Baton Rouge Business Report [August 2023]

TARGETING CANCER

The recent partnership between Ochsner and MD Anderson is the latest shift in an evolving and increasingly competitive cancer-care market in the Capital Region.

Meet Nathan Hite, MD

Board Certifed colorectal surgeon Nathan Phillip Hite, MD, is a lifelong Louisiana resident. Well, almost.

“I like to say that I was born and raised in south Louisiana,” Dr. Hite says. “Actually, I was adopted. I came to Louisiana at four months old and have been here ever since.”

Becoming a Doctor

Through the years, Dr. Hite has taken full advantage of his adopted Louisiana heritage. After earning his undergraduate degree from Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge, he attended LSU School of Medicine in New Orleans. Following a general surgery internship at the Carilion Clinic in Roanoke, Virginia, he returned to his home state to perform his residency at LSU in New Orleans.

Once he completed his residency, he headed to Seattle, Washington. There, he completed the Ochsner Health Colorectal Fellowship at the Swedish Colon and Rectal Clinic. To further the understanding and care of colorectal conditions, Dr. Hite has authored and co-authored several peer-reviewed publications in the areas of colorectal surgery and cancer.

Passionate Care

Though he enjoys colorectal hot topics such as rectal cancer, Dr. Hite is also interested in benign conditions. He’s drawn to troublesome issues, conditions that aren’t life-threatening but make life less enjoyable such as abscesses (painful swelling around the anus) and anal fssures (tear in the anal canal lining).

“These are considered ‘small’ problems, but they still have a major impact on people’s lives,” Dr. Hite says. “Being able to fx these problems greatly improves a patient’s quality of life, and I’m grateful to play a role in that.”

As a member of Our Lady of the Lake Physician Group, Dr. Hite has access to specialized tools that allow him to perform advanced surgical intervention. One of the most powerful tools is inside the operating room.

Thanks to robotic surgery, surgeons can perform complex operations in a minimally invasive fashion. Dr. Hite explains that this reduces stress on the patient and surgeon. As a result, complex procedures can be completed easily, safely and quickly.

Dr. Hite says access to surgical robots is one reason he enjoys practicing medicine with Our Lady of the Lake Physician Group. But high-tech tools aren’t the only reason he appreciates his practice. The people make it even better.

“We’re a very close-knit group that always supports one another,” Dr. Hite says. “Everyone is committed to ensuring quality outcomes for patients, and we’re given full freedom to put patient care frst.”

Life Beyond the Operating Room

As expected, Dr. Hite is a loud and proud LSU graduate. When not helping people overcome colorectal health issues, he can be found rooting for the Tigers on the football feld. He also enjoys cooking and eating good food and spending time with family.

Married in 2020, he and his wife enjoy going to the beach as often as possible. They’re often spotted out and about with their rescue dog, Roux, in tow.

Need a car detailed? Ask Dr. Hite for some tips. He enjoys the process and end product. He often details his car and those of his family members. When it comes to fun and games, Dr. Hite has a thing for poker. Just be careful when playing with him, he’s pretty good.

Learn more about our surgeons and Our Lady of the Lake Robotic Surgery Institute at ololrmc.com/robotics.

Partner with EBR Schools to o er high school seniors paid internships in their career of interest.

LEARN MORE HERE

DOES YOUR LIFE INSURANCE COVER DEATH BY

OVERDOSES ARE A LEADING CAUSE OF DEATH FOR AMERICANS UNDER 55

In East Baton Rouge Parish, 88% of all drug overdoses were caused by drugs laced with fentanyl, an opioid that is more than 50x stronger than morphine. While this may sound like a problem that only exists on the streets, it is lethal to even frst-time drug users. From counterfeit Xanax pills to illicit drugs like cocaine, it only takes one hit, one bump, or one pill to be laced with a deadly dose. How can you help? Join in allegiance with Baton Rouge business leaders to speak as one voice for change.

IT’S TIME TO SOUND THE ALARM

To learn more, volunteer, donate, or get help for someone struggling with addiction, visit whenyouarereadybr.com.

32

The

Photo: iStock / Photo illustration by Hoa Vu

AI unleashed

SINCE OPENAI released ChatGPT in November, we have all witnessed the unprecedented growth of arti cial intelligence. But AI, which emerged as a eld of study in the 1950s, is hardly new to business. For years, the nancial industry has used AI-powered algorithms to detect fraudulent activities and assess credit risks. In manufacturing, AI-driven automation has optimized production processes and improved supply chain management. And who hasn’t had a frustrating conversation with a not-so-knowledgeable chatbot?

Yes, AI is far from perfect. But this new generation of AI does o er vast and promising opportunities to revolutionize the way the Capital Region does business.

AI has the capability to transform customer interactions with more personalized and engaging experiences. It can optimize operations by automating repetitive tasks and data analysis, enabling leaders to allocate our resources more strategically and focus on high-value decision-making that drives innovation and creativity. And it unlocks new growth opportunities by analyzing vast amounts of data to identify emerging trends and customer preferences. Local businesses can leverage these insights to develop targeted marketing campaigns, launch innovative products and expand into untapped markets.

At Business Report, we have long recognized the transformative potential of emerging technologies. at’s why we have made it our priority to facilitate a comprehensive understanding of AI among CEOs and entrepreneurs in the region through customized training opportunities. In coming editions of the magazine and Daily Report, we’ll be sharing stories of companies and organizations transforming their operations with AI. We encourage readers to send us their experiences at editors@businessreport.com.

Our team is committed to shedding light on the applications of AI in various business contexts and sharing success stories and cautionary tales alike to empower local businesses in harnessing the full potential of AI while mitigating its vulnerabilities. I hope you’ll join me in forging a future where AI plays a pivotal role in fostering innovation and economic development in the Capital Region. Know that the Business Report team stands committed to help you along this transformative journey, ensuring you navigate the AI landscape with con dence and success.

e best is yet to come!

Publisher: Julio Melara

EDITORIAL

Chief Content Officer: Penny Font

Associate Publisher, Executive Editor: JR Ball

Managing Editor: Allan Schilling

Online News Editor: Deanna B. Narveson

Staff writers: Holly Duchmann, David Jacobs, Domenic Purdy

Digital Content Editor: Dillon Lowe

Contributing writers: Sam Barnes, Chelsea Brasted, Tom Cook, Emily Kern Hebert, Maggie Heyn Richardson

Contributing photographers: Don Kadair, Tim Mueller, Collin Richie

ADVERTISING

Sales Director: Kelly Lewis

Account Executives: Emma Dubuc, Nancy Bombet Ellis, Meredith LaBorde, Ethan Shipp, Matt Wambles

Digital Operations Manager: Devyn MacDonald

Advertising Coordinator: Brittany Nieto

Customer Success Manager: Paul Huval

STUDIO E

Director: Taylor Gast

Multimedia Strategy Manager: Timothy Coles

Corporate Media Editor: Lisa Tramontana

Content Strategist: Emily Hebert

Account Executive: Judith LaDousa

MARKETING

Marketing & Events Coordinator: Taylor Falgout

Marketing & Events Assistant: Cadon Ardoin

Events: Abby Hamilton

ADMINISTRATION

Business Manager: Tiffany Durocher

Business Associate: Kirsten Milano

Office Coordinator: Sara Hodge

Receptionist: Cathy Varnado Brown

PRODUCTION/DESIGN

Director of Creative Services: Amy Vandiver

Art Director: Hoa Vu

Senior Graphic Designers: Melinda Gonzalez Galjour, Emily Witt

Graphic Designer: Ashlee Digel

Design Consultant: Carlin Mumphrey

AUDIENCE DEVELOPMENT

Audience Development Director and Digital Manager: James Hume

Audience Development Coordinator: Ivana Oubre

Audience Development Associate: Catherine Albano

A publication of Melara Enterprises, LLC

Chairman: Julio Melara

Executive Assistant: Brooke Motto

Vice President-Sales: Elizabeth McCollister Hebert

Chief Content Officer: Penny Font

Chief Digital Officer: Erin Pou

Chief Operating Officer: Guy Barone

Chairman Emeritus: Rolfe H. McCollister Jr.

Circulation/Reprints/Subscriptions/Customer Service

225-928-1700 • email: circulation@businessreport.com

Volume 41 - Number 13

Julio Melara, Publisher

5 THINGS to watch this month

BY DEANNA B. NARVESON

HOW DOES THE Baton Rouge Area Foundation leverage data, public advocacy and broader outreach to affect positive change in the Capital Region? How does the foundation identify inefficiencies in both government and business and correct them? BRAF President and CEO Chris Meyer will share his insights and more on the August episode of Strictly Business. The webcast will air at 11 a.m. Aug 19. Register at strictlybusiness.businessreport.com/ and get more information at Businessreport.com/events

WHAT TAX POLICY changes did the Louisiana Legislature make during its 2023 regular session and how could it affect you or your business? Kean Miller is hosting a breakfast briefing seminar on Tuesday, Aug. 29, at Jubans Restaurant. Registration will begin at 7:30 a.m. and the program will conclude at 9 a.m. The presentation will cover tax and incentive-related developments during the legislative session.

THE BATON ROUGE Area Chamber will host its second annual Economic Inclusion Symposium on Aug. 30. The full-day conference will feature a keynote presentation by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s Carmen West, who is vice president of the chamber’s equality of opportunity initiative. There will also be breakout sessions and a vendor showcase for minority business owners to learn about contracting opportunities. Tickets are $100 for BRAC investors and $110 for non-investors. Get more information at BRAC.org/events.

JOIN NEXUS

Louisiana for its upcoming PitchBR event Aug. 17 at Red Stick Social.

