Baton Rouge Business Report, July 2021

A MATERIAL MATTER FOR HOMEBUILDERS

AIRE OF THE TIGER

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JULY 2021 • BUSINESSREPORT.COM

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Spectrum has been a great partner. They really knew how to “ accommodate our needs as a new business. They have been so supportive and helpful, and they are always there for us. ” MISTI BROUSSARD, BLDG 5 were hesitant to change payroll providers because “ ofWepotential issues during the conversion but Spectrum

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CONTENTS

Publisher: Rolfe H. McCollister Jr.

EDITORIAL

Editorial director: Penny Font Executive editor: JR Ball Editor: Stephanie Riegel Assistant editor: Allan Schilling Online news editor: Deanna B. Narveson Staff writer: Caitie Burkes, Julia-Claire Evans Digital content editor: Mark Clements Contributing writers: Sam Barnes, Tom Cook, Holly Duchmann, Maggie Heyn Richardson Contributing photographers: Brian Baiamonte, Marie Constantin, Don Kadair, Tim Mueller, Collin Richie

COVER STORY - PAGE 37

ADVERTISING

Sales director: Kerrie Richmond Senior account executives: Marielle Land-Howard, Kelly Lewis Account executives: Mary Katherine Bernard, Mandi Bryant, Taylor Fountain Advertising coordinator: Brittany Nieto

CORPORATE MEDIA

Editor: Lisa Tramontana Content strategist: Allyson Guay Multimedia Strategy Manager: Tim Coles Account executives: Judith LaDousa Client Experience Coordinator: Studio E: Nicole Prunty

CUSTOM PUBLISHING

Sales director: Erin Palmintier-Pou

MARKETING

Chief marketing officer: Elizabeth McCollister Hebert Marketing & events assistant: Taylor Falgout Events: Abby Hamilton Community liaison: Jeanne McCollister McNeil

ADMINISTRATION

Assistant business manager: Tiffany Durocher Business associate: Kirsten Milano Office coordinator: Tara Lane Receptionist: Cathy Varnado Brown

PUBLISHER’S VIEW 10 Is flooding in Baton Rouge a crime scene?

STARTUP

13 Data Bank: Numbers tell the story 15 3 Things to Know: Darlene Adams Rowland 17 Entrepreneur: Misti and Brumby Broussard 19 Evolution of an Idea: The Nines Botanicals 20 Design: Walker City Hall 22 5 most expensive homes on the Baton Rouge market 29 Tom Cook on real estate 32 Business Lunch: SoLou

Circulation/Reprints 225-928-1700 email: circulation@businessreport.com

©Copyright 2021 by Louisiana Business Incorporated. 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 $59.00 for 12 issues, with 3 additional issues published annually in April, May 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.

Continued on page 6

CONNECT WITH US:

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A publication of Louisiana Business Inc. Chairman: Rolfe H. McCollister Jr. Executive assistant: Tara Broussard President & CEO: Julio A. Melara Executive assistant: Brooke Motto

Volume 39 - Number 14

35 First Class Travels: Park City, Utah

twitter.com/brbizreport

Audience development director and digital manager: James Hume Audience development coordinator: Ivana Oubre Audience development associate: Jordan Kozar

Subscriptions/Customer Service 225-421-8181 email: subscriptions@businessreport.com

30 Bottom Line: Economic indicators

facebook.com/businessreport

Production manager: Jo Glenny Art director: Hoa Vu Graphic designers: Melinda Gonzalez, Emily Witt

AUDIENCE DEVELOPMENT

12 Big Story: No Longer a benefit Will the expiration of federal unemployment payments mean a surge in Baton Rouge-area job applicants?

businessreport.com

PRODUCTION/DESIGN

instagram.com/brbizreport

BUSINESS REPORT, July 2021 | BusinessReport.com

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Your Plans.

Your Progress.

Our Priority.

Two relationship-driven banks, both leaders in the industry, have officially joined forces.

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IBERIABANK, a division of First Horizon

Daily-Report.com | BUSINESS REPORT, July 2021

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CONTENTS

NEWS 91 A multifront conflict A legal battle between Brown & Root and a new consulting arm of CSRS is about more than what meets the eye: At stake is getting a leg up in the growing renewable energy sector.

95 Business interests The 2021 legislative session was one of the best in recent years for the business community.

98 Carbon struggles Momentum is building for carbon capture storage projects in Louisiana, but numerous obstacles and objections remain.

103 Aire of the Tiger How a biotech engineer in Virginia and an LSU football team in search of a pandemic solution came together to create a helmet air circulation system for a sport in which cooler heads often prevail.

107 A material matter Product shortages, rising costs and soaring demand are making it difficult for homebuilders to keep pace.

110 Market forces Struggling to fill jobs, employers are increasing wages to attract and retain workers.

114 Law and innovation Mo Vij and his 365 Labs is using technology to improve the efficiency of police operations as well as build greater transparency with the public.

116 Online venture Restaurants are investing in online ordering systems as a way to control costs and better serve customers.

118 Be our guest After a year the hospitality industry would rather forget, there’s optimism that visitors will begin returning to Capital Region attractions.

123 Harvesting business Approaching its 25th year, the Red Stick Farmers Market has helped scores of small businesses survive and grow.

127 Waterfront properties Pandemic restrictions prompted a surge in staycation pool construction.

VIEWPOINT 139 The Big Picture: The beauty and effectiveness of citizen activists 140 Random Thoughts: A freedom cry for college athletes 142 Essay: A message to Louisiana: Start watching 144 Guest: Three steps to building a DEI plan

YOUR BUSINESS 147 Company News 153 Moving Up 160 Flashback: 1995 162 Passion: Dr. John “J.J.” Tabor/tournament fishing

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BUSINESS REPORT, July 2021 | BusinessReport.com

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HB21-BRBR-8.875x10.875.pdf

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• 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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7/1/21 10:14 AM

PUBLISHER’S VIEW

Is flooding in Baton Rouge a crime scene?

ROLFE MCCOLLISTER JR. HOW IS IT that areas of Baton Rouge and homes that did not used to flood, now flood? And why is it that hundreds of millions of dollars have been approved for numerous projects and some— Comite Diversion Canal—aren’t yet finished after 40 years?

The answers lie in a crime of negligence, incompetence, stupidity, a lack of leadership and drive or even worse.

Have we, as Louisiana natives, simply come to expect this malfeasance, resigning ourselves to accept a defeatist mentality of “that’s the way it is here?” When the floods come, we reflexively gut our homes, get new cars and file insurance claims—never considering there might be a better way.

This is insane.

Time after time we see homes and streets flood and the response from those in charge is always the same: “Well it rained a whole lot in a short period of time and our system can’t handle that.” It doesn’t take a rocket scientist— or scores of new studies—to take a look around and see wetlands that once held water now support apartment complexes or subdivisions, diverting water into a system “that just can’t handle this.”

So, who are the geniuses responsible for how water drains in Baton Rouge? Who determines— and enforces—the regulations that allow development in flood zones? Who decides the mitigation and impact fees charged to developers?

Is our drainage system substandard, and are the regulations and mitigations faulty, or is the problem that some in local 10

government are too busy providing waivers for the politically connected?

One of the mayor’s men is Fred Raiford, who seemingly has never met a waiver he didn’t like.

Raiford is listed as the director of the city-parish department of transportation and drainage. He served in city-parish government for 30 years before retiring as then head of DPW in 2004. Thirteen years later, Mayor Sharon Weston Broome recruited him back, naming him to this key position.

I’ve been critical of the hire since it was announced, believing we were going backwards. As Albert Einstein said, “We can’t solve problems by using the same kind of thinking we used when we created them.” After decades of the Raiford way, we call on him again, believing he can solve our transportation and drainage issues? As I said then, Raiford, the darling of the developers, helped create many of our traffic and drainage problems courtesy of waivers and poor planning. (He once told me, “We never thought the city would grow past College Drive.”)

Wake up Baton Rouge. We are reaping what we sowed.

It was sad to watch on TV as an elderly woman was standing in her home that had flooded—a home that never flooded before.

She wondered what she would do next. She is owed an answer for what happened? Who is responsible to her?

I don’t think there is a criminal offense here, but I wouldn’t be surprised to see civil lawsuits filed.

We are also seeing neighboring Iberville and Ascension parishes enact new permit moratoriums until they get a handle on flooding. Sadly, officials there should have seen this coming and better protected its citizens, but many there also lacked the vision and drive to enact standards before the problem became an emergency. (As an aside, the Ascension Parish Council is the real joke these days.)

Broome needs to take action and hire the best transportation

and drainage expert in the country—even if that means paying a top salary (more than her own). At present, what our city, state and Corp of Engineers is doing—or not doing—is costing all of us millions of dollars in losses.

The mayor sent out an email last week touting $20 million in proposed new flood projects headed by Kelvin Hill in her office.

She said, “Since the Flood of 2016, drainage has been a top priority for my administration. These proposed projects complement other major drainage initiatives like the Comite River Diversion Canal and Five Tributaries Project, which will provide formidable relief in reducing potential flood risk.” Mayor, it has been 4 1/2 years and recent flooding was worse in some areas.

We need solutions and standards for 2021, not folks who think like it’s still the 1980s.

Where there is a will, there is a way. Mayor, hire a leader who has the experience and vision to fix the flooding.

PICK UP THE LITTER Recently, the Louisiana Storm Water Coalition—a Baton Rougebased grassroots organization dedicated to cleaning up litter in the Capital Region’s watersheds— purchased a litter-trapping boom with private donations and will place it in Bayou Fountain just upstream from the paddle boat launch at BREC’s Highland Road Park.

This group of concerned citizens is trying to figure out who can clean the boom regularly and is talking to BREC. I would argue since the boom will capture trash that began on the streets before being swept into the storm drains and then the waterways, that public works should do it. DPW is responsible for the litter and trash on our streets. And if this is the same trash the boom will gather then DPW should handle it.

These booms are part of a stormwater plan that has been mandated by the federal government and DEQ and our parish is way behind in handling its responsibilities, finding itself at risk of a consent decree and fines.

The days of kicking cans of litter down the road (and into waterways) must end. Solutions and action are long overdue.

CATS NEEDS CHANGES On the Oct. 9 ballot the CATS bus system will ask you to renew a property tax for 10 more years that’s responsible for generating much of its $30 million budget.

If renewed, it would actually be a tax increase to homeowners since CATS, which previously rolled back the millage in 2020, is asking for the original 10.6-mil amount.

My inclination at this point is to oppose the renewal as I still don’t see the well-performing and innovative agency that I expect as a taxpayer. This isn’t about defunding CATS or eliminating public transportation to those who need it, but it is about defeating a tax so that the agency can then come back with a far more reasonable millage rate and a plan for more efficient operations.

And to do that, I would propose the city contract out the management of our bus system, much like it does with the management of the Cane’s River Center operation with ASM Global. This has been proposed before and gets violent opposition from unions and “big government” lovers who defend the status quo.

Privatization is not always a magic pill but with the pace of change and need for innovation, one often finds it can offer an improvement in government-run services. So how would we accomplish getting this done? Send CATS, the Metro Council and mayor a loud and clear message at the ballot box in October by cutting off the money. It’s your money and they need to listen.

CONGRATS TO THE TOP 100 Hat’s off to the Top 100 private companies recognized in this issue. These companies and the people who work there contribute so much to our local economy.

From jobs created, to support for vendors, to philanthropy, they make a huge impact and lead the way in the Capital Region. Our thanks to them all.

BUSINESS REPORT, July 2021 | BusinessReport.com

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• 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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ISTOCK

STARTUP

TH E B IG STORY

No longer a benefit Will the expiration of federal unemployment payments mean a surge in Baton Rouge-area job applicants? BY CAITIE BURKES HEADLINER: Federal pandemic unemployment payments are set to expire in Louisiana on July 31.

DID YA’ KNOW: Gov. John Bel Edwards is the first Democratic governor to end the federal payments early.

WHY IT MATTERS: Amid a massive labor shortage, Baton Rougearea employers are hopeful the move—which Edwards agreed to in exchange for a $28 boost to Louisiana’s maximum weekly unemployment benefits beginning next year—will prompt a rash of job applications throughout July.

• It’s predicted to provide needed relief for the Capital Region’s food and accommodation industry, which posted 20% more job openings in April 2021 than it did in February 2020, before the pandemic. Andrew Fitzgerald,

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senior director of business intelligence for the Baton Rouge Area Chamber, expects somewhere in the “upper hundreds, maybe low thousands” of people returning to jobs at restaurants, bars and hotels once the federal payments expire.

• The retail industry could also see some job growth, with some 4,000 job openings to date.

However, that figure is roughly the same as before COVID-19.

• Meanwhile, the construction industry—which, over the past decade, has accounted for much of the job growth in the nine-parish region but was devastated during the pandemic—will likely notice small job gains as the industry right-sizes itself organically, with more projects coming down the pipeline.

YES, BUT: Nearly 4,000 of the job openings being advertised in the Capital Region are within the professional business services sector, which Fitzgerald says is more likely the result of “mismatched skill placement” than the $300 supplemental federal pandemic unemployment benefit. The solution to this issue, according to local employers, is an increased focus on upskilling the existing workforce.

• Rising child care costs is another factor that is at least anecdotally holding back jobless people from returning to the workplace. Nationally, the cost of a child care center has jumped 47% on average amid the pandemic, according to a September 2020 report from the Center for American Progress.

THE BIG PICTURE: Ultimately, the current labor shortage is a complicated issue that can be traced back to a variety of causes, and not all of them will be solved by the end of the month.

• Fitzgerald estimates just 15% to 20% of unemployed people in the Baton Rouge area are avoiding going back to work because of the federal benefits alone.

WHAT’S NEXT: The full effect of Louisiana turning off the federal pandemic unemployment payments won’t be realized until mid-August job data is available in late September.

• However, the job market is pressuring employers to raise their wages, a trend that is expected to play out throughout Baton Rouge over the third quarter and beyond.

BUSINESS REPORT, July 2021 | BusinessReport.com

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7/1/21 10:36 AM

Issue Date: July 2021 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. 2021. All rights reserved. Phone 225-928-1700 • Fax 225-926-1329 DATA BANK

Numbers tell the story

BIG SPACE. BIG RESULTS. YOUR BIG DEAL IS

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$993

$1,078 | 8.6%

OUR BUSINESS.

ISTOCK

Average weekly wages in Louisiana for December 2020 and December 2021, and the year-over-year percentage increase

SOLD

23 YEARS

2414 Bunker Hill – 152,000 SF

Projected worst-case scenario for length of construction on the longawaited I-10 widening project in Baton Rouge

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SOLD

1585 Commercial Drive – 53,000 SF

$38 billion

Legislature-approved state operating budget for the next fiscal year

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SOLD

$22.7 million Value of contract secured by Baton Rougebased Stephenson Stellar Corp., a new, nonprofit corporation founded by LSU alumnus and philanthropist Emmet Stephenson and his wife, Toni. The project includes providing the military with tools and techniques to facilitate defensive cyber operations for space.

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Sherwood Towers I & II – 113,800 SF *These transactions were brokered or co-brokered by Saurage Rotenberg Commercial Real Estate, LLC

H.N. “Hank” Saurage IV, CCIM

Edward L. Rotenberg, SIOR

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Sources: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Daily Report, Associated Press, LSU

Daily-Report.com | BUSINESS REPORT, July 2021

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BUSINESS REPORT, July 2021 | BusinessReport.com

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STARTUP

EXECUTIVE BRIEFING

3 THINGS TO KNOW:

DARLENE ADAMS ROWLAND Executive director, BREADA | Red Stick Farmers Market & Main Street Market

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Darlene Adams Rowland fell in love with farmers markets while backpacking in Europe. An Alabama native, Rowland moved to Baton Rouge to attend LSU. It was following a semester of study in Spain that she backpacked across Europe for a month with other LSU students. “You see so much culture at farmers markets.”

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She has a background in the finance industry. Following college, she worked as an account executive in the finance industry.

After the 2008 market crash, Rowland wanted to do something more community based and started looking for opportunities in the nonprofit sector—which is when she discovered the Big River Economic and Agricultural Development Alliance, better known as BREADA.

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DON KADAIR

She aims to attract younger farmers to the local markets. After 13 years at BREADA, Rowland took the organization’s helm at the beginning of the year. For her, it’s all about growth. She aims to expand the nonprofit’s impact by partnering with other like-minded community organizations as well as increase the number of farmers selling at local markets. “The farmers demographic is changing. I’m always looking to the future.”

Making sheet pan chicken “I love it because I can take whatever vegetables are in season at the farmers market, chop them up and toss them with salt and pepper, and roast it with the chicken—one dish, one cleanup.”

BLDG 5 “Me and my two boys can walk there from my house.

It’s a good family outing.”

Gin “I take gin as my base, add Perrier lime, and then add fresh muddled fruits and herbs.”

COURTESY BRAVO TV

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FAVORITE THINGS:

Traveling “In college, I really loved the Spanish culture and language—I studied abroad in Mexico and Spain.”

Cooking shows “I love Top Chef.”

Daily-Report.com | BUSINESS REPORT, July 2021

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• 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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INDUSTRY INSIGHTS

Expert Advice:

How to ensure your meeting rooms support hybrid workers

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s employees return to the office, they’re finding video calls in meeting rooms more issue-prone than calls they’ve been successfully making from home over the past year. This is particularly challenging for organizations with over eight meeting rooms where workers move between various unfamiliar meeting room configurations.

To support the return to office, leaders need to find a way to: • Provide a consistent, familiar way to connect to Microsoft Teams, Zoom or both from within meeting rooms—regardless of meeting location.

• Reduce downtime and system outages without overburdening IT staff.

• Ensure audio and video communication is reliably clear.

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AV Solutions, headquartered in Baton Rouge, has been keeping meeting rooms easy to use for Louisiana HQs Gulf South sites for over 16 years. They create AV systems that “break less and fix faster” for corporate meeting rooms, boardrooms, emergency operations centers, and higher education classrooms.

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3 Ways to create better meeting room video calls Meetings that include both remote and in-room participants can be frustrating. Some common pain points are: • Not seeing or hearing other participants clearly throughout the call • Varying and unfamiliar AV setup and operation—between home and office as well as across the organization’s varied meeting rooms— creates user confusion and is difficult to support, draining limited IT resources • Slow, ineffective or non-existent technical support; often compounded by overburdened or under-equipped IT resources

How do you solve these issues?

1 2 3

IDENTIFY AND CLARIFY DEPARTMENT NEEDS. Do they need Microsoft Teams, Zoom, both, or others? Do they need specific capabilities like wireless presenting and/or whiteboarding?

What’s the frequency of meetings? How many in-person vs. remote participants?

IDENTIFY THE HARDWARE, SOFTWARE, AND TECHNOLOGY THAT COLLECTIVELY SOLVES THE ORGANIZATION’S NEEDS. Poor, under-thought decisions (lengthy start-up process for the in-room PC or incompatible user devices and in-room equipment) and inadequate hardware (microphones with limited pickup range) are the leading causes of long-term issues. Clear communication requires hardware that works well for ALL factors (e.g., room environment, IT systems, user expectations and user behaviors, etc.).

CREATE A SUPPORT PLAN THAT WORKS FOR USERS AND YOUR LIMITED IT RESOURCES. How and who do you notify when there is an issue? Is there a delay in reporting details to a person who can do something about the problem in a timeframe that’s needed? Does the notification process create excessive demand for AV expertise on a busy IT-focused support team?

BUSINESS REPORT, July 2021 | BusinessReport.com

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STARTUP

ENTREPRENEUR

Misti and Brumby Broussard Owners, BLDG 5

WHAT THEY DO: Restaurant

ADDRESS:

2805 Kalurah St., Baton Rouge

NEXT GOALS: Build brand

LIGHTS

Both born and raised in the South, Misti and Brumby Broussard met in Hollywood in 2000 while working on a movie set. In 2002, the couple decided to move to San Diego and open a business together to create their own opportunities. The pair opened a modern art gallery and furniture studio, which they operated for 13 years. As their son approached school age, and with their parents still living in Louisiana and Texas, the Broussards began planning their move back to the South. Brumby, a culinary school graduate, has a passion for cooking and entertaining, so the couple ultimately decided they’d move to Baton Rouge and open a restaurant. “We felt like there was a culinary bubble in Baton Rouge and we wanted to be a part of that,” Misti says.

CAMERA The couple’s original business plan envisioned a fast-casual restaurant, but once they moved from California they struggled to make it a reality. “We couldn’t raise the money, we couldn’t find the perfect location,” Brumby says. “We started saying, ‘Let’s just do more catering and raise the money.’”

Brumby found the building and back patio that would ultimately become BLDG 5, tucked beneath the Perkins Road Overpass. It took roughly three years of work, but the Broussards opened BLDG 5 in November 2019.

ACTION

“The food industry has changed. Five star doesn’t have to mean white table cloths. You can have good food and a great environment without that.”

—Brumby Broussard

It was the space, they say, that dictated the style of the restaurant, which is now a sit-down eatery with a menu designed for sharing, though they acknowledge customer demand and the pandemic also were factors in making the shift. They also got a delivery van and started stocking fridges at the front of the establishment with soups, pastas and drink mixes. “When the restaurants closed from the pandemic, it just flipped the script for us. Failure wasn’t an option—we’ve been planning this for over six years.” The pivot appears to be serving the business well. In May, new customers accounted for 53% of business. The restaurant recently expanded with a midday menu and a rooftop bar.

Moving forward, the couple say they want to boost the BLDG 5 brand with bottled lemonades in area groceries and branded glasswares in the in-house marketplace.

—By Holly Duchmann • Photography by Collin Richie

Daily-Report.com | BUSINESS REPORT, July 2021

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7/1/21 10:40 AM

[ BUILT ON ]

EXPERIENCE SITE DEVELOPMENT HEAVY CIVIL CONCRETE ENVIRONMENTAL ROADS & INFRASTRUCTURE

BEARDCONSTRUCTIONGROUP.COM

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PEOPLE

EVOLUTION of an idea

SPRING 2020:

About a month into the pandemic, Beck starts to develop acne around her mouth and on her cheeks from frequent mask wearing. As the world hunkers in place, Beck and her family start experimenting at home with DIY face masks.

SUMMER: Noticing

promising results from using all-natural and simple ingredients on her face, Beck begins researching how she can share her findings with others. Her father begins mentoring her.

By the end of the summer, Beck has a list of potential producers for her facial products.

DECEMBER: After receiving OCTOBER: The

Beck team flies out to meet producers at their facility in Texas. Beck begins working on packaging and labelling for her new brand.

a batch of sample products, Beck begins testing and narrowing down which products she wants her line to carry. Friends and family help her with testing and she decides to move forward and launch with three products: a cleanser with exfoliating beads, a serum with vitamin C, and a moisturizing cream.

SPRING 2021: Beck

expands her product line with a facial mist, MasSpritz.

B ECK I LY

GROWING UP IN Donaldsonville, Emily Beck watched her father, John Beck Jr., grow The Assessment Company.

Those memories would embolden Beck to start a skin care company shortly after R U graduating high school and deCO veloping a particularly nasty case of “maskne”—acne caused by the frequent wearing of masks due to the pandemic. Beck, now at Nicholls State University, launched her company, The Nines Botanicals, with products designed to fight maskne.

EM

2020

The Nines Botanicals

TE SY

NEWS

—Holly Duchmann

2021 JANUARY: Beck officially launches her skin care company, The Nines Botanicals—”The Nines” being a play on the idiom “to the nines”—as a subsidiary of her father’s investment firm B1 Companies Inc. Beck’s initial launch focuses on using social media to drive online sales.

IN THE WORKS: As

a member of Gen Z, Beck is a big fan of TikTok and intends to wrangle some local influencers to promote her skin care products on the platform as well as on Instagram. She also plans to launch an affiliate program, where influencers can earn a small commission for helping sell her products.

Daily-Report.com | BUSINESS REPORT, July 2021

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STARTUP

REAL ESTATE

DESIGN

WALKER CITY HALL 13600 Aydell Lane, Walker PHOTOGRAPHY BY TIM MUELLER

20

Owner: City of Walker Architect: Labarre Associates Contractor: Stuart and Company Cost: $5.9 million Completed: May 2021 Use: Local government FORM FOLLOWS FUNCTION: ““Our main goal for the new City Hall was to have space for future expansion. We now have a third floor we plan to rent out to business tenants needing office space when available. The new building is more modern and spacious, with upgrades like a drive-thru for utility payments and a larger courtroom.“ —Lisa Frey, executive administrative assistant

1. The new $5.9 million, 26,000-square-foot Walker City Hall is built on property originally developed in 1853 by Michael Milton, one of the city’s pioneers. The three-story building has a brick, cast stone and glass exterior.

2. A spacious, two-story glass entry leads to the reception desk and City Council chamber. The project was designed by Labarre Associates and the general contractor was Stuart and Company.

3. The second floor of Walker City Hall is occupied by the city finance department, municipal clerk, city attorney and the mayor’s office. The third floor is designed to accommodate future growth, but currently is available for lease by private-sector businesses.

4. At the heart of the new City Hall is a 144-seat council chamber that also doubles as a city court.

BUSINESS REPORT, July 2021 | BusinessReport.com

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4.6%

ALC/VOL

100 CALORIES PER CAN

MADE WITH

REAL FRUIT

GLUTEN FREE

SIP AriZona SunRise™ RESPONSIBLY. © 2021 Imported by Moonshot Beverage Company, White Plains NY.

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STARTUP

REAL ESTATE

5

MOST EXPENSIVE HOMES on the Baton Rouge market WHILE THE EMERGENCE of the pandemic last year made sellers second-guess putting their homes on the market, that reluctance has since receded. There’s been an influx of homes on the market with

22

a multimillion-dollar price tag, though that doesn’t mean there’s been a surge in multimillion-dollar buyers. It takes a special kind of buyer, often one with a lot of cash upfront, to consider homes in this price range,

says real estate veteran Quita Cutrer. This year’s most expensive home on the market is the two-time-list-topping Paula Pennington de la Bretonne estate on Highland Road. Listing prices for the most expensive homes

are considerably higher this year and many of them could have topped the list in previous years.

Here’s a look at the five highest-priced homes on the market as of mid-June.

—Holly Duchmann

BUSINESS REPORT, July 2021 | BusinessReport.com

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$14,000,000 1 11001 Highland Road, Baton Rouge Bedrooms: 5 Bathrooms: 6.5 Year built: 2006 Square footage: 25,372 Agent: Quita Cutrer List date: December 2019 Description: For a second consecutive year, this Mediterranean-style home in the heart of Baton Rouge tops the list. Formerly owned

by Paula Pennington de la Bretonne, the 12.5-acre estate features a two-story living room with a wall of windows and dual chandeliers. The home also features an elevator, a pool, first-floor master suite with a sitting room, media room and exercise pool.

South Louisiana Bank

in Baton Rouge!

5379 Highland Rd.

Baton Rouge, LA

(225) 408-5020 Daily-Report.com | BUSINESS REPORT, July 2021

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STARTUP

REAL ESTATE

$7,995,000 2 1100 Knollwood Drive, Baton Rouge Bedrooms: 4 Bathrooms: 5.5 Year built: 2009 Square footage: 8,670 Agent: Quita Cutrer List date: November 2020 Description: Custom designed by local architect Bill Powell, this 6.5-acre estate is outfitted with several floor-to-ceiling window features including a sunroom overlooking the pool area.

TURNAROUND SERVICES

SPECIALTY WELDING

CAPITAL PROJECTS

CATALYST HANDLING

Optimal not only met our needs but went beyond our expectations and finished the job days early.”

- VA L U E D C L I E N T

“ Optimal's team raised the bar and educated us on how a specialty contractor company is supposed to act and perform. We will no longer settle for less. Optimal is our go-to contractor.”

- VA L U E D C L I E N T

24

BUSINESS REPORT, July 2021 | BusinessReport.com

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$6,499,999 3 18002 N. Mission Hills Ave., Baton Rouge Bedrooms: 6 Bathrooms: 7.5 Year built: 1995 Square footage: 11,509 Agent: Quita Cutrer List date: December 2020 Description: Known as a crown jewel of The Country Club of Louisiana, this 5.3acre estate features views of the club’s Jack Nicklausdesigned golf course and features additional lots on-site that are already subdivided.

The home has recently been outfitted with a pool, hot tub and fire pit.

improving

of

QUALITY LIFE NURSING REHABILITATION CENTER, LLC

“ We know Mom is being taken care of. The attention and quality of care she receives gives us peace and comfort knowing that she is in good hands!

”

711 West Cornerview Road P.O. Box 370 Gonzales, LA 70737 225-644-6581 www.ascensionoaksnursingandrehab.com Facebook.com/AscensionOaksNursingandRehab

Linda S.

LLC

Daily-Report.com | BUSINESS REPORT, July 2021

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STARTUP

REAL ESTATE

$5,430,000 4 10112 Wood Duck Drive, Baton Rouge Bedrooms: 6 Bathrooms: 6.5 Year built: 2006 Square footage: 13,357 Agent: Paul Burns, Burns & Co. List date: November 2020 Description: This nearly 60-acre estate is bordered by Mallard Lake and a private pond, creating a peninsula. A formal study in the home features a European stone fireplace and a tasting room adjoins the temperaturecontrolled wine room.

26

BUSINESS REPORT, July 2021 | BusinessReport.com

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$4,950,000 5 4979 Highland Road, Baton Rouge Bedrooms: 3 Bathrooms: 2.5 Year built: 1840s Square footage: 4,124 Agent: Jerry Del Rio List date: May 2021 Description: Nestled along the historic Highland Road corridor, this 6.18-acre property is the oldest estate on the list. Built more than 170 years ago, the two-story home is framed by live oaks and has been updated over the years with modern amenities.

Issue Date: July 2021 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. 2021. All rights reserved. Phone 225-928-1700 • Fax 225-926-1329

Your Insurance Specialists PERSONAL

COMMERCIAL

Auto • Home • Life • Boat • Flood • Renters • Motorcycle

We can customize a plan as individual as you are.

BLUMBERG AND ASSOCIATES www.blumbergassoc.com

8560 Jefferson Hwy (225) 767-1442

805 North Range Avenue (225) 665-8146

1180 Hwy 51 North (985) 386-3874

Baton Rouge

Denham Springs

Ponchatoula Daily-Report.com | BUSINESS REPORT, July 2021

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7/1/21 10:54 AM

Issue Date: July 2021 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. 2021. All rights reserved. Phone 225-928-1700 • Fax 225-926-1329

W ’RE BACK The past 15 months have been an incredible journey

In April ’20, at the height of the pandemic, we housed the Navy nurses deployed to Baton Rouge to reopen Baton Rouge General Mid City Hospital.

In April we had 140 Navy Service Members staying with us to staff the Bon Carre mass vaccination site.

Last summer we had more than 200 National Guard soldiers staying with us to support Louisiana’s burst testing and tracing initiatives.

S RVING YOU Find out why we’re BR’s most selected hotel* by vacationers, business travelers, groups, and meeting planners.

4914 Constitution Ave. | Baton Rouge, LA 70808 (225) 924-6566 | Sales: (225) 228-7166

BATONROUGE.EMBASSYSUITES.COM *Based on Smith Travel Research market data from March, 2020, to present.

28

BUSINESS REPORT, July 2021 | BusinessReport.com

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STARTUP

REAL ESTATE

Lake Park shopping center sells “We had one large 3,000-squarefoot tenant vacate and subdivided that space into three 1,000-squarefoot spaces. That brought us a lot of activity,” Canella says.

The center is populated with mostly local tenants including Pocorello’s Cupcake Junkie.

11800 INDUSTRIPLEX BLVD. This is an interesting deal because of its history. The building sold June 8 for $430,000, or about $66 per square foot. This is Unit 1 in the Metro Center, one of the THE LAKE PARK strip shopping first, if not the first, light-induscenter sold June 7 for $1.37 million, trial condominium developments or about $110 per square foot. Joey in Baton Rouge. The Metro Center Canella with Stirling Properties was constructed on a parcel was the listing agent and repwithin the Industriplex subdiviresented the seller, Parkland sion. The subdivision was develProperties LLC. The purchaser, oped in the early 1980s by Jim Oriental Pearl BR LLC, was repreSumrow, and was marketed by the sented by Steve Gao with REMAX real estate brokerage company First.

The center has remained Reynolds, Sumrow and Scruggs.

Issue Date: July 2021 Ad proof #2 fairly occupied and Mike Falgoust was an agent with • Pleasewell respond by e-mail or fax witheven your approval or minor revisions.

• AD WILL RUN AS a IS 92% unless occupancy approval or final revisions 24 hours and marketed much maintained rate are received the within company from receipt of this proof. A shorter timeframe will apply for tight deadlines. during the pandemic. of the development.

• Additional revisions must be requested and may be subject to production fees.

TOM COOK

“We were marketing the development in the early 1980s, and I remember the interest rate was 18 percent,” Falgoust says. “Mr. Sumrow built the Metro Center speculatively, and it was the first tilt-wall concrete building built speculatively.”

Scott Guidry with Derbes Falgoust Commercial Real Estate acted as listing agent for the seller, Reynolds Metro LLC. “This is the last unit owned by one of the original owners in the Metro Center project,” Guidry says. The buyer was 8865 Property Hold LLC. Phillip Cazayou with Pennant Real Estate represented the purchaser as broker. Representing 8865 Property Hold LLC was Kelwin Clark, president of ISCOLA Inc., an industrial valve company that also owns a building on Sunbelt Court. ISCOLA will expand into the Metro Center unit.

ANTONIA CONDO PLAZA UNIT SELLS

Landsaf Properties LLC, represented by Jason Safford, sold a 2,211-square-foot unit at 4463 La. 1 South in Brusly. The sale closed June 1 for $420,000, or about $198 per square foot.

Donnie Jarreau with Jarreau Real Estate acted as broker for the seller. Safford developed Antonia Condo Plaza and has been successful in generating occupants like the Lake After Hours clinic and Peak Performance Physical Therapy. The purchaser was Broaden Properties LLC, represented by Tory Deshotels. Clinton Shepard with NAI/Latter & Blum Commercial represented the purchaser as broker. “The new owner intends to continue to rent the property to Lanoix Insurance and has no plans to change the property at this time.” Shepard says.

Tom Cook of Cook, Moore, Davenport and Associates has been an independent real estate appraiser for more than 20 years.

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

LEADING THE WAY WITH SPECIALIZED CARE FOR CHILDREN WITH MEDICALLYFRAGILE HEALTH CONDITIONS LEADERS CARING FOR OUR FUTURE LEADERS! Congratulations to our own Renita Williams Thomas for graduating from Leadership Academy!

In Loving Arms Pediatric Day Health Center offers a combination of Skilled Nursing, Education and Therapy in a child-friendly environment, likened to a day care setting. Our team of nurses, therapists and early childhood education specialists are trained to handle various cases with the utmost precision, dedication and competence. Health services and transportation are provided. if you are a physician looking for a patient referral source, please give us a call.

