Family businesses have a special connection to the past and future. Preserving their family legacy is important, but they are always looking forward in order to create opportunities for the generations to come. For these local companies, success runs in the family.
ESTABLISHED 1923
In 1945, LSU auditor William E. Davis, Sr. began selling 10-cent pecan rolls to local stores from the storage room behind his garage. He named his side business Baton Rouge Wholesale Candy Company. The next year, he purchased Lyons Specialty Company, which had been founded in 1923, from the owner’s widow for $7,690.61, leaving Davis just $75 in the business bank account. He continued operating under the Lyons name in order to keep the company’s existing customers. Davis’ grandson Hugh Raetzsch Jr. is CEO of the company today.
In 1945, LSU auditor William E. Davis, Sr. began selling 10-cent pecan rolls to local stores from the storage room behind his garage. He named his side business Baton Rouge Wholesale Candy Company. The next year, he purchased Lyons Specialty Company, which had been founded in 1923, from the owner’s widow for $7,690.61, leaving Davis just $75 in the business bank account. He continued operating under the Lyons name in order to keep the company’s existing customers. Davis’ grandson Hugh Raetzsch Jr. is CEO of the company today.
For a family to work together successfully, everyone must pull their own weight. When I began working in the business over 30 years ago, I was given an opportunity by my grandfather and my mother, Jane Dunlap. It was my job to make the most of that opportunity. Now that my kids are entering the business, they have the same opportunity.
For a family to work together successfully, everyone must pull their own weight. When I began working in the business over 30 years ago, I was given an opportunity by my grandfather and my mother, Jane Dunlap. It was my job to make the most of that opportunity. Now that my kids are entering the business, they have the same opportunity.
Early on in my career was a difficult time. There were some strained relationships and even today, there are scars from those times. But over the last couple of years as my two older sons have graduated from college and entered the business, it has been extremely rewarding. I feel very fortunate to see my kids every day and share the successes of running a 100-year-old family business. Not many people get that opportunity. It is truly special.
Early on in my career was a difficult time. There were some strained relationships and even today, there are scars from those times. But over the last couple of years as my two older sons have graduated from college and entered the business, it has been extremely rewarding. I feel very fortunate to see my kids every day and share the successes of running a 100-year-old family business. Not many people get that opportunity. It is truly special.
So much has changed compared to when I began in the business over 30 years ago. One of our core values is adaptability … it has been key to our success and the success of our customers. What’s important to our customers today is different than it was just a few years ago and what will be important to them five years from now.
So much has changed compared to when I began in the business over 30 years ago. One of our core values is adaptability … it has been key to our success and the success of our customers. What’s important to our customers today is different than it was just a few years ago and what will be important to them five years from now.
We completed an expansion project in 2018 which doubled the size of our warehouse and office. This gives us the necessary space and added efficiencies to more than triple our current sales at our existing facility. We will continue to focus on growing our food service category, growing our MAX12 customer membership program, and growing our Marketing Advantage Monthly in-store marketing program.
We completed an expansion project in 2018 which doubled the size of our warehouse and office. This gives us the necessary space and added efficiencies to more than triple our current sales at our existing facility. We will continue to focus on growing our food service category, growing our MAX12 customer membership program, and growing our Marketing Advantage Monthly in-store marketing program.
ESTABLISHED 1923
Cypress Roofng was founded in July 2019 by Caprice Cline and her children, Joshua, Samantha and Alexandra. Josh has since found love and moved to Florida, so the company is now a 100% woman-owned business. “We started this business to help people,” says Caprice. “We know it sounds cliché, but this has been our motivation day in and day out. We are a company that values faith, family, honesty and integrity—not just the bottom line.”
In 1945, LSU auditor William E. Davis, Sr. began selling 10-cent pecan rolls to local stores from the storage room behind his garage. He named his side business Baton Rouge Wholesale Candy Company. The next year, he purchased Lyons Specialty Company, which had been founded in 1923, from the owner’s widow for $7,690.61, leaving Davis just $75 in the business bank account. He continued operating under the Lyons name in order to keep the company’s existing customers. Davis’ grandson Hugh Raetzsch Jr. is CEO of the company today.