The local business incubator will introduce several up-and-coming Louisiana companies and host a networking hour for entrepreneurs with free food and a cash bar. Networking will be from 5:30 p.m. to 6 p.m., followed by the event. Get details at Nexusla.org/events.

REGISTRATION IS OPEN for fall job fairs at LSU’s Olinde Career Center, which offer Baton Rouge businesses the opportunity to recruit future graduates. The biggest career fair of the semester will be Sept. 14, but there are also separate events for engineering firms, health care companies and other industries to recruit talent. Get more information at LSU.edu/ career/events.

ISTOCK

Purpose-driven goals ignite success

FOR YEARS I chose Organic Valley milk over other brands in the supermarket. I had no idea why until I spoke at their remote headquarters surrounded by acres of farmland in the middle of Wisconsin.

I discovered a company that didn’t believe in sales and revenue goals. Of course, they forecast sales for budgetary, planning and growth purposes and measured numbers and outcomes, but they did so with the belief that numbers were just a byproduct of how well they were living and sharing their purpose.

Instead of focusing on goals with numbers, Organic Valley passionately focused on their purpose-driven goals: providing opportunities for farmers to make a living, sustainability of the land, and providing families with healthy dairy products that were free of hormones and antibiotics. e result: Organic Valley’s numbers kept growing and growing.

While speaking to an NFL team a few years ago I had each player write their goals on a piece of paper. After a few minutes I had them rip up the paper they had just written on. You could hear the complaints and feel their anger and frustration while they ripped up the paper they had just spent time and energy writing on. I then asked, “How many of you wrote down win a super bowl, win x number of games, achieve x number of yards, have x number of interceptions, etc.?”

All the hands went up. I told them that every person in every NFL meeting room has the same goals. So, it’s not the goals that will make you successful. Otherwise, everyone and every team would be successful after

writing down their goals.

Instead, it’s your commitment to the process, your growth and your purpose that drives you to reach these goals that will determine what you accomplish.

I then had them write down their commitments and purpose for playing and had them share with the rest of the team. It was powerful.

e truth is numbers and goals don’t drive people. People with a purpose drive the numbers and achieve goals. Research clearly shows that true motivation is driven by meaning and purpose rather than extrinsic rewards, numbers and goals.

A study of West Point alums shows those with intrinsic goals, such as “I want to serve my country and make a di erence,” outperformed those with extrinsic goals, such as “I want to rise in the ranks and become an ocer because it’s prestigious.”

Goals may motivate you in the short term but they will not sustain you over time. Without a good reason to keep moving forward during challenges you either quit or go through the motions.

is doesn’t mean you shouldn’t measure numbers or have goals. It’s OK to have a goal you want to achieve but once you identify a goal or outcome you will be more powerful and energized if you focus on your purpose. Your greater purpose will lead to greater performance.

Purpose-driven goals sell more milk, win more football games, enhance performance and lead to outcomes that far surpass your numbered goals.

JON GORDON is a top speaker and bestselling author of multiple books including The Energy Bus, The Power of Positive Leadership and The Power of a Positive Team. His clients include Campbell’s Soup, Dell, Publix, Southwest Airlines, Snapchat and Truist Bank as well sports teams such as the Los Angeles Dodgers, Miami Heat and Los Angeles Rams. Connect with him at www.JonGordon.com.

People with a purpose drive the numbers and achieve goals. Research clearly shows that true motivation is driven by meaning and purpose rather than extrinsic rewards, numbers and goals.

Losing your job is a new beginning

I WAS FIRED ONCE.

I’m not talking about being caught up in a massive layo (though layo s can be similar) where hundreds or even thousands of people are let go.

I’m talking about a targeted, center-of-the-bullseye ring. It felt personal and, in some way, probably was.

I was devastated. I felt like my life was over. Maybe you’ve been there. Or maybe you will be in the future. Brian Moran, a super-successful consultant to many other successful entrepreneurs, has been there. Years later, he vividly recalled his emotions: “It was about 7:30 in the morning and my boss called me in and said, ‘We’ve eliminated your job.’

“I have three kids … and I’ve got a mortgage, and all of that. It’s the rst time I’ve ever been let go of something in my life. I remember thinking to myself like, ‘What?’ It was a two-byfour in the back of my head.”

Moran had personal relationships with some of his managers and learned that he had been targeted for ring three months previously when he had refused to re one of his own subordinates without cause. In fact, during those three months, “I actually interviewed people whom they told me I was bringing in … to help me and they were actually there to replace me.” Ouch.

Over the years, I’ve realized that what felt like an ending was actually a beginning. We balk at acknowledging it but, in most cases, by the time we are red, we are already done.

Occasionally we are let go because we’ve exhausted our potential in a particular role, and no one, including ourselves, has found a suitable new challenge for us to transition to. More often, being red is clear evidence that we are working on the wrong career curve to begin with.

Maybe you’re not playing to your strengths. Or perhaps you are stymied by unmanageable constraints. A day of work may leave you debilitated—exhausted, frustrated, discouraged. A doctor or scientist could tell you that you’re

producing a lot of health-compromising cortisol, the infamous stress hormone. Not only are you not gaining traction or gathering momentum in your role, but the fear of failure is your constant companion rather than the thrill of trying and learning new things.

It can be extremely di cult to leave employment proactively, especially when we don’t have any particular next opportunity on the hook. As Moran expressed, there are often children and family to consider, mortgages to be paid. Compensation and bene ts can keep us paralyzed in place when really we need to take action. So can the discomfort of change and simple fear of the unknown. Instead of leaving of our own volition, we hesitate until we get red.

Doing nothing, as it turns out, is doing something.

Too many rings are handled, for one reason or another, in an unprofessional way, aggravating the pain and shame we experience when faced with this life and career altering experience. A decision to terminate does not excuse anyone for behaving badly (may you never be that person—or, at least, not ever again).

Regardless of how or why a ring has occurred, circumstances have conspired to facilitate a jump to a new curve.

Failure is one of our most in uential educators and can almost always be turned to our advantage. A practice familiar to farmers almost everywhere is agricultural burning, the ring of elds after harvest or in the spring to clear the ground for a new season of productivity. e same is true in forestry—management through controlled burns and selective reghting may be controversial, but no one questions that re is a friend of the forest in many, many ways.

But it can actually be a hopeful steppingstone, a new beginning—in nature, and in the sometimes less natural environs of the workplace. Firing clears the ground of inhibiting debris and provides a catalyst for something fresh to germinate and grow.

WHITNEY JOHNSON is CEO of leadership development company Disruption Advisors and has 1.8 million followers on LinkedIn. You can reach her at whitney@ thedisruptionavisors.com.

Identifying leadership qualities in employees

When it comes time to fill an open leadership role in a company, executives generally have two choices—recruit new blood into the business or promote from within. But if a company wishes to take the latter route, what qualities make an employee ripe for promotion?

Jane Verret, president and CEO of Campus Federal Credit Union and a former Influential Woman in Business honoree, shares her thoughts on how to identify leadership traits as well as some lessons learned along the way:

1 2 3

WELCOMING CONSTRUCTIVE FEEDBACK. “A characteristic that I think is vital and that I think we’re losing a lot these days is the ability to welcome constructive feedback. I think everybody’s so sensitive these days and we’re all scared to offend people that we, the boss, sometimes hold back because of the reaction. … You’re either open to the feedback and you want to make yourself better, or you just are uncomfortable with anything negative, and you just try to hide and shy away from that.”

IT’S NOT ABOUT THE TITLES. While young workers tend to be hungry at the beginning of their careers, Verret encourages bosses to ascertain which employees just want the “big title and big salary” in a couple of years and which employees are invested in their work. She says it doesn’t take long to determine which employees want to be the best person they can be and take advantage of opportunities as they present themselves. “Those people are going to go further in the long run.”

All rising professionals, entrepreneurs, executives, and small business owners are invited to join us in taking their leadership up a notch. Business Report’s Executive Leadership Academy is a transformative program that will take your career and your organization to new levels of success.

BRLeadershipAcademy.com

Business Report’s Leadership Academy was by far the best training I’ve ever done and the only one I’ve ever left wanting more! The course was well structured, and the guest CEO speakers were very insightful”

BRYAN WESLEY, Wesley Construction

The Leadership Academy was an incredible experience. I gained so much knowledge about how to be a great leader, and I was immediately able to apply that knowledge to my career. It allowed me to expand my professional network and to learn from others outside of my field.”

MARY MOWAD GUITEAU, IIDA, IFMA, Holly & Smith Architects, APAC

The Leadership Academy allowed me to grow- both personally and professionally- while connecting with a wide array of peers in the Greater Baton Rouge area. Cultivating relationships with these folks from such diverse backgrounds and industries proved to have immense value throughout the program. Highly recommend!”

MYLES LAROUX, Highland Wealth - Northwestern Mutual

RUNNING OUT OF OPTIONS

SUPPORTERS OF THE St. George incorporation effort were dealt another blow last month when the Louisiana Court of Appeals for the First Circuit declared that while organizers listed the services the new city would provide, they didn’t explain how they’d provide them or cover the costs.

Vowing to appeal to the Louisiana Supreme Court, which may or may not take up the case, incorporation backers are angry at what they say are overly influential Baton Rouge

developers and a judicial system that’s “overturning the will of the people.” State Rep. Rick Edmonds claimed “judicial overreach” by the three Republican judges who unanimously ruled against the St. George appeal.

Should the state Supreme Court

not rule in their favor, Andrew Murrell, a St. George spokesperson, said they will try again with another incorporation petition drive. There’s no word on whether a third effort, if necessary, would cover the same geographic area as this most recent attempt.

