: Changing tastes

Decade in Review: 2020s

Decade in Review: 2010s

Design: Louisiana Farm Bureau

Decade in Review: 1980s

Big Story: Addressing a burden

Publisher: Building on the past to create a better future

Decade in Review: 1990s

Entrepreneur: Jay Bennett

Tom Cook: Count me grateful and blessed