According to Caprice, “It’s great 99% of the time, but the other 1%, the Mom in me wants to come out! Seriously, we are so blessed to have the privilege to work beside family every day. And we have about 10 other family members who work with us, so we have family all around us. So much fun!”
For a family to work together successfully, everyone must pull their own weight. When I began working in the business over 30 years ago, I was given an opportunity by my grandfather and my mother, Jane Dunlap. It was my job to make the most of that opportunity. Now that my kids are entering the business, they have the same opportunity.
We believe the most important thing we can do as humans is to give back to others and our community. We are involved in our church and local community through the Chamber and Rotary. One important way we help our customers is through the process of working with insurance companies. We also specialize in working with Realtors and management companies in making the repair and replacement process easy.
Early on in my career was a difficult time. There were some strained relationships and even today, there are scars from those times. But over the last couple of years as my two older sons have graduated from college and entered the business, it has been extremely rewarding. I feel very fortunate to see my kids every day and share the successes of running a 100-year-old family business. Not many people get that opportunity. It is truly special.
So much has changed compared to when I began in the business over 30 years ago. One of our core values is adaptability … it has been key to our success and the success of our customers. What’s important to our customers today is different than it was just a few years ago and what will be important to them five years from now.
We have grown from our original four to a company of almost 25 employees. We now have our commercial license and are delving straight ahead into this part of the business. We have gone from replacing one to two roofs a week to 8-12. God has richly blessed us. Our first year, we produced a little over $600,000 and last year did $11.5 million.
We completed an expansion project in 2018 which doubled the size of our warehouse and office. This gives us the necessary space and added efficiencies to more than triple our current sales at our existing facility. We will continue to focus on growing our food service category, growing our MAX12 customer membership program, and growing our Marketing Advantage Monthly in-store marketing program.
We just completed the purchase of property to begin the process of building our Cypress Headquarters in Gonzales in Ascension Parish. We are from the area and want to continue to invest in our community. We have partnered with an expert in every facet of commercial roofing and are super excited about this new division.
In 1945, LSU auditor William E. Davis, Sr. began selling 10-cent pecan rolls to local stores from the storage room behind his garage. He named his side business Baton Rouge Wholesale Candy Company.
After several years as a fnancial advisor, Pete Bush and two others formed Horizon Financial Group in 1999. His brother Andy Bush joined the group a few months later, but left to run his own frm from 2004 to 2009. At that time, he rejoined Horizon and became a partner. After lengthy careers in broadcast media and healthcare, a third brother, Bill Bush, joined the frm in 2015 to bolster the advisory team and serve as Horizon’s Media and Marketing Manager. Horizon’s other partners include husband and wife team Clint and Brooke Gautreau, and CCO Colby Barnett.
The next year, he purchased Lyons Specialty Company, which had been founded in 1923, from the owner’s widow for $7,690.61, leaving Davis just $75 in the business bank account. He continued operating under the Lyons name in order to keep the company’s existing customers. Davis’ grandson Hugh Raetzsch Jr. is CEO of the company today.
Our parents had six kids in six years and part of our formative years were spent growing up on a farm in southern Indiana, near Louisville, KY where we were born. Farming requires teamwork—sometimes hard work—and you can’t quit until the work is done. Moving to Louisiana in 1979 taught us sacrifice, courage and commitment. Our relationships are built on faith, trust and confidence.
For a family to work together successfully, everyone must pull their own weight. When I began working in the business over 30 years ago, I was given an opportunity by my grandfather and my mother, Jane Dunlap. It was my job to make the most of that opportunity. Now that my kids are entering the business, they have the same opportunity.
With so much history together, there are wonderful and fun aspects that are hard to replicate, like shared stories and inside jokes. Sometimes no words are needed. But there are other situations and conversations that can be tougher because we’re family. Appreciating each other’s strengths and unique abilities is crucial in making it about addition and multiplication versus subtraction and division.
Early on in my career was a difficult time. There were some strained relationships and even today, there are scars from those times. But over the last couple of years as my two older sons have graduated from college and entered the business, it has been extremely rewarding. I feel very fortunate to see my kids every day and share the successes of running a 100-year-old family business. Not many people get that opportunity. It is truly special.