$9.2 MILLION

Record signing bonus earned by former LSU star pitcher Paul Skenes, selected as the No. 1 overall pick in the 2023 Major League Baseball draft by the Pittsburgh Pirates. When centerfielder Dylan Crews was selected second by the Washington Nationals, MLB history was made as the College World Series-winning duo became the first players from the same school to be picked 1-2 in the draft. Crews’ $8,998,500 signing bonus is the secondhighest ever.

Sportswriter and author Sally Jenkins in The Right Call: What Sports Teach Us About Work and Life does a deep dive with elite coaches and athletes to uncover the principles behind their success. Hint: conditioning, practice, discipline, candor, culture, resilience and intention are keys. Readers will learn how to apply these same principles to life and work in the quest for excellence.

“Listen and be a sponge around those you look up to in your profession. Study and work on your craft even when you’re not getting paid to do it. And last, but not least, just show up. That’s the first step.”

ERIC DEXTER, vice president, Civil Solutions Consulting Group

With a theme of “Think Again,” TEDxBatonRouge 2023 will encourage attendees to challenge assumptions, consider possibilities, and cultivate curiosity by showcasing five varied ideas from Baton Rouge locals. The event is Sept. 14 from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. at the Manship Theatre. The speakers: Tracee Albert, ASL educator, entrepreneur and student; Ibrahim “Abe” Baggili, LSU professor of computer science and cybersecurity; Robin Palmer Blanche, end-of-life doula and legacy memoirist; Fareed Dawan, Southern University assistant professor of mechanical engineering; and Jonathan Mayers, Louisiana Creole artist, writer and independent curator. More information, speaker bios and ticket registration ($75) can be found at tedxbatonrouge.com/2023.

Jerry Jones Member, Bradley Murchison

Jerry Jones chairs the Louisiana Board of Commerce and Industry, which meets bimonthly and reviews applications for tax incentive programs, including the Enterprise Zone, Industrial Tax Exemption, Quality Jobs, and Restoration Tax Abatement programs. The Industrial Tax Exemption Program has been a particular source of controversy since Gov. John Bel Edwards began requiring that ITEP projects create jobs and seek local approval for the exemption. Former Gov. Bobby Jindal first appointed Jones to the board. Jones’ legal practice includes negotiating contracts and helping private and public entities deal with various regulatory issues, including representing large petrochemical and agricultural companies in site acquisitions and incentive negotiations.

EDUCATION: Louisiana Tech (bachelor’s), LSU Law (J.D.)

ALMOST A NATIVE: “My parents moved to Louisiana when I was six months old; so, while I wasn’t born here, I got here as quickly as I could.”

A word of caution before using an emoji as a text message response: It could tie you to a legally binding contract. Emoji law remains murky but a growing number of contract lawsuits are being filed across the country—some with success—based on the notion that a thumbs-up, fist bump or handshake emoji is as legally binding as a signature. “Emojis can and do have significant legal consequences,” Eric Goldman, a law professor at Santa Clara University, told Legaltech News. One wonders: Will Louisiana legislators soon be asked to take up emoji reform?

41% Engagement and culture

28% Pay and benefits

16% Well-being

Source: Gallup

If you could make one change at your current employer to make it a great place to work, what would it be?

Prepare for medical emergencies during hurricanes by following these tips from EMS

Securing your home is important during hurricane season, but so is being prepared for medical emergencies. During a disaster, East Baton Rouge Emergency Medical Services uses a triage system to dispatch paramedics, and the time it takes for an ambulance to reach you is much greater than normal due to the influx of calls.

For Hurricane Ida, the last major hurricane to hit our area, EBR EMS received 9,252 calls to 911 during the week of Aug. 29 to Sept. 4. With that in mind, the agency has provided some

MAKE A PLAN

• Stay informed.

• Create an evacuation plan.

• Keep important documents safe.

• Build an emergency preparedness kit.

• Check carbon monoxide detector battery.

tips to help you become better prepared for medical emergencies, particularly during hurricanes when access to stores and pharmacies may be limited, power may be out and you may be forced to leave your home on short notice.

EMS says that one of the simplest things you can do is stay informed of what’s happening in your area by listening to weather radio and news. Social media platforms are another excellent way to get the latest information.

It’s also a great idea to create a “Go Bag,” a

WHAT TO DO

• Gather medical documents & supplies.

• Understand how disaster can damage medications.

• Make a plan for storing insulin & switching between products during an emergency.

• Consider special needs if you are a dialysis or kidney transplant patient.

• Understand medical considerations during pregnancy.

• Make sure all prescriptions are filled prior to a hurricane’s landfall.

• Have spare oxygen tanks & equipment if you are oxygen dependent at home.

bag containing essential supplies for at least seven days. This bag should contain medical supplies, a flashlight, a portable phone charger, non-perishable food and water.

Consider ordering an ID band for all elderly family members containing their full name, list of allergies and another family member’s phone number to contact in case of emergency.

More information about EBR EMS can be found online at brla.gov/EMS or by scanning the QR code.

PLACE THESE DOCUMENTS IN A WATERPROOF BAG

• Personal care plan

• Contact information for family

• Medication list including dosage, pharmacy name & prescribing physician

• List of food and medication allergies

• Copies of photo ID & insurance cards

• Power of attorney/medical power of attorney documents

PHILANTHROPY

Vishal Vasanji, the disgraced co-founder and CEO of Relief Telemed, was sentenced in July to 28 months in prison and fined $50,000 after pleading guilty to embezzling some $260,000 from investors and using it to fund family vacations, private school tuition and other personal expenses. Vasanji and his company played a high-profile role in the Baton Rouge fight against COVID-19, but his criminal activities sent the company into bankruptcy.

LIFE IS

The Junior League of Baton Rouge is now accepting grant applications for its Community Assistance Fund through Sept. 18. It’s anticipated that the organization will award $60,000 in grant funding to area nonprofits. For guidelines and instructions on how to submit an application, visit juniorleaguebr. org/caf

1.4%

GDP growth in Louisiana from the fourth quarter of 2022 through the first quarter of 2023, according to the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis.

9,800

New businesses formed in Baton Rouge during 2022, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, a 24% decline from the previous year.

For life’s moments, big and small. We’re here with the strength of the cross, the protection of the shield. The Right Card. The Right Care.

“Always be you! Learn from other leaders and incorporate it into your own leadership style.”

KIM MULKEY, head coach, LSU women’s basketball

GUS STARK/LSU ATHLETICS

1 toKeySuccess

Jody Mitchell and Brenton Moss

CO-OWNERS, DIRECTED ANALYTICS

What they do: Problem-solving technology

Website: www.directedanalytics.com

TRAINED AS ENGINEERS, Brenton Moss and Jody Mitchell (pictured, right) launched Directed Analytics with the goal of using engineering processes and technology to solve nonengineering problems. After incorporating in March 2014, the pair wanted to create a technological solution to help better prepare students for college and developed 4SightGPS—their problem-solving software. The desire to help students came from personal experience, Mitchell says. “I went to high school in Baton Rouge, but I didn’t hear about the ACT until my senior year,” Mitchell says. “I wanted to be an engineer, but didn’t know the curriculum involved. I wanted to give people a detailed road map—this is when you take the ACT, these are the classes and scores you need for your intended college major.”

After meeting with education leaders, Moss and Mitchell found the education market to be overrun with different types of software. They pivoted

in 2016 and began applying their technology to helping individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities establish employable skills. Studies show that nearly half of the state’s disabled population wants to work but only about 15% is employed. “Relative to their peers, there are big gaps in employment within this population,” Mitchell says. Last fall, the pair learned that Directed Analytics—based out of Nexus Louisiana—won a National Science Foundation grant to support its work with Texas Christian University’s Alice Neeley Special Education Research and Service Institute. With a full-time team of four, Moss and Mitchell look to contractors to supplement the company’s workforce, although the pair hope to eventually grow the sales staff. Mitchell identifies school districts, higher ed systems and state vocational rehabilitation services as potential business clients.

—By Holly Duchmann • Photography by Collin Richie

“Don’t quit, keep pushing forward. Operate with high intensity, integrity and don’t take anything personal.”

—JODY MITCHELL

Steward & James From Baton Rouge to British Vogue

ASHLEY DODGE BILLS herself as a onewoman show—she designs each of the pieces represented by her jewelry brand, Steward & James, as well as handles sales and packaging. Five years after graduating from LSU in apparel design, Dodge was doing product development for another Baton Rouge-based brand,

THE INSPIRATION

Dodge named her jewelry brand after her two grandfathers— Steward and James—and each of the pieces are named after family and friends.

designing a spectrum of apparel and accessories. When the pandemic struck, Dodge reected on her entrepreneurial aspirations to own her own brand and she quit her product development gig to take a position with a company that would not represent a con ict of interest.

Dodge launched Steward & James in

November 2020 with an initial two dozen pieces—many of which still serve as bestselling designs for the brand. Nearly three years later, the brand has grown considerably and can now be found in boutiques across the Capital Region—as well as in the July issue of British Vogue

THE BRAND

Steward & James releases two main jewelry collections a year—a spring/summer collection with 50 to 60 pieces and a holiday collection that launches in October with 20 to 30 new pieces.

FUTURE

In the next year, Dodge hopes to open a flagship store in Baton Rouge—preferably in the south Baton Rouge area. “I want Steward & James to not only be well-known in Baton Rouge but all over,” she says.

VALUES

Dodge’s business model is based on the idea that people should not have to pay a lot for a quality piece of jewelry. Everything by Steward & James retails for less than $50 and is made of 14- or 18-karat gold-plated stainless steel and brass pieces.