INLOVINGARMS.COM | 225.359.9777 | 2315 HARDING BLVD. BATON ROUGE, LA 70807 Daily-Report.com | BUSINESS REPORT, July 2021

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7/1/21 10:57 AM

ECONOMY

The bottom line

$18.2 MILLION Sales tax collections in East Baton Rouge Parish for March 2021

18 17 16 15 14 13 12 11

UNEMPLOYMENT TRACKER

$234,973

Median home sale price for East Baton Rouge Parish for May 2021

238 235 232 229 226 223 220 217 214 211 208 205 202 199 196 193

REAL ESTATE TRACKER

M

J

J

A

M J J A S O N D J F M A 2020 2021

SALES TAX TRACKER M A M J J A S O N D J F M 2020

56 54 52 50 48 46 44 42 40 38 36 34 32 30 28 26

52

Rigs operating inland and offshore Louisiana (as of June 25) RIG TRACKER

S O N D J F 2020 13-month comparison

M A M 2021

$25.5 MILLION

26 25 24

Total revenue earned

by Baton Rouge’s three riverboat casinos in May 2021

23 Collective revenue (millions)

East Baton Rouge Parish unemployment rate in April 2021

13.0 12.0 11.0 10.0 9.0 8.0 7.0 6.0 5.0 4.8 4.6 4.4 4.2 4.0 3.8 3.6 3.4 3.2 3.0 2.8 2.6

Tax dollars (millions)

6.3%

Unemployment percentage

The latest indicators giving insight on how well Baton Rouge’s economy is performing. BY HOLLY DUCHMANN

Sales price (thousands)

STARTUP

22 21 20 19 18 17 16 15

CASINO REVENUE TRACKER

10 0 J

J

A

S O 2020

N

D

J

F

M A 2021

M

13-month comparison J J A S O N D J F M A M J 2020 2021

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.

When morning came to Louisiana, we were wide awake.

Ready for what’s next. And as we begin anew, Blue Cross stands ready to support you. bcbsla.com

01MK7553 04/21

30

BUSINESS REPORT, July 2021 | BusinessReport.com

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Six feet apart or six feet together—it’s all in how you see it. What we see is Louisiana.

Whether it’s familiar faces working together in person or our free ePerks that make life simpler anywhere, any time, we’re always working for Louisiana.

redriverbank.net 225-923-0232 Alexandria • Baton Rouge • Lake Charles • Northshore • Shreveport

28-31 SU Tom Cook-BottomLine.indd 31

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STARTUP

TASTE

1

SOLOU

BY MAGGIE HEYN RICHARDSON • PHOTOGRAPHY BY COLLIN RICHIE

SINCE IT OPENED in March in the former Rum House on Perkins Road, SoLou has been a magnet for diners clamoring to get back to normal. Owners Peter Sclafani, Kiva Guidroz and Michael Juban invested in an update to the former Caribbean-themed space, retooling the bar and dining room with a contemporary Southern look, and removing an outdoor bar to significantly expand outdoor courtyard seating.

A broad menu of modern, casual Creole fare gives diners lots of options at lunch, including several multi-ingredient salads, shareable boards, fancy sandwiches and upcycled comfort food. Lighter dishes like Gulf fish and vegetables in parchment are sprinkled amid a mostly robust lineup that includes “chicken fried chicken” with mashed sweet potatoes and rosemary tasso cream, shrimp and grits and fried softshell crab amandine.

The biggest lunchtime seller, says Sclafani, is the SoLou burger, a gourmet version made with ground short rib, brisket and chuck, along with several housemade toppings. A close second is the rotisserie chicken, in which roast chicken is pulled in-house and piled on rosemary ciabatta with truffle aioli, homemade pesto, provolone, lettuce, heirloom tomatoes and bacon. It’s served with french fries and housemade smoked ketchup.

The bar offers wines by the glass, craft cocktails and a signature frozen beverage, the Julep Freeze, made with Buffalo Trace bourbon, club soda, lemon, honey and mint.

32

2

3

One of the more popular lunchtime items is the in-house pulled rotisserie chicken on rosemary ciabatta with a side of fries cooked in bacon fat.

SoLou has an extensive beer, wine and craft cocktail menu, including the Strawberry Hill, which is strawberry-infused gin with lemon and simple soda.

Located in the former Rum House on Perkins Road, the space has been updated, retooling the bar and dining room with a contemporary Southern look while also expanding outdoor courtyard seating.

ADDRESS: 7246 Perkins Road PHONE: 225-256-7070 WEB: www.eatsolou.com CUISINE: Contemporary Southern and Creole cuisine OWNERS: Peter Sclafani, Kiva Guidroz and Michael Juban SCENE: Tree-canopied patio, high-energy dining room, weekend brunch PRICING: $$

BUSINESS REPORT, July 2021 | BusinessReport.com

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STARTUP

GOOD LIFE

FIRST CLASS TRAVELS:

Park City, Utah

COURTESY STEIN ERIKSEN LODGE DEER VALLEY

ISTOCK

COURTESY PARKCITY.ORG

COURTESY VISIT PARK CITY

COURTESY MONTAGE HOTELS

ISTOCK

A home to some of the events during the 2002 Salt Lake City Winter Olympics, Park City, Utah, serves as a colorful ski destination. Colleen Waguespack, owner and founder of Colleen Waguespack Interiors and Fig & Dove, suggests how to make the most of this Western escape. Founded as a mining town, Park City now offers a luxurious skiing experiences—with a lot fewer hassles than Colorado, Waguespack says. “It’s a great, sophisticated, mountain town with preserved buildings, but there’s also a great upscale scene with restaurants.”

WHERE TO STAY

WHERE TO EAT

LIVE LIKE A LOCAL

WHAT TO DO

NOT TO BE MISSED

WASHINGTON SCHOOL HOUSE HOTEL

MONTAGE DEER VALLEY

BIKING

MCPOLIN FARM

ALPENGLOBES

If there are no kids in tow, Waguespack recommends booking at the Washington Schoolhouse Hotel, a small, boutique downtown hotel with a heated pool terraced on the hillside.

“Go here for lunch and eat on the deck. You get gorgeous views of the city and mountains. You’re truly sitting on the mountains.”

“You see people biking everywhere. There are trails along the railroad tracks that gradually go up the mountain.”

Set into the mountain, this former dairy farm is “the most picturesque thing in Park City,” Waguespack says.

The Stein Eriksen Lodge Deer Valley offers four life-size “Alpenglobes” to reserve for dinner on a deck overlooking the mountains. The domes are climate controlled and can seat up to six people. “It’s like eating in your own modern igloo. There’s always blankets and stuff in there.”

Daily-Report.com | BUSINESS REPORT, July 2021

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7/1/21 11:03 AM

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COVER STORY

CONTENTS Index of the Top 100 private companies..............................38

Capital Region’s largest employers ...............................................67

Top 100 private companies ...............................................................40

Top nonprofits ..........................................................................................................73

A look back ............................................................................................................61

Louisiana’s Top 20 public companies..........................................75

Top 100 revenue by industry .............................................................62

Louisiana’s highest paid public company CEOs............76

Top three companies by industry .................................................65

Daily-Report.com | BUSINESS REPORT, July 2020

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7/1/21 11:06 AM

INDEX

Acme Refrigeration of Baton Rouge LLC ........................ 52 All Star Automotive Imports LLC dba All Star Automotive Group ..................................... 42 Area Wholesale Tire Co. LLC ............................................. 52 Arkel Group ............................................................................ 47 Associated Grocers Inc. ...................................................... 40 Austin Fire Systems .............................................................. 56 AWC Inc.................................................................................. 42 Barber Brothers Contracting Co. ...................................... 55 Bardwell Construction Co. LLC dba Bardwell Homes ....................................................... 58 BBQGuy’s Manufacturing LLC dba Blaze Outdoor Products ......................................... 52 Beard Construction Group LLC......................................... 52 Bengal Transportation Services LLC ................................ 55 Block Companies LLC ......................................................... 52 Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana......................... 40 Brian Harris Automotive Group .......................................... 47 Brown & Root Industrial Services LLC ............................. 40 Cajun Industries LLC ............................................................ 42 Capitol City Produce Company LLC ................................ 49 Cherbonnier Mayer & Associates Inc. dba CMA Technology Solutions.................................... 55 Click Here Publishing LLC dba Click Here Digital ......... 55 Community Coffee Company LLC .................................... 42 Compliance EnviroSystems LLC ....................................... 55 CSRS Inc................................................................................ 56 DelVal Flow Controls USA LLC.......................................... 58 DEMCO .................................................................................. 44 DPI Management Company LLC ....................................... 58 Dream LT LLC dba Mercedes-Benz of Baton Rouge .... 40 Dynamic Construction Group LLC .................................... 50 ET International LLC dba Fabre Group............................. 47 Excel Group ............................................................................ 40 Facilities Maintenance Management LLC ........................ 58 Ford Bacon & Davis LLC ..................................................... 49 GEO Heat Exchangers LLC................................................ 56

Gerry Lane Enterprises Inc. ................................................ 44 Group Industries LLC ........................................................... 50 Guarantee Restoration Services........................................ 49 Hollingsworth Richards Automotive Group ..................... 44 Iron Horse Financial Inc. ...................................................... 56 ISC Constructors LLC ......................................................... 44 J Blount Companies/Blount General Contractors ......... 58 JB James Construction LLC ............................................... 52 JM Test Systems Inc. ............................................................ 52 Kleinpeter Farms Dairy LLC ................................................ 58 L&B Holdings LLC ................................................................ 47 Lard Oil Company Group .................................................... 42 Lavigne Oil Company ........................................................... 50 Lee Michaels Jewelers LLC dba Lee Michaels Fine Jewelry ...................................... 50 Level Construction and Development LLC dba Level Homes .............................................................. 50 Lipsey’s LLC ........................................................................... 40 Louisiana Workers Compensation Corp. aka LWCC ... 44 Luba Casualty Insurance Company .................................. 49 Lyons Specialty Co. .............................................................. 47 Manda Packing Co. LLC dba Manda Fine Meats ........... 56 MAPP LLC .............................................................................. 47 Master Vac Industrial Services/ Dynamic Environmental Services.................................. 56 Milton J. Womack Inc. ........................................................... 49 MMR Group Inc..................................................................... 40 Mockler Beverage Co. ......................................................... 49 Moody-Price LLC .................................................................. 55 Notoco Industries .................................................................. 58 Optimal Field Services LLC ................................................ 56 P&P Automotive Interests LLC dba Team Automotive Group ......................................... 44 Pala Group Inc. ...................................................................... 50 Performance Contractors Inc. ............................................ 40 Postlethwaite & Netterville APAC ...................................... 52 PreSonus Audio Electronics ............................................... 49

Price LeBlanc LLC ................................................................ 42 ProSource Wholesale Flooring .......................................... 50 Raising Cane’s USA LLC dba Raising Cane’s Chicken Fingers ........................... 40 Ralph Sellers Auto Group: Chrysler Dodge Jeep Hyundai Chevrolet .................... 44 Ralph’s Market ....................................................................... 52 Republic Finance LLC .......................................................... 42 REV Broadband .................................................................... 47 Robinson Brothers Ford Lincoln LLC ............................... 49 Roofing Solutions LLC ......................................................... 55 Royal Automotive Group LLC ............................................. 47 Salsbury’s Dodge City LLC dba Salsbury’s Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram ................. 50 Savard Labor & Marine Inc. ................................................. 58 Setpoint Integrated Solutions Inc. ..................................... 44 ShoppersChoice.com LLC dba BBQGuys..................... 44 Sigma Engineers and Constructors .................................. 58 Smith Tank & Steel ................................................................ 47 Sparkhound LLC ................................................................... 58 Specialty Welding and Turnarounds LLC......................... 42 Sterling International LLC .................................................... 42 Stonetrust Commercial Insurance Co. ............................. 55 Stuart & Co. General Contractors LLC ............................ 56 Surgical Specialty Center of Baton Rouge ..................... 52 The Celtic Group ................................................................... 49 The NeuroMedical Center APMC ..................................... 55 The Newtron Group LLC ..................................................... 42 The Spine Hospital of Louisiana ........................................ 44 Transformyx LLC .................................................................... 55 Turner Industries Group LLC .............................................. 40 Utility Holdings dba Baton Rouge Water Co. ................. 50 Valluzzo Companies.............................................................. 47 Volks Constructors ............................................................... 56 Walk-On’s Enterprises ......................................................... 56 Wampold Companies .......................................................... 50 Window World of Baton Rouge LLC ................................ 49

Challenges are everywhere.

So are solutions.

© 2021 Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. | 39660

38

BUSINESS REPORT, July 2021 | BusinessReport.com

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OUR COMMITMENT To uphold the safety and well-being of our employees and the communities we serve.

WE DELIVER EXCELLENCE

CONSTRUCTION | MAINTENANCE & TURNAROUNDS | FABRICATION | DISASTER RECOVERY

Daily-Report.com | BUSINESS REPORT, July 2021

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LISTMAKERS

HOW THE LIST COMES TOGETHER

ISTOCK

IN THE SPRING, Business Report sent out announcements and emails to all companies on our recent Top 100 lists, as well as to those identified as possible qualifiers and those suggested by readers. We also placed notices on our websites, asking companies to post their information or submit it to us.

We followed up with emails, phone calls and research to confirm the data. In some cases we looked at related industry performance reports and other business compilations to estimate revenue.

Some companies declined to reveal their numbers, so we relied on public information and sources to make reasonable estimates. Those companies are denoted in the list’s footnotes.

Companies were ranked according to their reported or estimated revenue for the most recently completed fiscal year, which in most cases was the calendar year 2020.

Top 100 private companies ranked by total revenue

PREV. RANK

COMPANY ADDRESS PHONE | WEBSITE

TOP LOCAL EXECUTIVE

2020/2019 TOTAL REVENUE % CHANGE

LOCAL/TOTAL EMPLOYEES

LOCAL/TOTAL LOCATIONS HEADQUARTERS YEAR ESTAB.

1

1

Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana 5525 Reitz Ave., Baton Rouge 70809 225-295-3307 | 800-495-2583 | bcbsla.com

I. Steven Udvarhelyi President and CEO

$4.51 billion $4.01 billion 12.45%

1,951 2,396

1/9 Baton Rouge 1934

Mutually owned health insurance

2

2

Turner Industries Group LLC 8687 United Plaza Blvd., Baton Rouge 70809 225-922-5050 | turner-industries.com

Stephen M. Toups President

$2.36 billion $3.11 billion -24.24%

9,230 18,885

7/16 Baton Rouge 1961

Full-service industrial contractor construction, maintenance, fabrication, equipment and rigging.

3

3

Raising Cane's USA LLC dba Raising Cane's Chicken Fingers 100 North St., Suite 802, Baton Rouge 70802 225-383-7400 | raisingcanes.com

Todd Graves Founder and CEO

$1.75 billion $1.5 billion 16.67%

1,080 30,650

19/538 Baton Rouge 1996

Restaurant company

4

4

Performance Contractors Inc. 9901 Performance Way, Baton Rouge 70810 225-751-4156 | performance-contractors.com

Art E. Favre Chairman

$1.16 billion $1.27 billion -8.98%

2,000 5,000

2/12 Baton Rouge 1979

Industrial construction

5

5

Brown & Root Industrial Services LLC 2600 Citiplace Drive, Suite 500, Baton Rouge 70808 225-778-7655 | brownandroot.com

Andy Dupuy President and CEO

$955.97 million(1) $1.01 billion -5.35%

DNR DNR

13/27 Baton Rouge 1919

Engineering, construction, turnaround, maintenance and specialty services including cooling towers and soft crafts

6

14

Lipsey's LLC 7277 Exchequer Drive, P.O. Box 83280, Baton Rouge 70809 225-755-1333 | 800-666-1333 | lipseys.com

Laurie Lipsey Aronson Chairwoman and CEO

$785.2 million $473 million 66%

140 140

1/1 Baton Rouge 1953

Wholesale distributor of firearms

7

8

Associated Grocers Inc. 8600 Anselmo Lane, Baton Rouge 70810 225-769-2020 | agbr.com

Manard M. Lagasse Jr. President and CEO

$753 million $673 million 11.89%

550 637

1/1 Baton Rouge 1950

Wholesale grocery distributor

8

7

Dream LT LLC dba Mercedes-Benz of Baton Rouge 10949 Airline Highway, Baton Rouge 70816 225-490-3101 | mbobr.com

Joseph A. Agresti Owner

$628 million $696 million -9.77%

92 532

1/6 Baton Rouge 1992

Luxury automotive sales and service

9

9

Excel Group 8641 United Plaza Blvd., Baton Rouge 70809 225-408-3647 | excelusa.com

David E. Roberts CEO

$621 million $632 million -1.74%

1,500 5,479

5/12 Baton Rouge 1983

Refining, chemical and petrochemical, midstream, terminals, pharmaceutical, renewable energy

10

6

MMR Group Inc. 15961 Airline Highway, Baton Rouge 70817 225-756-5090 | mmrgrp.com

James "Pepper" Rutland President and CEO

$608 million $752 million -19.15%

610 4,000

1/30 Baton Rouge 1985

Chemical and petrochemical downstream; oil and gas upstream and midstream; industrial manufacturing; power generation

DBA-doing business as DNR-did not respond NR-not ranked To be featured in Business Report's Listmakers, Top 100 private companies must have significant presence in the nine-parish Capital Region. The Business Report presumes the provided information is accurate. Information about 209 firms will be available to subscribers on our website. To be considered for next year's list, please contact Alaine Keisling at research@businessreport.com. Published July 2021.

(1) Estimate

40

PRODUCTS OR SERVICES

Researched by Alaine Keisling

BUSINESS REPORT, July 2021 | BusinessReport.com

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Daily-Report.com | BUSINESS REPORT, July 2021

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7/1/21 11:23 AM

LISTMAKERS

A ROLLER COASTER YEAR

ISTOCK

WHILE THE TOP five remained the same, there was plenty of movement elsewhere in this year’s ranking of the Top 100 private companies—much of it related to the pandemic as well as an increase in severe weather.

The number of Top 100 companies sustaining year-over-year revenue declines (54) was greater than those who posted revenue growth (45), and the collective tally of this year’s class was $25.2 billion, a decline of 1.9% from last year’s list.

Reshuffling was the order of business for the list’s second five, with one company dropping out of the top 10 and Lipsey’s LLC shooting its way to No. 6, from 14th, on this year’s list with 66% year-over revenue growth. Six top 10 companies saw revenues decline while four posted gains.

Mother Nature’s wrath was especially hostile last year and that’s reflected on the list by the two largest revenue gainers—No. 49 Guarantee Restoration Services (356.9%) and No. 58 Dynamic Construction Group LLC (1,273.4%)—doing business in the disaster recovery sector.

Top 100 private companies ranked by total revenue

PREV. RANK

COMPANY ADDRESS PHONE | WEBSITE

TOP LOCAL EXECUTIVE

2020/2019 TOTAL REVENUE % CHANGE

LOCAL/TOTAL EMPLOYEES

LOCAL/TOTAL LOCATIONS HEADQUARTERS YEAR ESTAB.

11

11

All Star Automotive Imports LLC dba All Star Automotive Group 13000 Florida Blvd., Baton Rouge 70815 225-298-3210 | allstarautomotive.com

Matthew G. McKay President and CEO

$576.37 million $518.07 million 11.25%

679 679

12/12 Baton Rouge 1987

Automobile sales, automotive service, wholesale and retail parts, five collision repair facilities

12

15

Republic Finance LLC 7031 Commerce Circle, Baton Rouge 70809 225-927-0005 | republicfinance.com

Rex Ellison President and CEO

$465.21 million $430.58 million 8.04%

213 1,182

6/225 Baton Rouge 1955

Consumer finance

13

13

Cajun Industries LLC 15635 Airline Highway, P.O. Box 104, Baton Rouge 70821-0104 225-753-5857 | 800-944-5857 | cajunusa.com

Todd Grigsby CEO

$462.09 million(1) $488.21 million -5.35%

DNR DNR

3/4 Baton Rouge 1973

General, civil and mechanical construction; deep foundations, marine work, fabrication, building construction

14

16

Price LeBlanc LLC 13250 Airline Highway, Baton Rouge 70817 225-408-1100 | leblancauto.com

Brent P. LeBlanc President

$396.74 million $399.39 million -0.66%

304 397

3/4 Baton Rouge 1965

Automobile sales and service

15

10

The Newtron Group LLC 8183 W. El Cajon Drive, Baton Rouge 70815 225-927-8921 | thenewtrongroup.com

Newton B. Thomas CEO

$387 million $543 million -28.73%

1,470 3,275

6/15 Baton Rouge 1973

Industrial electrical and instrumentation services

16

22

Sterling International LLC 18212 E. Petroleum Drive, Suite 6-A, Baton Rouge 70809 225-756-1606

Shane Richardson President and CEO

$341.27 million $289.3 million 17.96%

5 20

1/3 Baton Rouge 1992

Plastics industry

17

20

Specialty Welding and Turnarounds LLC 40492 Cannon Road, Gonzales 70737 225-644-1200 | swatservice.com

Johnny Holifield President

$305 million $309 million -1.29%

850 2,800

1/3 Gonzales 2014

18

18

Community Coffee Company LLC 3332 Partridge Lane, Bldg. A, Baton Rouge 70809 225-291-3900 | 800-884-5282 | communitycoffee.com

David Belanger President and CEO

$304.94 million(1) $375 million(2) -18.68%

DNR DNR

4/23 Baton Rouge 1919

19

17

Lard Oil Company Group 914 Florida Ave. SW, Denham Springs 70726 225-664-3311 | lardoil.com

Johnny Milazzo President and CEO

$297.9 million $375.6 million -20.69%

183 422

6/31 Denham Springs 1922

20

19

AWC Inc. 6655 Exchequer Drive, Baton Rouge 70809 225-752-1100 | awc-inc.com

Bob Wenyon CEO

$282.73 million $339.5 million -16.72%

137 426

5/33 Baton Rouge 1965

DBA-doing business as DNR-did not respond NR-not ranked To be featured in Business Report's Listmakers, Top 100 private companies must have significant presence in the nine-parish Capital Region. The Business Report presumes the provided information is accurate. Information about 209 firms will be available to subscribers on our website. To be considered for next year's list, please contact Alaine Keisling at research@businessreport.com. Published July 2021.

(1) Estimate (2) Industry sources

42

PRODUCTS OR SERVICES

General mechanical and specialty welding in the petrochemical and refining sector

Coffee and coffee products

Multistate fuels and lubricants distributor; convenience store operator; filtration services; national fleet card Industrial instrumentation, automation, electrical, and valves, flow control products and lifecycle services Researched by Alaine Keisling

BUSINESS REPORT, July 2021 | BusinessReport.com

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STRATEGY • BRANDING • ADVERTISING • MEDIA • CREATIVE • DIGITAL • SOCIAL • PR

Explore the Unknown. Create the Memorable.

TM

Trusted brands trust SASSO. Let’s talk. | SASSOagency.com

SASSO_BusRepAd_0721.indd 1

6/29/21 1:18 PM

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LISTMAKERS

1,273.4% AND THIS YEAR’S BIGGEST GAINER IS…

ISTOCK

Dynamic Construction Group LLC, specializing in governmental construction, project management and disaster recovery services, saw its revenues explode 1,273.4% to $69.11 million, up from $5.03 million the previous year. The 18-year-old Baton Rougebased company checks in at No. 58 on the Top 100 after failing to earn a spot in last year’s rankings.

Top 100 private companies ranked by total revenue

PREV. RANK

COMPANY ADDRESS PHONE | WEBSITE

21

33

P&P Automotive Interests LLC dba Team Automotive Group 1788 O'Neal Lane, Baton Rouge 70816 225-273-7981 | 800-270-5880 | team-toyota.com

22

28

Gerry Lane Enterprises Inc. 6505 Florida Blvd., Baton Rouge 70806 225-926-4600 | gerrylane.com

23

23

Louisiana Workers Compensation Corp. aka LWCC 2237 S. Acadian Thruway, Baton Rouge 70808 225-924-7788 | lwcc.com

24

12

ISC Constructors LLC 20480 Highland Road, Baton Rouge 70817 225-756-8001 | iscgrp.com

25

27

Hollingsworth Richards Automotive Group 7787 Florida Blvd., Baton Rouge 70806 225-927-5555 | hollingsworthrichards.com

26

43

27

TOP LOCAL EXECUTIVE

2020/2019 TOTAL REVENUE % CHANGE

LOCAL/TOTAL EMPLOYEES

LOCAL/TOTAL LOCATIONS HEADQUARTERS YEAR ESTAB.

Preston Petersen Owner/operator

$277.67 million $235.11 million 18.1%

332 372

3/4 Baton Rouge 1988

Automobile sales

Eric Lane President

$269.83 million $227.75 million 18.48%

290 290

3/3 Baton Rouge 1966

Automobile sales and service

Kristin W. Wall President and CEO

$266.65 million $286.56 million -6.95%

207 207

1/1 Baton Rouge 1991

Private, nonprofit mutual workers' compensation insurance company

Jerry Rispone Co-founder, owner and CEO

$256 million $490 million -47.76%

1,035 1,556

1/3 Baton Rouge 1989

Industrial electrical, instrumentation and controls company providing engineering, construction and maintenance services

Mike Hollingsworth, Kent W. Richards, Polly R. Lemoine, Gaye R. Hollingsworth Partners

$230.65 million $234 million -1.43%

169 268

4/5 Baton Rouge 1996

Automotive sales and service

ShoppersChoice.com LLC dba BBQGuys 8151 Airline Highway, Baton Rouge 70815 877-743-2269 | bbqguys.com

Russ Wheeler CEO

$227.62 million $130.09 million 74.97%

280 280

1/1 Baton Rouge 1998

Online e-commerce retailer

24

Setpoint Integrated Solutions Inc. 19011 Highland Road, Baton Rouge 70809 225-753-3290 | setpointis.com

Matt Bate President and CEO

$226.9 million $268.9 million -15.62%

170 633

1/13 Baton Rouge 1959

Industrial services and solutions for automation, valve, pressure relief, instrument and filtration needs

28

30

Ralph Sellers Auto Group: Chrysler Dodge Jeep Hyundai Chevrolet 14215 N. Airline Highway, P.O. Box 1208, Gonzales 70737 225-644-7542 | ralphsellers.com

Ralph Sellers Jr Manager/member

$195.95 million $186.34 million 5.16%

158 158

3/3 Gonzales 1984

Automobile sales and service

29

29

DEMCO 16262 Wax Road, Greenwell Springs 70739 844-693-3626 | 844-693-3626 | demco.org

Randy Pierce CEO and general manager

$195.86 million(1) $212.21 million -7.71%

254 254

7/7 Central 1938

Electric distribution cooperative business model

30

31

The Spine Hospital of Louisiana 10105 Park Rowe Circle, Baton Rouge 70810 225-763-9900 | theneuromedicalcenter.com

Robert D. Blair President and CEO

$195.62 million $173.44 million 12.79%

162 162

1/1 Baton Rouge 2004

DBA-doing business as DNR-did not respond NR-not ranked To be featured in Business Report's Listmakers, Top 100 private companies must have significant presence in the nine-parish Capital Region. The Business Report presumes the provided information is accurate. Information about 209 firms will be available to subscribers on our website. To be considered for next year's list, please contact Alaine Keisling at research@businessreport.com. Published July 2021.

(1) Estimate

44

PRODUCTS OR SERVICES

Minimally invasive laser, robotic-assisted and complex spinal surgery; comprehensive pain management Researched by Alaine Keisling

BUSINESS REPORT, July 2021 | BusinessReport.com

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Local roots.

Wide net.

Strategic support with a whole-business approach.

assurance – consulting – tax – technology At P&N, our services go beyond a traditional accounting firm. We focus on serving and supporting the Gulf South communities around us.

P&N provides our clients with a 360˚ approach, casting a wide net to gather information on every challenge they may face. Our nationally-recognized professionals then translate those challenges into actionable opportunities and provide experienced guidance and a technology-based foundation from our wide suite of services.

Postlethwaite & Netterville. A Professional Accounting Corporation

pncpa.com

Daily-Report.com | BUSINESS REPORT, July 2021

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7/1/21 11:27 AM

We congratulate Business Report’s Top 100 Companies and are honored to be among such a distinguished group.

While the criteria for the Top 100 is based primarily on revenue, reaching this pinnacle is about much more than moving product.

It’s about providing superior goods and exceptional services. It’s about earning trust and building relationships. It’s about attention to detail, being accessible and quick to respond.

And even if you’re not family-owned, it’s about treating your people like they were your own.

Because without them, no one would be on anyone’s list. Between our crew, our customers and the other 99, we feel like we’re in very good company. So, from everyone at Window World we humbly thank you for this award.

WindowWorld-BTR.com • (225) 706-2100 • 8405 Airline Hwy

40-59 TOP100-LIST.indd 46

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LISTMAKERS

Where they are located…

81 East Baton Rouge Parish

12

3

Ascension Parish

3

West Baton Rouge Parish

1

Livingston Parish

Iberville Parish

Top 100 private companies ranked by total revenue

PREV. RANK

COMPANY ADDRESS PHONE | WEBSITE

TOP LOCAL EXECUTIVE

2020/2019 TOTAL REVENUE % CHANGE

LOCAL/TOTAL EMPLOYEES

LOCAL/TOTAL LOCATIONS HEADQUARTERS YEAR ESTAB.

PRODUCTS OR SERVICES

31

26

Smith Tank & Steel 42422 Louisiana 30, Gonzales 70737 225-644-8747 | smith-tank.com

Sam Smith Jr., Billy Smith Owners

$180.35 million $234.4 million -23.06%

450 450

1/1 Gonzales 1997

Above-ground storage tank and ASME pressure vessel construction, maintenance and repair; mechanical and civil construction services

32

32

REV Broadband 913 S. Burnside Ave., Gonzales 70737 225-621-4300 | eatel.com

Joshua Descant CEO

$178.07 million $172.03 million 3.51%

275 392

12/20 Gonzales 1935

Telecommunication provider, home security, data center, cloud virtualizations and managed IT

33

37

Valluzzo Companies 8710 Jefferson Highway, Baton Rouge 70809 225-300-8960

John C. Valluzzo, Nicholas Valluzzo, Michael Valluzzo Owners

$176.52 million $159.57 million 10.62%

1,500 3,000

1/3 Baton Rouge 2010

Restaurants

34

36

Arkel Group(1) 1048 Florida St., Baton Rouge 70802 225-344-1023 | arkelconstructors.com

John H. Fife, George Knost Owners

$158.89 million $162.7 million -2.34%

102 342

1/3 Baton Rouge 1981

Commercial construction, commercial and industrial maintenance, trucking and intermodal drayage, international infrastructure services

35

35

Brian Harris Automotive Group 11955 Airline Highway, Baton Rouge 70817 225-272-6500 | brianharrisautogroup.com

Richard J. Martorana Platform manager

$154.5 million $165.57 million -6.69%

179 179

3/3 Baton Rouge 1984

Automobile sales, parts, service

36

44

Royal Automotive Group LLC 9325 Airline Highway , Baton Rouge 70815 225-924-0400 | royalautomotivegroup.com

Brad Smith President

$154.32 million $122.95 million 25.52%

149 149

4/4 Baton Rouge 1978

Automobile sales and service

37

34

L&B Holdings LLC 708 Highway 190, Port Allen 70767 225-387-0955 | landbtransport.com

Louis Vielee President

$153.8 million $168.82 million -8.89%

288 DNR

3/3 Port Allen 1984

38

39

ET International LLC dba Fabre Group 13550 Airline Highway, Baton Rouge 70817 225-753-8400 | acurabr.com

David L. Fabre, John B. Fabre Member/dealers

$144.69 million $152.81 million -5.31%

146 215

3/5 Baton Rouge 1986

Automobile sales

39

40

MAPP LLC 344 Third St., Baton Rouge 70801 225-757-0111 | mappbuilt.com

Michael A. Polito President and CEO

$143.65 million $148.73 million -3.42%

67 159

2/4 Baton Rouge 1991

New construction, tenant improvement projects, facility renovations and facility maintenance

40

41

Lyons Specialty Co. 2800 Louisiana 1, Port Allen 70767 225-356-1319 | 800-264-1319 | lyons-aav.com

Hugh Raetzsch Owner and CEO

$143.06 million $127.54 million 12.17%

90 105

1/1 Port Allen 1923

DBA-doing business as DNR-did not respond NR-not ranked To be featured in Business Report's Listmakers, Top 100 private companies must have significant presence in the nine-parish Capital Region. The Business Report presumes the provided information is accurate. Information about 209 firms will be available to subscribers on our website. To be considered for next year's list, please contact Alaine Keisling at research@businessreport.com. Published July 2021.

(1) Arkel Constructors LLC and Arkel International LLC

Liquid bulk transportation, chemical bulk trailer leasing, fuel sales, real estate leasing and video poker operations

Wholesale grocery distributor for convenience store retail and food service

Researched by Alaine Keisling

Daily-Report.com | BUSINESS REPORT, July 2021

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7/1/21 11:30 AM

We are pleased to announce our new shareholders!

LEFT TO RIGHT:

James Andermann, Vice President of Operations Donald Brinkman, PE, SWLA Geographic Lead Stephanie Phillips Gros, PE, PTOE, Transportation Market Lead Stokka Brown, MS, PE, CFM, Water Resources Market Lead

With demands on our aging infrastructure increasing every day, it is critical we start planning for the future now. We provide the leadership and technical assistance for our clients to execute the planning, design, construction, and maintenance of public infrastructure, fulfilling our mission of building stronger, smarter communities together.

Civil Engineering Hydrology and Hydraulics Development Advisory Disaster Recovery Economic Development Site Selection Environmental Planning Governmental Advisory Planning Program Management Right-of-Way Survey

When planning for the resilient future of our port infrastructure, transportation systems, or water resources, our leaders help communities achieve goals today, with tomorrow in mind.

6767 Perkins Road, Suite 200, Baton Rouge, LA 70808 | www.csrsinc.com BATON ROUGE, LA | NEW ORLEANS, LA | LAKE CHARLES, LA | DALLAS, TX | LONG BEACH, CA | MIAMI, FL

40-59 TOP100-LIST.indd 48

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LISTMAKERS

45

UPS AND DOWNS THE PANDEMIC’S IMPACT on business was clearly felt on this year’s Top 100 private companies list as for the first time more companies lost revenue year-over-year (54) than gained (45). One company had flat revenue. The average percentage gain among winners was 18.02%, with retreaters declining by an average of 15.22%. A year ago, revenue gains averaged 17.91%, with declines at 9.72%.

54

Top 100 private companies ranked by total revenue

PREV. RANK

COMPANY ADDRESS PHONE | WEBSITE

41

38

Milton J. Womack Inc. 8400 Jefferson Highway, Baton Rouge 70809 225-924-8050 | mjwomack.com

42

42

43

TOP LOCAL EXECUTIVE

2020/2019 TOTAL REVENUE % CHANGE

LOCAL/TOTAL EMPLOYEES

LOCAL/TOTAL LOCATIONS HEADQUARTERS YEAR ESTAB.