The early years included several different partnerships and business structures that created some internal conflict and energy draining interactions, but the core group has remained together. Since late 2010, everyone started seeing the business through the same lens and we went from a collection of individual practices to one ensemble team rowing in the same direction. This collective culture, knowledge, trust, reputation, and usefulness has blended under our common vision.
So much has changed compared to when I began in the business over 30 years ago. One of our core values is adaptability … it has been key to our success and the success of our customers. What’s important to our customers today is different than it was just a few years ago and what will be important to them five years from now.
We continue to look for new ways to add value and support for our loyal clients, via emerging technology and adjacent services. After acquiring three practices, with another set to close, we see more M&A activity opportunities across the southeast in our future as this fragmented industry continues to consolidate. We recently hired two new team members to stay ahead of this growth, bringing our total to 14, while simultaneously grooming the next generation.
We completed an expansion project in 2018 which doubled the size of our warehouse and office. This gives us the necessary space and added efficiencies to more than triple our current sales at our existing facility. We will continue to focus on growing our food service category, growing our MAX12 customer membership program, and growing our Marketing Advantage Monthly in-store marketing program.
The story begins with the establishment of R.J. Daigle & Sons Contractors, Inc. in 1977 by RJ Daigle and his sons Vance and Ronnie. Over time, R.J. Daigle became a trusted name in the asphalt industry. In 2013, Vance and Ronnie formed a trucking company, Daigle Industries. In 2017 Daigle Industries expanded into concrete production with two mobile mixers. The next generation (Nick, Ethan and Colin Daigle) now manage both companies with the same brand of innovative, quality construction. Daigle Industries has grown its feet to 35 trucks, with six mobile mixers currently servicing the Greater Baton Rouge area.
In 1945, LSU auditor William E. Davis, Sr. began selling 10-cent pecan rolls to local stores from the storage room behind his garage. He named his side business Baton Rouge Wholesale Candy Company. The next year, he purchased Lyons Specialty Company, which had been founded in 1923, from the owner’s widow for $7,690.61, leaving Davis just $75 in the business bank account. He continued operating under the Lyons name in order to keep the company’s existing customers. Davis’ grandson Hugh Raetzsch Jr. is CEO of the company today.
For a family to work together successfully, everyone must pull their own weight. When I began working in the business over 30 years ago, I was given an opportunity by my grandfather and my mother, Jane Dunlap. It was my job to make the most of that opportunity. Now that my kids are entering the business, they have the same opportunity.
Quality and safety are our driving forces. We achieve quality by embracing new technology to continually refine and perfect our products and services. In the dangerous heavy construction industry, the safety of our employees guides our decision making from day-to-day operations to long-term strategy. The Daigle family of companies has received three LWCC’s Safest 70 Awards.
Like all relationships, it hinges on communication in both your personal and professional life. Working with family provides a stable foundation across all aspects of your life. Everything becomes more manageable because you have a family you can trust and rely on.
Early on in my career was a difficult time. There were some strained relationships and even today, there are scars from those times. But over the last couple of years as my two older sons have graduated from college and entered the business, it has been extremely rewarding. I feel very fortunate to see my kids every day and share the successes of running a 100-year-old family business. Not many people get that opportunity. It is truly special.
So much has changed compared to when I began in the business over 30 years ago. One of our core values is adaptability … it has been key to our success and the success of our customers. What’s important to our customers today is different than it was just a few years ago and what will be important to them five years from now.
It has changed primarily in size and technology. In 1977, R.J. began with a single used steel drum roller that he bought at auction. Since then, Daigle Industries has grown to include multiple companies with about 200 employees combined. With that growth has come innovation. For example, the company’s mobile mixers recently produced concrete that traveled over 1,000 feet through three pump trucks, across water to a barge.
We see our mobile mixers being used more in the industrial setting. In 2017 we started producing concrete for ourselves to perfect our product. We are in a unique position to provide fully customizable concrete at the snap of a finger, anywhere we can drive a truck. We are confident that our product can live up to the quality standard that the Daigle family of companies is known for.