BY THE NUMBERS 4

Number of boutiques in the Capital Region carrying Steward & James pieces

8

Number of states with boutiques that carry Steward & James $48

Cost of most expensive pieces sold by Steward & James

PHOTOS COURTESY STEWARD & JAMES

“I always knew I wanted something of my own—my own name and my own designs. Once COVID set in, it hit me: What’s stopping me? If I don’t do this now, I never will.”

—ASHLEY DODGE

JAM PACKED: A lunchtime favorite—especially during Lent—is the 1-pound baked potato stuffed with butter, cheese, sour cream, bacon crumbles, onions, jalapenos and fried Gulf s hrim p.

Cou-Yon’s BBQ

BY MAGGIE HEYN RICHARDSON PHOTOGRAPHY BY COLLIN RICHIE

Address: 470 N. Alexander Ave., Port Allen; food truck at Perkins Road and Acadian Thruway

Phone: (225) 383-3227

Website: couyons.com

Cuisine: Barbecue and seafood

Owners: Paul and Michael Mladenka

Scene: Casual

Pricing: $-$$

Since it opened in July 2009, Cou-Yon’s BBQ in Port Allen has shaped an identity as a go-to industrial corridor caterer and a happening lunch place specializing in pecan-smoked barbecue. And while barbecue plates are a key draw, the defiant top seller at lunch is a behemoth baked potato stuffed with fried shrimp. “We serve a real Idaho potato that weighs about a full pound before we cook it,” owner Paul Mladenka says. “And we go through about 12,000 a month.” About 3,000 of those, or roughly 100 per day, are sold at the restaurant’s permanent food truck site at Perkins Road and Acadian Thruway. The potato is washed, coated in salt and wrapped in foil, and then smoked for three hours, giving it a distinct, umami flavor beyond straightforward baking. It’s plied with butter, shredded cheddar, sour cream, bacon crumbles, chopped red and green onions, jalapenos and fried Gulf shrimp. Other protein options for spuds include chopped brisket, pulled pork, smoked meatloaf, sausage or turkey, but the fried shrimp—a menu addition in spring 2010 for Lent—is the hands-down favorite.

To see more photos, please go to BusinessReport.com

TARGETING CANCER

The recent partnership between Ochsner and MD Anderson is the latest shift in an evolving and increasingly competitive cancer-care market in the Capital Region.

BY DAVID JACOBS

THE TWO-STORY lobby of Ochsner’s gleaming $116 million medical complex at e Grove was packed for the latest announcement to potentially shake the foundations of Capital Region cancer care.

As the afternoon sunlight streamed through the oor-to-ceiling windows, an invitation-only crowd of administrators, clinicians and well-wishers mingled and noshed on refreshments while a small musical combo sounded in the background.

Chuck Daigle, the Ochsner Health System’s CEO for the Baton Rouge market and the program’s rst and last speaker, closed with the unveiling of a new brand combining two very familiar names as confetti cannons discharged behind him.

“I get to do the exciting stu ,” he said. “We’re extremely proud and grateful to announce and reveal our new logo signifying Ochsner and MD Anderson’s new partnership to create Ochsner MD Anderson Cancer Center in southeastern Louisiana.”

e University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston is generally acclaimed as the nation’s leader in cancer diagnosis, treatment and research. Ochsner is the center’s seventh network partner and the rst in Louisiana.

e long-rumored alliance took more than two years to put together. e rst phase includes two locations in Baton Rouge—Ochsner Cancer Center

– Baton Rouge (currently in the midst of a $10 million expansion) and Ochsner Medical Complex – e Grove—while the remaining ve sites are in the New Orleans area and Covington.

e deal represents only the latest headline-grabbing shift in the local cancer market over the past year and a half, which also included the breakup of Our Lady of the Lake Regional Medical Center and Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center, the Lake’s $100 million investment in its own cancer center, and Mary Bird’s partnership with Baton Rouge General.

O cials say MD Anderson’s other six partners gained market share after the deals were announced, though they didn’t provide data to support that assertion. ey say integration with MD Anderson’s standards and practices elevates the quality of care, though they didn’t share any metrics to back up that claim, either.

e New Orleans-based Ochsner Health system has been expanding aggressively in recent years, perhaps too aggressively, given the recent decision to lay o almost 800 employees in Louisiana and Mississippi. But despite all the hype, when it comes to Baton Rouge market share, inpatient data shared with Business Report suggests Ochsner may not be moving the needle very much, which raises the stakes for the latest venture.

Cancer care is only one hotly

contested element in the region’s increasingly competitive health care market. For Ochsner, recent moves also include the announcement of a pediatric “super clinic” at e Grove in 2021 and the acquisitions of Associates in Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine, a well-known local group practice, and Louisiana Women’s Healthcare, the market’s largest OB/GYN provider.

While there is some skepticism about whether the MD Anderson partnership is much more than a marketing ploy, health care leaders say they welcome the competition. After all, every other major player in the market also is investing heavily in cancer care, in hopes of getting the biggest possible slice of a pie that is expected to grow.

MEETING THE NEED

When asked whether there’s enough cancer in this market to justify so much cancer care spending, health system ofcials typically respond with some version of, “Sadly, yes.”

e number of new cancer cases nationwide is expected to rise 14% this decade, according to Advisory Board, a health care consulting rm. And recent data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention indicates Louisiana has the second-highest rate of new cancer cases in the nation.

“ e good news is the boomers are living longer,” says Stephen Mumford, chief operating o cer of Baton Rouge

BIG PARTNERSHIP: Chuck Daigle, Ochsner Health System’s CEO for the Baton Rouge market, says the MD Anderson partnership could have a significant impact on local research as well as boost the local economy.

General. “ e bad news is the longer you live, the higher risk you have of developing cancer.”

Leaders of provider organizations would much rather talk about what they’re doing to ght cancer than the revenue cancer care generates. But you wouldn’t see so much investment locally and nationwide if it wasn’t pro table.

ere are new therapies to provide, and as cancer becomes less of a death sentence and more of a chronic condition, patients (i.e. customers) are living longer and using more services. e payer mix is attractive, since Medicare pays well for treatment, and the returns can be reinvested in other areas of care.

“Not only does it make business sense, it aligns with our mission,” Mumford says.

Over the past 10 years, Ochsner has invested $150 million in cancer care across its system, says Dr. Aldo Russo, Ochsner’s Baton Rouge regional medical director. Without providing Baton Rouge-speci c numbers, Ochsner o cials say that last year the system treated more than 40,000 cancer patients from all 50 states and 28 countries.

O cials for the two companies

A possible reconciliation?

haven’t said much publicly about how the partnership model functions from a business perspective. But it’s safe to assume Ochsner hopes to capture patients who would otherwise get all of their care at MD Anderson, while MD Anderson is hoping to bolster the pipeline of local patients as Ochsner refers those best served in Houston, local experts say.

THE HALO EFFECT

Chris McKee, MD Anderson’s senior vice president for strategy and business development, says partners typically experience higher revenue and often bene t from increased research grants from the federal government and pharmaceutical companies that support clinical trials and cancer research.

MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston sees more patients from Louisiana than from any other state besides Texas, says Dr. Welela Tere e, MD Anderson’s chief medical executive.

But crossing state lines for care isn’t always an option, and it’s often preferable to seek treatment closer to home. Tere

the Ochsner partnership to create

Nothing officially is in the works, but new leaders at both Mary Bird Perkins and Our Lady of the Lake say they’re open to working together again.

IN THE FALL of 2021, Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center finalized an affiliation agreement with Nashville-based OneOncology, officially ending its partnership with Our Lady of the Lake Regional Medical Center.

The breakup of the nearly decade-long marriage had stunned leaders across the Capital Region health care sector. But while both organizations have moved on from the divorce–Mary Bird now partners with Baton Rouge General, while the Lake plans to build a new freestanding cancer center–their leadership has changed, and members still talk informally.

So, could the relationship be rekindled? It’s not out of the question, according to current leaders on both sides.

“Jonas [Fontenot] and I have had multiple conversations,” says OLOL President Chuck Spicer of Mary Bird’s CEO. “If we can find a way to begin our relationship again, even if that way is smaller, we’re going to find it.”

Local health care leaders frequently discuss ways to work better together, Fontenot says. So just because officials with the Lake and Mary Bird have conversations doesn’t mean a big announcement is imminent.

noting its current relationships with Baton Rouge General and Woman’s Hospital.

“The sky’s the limit,” Fontenot says, when asked what a new partnership with the Lake might entail. “I wouldn’t place any arbitrary barriers in the way of a collaboration.”

For a deep dive into the Mary Bird Perkins-Our Lady of the Lake split, check out the cover story in the November 2021 issue of Business Report.

—David Jacobs

“If we can find a way to begin our relationship again, even if that way is smaller, we’re going to find it.”

CHUCK SPICER, President, Our Lady of the Lake Regional Medical Center

EVERYONE WINS: Jonas Fontenot, CEO of Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center, says having the MD Anderson brand attached to the Baton Rouge market could prompt patients to more strongly consider seeking care from a local provider.

A Cancerous Problem

New cancer diagnoses across East Baton Rouge Parish and the region, 2015-2019

2,324

a “halo e ect” by combining two highly respected brands.

“Our number one priority is eliminating cancer,” she says, when asked about Baton Rouge’s proximity to Houston. “ e fact that we happen to be adjacent to one another is an added plus.”

Daigle, Ochsner’s local market leader, also touts the potential for more clinical research in Baton Rouge, which could have positive spino e ects for the economy as well as local patients.