PRODUCTS OR SERVICES

Steve N. Carville Sr. President

$133.5 million $156.53 million -14.71%

72 85

1/15 Baton Rouge 1964

General contractor

Ford Bacon & Davis LLC 12021 Lakeland Park Blvd., Baton Rouge 70809 225-292-0050 | fbd.com

Ray Sherman President

$120.67 million $133.29 million -9.46%

410 670

4/8 Baton Rouge 1973

Multidiscipline engineering, procurement and construction

56

Window World of Baton Rouge LLC 8405 Airline Highway, Baton Rouge 70815 225-706-2100 | windowworldinfo.com

James Roland CEO

$115.11 million $88.3 million 30.36%

93 219

1/7 Baton Rouge 2002

Specialty contractor

44

57

Capitol City Produce Company LLC 16550 Commercial Ave., Baton Rouge 70816 225-272-8153 | capitolcityproduce.com

Paul Ferachi Owner

$111.4 million $86.5 million 28.79%

228 265

2/3 Baton Rouge 1947

Produce and specialty items; wholesale, retail and logistics

45

45

Robinson Brothers Ford Lincoln LLC 11455 Airline Highway, Baton Rouge 70816 225-293-8900 | robinsonbrothers.com

Maxwell "Chip" Robinson III, Maxwell "Mackie" Robinson Jr. Owners

$110.94 million(1) $118.27 million(1) -6.2%

DNR DNR

1/1 Baton Rouge 1946

Automobile sales

46

65

PreSonus Audio Electronics 18011 Grand Bay Court, Baton Rouge 70809 225-216-7887 | presonus.com

Jim Boitnott COO

$98.41 million $60.29 million 63.25%

80 140

1/5 Baton Rouge 1995

Audio hardware, software, sound reinforcement, broadcast, sound design and education, internet audio

47

52

Mockler Beverage Co. 11811 Reiger Road, Baton Rouge 70809 225-408-4283 | mocklerbeverage.com

Timothy Mockler Owner

$94.55 million $91.95 million 2.83%

140 140

1/1 Baton Rouge 1987

Wholesale beverage distribution

48

48

The Celtic Group 3888 S. Sherwood Forest Blvd., Bldg. 1, Baton Rouge 70816 225-752-2490 | 877-752-2359 | celticgroup.com

Michael J. O'Connor Chairman and CEO

$93.2 million(1) $102.69 million -9.25%

DNR DNR

2/8 Baton Rouge 1985

Transportation and logistics, movie studio production facility, steamship agency, real estate management

49

NR

Guarantee Restoration Services 11811 Dunlay Lane, Baton Rouge 70809 225-753-8682 | guaranteerestoration.com

Shawn Folks CEO

$90 million $19.7 million 356.85%

85 140

1/5 Baton Rouge 1974

Disaster recovery services

50

59

Luba Casualty Insurance Company 2351 Energy Drive, Suite 2000, Baton Rouge 70808 225-389-5822 | 888-884-5822 | lubawc.com

David J. Bondy Founder and CEO

$80 million $80 million 0%

95 95

1/1 Baton Rouge 1991

Regional workers' compensation carrier

DBA-doing business as DNR-did not respond NR-not ranked To be featured in Business Report's Listmakers, Top 100 private companies must have significant presence in the nine-parish Capital Region. The Business Report presumes the provided information is accurate. Information about 209 firms will be available to subscribers on our website. To be considered for next year's list, please contact Alaine Keisling at research@businessreport.com. Published July 2021.

(1) Estimate

Researched by Alaine Keisling

Daily-Report.com | BUSINESS REPORT, July 2021

40-59 TOP100-LIST.indd 49

49

7/1/21 11:32 AM

LISTMAKERS

13

NUMBER OF TOP 100 COMPANIES THAT HAD REVENUE GROWTH OF 25% OR HIGHER IN 2020: #58 Dynamic Construction Group LLC ............ 1,273.4%

#65 BBQGuy’s Manufacturing LLC dba Blaze Outdoor Products ........................... 39.8%

#49 Guarantee Restoration Services ................... 356.9%

#88 CSRS Inc. ............................................................ 35.7%

#95 DPI Managment Company LLC ..........................77%

#76 Transformyx LLC ................................................. 31.3%

#26 ShoppersChoice.com LLC dba BBQGuys ......75%

#43 Window World of Baton Rouge LLC ............. 30.4%

#6 Lipsey’s LLC ...............................................................66%

#44 Capitol City Produce Company LLC .............. 28.8%

#46 PreSonus Audio Electronics ............................ 63.3%

DOWN FROM 15 LAST YEAR

#36 Royal Automotive Group LLC .......................... 25.5%

#64 Area Wholesale Tire Co. LLC .......................... 42.1%

Top 100 private companies ranked by total revenue

PREV. RANK

COMPANY ADDRESS PHONE | WEBSITE

2020/2019 TOTAL REVENUE % CHANGE

TOP LOCAL EXECUTIVE

Todd Waguespack, John M. Engquist, Ryan Engquist Owners

$79.99 million $97.89 million -18.29%

32 32

1/1 Baton Rouge 2005

Residential construction and development

Daniel Kennedy CEO and owner

$78.7 million $70.73 million 11.27%

120 197

6/15 Baton Rouge 1999

Wholesale flooring

Chip Lavigne President

$76.85 million $105.79 million -27.35%

50 DNR

5/5 Baton Rouge 2009

Shell, Chevron and Texaco jobber; Chip's To Go markets; wholesale fuel distributor

Scott Barringer CEO

$76 million $91 million -16.48%

270 338

2/4 Baton Rouge 1973

Employee-owned industrial construction and maintenance

LOCAL/TOTAL EMPLOYEES

LOCAL/TOTAL LOCATIONS HEADQUARTERS YEAR ESTAB.

PRODUCTS OR SERVICES

51

50

Level Construction and Development LLC dba Level Homes 402 N. Fourth St., Baton Rouge 70802 225-338-6120 | levelhomeslifestyle.com

52

63

ProSource Wholesale Flooring 3049 S. Sherwood Blvd., Baton Rouge 70816 225-248-4811 | prosourcewholesale.com

53

47

Lavigne Oil Company 11203 Proverbs Ave., Baton Rouge 70816 225-952-7900 | lavigneoil.com

54

54

Pala Group Inc. 16347 Old Hammond Highway, Baton Rouge 70816 225-272-5194 | palagroup.com

55

55

Salsbury's Dodge City LLC dba Salsbury's Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram 13939 Airline Highway, P.O. Box 40387, Baton Rouge 70835 225-926-8800 | salsburys.com

Leah Salsbury Duval President

$74.61 million(1) $89.39 million -16.54%

DNR DNR

1/1 Baton Rouge 1986

Automobile sales

56

51

Group Industries LLC 15055 Jefferson Highway, P.O. Box 83560, Baton Rouge 70817 225-752-2500 | group-industries.com

David H. Arrighi Sr. CEO and owner

$72 million $93 million -22.58%

150 200

1/2 Baton Rouge 1996

Industrial contractor, refineries, chemical and petrochemical facilities

57

58

Wampold Companies 4171 Essen Lane, Suite 450, Baton Rouge 70809 225-215-1800 | wampold.com

Mike Wampold CEO

$69.18 million $81.07 million -14.67%

69 115

16/21 Baton Rouge 1982

Property management; real estate development

58

NR

Dynamic Construction Group LLC 3045 Westfork Drive, Baton Rouge 70816 225-570-6377 | dynamicgrp.com

Joshua P. McCoy CEO

$69.11 million $5.03 million 1,273.43%

47 47

1/1 Baton Rouge 2017

Governmental construction services

59

61

Utility Holdings dba Baton Rouge Water Co. 8755 Goodwood Blvd., Baton Rouge 70806 225-231-0328 | batonrougewater.com

Patrick J. Kerr President and CEO

$68.72 million(1) $72.6 million -5.35%

DNR DNR

1/7 Baton Rouge 1986

Water utility

60

64

Lee Michaels Jewelers LLC dba Lee Michaels Fine Jewelry 5630 Bankers Ave., Baton Rouge 70808 225-291-9094 | lmfj.com

Scott J. Berg President

$66.7 million $60.88 million 9.56%

72 149

3/10 Baton Rouge 1978

Fine jewelry and gifts

DBA-doing business as DNR-did not respond NR-not ranked To be featured in Business Report's Listmakers, Top 100 private companies must have significant presence in the nine-parish Capital Region. The Business Report presumes the provided information is accurate. Information about 209 firms will be available to subscribers on our website. To be considered for next year's list, please contact Alaine Keisling at research@businessreport.com. Published July 2021.

(1) Estimate

Researched by Alaine Keisling

All rankings are determined solely through independent research. Highlighted entries are for those companies that pay a fee for an upgraded listing after their eligibility for the list has been determined.

50

BUSINESS REPORT, July 2021 | BusinessReport.com

40-59 TOP100-LIST.indd 50

7/1/21 3:12 PM

Commercial Real Estate Services, Worldwide

We bring the property to you.

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has the tools and experience to guide you through the real estate process from start to finish, from virtually anywhere.

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Daily-Report.com | BUSINESS REPORT, July 2021

40-59 TOP100-LIST.indd 51

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7/1/21 11:34 AM

LISTMAKERS

NUMBER OF TOP 100 COMPANIES THAT HAD A REVENUE DECLINE OF 10% OR HIGHER IN 2020:

26 UP FROM 11 LAST YEAR

#24 ISC Constructors LLC ................................. -47.8% #82 Optimal Field Services LLC ........................ -36.4% #100 Sparkhound LLC ......................................... -33.3% #81 Master Vac Industrial Services/Dynamic Environmental Services ................................ -30.2% #2 Turner Industries Group LLC ......................... -24.2% #15 The Newtron Group ...................................... -28.7% #94 Sigma Engineers and Constructors .......... -28.5% #53 Lavigne Oil Company ................................... -27.4% #67 JB James Construction LLC........................ -23.6% #31 Smith Tank & Steel ........................................ -23.1% #56 Group Industries LLC ................................... -22.6% #96 Notoco Industries LLC ................................. -22.4% #19 Lard Oil Company Group ............................ -20.7% #93 Savard Labor & Marine Inc. ............................. -20%

#10 MMR Group Inc. ............................................ -19.2% #18 Community Coffee Company LLC ............ -18.7% #51 Level Construction and Development LLC dba Level Homes .......................................... -18.3% #61 Block Companies LLC ................................. -17.3% #20 AWC Inc. ......................................................... -16.7% #54 Pala Group Inc. .............................................. -16.5% #55 Salsbury’s Dodge City LLC dba Salsbury’s Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram .......................... -16.5% #66 JM Test Systems Inc. .................................... -15.8% #27 Setpoint Integrated Solutions Inc. ............. -15.6% #41 Milton J. Womack Inc. ................................... -14.7% #57 Wampold Companies................................... -14.7% #85 Austin Fire Services ...................................... -10.6%

Top 100 private companies ranked by total revenue

PREV. RANK

COMPANY ADDRESS PHONE | WEBSITE

TOP LOCAL EXECUTIVE

2020/2019 TOTAL REVENUE % CHANGE

Jason E. Keller, Stephen D. Keller, Paul J. Simpson Owners

$62 million $75 million -17.33%

25 59

1/2 Baton Rouge 2005

Multifamily new and value-added, commercial, retail construction

Charles Kaiser President

$61.49 million $59.78 million 2.86%

50 123

7/19 Baton Rouge 1945

Distributor of heating, ventilation, air conditioning and refrigeration equipment, parts and supplies

Dan Gardiner CEO and managing director

$59.53 million $58.42 million 1.89%

288 412

4/8 Baton Rouge 1949

Accounting and auditing, tax, business consulting, technology, disaster recovery, grants administration

Ron Brady General manager

$58.28 million $41 million 42.14%

25 90

1/6 Baton Rouge 1961

Wholesale distributor of tires, tubes and wheels

Russ Wheeler CEO

$57.65 million $41.23 million 39.83%

33 33

1/1 Baton Rouge 2012

Grill manufacturer

Scott K. Morrison President

$56.56 million $67.13 million -15.76%

271 439

1/13 Baton Rouge 1982

Testing laboratories; manufactures electronic test and measurement instruments

Jeff James President

$55.42 million $72.57 million -23.63%

130 156

2/6 Baton Rouge 2002

Heavy highway and bridge construction

LOCAL/TOTAL EMPLOYEES

LOCAL/TOTAL LOCATIONS HEADQUARTERS YEAR ESTAB.

61

60

Block Companies LLC 619 Jefferson Highway, Suite 2G, Baton Rouge 70806 225-930-9960 | blockcompanies.com

62

66

Acme Refrigeration of Baton Rouge LLC 11844 S. Choctaw Drive, Baton Rouge 70815 225-273-1740 | acmeref.com

63

67

Postlethwaite & Netterville APAC 8550 United Plaza Blvd., Suite 1001, Baton Rouge 70809 225-922-4600 | pncpa.com

64

79

Area Wholesale Tire Co. LLC 5930 McClelland Drive, Baton Rouge 70805 225-356-2548 | areawholesale.com

65

78

BBQGuy's Manufacturing LLC dba Blaze Outdoor Products 6620 Greenwell Springs Road, Baton Rouge 70815 866-976-9510 | blazegrills.com

66

73

JM Test Systems Inc. 7323 Tom Drive, Baton Rouge 70806 225-925-2029 | jmtest.com

67

62

JB James Construction LLC 1881 Wooddale Blvd., Baton Rouge 70806 225-927-3131 | jbjamesllc.com

68

69

Beard Construction Group LLC 3970 Rosedale Road, Port Allen 70767 225-387-2339 | beardconstructiongroup.com

James A. Beard CEO

$54.33 million $57.77 million -5.96%

127 187

1/3 Port Allen 2004

Industrial construction; heavy civil and earthwork

69

76

Ralph's Market 15013 Louisiana 44, Gonzales 70737 225-622-4044 | ralphsag.com

Brandon Trosclair President

$53.6 million $45.6 million 17.54%

250 250

4/4 Gonzales 1984

Retail grocery store focused on customer service, meats and deli

70

72

Surgical Specialty Center of Baton Rouge 8080 Bluebonnet Blvd., Baton Rouge 70810 225-408-8080 | sscbr.com

Ann Lightfoot Heine CEO

$52.95 million $52.26 million 1.32%

204 204

1/1 Baton Rouge 2003

DBA-doing business as DNR-did not respond NR-not ranked To be featured in Business Report's Listmakers, Top 100 private companies must have significant presence in the nine-parish Capital Region. The Business Report presumes the provided information is accurate. Information about 209 firms will be available to subscribers on our website. To be considered for next year's list, please contact Alaine Keisling at research@businessreport.com. Published July 2021.

52

PRODUCTS OR SERVICES

Acute care hospital

Researched by Alaine Keisling

BUSINESS REPORT, July 2021 | BusinessReport.com

40-59 TOP100-LIST.indd 52

7/1/21 11:34 AM

Proud to Celebrate 75 Years in 2021

Confidence comes with knowing who you can trust.

LaPorte’s commitment goes deep.

Proving ourselves to our clients is a commitment we make every day – and have for over 70 years. We stand (and sometimes sit) by our clients over the long haul: as they face difficult challenges and new opportunities. With LaPorte, you gain industry knowledge, technical resources, and broad perspectives and understanding. LaPorte has been repeatedly recognized as a Top 200 Firm

by Inside Public Accounting and named to the “Beyond the Top 100: Firms to Watch” list by Accounting Today. As your trusted advisor, we instill the deep confidence you need to make big and bold decisions – over the lifetime of your business needs.

CALL US AT:

225.296.5150 (Baton Rouge)

LaPorte-Elephant 10"x12" BatonRouge/banner.indd 1 40-59 TOP100-LIST.indd 53

© 2020, LaPorte, APAC

10/14/20 2:49 PM 7/1/21 11:35 AM

WE’RE HERE TO HOST AND FACILITATE MEETINGS THAT MATTER, SO YOU CAN FOCUS ON DOING WHAT YOU DO BEST. The Alliance Emerging Technologies Center (ETC) provides an environment conducive to design thinking, as well as space for business and industry to come together – safely – to ensure they’re able to respond to the changing needs of their workforce.

Within the ETC, there is an area dedicated to Design Thinking, which helps companies uncover the root causes of issues. Design Thinking workshops utilize a company’s most valued resources – its employees – to discover the best possible solutions. This process empowers companies to innovate, evolve and align at speed.

TAKE A VIRTUAL TOUR OF THE ETC AT DESIGNTHINKINGNOW.ORG DESIGN THINKING IS A STRATEGIC, HUMANCENTERED PROCESS THAT ENCOURAGES QUICKLY MOVING FROM AN IDEA TO A SOLUTION.

Get further, faster.

Call 225-228-4308 or email etc@alliancesafetycouncil.org

alliancesafetycouncil.org 54

BUSINESS REPORT, July 2021 | BusinessReport.com

40-59 TOP100-LIST.indd 54

7/1/21 11:35 AM

LISTMAKERS

WELCOME TO THE CLUB… #49 Guarantee Restoration Services ............................................. $90M ISTOCK

#58 Dynamic Constructors Group LLC ...................................... $69.1M #92 Facilities Maintenance Management LLC ............................. $28M #95 DPI Management Company LLC ......................................... $22.9M COURTESY BARDWELL HOMES

…OR IN SOME cases welcome back. No question, the impact of the pandemic—and related mitigation efforts—can be seen throughout this year’s Top 100, where seven companies are either rejoining the list or making their first appearance. Also clear is that landing government contracts leads to some big paydays and—given our more extreme weather—so, too, does working in disaster recovery and management. Then, of course, there are those newcomers that went the more traditional route of simply growing their business.

#97 J Blount Companies/Blount General Contractors ...........$22.5M #98 Bardwell Construction Co. LLC dba Bardwell Homes ... $21.5M #99 DelVal Flow Controls USA LLC ............................................ $21.5M

Top 100 private companies ranked by total revenue

PREV. RANK

COMPANY ADDRESS PHONE | WEBSITE

71

70

Moody-Price LLC 18320 Petroleum Drive, Baton Rouge 70809 225-767-7755 | moodyprice.com

72

81

Click Here Publishing LLC dba Click Here Digital 9255 Interline Ave., Baton Rouge 70809 225-383-0333 | clickheredigital.com

73

75

74

TOP LOCAL EXECUTIVE

2020/2019 TOTAL REVENUE % CHANGE

LOCAL/TOTAL EMPLOYEES

LOCAL/TOTAL LOCATIONS HEADQUARTERS YEAR ESTAB.

PRODUCTS OR SERVICES

Danny A. Daniel Jr. President and CEO

$49 million $54 million -9.26%

40 DNR

2/12 Baton Rouge 1955

Industrial distributor, manufacturers' representative, instrumentation and filtration products

Bo White CEO

$44 million $40 million 10%

88 92

1/2 Baton Rouge 1993

Digital marketing services, SEO, SEM, social media; connected TV, display and video online advertising

Barber Brothers Contracting Co. 2636 Dougherty Drive, Baton Rouge 70805 225-355-5611 | barber-brothers.com

A.L. Barber III Member/manager

$43 million $46 million -6.52%

185 DNR

1/1 Baton Rouge 1928

Highway and heavy construction

77

Stonetrust Commercial Insurance Co. 5615 Corporate Blvd., Suite 800, Baton Rouge 70808 225-923-1050 | stonetrustinsurance.com

Michael G. Dileo President and CEO

$43 million $45 million -4.44%

27 49

1/1 Baton Rouge 1993

Regional workers' compensation insurance company

75

80

Bengal Transportation Services LLC 37156 Highway 30, Geismar 70734 225-677-8890 | bengaltransport.com

John Austin President

$42.65 million $40.01 million 6.61%

100 DNR

1/2 Geismar 1995

Turnkey heavy haul, heavy lift, crane, logistics and transportation services.

76

92

Transformyx LLC 6867 Bluebonnet Blvd., Baton Rouge 70810 225-761-0088 | transformyx.com

James DuBos CEO

$42 million $32 million 31.25%

60 79

1/2 Baton Rouge 1989

SLED, health care, construction, law, industrial, manufacturing, petrochemical, retail/ restaurants, banking

77

89

Cherbonnier Mayer & Associates Inc. dba CMA Technology Solutions 8180 YMCA Plaza Drive, Baton Rouge 70810 225-927-9200 | 800-349-9200 | cmaontheweb.com

Chad LeMaire Owner, president and CEO

$41 million $33 million 24.24%

64 70

1/2 Baton Rouge 1984

IT managed services, hosting, security; data center planning; hardware and software sales

78

87

Compliance EnviroSystems LLC 1401 Seaboard Drive, Baton Rouge 70810 225-769-2933 | ces-sses.com

Brad Dutruch President

$39.58 million $33.56 million 17.96%

28 166

1/6 Baton Rouge 1995

Full-service professional storm sewer and sanitary sewer evaluation firm

79

82

The NeuroMedical Center APMC 10101 Park Rowe Ave., Suite 200, Baton Rouge 70810 225-769-2200 | theneuromedicalcenter.com

Benjamin J. Boudreaux CEO

$38.86 million $38.49 million 0.97%

DNR 238

1/11 Baton Rouge 1978

Adult and pediatric neurosurgery, neurology, physical medicine and rehabilitation, pain medicine, neuropsychology, neuroradiology

80

86

Roofing Solutions LLC 37302 Commerce Lane, Prairieville 70769 225-744-3912 | roofingsolutionsla.com

Lautaro de la Cruz, Tupac de la Cruz Owners

$38.5 million $34.66 million 11.09%

25 DNR

1/6 Prairieville 2004

Commercial roofing, sheet metal, and architectural wall panel systems contractor

DBA-doing business as DNR-did not respond NR-not ranked To be featured in Business Report's Listmakers, Top 100 private companies must have significant presence in the nine-parish Capital Region. The Business Report presumes the provided information is accurate. Information about 209 firms will be available to subscribers on our website. To be considered for next year's list, please contact Alaine Keisling at research@businessreport.com. Published July 2021.

Researched by Alaine Keisling

Daily-Report.com | BUSINESS REPORT, July 2021

40-59 TOP100-LIST.indd 55

55

7/1/21 11:36 AM

LISTMAKERS

NOT MANY WOMEN AMONG 118 TOP local executives on the year’s Top 100 list, just eight—or 6.8%—are women. Hardly a number to celebrate, but surprisingly the percentage is in line with private companies across the country.

In 2020, 7.8% of Fortune 500 CEOs were women, according to a report from Women CEOs in America, a historic high. Among S&P 500 companies, the percentage of women at the helm was 6.7% Here are the women executives on this year’s Top 100 list: • Laurie Lipsey Aronson, chairwoman and CEO, Lipsey’s LLC • Kristin Wall, president and CEO, Louisiana Workers Compensation Corp. (LWCC) • Polly R. Lemoine, partner, Hollingsworth Richards Automotive Group • Gaye R. Hollingsworth, partner, Hollingsworth Richards Automotive Group • Leah Salsbury Duval, president, Salsbury’s Dodge City LLC • Ann Lightfoot Heine, Surgical Specialty Center of Baton Rouge • Sue Anne K. Cox, owner, Kleinpeter Farms Dairy LLC • Jill Savard, Savard Labor & Marine Inc.

Top 100 private companies ranked by total revenue

PREV. RANK

COMPANY ADDRESS PHONE | WEBSITE

TOP LOCAL EXECUTIVE

2020/2019 TOTAL REVENUE % CHANGE

LOCAL/TOTAL EMPLOYEES

LOCAL/TOTAL LOCATIONS HEADQUARTERS YEAR ESTAB.

81

71

Master Vac Industrial Services/ Dynamic Environmental Services 6260 Louisiana 73, Geismar 70734 225-677-5446 | mastervac.com

Brent C. Upton, Damon M. Wood Owners

$37 million $53 million -30.19%

152 236

2/5 Geismar 1998

Industrial and oil field maintenance and cleaning services; transportation of industrial products and waste and oil field fluids and waste

82

68

Optimal Field Services LLC 35240 Carson Drive, Geismar 70734 225-402-0060 | optimalsvcs.com

Shane Doss President

$36.89 million $58 million -36.39%

60 70

1/2 Geismar 2015

Turnarounds, specialty welding, catalyst handling, capital projects

83

83

Manda Packing Co. LLC dba Manda Fine Meats 2545 Sorrel Ave., P.O. Box 3374, Baton Rouge 70821 225-344-7636 | mandafinemeats.com

Thomas W. Yarborough, Robert V. Yarborough, Stephen J. Yarborough Owners

$36.1 million(1) $38.14 million -5.35%

DNR DNR

3/3 Baton Rouge 1947

84

84

GEO Heat Exchangers LLC 3650 Cypress Drive, St. Gabriel 70776 225-642-8900 | geoheat.com

Gene E. "Buddy" Ohmstede Jr., Gene E. Ohmstede III, August Ohmstede Owners

$34.25 million $37.88 million -9.58%

161 161

1/1 St. Gabriel 1996

Fabrication and repair of heat exchangers for refineries and chemical plants; field service group for on-site heat exchanger repairs

85

85

Austin Fire Systems 13580 Eads Road, P.O. Box 411, Prairieville 70769 225-677-9850 | stopfire.com

Russell Ritchie President

$33.78 million(1) $37.8 million -10.64%

DNR DNR

1/4 Prairieville 1999

Engineer, design, fabricate, install, certify and maintain fire protection systems for industrial and large commercial facilities

86

95

Volks Constructors 17474 Jefferson Highway, Prairieville 70769 225-673-3236 | volksconstructors.com

Lawson King President

$33.71 million $34.71 million(2) -2.86%

192 192

1/1 Prairieville 1973

Industrial fabrication, field construction services

87

91

Stuart & Co. General Contractors LLC 6126 Crestmount Drive, Baton Rouge 70809 225-293-8650 | stuartandcompany.com

Duane L. Mizell CEO

$33.02 million $32.75 million 0.83%

36 36

1/1 Baton Rouge 2003

Construction

88

100

CSRS Inc. 6767 Perkins Road, Suite 200, Baton Rouge 70808 225-769-0546 | csrsinc.com

Tim Barfield President

$32.39 million $23.87 million 35.68%

113 150

1/6 Baton Rouge 1978

Program management, planning, civil engineering, project management, consulting

89

98

Walk-On's Enterprises 3960 Burbank Drive, Baton Rouge 70808 225-330-4533 | walk-ons.com

Brandon P. Landry Founder and CEO

$30.6 million $29.76 million 2.83%

248 449

3/6 Baton Rouge 2003

Hospitality

90

90

Iron Horse Financial Inc. 9800 Airline Highway, Suite 103, Baton Rouge 70816 225-766-9700 | ironhorse-financial.com

John Paul Caswell CLTC President

$30.23 million(1) $33 million -8.38%

DNR DNR

3/6 Baton Rouge 1962

Financial planning and strategies

DBA-doing business as DNR-did not respond NR-not ranked To be featured in Business Report's Listmakers, Top 100 private companies must have significant presence in the nine-parish Capital Region. The Business Report presumes the provided information is accurate. Information about 209 firms will be available to subscribers on our website. To be considered for next year's list, please contact Alaine Keisling at research@businessreport.com. Published July 2021.

(1) Estimate (2) D&B Hoovers

56

PRODUCTS OR SERVICES

Meat processing

Researched by Alaine Keisling

BUSINESS REPORT, July 2021 | BusinessReport.com

40-59 TOP100-LIST.indd 56

7/1/21 3:53 PM

BUILDING ON A TRADITION OF SUCCESS FOR

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40-59 TOP100-LIST.indd 57

57

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Top 100 private companies ranked by total revenue

PREV. RANK

COMPANY ADDRESS PHONE | WEBSITE

TOP LOCAL EXECUTIVE

2020/2019 TOTAL REVENUE % CHANGE

LOCAL/TOTAL EMPLOYEES

LOCAL/TOTAL LOCATIONS HEADQUARTERS YEAR ESTAB.

PRODUCTS OR SERVICES

91

97

Kleinpeter Farms Dairy LLC 14444 Airline Highway, Baton Rouge 70817 225-753-2121 | kleinpeterdairy.com

Sue Anne K. Cox Owner

$30.2 million $29 million 4.14%

128 128

1/1 Baton Rouge 1913

92

NR

Facilities Maintenance Management LLC 137 Aspen Square, Denham Springs 70726 225-910-8757 | fmmla.com

Steven Davis Jr. CEO

$28.03 million $24.03 million 16.66%

104 143

1/5 Denham Springs 2010

93

93

Savard Labor & Marine Inc. 1772 Wooddale Blvd., Baton Rouge 70806 225-930-0685 | 844-472-8273 | savardgroup.net

Jill Savard CEO

$24 million $30 million -20%

300 800

1/11 Baton Rouge 1998

Skilled and unskilled labor supply

94

88

Sigma Engineers and Constructors 11585 Lake Sherwood Ave. N., Baton Rouge 70816 225-810-3100 | sigmaec.com

Robert B. Olivier Owner and CEO

$23.9 million $33.4 million -28.45%

141 141

1/1 Baton Rouge 1987

Engineering consulting in mechanical, structural, chemical, process, electrical, automation, procurement, on-site staffing and field servies

95

NR

DPI Management Company LLC 8946 Interline Ave., P.O. Box 14388, Baton Rouge 70809 225-923-0030 | dpianes.com

John Sikes CEO

$22.93 million $12.96 million 77.01%

47 89

8/12 Baton Rouge 2003

Anesthesia services

96

96

Notoco Industries 10380 Airline Highway, Baton Rouge 70816 225-292-1303 | notocoind.com

Charles J. Noto Sr. President

$22.85 million(1) $29.42 million(2) -22.35%

DNR DNR

1/4 Baton Rouge 1977

Electrical supplies, lighting, appliances and hardware

97

NR

J Blount Companies/Blount General Contractors 13566 Arnold Road, Walker 70785 225-664-3520

John C. Blount President

$22.5 million $20.15 million 11.69%

25 25

1/1 Walker 1987

98

NR

Bardwell Construction Co. LLC dba Bardwell Homes 7906 Wrenwood Blvd., Suite A, Baton Rouge 70809 225-924-4058 | bardwellhomes.com

Princeton "Scott" Bardwell President

$21.53 million $19.17 million 12.32%

18 18

1/1 Baton Rouge 2009

Residential construction and land development

99

NR

DelVal Flow Controls USA LLC 6068 Highway 73, Geismar 70734 225-744-4326 | delvalflow.com

Chip Lee President

$21.45 million $23.52 million -8.79%

24 42

1/1 Geismar 2016

Oil and gas, water and wastewater, chemical, marine, biofuels, food and beverage, power, HVAC

100

94

Sparkhound LLC 11207 Proverbs Ave., Baton Rouge 70816 225-216-1500 | 800-217-1500 | sparkhound.com

Shawn Usher CEO

$20 million $30 million -33.33%

167 223

1/4 Baton Rouge 1998

Dairy manufacturing and distribution Maintenance and construction services for residential and commercial properties including general maintenance, plumbing, electrical and HVAC

Construction and development

Digital automation, digital strategy and managed infrastructure

DBA-doing business as DNR-did not respond NR-not ranked To be featured in Business Report's Listmakers, Top 100 private companies must have significant presence in the nine-parish Capital Region. The Business Report presumes the provided information is accurate. Information about 209 firms will be available to subscribers on our website. To be considered for next year's list, please contact Alaine Keisling at Researched by Alaine Keisling research@businessreport.com. Published July 2021.

(1) Estimate (2) D&B Hoovers All rankings are determined solely through independent research. Highlighted entries are for those companies that pay a fee for an upgraded listing after their eligibility for the list has been determined.

58

BUSINESS REPORT, July 2021 | BusinessReport.com

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Your New Business Partner

Business Loans | Business Checking & Savings | Online Banking | Merchant Services

Louisiana’s Top Business Credit Union 888.769.8841

CampusFederal.org Daily-Report.com | BUSINESS REPORT, July 2021

40-59 TOP100-LIST.indd 59

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LEADERBOARD

A look back

The top five companies from our Top 100 lists 1, 5, 10 and 20 years ago.

2020

2016

2011

2001

Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana

Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana

Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana

Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana

$4.01 billion

$3.31 billion

$2.47 billion

$1.09 billion

Turner Industries Group LLC

Turner Industries Group

Turner Industries Group

Turner Industries Ltd.

$3.11 billion

$2.97 billion

$1.49 billion

$778 million

Raising Cane’s USA LLC dba Raising Cane’s Chicken Fingers

Performance Contractors

Associated Grocers

Associated Grocers Inc.

$1.5 billion

$685 million

$450 million

MMR Group

Performance Contractors

LCR-M Corp.

$705 million

$663 million

$390 million

Associated Grocers

Edgen Murray II LLP

Louisiana Generating LLC

$695 million

$628 million

$310 million

$1.5 billion Performance Contractor Inc.

$1.27 Issue Date: Julybillion 2021 Ad proof #3

• Please respond by e-mail or fax with your approval or minor revisions. & Root Services LLC are received within 24 hours •Brown AD WILL RUN AS IS Industrial unless approval or final revisions 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.

$1.01 billion

CORRECT ADDRESS • CORRECT PHONE NUMBER • ANY TYPOS Carefully check this ad for: This ad design © Louisiana Business, Inc. 2021. All rights reserved. Phone 225-928-1700 • Fax 225-926-1329

THANK YOU TO OUR AMAZING DONORS!

Enterprise Products Operating, LLC TWRL Meridian Clinical Research Caballero Law Firm John C. Williams Architects, LLC Moore Industries Excel Group ThreeSixtyEight Highland Coffees

Community Coffee Mr. Gatti’s Pizza Tony’s Seafood

Chick-Fil-A

Great American Cookies GRIT Networking Group Team Smith with eXp Reality

STRONG CHILDREN. STRONG FAMILIES. STRONG COMMUNITY. 225.387.5082

GARDERESCHOOL.COM Daily-Report.com | BUSINESS REPORT, July 2021

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LEADERBOARD

Breaking it down INDUSTRIAL SERVICES & SUPPLY

REAL ESTATE

$69.18 million • 0.27%

$5.46 billion

HEALTH CARE

21.66%

$310.36 million • 1.23% OIL/GAS WHOLESALE/SUPPLY $374.75 million • 1.49% RETAIL

2020 TOTAL REVENUE

INSURANCE

$4.9 billion

19.42%

$392.73 million • 1.56%

$25,220,573,513

UTILITIES/TELECOMMUNICATIONS $525.65 million • 2.08%

2019 TOTAL REVENUE

OTHER

$25,711,888,189

$1 billion • 3.98%

Percent change -1.91%

CONSTRUCTION/CONTRACTOR $1.38 billion • 5.49% MANUFACTURING/WHOLESALE $1.51 billion • 5.99%

FOOD/BEVERAGE WHOLESALE/ RETAIL

INDUSTRIAL & HEAVY CONSTRUCTION $2.59 billion • 10.28%

$3.48 billion

13.81%

AUTOMOBILE DEALERSHIP $3.21 billion • 12.74%

BATON ROUGE OUR HOME & OUR HEADQUARTERS

From our start at the North Gates of LSU, to now over 550 restaurants in 31 states and 5 countries, with over 30,000 Crewmembers worldwide. Raising Cane’s is proud to be founded and headquartered here in Baton Rouge.

Thank you for your support and helping us grow!

TOP 100 2017, 2019, 2021 TOP CEOs: 3 YEARS

TOP 250 EMPLOYERS OF DIVERSITY TOP 100 BEST EMPLOYER FOR NEW GRADS

#1 FASTEST-GROWING CHICKEN CHAIN

AMERICA’S FAVORITE FAST-CASUAL CHAIN

Follow Us on Instagram: @RaisingCanes | @ToddGraves | @RaisingCane3

62

BUSINESS REPORT, July 2021 | BusinessReport.com

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7/1/21 11:56 AM

Issue Date: July 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. 2021. All rights reserved. Phone 225-928-1700 • Fax 225-926-1329

Where are you finding CASH RETURNS these days?

10-Year Treasury Bonds . . . . . . . . . . 1-2% Diversified REITs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-5% Targeted Returns . . . . . . . . 7-11%

JOIN OUR 100+ ACCREDITED INVESTORS, WHO PREFER HIGHER RETURNS!