We completed an expansion project in 2018 which doubled the size of our warehouse and office. This gives us the necessary space and added efficiencies to more than triple our current sales at our existing facility. We will continue to focus on growing our food service category, growing our MAX12 customer membership program, and growing our Marketing Advantage Monthly in-store marketing program.
In 1945, LSU auditor William E. Davis, Sr. began selling 10-cent pecan rolls to local stores from the storage room behind his garage. He named his side business Baton Rouge Wholesale Candy Company.
The next year, he purchased Lyons Specialty Company, which had been founded in 1923, from the owner’s widow for $7,690.61, leaving Davis just $75 in the business bank account. He continued operating under the Lyons name in order to keep the company’s existing customers. Davis’ grandson Hugh Raetzsch Jr. is CEO of the company today.
Derek Johnson worked as a project manager and estimator in the commercial drywall feld for many years until his company downsized and pulled out of Louisiana. He and his wife Jodi took a leap of faith and decided to build a family-oriented company that could make real changes in the construction industry. They started out with just a few resources—a business plan, a little bit of cash, some tools and a few elite employees who shared their vision.
For a family to work together successfully, everyone must pull their own weight. When I began working in the business over 30 years ago, I was given an opportunity by my grandfather and my mother, Jane Dunlap. It was my job to make the most of that opportunity. Now that my kids are entering the business, they have the same opportunity.
Our core values have always been strong communication, trust in our ourselves and our people, and reliance on our faith. We also try to keep a sense of humor. What we do is risky and overwhelming at times, so we need to rely on each other’s strengths to overcome adversities and help us achieve and maintain success.
Early on in my career was a difficult time. There were some strained relationships and even today, there are scars from those times. But over the last couple of years as my two older sons have graduated from college and entered the business, it has been extremely rewarding. I feel very fortunate to see my kids every day and share the successes of running a 100-year-old family business. Not many people get that opportunity. It is truly special.
It’s stressful at times, but we always strive to find that balance between work and family, and make time for both. It’s rewarding to have family and those who are as close as family, help us build on the foundation we’ve laid. We are able to show our children that by working together, with a dream and a lot of hard work, you can still build something out of nothing.
So much has changed compared to when I began in the business over 30 years ago. One of our core values is adaptability … it has been key to our success and the success of our customers. What’s important to our customers today is different than it was just a few years ago and what will be important to them five years from now.
We started our company with just two contracts, so we had to build it from the ground up and keep it running with the same intensity that we started with. We are now a $12 million dollar-plus company, and we have continued to grow. We’ve grown from 10 employees to (depending on current jobs) over 50.
We are comfortable at this size, so we’re not necessarily trying to keep growing. But we would love to continue to help build all the new schools in our area and aid in the recovery efforts that have arisen from the recent natural disasters. We have always believed in the ability of a few good people to make great change … in fact, we’re proof of it.
We completed an expansion project in 2018 which doubled the size of our warehouse and office. This gives us the necessary space and added efficiencies to more than triple our current sales at our existing facility. We will continue to focus on growing our food service category, growing our MAX12 customer membership program, and growing our Marketing Advantage Monthly in-store marketing program.
Glenn Baker’s was founded in 1954 by Glenn H. Baker and Al Ross. In the spring of 1971, they hired a young Istrouma High graduate, Ronnie Watts, who worked there for the next 18 years, and bought the company from Mike Baker in 1989. Ronnie (now deceased), his wife Debbie Watts, and son Derrick Watts have worked there for many years. Derrick started in the feld doing installations and is now the secondgeneration member to own Glenn Baker’s.
In 1945, LSU auditor William E. Davis, Sr. began selling 10-cent pecan rolls to local stores from the storage room behind his garage. He named his side business Baton Rouge Wholesale Candy Company. The next year, he purchased Lyons Specialty Company, which had been founded in 1923, from the owner’s widow for $7,690.61, leaving Davis just $75 in the business bank account. He continued operating under the Lyons name in order to keep the company’s existing customers. Davis’ grandson Hugh Raetzsch Jr. is CEO of the company today.