“ e goal would be to have as many patients treated locally as possible,” he says. “Family support is truly important for healing.”

e organizations will remain “separate and distinct,” Tere e says, with no job losses or executive transfers tied to the partnership. No MD Anderson providers will relocate to Baton Rouge, though technology enables easy consultation, o cials say. Each of Ochsner’s cancer physicians has been certi ed by MD Anderson to clinically practice as part of the co-branded program, and Ochsner MD Anderson doctors will have the opportunity to become adjunct members of the MD Anderson faculty.

O cials plan to expand the partnership beyond the seven south Louisiana locations already announced, which requires detailed

program assessments and significant work in care coordination and infrastructure development, says Dr. Brian Moore, Ochsner MD Anderson Cancer Center’s medical director.

“We are working with MD Anderson to certify additional Ochsner sites and that process can take up to two years,” Moore says.

A STABILIZING FORCE

Teri Fontenot, who was CEO at Woman’s Hospital for 23 years before stepping down in 2019, stayed on the job a year longer than she had planned to stand up the Woman’s Cancer Pavilion, which is essentially a one-stop shop for diagnosis, treatment and survivorship resources created and maintained in partnership with Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center and Our Lady of the Lake.

“I felt strongly that we shouldn’t be duplicating services that were already o ered in the community and were being done well,” she recalls.

Fontenot says duplication increases costs for patients. Basic economics suggests competition in a marketplace reduces costs, but that’s not the case with health care, she says.

Woman’s ranks No. 121 on Newsweek’s 2023 list of the nation’s

top 175 cancer hospitals, the highest ranking for any local facility. Our Lady of the Lake is No. 140, the only other Capital Region hospital ranked, while MD Anderson in Houston is No. 1. Rankings are based on a nationwide online survey, hospital quality metrics and patient experience, Newsweek says.

Woman’s served 1,040 cancer patients last year, 692 of whom were breast cancer patients, a spokesperson reports. Focusing exclusively on female patients, and breast and gynecological cancers speci cally, drives high-quality outcomes and patient satisfaction, CEO Rene Ragas says.

But even while touting the advantages of cooperation, Ragas still says erce competition to provide the best possible care is a good thing.

“Ultimately, the patient is the one who bene ts,” he says.

While it’s not unusual for local cancer patients to get some or all of their treatment at MD Anderson, it’s not as common as you might think, says Mumford, the Baton Rouge General COO. In the last ve years, BRG has had only 32 patients (out of almost 8,000, including 1,540 in 2022) go out of state for part of their care, a spokesperson says, though that number would not include patients who never

TOP CANCERS IN EAST

2015-2019

sought care from BRG in the rst place.

e Ochsner-MD Anderson arrangement is in some ways similar to Baton Rouge General’s partnership with Minnesota-based Mayo Clinic, ranked as the top general hospital in the nation by U.S. News & World Report. BRG patients can get a second opinion from a Mayo Clinic physician within three days, Mumford says. If an expert from the famous name-brand, out-ofstate hospital recommends the same plan as their local doctor, that might be all the patient needs to hear to get treatment locally.

As the market shifts, BRG has strengthened its hand by partnering with a cancer care brand the Capital Region has trusted for more than 50 years. According to a recent survey by National Research Corporation, 27% of Baton Rouge patients prefer Mary Bird Perkins for cancer treatment, while BRG comes in second at 10%.

e head-to-head comparison between Mary Bird and the hospital systems is imperfect—the former focuses on outpatient treatment— but the data still suggests that Mary Bird (which a spokesperson says served 5,673 new patients in the Capital Region last year) and BRG combined are preferred by more than one-third of local patients,

*Top 10 sites shown unless case counts are too small to display for less common cancers.

Source: LSU Health Sciences Center

Who Patients Prefer

COMING SOON

SEPTEMBER 2023

List: Property & Casualty Insurance

Special Advertising Section: Cancer Connection

OCTOBER 2023

Cover Story: Best Places to Work Awards Issue

List: Private High Schools

Special Advertising Section: In Good Company Profiles

NOVEMBER 2023

Cover Story: Forty Under 40

List: Law Firms

Convention & Meeting Facilities

Special Advertising Section: Legal Trends + Insights

while other providers are in single digits.

“Given what we’ve accomplished over the past 18 months, we’re de nitely a stabilizing force [in the local marketplace],” Mumford says. “And we’re not done. We have major plans to continue to grow with Mary Bird Perkins.”

GROWTH POTENTIAL

While local providers compete for local patients, the MD Anderson brand has the potential to grow the local market, says Jonas Fontenot, Mary Bird’s CEO. Patients who otherwise might have only considered going to Houston may take a harder look at what’s available in their own backyard, which could bene t local providers who aren’t part of the partnership, he suggests.

If Ochsner brings more clinical trials to Baton Rouge, that would bring additional expertise and resources to the region, which could have spillover bene ts for other providers. But Fontenot cautions that the resources needed to support large trials are not easily portable or scalable.

Fontenot, who trained at MD Anderson, says o cials there have tweaked the partnership model as some partners achieved more economic success than others. Time will tell if the newest partnership will succeed.

“MD Anderson obviously has

a very prominent, well-known and well-earned reputation,” he says. “[But] there’s only one MD Anderson, and that’s in Houston.”

Our Lady of the Lake is planning an 80,000-square-foot, $100 million-plus cancer center at the intersection of Hennessy Boulevard and Brittany Drive. e rst phase of construction, which will house imaging and therapeutics, is expected to take a year or so once the board approves moving forward, likely this fall.

“A lot of the investment we’ve already made,” says Chuck Spicer, OLOL’s Baton Rouge market president. “It’s a consolidation of all those services into a building.”

When it comes to cancer care, Spicer names a few areas where the Capital Region could use more talent. Colorectal cancer doctors and surgeons are extremely busy, for example, in part because they’re treating cancers that wouldn’t have been caught 10 years ago, and no one is doing bone marrow transplants here, he says.

OLOL serves patients from every parish and could cast an even broader net through more virtual visits, making referrals easier, and growing its partnership with LSU, Spicer says.

“It’s easy to get sucked into the competitive side of cancer,” Spicer says. “Our goal is not to beat XYZ health system. Our goal is to help beat cancer.”

Mary Bird Perkins Baton Rouge General Our Lady of the Lake MD Anderson (Houston) Lane Regional Woman’s Hospital Ochsner Baton Rouge

Source: National Research Corporation survey data (sample size of about 800 patients) shared with Business Report

MULTIPLE PARTNERS: LSU President William Tate and LSU Health are partnered with LCMC Health in a bid to obatain an NCI designation. The system is also involved with Ochsner in the multi-university Louisiana Cancer Reearch Center.

An important quest

WHEN LSU PRESIDENT William Tate was on the faculty at Washington University in St. Louis, his father was diagnosed with cancer of the esophagus and sought treatment at the university’s cancer center, which is one of 54 National Cancer Institute-designated comprehensive cancer centers in the country. His father received care meeting the highest evidence-based standards tailored to his needs and experienced a period of remission, Tate says.

“My father got a chance to see my daughter play volleyball, and he was so excited to do that,” he says. “I’m 100% confident that he got extra time in his life because the quality of care was very high.”

The quest to bring Louisiana its first NCI-designated cancer center, which could open the door to more federal grants and raise the level of care in a state, dates back to at least 2002, when the Legislature brought LSU and Tulane together to form the Louisiana Cancer Research Center. Xavier University and Ochsner Health have since been added to the consortium.

Last year, Tate announced a separate effort, led by LSU Health but with New Orleans-based LCMC Health as the clinical partner. Officials say the initiatives are complementary, not competitive.

“There is no single entity in Louisiana that can successfully compete for NCI designation today,” says Dr. Brian Moore, medical director with Ochsner MD Anderson Cancer Center.

NCI only allows for one academic and one clinical entity in the initial application, though Tate hopes to include Our Lady of the Lake, LSU’s Baton Rouge clinical partner, in the follow-up application. He says “the totality of the LSU family” is part of the effort.

LSU is currently in the hunt for up to 12 biomedical science allstars with National Institutes of Health research grants. At a minimum, LSU needs $10 million in annual NIH cancer-focused grant funding, compared to the $5.5 million it has now, among other factors, Tate says.

The process will take at least five years, but the effort sends a message that Louisiana is serious about attracting and retaining the best and most promising clinicians and researchers, he says.

“The fight to get there has the potential to save lives all the way through the process,” Tate says.

Hear

—David Jacobs

Becoming Louisiana’s first NCI-designated cancer center would open the door for more research dollars and a higher level of care in the state.

Bringing good things back to life

BY HOLLY DUCHMANN

The hottest development trend in downtown and Mid City is renovating and retrofitting older buildings, finding a new, and usually improved, use for them.

THE FOOT TRAFFIC going in and around I Rivermark Centre in downtown Baton Rouge looks di erent today than it did in years past following the $80 million renovation completed last year.

Built in 1968, the building— formerly known as Chase South Tower—was redeveloped into mixed-use property with luxury apartments replacing the o ce space at the top of the landmark tower. e U.S. Attorney’s O ce will also be tenants of the building soon.

e Rivermark Centre serves as the most ambitious project tackled so far by local developer Mike Wampold, who has built a career o of bringing new life to old spaces that are seemingly forgotten or being vacated.

“I love iconic historic buildings—I love them,” Wampold says.

“For me, if the economics work out, it’s a chance for me to express my creative side and it’s fun. You take iconic old buildings, such as the Watermark Hotel or Whitney Bank in New Orleans, and you bring them into the current market and the current decade, and you make them shine.”

While older spaces can be dicult and costly to renovate and repurpose, Wampold and others in the business community say the investment can be worth it if the conditions are right.