LAST THREE AQUISITIONS:

ONS

R

Current Market Current Yields Investments CDs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . <1%

BIG TEX/ BRIGGS EQUIPMENT

E

CURRENT CASH RETURNS

10%

OLLIE’S BARGAIN OUTLET CURRENT CASH RETURNS

7%

ROUSES GROCERY CURRENT CASH RETURNS

11%

Broussard, LA

Jackson, MS

Golden Meadow & Larose, LA

2 single-tenant buildings

Single-tenant building

2 single-tenant buildings

Q3 2020

Q4 2020

Q1 2021

Donnie Jarreau donnie@gojre.com

16173 Perkins Rd • gojre.com/PE • 225-753-3573 Past performance is not an indication or guarantee of future returns.

Trey Williams trey@gojre.com Daily-Report.com | BUSINESS REPORT, July 2021

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LEADERBOARD

Top 3 by industry OVERALL RANK

REVENUE

OVERALL RANK

REVENUE

8 11 14

AUTOMOBILE DEALERSHIP Dream LT LLC dba Mercedes-Benz of Baton Rouge..........................$628,000,000 All Star Automotive Imports LLC dba All Star Automotive Group ..... $576,374,198 Price LeBlanc LLC ........................................................................................ $396,735,526

1 23 50

INSURANCE Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana ........................................... $4,508,642,000 Louisiana Workers Compensation Corp. aka LWCC ..........................$266,651,240 Luba Casualty Insurance Company ........................................................... $80,000,000

17 34 39

CONSTRUCTION/CONTRACTOR Specialty Welding and Turnarounds LLC ...............................................$305,000,000 Arkel Group ..................................................................................................... $158,890,000 MAPP LLC......................................................................................................... $143,647,114

6 16 52

MANUFACTURING/WHOLESALE Lipsey’s LLC ...................................................................................................$785,200,000 Sterling International LLC............................................................................ $341,268,452 ProSource Wholesale Flooring ....................................................................$78,703,987

3 7 18

FOOD/BEVERAGE WHOLESALE/RETAIL Raising Cane’s USA LLC dba Raising Cane’s Chicken Fingers ...$1,750,000,000 Associated Grocers Inc...............................................................................$753,000,000 Community Coffee Company LLC ........................................................... $304,937,500

19 53

OIL/GAS WHOLESALE/SUPPLY Lard Oil Company Group ............................................................................ $297,899,000 Lavigne Oil Company ......................................................................................$76,850,821

30 70 79

HEALTH CARE The Spine Hospital of Louisiana................................................................ $195,622,892 Surgical Specialty Center of Baton Rouge ...............................................$52,946,036 The NeuroMedical Center APMC .............................................................. $38,860,000

12 37 48

OTHER Republic Finance LLC..................................................................................$465,208,279 L&B Holdings LLC .........................................................................................$153,801,919 The Celtic Group ..............................................................................................$93,196,085

57

REAL ESTATE Wampold Companies ..................................................................................... $69,175,682

9 10 13

INDUSTRIAL & HEAVY CONSTRUCTION Excel Group .................................................................................................... $621,000,000 MMR Group Inc. ............................................................................................$608,000,000 Cajun Industries LLC....................................................................................$462,086,000

RETAIL ShoppersChoice.com LLC dba BBQGuys ............................................$227,618,301 PreSonus Audio Electronics .........................................................................$98,413,000 Lee Michaels Jewelers LLC dba Lee Michaels Fine Jewelry ................$66,700,000

2 4 5

INDUSTRIAL SERVICES & SUPPLY Turner Industries Group LLC ..................................................................$2,356,527,331 Performance Contractors Inc. ................................................................$1,156,000,000 Brown & Root Industrial Services LLC ....................................................$955,965,000

26 46 60 29 32 59

UTILITIES/TELECOMMUNICATIONS DEMCO ........................................................................................................... $195,856,000 REV Broadband ............................................................................................. $178,073,000 Utility Holdings dba Baton Rouge Water Co. ...........................................$68,719,000

Making Spaces

Beautiful

NATURAL STONE | MARBLE | GRANITE | QUARTZ | QUARTZITE | & MORE 16575 Commercial Ave. | Baton Rouge | 225-275-7819 | menziestone.com

64

BUSINESS REPORT, July 2021 | BusinessReport.com

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We Mean

Business!

Our team of certified medical professionals is dedicated to getting your employees back to work quickly. We help minimize OSHA recordables, reduce average cost per case, and reduce lost time without compromising quality patient care.

As part of our urgent care hybrid model, Total Occupational Medicine is affiliated with Lake Urgent Care/ Lake After Hours to provide convenient occupational health services.

Each urgent care offers area employers an array of near-site occupational health options.

Employees can visit Total Occupational Medicine or any of our convenient urgent care locations for: • Work Injury Treatment

• eScreen Services

• Physical Exams

• Immunization Programs/TB Testing

• Drug and Alcohol Tests Our business development team can work directly with your business to develop a customized plan to meet the specific needs of your company and work with you to deliver those services. If you’d like to know more about what partnering with us could look like for your business, visit our website, and fill out our "Contact Business Development Team" form.

TotalOccMed.com Daily-Report.com | BUSINESS REPORT, July 2021

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A 20% efficiency gain in container operations at the Port of Greater Baton Rouge is just one positive outcome of the Port’s new, deep-reach container stacker known as The Big Red Beast.

With a telescopic boom for stacking 4 containers high, shorter loading and unloading times have helped meet the increasing demand for container shipping services between Baton Rouge and New Orleans for area customers in the petrochemical industry sector, said Port Executive Director Jay Hardman.

66

Financed almost 100% by a Maritime Administration grant, the one-of-a-kind Beast was designed and manufactured specifically for the Port by Taylor Machine Works of Louisville, MS. The addition of the custom-made stacker is another component of the Port’s recent expansion of its successful container operations including a container storage yard totaling 4 acres.

Up to 2,000 containers ready to Geaux! For more information, contact Greg Johnson at (225) 342-1660.

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

BUSINESS REPORT, July 2021 | BusinessReport.com

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LEADERBOARD

The Capital Region’s biggest employers EAST BATON ROUGE PARISH LSU System

7,549

ASCENSION PARISH Ascension Parish School Board

3,000

BASF Corp.

1,000

Turner Industries Group LLC

6,300

East Baton Rouge Parish Schools

5,000

Baton Rouge General

3,600

Ochsner Medical Center – Baton Rouge

2,400

Woman’s Hospital

2,152

Performance Contractors Inc.

2,000

Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana

1,951

Valluzzo Cos.

1,500

ISTOCK

ISTOCK

Our Lady of the Lake Regional Medical Center 7,467

EAST FELICIANA PARISH East Louisiana Mental Health System

595

Dixon Correctional Institute

459

Villa Feliciana Medical Complex

250

East Felciana Public Schools

202

Walmart Supercenter

935

Specialty Welding and Turnarounds LLC

850

Our Lady of the Lake Ascension

702

Louisiana War Veterans Home

183

Rubicon LLC

700

Atlas-SSI

100

Shell Chemical Co.

610

Grace Health & Rehab

100

CF Industries Inc

500

Anvil Attachments LLC

80

Benton’s Equipment & Construction Inc.

75

Silliman Institute

60

500 Ad proof #2

• Please respond by e-mail or fax with your approval or minor revisions.

Smith & ISSteel 450within 24 hours • AD WILLTank RUN AS unless approval or final revisions are received 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.

ISTOCK

PCE Constructors Inc.2021 Issue Date: July

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

PETERBILT OF LOUISIANA 16310 Commercial Avenue Baton Rouge, LA 70816 225.273.8300

OF LOUISIAN A

PETERBILT OF LAFAYETTE

228 N. Ambassador Caffrey Parkway Scott, LA 70583 337.314.2050

PETERBILT NEW ORLEANS

5708 Susitna Drive | Harahan, LA 70123 504.355.4830

PETERBILT LAKE CHARLES

520 Pamco Road | Lake Charles, LA 70615 337.990.0305

PETERBILT OF HOUMA

325 Service Road Southwest | Gray, LA 70359 985.790.8763

PETERBILTTRKLA.COM Daily-Report.com | BUSINESS REPORT, July 2021

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LEADERBOARD

POINTE COUPEE PARISH

IBERVILLE PARISH 885

Walmart Supercenter

335

Elayn Hunt Correctional Center

674

Nan Ya Plastics Corp.

226

Brace Integrated Services Inc.

500

Louisiana Generating LLC

220

Prowler Super Holding Corp.

451

Pointe Coupee Parish School Board

195

Axiall LLC

300

Pointe Coupee General Hospital

174

Crown Enterprises LLC

250

NRG Energy Inc.

170

GEO Heat Exchangers

161

Lakeview Manor Nursing Home

125

Walmart Supercenter

144

Pointe Coupee Parish

110

Iberville Parish Schools

130

Olin Chlor Alkali Logistics Inc.

120

ISTOCK

Syngenta

LIVINGSTON PARISH Livingston Parish Public Schools Walmart Supercenter

4,000

Super 1 Foods

93

Alma Plantation Ltd.

75

895

Issue Date: July 2021 Ad proof #2 ISTOCK

• 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.

Bass Pro Shops

238

North Oaks Health System

217

ACM Transportation LLC

200

Sam’s Club

180

Ferrara Fire Apparatus Inc.

165

Martin-Brower Company LLC

138

Golden Age Nursing Home

120

ISTOCK

Excel Modular Scaffold and Leasing Corp.597

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

Have your conferences, meetings, and holiday gatherings at the Home of the Tigers

On LSU’s scenic campus, storied tradition meets the most exceptional amenities and unparalleled customer service.

3848 W. LAKESHORE DR. | BATON ROUGE, LA | 225.383.2665 | THE COOKHOTEL.COM

68

BUSINESS REPORT, July 2021 | BusinessReport.com

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WWW.FMMLA.COM | 225.910.8757 | 137 ASPEN SQUARE DENHAM SPRINGS, LA Daily-Report.com | BUSINESS REPORT, July 2021

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LEADERBOARD

ST. HELENA PARISH Northshore Technical Community College

233

Southland Steel Fabricators

225

St. Helena Parish School District

137

St. Helena Hospital

119

St. Helena Parish

90

St. Helena Parish Nursing Home

75

Cal-Maine Foods Inc.

52

Paul Davis Inc.

50

Greif Inc.

49

St. Helena Express Casino

40

919

West Baton Rouge Parish School Board

343

Walmart Supercenter

300

L&B Holdings LLC

288

Westgate LLC

205

Placid Refining Co.

200

ARS Aleut Services Inc.

169

Southern Packaging Inc.

166

Beard Construction Group LLC

127

West Baton Rouge Parish

125

ISTOCK

Turner Industries Group LLC

WEST FELICIANA PARISH Louisiana State Penitentiary

ISTOCK

ISTOCK

WEST BATON ROUGE PARISH

1,700

Entergy River Bend Station

600

West Feliciana Parish Schools

410

Hood Container of Louisiana LLC

250

KPAQ Industries LLC

250

West Feliciana Parish Hospital

185

Fordice Construction Co.

150

West Feliciana Parish

100

Red Stick Armature Inc.

70

St. Francisville Country Manor

53

SOURCES: D&B Hoovers, Data Axle and other Business Report research

Commercial & Industrial, New and Retrofit Lighting Solutions.

The LED Lighting Industry’s ONLY 10 YEAR Non-Prorated Product & Labor Warranty.

Stadium Lighting

Industrial Lighting

Parking / Street Lighting

Architectural Lighting

Retrofit Lighting

Commercial Lighting

“Why take a chance with any other product?” info@EcoLiteLED.com

ECOLITELED.COM

1-844-LED-SWAP (533-7927)

CORPORATE OFFICES: BATON ROUGE, LOUISIANA - CARROLLTON, TEXAS - SOMERSET, NEW JERSEY The EcoLite LED extended warranty program is administered by Trinity Warranty Solutions, LLC. 150 Pierce Rd Suite 600 Itasca, IL 60143 and underwritten by AVIVA PLC St. Helen's London, United Kingdom.

70

BUSINESS REPORT, July 2021 | BusinessReport.com

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7/1/21 12:00 PM

Issue Date: July 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

WHERE MEETINGS ARE CULTURAL EXPERIENCES LET US PLAN YOUR NEXT MEETING OR EVENT

13 MIXED USE VENUES | 14,980 SQ FT TOTAL EVENT SPACE 800 CAPACITY LARGEST SPACE | 13 MAXIMUM BREAKOUT ROOMS WWW.MARRIOTT.COM/BTRBB • WWW.WATERMARKBR.COM

Daily-Report.com | BUSINESS REPORT, July 2021

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7/1/21 12:01 PM

Issue Date: July 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 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. 2020. All rights reserved. Phone 225-928-1700 • Fax 225-926-1329

COMMERCIAL

A/C & HEATING | ICE MACHINES | REACH-IN REFRIGERATORS & FREEZERS | WALK-IN COOLERS & FREEZERS | WINE CELLARS | WATER FILTRATION SYSTEMS | RESTAURANT KITCHEN EQUIPMENT

RESIDENTIAL

A/C & HEATING | INCLUDING MINI-SPLIT SYSTEMS WINE CELLAR REFRIGERATION & SERVICE

SALES | SERVICE | INSTALLATION | REPAIRS

W W W. EAGLE RE F RI GE RATIO N.CO M 6220 Hollyfield Dr. | Baton Rouge, LA 70809 225-751-6912 | For service: Dispatch@EagleRefrigeration.com 72

BUSINESS REPORT, July 2021 | BusinessReport.com

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LISTMAKERS

Nonprofit organizations

UPCOMING LISTS:

Ranked by total revenue PREV. RANK

COMPANY ADDRESS PHONE | WEBSITE

AUGUST SEPTEMBER OCTOBER

TOP LOCAL EXECUTIVE

2020 TOTAL REVENUE

2020 ASSETS

YEAR ESTABLISHED

Hospitals Banks & credit unions Private high schools

Products or services

1

1

Our Lady of the Lake 5000 Hennessy Blvd., Baton Rouge 70808 225-765-6565 | ololrmc.com

K. Scott Wester President and CEO

$1.37 billion

$2.17 billion

1923

General medical and surgical facility

2

2

Woman's Hospital Foundation 100 Woman's Way, Baton Rouge 70817 225-927-1300 | www.womans.org

Stephanie Anderson Executive VP

$554.16 million

$848.94 million

1957

Supports Woman's Hospital

3

3

Baton Rouge General 3600 Florida Blvd., Baton Rouge 70806 225-387-7000 | brgeneral.org

Edgardo Tenreiro CEO

$412.85 million

$349.81 million

1900

Hospital

4

5

Franciscan Missionaries of Our Lady Health System Inc. 4200 Essen Lane, Baton Rouge 70809 225-923-2701 | fmolhs.org

Richard R. Vath President and CEO

$224.07 million

$1.27 billion

1984

Hospital

5

4

Dixie Electric Membership Corp.

16262 Wax Road, Greenwell Springs 70739 225-261-1221 | demco.org

Randy Pierce CEO and general manager

$213.36 million

$631.29 million

1938

Electric cooperative

6

6

Provident Resources Group Inc. 5565 Bankers Ave., Baton Rouge 70808 225-766-3977 | provident.org

Steve E. Hicks CEO

$195.77 million

$2.26 billion

1999

Affordable and workforce housing, senior living, collegiate, capital, health care and governmental facilities

7

7

General Health System 3600 Florida Blvd., Baton Rouge 70806 225-381-6464 | brgeneral.org

Edgardo Tenreiro CEO

$101.93 million

$183.43 million

1945

Hospital

8

8

Tiger Athletic Foundation LSU-PMAC, North Stadium Drive, Baton Rouge 70803 225-578-4823 | lsutaf.org

Rick Perry President and CEO

$65.33 million

$483.84 million

1983

Supports LSU student athletes

9

9

LSU Foundation 3796 Nicholson Drive, Baton Rouge 70802 225-578-3811 | lsufoundation.org

Robert M. Stuart President and CEO

$61.24 million

$660.76 million

1960

Provides philanthropic support to LSU

10

10

Baton Rouge Area Foundation 402 N. Fourth St., Baton Rouge 70802 225-387-6126 | braf.org

John G. Davies President and CEO

$44.91 million

$262.61 million

1964

Serves fund donors, undertakes projects for civic good and consults local nonprofits

11

12

HIV-AIDS Alliance for Region Two 4550 North Blvd., Suite 250, Baton Rouge 70806 225-927-1269 | haartinc.org

Timothy Young President and CEO

$38.71 million

$12.02 million

1995

Offers free HIV/STD testing, PrEP/PEP, wellness services and HIV prevention education

12

13

Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center 4950 Essen Lane, Baton Rouge 70809 225-767-0847 | marybird.org

Todd D. Stevens President and CEO

$35.31 million

$86.01 million

1968

Cancer care organization

13

14

Foundation Health Services Inc. 17617 S. Harrells Ferry Road, Baton Rouge 70816 225-753-0864 | fhsinc.org

Richard T. Daspit President and CEO

$31.5 million

$0

1987

Administrative, consulting, management, financial, IT, and HR services

14

18

Foundation for Louisiana Students 3113 Valley Creek Drive, Baton Rouge 70808 225-421-2900 | www.universityview.academy

Linda Holliday President

$30.39 million

$14.57 million

2009

Free, public K-12 online charter school

15

15

Community School for Apprenticeship Learning 1555 Madison Ave., Baton Rouge 70802 225-336-1410 | csalcharterschools.org

Dujan Johnson CEO

$29.53 million

$27.61 million

1997

Public charter school

16

16

St. James Place of Baton Rouge 333 Lee Drive, Baton Rouge 70808 225-215-4500 | stjamesplace.org

Dick Wager CEO/President

$26.86 million

$70.4 million

1983

Continuing care retirement community

17

17

Franciscan Missionaries of Our Lady University 5414 Brittany Drive, Baton Rouge 70808 225-768-1700 | franu.edu

Tina S. Holland President

$23.75 million

$31.24 million

1990

Small, Catholic, nonprofit institution with a health care emphasis

18

19

Ollie Steele Burden Manor 4250 Essen Lane, Baton Rouge 70809 225-926-0091 | ololrmc.com

Karen B. Allen President

$20.25 million

$17.95 million

1966

Nonprofit, Catholic-sponsored, long-term health care

19

22

Greater Baton Rouge Food Bank 10600 S. Choctaw Drive, Baton Rouge 70815 225-359-9940 | brfoodbank.org

Mike Manning President and CEO

$20.04 million

$18.3 million

1998

Solicits, procures, inventories and warehouses donated food and other products

20

21

Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Baton Rouge Inc. 1900 S Acadian Thruway, Baton Rouge 70808 225-336-8700 | ccdiobr.org

David C. Aguillard Executive director

$8.69 million

$8.41 million

1964

Provides social services throughout the Diocese of Baton Rouge

DBA-doing business as NA-not available NR-not ranked To be featured in Business Report's Listmakers, nonprofits have to have be based in the nine-parish Capital Region and have financial information available. The Business Report presumes the provided information is accurate. Information about 45 nonprofits for which we have information will be available to subscribers on our website. To be considered for next year's list, please contact Alaine Keisling at research@businessreport.com. Published in July 2021.

Researched by Alaine Keisling

Daily-Report.com | BUSINESS REPORT, July 2021

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60-76 TOP100.indd 74

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LISTMAKERS

Top 20 Louisiana public companies Ranked by companywide revenue PREV. RANK

COMPANY ADDRESS WEBSITE | PHONE

TOP EXECUTIVE

2020/2019 REVENUE % CHANGE

2020/2019 EARNINGS (LOSS)

EXCHANGE TICKER YEAR EST.

Melissa Mann, Allen Richey, Erika DuPont Vice presidents

$20.71 billion $21.46 billion -3.48%

($1.23 billion) ($5.27 billion)

NYSE | LUMN 1930

Communications

Electric utility

PRODUCTS OR SERVICES

1

1

Lumen Technolgies Inc. 2600 Citiplace Court, Suite 475, Baton Rouge 70808-2720 lumen.com | 225-214-1122

2

2

Entergy Corp.

639 Loyola Ave., P.O. Box 61000, New Orleans 70161 entergy.com | 504-576-4000

Leo P. Denault Chairman and CEO

$10.11 billion $10.88 billion -7.03%

$1.41 billion $1.26 billion

NYSE | ETR 1994

3

3

Pool Corp.

109 Northpark Blvd., Covington 70433-5001 poolcorp.com | 985-892-5521

Peter D. Arvan President and CEO

$3.94 billion $3.2 billion 23.04%

$366.74 million $261.58 million

Nasdaq | POOL 1996

Swimming pool products and supplies

4

5

Amedisys Inc. 3854 American Way, Suite A, Baton Rouge 70816 amedisys.com | 225-292-2031

Paul B. Kusserow CEO and chairman

$2.07 billion $1.96 billion 5.93%

$183.61 million $126.83 million

Nasdaq | AMED 1998

Health care services

5

4

LHC Group Inc. 901 Hugh Wallis Road S., Lafayette 70508 lhcgroup.com | 337-233-1307

Keith G. Myers CEO

$2.06 billion $2.08 billion -0.82%

$137.93 million $113.85 million

Nasdaq | LHCG 2005

Post-acute health services

6

6

Lamar Advertising of Louisiana LLC 5321 Corporate Blvd., Baton Rouge 70808 lamar.com | 225-926-1000

Sean E. Reilly CEO

$1.57 billion $1.75 billion -10.54%

$243.39 million $372.11 million

Nasdaq | LAMR 1902

Outdoor advertising

7

8

H&E Equipment Services Inc. 7500 Pecue Lane, Baton Rouge 70809 he-equipment.com | 225-298-5200

Bradley W. Barber President and CEO

$1.17 billion $1.35 billion -13.29%

($32.67 million) $87.21 million

Nasdaq | HEES 1961

Integrated equipment services for heavy construction and industrial equipment

8

9

Amerisafe Inc. 2301 U.S. 190 W., DeRidder 70634 amerisafe.com | 337-463-9052

G. Janelle Frost President and CEO

$339.48 million $370.37 million -8.34%

$86.6 million $92.69 million

Nasdaq | AMSF 1985

Accident and health insurance

9

10

Origin Bancorp Inc. 500 S. Service Road E., Ruston 71270 origin.bank | 318-255-2222

Drake Mills Chairman, president and CEO

$293.35 million $273.56 million 7.24%

$36.36 million $53.88 million

Nasdaq | OBNK 1912

Financial holding company with banks in Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas

10

NR

WAITR Holdings Inc. 214 Jefferson St., Suite 200, Lafayette 70501 investors.waitrapp.com | 337-534-6881

Carl A. Grimstad President

$204.33 million $191.68 million 6.6%

$15.84 million ($281.31 million)

Nasdaq | WTRH 2016

Online ordering technology platform

11

12

Conrad Industries Inc. 1501 Front St., Morgan City 70380 conradindustries.com | 985-384-3060

John P. Conrad Chairman and CEO

$158.66 million $207.36 million -23.48%

($4.04 million) $86,000

OTC Pink | CNRD 1948

Construction, repair and conversion of steel and aluminum marine vessels for commercial and government customers

12

17

Business First Bancshares Inc. 500 Laurel St., Suite 101, Baton Rouge 70801 b1bank.com | 225-248-7600

David R. "Jude" Melville President and CEO

$149.21 million $90.91 million 64.14%

$29.99 million $23.77 million

Nasdaq | BFST 2006

Financial services

13

13

Globalstar Inc. 1351 Holiday Square Blvd., Covington 70433 globalstar.com | 985-335-1500

David B. Kagan CEO

$128.49 million $131.72 million -2.45%

($109.64 million) $15.32 million

NYSE | GSAT 2010

Wireless communications

14

14

Home Bancorp Inc. 503 Kaliste Saloom Road, Lafayette 70508 home24bank.com | 337-237-1960

John W. Bordelon President and CEO

$118.43 million $116.62 million 1.55%

$24.77 million $27.93 million

Nasdaq | HBCP 2008

Financial services

15

15

First Guaranty Bancshares Inc. 400 E. Thomas St., Hammond 70401 fgb.net | 985-345-7685

Alton B. Lewis President and CEO

$109.77 million $100.1 million 9.66%

$20.32 million $14.24 million

Nasdaq | FGBI 2003

Financial services

16

16

Investar Holding Corp.

10500 Coursey Blvd., Baton Rouge 70816 investarbank.com | 225-227-2222

John J. D'Angelo President and CEO

$105.89 million $95.66 million 10.7%

$13.89 million $16.84 million

Nasdaq | ISTR 2009

Financial services

17

18

Red River Bancshares Inc. 5063 Essen Lane, Baton Rouge 70809 redriverbank.net | 225-215-4400

David K. Thompson Market president

$92.17 million $79.61 million 15.77%

$28.15 million $24.82 million

Nasdaq | RRBI 2013

Financial services

18

19

Crown Crafts Inc. 916 S. Burnside Ave., Gonzales 70737 crowncrafts.com | 225-647-9100

E. Randall Chestnut Chairman, president and CEO

$73.4 million $76.38 million -3.91%

$6.56 million $5.02 million

Nasdaq | CRWS 2002

Infant and toddler products

19

NR

Eureka Homestead Bancorp Inc. 1922 Veterans Memorial Blvd., Metairie 70005 eurekahomestead.com | 504-834-0242

Alan T. Heintzen Chairman and CEO

$3.96 million $4.54 million -12.75%

$103,000 $61,000

OTC Pink | ERKH 2019

Financial services

20

20

CKX Lands Inc. 2417 Shell Beach Drive, Lake Charles 70601 ckxlands.com | 337-493-2399

W. Gray Stream President and treasurer

$671,944 $811,271 -17.17%

$339,383 $249,933

NYSE | CKX 1930

NA-not available NR-not ranked To be featured in Business Report's Listmakers, public companies must be based in Louisiana and have information available through the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. The Business Report presumes the provided information is accurate. Information about 21 companies will be available to subscribers on our website. To be considered for next year's list, please contact Alaine Keisling at research@businessreport.com. Published July, 2021.

Royalty interests and mineral leases related to oil and gas production, timber sales and surface rents Researched by Alaine Keisling

Daily-Report.com | BUSINESS REPORT, July 2021

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LISTMAKERS

Louisiana public company CEOs Ranked by total compensation PREV. RANK

NAME TITLE

COMPANY ADDRESS

2020 TOTAL COMPENSATION

SALARY

BONUS/INCENT. COMPENSATION

STOCK/OPTION AWARDS

OTHER COMPENSATION

TICKER EXCHANGE

1

2

Leo P. Denault Chairman and CEO

Entergy Corp.

$16.2 million

$1.31 million

$2.12 million

$8.07 million

$4.71 million

ETR NYSE

2

NR

Carl A. Grimstad President

WAITR Holdings Inc.

$6.8 million

$965,381

$0

$3.54 million

$2.3 million

WTRH Nasdaq

3

3

Paul B. Kusserow CEO and chairman

Amedisys Inc.

$6.36 million

$900,000

$547,313

$4.88 million

$34,673

AMED Nasdaq

4

6

Peter D. Arvan President and CEO

Pool Corp.

$5.06 million

$500,000

$2 million

$2.48 million

$75,624

POOL Nasdaq

5

4

Sean E. Reilly CEO

Lamar Advertising of Louisiana LLC

$3.91 million

$700,000

$0

$2.89 million

$326,700

LAMR Nasdaq

6

5

Keith G. Myers CEO

LHC Group Inc.

$3.34 million

$996,000

$0

$2.33 million

$5,539

LHCG Nasdaq

7

NR

Bradley W. Barber President and CEO

H&E Equipment Services Inc.

$2.11 million

$690,577

$138,600

$1.19 million

$81,906

HEES Nasdaq

8

8

G. Janelle Frost President and CEO

Amerisafe Inc.

$1.94 million

$678,333

$145,537

$1.1 million

$19,322

AMSF Nasdaq

9

9

Drake Mills Chairman, president and CEO

Origin Bancorp Inc.

$1.88 million

$835,800

$555,490

$0

$490,654

OBNK Nasdaq

10

10

John J. D'Angelo President and CEO

Investar Holding Corp.

$1.1 million

$517,072

$197,481

$329,980

$55,732

ISTR Nasdaq

NA-not available NR-not ranked. To be featured in Business Report's Listmakers, public company CEOs must be based in Louisiana and have compensation information available. The Business Report presumes the provided information is accurate. Information about 16 CEOs will be available to subscribers on our website. To be considered for next year's list, please contact Alaine Keisling at research@businessreport.com. Published July 2021.

Researched by Alaine Keisling

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Apply now at mba.lsu.edu 76

BUSINESS REPORT, July 2021 | BusinessReport.com

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2021

SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION

FACES OF FAMILY BUSINESS

Family businesses are uniquely connected to the past and the future. They are driven by a desire to preserve their family legacies and create a bright future for generations to come. This special advertising section highlights local families—married couples, siblings, and multiple generations—who support our community and contribute to its economic growth.

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SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION

Bridgeway Hospice ESTABLISHED 2012

(From left) Vickie Dozier-Verret, RN; Mackenzie McBride; Kristin Kling; Brittney Cotten; Dana Smith McBride, RN, CEO; Mackenzie Freitas, RN; Bobbie Delk, RN; Shannon Hebert, RN; Brittany Dozier, LPN. Not pictured: Hollie Carlson, RN; and Hannah McBride.

HISTORY Bridgeway opened its doors in 2012 when Dana Smith McBride took a leap of faith and started the company in Baton Rouge.

As a registered nurse, she had a passion for bringing personalized health care into the homes of patients and families at the end of their lives. She and her two daughters, Hannah McBride and Mackenzie McBride, hold leadership roles in the agency, but count several cousins, nieces, in-laws, and many other employees among their extended family. Bridgeway has expanded with two additional locations in Lafayette and Plaquemine.

“We are so proud of the number of lives we have impacted and the patients we have had the honor to serve in our (almost) 10 years in business,” Dana says.

WHAT VALUES OR PRINCIPLES GUIDE YOUR BUSINESS? Compassionate, unbiased care and comfort is our ultimate goal and the cornerstones that shape it are honesty, integrity, consistency and accountability.

We treat patients like they are our family and we take a “do unto others” approach.

We hold our team to high standards and focus on helping to “create moments that matter.” The end of life should be treated with just as much care and attention as the beginning of life. This is what sets us apart from other hospices—genuine compassion and honest care.

WHAT IS IT LIKE TO WORK WITH FAMILY? Working with family is a great blessing, especially as our family grows—and that includes the members of our team who don’t share our last name or bloodline. They also become our family. We work together, we do life together, we support one another and we strive to treat our patients like they are family as well. At the core of the company is our family foundation—when the foundation is solid, so is the service.

WHAT IS THE BIGGEST CHALLENGE YOUR BUSINESS HAS FACED AND HOW DID YOU DEAL WITH IT? COVID-19 was such a challenge because it was uncharted territory and we had no idea what to expect. As we braced our agency for what was to come, new protocols and procedures were initiated to protect our patients and our staff— not only their physical health, but also their mental health and job security. We could never have imagined some of the scenarios we found ourselves in, but we grew together and leaned on each other, thought outside of the box, and realized that we were even more flexible than we thought. We learned that together, we can conquer anything.

WHAT IS ON THE HORIZON FOR YOUR COMPANY? Bridgeway has a bright future as we continue to focus on the highest quality of care for patients and the relationships in the communities we serve. We are embarking on several projects to broaden the understanding of what hospice is and who Bridgeway can serve. Look for us in new territories in the near future as we grow and expand.

1

13702 COURSEY BLVD., SUITE 5B • BATON ROUGE, LA 70817 • 225.753.1495 • BRIDGEWAYHOSPICE.NET 78

BUSINESS REPORT, July 2021 | BusinessReport.com

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SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION

JCN Financial & Tax Advisory Group, LLC ESTABLISHED 2002 (From left) Karen, Olivia and John Neyland

HISTORY Before becoming a financial advisor, I was in the contracting business. One day, my motherin-law shared her concern about losing money in her investments, and although I had no experience in the matter, it was important for me to help her. I accompanied her to a meeting with her financial advisor and was disappointed that there was no real plan for my mother-in-law and her retirement.

The advisor could not explain why she was losing money, and he just had a “hold on and it will come back” attitude. Aggravated, I formed JCN Financial in 2002.

WHAT VALUES OR PRINCIPLES GUIDE YOUR BUSINESS? Money may be one of the most overvalued assets in all of life. It is either a barrier or a doorway.

Many people know more about medicine than their money. By educating our clients and encouraging them to dream, we can help them find a doorway to an unexpected, vibrant and happy life.

WHAT IS IT LIKE TO WORK WITH FAMILY? As I am sure it is for most people, family is my greatest love. I believe most of us want the same thing—time with those we love. For me, working with my wife and daughter is as if I am on vacation each day. My wife is my everything and my daughter—she is my dream.

WHAT IS THE BIGGEST CHALLENGE YOUR BUSINESS HAS FACED AND HOW DID YOU DEAL WITH IT? Turning my business into my life’s mission wasn’t really hard, but I had not been taught how to do it. For many businesses, the single biggest objective is to make money. That was important, but I came into this business with a mission to help people have a better life. I’d say the single biggest key

was treating my staff in such a way that the mission was clear.

HOW HAS YOUR BUSINESS CHANGED OVER THE YEARS AND WHAT LESSONS HAVE YOU LEARNED? Hiring staff to do our own research and becoming investment managers (not just investment advisors) has been huge. I learned to be very careful before I trust someone else’s homework. You gain tremendous confidence putting time and effort into creating something that is special to you. It was a big task and a large investment—but the challenge pales in comparison to the joy of making a difference.

WHAT IS ON THE HORIZON FOR YOUR COMPANY? To create a brighter future for our staff. I am exceedingly proud of our family and focused on providing a platform for all of us to grow. We are accelerating our digital media presence and will grow tremendously there. Educating our clients is of primary importance to me and we are expanding our reach to improve their understanding.

18212 E. PETROLEUM DR., BUILDING 3, SUITE A • BATON ROUGE • 225.755.0488 • JCNFINANCIAL.COM Daily-Report.com | BUSINESS REPORT, July 2021

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SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION

M&M Glass Company ESTABLISHED 1985 (From left) Penny Van Pelt, Chris Van Pelt, Bob Mitchell, and Caleb Van Pelt

HISTORY M&M Glass Company was founded in 1985 by Robert “Bob” Mitchell. Bob worked offshore as a wireline operator, but when he was home, he sold mirrors from a wooden rack on his Mazda pickup truck for extra money. His strong work ethic and reasonable prices soon won over many area builders, who began to request shower doors in addition to mirrors. In 2001, Bob’s son-in-law, Chris Van Pelt, joined the business and in 2018, Chris became the owner of the company. He expanded M&M Glass to include 17 trucks, seven buildings and 40 employees serving Baton Rouge, Lafayette, the North Shore, New Orleans, and the Houma/Terrebonne area.

WHAT VALUES OR PRINCIPLES GUIDE YOUR BUSINESS? The customer is always right. We believe that value is achieved when you provide the best service with the best products at the best price, and we seek to provide this value to every customer we serve.

WHAT IS IT LIKE TO WORK WITH FAMILY? Working with family is hard, but at the same time, it’s great. We are passionate when we agree on things, and also when we disagree. Overall, it’s great to spend time during your workday on projects with your family.

WHAT IS THE BIGGEST CHALLENGE YOUR BUSINESS HAS FACED AND HOW DID YOU DEAL WITH IT? COVID-19 and the Flood of 2016. During the flood, we received two feet of water in all seven of our buildings. It was tough to deal with. We still struggle with supply chain issues due to COVID, but we have the best team of people at M&M, and they make it happen.