For a family to work together successfully, everyone must pull their own weight. When I began working in the business over 30 years ago, I was given an opportunity by my grandfather and my mother, Jane Dunlap. It was my job to make the most of that opportunity. Now that my kids are entering the business, they have the same opportunity.
Honesty, integrity, loyalty, respect, compassion, perseverance, dependability and accountability, just to name a few. Ronnie Watts insisted on treating everyone like family, and was fond of saying, “We are here for our customers … not just to get their dollar.”
Early on in my career was a difficult time. There were some strained relationships and even today, there are scars from those times. But over the last couple of years as my two older sons have graduated from college and entered the business, it has been extremely rewarding. I feel very fortunate to see my kids every day and share the successes of running a 100-year-old family business. Not many people get that opportunity. It is truly special.
“Working for my father and mother was originally a high school job, but it developed into something more,” says Derrick Watts.
“Growing up and watching my parents run the business, I realized I would love for my wife and I to run it one day. I can finally say that dream
came true … my wife has worked with us for 15 years. It has been a wonderful experience to work with my family every day.”
So much has changed compared to when I began in the business over 30 years ago. One of our core values is adaptability … it has been key to our success and the success of our customers. What’s important to our customers today is different than it was just a few years ago and what will be important to them five years from now.
The best change in the industry is the technology in the air conditioning systems. As an owner, we have to stay current with the technology. Every year, the systems get smarter and smarter. Our techs are always in training to stay up to date.
Glenn Baker’s would like to expand in the residential, commercial and industrial fields in Baton Rouge and its surrounding areas.
We completed an expansion project in 2018 which doubled the size of our warehouse and office. This gives us the necessary space and added efficiencies to more than triple our current sales at our existing facility. We will continue to focus on growing our food service category, growing our MAX12 customer membership program, and growing our Marketing Advantage Monthly in-store marketing program.
ESTABLISHED 1923
ing in the business over 30 years ago, I was given an opportunity by my grandfather and my mother, Jane Dunlap. It was my job to make the most of that opportunity. Now that my kids are entering the business, they have the same opportunity.
Richard Jones Sr. started the business in 1969 in a Volkswagen beetle, selling concrete cutting equipment. As the years went by, a growing number of contractors wanted the work performed but did not want to purchase the new technology. A&B Concrete Coring started as a one-man operation and has grown to 35 employees who now work daily in many of Louisiana’s chemical plants as well as on road, utility, and commercial construction projects.
In 1945, LSU auditor William E. Davis, Sr. began selling 10-cent pecan rolls to local stores from the storage room behind his garage. He named his side business Baton Rouge Wholesale Candy Company. The next year, he purchased Lyons Specialty Company, which had been founded in 1923, from the owner’s widow for $7,690.61, leaving Davis just $75 in the business bank account. He continued operating under the Lyons name in order to keep the company’s existing customers. Davis’ grandson Hugh Raetzsch Jr. is CEO of the company today.
We believe in family. It is important to each member of our staff and we have raised many children here at our office over the years. We support our families in many ways, from personal needs to benefits to time off.
Early on in my career was a difficult time. There were some strained relationships and even today, there are scars from those times. But over the last couple of years as my two older sons have graduated from college and entered the business, it has been extremely rewarding. I feel very fortunate to see my kids every day and share the successes of running a 100-year-old family business. Not many people get that opportunity. It is truly special.
values is adaptability … it has been key to our success and the success of our customers. What’s important to our customers today is different than it was just a few years ago and what will be important to them five years from now.
appreciate each other and the talents and skills we all contribute to the business. Each of us has an important role in the company and supports everyone else on the team.
There are struggles when you are young and learning all the aspects of working with others and with family. There have been disagreements and power struggles, but those types of issues have been resolved. We
We completed an expansion project in 2018 which doubled the size of our warehouse and office. This gives us the necessary space and added efficiencies to more than triple our current sales at our existing facility. We will continue to focus on growing our food service category, growing our MAX12 customer membership program, and growing our Marketing Advantage Monthly in-store marketing program.
The demand for our type of work has continued to grow each year, so we feel that moving forward, the future of our company is strong with many prospects and opportunities. Our industrial workload is solid, and we have multiple road jobs under contract that will be going on for the next couple of years.