“It’s a sort of gumbo of di erent decisions and factors that go into whether we decide to go or no-go on a property,” Wampold says.

Bringing older buildings back to a repurposed life is a growing trend in Baton Rouge—especially downtown and in Mid City. e reasons are varied but usually check at least

one of these boxes: 1) the building has some historic or iconic signicance, 2) it’s more cost e ective to retro t than tear down and rebuild, or 3) older buildings tend to have higher construction quality, craftsmanship and design details than new construction.

Renee Chatelain, president and CEO of the Arts Council of Greater Baton Rouge, says the organization never considered a new building when it outgrew the space it had occupied at the Robert A. Bogan Fire Station on Laurel Street for the past 45 years.

“We were all about repurposing an old building,” says Chatelain, who has led the Arts Council since 2015. “We wanted to take a space that maybe was forgotten or empty but had value in its location and potential amenities in regard to space.”

After consulting with the city-parish, the Arts Council in 2018 chose the Triangle Building on St. Ferdinand Street, which was three times the size of the organization’s former space. e mid-century building’s shape was re ective of the Arts Council’s uniqueness, Chatelain says.

e $2.5 million investment in redeveloping the building has paid o . Since opening in 2021, the Cary Saurage Community Arts Center has become a creative hub for area artists, o ering exible studio space, a black box theater and a permanent gallery.

“It’s worked beyond our wildest dreams,” says Chatelain, noting that the space has encouraged a high level of collaboration between artists. “What artists bring to a building is phenomenal—you need those creative minds to come

HITTING THE MARK: Developer Mike Wampold poured $80 million into renovating the Chase South Tower into I Rivermark Centre, a mixed-use project that includes upscale apartments replacing what was once office space.

in and look at the space with a new perspective. I can’t see what’s next for the building.”

Plans are in the works for another iconic downtown-area building nearby to be repurposed into a creative hub. About a half-mile away from the arts center, the vacant Spanish Moon property on Highland Road has sat empty for the last few years waiting for a second chance at commerce.

Baton Rouge-based creative agency Tilt acquired the property last fall with plans to redevelop the space into the rm’s o ces. A legendary music venue of years past, Spanish Moon has been closed for years despite previous e orts by former owners to reopen the space as an entertainment hub.

Tilt partner Scott Hodgin says the rm considered buying the Spanish Moon building in 2015 when it was put up for sale but ultimately declined, joking “this town would ay

us alive if we removed a live music place.”

When it became clear that the building could no longer house musical acts and was put back on the market in June 2022, Hodgin says the rm moved to acquire it for $385,000, with plans to keep as much of the character and personality of the building as possible.

“ is building has bones and structure you can’t build yourself,” Hodgin says. “ e brick walls, the balconies …. We couldn’t a ord to build that building with that kind of character today.”

e rm is investing roughly $800,000 to renovate the space and pursuing historic rehabilitation tax credits to help pay for the project, Hodgin says. Developers for years have touted the importance of historic rehabilitation tax credits in making renovation projects feasible, as Wampold also pursued the credits for I Rivermark Centre and

the Watermark Hotel.

Tilt has tapped Carter Hill Construction to be the contractor for the project, which Hodgin hopes will be wrapped up by the end of the year. As of late July, crews were waiting on permits from the city-parish to start construction.

e downstairs bar was already removed when Tilt bought the property, but Hodgin says the agency plans to keep the upstairs bar intact to use as a photo studio for the rm’s beer and spirit clients.

Appreciation for older architecture is a sentiment also shared by local developer and architect Dyke Nelson, who over the years has also developed a niche for leveraging di erent programs to help give new life to old spaces.

“Older buildings have a higher quality of construction,” Nelson says. “Often it’s hard to nd that level of craftsmanship or resources in a newly constructed building.

Nelson’s rst renovation project came after Hurricane Katrina when he partnered with Norman Chenevert, Johnny Fife and George Knost to renovate a dilapidated building on ird Street in downtown Baton Rouge.

“At the time, the building was falling down,” Nelson says. “But it had a history as a building as a billiards hall, dentist o ce, a jewelry store. … We saw value where other people didn’t and we were able to bring it back to life.”

One of Nelson’s most notable projects has been the redevelopment of the 6-acre Entergy site on Government Street into Electric Depot, a mixed-use development with retail, entertainment and restaurants. e long-anticipated $20 million project came online in 2019 and has lled most of its spaces with a diverse set of tenants.

Nelson points to the location and high quality of construction as two

ARTISTIC

SYMMETRY:

After a $2.5 million renovation, what was once the Triangle Building became home to the Cary Saurage Community Arts Center, a creative hub for area artists, offering flexible studio space, a black box theater and a permanent gallery.

TIM MUELLER

features of the property that led him to pursue the redevelopment project.

“ is property has a lot of brick and wooden beams,” Nelson says. “It’s got things you can’t replicate any longer.”

In the future, Nelson plans to construct additional phases for Electric Depot, including a residential one with apartments, but he’s waiting for favorable market conditions.

He also has projects in the works in other parts of the country. He has completed one phase of a redevelopment of a mill in South Carolina and is wrapping up construction on the old federal courthouse in downtown Lafayette. He has also acquired the historic Journal Courier newspaper building in Lafayette, Indiana, which he plans to turn into a mixed-use development.

“Ground-up construction is fairly straightforward but there’s always surprises with redevelopments,” Nelson says. “It takes a warped mind to navigate brick walls and older structures—the codes were very different. You have to marry current safety codes with the old buildings.”

REPOWERED: Dyke Nelson redeveloped the longempty Entergy site on Government Street into the $20 million Electric Depot, a mixed-use project with retail, entertainment and restaurants like Boru Ramen.

Dreams come to life

The 2023 graduates of Young Entrepreneurs Academy of Baton Rouge turned their ideas into startup businesses.

THE YOUNG ENTREPRENEURS Academy of Baton Rouge’s 2023 class has spent the past academic year attending weekly courses at LSU’s E.J. Ourso College of Business, where the 20 middle- and high-school students have been learning from professors and community business leaders on how to turn their ideas into startup businesses. e students’ work culminated with YEA BR’s annual Community Pitch, a competition in which the students presented their business plans to a panel of potential investors. Each startup received

some amount of funding, but the investors singled out Catholic High School student James Boudet as the overall winner in this year’s competition. He received $4,500 in seed funding for his startup, Washed, and went on to represent YEA BR at a national pitch competition in New York City. While some students will carry their businesses forward, all will be able to apply lessons learned from the program to their future business endeavors. For more information on YEA of Baton Rouge or to register for next year’s class, visit yeabr.org.

BY ERIC L. TAYLOR

Boldly Braided

Alaina Banks, founder

GEO Next Generation High School, Ninth grade Business description: Hair care service provider that specializes in all-natural hairstyles.

Seed funding awarded: $250

COAL–Community Opportunities and Access Locally

Lillian Tepper, founder Dutchtown High School, 11th grade Business description: A website that connects families with special-needs children to specialized recreational service providers and programs.

Seed funding awarded: $250

Drone Net

Ryan Yang, founder Baton Rouge Magnet High School, Ninth grade Business description: An online community with forums, education and videos specifically for drone enthusiasts.

Seed funding awarded: $500

Egg Head

Myla Washington, founder

The Dunham School, 12th grade

Business description: An interactive website blocker that helps keep young students motivated and on task.

Seed funding awarded: $500

HealthyLife

Jared Lane Jr., founder West Feliciana High School, Ninth grade Business description: An inexpensive and healthy line of cookies and cookie doughs, with vegan and glutenfree options.

Seed funding awarded: $500

BIG PITCH: James Boudet of Catholic High School, and his full-service pressure washing business, was selected as the competition winner and represented YEA of Baton Rouge at a national pitch event in New York.

JLuxe Styles

Jayla Walker, founder

Donaldsonville High School, 12th grade

Business description: A brand of hair products, including an edge control styling gel.

Seed funding awarded: $500

Production Hub

Cameron Green, founder

Liberty Magnet High School, 12th grade

Business description: A phone app that connects actors to audition opportunities.

Seed funding awarded: $500

Ritreats

Korria Gordon, founder

Zachary High School, 11th grade

Business description: Healthy cookies made using organic ingredients and sugar alternatives.

Seed funding awarded: $250

Safe Knife

Ahebwa Muhumuza, founder

Episcopal School of Baton Rouge, 11th grade

Business description: A knife engineered to be safe for children to use.

Seed funding awarded: $750

Simplistic Beauty

Nora Klibert, co-founder (left)

Regina Caeli Academy, 11th grade

Jazlynn Johnson, co-founder

Helix Mentorship STEAM Academy, 12th grade

Business description: An all-natural and nontoxic brand of perfume.

Seed funding awarded: $3,000

Soutenir

Anna Baumgartner, founder University Laboratory School, 12th grade

Business description: Leotards with built-in physical support specifically designed to help dancers with body image issues feel more comfortable with their bodies.

Seed funding awarded: $3,000

Stoc3Teck

Brenden Morris, co-founder (left)

Baton Rouge Magnet High School, 11th grade

Christian Frazier, co-founder

Woodlawn High School, 10th grade

Business description: An online platform that provides financial literacy for young people.

Seed funding awarded: $250

Streamlined Living

Mason Hurst, founder McKinley Middle Magnet School, Eighth grade

Business description: An online marketplace that matches home services such as cleaning, babysitting and mobile auto detailing providers with users.

Seed funding awarded: $750

Sunshine & Succulents

Allie Duplantis, founder

Walker High School, Ninth grade

Business description: A houseplant subscription service that provides plants based on the indoor environments of its subscribers.