HOW HAS YOUR BUSINESS CHANGED OVER THE YEARS AND WHAT LESSONS HAVE YOU LEARNED? Our business has grown quickly and it has been difficult to manage that growth. We have had our struggles.

When we first started, our pay scale needed some work. We realized that if we want to provide the best customer experience, we had to have the best employees. Now we provide salaries, benefits, and an insurance program that demonstrates how much we value our team, and it has served us well.

WHAT IS ON THE HORIZON FOR YOUR COMPANY? We will seek innovations in service, software, new technology in shower doors and mirrors, and equipment that can make our employees’ jobs easier. We are always looking toward the future!

13429 S. CHOCTAW DR. • BATON ROUGE, LA 70815 • 225.272.9143 • MMGLASS.NET 80

BUSINESS REPORT, July 2021 | BusinessReport.com

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SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION

Cypress Roofing ESTABLISHED 2019

(From left) Samantha Dupuis, Joshua Gonzalez, Alex Carmouche and Caprice Cline

HISTORY

WHAT VALUES OR PRINCIPLES GUIDE YOUR BUSINESS?

Equipped with a strong knowledge of the roofing industry and a desire to build a faith-based company, Caprice Cline and her three adult children—Joshua, Samantha and Alexandra—formed Cypress Roofing in 2019. “We started with just two computers and a stack of business cards,” Caprice says. “We were working out of our home and we went door-knocking every day.

That’s how we built the business.” A hail storm and an unprecedented hurricane season gave the new company the opportunity to showcase their skills, and the business has grown steadily ever since.

God first, family second and career/business third. We are so fortunate to have the opportunity to run a faith-based family business and meet the absolute best people in the process.

The roofs are just lagniappe. We have also built a great team around us who love people just as much as we do.

WHAT IS IT LIKE TO WORK WITH FAMILY? About 99.9% of the time, it is great; the other .01% can be a little tough! We see each other all day, work together, hang out at night and make regular fishing trips to our camp in Cocodrie. We learned early on that we cannot harbor any hard feelings or thoughts toward each other for more than 30 seconds. We must talk everything out and then let it go.

WHAT IS THE BIGGEST CHALLENGE YOUR BUSINESS HAS FACED AND HOW DID YOU DEAL WITH IT? Being a new company and experiencing explosive growth has been our biggest challenge.

We have been blessed with great people who are committed not only to their own success but to the success of their peers and the overall company. Every person who is working with us … we did not seek them out or put an ad in the paper … they gravitated to us for a reason.

That’s God’s hand on everything.

WHAT IS ON THE HORIZON FOR YOUR COMPANY? 2020 was big, but 2021, watch out! We are in the process of expanding our repairs and gutter divisions and bringing on additional staff. We feel like God has brought the best in the business to Cypress Roofing, and we want to bring the best to our customers.

1802 S. SONNY AVE. • GONZALES, LA 70737 • 225.603.4860 • CYPRESSROOFINGLA.COM Daily-Report.com | BUSINESS REPORT, July 2021

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SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION

Superior Steel, LLC ESTABLISHED 1967

(Standing left to right) Jay Easley, Jeff Easley Sr., Joseph Easley Jr., Jeffrey Easley Jr.; (seated left to right) Lynn Easley Laris, Joe Easley Sr., Bobbie P. Easley.

HISTORY Joe Easley Sr. founded Superior Steel LLC, an AISC-certified company, in 1967 with the support of his wife Bobbie. In 1971, his brother Jay joined the company and now serves as senior project manager in the commercial division. Joseph Easley Jr. joined the company in 1978 and holds the position of president and CEO. Joe’s daughter Lynn Laris has served as office manager since 1980. Youngest son Jeff Easley Sr. joined SSI in 1982 and is now senior project manager in the industrial division. 2007 brought the third generation into the business with Jeffrey Easley Jr. serving as senior estimator.

WHAT VALUES OR PRINCIPLES GUIDE YOUR BUSINESS? Integrity, honesty and loyalty are just a few of the qualities Joe Sr. has instilled in his family members, and these values continue to guide our business plan today. We have developed longstanding relationships with many of our customers and we welcome future customers into our network.

WHAT IS IT LIKE TO WORK WITH FAMILY? It can be both rewarding and challenging. To make a family business function, we must be able to separate the family aspect from the business environment. Everyone has an individual job to do regardless of their family ties.

While at home, the focus is on family—but at work, business comes first. Our philosophy hasn’t changed. Balancing the two is the key and our third generation recognizes this.

WHAT IS THE BIGGEST CHALLENGE YOUR BUSINESS HAS FACED? We’ve faced many challenges, including a slow economy and steel shortages. But the biggest challenge was the 2016 flood that hit Denham Springs. Five feet of water covered our entire fabrication shop, submerging computers, welding machines and all major pieces of equipment. Our equipment was either destroyed or required extensive repairs, and it took over a year to return to pre-flood conditions.

HOW HAS YOUR BUSINESS CHANGED OVER THE YEARS AND WHAT LESSONS HAVE YOU LEARNED? As an older, established family-owned company, we’ve had to adapt. So many changes have occurred in our industry— technology, equipment, procedures, etc.

Knowing when and how to make transitions is an important lesson the family has had to learn. We may not all agree, but making changes and modifications lets us keep up with the markets and stay “in the game” with our competition.

WHAT IS ON THE HORIZON FOR YOUR COMPANY? We’ll continue on the same path that has brought us success for the past 54 years. We are always looking for ways to improve our products as we meet the requirements of the architects and engineers on every job.

Superior Steel is continuously adding more equipment, production space, technology, safety, and quality programs to meet the growing needs of the industry. Today, with our third generation of family, we are excited to see what the future holds.

100 HATCHELL LANE • DENHAM SPRINGS, LA 70726 • 225.275.7040 • SUPERIORSTEELINC.COM 82

BUSINESS REPORT, July 2021 | BusinessReport.com

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SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION

Pointe Coupee Pecan ESTABLISHED 1990

(From left) Donald Lee, Sharon and Myles Bergeron

HISTORY

WHAT VALUES OR PRINCIPLES GUIDE YOUR BUSINESS?

Donald Lee Bergeron began testing recipes in his kitchen at home and came up with our original pecan candy. He and his wife Sharon started the business in a small facility surrounded by pecan trees in Pointe Coupee Parish. While growing up, their three children worked at the company, learning a strong work ethic and family values.

They witnessed firsthand the amount of effort and dedication required to open and maintain a successful business. After graduating from LSU, their son Myles was drawn back to the family business. With his addition came expansion and fresh ideas.

The passion for this unique environment feeds our pecan orchards and dedication to our company. We treat customers, employees and vendors like family.

Establishing and keeping these relationships are the keys to our success. We take pride in our products and our responsibility to care for them is as important as the people we serve. Providing exceptional quality and service is the most important thing we do. This commitment is what makes our products such a popular choice.

WHAT IS IT LIKE TO WORK WITH FAMILY? Each family member brings a different set of talents, abilities and perspectives to work each day. Our collective wisdom, creativity and energy intertwine and create a dynamic work culture. This can be tasted in all of our pecan treats. The love and respect we have for each other is the same love and respect we have for those we serve. Working with people you trust—people who have the same core values, loyalty and vested interest in the company—has been a true blessing.

WHAT IS THE BIGGEST CHALLENGE YOUR BUSINESS HAS FACED AND HOW DID YOU DEAL WITH IT? As anyone in agriculture knows, weather can present unique challenges. Although there is nothing we can do to change weather events, the uncertainty

remains each pecan season. This causes fluctuating market conditions. Our strong long-term relationships with vendors throughout the supply chain sets us apart.

HOW HAS YOUR BUSINESS CHANGED OVER THE YEARS? We wanted to be more accessible to the Baton Rouge community while also staying close to our roots. We moved from our humble beginnings to a new facility conveniently located in Port Allen. We also opened a retail store at this location. This allows us to serve more customers while maintaining the finest quality. Our gift options continue to expand with innovative new products and flavors. We have grown into one of the premier gift providers in the industry for companies and individuals.

WHAT IS ON THE HORIZON FOR YOUR COMPANY? We realize the importance of gift giving in the business world. We will continue to help strengthen corporate relationships by offering unrivaled service and exceptional gift products. Choosing the right gift can be challenging. We give our personal attention, making this easy for you and memorable for your customers. Our sincere appreciation for our customers and grateful respect for our trees will never change!

1284 CAJUN DR. • PORT ALLEN, LA 70767 • 225.490.2025 • PCPECAN.COM Daily-Report.com | BUSINESS REPORT, July 2021

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Red Stick Visual Solutions ESTABLISHED 2020

Michael and Erin Franco

HISTORY Because both sets of their parents own businesses and work closely together, Michael and Erin Franco always joked that it was inevitable they would someday do the same. When Michael’s engineering job was affected by the pandemic, it was the push they needed to take a leap of faith and start their own company together. Michael’s work for NASA and experience in the industrial engineering and construction field—as well as his years as a drone pilot—gave him an eye for emerging technologies that had growth potential for many industries. Erin’s marketing and public relations experience has enabled the company to tap into creative visual marketing services with these technologies as well.

WHAT SERVICES DOES YOUR COMPANY OFFER?

WHAT VALUES OR PRINCIPLES GUIDE YOUR BUSINESS?

We offer 3D laser scanning and drone services that provide customized workflow, documentation, and marketing solutions for the commercial AEC industries, schools and more.

Some of our clients’ industries have been using 3D scanning and drones for years, and others are just beginning to get excited about the incredible possibilities of these technologies.

We do business with integrity and value strong, positive relationships. We want our clients to feel the care we take with each project. Our company allows us to provide for our family and contribute to our community together in a new way, and we take that seriously.

WHAT IS IT LIKE TO WORK WITH FAMILY? We do not have everything all figured out, but we do maintain intentional, regular, and healthy habits of communication in our schedule. In some ways, the lessons and lifestyle of having a large family—we have five children—helped to prepare us to run a company together. We are familiar with one another’s strengths and weaknesses, we try to keep a sense of humor, and we both know how to eat a big plate of humble pie on occasion.

WHAT IS ON THE HORIZON FOR YOUR COMPANY? Starting a company together in the middle of a pandemic was a major leap of faith, but we’ve been amazed at the growth we’ve had. We are excited to be expanding our services this summer with new drone and laser scanning technologies. We will be able to offer significant additional scanning and drone services for large commercial and industrial projects in particular. These technologies will be game-changing for some of our clients.

BATON ROUGE, LA • 225.999.7017 • REDSTICKVISUALSOLUTIONS.COM 84

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The Printing Source ESTABLISHED 1990

Candice, Wayne and Kyle Perrilloux.

HISTORY Wayne Perrilloux established The Printing Source as an offset printing company that also offered marketing material. A graduate in printing technology, he had a dream of owning a business that his children could take over someday. As the printing industry evolved, his son and daughter, Kyle and Candice Perrilloux, have transformed the business by acquiring new equipment and printing processes to better service their clients. The company received a Family Business of the Year Award from the Small Business Administration in 2019.

WHAT VALUES OR PRINCIPLES GUIDE YOUR BUSINESS? For 30 years, we have taken pride in consistently offering quality service and a quality product. Providing “Service with a Heart” is the core of our mission and we have dedicated ourselves to satisfying each one of our customers.

WHAT IS IT LIKE TO WORK WITH FAMILY?

operate the business to keep our employees and customers safe. Using technology to offer innovative alternatives to manage the way we conduct business has made us more efficient in serving our customers.

HOW HAS YOUR BUSINESS CHANGED OVER THE YEARS AND WHAT LESSONS HAVE YOU LEARNED?

It is a true blessing. There have been so many meaningful experiences that have enabled us to grow and evolve as a family. We cherish the time we spend working within the business, knowing that we all have a shared vision and goal—staying true to our mission of serving the Baton Rouge community.

The printing industry is based around technology and processes, so it is critical to keep up with the trends in the market. The investment of new equipment and software has been the lifeblood of our company’s quality and service.

WHAT IS THE BIGGEST CHALLENGE YOUR BUSINESS HAS FACED?

We are excited about the future. We have added new employees to our growing team and we are creating an updated web presence. As the city recovers from the recent pandemic, we are ready to serve businesses and organizations with all of their marketing and apparel needs.

The recent pandemic offered new challenges, but gave us the opportunity to take a step back and review where we are and our plans for the future. We have made adjustments to the way we

WHAT IS ON THE HORIZON FOR YOUR COMPANY?

888 HARDING BLVD. • BATON ROUGE, LA 70807 • 225.775.3334 • PRINTINGSOURCEBR.COM Daily-Report.com | BUSINESS REPORT, July 2021

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The Paretti Family of Dealerships ESTABLISHED 1936

(From left) Craig Paretti Jr., Melissa Paretti, Stacey Paretti Rase, Mike Rase

HISTORY The Paretti family began its automotive business in 1936 as a service station.

Over the years the business has sold and serviced numerous brands, including Pontiac, Alfa Romeo, Triumph, MG, Chrysler, American Rambler, Mazda, Jaguar and Land Rover. Company President Craig Paretti and his sister Stacey Paretti Rase serve as fourth generation operators with the fifth generation waiting in the wings.

Mike Rase is vice president and general manager of Paretti Jaguar Land Rover Baton Rouge and recently celebrated his 27th anniversary with the company.

WHAT VALUES OR PRINCIPLES GUIDE YOUR BUSINESS? In every situation we wholeheartedly try to put the customer first. Our staff is our greatest asset and we empower them to work with an ownership mentality. We have extraordinarily low turnover. In fact, one of our employees, Rufus Gatlin, has worked for all four generations of the Paretti family.

WHAT IS THE BIGGEST CHALLENGE YOUR BUSINESS HAS FACED AND HOW DID YOU DEAL WITH IT? In 2004 our third generation family member suddenly passed away at the age of 56 and the fourth generation stepped in at an extremely young age. Less than a year later, Katrina crushed our Metairie campus and shortly after, Land Rover New Orleans burned down. It’s in these dire circumstances that family pulls together. You must rely on your team. We are blessed that our employees rose to the occasion in all of these trying times.

HOW HAS YOUR BUSINESS CHANGED OVER THE YEARS AND WHAT LESSONS HAVE YOU LEARNED? Not long ago, those in the car business struggled with the idea of selling cars through a dealership website, but that mentality has changed dramatically. Today, we receive thousands of leads per month via a multitude of internet-based applications. What was once a 9 a.m.-7 p.m. business is now 24/7. It’s important to find employees who see the value in being responsive to customer needs and embrace the 24/7 mentality.

WHAT IS ON THE HORIZON FOR YOUR COMPANY? Our brand-new Jaguar Land Rover New Orleans dealership will open in July. This has been in the works for many years and we are thrilled the time has finally come to further advance the brands in the marketplace. In other exciting news, we will break ground in Covington this year with a second Mazda location. This will be the family’s first adventure on the north shore.

13934 AIRLINE HWY. • BATON ROUGE, LA 70817 • 225.756.5247 • PARETTI.COM 86

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Advanced Office Systems, Inc. ESTABLISHED 1981

(From left) Paul, Matt and PJ Pokorney

HISTORY After working in the business technology industry for six years in Orlando, Florida, Paul Pokorney established Advanced Office Systems in 1981 when an opportunity arose to start his own company. Baton Rouge was a good fit since Louisiana was experiencing growth in the gas and oil industry. The odds were stacked against Paul because the economy was in decline and interest rates were at an all-time high, but he took the risk and his gamble paid off. His sons Matt and PJ work in the family business as well.

WHAT VALUES OR PRINCIPLES GUIDE YOUR BUSINESS? Our purpose is to create a great experience for our customers and employees with the goal of keeping them for life. Our mission is to develop loyal employees who build lasting relationships with our customers. And our vision is to help people succeed. If we get it right with our employees, they will get it right with our customers.

WHAT IS IT LIKE TO WORK WITH FAMILY? It has been a great experience for us. We all have our individual strengths and we let each other take the lead in those areas where we stand out.

WHAT IS THE BIGGEST CHALLENGE YOUR BUSINESS HAS FACED? Our biggest challenge was the change in the business landscape due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Learning to adapt to the needs of our clients and still deliver the best customer experience has been a big hurdle. So we changed our product offerings, focused on technology that allowed our clients to work remotely, and found new ways to provide our services.

HOW HAS YOUR BUSINESS CHANGED OVER THE YEARS AND WHAT LESSONS HAVE YOU LEARNED? We started Advanced Office Systems as a copier company and experienced incredible growth. Today, we are a managed service provider offering complete IT and network solutions, document imaging, Electronic Medical Record (EMR) software, medical billing solutions, multi-function devices, and large format printers. We have also learned that in order to succeed, we must lead our team on a path of personal growth—adding value by improving the lives of our employees creates a better experience for our clients.

WHAT IS ON THE HORIZON FOR YOUR COMPANY? While a lot of companies in our industry are downsizing, we are moving in the opposite direction. We are fencing out instead of fencing in. We have recently purchased a new building for our headquarters in Baton Rouge and will be doubling our footprint this year. We have made significant investments and upgrades in our IT and managed service offerings, and will be working hard to grow that area of our business.

11434 INDUSTRIPLEX BLVD. • BATON ROUGE, LA 70809 • 225.752.7700 • ADVANCEDOFFICE.COM Daily-Report.com | BUSINESS REPORT, July 2021

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Valluzzo Companies ESTABLISHED 1958

(From left) Michael Valluzzo, Charlie Valluzzo, John Valluzzo, Nicholas Valluzzo

HISTORY In 1958, Doc Valluzzo met Ray Kroc and began the family’s first partnership with McDonald’s in Alabama. Along with his son Charlie, Doc moved to Baton Rouge in 1964 and opened the first McDonald’s in south Louisiana. In 2010, John and his sons Nicholas and Michael formed Valluzzo Companies, continuing the Valluzzo legacy with McDonald’s. Together they have grown their organization to 81 restaurants. While Baton Rouge is home, Valluzzo Companies spans across three states, coming full circle with Nicholas in Birmingham, returning to where it all began for the family in Alabama. John Valluzzo shares his thoughts on family, legacies, faith, and the future.

WHAT VALUES OR PRINCIPLES GUIDE YOUR BUSINESS? We live and work by the motto of good food, good people and good neighbors.

What is good for one of us is good for all of us. We put our people first and give back to our community because both have shaped who we are today. These principles are not new to the family and have only continued to grow with each new generation entering into the family business.

WHAT IS IT LIKE TO WORK WITH FAMILY? Each generation takes pride in enjoying work. While the older generations teach the business as younger ones learn it, there is no exact mandate on management style or decision making. We do not all take the same path to get results, but our intentions are all born out of a deep desire to do what’s right, honor the legacy, and leave

a lasting positive influence on the business and our people.

HOW HAS THE PAST SHAPED THE FUTURE OF YOUR ORGANIZATION? In the preservation of our family’s core vision. I strive every day to become a better and modern businessman my father and grandfather can be proud of, based on their example. I see it in my sons who are both doing it in their own way.

They are also fathers raising our possible fifth generation of family business owners. They are committed to being good men and stewards of the community with servant leadership, a people first approach, and faith in God. Sixty-plus years in business can be tough—60-plus years and four generations in a family business is tougher! The most important lessons are to be thankful, work hard, give back, listen and grow.

8710 JEFFERSON HWY. • BATON ROUGE, LA 70809 • 225.300.8960 • VALLUZZOCOMPANIES.COM 88

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Genesis 360 Maintenance & Construction ESTABLISHED 2011

Craig Stevens

HISTORY Genesis 360 started out as a parking lot striping company, then evolved into a full-service maintenance and construction company. After getting his construction license, owner Craig Stevens positioned the company as a onestop shop for services related to building maintenance, grounds maintenance, and construction. Genesis 360 now does work across the country for commercial business owners, shopping centers, and the federal government.

WHAT VALUES GUIDE YOUR BUSINESS? As a retired Air Force Officer, I adopted the same core values for which I was held accountable in the Air Force—”Integrity First, Service Before Self, and Excellence in All We Do!”

HOW HAS YOUR BUSINESS CHANGED & WHAT LESSONS HAVE YOU LEARNED? We have grown tremendously. We originally provided service only in Louisiana, but now we cover the entire U.S. It’s difficult to scale if you limit your company to one geographic area or just one service.

WHAT IS THE BIGGEST CHALLENGE YOUR BUSINESS HAS FACED? Our biggest challenge has been establishing brand recognition in the local community. On

the federal government level, specifically with the Army Corps of Engineers, we’re a household name and have a number of multi-million dollar past performance projects outside Louisiana. But we have to do a better job making local businesses aware of our skills and services.

WHAT IS ON THE HORIZON FOR YOUR COMPANY? Along with our strong relationships and past performance, we hold a number of certifications that position us to become a multi-billion-dollar company in 10 years—8(a), Service Disabled Veteran Owned, HUBZONE and DBE, for example. We have several projects in the pipeline from the commercial and federal sectors. Our plan is to become the “Amazon” of maintenance and construction. We are excited about the future and what God has in store for us.

804 MAIN ST. • BATON ROUGE, LA 70802 • 225.304.6657 • CRAIG@GENESIS360LLC.COM Daily-Report.com | BUSINESS REPORT, July 2021

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CONGRATULATIONS

TO LAKE CHARLES TOP PRIVATE EMPLOYERS.

1 2 3 4 5

Lake Charles Memorial Health Systems ........ 2,650 Coushatta Casino Resort ..............................2,600 Westlake Chemical Corp. ..............................2,000 Golden Nugget Lake Charles ......................... 1,617 L’Auberge Casino Resort Lake Charles ...........1,550

6 7 8 9 10

Turner Industries Group LLC ........1,500 Citgo Petroleum Corp. ............... 1,000 Stine Home & Yard..........................875 Sasol Chemical LLC .........................798 Phillips 66 Lake Charles................. 750 *Employee counts as of 6/30/2021

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NEWS

LEGAL

A multifront conflict

A legal battle between Brown & Root and a new consulting arm of CSRS is about more than what meets the eye: At stake is getting a leg up in the growing renewable energy sector. BY STEPHANIE RIEGEL IN EARLY MARCH, Brown and Root Industrial Services sued two of its former top executives and the company they now work for— Fides Consulting, an upstart subsidiary of local engineering firm CSRS. The 19th Judicial District Court suit alleges Andy Farris and Kevin Steed violated noncompete agreements when they left BRIS, took BRIS trade secrets with them, and recruited BRIS employees to work at Fides.

Two months later, BRIS upped the ante in the legal battle, filing suit in federal court against seven of its former engineers, alleging the mid-level employees took confidential files and documents from BRIS prior to leaving the company to go work for Fides.

Among the defendants are Farris’ sons, Daniel and Michael Farris.

While the legal battle may not be particularly unusual by large-market corporate standards, it is noteworthy in Baton Rouge’s tight-knit business community, in part, because it pits

two of the city’s best-known business leaders—Jim Bernhard and Tim Barfield—against each other, though neither is named nor mentioned in either lawsuit.

BRIS is owned by businessman Jim Bernhard’s private equity firm Bernhard Capital Partners.

Fides is owned by CSRS, whose president, Tim Barfield, was a longtime executive at Bernhard’s former company, The Shaw Group, serving as its president and COO in the early 2000s.

Beyond that, however, the litigation is interesting because BRIS is a large, established industrial contractor while Fides is a small, startup consulting firm.

On the surface it might seem puzzling that Goliath would go after the proverbial David—until you understand that Fides was formed specifically to work with Houston-based Grön Fuels on the development of a proposed $9.2 billion, low-carbon, renewable diesel facility at the Port of Greater Baton Rouge.

The Grön deal has been years

in the making and is still wending its way through the regulatory approval process. But if it comes to fruition, as expected, it could be just the beginning of a series of investments and ancillary projects related to the facility, which will be one of the largest renewable diesel plants in the region.

The BRIS suits, experts say, illustrate the competitive nature of that burgeoning field. Renewable energy is a growing, high-stakes industry. Attracting—and retaining—qualified talent is key for success.

“In the energy business today, human capital is very important, particularly as you are building these clean energy projects,” says David Dismukes, executive director of the LSU Center for Energy Studies. “These people don’t just drop out of thin air. You don’t just go to LSU and hire someone right out of school.”

ALLEGATIONS AND DENIALS Executives with BRIS and CSRS decline to comment on the cases

because of the ongoing litigation.

Attorneys for both sides have made limited comments.

“Obviously our position is set forth in the petitions,” says BRIS attorney Eric Miller.

But in the months since the initial suit was filed, both sides have laid out their respective claims in dozens of court documents.

According to documents filed

by BRIS in March, Andy Farris, who was BRIS’ CEO at the time of his departure, and Steed, the former president of BRIS’ engineering division, violated their noncompete agreements shortly after they left BRIS by hiring away at least six engineers, designers, and managers, who followed them to Fides.

“Farris and Steed have directly or indirectly in violation of their agreements targeted key employees and key positions of BRIS for employment with Fides for the purpose of competing directly with BRIS where CSRS and/or Fides was not in a position to do so previously,” court documents Daily-Report.com | BUSINESS REPORT, July 2021

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COLLIN RICHIE

LEGAL

DON KADAIR

NEWS

FAMILIAR FACES: Though neither is directly involved in the lawsuits, the legal action has two high-profile business leaders—and former Shaw Group comrades—squaring off: Jim Bernhard, left, whose private equity firm owns Brown and Root Industrial Services, and Tim Barfield, president of CSRS, which owns Fides Consulting.

filed by BRIS attorneys say.

In later documents, BRIS alleges that several of those employees downloaded confidential information from their computers onto USB drives, and are using the information “… for the benefit of Fides and to the detriment of BRIS.” In their own filings, Fides’ attorneys deny Farris and Steed breached their contracts or conspired to harm BRIS, and suggested the employees left BRIS because they were unhappy with a corporate culture that didn’t treat them fairly.

“The basis of BRIS’ lawsuit is simply that Farris and Steed had commenced employment with Fides, WHICH IS NOT A COMPETITOR OF BRIS,” court documents filed by Fides’ attorneys say. “Due to its failure to properly pay and fairly compensate its management employees for hours actually worked, but which were not billable directly to a customer project, BRIS became acutely aware that additional disgruntled employees were actively soliciting and intending to seek employment at Fides.”

“BRIS … alleges a civil conspiracy claim against Fides,” the documents continue, “ … but cites no facts to support the conspiracy claim … and fails to cite 92

any law to support its conspiracy claim.”

At least initially, 19th Judicial District Court Judge Donald Johnson agreed with Fides. At a hearing in April, he denied BRIS’ request for a temporary restraining order that would have barred Farris and Steed from working at Fides and forced them to pay damages, agreeing with Fides’ attorneys that there was no cause of action under the law.

In early June, Johnson delivered another partial victory to Fides, throwing out most of BRIS’ claims, though the underlying breach of contract claim remains intact. But he also handed BRIS a partial victory, ordering the defendants to respond to depositions—which, until now, they have refused to do—in the event the case eventually goes to trial.

He also gave BRIS the opportunity to file an amended complaint, which it did in late June.

In other words, the case is not over.

Meanwhile, BRIS is plowing ahead with a similar action in the U.S District Court for the Middle District of Louisiana, which legal experts say is a strategic move.

“They’re trying to hedge their bets,” says Kevin Levy, the Holt M. Harrison professor of law at LSU’s Paul M. Hebert Law Center,

who was not familiar with the particular details of the case but was commenting generally. “If they lose in one court, at least they can try in the other.”

According to the federal suit, “Defendants formed a plan to take and/or utilized confidential information and trade secrets to get Fides up and running to further their employment with Fides and to compete directly with BRIS …,” court documents allege.

The federal suit doesn’t name Fides. Rather, it targets mostly younger and mid-level engineers, who followed Farris and Steed to work for Fides, where, according to documents filed by Fides in the state court suit, they would be treated better and compensated

B R IAN

AM BAI

TE ON

more fairly than they had been at BRIS. But BRIS alleges the engineers didn’t simply leave one firm for another. Its court filings allege the defendants copied “thousands of confidential BRIS files related to manpower, estimates, projects and proposals …” onto USB drives prior to their departure from the company.

At least one of the defendants also allegedly “emailed confidential information and trade secrets to his personal email address,” court documents say.

The BRIS petition includes the detailed results of a forensics analysis of the defendants’ computers and names the dozens of case files they allegedly accessed.

The suit names Jaeson Brown, Jeffrey Hebert, Robert Huval, Mitchell Morgan and David Sterken, in addition to Farris’ sons. It seeks a jury trial, damages and injunctive relief that would prohibit the defendants from engaging in their “illegal conspiracy.”

As of publication deadline, attorneys for the defendants had yet to file their response to the petition. But Preston Castille, an attorney for Fides, says the defendants deny the allegations.

“We have said they’re sort of forum shopping and we will seek to have it dismissed,” Castille says.

A BATTLE FOR TALENT For now, legal experts say there’s no way to know how the cases will turn out. The outcome of noncompete suits can vary widely depending on the language in the contracts, Levy says.

“A lot depends on how the noncompete clause is written

“People come and go in the energy business and it can get very competitive when you get very, very specialized.

The more specialized you are the more competitive it is.”

DAVID DISMUKES, executive director, LSU Center for Energy Studies

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That helps explain why the battle for the former BRIS employees is so intense. Grön and its backer, Fidelis Infrastructure—a Houston private equity fund headed by still another former executive from The Shaw Group, Dan Shapiro—have chosen to hitch their wagon to a star in the CSRS constellation, not BRIS or some other company in Bernhard’s portfolio.

Viewed through that lens, the lawsuits are not just a war for talent but a battle to stake out territory in a sector that many see as the future of the energy industry in the Gulf Coast region.

“A lot of these facilities are first of a kind,” Dismukes says. “It’s a little like putting a puzzle together and your experience in certain areas is what is critical in this—to have all this experience and background. Everybody has their little niche.”

ISTOCK

and what, specifically, it says,” according to Levy. “The judge will really have to get into the weeds on the claims both sides are making.”

But while the cases may hinge on the verbiage of employment contracts, the case is about larger issues— namely, competition for a piece of the renewable energy business.

The first phase alone of the proposed Grön Fuels complex is impressive. If it comes to fruition and demand for HIGH STAKES: Construction of renewable energy facilities, like this biodiesel renewable fuels grows, refinery in Thailand, is predicted to escalate in the region and having the technias projected, the facility cal talent available to work on such projects is key in this battle. could be just the beginning of spin-off projects that tie into state and reFuel Standard credits market.

“The more specialized you are the gional agricultural resources and That kind of work takes highly more competitive it is.” infrastructure networks. specialized employees. There arPerhaps more importantly, the What’s more, the Grön facility en’t many of them here. renewables field is emerging and would be one of the largest such “People come and go in the enDismukes says nobody in this facilities in the region and its ergy business and it can get very space, at least in the Baton Rouge low-carbon footprint would open competitive when you get very, market, has a huge leg up on anythe door to all sorts of opportuvery specialized,” Dismukes says. body else. nities in the growing Low Carbon

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Alex Mahon VP, Market Leader

“I’m excited about helping Louisiana National Bank continue its long history of building strong, lasting relationships with the focus of assisting the community.”

Mike Polito LNB Board Member MAPP, LLC CEO

“I am confident that Alex Mahon and the team he has put together will offer LNB customers the banking experience they deserve.”

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GOVERNMENT

COLLIN RICHIE

NEWS

Business interests

WINNERS: Business interests scored multiple victories during the recently completed legislative session.

The 2021 legislative session was one of the best in recent years for the business community. BY STEPHANIE RIEGEL THE 2021 LEGISLATIVE session didn’t make everyone happy.

But business organizations and good government groups overwhelmingly give the six-week session that ended June 10 high marks for being one of the most successful in recent memory.

“This has been an extremely collaborative session, where legislators worked together to develop innovative solutions for the good of the people of Louisiana,” says Stephen Waguespack, president of the Louisiana Association of Business and Industry.

That innovation and bipartisanship was enabled in large part by the pending arrival of a $1.6 billion federal windfall, courtesy of the Biden administration’s American Rescue Plan.

With that kind of money headed to Louisiana, it was a lot easier for lawmakers to find creative solutions.

Still, that’s only part of the reason the session was hailed as a success by so many. The other is

the passage of a package of tax reform measures that address many, though not all, of the problems that have long been cited for making the state’s Byzantine tax code complicated and anti-competitive.

Granted, in order for the changes to take place, voters have to approve several constitutional amendments on the ballot this fall, which is no small feat. But nonpartisan analysts say the measures include much-needed reforms that will benefit many in the state, not just business owners and wealthy individuals.

“A lot of these changes are good policy, based on good, sound recommendations going back for years,” says Robert Travis Scott, president and CEO of the Public Affairs Research Council. “This Legislature was determined to get it done and we saw some tremendous leadership.”

There was another big win, too, for the business community: the passage of a bill that would redirect $300 million in vehicle sales

tax revenues to long overdue highway and bridge construction projects, including a new span across the Mississippi River in Baton Rouge.

But that bill faces an uncertain future: Gov. John Bel Edwards has serious concerns about the measure because of its impact on the state general fund, and it was unclear as of press time whether he would let it become law or veto it.

Even without the transportation funding bill, the tax system changes, which have been at the top of the business community wish list for years, are significant enough to make the 2021 session go down as one of the most successful in recent memory, in the opinion of Baton Rouge Area Chamber President and CEO Adam Knapp.

“When you look at Louisiana passing tort reform last year and tax reform this year, it’s the most consequential, pro-business, two-session run—maybe ever,” he says. “It’s incredible to see

bipartisan solutions get done in a divided government.”

Here’s a look at how issues of importance to the business community fared in the session.

TAX REFORM Several bills are lumped under the tax reform umbrella. Taken together, they address several problems with the state’s tax system, though critics note that lawmakers did little to address the state’s heavy reliance on sales taxes, which disproportionately affect low-income taxpayers.

HB199 by House Speaker Clay Schexnayder, R-Gonzales, is a constitutional amendment that, if approved by voters this fall, will create a more simplified state and local sales tax system by establishing a new statewide political subdivision that will be responsible for streamlining filings, remittance and audits of sales and user taxes.

It’s significant because Louisiana is the only state in the country with the cumbersome, Daily-Report.com | BUSINESS REPORT, July 2021

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“This has been an extremely collaborative session, where legislators worked together to develop innovative solutions for the good of the people of Louisiana.”

STEPHEN WAGUESPACK, president, Louisiana Association of Business and Industry

archaic, dual-collection system currently in place, and this measure would not only make things easier for business owners but would also put Louisiana’s brickand-mortar retailers on equal footing with e-retailers.

Another set of bills will eliminate the federal income tax deduction on both personal and corporate income tax while reducing the brackets and lowering the rates. The changes would give Louisiana the lowest top personal income tax rate in the Southeast, excluding those with none, and fourth-lowest overall for states with an income tax. To become law, these tax reform changes also must be approved by voters in the Oct. 9 election.

Finally, SB161 by Sen. Brett Allain, R-Franklin, removes the franchise tax for capital under $300,000 and reduces the rate from .3% to .275% on capital over $300,000. Existing tax policies have long made Louisiana an outlier nationally and these changes will put the state in line with peer averages and drastically improve business competitiveness, BRAC and LABI say.

The Legislature made a few additional significant reforms that went largely under the radar, according to BRAC. Among them were bills that: provide individual and corporate income tax exemptions for state and federal pandemic relief benefits; provide an individual income tax exemption on 50% of the gross wages on taxpayers who qualify as a “digital nomad;” and allow for a net operating loss to be carried forward until the loss is fully recovered.