Seed funding awarded: $750

The Hair Box

Miah Brown, founder St. Amant High School, 12th grade

Business description: Vending machines placed on college campuses that provide a 24/7 selection of hair products.

Seed funding awarded: $3,000

Turn Up

Ralla Shaw, founder

St. Joseph’s Academy, 11th grade Business description: Social media app that lets users express their musical tastes to their network of friends.

Seed funding awarded: $250

Washed

James Boudet, founder Catholic High School, 12th grade

Business description: A full-service pressurewashing business with an existing roster of more than 100 clients.

Seed funding awarded: $4,500

Zealous Scents

NaZylah Gipson, founder

Liberty Magnet High School, 11th grade

Business description: Brand of fragrant candles made using nontoxic ingredients like coconut and soy products, with a line of transparent gel-based candles.

Seed funding awarded: $500

SINCE THE SUPREME COURT outlawed the inclusion of race in college admissions, many have argued that relatively few students will be a ected by the ruling, since selective colleges—those that most consider applicants’ race—enroll just 3% (480,000) of our country’s 15.4 million undergraduate students.

ere’s truth in this. Most Black, Hispanic and Native American students won’t apply to or attend selective colleges, so we should be more concerned with how they’re faring in higher education generally, rather than with their slim odds of getting into Harvard. So how are they faring?

Can college admissions be race-neutral?

e good news is more Americans of every race are earning college degrees which, despite their backbreaking cost, remain engines of economic mobility. Between 2009 and 2021, the proportion of Americans age 25 to 64 with twoand four-year degrees rose from 38% to 46%. But racial gaps in college completion remain concerning.

In 2021, about 66% of Asian American adults and 50% of white adults held degrees, while Black, Hispanic, and Native American adults came in at rates of 34%, 28% and 25%, respectively. One would hope for these gaps to narrow over time, anticipating newly minted graduates to make up for universally low degree attainment among Americans over 35, but that isn’t happening.

e National Student Clearinghouse’s DEI Data Lab tracks six-year degree completion among cohorts who entered college at the same time. Among those who began in fall 2010, white and Black students earned degrees at rates of 62% and 39%, respectively. In the 2015 cohort, overall completion improved, but the race gap expanded, with white students nishing at 70% to Black students’ 45%

Why are Black and Hispanic students struggling so much to secure the very thing we promise ensures a better life? Is it because they are inherently inferior to their Asian American and white peers? I pray that no one reading this believes that. No, it’s because they are suffering the multi-generational consequences of our nation’s fraught racial history and our collective fear in confronting it.

I was once oblivious to these consequences. ey were abstract to me since, prior to moving to Baton Rouge in 2010, I had never had any meaningful exposure to being a minority in America, including and especially during my time at Yale. I feel comfortable assuming that the people behind Students For Fair Admissions, whose 2014 lawsuit against Harvard and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill spurred the Supreme Court’s ruling, have had similarly limited opportunity to see outside their experience. is also applies to people in my life, including friends and loved ones who have alleged that Black and other students of color have an “unfair advantage” in college admissions. is claim has always confused me, not because I judge anyone for wanting the best chance at attending their dream college, but rather because I can’t imagine they would want to trade places with my students in that pursuit.

At the Baton Rouge Youth

Coalition, we have spent the last 14 years building a support system that helps primarily minority students from low socioeconomic status, or SES, backgrounds enter and graduate from college and convert their degrees into jobs. With 11 years under my belt, I could say that, without an intervention like BRYC, this journey is almost impossible, but the data says that for me: Only 13% of American students from lowSES backgrounds earn bachelor’s degrees.

White and Asian American students come from low SES backgrounds, for sure, just not nearly as often as Black and Hispanic students, who therefore are signi cantly more likely to attend schools lacking in rigorous instruction, standardized test prep, and meaningful attention from a counselor, who could be supporting up to 400 students at a time. Under-resourced schools o er fewer well-organized enrichment opportunities to tout on college applications, and if there are such opportunities, minority students often can’t enjoy them, as they are disproportionately expected to hold jobs or care for younger or elderly relatives. I have seen again and again how this razor-thin resource margin minimizes time and maximizes stress, conditions under which pursuing college takes a backseat to surviving.

And yet, through sheer force of

Lucas Spielfogel is executive director of the Baton Rouge Youth Coalition, a free program that helps students succeed in high school as well as enter and graduate from college. He is a native of New York City and a Yale graduate.

determination, many of these students enter college, where similar challenges await. In a 2023 joint study by Gallup and the Lumina Foundation, it was reported that Black students are twice as likely as other students to have caregiver responsibilities and be employed full time, and the Education Data Initiative reports that Black students owe an average of $25,000 more in student loan debt than white students, leading Black college graduates to default at ves times the rate of white graduates. Despite being in this work more than a decade, I still struggle to understand how youth in this position stay the course. BRYC alum Amber Richardson, a 2022 Southern University graduate, said it best: “No matter how ‘resilient’ or ‘gritty’ we are—and trust me, I am both—the larger-than-life stress and fear of these moments make letting go feel legitimately like the right choice.” As a registered nurse at Baton Rouge General, Richardson knows too well that Black Americans fare far worse against all social determinants of health, not just education access and quality.

proven drivers of economic opportunity, but, more importantly, the ruling communicates to underrepresented students of all academic levels that higher education doesn’t care what you went through to get here, what unique contributions you bring to bear, or how we can best support you. Trust me: that message didn’t need to be reinforced. I fear it will greatly reduce enrollment— which remains 1 million below pre-pandemic levels—and worsen already-dire labor shortages.

Hundreds of colleges have disavowed the ruling because they understand that alienating these students will lead to culturally sterile campuses and, worse, subpar learning. An educational environment that doesn’t re ect the diversity of real life isn’t much of an educational environment at all. Even the Supreme Court knows this, evident in its exclusion of U.S. service academies from race-neutral admissions as a way to ensure diversity across ranks, which military leaders say is crucial for building e ective ghting forces. It’s silly to claim this logic doesn’t apply in any other setting. Indeed, the exemption of military academies undercuts the court’s rationale that the bene ts of diversity aren’t clear enough, when they are, evidently, clear as life and death.

e Supreme Court’s demand for “race-neutral” college admissions can only be described as unrealistic when race so heavily in uences a student’s ability to realize college success, and the assertion that the ruling impacts relatively few is clearly shortsighted. It’s not only that enrollment of minority students from low SES backgrounds will drop at selective institutions that are

Although that rationale prevailed, I don’t believe it re ects our nation’s prevailing view. I believe most of us want to live in a country where expansive access to high-quality education activates the innate assets of all young people, where talent abounds to tackle problems keeping us from our collective best. And I believe most colleges embrace their role as guardians of the American dream and therefore will seize this opportunity to reexamine their relationship with underrepresented students. is should start with reaching much deeper into underserved areas—including strengthening partnerships with organizations like BRYC—and it should lead to a reimagined admissions process that yields the sort of authentically diverse learning community where empathy thrives. In that light, I invite you to join our community. ere’s no better way to ally with our youth than to become a BRYC mentor (thebryc.org/volunteer), and there’s no better time than right now.

Earns National Quality Award

Zachary Manor Nursing & Rehabilitation Center has been selected by the American Health Care Association to receive the 2023 Bronze - Commitment to Quality Award earning national honors for developing and demonstrating e ective approaches that help improve performance and quality outcomes.

“I applaud Zachary Manor Nursing & Rehabilitation Center for their commitment to providing the highest quality of care and enhancing the lives of their residents. e Bronze – Commitment to Quality Award is an incredible recognition of their unwavering focus on delivering quality care for their residents,” said Mark Berger, executive director of the Louisiana Nursing Home Association (LNHA).

Zachary Manor and sister Central Management facilities have earned 25 bronze quality awards and 20 silver quality awards since 2016. Of these awards, four bronze awards were earned in 2023. Since 2015, 105 Louisiana nursing facilities have earned a national quality award. Louisiana ranks eighth-best in the nation for the percentage of facilities earning a national quality award.

Matt Walton, Zachary Manor Administrator, said, “ e dedication and commitment to excellent personcentered care that our sta exhibit daily as they strive to Improve Quality of Life for our Residents is re ected in the AHCA/NCAL Quality Award criteria. We are proud to be recognized for this prestigious honor, and vow to continue our e orts toward continuous quality improvement.”

e National Quality Award Program by the American Health Care Association and the National Center for Assisted Living (AHCA/NCAL) has three progressive levels of achievement – bronze, silver, and gold. Implemented by AHCA/NCAL in 1996, the National Quality Award Program is centered on the core values and criteria of the Baldrige Performance Excellence Program. e program assists providers of long term and post-acute care services in achieving their performance excellence goals. e awards will be presented during AHCA/NCAL’s 74th Annual Convention and Expo in Denver, Colorado on October 1-4, 2023.

THE SECOND St. George legal verse was the same as the rst: It’s all about the Benjamins.

An appeals court in July delivered the latest gut punch to the creation of what would be Louisiana’s fth-largest city, declaring the incorporation petition approved by voters within the proposed St. George boundaries in 2019 doesn’t pass legal muster.

In short, the Louisiana Court of Appeals for the First Circuit says the nancial numbers don’t add up.

In news shocking to no one, Mayor Sharon Weston Broome and Mayor Pro Tem LaMont Cole, the “ordinary citizen” plainti s in the lawsuit, were giddy. e St. George camp … not so much, screaming “judicial overreach” and vowing to march their case to the Louisiana Supreme Court.

Money remains undefeated

St. George supporters argue this case is about voters’ rights, obeying the will of the people and self-determination. Broome and those suing to stop the incorporation counter the only thing that matters is money—as in how much of it will stop owing into city-parish co ers, what’s the split on joint city-parish obligations and whether the proposed city will generate enough rstyear revenue to cover the services organizers say they’ll provide.