TRANSPORTATION INFRASTRUCTURE The business community notched another major victory in the final days of the session when 96

lawmakers passed HB514, which would redirect $300 million a year in vehicle sales taxes to a dedicated construction subfund of the transportation trust fund. Some 75% of the money would be used for new mega projects including a new bridge across the Mississippi River in Baton Rouge and a new bridge across the Calcasieu River in Lake Charles. The other 25% would go to maintenance of existing projects.

The bill is significant because it’s the first major source of recurring revenue the state has identified in decades for transportation infrastructure, which would make it easier to qualify for federal matching funds and, therefore, enable work to get started more quickly. That’s no small thing, as a new bridge in Baton Rouge will take the better part of a decade to complete once construction begins, and that’s still at least two years away.

The challenge is that Edwards may veto the measure. As of publication, the governor had not said what he would do, though he has registered his concerns about the negative fiscal impact the bill will have on the state general fund by 2025, when a .45-cent sales tax extension expires.

ENDING ENHANCED UNEMPLOYMENT This was another significant victory for the business community. HB183 by Rep. Chad Brown, D-Plaquemine, ends the weekly $300 enhanced federal unemployment benefits July 31, though it adds $28 a week to the state’s nearly lowest-inthe-nation unemployment benefits, beginning in January.

Lawmakers also approved a bill that will maintain the current levels of employer taxes and benefits through 2022, continuing a

policy adopted during the pandemic that prevents employers from paying higher unemployment taxes.

CAPITAL OUTLAY Though it went largely unnoticed, several priority projects for the Capital Region received favorable funding through Capital Outlay, including funding to regional colleges and universities and the revitalization of the LSU/ City Park lakes. In addition, the Greater Baton Rouge Economic Partnership received $1 million to be used as an incentive for attracting new direct flights out of Baton Rouge Metropolitan Airport.

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT SB227 by Sen. Regina Barrow, D-Baton Rouge, establishes the Plank Road Business Economic Development District, which was hailed as a key milestone in accelerating economic development in north Baton Rouge. The district includes Plank Road from its southern origin to Hooper Road and surrounding areas. The board will identify capital improvement projects and also potential funding sources. The bill does not tax existing businesses in the district.

WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT The Legislature passed two measures that will enable the state to better measure workforce and career educational outcomes as well as job readiness.

HB459 by Rep. Barbara Freiberg, R-Baton Rouge, allows for data sharing between the Louisiana Workforce Commission and the Board of Regents. The legislation aims to make it easier for the state to determine what workforce-readiness programs are working and which need to be improved.

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A companion bill, HB711 by Rep. Ray Garofalo, R-Chalmette, allows the Board of Regents and Louisiana Department of Education to share data, which will provide greater accountability for K-12 education.

Business groups supported both bills, touting them as a way to allow for “cradle-to-career data” to measure the effectiveness of the state’s educational programs.

EDUCATION The business community also got behind several K-12 education bills: HB85 by Rep. Scot McKnight, R-Baton Rouge, will create a literacy program named after the late Rep. Steve Carter for students struggling to read on grade level.

SB10 by Sen Cleo Fields, D-Baton Rouge, makes kindergarten attendance mandatory.

Meanwhile, legislation that legalizes sports betting in the state will dedicate a small portion of revenues to early childhood education programs.

SB148, by Senate President Page Cortez, R-Lafayette, will create the M.J. Foster Promise Program to provide $10.5 million annually in scholarships to upskill and retrain adult learners through the state’s community and technical college system.

BAN ON DECEPTIVE ATTORNEY ADVERTISING SB43 by Sen. Barrow Peacock, R-Bossier City, outlaws deceptive advertising practices used by some lawyers in Louisiana. Longtime advocates of tort reform say this bill will improve our state’s legal climate by ensuring attorneys cannot use advertising that masquerades as independent professional, medical or government advice.

“A lot of these changes are good policy, based on good, sound recommendations going back for years. This Legislature was determined to get it done and we saw some tremendous leadership.”

ROBERT TRAVIS SCOTT, president and CEO, PAR

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Carbon struggles Momentum is building for carbon capture storage projects in Louisiana, but numerous obstacles and objections remain. BY SAM BARNES

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that includes carbon capture. The company says it plans to spend $3 billion through 2025 on what it calls “lower-emissions technologies.” That’s $600 million a year, or 3 to 4 percent of the company’s project budget for 2021.

Part of that would go toward 20 new carbon capture projects, the first being a Texas hub to capture and store carbon dioxide emissions from heavy industries around the Houston Ship Channel. The project would require $100 billion of investment and capture 50 million metric tons a year of carbon dioxide by 2030 and twice that amount by 2040.

DON KADAIR

AT FIRST GLANCE it would seem to be a “win-win” scenario by any measure, but Louisiana’s budding carbon capture, utilization and storage, or CCUS, market is not without its detractors.

Environmentalists, in particular, object to any technology that perpetuates the production of fossil fuels, while also expressing concerns about the safety of the storage process itself.

Nevertheless, there has been growing local interest in the capture and storage of carbon produced by industrial processes, largely driven by a 2018 federal tax credit increase. The credit— known as Section 45Q—is designed to encourage permanent sequestration, so initial projects will focus solely on the storage of carbon and require an extensive monitoring process.

Jason Lanclos, director of the Department of Natural Resources State Energy Office in Baton Rouge, says the first permit for a Louisiana-based CCUS project was filed by Gulf Coast Sequestration of Lake Charles in October, and he expects another five to 10 permits by year’s end.

Gulf Coast’s ambitious site, located beneath a cattle ranch between the Sabine River and Lake Charles, will consist of a vast repository 10,000 feet underground that will permanently store up to 80 million tons of carbon gas from area industrial plants.

The state’s LNG market will undoubtedly be the next big source for future permits. Methanol, ethanol and LNG produce a carbon dioxide stream that is relatively pure, “so the cost of sequestration is significantly less,” he adds.

Eric Smith, associate director of the Tulane Energy Institute in New Orleans, says LNG checks all the boxes. “There will undoubtedly be growing worldwide demand for low-carbon LNG production in the near future,” he adds, “and we have a big advantage in Louisiana because we have a lot of the infrastructure and storage capacity (primarily

CARBON CORRAL: Louisiana is angling to become a major player in the carbon capture storage industry and Jason Lanclos, director of the Department of Natural Resources State Energy Office, expects as many as 11 site application permits to be filed by the end of the year.

salt domes and other geological formations) already in place.”

Venture Global LNG announced May 27 that it hopes to capture and sequester carbon at its planned Calcasieu Pass and Plaquemines LNG facilities.

Having concluded an engineering and geotechnical analysis, the company expects to launch a shovel-ready CCUS project, compressing carbon dioxide at its

sites and then transporting and injecting it deep into subsurface saline aquifers for permanent storage. The company estimates that it will capture and sequester 500,000 tons of carbon per year once operational.

It’s not all LNG driven, however, as major oil and gas players are also stepping into the fray.

ExxonMobil announced Feb. 1 that it has formed a new business

BREAKING DOWN BARRIERS Lanclos views a lack of regulatory streamlining as a fundamental obstacle to CCUS, so he is lobbying for regulatory “primacy” over the EPA. If and when that is granted, it could shift permitting responsibility from the EPA to the Louisiana Office of Conservation by late 2021. “These projects are extremely complex and it typically takes two and a half years to get a permit,” he says. “Instead of a company having to get a Class 6 permit from EPA, they’ll be able to work directly with our office’s staff of 50 or 60 folks.”

House Bill 572, passed during the most recent legislative session, will help the cause by securing additional funding and resources once primacy is granted, all through the Carbon Dioxide Geologic Storage Trust Fund. Once those changes take effect, Louisiana would move ahead of Texas—its main competitor—in regard to CCUS regulation. “Most states haven’t even considered getting primacy or assessing their policies to create a program for this,” Lanclos says.

Professor Brittany Tarufelli at LSU’s Center for Energy Studies says a higher tax credit of $100 per ton (currently at $50 per ton) is also needed to facilitate widespread implementation of CCUS. Tarufelli published a white paper

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in December suggesting that revenues from a federal carbon tax, paired with a higher tax credit, would significantly incentivize CCUS investment.

The paper attempts to find a good mix of incentives to scale up the widespread implementation of carbon capture technologies, and reviews the potential of utilizing carbon tax revenues to fund the research, development and implementation of CCUS. “The main takeaway is that you need the right carbon pricing mechanism and the political will to implement those policies,” Tarufelli says. “Most importantly, we need to put a value on carbon emissions, and a carbon tax is the most direct way to achieve that.”

In March, the American Petroleum Institute endorsed a carbon price policy to drive economy-wide, market-based solutions, while “advocating sensible legislation that prices carbon across all economic sectors while avoiding regulatory duplication.” Tyler Gray, president of Louisiana Mid-Continent Oil and Gas Association in Baton Rouge,

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GOVERNMENT ASSISTANCE: Brittany Tarufelli, a professor at LSU’s Center for Energy Studies, says that a doubling of the tax credit, coupled with revenues from a federal carbon tax, would significantly incentivize CCUS investment.

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DON KADAIR

says his group is analyzing the carbon tax idea but feels there are also certain legal and regulatory issues that need to be addressed in order for CCUS to be fully realized in Louisiana. Unfortunately, that didn’t happen during the last legislation session.

Another obstacle is that there is an inadequate number of pipelines to transport the carbon.

Currently, the longest carbon pipeline in the state is the 200mile Green Pipeline Louisiana owned by independent oil company Denbury Inc., which is already receiving carbon from industrial facilities in the Geismar area.

ENVIRONMENTAL PUSHBACK Industrial members of the Governor’s Climate Initiatives Task Force are largely supportive of carbon capture, but there are some non-industry members who aren’t. That’s because environmentalists are typically against any technology that enables the continued drilling of fossil fuels, says Tulane’s Smith, a member of the task force. “People

want to de-carbonize industry and they think the only solution is to stop production, but that’s not feasible,” he says.

David Dismukes, executive director of LSU’s Center for Energy Studies, sees CCUS as a virtual necessity for any industrial market that wishes to remain relevant. “If we’re going to continue to use natural gas as an end use, for example, we’re going to have to have CCUS in order to achieve net-zero emissions,” Dismukes says. “If we don’t, gas production in places like Haynesville Shale probably won’t survive in the long run.”

DNR’s Lanclos hopes the federal tax credit will eventually allow for carbon repurposing, which would create an additional environmental benefit. “We’ve visited with several companies over the last three years that are considering the use of carbon dioxide as a stream to build other products,” he adds. “That’s exciting, since our carbon dioxide emissions in Louisiana are second only to Texas in terms of pure industrial sources.”

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Aire of the Tiger How a biotech engineer in Virginia and an LSU football team in search of a pandemic solution came together to create a helmet air circulation system for a sport in which cooler heads often prevail. BY CHELSEA BRASTED WHEN JACK KARAVICH first got the notion to reach out to LSU about the football team’s struggle balancing COVID-19 protocols with the functionality the sport requires, he hardly expected an answer to his emails.

For starters, the former chief digital architect at Honeywell has a background in biotech engineering, not athletic training, but more to the point, the LSU email addresses seemed a little strange.

“Honestly, I didn’t even think they were real email addresses,” Karavich says. “But the next morning, I’m having my first cup of coffee before even 6 in the morning … and who is calling me? …

(LSU director of equipment) Greg Stringfellow.”

In Karavich’s off-the-cuff note in July 2020, he offered to take a crack at what was then the LSU

football team’s biggest problem: breathing.

As athletic officials nationwide passed various regulations in the hopes of safely allowing play during a pandemic, the LSU Tigers were left with what Stringfellow could describe only as “these little plastic shower curtain things” that made football helmets more like torture chambers. In one viral video, offensive lineman Austin Deculus said the mouth coverings were “like breathing in a Ziploc bag.”

“In our environment, people will die,” Stringfellow said. “They’ll just suffocate in there. … Before practice was one-third of the way over, we were picking 100 of them up off the field.”

Still, Stringfellow was wary of any offers of help—”During COVID, there were witch

doctors everywhere,” he says—but Karavich’s email struck a nerve, and the pair spent a day with Jack Marucci, then-director of athletic training for LSU and who is now director of performance innovation within the athletic program.

Within days, Karavich had a prototype of a new helmet air circulation system. Not only did it immediately solve the problem of getting fresh air into a helmet behind additional face coverings, but it also solved the long-accepted discomfort of wearing a helmet in the first place.

The trio gave the prototype to a few players.

“Each time, we got this insane reaction from the guys,” Karavich says. “It was priceless, this guttural reaction of happiness and joy.”

Stringfellow remembers translating that reaction pretty clearly:

GOOD GEAUXING: An off-the-cuff email from Jack Karavich, right, to LSU’s football equipment manager about an idea to help players breath easier while navigating pandemic protocols led to the creation of Tigeraire, which earlier this year added Patrick Coogan, left, as chief revenue officer to help with the company’s rapid growth.

“If you can make this real, you got something going.”

That something became Tigeraire, a new, Baton Rougeborn startup company, which is producing a new slate of helmet inserts designed to increase air flow and that will begin shipping this summer.

“It was really meant to help guys breathe easier,” Karavich says. “It defogs your visor, gives you air flow and allows you to play using a protective mouth covering. It was designed because of the pandemic—but it is used because of a basic human enjoyment of air.”

A little fresh air goes a pretty long way, especially in the Deep South where even late football season can see temperatures in the 80s or 90s. Head injuries, however, mean football helmets get a lot of attention for what they’re Daily-Report.com | BUSINESS REPORT, July 2021

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able to keep out, not for what they allow in.

“There are vent holes … but it’s hot,” Stringfellow says. “It’s not made to push air to your head (but) … with heat-related injuries and concussions, one of the first things you do is lower your temperature.”

But what if you can keep your core temperature down the entire time you’re playing? That might reduce heat-related injuries and may even reduce concussions or mitigate their effects—all while helping players breathe easier and play more efficiently.

“Those are all big benefits to a problem that has never even been looked at,” Stringfellow says.

The Tigeraire prototype, which Karavich cobbled together in a New Orleans garage using some old computer fans, plastic tubing, duct tape and 9-volt batteries, was “the ugliest, most primitive thing you can imagine,” Karavich says. That didn’t stop LSU athletes from raiding the athletic department’s battery stores so they could keep using it, a clear,

if silent, endorsement in the eyes of Stringfellow, who knows it’s not worth investing time or money into any product if his athletes won’t actually use it.

For Catholic High School athletic trainer Spencer Jennings, the technology difference with the Tigeraire helmet was immediately apparent.

“Especially in humid Louisiana heat, it gets incredibly hot. It can feel like you’re baking to put (a football helmet) on,” Jennings says, but the Tigeraire product “is like being outside with a fan, sitting in a lawn chair.”

Functionally, though, early versions of the air circulation system still weren’t perfect. Karavich, Stringfellow, Marucci and Tigeraire Chief Technology Officer Marco Falconi kept tweaking things.

“It kept growing and growing and growing and one day, it was a product,” Stringfellow says. “Holy smoke!”

The group eventually filed for patents in a partnership with LSU, which helped formalize the advisory roles Stringfellow and

MARKET EXPANSION: Finding early success in football, Tigeraire is expanding its helmet-cooling product line into baseball and the construction industry.

Marucci continue to play with Tigeraire.

“At that moment, the machine of LSU and the support they’re able to provide from a business startup and innovations standpoint went on display,” Karavich says. “Everything was happening so fast, all I could think of was Gatorade being created at the

University of Florida, and we’re giving Tigers air … so the company name came in a hot second.”

Tigeraire’s origin story is barely a year old, but the upstart company is already growing. With the leadership of newly minted Tigeraire Chief Revenue Officer Patrick Coogan, who joined the team in late spring 2021, the company

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home what a home-run product this is. It’s a game changer.”

It’s also a decent market play. As Coogan notes, the potential audience for a football helmet add-on is more limited than the market for construction and industry employees who also need head protection.

Plus, it seems industry executives were already paying attention:

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started looking beyond the 5 million football players in the U.S. and into larger industry opportunities.

“A guy who has to wear a construction helmet all day, if he’s able to get a cool breeze on his head the entire time, it’s a good experience,” Coogan says, offering improvements in heat relief, comfort, safety and performance. “It hit

Leaders from petrochemical and construction companies reached out to Karavich, wondering if they could put the football helmet add-on into hard hats.

“It was almost like this confluence of energy in the universe,” Karavich says. “We were thinking about (the industry potential) and while we’re refining a product for exactly that, there’s this explosion into a new product category that has left our heads spinning, it’s so exciting.”

For football players, Tigeraire will offer a helmet add-on called the Cyclone for $99, which should ship this fall, and the helmet add-on for industrial workers’ hard hats should ship this summer for $65.

The products are all manufactured in Baton Rouge.

“It’s a designed-in-Baton Rouge product, which we’re proud of,” Karavich says. “We want to continue to be manufactured here. We fundamentally believe that with where tech is today … we can do it in the United States and make it affordable.”

Down the road, Karavich says,

the Tigeraire team also plans to offer a batting helmet with a built-in air system, potentially shipping in spring 2022, for baseball and softball players.

In the meantime, Karavich, who splits his time between Louisiana and Virginia, says Tigeraire has been working with other universities and professional football teams like the New Orleans Saints to continue exploring how their product can change the game.

Karavich says Saints players Alvin Kamara and Jameis Winston have practiced with the new helmet technology.

In elite athletics, the smallest changes can have big impacts, which is why, months ago, when Stringfellow got an email from a stranger, he didn’t immediately hit “delete.”

“The greatest thing about (LSU football coach Ed Orgeron) and the staff is they’re always willing to try things like that if they make sense and if it’s properly vetted,” Stringfellow says. “If it makes a player more efficient, why not?

That’s where you get better.”

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A material matter

Product shortages, rising costs and soaring demand are making it difficult for homebuilders to keep pace. BY CAITIE BURKES SUPPLY PROBLEM: Though there are recent signs of easing, a shortage of lumber and other building materials has increased construction costs and delayed completion of new houses.

ISTOCK

MANCHAC HOMES owner Russell Alleman is arguably the busiest he’s ever been, with demand exceptionally high for the custom homes he builds in the Greater Baton Rouge market.

The only problem: He can’t acquire the materials he needs to build each house. At least, not easily.

In recent weeks, it’s been increasingly difficult for Alleman to source wood needed for roof decking. On one recent job, after phoning nearly every lumber supplier in his rolodex with no luck, he was prepared to drive to a lumber yard in Mississippi before a nearby supplier called Alleman at 5 a.m. to tell him a shipment had just arrived.

“We ran over there at 6 a.m. to pick it up, and paid a fortune because we had to,” Alleman says.

“We knew it wouldn’t be there long at all. If I had to guess, they probably sold out by lunch.”

Alleman’s predicament—which also extends to windows, appliances and, considering the recent flooding, sheetrock—is one that’s familiar to many Baton Rougearea homebuilders, who are juggling these various supply chain issues and material cost increases in a time of unprecedented buyer demand.

As a result, newly constructed homes are slower to come online, meaning the cost is being passed onto buyers. In East Baton Rouge Parish, for instance, the median price of a home rose from $209,000 in 2019 to $225,000 in 2020—a 7.6% uptick, according to the Greater Baton Rouge Association of Realtors. It’s a significant jump, given that between 2015 and 2019, the median home price in EBR increased just 1.4% on average.

Alleman, who exclusively does cost-plus contracts, recently ran a transaction report for a client whose 3,600-square-foot, $1.1 million home would have been $64,000 cheaper had it been built just 16 months ago. He chalks up much of the 6% increase to

lumber prices—which, though they’re on the decline, remain 125% higher than the 15-year average.

“Everyone knows that lumber has been ridiculous—there’s no sweeping this under the rug,” Alleman says. “I know lumber prices have finally started to go down, and I hope it stays that way.”

Nonetheless, for potential homebuyers, the current supply problem only makes existing real estate all the more attractive. And they’re rushing to scoop up homes now rather than later, while interest rates remain historically low.

The big question becomes: At what point does the single-family market stabilize in Baton Rouge, with sales prices cooling off and months supply returning to its usual six-month level?

The apparent answer: Whenever interest rates jump, which the Fed has signaled will begin in 2023.

A SUPPLY PROBLEM Simply put, demand for

housing is far outpacing supply, but there’s not much suppliers can do about it.

Nowadays, local builders like Tyler Watson, who owns Distinctive Homes, often find themselves back-and-forth on the phone with suppliers, who are grappling with skeleton crews on top of shortages of building materials.

While it used to take only two weeks for windows to arrive, Watson says that lately it has been averaging 12 weeks.

“By that time, I’m normally putting cabinets in the house or painting and getting toward the finishing stages,” Watson says.

“Three months is insane.”

Additionally, appliances are four to five months out, he says, a phenomenon that has also helped slow the building process.

A massive labor shortage doesn’t help, either. Watson’s subcontractors have limited crews, which Watson attributes to the extension of federal stimulus checks.

Still, homes are being built.

Already, in the first quarter of

2021, building permits throughout the Baton Rouge MSA were 30% higher compared to the first quarter of 2020, according to data provided by the Home Builders Association of Greater Baton Rouge.

Over the past 12 months, building material costs have soared 26.1% across the U.S. on average, according to the National Association of Home Builders/ Wells Fargo Housing Market Index. The previous record was 6.1% in 2017.

“It’s the same story here,” says Karen Zito, president and CEO of the HBA of GBR. “But construction loan appraisals struggle to reflect these extremely high-rising costs.”

In June, the Housing Market Index showed that builder sentiment fell to its lowest level since August as construction costs pushed new home prices higher, making it more difficult for smaller builders—who account for two-thirds of the homebuilding market—to get loans.

Appraisals have tended to lag where market prices and Daily-Report.com | BUSINESS REPORT, July 2021

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REAL ESTATE

TIMBER TALE

ISTOCK

Construction on a client’s $1.1 million home would have been $64,000 cheaper if built 16 months earlier. Manchac Homes builder Russell Alleman says much of the cost increase is tied to lumber prices, which are 125% higher than the 15-year average.

DEMAND REMAINS HIGH, FOR NOW With newer builds slower to come online, the existing home market is experiencing something of a frenzy, to put it lightly.

How much of a frenzy? So much, that many homes are selling without an appraisal clause, with clients offering tens of thousands of dollars above asking price and, in some cases, agreeing to let the seller live, rent-free, in the house for a month after the closing. They’re also waiving certain contingencies, like the right to inspect a house before buying.

“Escalation clauses are being used fairly frequently within our market right now,” says Connie Kyle, managing broker of CJ Brown Realtors in Baton Rouge.

“You’re seeing this trend play out because we’re getting multiple contracts on each house.”

Essentially, if a bidding war erupts on a home, the escalation clause will automatically raise the

buyer’s offer on the house by a predetermined increment, up to the maximum amount the buyer authorizes. These kinds of clauses are particularly useful in a competitive real estate market where homes get multiple bids.

Kyle says it has required real estate agents to get more savvy, but she views these trends as a positive sign for the market as a whole.

“We’ve seen a lot of upper-end properties sell this year,” Kyle says. “It’s a stronger market across the board than I’ve seen in a long time.”

What’s driven buyer demand to new heights, according to local real estate experts, is the fact that 30-year mortgage rates have remained below 3%.

Tom Cook, an appraiser with Cook, Moore, Davenport and Associates and who’s been in the business for 40 years, can’t remember the last time he saw rates this low.

“The money is almost free,” Cook says. “There’s so much demand right now, I don’t see it ending unless (President Joe) Biden inflates prices and increases interest rates.”

Say, for example, interest rates rise from 3% to 6%. A monthly mortgage payment on a $300,000

Building material costs have soared 26.1% across the U.S. in the past year, according to the National Association of Home Builders/Wells Fargo Housing Market Index. The previous record was 6.1% in 2017.

vious years. While she, Cook and Zito don’t anticipate a 2008-style “pop,” there could be other ramifications, such as prospective buyers being more limited in the price point of homes they can purchase.

With supply also limited, it isn’t likely the market will see prices decline, but it’s reasonable to assume prices will cool off by the time interest rates creep up and the prices of lumber and other materials level out.

RIPPLE EFFECT

ISTOCK

Housing demand is rising but high construction costs and a lagging finance market are slowing the completion of new homes, causing prices on existing inventory to escalate.

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put off their purchases until prices came down.

Still, that’s high compared to recent years; between 2009 and 2019, prices averaged less than $400 per thousand board feet.

“Even though prices are falling, it’s still going to be at least 30 to 60 days before local lumber suppliers see that effect,” Zito says.

“It won’t be any easier to source the productivity between now and the end of the year.”

However, the fact that prices are trending downward at a rapid pace is still a good sign for the market, other experts say.

“There’s too much competition in the lumber industry, so companies are more inclined to produce,” Cook says, “and there’s no shortage of trees to cut.”

ISTOCK

construction costs are. Low appraisals mean that builders either need more equity or they cannot proceed with the loan.

All of which makes it more expensive for builders to build, causing the industry to decelerate its pace.

home would rise from $1,265 to $1,800. Therefore, in order to qualify for the same mortgage loan, the average borrower in Baton Rouge—who brings in a median family income of $57,000 yearly—would have to earn an additional $1,500 monthly, or $18,000 more annually, Cook says.

“That person would have to get a 31% pay raise to buy the same house,” Cook says. “A lot of people would be out of the market.”

Put another way, every $1,000 increase in the cost of building a home prices out more than 360 homebuyers in East Baton Rouge Parish, according to Zito.

Yet, as Kyle points out, any potential rise in interest rates would be “minimal” compared to pre-

WHAT’S NEXT Lumber prices are falling, but homebuilders say they’re still not where they need to be.

In early May, lumber futures surged to unprecedented heights, peaking at more than $1,600 per thousand board feet. Since then, however, they’ve tumbled to $900.80 per thousand board feet as mills restarted or ramped up production and some customers

Meanwhile, recent economic indicators seem to show that all the easy money will trigger inflation. In May, the Consumer Price Index rose 5% compared to last year, the fastest pace in 13 years.

Moreover, the Federal Reserve has considerably raised its expectations for inflation this year and indicated that interest rate hikes could come as soon as 2023, after saying in March that it didn’t foresee any increases until at least 2024.

The HBA of GBR is working with its national organization to address the housing affordability crisis at the federal, state and local levels by informing elected officials about the challenges the industry is facing.

“We’re keeping an eye on inflation and the unemployment situation,” Zito says. “As an industry, we’re looking for an opportunity to evolve and adjust to a new normal.”

BUSINESS REPORT, July 2021 | BusinessReport.com

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NEWS

WORKFORCE

Market forces

BASIC ECONOMICS: Justin Alford, left, owner of Benny’s Car Wash, has raised starting pay an additional $2 per hour to attract workers for his three B-Quik convenience stores.

FOR THE PAST two years, Benny’s Car Wash owner Justin Alford has been offering a starting hourly wage of $12, which is already 66% above the federal minimum wage of $7.25 per hour.

But within the past few weeks, Alford has raised the starting pay at his three B-Quik convenience stores in Baton Rouge to $14 an hour. The reason? He can’t find enough help there, or in his IT department.

“If you’re paying the minimum wage now, you’re in trouble,” Alford says. “We’re trying to stay ahead of the curve.”

What Alford is doing falls in line with a trend now playing out among more and more local business owners, who have begun offering higher wages in an effort to combat the labor shortages they’re experiencing.

It may come as a surprise that

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Baton Rouge is facing a major labor shortage, given the fact that the area reported that 26,839 people were jobless in April—a 6.4% unemployment rate, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The potential theories behind this disconnect vary, though all are plausible and may even be interlinked.

As for the “curve” Alford mentions? In the first quarter of 2021, private workers across the U.S. saw a 3% wage growth on average—the strongest growth rate since the 1990s.

Louisiana is one of only five states without a state minimum wage, according to the Louisiana Budget Project, a left-leaning think tank. This means many workers must stomach the $7.25 federal minimum wage, which has not been raised since 2009.

But amid a tight labor market,

DON KADAIR

Struggling to fill jobs, employers are increasing wages to attract and retain workers. BY CAITIE BURKES

BUSINESS REPORT, July 2021 | BusinessReport.com

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competition is becoming stiff as some national companies with Baton Rouge locations boost their wages. Take McDonald’s, which is upping wages for the 36,500 hourly workers at its company-owned stores by 10%, or Bank of America, which announced it would raise minimum wages for its hourly workers to $25 an hour, from the current $20, by 2025.

What’s more, employees at the new Amazon fulfillment center at the shuttered Cortana Mall site will make $15 an hour, further pushing local companies to up their game.

As is apparent throughout the state’s capital, a cocktail of market forces may pressure the private sector to increase wages on its own.

WHAT IT MEANS Stephen Barnes, who serves as the independent economist on the Louisiana Revenue Estimating Conference, says the state is beginning to see businesses respond to the labor shortage in various ways, including higher wages or, in some cases, signing bonuses.

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Over the next few months, Barnes expects businesses will attempt to return to full-scale operations, while people will weigh whether to return to work amid child care responsibilities, health concerns and other considerations. During this short-term tightness in the labor market, he says it’s reasonable to anticipate wages will be pushed up, especially for lower-paid service industry jobs.

And, as Barnes notes, wages tend to be “sticky.”

“As wages go up, it’s unlikely they’ll slide back down,” Barnes says. “When the labor market tightness eases several months from now, we’ll be looking at a new normal in terms of standard rates of pay.”

However, he’s quick to point out that the market is being heavily influenced by some very atypical forces, including the lingering effects of a global pandemic and the federal policies tied to it. Essentially, Barnes says, some of these factors are discouraging workers, while others are keeping enough money

flowing to encourage businesses to work harder to recruit employees.

Then, there’s the question of inflation: While the market may be pushing up wages, is it also pushing up prices?

With conversations surrounding minimum wage typically taking place within the broader context of affordability and quality of life, Barnes says it’s likely that inflation will play a key role in the case for increasing wages.

Nonetheless, he says Louisiana, which has a relatively low cost of living, won’t see as big of an impact from inflation as, say, New York.

“It’s important to keep in mind how important geography is to standard of living,” Barnes says.

“Even if we see companies like Amazon set up shop here, their wages are not going to have a similarly sized effect in terms of pushing up the cost of living here.”

In a state like Louisiana, which has long been resistant to increase worker pay, wage growth won’t affect companies’ bottom

C O M M E R C I A L | I N S T I T U T I O N A L | M U N I C I PA L | R E S I D E N T I A L

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lines right away. However, it could start to squeeze profits down the road.

In addition to labor costs, employers are seeing other costs rise such as those for packaging, raw materials and shipping. But unlike these other temporary increases, labor costs stay on a company’s balance sheet.

“It’s not guaranteed this becomes a margin problem, but it represents a legitimate threat to margins,” Jonathan Golub, chief U.S. equity strategist at Credit Suisse, told CNBC in May. But the disparity between labor costs and profits has been so wide for so long, some experts say, that employers should be able to increase pay if they can raise prices for goods and services or improve productivity.

For certain businesses, raising employee wages could also necessitate raising prices. At Benny’s Car Wash, for instance, Alford has had to raise the price of an oil change, due in part to rising labor costs as well as the escalating costs of oil and soap amid supply chain issues.

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AMAZON EFFECT: Entry-level wages are expected to keep rising as several Amazon facilities—like this one in Port Allen—offering $15-an-hour starting pay are set to open in the near future.

FILE PHOTO

NEWS

“If the cost of doing business goes up for us, it has to be passed on to the consumer,” Alford says.

“Just look at the price of gas around town.”

For Alford, the results of offering a higher starting pay have, so far, been mixed. To date, he’s still shorthanded, though he remains optimistic about hiring over the

next few months.

“We just had a job fair, and I was pleasantly surprised,” Alford says. “We may start to see hiring pick up again.”

BUSINESS REPORT, July 2021 | BusinessReport.com

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NEWS

TECHNOLOGY NEW VENTURE: Mo Vij, who launched General Informatics in 2004, started 365 Labs in early 2020 with a focus on creating technology and software for law enforcement agencies.

Law and innovation

MOHIT “MO” VIJ wants to change the way you interact with local law enforcement.

Vij founded software company 365 Labs in January, using his @ Highland campus as headquarters. The company, which creates software and technology for law enforcement agencies, is funded

by Vij Capital LLC, a private capital firm Vij created two years ago to fund technology firms.

After examining law enforcement agency processes that had not been altered in decades, Vij began exploring ways to make the departments more accessible.

“We were looking for challenges,” Vij says. “We saw this problem and asked, ‘why can’t we fix this?’”

While brainstorming ideas to bring law enforcement up to date, Vij and his team watched movies like Minority Report to see how people envision public safety working in the future.

“Someone’s going to do this,” Vij said. “Why not us?”

Since opening in January, 365 Labs has revamped law enforcement systems, updated software and changed processes within about a dozen agencies across the country. These processes include how police process records, how courts handle warrants, how law enforcement issues tickets and how people pay them.

The new software will transform agencies, Vij says, and allow those facing budget constraints to do a lot more with less.

However, the most important factor, Vij says, is the cooperation the new software will create 114

DON KADAIR

Mo Vij and his 365 Labs is using technology to improve the efficiency of police operations as well as build greater transparency with the public. BY JULIA-CLAIRE EVANS

between law enforcement and communities as well as the transparency it will provide.

The team at 365 Labs created a citizen portal, which Vij compares to a credit report. People are able to access the portal and view any records about themselves.

Lab-created apps allow communities to easily pass on tips and information to law enforcement, Vij says. Citizens can go online and send information about a theft directly to law enforcement, take a picture of something they think is suspicious and send it to their local police department or even send in tips about crimes.

The company also created a program for community cameras.

Cities that can’t pay for community security cameras would be

able to access those of citizens who apply for the program’s personal outdoor security cameras.

The company has grown to 30 employees, with half working at its headquarters in Baton Rouge and the other half working in offices in San Francisco and Washington, D.C. It hopes to be a billion-dollar company by the end of the decade, Vij says.

Headquarters will remain in Baton Rouge, Vij says, and he created @Highland for this purpose.

General Informatics, the IT company he launched in 2004, is also located there. Vij sold a majority share of General Informatics to Rosewood Private Investments in October 2020.

Vij is currently working with clients in California, Tennessee,

Texas, and Washington state as well as in London and Ireland.

He has patents for many of his products, both domestically and internationally.

However, he hopes the company will help stimulate the local economy first. While Baton Rouge has been home to support centers for national firms, Vij would like to see companies create products here, not just have tech support offices.

“Can we hire local graduates and create interesting enough jobs to make them want to stay here?” Vij asks. “That creates training and mentoring. Whole ecosystems start that way. We started this company to create a tech ecosystem. That’s why we will always be in Baton Rouge.”

BUSINESS REPORT, July 2021 | BusinessReport.com

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NEWS

RESTAURANTS

Online venture WHEN GOV’T TACO opened in October 2020, it was a no-brainer that the Mid City restaurant’s website would include an online function allowing customers to place their own to-go orders, says founder Jay Ducote.

“We’ve had the ability to do online ordering from the beginning,” Ducote says. “The technology has really caught up and has made it easier to integrate.”

Users find a red “order now” button on the site’s top right corner. They click on it, select their preferences, pay and tip with a credit card and wait for a confirmation email that tells them what time the order will be ready.

Meanwhile at the restaurant, the order flows seamlessly into Gov’t Taco’s POS system. A ticket reading “online order” across the top is printed in the kitchen, signaling employees to process it as a to-go order.

“People still call in, but ordering online cuts down on human error because someone can see exactly what they’re ordering,” Ducote says. “It also keeps us from having to continuously staff a phone line.”

Even before the pandemic, off-premises dining sales were growing, triggering restaurants to adapt better systems to meet rising demand. The need to drive improvement in this part of the business was accelerated further by the arrival of third-party delivery services, which exploded onto the local scene about five years ago.

Now, the pandemic has forced the next phase of the off-premises operational trend. More restaurants are adding online ordering to their websites, often integrating this function into POS systems or third-party delivery aggregators.

“We have yet to run into a restaurant group that does not consider online ordering in some capacity,” says Lindsey Duga, director of accounts for Gatorworks, which has designed several Baton Rouge-area restaurant websites, including Gov’t Taco’s. “It has 116

COLLIN RICHIE

Restaurants are investing in online ordering systems as a way to control costs and better serve customers. BY MAGGIE HEYN RICHARDSON

NO-BRAINER: Bartender William Dellinger presents a to-go order at Gov’t Taco. which has incorporated an online ordering function on its website, allowing customers to place their own orders.

definitely been growing.”

Duga says online ordering serves two purposes. First, it gives restaurants better quality control over incoming to-go orders. Second, it gives customers a better experience when placing an order. They can take time to peruse a menu and order with confidence that their preferences and requests will be met, she says. For busy customers who like convenience, online ordering accounts make it possible to save preferences. Systems also help frequent visitors accumulate points through rewards programs.

Both amenities help encourage repeat business, Duga says.

According to the National Restaurant Industry’s 2021 State of the Industry Report, 53% of adults say purchasing takeout or delivery food is essential to the way they live. The report also shows that 72% of customers like ordering from a place they can also visit in person, as opposed to a virtual kitchen space. And while takeaway will never replace the percentage sales of on-premises dining, operators are looking forward to a post-pandemic period in which

53

Percentage of adults who say purchasing takeout or delivery food is essential to the way they live, according to the National Restaurant Industry’s 2021 State of the Industry Report.

dining rooms are once again full, while to-go sales are more robust due to user-friendly ordering platforms.

“Absolutely no question, to-go orders will continue to be a piece of the business,” says Bistro Byronz and Pizza Byronz operator Emelie Alton. “It’s all about how do you efficiently get orders in so that your staff can handle them, and how do you make sure your customer is having a good experience.”

Operator Ozzie Fernandez, whose concepts include Izzo’s, LIT Pizza, Rocca and Modesto, says that online orders currently represent anywhere from 10% to 30% of sales, depending on the restaurant. Fernandez began offering online ordering at Izzo’s in 2016 and has since added it to his other concepts. Orders are integrated into the restaurants’ POS systems. Employees are assigned to the to-go side, ensuring orders are filled accurately when they arrive in the kitchen. Customers pick up

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COLLIN RICHIE

orders either inside the restaurant doesn’t include an online ordering or curbside. plug-in, it can integrate a separate “The platform is very user platform like ChowNow into its friendly for us and the customer,” website. That’s been the case with Fernandez says. “We can import Bistro Byronz and Pizza Byronz, any price changes across the platAlton says. form, and it also includes our re“For us, we were looking for the wards programs.” quickest way to integrate this abilOn-premises dining sales have ity into our operations,” Alton historically been higher per ticket says. “It’s much easier for our staff than off-premises sales because than having to take a phone call. of the ability to sell alcohol. But The order comes in electronically, during the pandemic, the East and then we enter it into our POS Baton Rouge Metro Council ensystem.” abled restaurants to sell alcoAlton says the next step for her hol with to-go orders. The Metro restaurants will be looking at ways Council extended that ordinance to continue streamlining online indefinitely in late April, enabling and third-party delivery orders, inrestaurants to sell beer, wine and cluding possibly using an aggremixed drinks for pickup and degator like Hunger Rush or Orderly, livery. Spots like Gov’t Taco and systems that funnel different kinds Modesto have added bulk sizes of of off-premises orders through a margaritas, a popular option for branded user experience. groups.

One thing is for sure, Duga says, Moreover, even without alcohol, demand isn’t slowing down, and average ticket sizes of online orders neither is the technology. seem to be increasing, Fernandez “There’s a lot for a restaurant to says. consider,” Duga says. “At the end “We do see an increase ticket of the day, it’s all about great deIssue Date: July 2021in Ad proof #3 size that I think comes the sign and finding the points of the • Please respond by e-mail or faxfrom with your approval or minor revisions.

• AD WILL RUN AS IS unless ease of ordering,” heapproval says. or final revisions user experience where they’re most areareceived by the closePOS of business today.

If restaurant’s system likely to convert.”

• Additional revisions must be requested and may be subject to production fees.

TECHNOLOGY MATTERS: Incorporating online ordering systems, like what’s in place at Gov’t Taco, not only makes it easier for customers, research indicates restaurants that use the systems tend to get repeat business through reward or loyalty programs.

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ANIMAL INSTINCTS: Gabriel Ligon and his Barn Hill Preserve staff got creative during the pandemic to continue attracting visitors to a park that’s home to some 150 animals.

Be our guest

After a year the hospitality industry would rather forget, there’s optimism that visitors will begin returning to Capital Region attractions. BY CHELSEA BRASTED WHEN NEWS STORIES across the U.S. in March 2020 began to thread together how the coronavirus was prompting mass cancellations of travel plans, entertainment and life as we knew it, Gabriel Ligon wasn’t even home to deal with the fallout.

Back then, the founder of the Barn Hill Preserve had his head buried in another crisis: Caring for koala bears who had been scorched in Australian bushfires.

As the world ground to a halt, Ligon raced back home to Baton Rouge, where his business faced a suddenly uncertain future.

“I had a real shock to my 118

system,” Ligon recalls. “I saw for a few days how airports were ghost towns, how travel had shut down and the fear in people’s eyes.

When I got home, I knew things were severe, so if we wanted to keep the animal park open and animals fed, we had to get creative.”

The Barn Hill Preserve, which is in East Feliciana Parish about 35 miles north of Baton Rouge, opened in 2012 and is home to about 150 animals, including hyenas, owls, camels, otters and giraffes. Prior to the pandemic, Barn Hill saw about 25,000 to 30,000 visitors in a year, many of

whom traveled from as far as the Netherlands to swim with Ligon’s otters and learn about the other animals on the property.

Within weeks of the initial pandemic shutdown, Ligon’s team created the Car-e Safari, which offered homebound families the chance to drive through the park and see Barn Hill’s animals. Ideas such as that, along with a new marketing focus on attracting local visitors, meant Barn Hill made it through the worst of the pandemic with only a small drop in overall visitors.

Most tourism facilities in the Capital Region were not as lucky.

Travel spending in the state declined $5.3 billion year-over-year since January 2020, according to data provided by the Louisiana Office of Tourism. Though Baton Rouge benefited throughout the pandemic from not only its location smack in the middle between major population centers in Texas and Gulf Coast beaches but also as a way station for the year’s many hurricane evacuees, the city still saw about 50,000 room nights disappear because of convention cancellations, according to Visit Baton Rouge President and CEO Paul Arrigo.

“We learned how fragile the

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Hart says. “Everyone turned to art, turned to literature, to movies, to online experiences with museums. … We are foundational in building culture. It is a huge responsibility. It is also really awesome to be able to serve in that way.”

With virtual programming and socially distanced visitation, the Louisiana State Museum facilities were able to connect with a hyperlocal audience in a way they hadn’t before, Hart says, while also finding new audiences in faraway places.

“All parameters were lifted.

You didn’t need to be geographically close to care for or have an experience with us,” Hart says.

“It moved to being something broadly accessible to everyone, and that was really valuable.”

Still, the return of all seven riverboat cruises with Baton Rouge stops, which combined with bus tours account for most of the groups visiting the Capitol Park Museum, are a welcome boon as Hart hopes to see more visitors walk through the building’s actual doors.

Between March 2020 and March 2021, there were 145 canceled riverboat dockings; now, between April and December 2021, city officials expect about 100 dockings. “(The pandemic) showed us

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industry is,” Arrigo says, calling the past year a “roller coaster.” “I don’t think any industry felt the negative impact as much as the hospitality industry, restaurants, attractions and hotels.”

Now, between the creativity that saw facilities like Barn Hill get through the worst of the slow months and the steady increase in vaccinations prompting renewed abilities for people to gather, Capitol Region tourism professionals are finally feeling a renewed sense of optimism.

“As the confidence comes back in international travel to the U.S. and in meetings and in travel to New Orleans,” Arrigo says, “that’s going to have a good effect on us—as long as this confidence level continues to rise.”

When the pandemic initially prompted mass closures in 2020, it gave Louisiana State Museum Division Director Rodneyna Hart more time than she’d ever had to focus on programming. With the sudden disappearance of riverboat cruises and other tours dropping off a steady stream of out-of-state visitors practically at the doorstep of the Capitol Park Museum, Hart and her team began to experiment with other ways to connect.

“The desire to be socially close never went away just because we needed to be physically distant,”

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“We learned how fragile the industry is.

I don’t think any industry felt the negative impact as much as the hospitality industry, restaurants, attractions and hotels.”

PAUL ARRIGO, president and CEO, Visit Baton Rouge

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NEWS

HOSPITALITY

This ad design © Louisiana Business, Inc. 2021. All rights reserved. Phone 225-928-1700 • Fax 225-926-1329

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FOOTBALL FRENZY: Having a packed Tiger Stadium this fall will provide a financial bump to both retailers and area hotels.

something that we were not aware of: The amount of leisure travel Baton Rouge does receive,” Arrigo says. “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.”

LSU and Southern University account for another highly anticipated return. With abbreviated football schedules and attendance caps in 2020, hotels and attractions across the city saw stark drops in visitor spending.

“Especially when you get to SEC games or you bring in a well-known non-conference opponent, it’s high-occupancy profitability weekends for us,” says Scott Michelet, general manager of the Crowne Plaza Baton Rouge.

“The rug was pulled out from underneath us for that. … When you have (LSU playing Alabama) and still there are rooms available in town, that tells you you’re having a rough football season.”

The Crowne Plaza was particularly hard-hit by social distancing mandates and event attendance

caps. Through multiple rounds of layoffs, Michelet says, he saw his staff drop from 175 to around a dozen at the hotel’s lowest point.

“It was a very skeleton staff,” he says.

The facility’s 15,000 square feet of ballroom space went from hosting large weddings and conferences to offering socially distanced meeting rooms for work groups of local businesses looking to gather safely.

“It’s devastating to look at daily numbers compared to last year,” says Michelet, who noted his staff numbers in spring 2021 were back up to between 40 and 50 employees. “It was so sad to see what happened, and we still have a long road to go to recover in this industry.”

Michelet hopes the slow increase in consumer confidence creates what he calls a trickle-down effect for his hotel because it’ll take associations and large organizations to start hosting meetings again before the Crowne Plaza’s road to recovery really smooths out.

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“The unknown is still a factor,” Michelet says.

Like Michelet, Dwayne Sanburn, who owns the internationally acclaimed 13th Gate haunted house and escape rooms, also relies on corporate travel for his regular customer base because the escape rooms, Sanburn says, are a great team-building activity.

“We had a 100% drop in corporate groups when the pandemic hit, and now we’re still 75% down,” Sanburn says. Even the haunted house, with expanded hours to accommodate social distancing, had attendance drop about 30%.

Sanburn says he’s encouraged—optimistic, even—thanks to recent headlines and the slowly but surely increasing visitor numbers. He hopes by fall that the 13th Gate is “close to being back to some sort of normal.

“It certainly wasn’t a normal year,” Sanburn says, “but we were just happy to be open.”

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SMALL BUSINESS

COLLIN RICHIE

NEWS

Harvesting business

BUSINESS DECISION: Raymond Cutrer’s meat market business was declining until a decade ago when he began selling at the Red Stick Farmers Market, prompting a surge in orders.

Approaching its 25th year, the Red Stick Farmers Market has helped scores of small businesses survive and grow. BY MAGGIE HEYN RICHARDSON RAYMOND CUTRER’S family business was languishing.

Kentwood-based Cutrer’s Meat Market and Slaughterhouse had seen business decline during the ‘80s and ‘90s as the region’s surrounding dairy industry faded and population in the area dropped. The Cutrers began diversifying, adding retail sales and deer processing, but what they really needed was more exposure to customers.

“We knew we needed a way to broaden our footprint,” Cutrer says. “So 10 years ago, we started coming to the Red Stick Farmers Market. Within a month or two, we knew we’d made a very good decision.”

Cutrer says inspectors from the Louisiana Department of Agriculture first mentioned the market as a possible option for increasing business. Within 18 months of selling at the Baton Rouge-based farmers market,

company sales were up 75%.

Cutrer sets up at the market’s two biggest locations, in the parking lot of the Pennington Biomedical Research Center every Thursday, and in the Main Street Market at Fifth and Main streets on Saturdays. The small business sells specialty meats, including smoked sausages, and a variety of cuts of pork and beef.

When Cutrer wraps up the market on Thursdays, he also makes bulk deliveries to several customers

in Baton Rouge who found out about his business through the farmers market.

Today, market sales represent about 35% to 45% of the company’s overall sales, he says.

“It’s completely stabilized our business,” Cutrer says. “We’ve been able to add five new employees and about 30 new items to our menu.”

Later this year, the Red Stick Farmers Market will mark its 25th anniversary, and there’s no

$1billion Estimated annual sales from the 8,720 farmers markets across the country, according to the USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service.

question it has helped dozens of farmers and food producers build thriving businesses. The market was part of a fleet of projects introduced in Baton Rouge in the mid-‘90s to help bring energy back to downtown, which, at that time, was experiencing the first wave of significant reinvestment dollars. While neither the city nor state keeps formal data on the economic impact of farmers markets, the Red Stick Farmers Market’s sway has been significant, says Darlene Adams Rowland, executive director of market organizer BREADA. “We have over 40 farmers and food artisans from 14 parishes around the state,” Rowland says.

“I always love to say you have representation in the Capital City from all these different areas of the state, the different cultures and crops. You’re bringing the rural into the urban.”

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“We have over 40 farmers and food artisans from 14 parishes around the state.

I always love to say you have representation in the Capital City from all these different areas of the state, the different cultures and crops. You’re bringing the rural into the urban.”

DARLENE ADAMS ROWLAND, executive director of market organizer BREADA

many of its millennial shoppers can’t remember a time when it wasn’t there. Established as the second modern municipal farmers market in Louisiana in 1996, just one year after New Orleans’ Crescent City Farmers Market opened, the market was an academic project of then-LSU landscape architecture graduate student Chris Campany, who became its first executive director.

Markets quickly formed in other municipalities around the state, giving a direct-to-consumer sales vehicle to year-round specialty crop farmers and a growing number of culinary microenterprises. In Greater Baton Rouge, the concept of multivendor openair markets has become commonplace. Several other markets have emerged including the Market at the Oasis, the Zachary Community Farmers Market and the Magnolia Market in Central.

Alexander’s Highland Market also resumed its farmers market this spring, which had lapsed since 2019. Denham Springs just launched a new farmers market in April. Like the Red Stick Farmers Market, these markets sell both produce and specialty foods.

The number of markets in the U.S. has grown to 8,720, an increase of more than 7% since

2013, according to the USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service, which began tracking farmers markets in 1994. The agency estimates total annual sales from markets in the U.S. at $1 billion.

Rowland says the Red Stick Farmers Market has been an incubator of sorts, helping to stabilize farmers and producers who need direct access to customers.

It has also helped some vendors like Iverstine Family Farms to establish brick-and-mortar locations. The heritage pork producer’s sales at the Saturday farmers market enabled it to open a whole animal meal market in Baton Rouge in 2016. Other market vendors like Mushroom Maggie’s Farm and Fullness Organic Farms have been discovered by restaurants whose chefs have shopped at the market. Some farmers and producers balance market sales with online sales.

That’s been the case with Farm Life Soap, an artisan goat milk soap producer. Founder Erin Tassin says she started selling at the market because it provided a way to reach customers on Saturdays while also working full time during the week.

“I would go to the market one or two Saturdays a month, and, in a year, I was able to grow my

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business large enough to quit my full-time job,” says Tassin, who now sells her products at both the Thursday and Saturday markets and online. She says 65% of her sales come from the market.

Farmer Judia Dugas has been able to turn what had been her family’s Clinton subsistence farm into a thriving niche business focusing on edible hibiscus, which Dugas sells in dried form and in jams and brewed iced tea. The crop is known for its health properties and by its bright red color.

“The market is probably 80% of our business,” Dugas says.

As the market approaches its 25th anniversary this fall, Rowland says one of its main objectives is to increase public awareness. It’s launching a rebrand later this year to try to increase traffic at both its Thursday and Saturday markets, and its smaller market on Tuesdays at the Baton Rouge Main Library.

More shoppers at the market means the potential for additional farmers and vendors to build thriving microenterprises and small businesses, Rowland says.

“At the end of the day, the market gives farmers the ability to stay on their land,” she says, “and create a livelihood that can support them.”

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PROTECT YOUR BUSINESS FROM A

CYBER ATTACK

WHAT YOU CAN DO TODAY TO PROTECT YOURSELF & YOUR BUSINESS FROM COMMON CYBER ATTACKS. Follow our suggestions to be aware of today’s top risks and keep your information safe from hackers.

• DO NOT click links or open attachments in suspicious emails.

Be especially wary of anything that’s not a normal office document (Excel, World, PDF, etc.), and anything compressed inside of a Zip file.

• DO NOT click on ads in your internet browser. And on computers and devices used for work, visit only work-related websites.

• NEVER send passwords, personal or financial information via email. Legitimate companies will not ask you to verify sensitive information through email.

• NEVER enter your Office password or Email password on a web page – unless you are 100% sure the page is legitimate.

• HANG UP immediately if you receive a call from someone attempting to gain access to your PC. No one from a legitimate company will call to assist with an issue you never reported.

• DO NOT call technical support numbers listed on suspicious pop-up messages claiming your computer has been infected.

• CHECK WITH YOUR COMPANY’S IT if you’re unsure about an email, website, attachment, etc. It’s always better to be safe than sorry!

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NEWS

GOOD LIFE

Waterfront properties

president of Ewing Aquatech Pools. The home entertainment trend has exploded, and Ewing is getting more requests for backyard additions like spas. Automated features, which allow owners to control their backyard mechanics via

their phone, are also popular.

Precision Pools built about 20 more pools in 2020 than what it typically builds, says owner Jake Duncan, who says he is also seeing more requests for spillover spas, water features and even slides.

The increased desire for pools, especially luxury pools, began about a month after the stay-at-home order was issued, Duncan says, as residents started looking to transform their backyards into personal vacation paradises.

PHOTOS BY COLLIN RICHIE

WHEN WOULD-BE travelers were forced to cancel their vacation plans amid the pandemic, many opted to create their own getaways—in their backyards.

Calls and interest in pools are up 50%, says Parker Ewing, vice

BY JULIA-CLAIRE EVANS

Backyard Celebration BUILT BY EWING AQUATECH POOLS KAREN TREVATHAN WANTED a backyard at her University Crossing home to celebrate in, so Ewing Aquatech Pools added a pool with a spa, gas fire pit and decking. The dirt removed while digging the pool was used to add a bulkhead.

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NEWS

GOOD LIFE

Issue Date: July 2021 Ad proof #4 • Please respond by e-mail or fax with your approval or minor revisions.

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Addiction Recovery and Treatment Center

Our primary objective is to use the experience of learning to live an addiction free, happy life. Our loving staff connects with each client both on a professional and personal level, making The Serenity Treatment Center an exceptional place for treatment.

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Modern Family BUILT BY EWING AQUATECH POOLS LAUREN LEMOINE AND her family wanted a modernized pool and added a rectangular brick wall, water fountains, spa and tanning ledge.

The shallow tanning ledge provides a play area for her kids.

“Working and listening to Jeff and John gave me the coping skills I need in my everyday life, for a lifetime. They, along with Ms. Dee and Beau are awesome. I would also like to thank the nurses, especially Ms. A. They do their all to keep us in decent medical health while some detox, and minor aches make their way out. Overall, thank you for my Sobriety.”

— Marcus L

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NEWS

GOOD LIFE

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THE SMART MOVE IS LIVINGSTON PARISH

Two-Sport Star BUILT BY PINNACLE EXTERIOR CONSTRUCTION THIS BACKYARD INCLUDES a small putting green and hitting or chipping mat extending into the center of the pool. The pool also includes a seating area with a brick water feature wall, ledge loungers and a spa. The owners of the pool enjoy golf, says Ellen Dantin, director of operations at Pinnacle, so the putting green was added so they could work on their game while the kids enjoy the pool.

PHOTOS COURTESY PINNACLE EXTERIOR CONSTRUCTION

CONVENIENT LOCATION GREAT SCHOOLS COMPETITIVE LAND & INCENTIVES BUILD, MOVE, GROW OR EXPAND

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NEWS

GOOD LIFE

Island Paradise BUILT BY RUSSELL POOL COMPANY

COURTESY RUSSELL POOL COMPANY

THIS COUNTRY CLUB Place pool has an island with a Lautner edge that makes it appear to float, a 12-foot limestone waterwall, and a mosaic tile waterline. The pool is cleaned with an in-floor cleaning system and sanitized with ozone and UV pool systems, says Lee Russell, co-owner of Lee Russell Design and Consulting,.

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NEWS

GOOD LIFE

Be Our Guest A hospitality, catering, and meeting guide for the Capital Region

Showcase your venue’s meeting space, rooms, amenities and catering menus in this special advertising section coming in the September issue of Business Report.

A READERSHIP OF OVER 30,000 PEOPLE

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“As a community bank we are working to be our clients’ partners as well as their facilitators. We put emphasis on the personal relationship with the people behind the transaction.

We feel that’s what community banking is all about.”

Modern Marvel BUILT BY PINNACLE EXTERIOR CONSTRUCTION

Douglas Dupont, Market President–Baton Rouge

THIS SOUTHDOWNS POOL includes a large tanning ledge and spa, along with a three-tiered waterfall and stepping pads. A fountain at the top of the pool was originally a catfish pond, and Pinnacle created the tiered water feature so that the fountain flowed into the pool for aesthetic and acoustic purposes, Dantin says.

Rooted in Relationship 225.635.6397 • www.BSF.net

We are pleased to announce that Lloyd Johnson, CPA has been promoted as our

PHOTOS COURTESY PINNACLE EXTERIOR CONSTRUCTION

NEW PARTNER

www.fw-cpa.com | 225.927.6811 | 6811 Jefferson Highway

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NEWS

GOOD LIFE

This ad design © Louisiana Business, Inc. 2021. All rights reserved. Phone 225-928-1700 • Fax 225-926-1329

MENTION THE PROMO CODE TOP 100, FOR YOUR CHANCE TO RECEIVE 1 OF 100 FREE APPRAISALS ON YOUR HOME PURCHASE OR REFINANCE!

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C: 225.772.5843 O: 225.810.4287, ext. 187 Issue Date: April 2021 Ad proof #2 • Please respond by e-mail or fax with your approval or minorBrandon@WeLendLA.com revisions.

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Deep Dive BUILT BY EWING AQUATECH POOLS THIS RIVERBEND POOL is over 2,400 square feet. The owner likes scuba diving and wanted the pool to be as deep as possible, Ewing says, and despite the proximity to the river, they were able to make the pool 13 feet deep. It includes a curved vanishing edge water feature and swimup bar under the roof of the patio. The decking surrounding the pool is travertine and the area is accented with fire bowls and fire pits. Everything, including the spa, is controllable via a smartphone app.

T HE LOCAL RESOURCE

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VIEWPOINT

THE BIG PICTURE

The beauty and effectiveness of citizen activists

STEPHANIE RIEGEL I HAVE BEEN inspired of late by the citizen activists, who, fed up with litter and trash clogging Baton Rouge waterways, have taken matters into their own hands and formed an organization that is not only raising awareness of the issue but doing something about it.

Photographer Marie Constantin co-founded the organization—the Louisiana Stormwater Coalition— with Kelly Hurtado, Renee Verma and Jeff Keuhny in March, after more than a year of documenting, through her arresting images, the litter she and random groups of volunteers collect on weekly kayaking cleanup trips around the Capitol Lake and other waterways.

In her quest to make Baton Rouge and its watershed cleaner and, therefore, healthier, Constantin has researched the many causes of the persistent litter problem, identified several potential solutions, and talked (and talked and talked and talked) to anyone who will listen about what we need to do.

Make no mistake, she will wear you out. But the intensity of her passion is contagious—and effective.

As of late June, the nascent coalition had established a fund

through the Baton Rouge Area Foundation, raised more than $15,000, and acquired the first of what it hopes will be several litter-trapping booms.

What’s more, the group had identified a location for the boom in Bayou Fountain, secured permission from the private landowner to place the equipment on his property, and was in the process of finalizing an agreement with BREC to provide the manpower to maintain and regularly clean the boom, which will be located just upstream from the paddle boat launch at Highland Road Park.

It’s an impressive start for a small group, especially when you consider how long it would take government to make all that happen.

Granted, government has to operate within certain necessary constraints that serve to protect public dollars. But those protections often have a way of gumming up the works and hamstringing progress.

It is refreshing to see ordinary people band together and, through a shared dedication and vision, get things done.

I saw another example of how that kind of passion and dedication can pay off—even if it takes decades—at a reception earlier this summer at the offices of the Louisiana Environmental Action Network, which are located in a sweet, unassuming cottage in Old Goodwood.

LEAN has been at the forefront of the state’s environmental movement for almost as long as there has been such a movement; and, the group has proven itself effective—not by chaining itself to pipelines or making poster children of the victims

REFLECTIONS

OVERCOMING FEAR, WEARINESS AND ANXIETY This feature is a tribute by our publisher in honor of Business Report founder, Rolfe H. McCollister Sr.

of environmental racism—but, rather, by working with industry and elected officials, using data and building relationships to achieve small but significant wins, which is about the best you can hope for in Louisiana.

Its leaders have been key in this nuanced approach. They include, chiefly, Marylee Orr, who, like Constantin, is singular in focus, generous to a fault and committed to something much bigger than herself.

She co-founded the organization in 1986 as a mother of two young children, who was concerned about their health and the impact of the state’s air quality on it. Some 35 years later, she is still at the helm of the organization.

With Orr and equally engaged in the effort is Wilma Subra, now 77, and a nationally renowned chemist, whose technical expertise has given LEAN credibility in its campaigns to reduce toxic emissions. She’s a MacArthur “Genius” fellow, among other things, and has been featured in countless national publications, including Chemical and Engineering News, which in 2020 described her as an “unstoppable pioneer in environmental chemistry and community advocacy.”

Kathy Wascom, a community activist and volunteer, is also a key member of the organization, who has given years of her life representing LEAN in the Legislature and monitoring countless public meetings for the group. She bravely continued that work this past spring, even while mourning the death of her brother, the late Davis Rhorer.

There have been dozens of others, both living and deceased.

Those women are memorialized in

OVERCOMING WEARINESS is about exchanging our weariness and lack of might for God’s strength and His increase of power. Notice Isaiah 40:28-29, “Do you not know? Have you not heard? The Everlasting God, the Lord, the Creator of the ends of the earth does not become weary or tired. His understanding is unsearchable. He gives strength to the weary, and to the one who lacks might He increases power.” Isaiah is encouraging the hearers to look up and see five aspects of God’s nature that get in view how big God is: everlasting, Lord, creator, no weariness or tiredness,

a moving, visual tribute that hangs on the walls in LEAN’s lobby and tells the stories of the important contributions each made to the effort to protect Louisiana’s precious environment.

At the reception that night, however, Orr, Subra, Wascom and friends were gathered to honor a man—Willie Fontenot, another early LEAN activist, who documented through pictures many of the environmental campaigns, rallies and cleanup efforts in south Louisiana of the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s.

For most of those years, Fontenot served as community liaison in the Louisiana Attorney General’s office. In that capacity, he gave tours and interviews and worked to educate the public, the media, businesses and organizations about Louisiana’s environmental issues.

But his commitment to LEAN and to raising awareness of Louisiana’s environmental problems was more than a job; it was a vocation.

Fontenot is visually impaired now and unable to really see many of those pictures he took. But they are hanging at LEAN in a new little addition off one side of the house that Orr and her son, Michael, built during the pandemic. it was touching to see him that night, surrounded by Orr and the others, as they collectively looked back on their years together, fighting the good fight using fair means and effective measures.

There is much work still to be done. But it is heartening to see others following their example and taking up their own worthy causes in an era where there is so much division, partisanship and paralysis.

and full of understanding. Then Isaiah directs us to wait on the Lord, which is not passive, but is assertive trust and “being still and knowing that He is God,” Psalms 46:10. As an eagle mounts up and catches the wind in its wings and soars to new heights with a view from above. The believers in God assertively trust God, new strength arises so we can run and walk and not become weary or tired. Beloved, get the bigness of God in view; assertively trust God; and then enjoy to strength and power of God in your wings to soar, run, and walk.

COL Jeff Mitchell, Retired Army State Chaplain, Present Hospice Chaplain

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VIEWPOINT

RANDOM THOUGHTS

A freedom cry for college athletes

THE ZIP-A-DEE-DOO-DAH days of the indentured servant model of college athletics—the one where everyone gets rich except the young men and women putting their bodies at risk—are all but over.

A more equitable—and businesslike—age is dawning at LSU and everywhere else where the tail of athletics tends to wag the university dog. Smashed into oblivion is the notion that the only thing amateur in the $8.5 billion enterprise known as Division I athletics are the athletes who double as students.

The emancipation proclamations are raining down like confetti at a ticker-tape parade.

With state legislatures, including the one here in Louisiana, about to do what the NCAA has spent years and billions in legal fees trying to prevent, Mark Emmert and a cadre of plantation presidents acquiesced in late June, setting free the name, image and likeness (NIL) of college athletes.

That means a star quarterback can go into business with a video game maker or trading card company. It means that volleyball player with 80,000 social media followers can make a deal to promote products on her channel.

It means that baseball player can become a pitchman for a business near you.

Think about this, Joe Burrow as a senior at LSU, based solely on his Instagram followers, could have earned an estimated $700,000, according to research by AthleticDirectorU. Among current Tigers, gymnast Olivia Dunne, the only current NCAA athlete with 140

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more than 1 million followers on TikTok and Instagram, has the second-highest NIL income potential, per Darren Rovell and The Action Network, and right behind her is Shareef O’Neal, Shaq’s son and a UCLA transfer who comes to LSU with 1.1 million Twitter followers. Football’s Derek Stingley Jr. is 14th on the list, giving the Tigers three soon-to-be-earning athletes in the top 20.

Which makes one wonder just how willing LSU’s football players will be to spend hours signing autographs at fan day? Why give away one’s John Hancock for free?

Navigating this new world is going to be a challenge. “It’s like building an airplane while you’re flying,” Stephanie Rempe, the chief operating officer of LSU’s athletic department, told ESPN. Yet a unanimous Supreme Court earlier in June struck the real blow for economic freedom.

Both the liberal and conservative justices joined forces to annihilate the plantation mentality of college athletics, declaring the NCAA is violating antitrust law by placing limits on academic-related benefits a school like LSU can provide to athletes donning the purple and gold.

Though the decision in NCAA v. Alston was on a pretty narrow issue, Justice Brett M. Kavanaugh provided the drop-the-mike moment, writing this in a concurrence to the decision: “The NCAA couches its arguments for not paying student athletes in innocuous labels. But the labels cannot disguise the reality: The NCAA’s business model would be flatly illegal in almost any other industry in America.”

That’s some harsh truth.

But there was more, with Kavanaugh concluding, “Nowhere else in America can businesses get away with agreeing not to pay their workers a fair market rate on the theory that their product is defined by not paying their workers a fair market rate (and) it is not evident why college sports should be any different. The NCAA is not above the law.”

How many lawyers are lining up to file the first in what will be a barrage of litigation demanding compensation for college athletes beyond education-related expenses? And if what Kavanaugh wrote didn’t do it, this will: “Put simply, this suit involves admitted horizontal price fixing in a market where the defendants (the NCAA) exercise market control,” wrote Justice Neil M. Gorsuch in the majority opinion.

“Flatly illegal?” “Price fixing?”

Mighty damning words. Emmert and everyone else getting rich off the cheap labor of athletic teenagers now knows what those in Atlanta felt like when Sherman came marching through on his way to the sea.

No matter how anyone at the NCAA, LSU or any other sports-playing university tries to spin it, the Supreme Court made clear that the student-athlete myth is just that—a myth.

Over are the days when everyone involved in this sham system—coaches, athletic directors, university presidents, conference officials, NCAA pooh-bahs and television network executives— gets rich off the semi-free labor of the college athlete workforce.

Will allowing athletes to profit off their name, image and likeness impact the revenue flow of athletic departments? Once the teetering final domino—non-education compensation—falls, what’s fair compensation for a football or men’s basketball player? What about the other sports? Will there need to be salary caps to keep the rich from monopolizing talent?

Those are questions for the free market—or state and federal

legislation—to answer. The NCAA and its member institutions will do what they can to preserve their golden empire, but the tarnish is on the walls.

Using a collective bargaining model similar to what’s in place in the NFL and NBA (a 50-50 revenue split), a study from the National Bureau of Economic Research estimates each Power 5 conference football player would receive $360,000 per year, and each basketball player would earn nearly $500,000 annually. A starting quarterback and wide receiver (the two highest-paid NFL positions) would land deals worth $2.4 million and $1.3 million, respectively, while starters on the men’s basketball team would knock down between $800,000 and $1.2 million per year.

But if history makes anything clear it’s this: Those in power don’t give it up easily, especially when there’s a billion-plus in lucrative television dollars at stake.

One option—especially if the market moves in the financial direction of six-figure salaries— might be for schools and leagues to spin off the cash cow sports of football and men’s basketball, essentially creating professional developmental leagues. In the case of LSU, for example, the university could charge the football and basketball programs a rights fee for the use of the LSU name as well as rent for stadium, arena and facility use. Under this model, coaches would not be university employees and the players would essentially be professionals with the right to a tuition-free education.

What course college athletics ultimately charts remains to be seen. What’s certain is the days of student-athlete oppression are fading fast, and to borrow a phrase from Martin Luther King Jr.: Free at last, free at last, thank God almighty student-athletes are free at last.

INSTA-RICH: One estimate says Joe Burrow could have earned $700,000 off his Instagram account during his senior year at LSU.

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VIEWPOINT

ESSAY

A message to Louisiana: Start watching

JULIA-CLAIRE EVANS I WAS A WINDOW KID. Most kids my age grew up taking long car rides with portable DVD players or iPods and MP3 players in hand.

Not me. I sat glued to the window, taking in everything.

Both of my parents are from Houma, and I like to say I halfway grew up there.

Long car rides were spent winding along U.S. Highway 90 from Lafayette, snaking through the sugar cane fields of New Iberia, Franklin and Patterson, over the rushing Atchafalaya in Morgan City, and promptly dropping into the swamps of St. Mary Parish.

Keep going past Amelia, Gibson and Donner and you reach the largest town, Houma, before the world allows itself to be overrun by the mush of marsh and open bayou that is the Louisiana Gulf Coast.

Except that coast has lost about 1,023 miles since I was born.

I grew up in that mush. Some of my happiest days were spent fishing with my uncles and grandfathers around and south of Houma, in Bayou Black or the marshes of Cocodrie, Dularge and Grand Isle.

Lately on my drives, I’ve been noticing the changes.

I see how high the river gets on the Morgan City floodwall, covering the painted name of the city, chocolate milk-colored licks of water sloshing along the top of the wall after a heavy rain.

I see the dead trees lining the marsh on the way to Dularge.

Large, towering cypress that used to boast bright colors of green and blow in the wind sit still and silent, gray and skeletal, victims 142

of saltwater intrusion.

I see the small, grass-covered marsh islands where we used to cast our fishing lines around Grand Isle and Cocodrie slowly give way to saltier water, turning the grass brown, then to sand and mud, then to nothing.

The causes of this phenomenon are plentiful.

In the early 20th century, we boxed in the roaring Mississippi with levees to stop its rushing waters from changing course and flooding settled land. In doing so, we starved the delta from nutrients carried by the river, and land gave way to water.

However, another major impact is something that hits close to home for many Louisianans: oil and gas infrastructure.

Miles and miles of canals have been cut through marsh and swamp to create open water since oil became a large part of Louisiana industry in the 1920s, killing necessary vegetation and natural barriers to the saltwater coast in the process.

Bob Marshall, a reporter for the Times-Picayune, outlined just how much of this area had been lost—and how—in his 2019 project, “Lost Lands.”

As canals are dug from towns like Houma down to the coast, salt water makes its way inland, killing vegetation and allowing for the loose soil left behind to be washed away.

EARLY IMPRESSION: The author, as a 5-year-old, along with her grandfather inspect their haul of perch caught in Bayou Blue.

Oil and gas infrastructure such as these canals has contributed to 36% to 60% of the loss of our coast, Marshall says.

If you’re not actually from south Louisiana, this may not mean much to you. Sure, some people might lose their jobs and even their homes, but what will a noncoastal Louisiana resident lose?

A lot.

Do you like seafood? Sure you do, and the seafood you like needs a very specific place to live.

South Louisiana provides 50% of the nation’s shrimp crop, 35% of its blue crabs and 40% of its oysters, Marshall says.

What about driving your car?

Fifty percent of the nation’s oil refining takes place in Louisiana; we’re the No. 1 export state in the nation and gasoline jumped 46 cents in three days after Katrina, Marshall says.

Now you’re asking yourself, “Why don’t they do something about it? Why don’t these people look around and see how the land is changing and want to stop it?”

The answer again lies in the oil and gas industry. In a state that consistently puts industry first, sometimes its own people are put last.

For example, an amendment on last year’s Louisiana ballot, which sprang from a bill by Republican state Sen. Mark Abraham of Cameron Parish, would have given property tax breaks to large

industries.

In a state where public education is largely funded by property taxes and which is consistently ranked among the three worst states for education, this would’ve been detrimental.

Amendment 5 was not approved, and that gives me hope.

I, like many people who grew up south of Interstate 10, have a family who has called this land home for generations. We know its beauty, its sounds and even its tastes. The culture is unmatched.

I may be biased, but I believe south Louisiana is the most magical place in the country.

I would love for my family and friends to live in this magical place for as long as possible. But small towns like Houma are especially vulnerable.

Residents of coastal towns like Houma repeatedly vote against regulation of industry, something Arlie Russell Hochschild describes in her book Strangers in Their Own Land, about residents in the Lake Charles area.

“The politicians who most won their trust offered no help in cleaning the place up,” Hochschild said. “As for threats to coastal Louisiana from climate change, no one they voted for thought it was real.”

No one thought it was real?

The dead swamp and marshland is real. The aerial pictures that show how much “land space” on a map of Louisiana is actually open water is real. The disappearing marsh islands are real.

The fact that places we call home, like Houma, Thibodeaux and Morgan City, could be underwater by 2060 to 2090 is very real.

I implore you to start watching, like I have. Watch how the land you live on has changed since you were young. Watch how the people you vote for ignore this. Watch your kids’ and grandkids’ excitement when they catch their first fish or their first crab.

Consider how much we would lose if we lost this place.

Julia-Claire Evans is a staff writer and recent graduate of LSU who initially wrote this essay for a feature writing class.

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VIEWPOINT

GUEST COLUMN

Three steps to building a DEI plan Creating a thoughtful DEI strategy can seem like a daunting task, but it doesn’t have to be.

With more than 20 years of experience leading global teams and increasing diversity within Fortune 20 organizations, I want to share three steps that are foundational to building an impactful DEI plan.

DIMA GHAWI DIVERSITY, EQUITY, and inclusion (DEI) has become much more than a “nice to have.” In recent years, there has been a strong shift in business thought as strong DEI teams provide a definitive competitive advantage. While many organizations are moving in the right direction by increasing their focus in this area, a majority of these companies are rushing to join this wave without the proper direction or guidance.

1. Get employee input to understand the organization’s current. A successful DEI strategy begins with a strong understanding of the business’s starting point. We accomplish this by looking inward and identifying possible challenges and strong suits within the organization.

The best way to find the pulse of DEI within the organization is to listen to employees. In most companies, executives hold the power and determine which DEI initiatives will be implemented.

However, for the organization’s culture to truly change, we must

account for employee needs. A bottom-up approach asks employees for their feedback regularly and utilizes DEI surveys and focus groups to recenter the DEI strategy on targets that matter.

This step ensures that the final initiatives and workshops are relevant to the team’s needs.

2. Pinpoint areas of focus. Once we have listened to employees and analyzed their feedback, we can better address specific areas that require attention within our organization. Here are some common focal points of a DEI strategy: • Recruitment and advancement. Research and understand the systematic barrier that historically affects the recruitment and advancement of marginalized groups and actively seek a diverse group of candidates. Training to guard against unconscious bias should be commonplace for

hiring managers as well as team leaders to ensure that stereotypes, prejudices and misconceptions do not affect business decisions. Finally, implement equitable advancement opportunities like diverse leadership pipelines or mentorship programs for underrepresented employees.

• Dialogue and education. Increased awareness leads to greater understanding and acceptance of minority communities. We can achieve this by scheduling ongoing workshops on DEI topics like working across generations, managing unconscious biases, and reviewing discrimination case studies.

By creating employee resource groups, we promote inclusion by bringing together individuals with similar backgrounds, such as women, people of color, parents, or the LGBTQ+ community.

These groups should be open to

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both members and allies as a space for open dialogue, nonjudgmental learning, and support.

• Internal and external communications. Regularly share the company’s focus on DEI throughout the organization using corporate values, the mission statement, and other forms of communications. Demonstrate commitment to these goals by creating feedback channels for employees to discuss recent workshops or privately file discrimination complaints. Once internal communication has been solidified, begin to look outward. Improve the overall brand by updating the company’s website to include a DEI page and post appropriately on social media about recent diversity efforts.

• Implementation through leadership. Showcase the leadership team’s commitment to DEI through monthly small group

discussions with supportive executives and diverse employees.

These conversations allow all members to gain a deeper understanding of workplace culture, DEI challenges, and successful initiatives. Additionally, integrate DEI measures into the leadership team’s performance evaluation and compensation plans

to encourage improvement and action.

3. Establish a DEI council. A DEI council is a group of dedicated, passionate, and committed employees focusing on DEI priorities. This selected cohort will set short-term and long-term goals for the organization and manage

their execution alongside executive sponsors. The size of this group depends on the scope of the company’s DEI strategy. From five members to as many as 20, the DEI council must be structured and collaborative to ensure participation and proper implementation of DEI programs. This group functions both as a DEI initiative as well as a professional development opportunity for members.

While implementing a new DEI strategy can feel overwhelming, it is important to know that we are not alone in our efforts. With support from diversity and inclusion consultants or well-informed teams, we can make positive progress through a phased approach. Start by identifying the low-hanging fruit—initiatives that target challenging areas. The main goal is to create momentum from employees, leaders, and executives. This buy-in will help propel us to real long-term change.

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YOUR BUSINESS

COMPANY NEWS

COMPANY NEWS General Informatics, an IT and network infrastructure company, has expanded into the Alabama market with the opening of its Birmingham office, the first of three planned locations in Alabama. General Informatics opened its doors in Baton Rouge in 2001 and also has locations in New Orleans and Jackson, Mississippi. Last year, General Informatics partnered with Rosewood Private Investments, which has allowed the company to grow organically and through acquisition.

Architectural firm GraceHebert-Curtis has opened an office in Lafayette, with local architect Jaron Young leading the firm’s operations there.

The staff also includes architect Rachel Roussel. GHC has experience working with both private and public agencies in Lafayette. The firm is a design leader in the health care, K-12 education, justice, religious, municipal and industrial sectors.

GHC’s headquarters is located in Baton Rouge and it has offices in New Orleans, Lake Charles and Lafayette, as well as Dallas.

Ochsner Health continues to strengthen its network for pediatrics in Greater Baton Rouge

Benson & Falgout

thanks to a new agreement with Associates in Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine. Joining the Ochsner Baton Rouge team are pediatricians Dr. Rodger Elofson II, Dr. Dana Fakouri, Dr. Brannon Perilloux and Dr. Lori Cook. The pediatricians

will retain privileges at all local hospitals to care for children across the region. Their office staff and location will not change. Associates in Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine is located at 8040 Goodwood Blvd.

Woman’s Hospital in Baton Rouge has expanded its outreach services for gynecologic cancer with the addition of a satellite clinic in Hammond, located in the Pontchartrain Cancer Center. Dr. Anthony Evans, medical director of gynecologic oncology at Woman’s Hospital, and gynecologic oncologist Dr. Laurel King are now seeing patients at the Hammond location.

They specialize in using evidence-based modern techniques for treating cancers of the female reproductive system. To learn more about gynecologic cancer services at Woman’s, visit womans.org/gyncancer.

AWARDS HONORS Benson & Falgout, a commercial waterproofing firm based in Baton Rouge, received the Master

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COMPANY NEWS

Builders Solutions (formerly BASF Construction Chemicals) Construction Systems Project of the Year award. Master Builders Solutions Territory Manager Roger Sosa submitted the project for consideration based upon the project’s unique aspects, application techniques, sustainable construction methods and cross-business unit collaboration. Benson & Falgout won the honor for its work on the Bluebonnet Towers Apartments and the Family Worship Center on the campus of Jimmy Swaggart Ministries in Baton Rouge.

Fourteen engineering projects performed by Louisiana-based engineering firms, including two from Baton Rouge, were awarded 2020 Engineering Excellence Awards by the American Council of Engineering Companies of Louisiana. Forte and Tablada Inc. was a winner in the surveying and mapping technology category for a project for the Louisiana

Department of Transportation and Development. Forte and Tablada performed inspection and field measurements for almost 230 submerged corrugated metal culverts. Following an extensive research and development phase, Forte & Tablada invented its own instrumentations based on each condition to successfully collect the required field measurements for the inspections. Forte and Tablada also won the People’s Choice Award for the project. G.E.C. Inc. won in the water resources category for a subsurface drainage improvement project for St. Bernard Parish government.

Mary Terrell Joseph, an attorney in the Baton Rouge office of McGlinchey Stafford, has been honored by the Joseph Louisiana Bar Foundation as a 2019 Distinguished Honoree. The 2019 awards presentations were delayed due to the pandemic. The

B A T O N

honor is reserved for individuals who, through their professional activities, have distinguished themselves and have brought credit and honor to the legal profession. Throughout her career, which has spanned five decades, Joseph has handled thousands of retail and commercial collections matters. In January 2005, Joseph was appointed judge pro tempore for the 19th Judicial District Court.

Latter & Blum recently announced it is the 19th-ranked real estate firm in the U.S. per units sold, according to RISMedia’s Annual Power Broker Report. In 2020, Latter & Blum reported a total residential sales volume of $5,117,901,809, representing 21,731 closed residential transactions.

Five of Lane’s registered nurses were honored at the Baton Rouge District Nurses Association’s awards. As recipients of the Celebrate Nursing Award, they are recognized for

R O U G E

T O P

their excellence and dedication to the advancement of nursing, encouraging professional development, and promoting a positive image of nursing. The nurses recognized are: Steve Yeh, medical/surgical and telemetry unit; Russell Arceneaux, endoscopy center; Margaret Moore, medical/surgical and telemetry clinical leader; Alexandra Gabor, emergency department charge nurse; and Neil Manuel, quality resources director.

Louisiana Economic Development honored 10 companies as 2021 Louisiana Growth Leaders at a program featuring Gov. John Bel Edwards and LED Secretary Don Pierson. Cited for their community involvement and business success, the 2021 Louisiana Growth Leaders from the Baton Rouge area are: BBQGuys, Russ Wheeler, CEO; Genesis 360 Facility Maintenance & Construction, Craig Stevens, president; ITinspired, Rob Wise, co-owner and CEO; MasteryPrep, Craig

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Gehring, founder and CEO; and ThreeSixtyEight, Kenny Nguyen, co-founder and CEO. MMR has been recognized by the Pelican Chapter of Associated Builders and Contractors Inc. for its work on several projects.

MMR received two Excellence in Construction awards, the highest honor, and one merit award, the second-highest honor. ABC’s Excellence in Construction awards program recognizes the nation’s most innovative and high-quality construction projects. The Gray Wolf Compressor Station project and the Bus Duct Replacement Project both received excellence awards, while Project Eddie received a merit award.

10 years, most recently serving as vice president. He succeeds Dr. Frank Breaux. Perniciaro has provided award-winning gynecological care to Baton Rouge-area women for 35 years. Before transitioning to a strictly gynecological practice in August 2017, he delivered more than 10,000 babies.

The Picard Group was named to the annual list of top-performing lobbying firms compiled by Bloomberg Government.

Bloomberg selects the Top 300 firms out of 2,095 registered firms. The list is derived by analyzing five critical business performance metrics, including growth and short- and long-term client retention rates. Bloomberg also noted that The Picard Group is the fourth-fastest growing firm among its list of 2020 top-performing firms.

Dr. Michael Perniciaro has been elected chairman and president of the board of members of LSU College of the Coast and Louisiana Women’s Environment professor Nancy Issue Date: July 2021 Ad proof #2 Perniciaro Rabalais is among the 120 newly • Please respond by Healthcare. e-mail or fax with your approval or minor revisions.

• AD WILL RUN AShas IS unless approval or final revisions within National 24 hours Perniciaro been a member of are received elected Academy of from receipt of this proof. A shorter timeframe will apply for tight deadlines. the LWH board for more than Sciences members, and one of • Additional revisions must be requested and may be subject to production fees.

59 women elected—the most in a single year. Rabalais, the Shell endowed chair in oceanography and coastal sciences, was recognized for her distinguished achievements in original research. Since the mid-1980s, she has been characterizing the dynamics of the large region in the northern Gulf of Mexico where the oxygen levels in the bottom waters are so low in spring and summer that fish, shrimp and crabs cannot survive.

SASSO Agency was honored with 10 Healthcare Advertising Awards, the most by any agency in Louisiana and the only one in Baton Rouge to be honored.

The agency’s winning work includes Louisiana’s largest-ever flu vaccination campaign for the Louisiana Department of Health, branding and marketing collateral for eQHealth Solutions’ eQHealth AdviseWell, and a print and digital campaign featured in Neonatology Today for PediNotes.

The combined newsroom of public radio stations WWNO

in New Orleans and WRKF in Baton Rouge, has won two 2021 Regional Edward R. Murrow Awards for journalism in 2020.

The stations won in the continuing coverage category for reporting on the Hurricane Laura aftermath, including a story by Aubri Juhasz, “’I Lost My Mind’: Lake Charles Residents Come to Terms with Hurricane Laura’s Devastation.” The “LifeRaft” podcast episode by Travis Lux and Lauren Melara, “Have I had my Last Good Oyster?” won in the podcast category.

Mary Leah Walke, revenue cycle manager at Prime Occupational Medicine, was awarded the Medal of Honor by the Louisiana Chapter of Healthcare Financial Management Association. Walke served as president of LAHFMA from 2016 to 2017, is a fellow in the organization and has previously been awarded bronze, silver and gold merit awards for service as well as the Cyril Barrios Most Valuable Member Award in 2016. Previously with Woman’s

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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Put their little hands in the hands of our experts.

Children’s Hospital New Orleans brings a world of expertise to make sure your little ones have everything they need to get back to being happy and healthy kids again. From ENT to Dermatology and Cardiology to Orthopedics, Children’s Hospital New Orleans offers unmatched pediatric expertise, sized just for kids in Baton Rouge and beyond.

Specialty Care Baton Rouge

Learn more at chnola.org/BatonRouge

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YOUR BUSINESS

COMPANY NEWS

Hospital, Walke recently joined Prime’s corporate management team in Baton Rouge.

Woman’s Hospital has been awarded four stars by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services for the second straight year. CMS star ratings are designed to provide consumers with a simple overall rating to help them choose where to receive their care. Scores include a summary of seven different areas including effectiveness of care, patient experience and timeliness of care.

APPOINTMENTS MEMBERSHIPS Sam Bentley, LSU vice president of the Office of Research and Economic Development, has been elected to the board of directors of the Environment and Health Council of Louisiana.

Bentley holds the Billy and Anne Harrison professorship in sedimentary geology in the LSU Department of Geology and Geophysics, where he mentors students and conducts research on coastal geology. The

8th 2 r e b Octo sance Renais tel Ho 6 - 9pm

Environment and Health Council of Louisiana is a nonprofit organization founded in 1983 to facilitate independent, balanced and factual assessments of health issues related to the environmental and economic well-being of Louisiana.

Tiffani Dorsa, a director in Postlethwaite & Netterville’s assurance practice, has been named a direcDorsa tor of chapters of the Association of Government Accountants National Governing Board. Dorsa will be one of eight chapter directors serving on the 2020-2021 board. Dorsa has served on the AGA Baton Rouge Chapter board of directors for seven years, most recently as chapter president. At P&N, her practice areas include government entities such as cities, retirement systems and school boards as well as not-for profit organizations that receive federal assistance.

Latino

Levy

Alzheimer’s Services of the Capital Area has welcomed two new members to its board of directors: Jeff Latino and Robert Levy. Latino, CPA and assurance partner with Hannis T. Bourgeois, joins the board as treasurer.

Latino has more than 25 years of public accounting experience and serves as the firm’s partner in charge of quality control. Levy also joins the board this year.

Levy’s background includes serving as assistant secretary of labor for workforce development under Gov. Buddy Roemer. After that, he joined LWCC, where he became responsible for marketing, agent relations, advertising, and some administrative functions through the early years of growth.

Bridging

Laura Soileau, consulting director for Postlethwaite & Netterville, has been elected to serve as the Institute of Soileau Internal Auditors’ North American board chair.

Soileau is a key representative and proponent of the internal auditing profession within North America and an influential leader in the Global IIA. The mission of the IIA North American board is to ensure that volunteer and staff activities of the IIA adequately address the needs of the members and chapters through monitoring programs and services, as well as budgeting.

Joseph F. Quinlan III of First National Bankers Bank in Baton Rouge has been installed as treasurer of the 2021-2022 board of directors for the Louisiana Bankers Association. H. Brooks Lewis of Citizens Bank and Trust Co. and Robert Taylor, CEO of LBA, will continue to serve as LBA directors.

The Gap

Now Accepting Award Nominations!

Accepting through August 13th

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YOUR BUSINESS

MOVING UP

BANKING & FINANCE Michael Todd Kelly has been promoted to regional vice president for Primerica Inc. Primerica representatives educate their clients about how to better prepare for a more secure financial future by assessing their needs and providing appropriate solutions through term life insurance, mutual funds, annuities and other financial products.

COMMUNICATIONS Louisiana native Ben Johnson has joined the team at Louisiana Public Broadcasting as senior producer. Johnson joins LPB’s production team, bringing more than 10 years of experience as a videographer, producer, editor and composer. In his new role at LPB, Johnson will produce the award-winning monthly news and public affairs program, Louisiana Public Square, as well as contribute to Louisiana: The State We’re In and documentaries. While working in the commercial and entertainment fields, Johnson worked on HBO’s Treme and created

BEN JOHNSON Louisiana Public Broadcasting

fast-paced digital content for the New Orleans Saints and Pelicans.

EDUCATION Luz Randolph has been named associate vice provost for diversity in the LSU Office of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion, or ODEI. Randolph joins the ODEI as an award-winning DEI leader and ally from the St. Petersburg College Foundation, where she served as the executive director of development and led the SPC’s second official Giving Day, which exceeded the goal by 275 percent. Prior to SPC, she served as the assistant director of development for diversity initiatives and university advancement for the University of South Florida

CLAIRE WILLIS Young Entrepreneurs Academy of Baton Rouge

GLENN AUGUSTINE Woman’s Hospital

Foundation and was the university’s first development officer dedicated to diversity fundraising.

Claire Willis has been named Young Entrepreneurs Academy of Baton Rouge executive director. Having served as principal of Cristo Rey Baton Rouge Franciscan High School for the past four years, Willis has unique qualifications to take the academy to the next level. Her role will focus on managing the weekly responsibilities and operations of the academy. Moreover, she will work closely with YEA BR’s instructors and continue building strong relationships with parents, students, educators and businesses throughout the region.

JULIE CHASE North Oaks Health System

HEALTH CARE Glenn Augustine is the new director of imaging services at Woman’s Hospital. He has more than 20 years of director experience in imaging services, most recently serving as director of operations/asset management for Integrated Oncology Network in the Houston area. Originally from Bogalusa, Augustine is a graduate from both Charity School of Radiologic Technology and Delgado Community College in nuclear medicine, while ultimately earning his Bachelor of Science Health Arts degree from the University of St. Francis in Joliet, Illinois.

Julie Chase has joined North Oaks Health System as director of

welcomes

GERARD MORGAN & TIM RIVERIA Originally from Houma, LA, Gerard Morgan received a B.A. in Psychology from Benedictine College in Atchison, KS, and his Juris Doctorate from Southern University. His early positions as a lobbyist on behalf of the Louisiana Municipal Association and as a general insurance defense litigator for an area firm prepared Gerard for his work for 17 years as in-house counsel and trial attorney for State Farm Mutual Insurance Company. He brings a wealth of experience and working knowledge of insurance defense to help our clients with personal injury claims.

Gerard Morgan

Tim Riveria graduated with his B.A. from the University of Nebraska and received his J.D. from the University of Iowa College of Law. He assisted with the recovery from Hurricane Katrina as an Equal Justice Works AmeriCorps Fellow. Since 2011, Mr. Riveria has worked in the area of education law and for four years he worked as an attorney for the Office of Civil Rights (OCR) in Washington, D.C., where he conducted more than 80 civil rights investigations. Mr. Riveria is a member of the Louisiana State Bar Association, the District of Columbia Bar Association, and is licensed to practice in Nebraska.

Tim Riveria

Acadian Centre • 2431 South Acadian Thwy, Ste 600 • Baton Rouge, LA • (225) 923-3462 • www.hamsil.com Daily-Report.com | BUSINESS REPORT, July 2021

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Issue Date: July 2021 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

2019

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Twitter.com/MBOBR

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YOUR BUSINESS

MOVING UP

PAUL CLECKNER Woman’s Hospital

AMIEE GOFORTH Woman’s Hospital

LAUREL BURGOS Woman’s Hospital

risk management, regulatory and and performance improveexternal review. Chase’s appointment. Cleckner, who worked ment marks a return to the health with Woman’s in a consultant system where she worked for a role the previous year, has spent span of 12 years in the 1990s and his career leading organizations 2000s in a variety of areas as a through transformational change, staff registered nurse and charge which resulted in accelerated nurse. In her new role, Chase will growth rates and improved profwork to ensure the health sysitability. He has also served in tem’s compliance with existing leadership roles for several health and emerging requirements govcare organizations. erning health care quality, safety, Amiee Goforth, who has served service, technology and operas director of marketing and ations. For the past four years, communications for the last six Chase has served as risk manager years at Woman’s Hospital, has for Tulane Medical Center and been promoted to executive diTulane Lakeside Hospital. rector of strategic initiatives, Paul Cleckner has joined communications and marketing.

Issue Date: July Ad proof #1 Woman’s Hospital asfaxchief While she has been at Woman’s • Please respond by e-mail or with your approval or minor revisions.

• AD WILL RUN AS IS unless approval or final revisions for more than 10 years, she has transformation officer, servareas received by theover close technology of business today. ing leader decades of experience in health • Additional revisions must be requested and may be subject to production fees.

ED HALPHEN Woman’s Hospital

R. CLIFTON “CLIFF” MOORE Woman’s Hospital

care communications and broadcast journalism. Laurel Burgos, who has been the marketing manager for the last six years, moves into the role of marketing director. Prior to joining Woman’s, Burgos spent time in agency marketing with Zehnder and in sports marketing with LSU Sports Properties.

Ed Halphen has been named vice president of human resources at Woman’s Hospital.

Halphen, who has served in the same role in an interim capacity since April 2020, is a global business leader with more than 25 years of HR experience. He has successfully led initiatives to build new divisions, create and execute performance

management programs and establish strategic workforce plans. He began his career with SunTrust Corp. and later held HR leadership positions with AmerisouceBergen, Flowserve Corp., ENSCO International, Petroleum Helicopters, Deposit Guaranty Corp. (now part of Regions Bank) and McIlhenny Co. Maternal-fetal medicine physician Dr. R. Clifton “Cliff” Moore has moved into the role of chief medical officer at Woman’s Hospital. An expert in fetal therapy and surgery, Moore will continue to practice in the Woman’s MFM Clinic part time, while shifting half of his time to CMO duties. An Elm Grove native, Moore joined Woman’s as an MFM

Carefully check this ad for: CORRECT ADDRESS • CORRECT PHONE NUMBER • ANY TYPOS This ad design © Louisiana Business, Inc. 2020. All rights reserved. Phone 225-928-1700 • Fax 225-926-1329

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MOVING UP

GINA SIMONEAUX North Oaks Health System

physician in 2016. He is an expert in caring for babies with complex cases, such as spina bifida, twinto-twin transfusion syndrome and congenital heart disease, among others. He was instrumental in Woman’s becoming the first hospital in Louisiana to join the North American Fetal Therapy Network in 2019.

Gina Simoneaux has joined North Oaks Health System’s leadership team as vice president of patient services. A veteran nursing leader with more than 20 years of experience, Simoneaux will oversee the areas of hospice; pastoral and respiratory care; women and children’s services; and the medicine, telemetry, intermediate care and medical intensive care units. She comes

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JEFF DECOTEAU Neel-Schaffer Inc.

MARISSA LINGONI Professional Engineering Consultants Corp.

to North Oaks from Our Lady of Lourdes Regional Medical Center in Lafayette, where she served as director of nursing development and ancillary departments for the past five years.

ENGINEERING & CONSTRUCTION Jeff Decoteau has joined NeelSchaffer Inc. in the newly created position of water resources engineering manager. In this role, Decoteau will help Neel-Schaffer grow its water resources group across the company’s nine-state footprint. Decoteau has more than 30 years of experience as a project engineer, project manager and operations leader. He has extensive experience in managing and developing water resources

MATTHEW BATE Setpoint Integrated Solutions

ADAM MORGAN SEMS Inc.

teams and business development.

Evan-Graves Engineers Inc. announced the following management changes: Ashlyn Graves has been named president; Eric Erikson has been named chief of operations for the Baton Rouge office; and Stephen Lundgren has been named chief engineer for the New Orleans office. The announcement follows the unexpected death of John Graves in January 2021.

Marissa Lingoni has joined Professional Engineering Consultants Corp. as a director of client services and business development. Lingoni will be responsible for driving strategic growth and managing ongoing relationships with public-sector clients throughout south Louisiana.

She will also be responsible for marketing and public relations.

Lingoni has more than 10 years of experience in business development and account management.

INDUSTRY Matthew Bate, current chief financial officer for Setpoint Integrated Solutions, has been promoted to the role of president and CEO. Bate succeeds Jeff Birch, who will transition to managing director, president and CEO of fellow Pon Holdings organization The Hiller Companies.

Prior to joining Setpoint as CFO in 2018, Bate held various leadership roles at PWC, Schlumberger, and Pon. Adam Morgan has been promoted to president of Baton

BUSINESS REPORT, July 2021 | BusinessReport.com

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KERRY DRAKE BXS Insurance

AIMEE KILPATRICK BXS Insurance

STEVE ALLISON BXS Insurance

Rouge-based SEMS Inc. Morgan, who joined SEMS Inc. in 2002, was previously director of industrial services. He becomes only the third president in the company’s 29-year history. Morgan is the son of company founder Mark Morgan. As president, Adam Morgan will take on various operational and strategic responsibilities including leadership of the company’s growth and productivity initiatives.

Steve Allison has been named chief sales officer. Patrick Moore has been named president of the Louisiana region. Susan Gill, who serves as vice president of operations for the Louisiana region, is taking on the additional responsibility of manager of client services-commercial lines for the region. Also, Scott Naugle, formerly COO, has been named president of consumer solutions.

This is a new role for BXS.

INSURANCE BXS Insurance has made several changes to its executive team and Louisiana leadership. Kerry Drake has been named president emeritus of employee benefits. Aimee Kilpatrick has been named chief operating officer.

MARKETING Melissa Parmelee has joined Home Builders Association of Greater Baton Rouge as vice president of community and government relations. Parmelee has almost 15 years of experience in fundraising campaigns, event

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PATRICK MOORE BXS Insurance

SUSAN GILL BXS Insurance

MELISSA PARMELEE Home Builders Association of Greater Baton Rouge

planning and nonprofit development at organizations such as Capital Area United Way and Baton Rouge Epicurean Society.

At HBA, she will advocate for the homebuilding industry to ensure the community has the necessary resources for safe, affordable, and quality housing.

Tara Wicker has announced the launch of The W Consulting Group. The firm will provide an array of consulting services focused on helping clients navigate complex challenges involving public affairs and community engagement at the intersection of government agencies and the communities they represent.

Wicker, as president of the firm, is responsible for directing all dayto-day client engagements and

business development activities, leveraging her more than 30 years of experience serving as a senior administrator for the East Baton Rouge Parish Mayor-President’s Office, council member on the East Baton Rouge Parish Metro Council, and in various community organizing and planning capacities.

NONPROFITS The newly launched Boys & Girls Clubs of Metro Louisiana— previously Boys & Girls Club of Greater Baton Rouge and Boys & Girls Clubs of Southeast Louisiana—has announced the addition of two new executives to its leadership team, and one appointment to CEO. After leading Boys & Girls

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YOUR BUSINESS

MOVING UP GET YOUR NEWS IN BUSINESS REPORT

PAT VAN BURKLEO Boys & Girls Clubs of Metro Louisiana

ANGEL NELSON Boys & Girls Clubs of Metro Louisiana

Club of Greater Baton Rouge for more than three decades, Pat Van Burkleo has been named president and CEO of Boys & Girls Clubs of Metro Louisiana. He will guide the regional organization’s efforts to build greater engagement, recruit more volunteers, engage more community partners and impact thousands of young people across southeast Louisiana. Angel Nelson has been named chief operating officer. Nelson oversees all operational and administrative functions for the organization and its seven clubs and schoolbased sites across Louisiana.

She develops strategic plans to foster growth across the service

158

EMILY SPARKS Boys & Girls Clubs of Metro Louisiana

MICHELE CASI Property One Inc.

area and ensure the continued success of the organization.

Emily Sparks has been named chief development officer. Sparks leads regional philanthropic and grant-based efforts across BGCMLA’s nine-parish service area, developing fundraising strategies and creating innovative partnerships with businesses, corporations, foundations and individual donors to support the thousands of Louisiana youth participating in life-changing programming each year.

REAL ESTATE Michele Casi has been appointed CEO of the real estate firm Property One Inc. She was previously the managing

MATT TAYLOR Property One Inc.

PAUL LANGENWALTER Property One Inc.

director of property management. Matt Taylor, previously managing director of brokerage, was appointed president. Paul Langenwalter, chief financial officer and chief operating officer, remains at his post. Along with those changes, company founders Paul Dastugue III and Quentin Dastugue announced the sale of the company to the three senior staffers as they transition to advisory roles and focus on their personal philanthropic, civic and real estate projects.

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.

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.

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

BUSINESS REPORT, July 2021 | BusinessReport.com

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The best relationship begins with a story.

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In today’s world of information overload, a well-told story about your company’s brand is imperative. It gives you the ability to engage with your audience, reach consumers, and build a personal connection.

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YOUR BUSINESS

FLASHBACK

THE YEAR: 1995

UPCOMING ISSUES

A staple of the LSU experience, The Chimes has stood at the corner of the university’s North Gates for some 35 years offering a wide selection of craft beers and a curated menu of traditional Louisiana dishes. Located on Highland Road, the restaurant plays next-door neighbor to The Varsity Theatre, which originally opened in the mid ‘30s and currently operates as a music hall. Tim Hood, a New Orleans native, opened The Chimes with his business partner in the ‘80s and later bought The Varsity. Before his death in 2019, Hood and his partners expanded The Chimes with two additional locations—on Coursey Boulevard in Baton Rouge and on the Northshore, in Covington. In this 1995 cover package, Business Report profiles Hood and the long-standing establishment, with a description that still stands true today.

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SEPTEMBER 2021 Banking & Finance List: Banks & Credit Unions Special Advertising Section: Be Our Guest Profiles

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NOVEMBER 2021

“On any given night there is a crowd of people, all ages, shapes and sizes, jammed into booths and tables at The Chimes restaurant at Highland Road and Chimes Street. A robust, 40ish man who bears a striking resemblance to Col. Sanders—white suit and all—strides up to the entrance and flings the door open. At one table, four girls sit in silence, their eyelids heavy with eyeliner and mascara. At other tables, two young women in suits; a couple in their mid-40s; and clumps of college students, gathered here and there. This dim, brick and woodpaneled space is home to many present and former Louisiana State University students who have spent hours here, eating, talking, drinking their way around the world.”

—From the Aug. 17, 1995, issue of Business Report

Forty Under 40 Focus: Insurance List: Property & Casualty Companies

+ ALSO FROM THAT ISSUE ...

SATELLITE AMBITIONS: Tired of cable, television junkies in Baton Rouge are switching to DirecTV, a new system that transmits crystal-clear images and sounds from satellites to pizza-size dishes.

FOR MORE INFORMATION ON ADVERTISING IN THESE ISSUES, CONTACT Kerrie Richmond at 421-8154 | krichmond@businessreport.com 160

ISTOCK

Workers Comp Companies

TEST GROUND: Denham Springs-based TransActions International Ltd. sets up internet home pages for seven Louisiana businesses.

BUSINESS REPORT, July 2021 | BusinessReport.com

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IN-KIND

@BRBESTDRESSEDBALL

EVENT PARTNERS

TABLES CURRENTLY SOLD OUT TO BE ADDED TO OUR WAITLIST, PLEASE CONTAC T KRISTEN.C AIN@C ANCER.ORG

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PASSION

TOURNAMENT FISHING

Dr. John ‘J.J.’ Tabor ROBOTIC SURGEON, BATON ROUGE GENERAL

“I love competition in all aspects of life. Tournament fishing is a way for me to combine my passion for fishing and being competitive. A bunch of my friends, we get together five or six weekends out of the year and for three days, we give it our all—fishing farther than everyone else. Whether it’s a small project in the shop or taking a tumor from someone’s stomach, everything I do, I give 100 percent.”

PHOTOGRAPHY BY COLLIN RICHIE

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LET YOUR HOME BE THE INVESTMENT YOU DESERVE. SCAN TO START THE PROCESS AND GET PREQUALIFIED*

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We are so proud to be a part of this growing community and to have our headquarters in Baton Rouge. Congratulations to these Top 100 Companies who help our community thrive.”

John D’Angelo PRESIDENT & CEO

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CAPITAL IDEAS FOR YOUR BUSINESS. At b1BANK, we’ll work to help meet your commercial credit and lending needs, so you can focus on the bigger picture.

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