And in that debate, a Baton Rouge district court judge and now a threejudge appeals court all emphatically say money is the bottom-line answer to the St. George question.

It’s always the answer, which is why money joins Father Time in the pantheon of the undefeated.

Perhaps the state Supreme Court, should it agree to take up the case, will pro er a di erent answer, but that’s as likely as Tucker Carlson returning to Fox News by year’s end.

In the exuberance to semi-break free from life under a city-parish government, organizers sold the big picture stu —an independent school district, tax dollars staying at home, privatized services and a suburban oasis from a crime-plagued Baton Rouge and its radically

di erent political and racial demographics—but they forgot to sweat the details. Like exactly how St. George leaders cover the all-in tab for this nirvana.

In retrospect, those spearheading the charge to create a fth city in East Baton Rouge Parish made three critical errors:

1) Believing a spreadsheet disguised as an operating budget would be enough to prove the St. George contention that not only would the redirection of existing sales tax dollars cover rst-year operations, but thanks to privatization produce a surplus.

Worth noting is St. George backers did propose meeting to hammer out agreements on joint services and ongoing pension costs, but the Broome administration rebu ed those e orts, saying such talks were pointless until the incorporation election was approved and certi ed by Gov. John Bel Edwards.

2) Not having a rm agreement in place with the sheri ’s o ce to provide additional law enforcement services. ere may well have been an under the table agreement, as a St. George insider suggests, but what’s a court supposed to do with that?

Proponents continually wonder why this is such a big deal given no such advance agreement was in place when Central incorporated in 2005—and still isn’t—but A) no one legally challenged that incorporation and B) St. George, as proposed, would dwarf the tiny hamlet in both size and population.

ose shortcomings opened the door for ad hoc Judge Martin Coady to accept the planti s’ position that not only would St. George be born with a $3 million de cit—before added sheri ’s costs—but also that Baton Rouge would su er a projected $48 million annual loss to the city-parish budget.

Several members of the St. George brain trust contend those numbers are a fallacy. Which brings us to …

3) With that $48 million Damoclean sword hanging over their incorporation head, why, oh why, didn’t their lawyer cross-examine the bejeezus out of city-parish Finance Director Linda Hunt, grilling her on whether nancial o sets from a reduction in necessary services could potentially limit that impact to the single-digit millions? at it didn’t happen has proven to be a bigger mistake than Nick Saban and Alabama not being prepared for LSU’s two-point conversion in overtime.

e lone bright spot, and it’s a dim one, is the three Republican First Circuit appellate judges did agree Broome lacked standing, tossing her from the case and leaving Cole as the only remaining plainti .

About the only other bit of good news that’s come out of the legal process from the St. George perspective is that the trial court judge sided with them on all the sideshow issues, including discrimination allegations and the desire for an independent school district.

But that and $5.55—assuming St. George can prove it has the money—only gets them a grande Mochasippi from CC’s Co ee House.

It’s easy to empathize with a group of like-minded citizens, not trusting in the parishwide government, wanting to create their own self-governed city. Talk about greater good all you want, but is getting the mayor and Metro Council out of St. George nancial a airs really any di erent from what the library system, CATS and every other independent taxing authority is doing?

If it works for them …

But this odyssey has made it obvious that Louisiana, with its love a air with centralized government, makes it incredibly di cult for a grassroots group of citizens to create their own city.

e money—and the odds—are stacked against it.

JR Ball is the associate publisher and executive editor of Business Report.

WE HAVE TOO MANY stories in Baton Rouge of missed opportunities. Usually, the culprit can be traced to some combination of our resistance to change, a failure to think big, an unwillingness to think di erently or a perverse aversion to risk.

It’s a big reason why our community lags behind other growing cities—many of which BRAC and a cohort of Capital Region in uencers study year after year on canvas trips. Either we’re not learning much, or we’re unwilling to implement the keys to their success because while these fast-growing cities are attracting thousands of new residents, we’re in a perpetual “brain drain.”

It can certainly make one angry.

Our resistance to change has been with us for a long time, evidenced by this recent anniversary story in e Advocate: “Sixty years

City Park petition will send a message

ago, on July 23, 1963, an 11-year old Debra George arrived at the (City Park) pool with her mother, Pearl— already known as a leading gure in the local civil rights movement— and around 50 fellow protesters. Greeted by police cars and men in black suits, the group was barred from entering the pool house by a man blocking the door.” e protesters were arrested for simply wanting to change things and share the City Park pool.

e Baton Rouge Gallery, ironically located in City Park, commemorated this anniversary throughout July with its exhibition, “And We Went: 60 Years After the Baton Rouge Swim-In.”

After that protest, City Park was changed.  e pool was closed for decades and in 1990 lled in with dirt. Buried. But last month’s

REFLECTIONS

FOUR ONGOING FOCAL POINTS

exhibition uncovered and recalled the history of City Park—and it wasn’t about a long-forgotten golf course designer.

e anniversary reminded me of another—the 10th anniversary of a petition to have our community and BREC create a new, true “central park” by eliminating the nine-hole golf course. e plan was to nd the highest and best use for the wonderfully unique 100-plus-acre site—the most beautiful tract of land in the heart of our community.

Today, I believe even stronger that we should remove the vestiges of its so-called historic past and have City Park join the renaissance taking place with the under-construction Lakes Project ($50 million to be spent on improvements.)

Let’s imagine a central park that embraces the future of Baton Rouge—rather than an uninspiring past. A special place for families, couples, students, young adults and seniors— enjoying picnics, Frisbee, ying kites, softball, football, walking and much more. ere have been many plans proposed by those at the No. 1-ranked LSU Robert Reich School of Landscape Architecture. It could be amazing.

So, on this 10th anniversary of the rst petition, I have created another one at www.Change.org/createacentralparkinBR. To be clear, this e ort isn’t only about changing City Park or eliminating a subpar golf course that loses money. (BREC has six courses and the Webb golf course is 1.8 miles away.) More importantly, it’s about our city embracing change and getting a second chance to turn something old and mediocre into something new and spectacular. It’s about raising the bar and partnering with the Lakes Project to create something that gives us a sense of accomplishment and greatness. And it’s about imagining something bold that will attract and retain young

FOUR KEY POINTS for your time with God that will anchor one’s life are found in Jude 20-21. “But you, Beloved, build yourselves up in your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in the love of God, waiting anxiously for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to eternal life.” 1. Give your inner man a workout by renewing your mind with the faith found in Romans 3:20-26. 2. Sit and listen to what the Holy Spirit is praying (Romans 8:26-27) and agree with Him. 3. Stay centered in the love of God. Romans

talent and families so we can compete for jobs.

Let this petition send a message to all o cials and leaders that we want to rectify the missed opportunity of 10 years ago and nally move forward for the greater good. is time we are going to take a risk and create for the future.

If you agree, then sign the petition by going to the web page I shared. You can also share that link or post it on your social media and ask others to speak up.

Let’s send a message that’s loud and clear to all o cials and community leaders—and also prove to ourselves that we can make change happen. Enough with the status quo. is is our second chance. (Will 10 years make a di erence?) Let’s work together, send a strong message, and change City Park—and our future.

WILL MY GRANDKIDS GET TO PLAY IN A CENTRAL PARK?

ere is a lot of crazy things going on in the world and we all have challenges. But we must also realize we have much to be grateful for in each day. On July 5, my wife, Teeta, and I were blessed with our sixth grandchild, Major Luke Hebert (photo below). e world seemed to stop and

the goodness of God surrounded us. Congratulations to my daughter and son-in-law, Elizabeth and Kyle Hebert, and Major’s big sis, Ruby. We now have six perfect grandchildren, and we count our blessings. I dream of taking them all to enjoy a spectacular, new City Park.

8:35-39 speaks to that no matter what happens of earth, nothing can separate us from the love of God. Notice verse 37 says, “In all these things we overwhelmingly conquer.” 4. Waiting anxiously means sitting up on the edge of our seat longing for the fulfillment of our full sonship. Notice Romans 8:19, 21, 23. Jesus’s prayer in John 17:24 gives a fresh perspective on this last focal point. Beloved, dive into these truths for yourself.

—Jeff Mitchell, Retired COL and Army Chaplain

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

Rolfe McCollister Jr. is chairman emeritus of Business Report and a contributing columnist.

Be Our Guest

Check out these hospitality and meeting venues, and enjoy your stay in the Capital City

Ascension Parish

ASCENSION PARISH TOURISM COMMISSION

NESTLED BETWEEN Baton Rouge and New Orleans is a place at the heart of what makes south Louisiana such a special destination. There’s so much to experience and savor In Ascension Parish–Louisiana’s Sweet Spot. This is the ideal place for business travel, groups and visitors to enjoy the perfect mix of Louisiana’s history and culture. Take a step back in time at the Great River Road Museum, Houmas House and Gardens, or the historic town of Donaldsonville, which was once the state capital. Browse the specialty shops at Cajun Village and meet two live resident alligators—Big Boy and Nubby. Be sure to get your sweet fx with some beignets and café au lait at the Coffee House there!

AMENITIES

• Discount outlet shopping

• Historic and cultural sites

• Nearby Attractions: Great River Road Museum, Houmas House Historic Estate, Great River Road Museum, Tanger Outlet Mall, Cabela’s, Cajun Village, Lamar Dixon Expo Center

TANGER GONZALES

TANGER GONZALES IS the premier shopping destination for Ascension Parish and its surrounding areas. It is located conveniently off I-10 and Hwy. 30 between Baton Rouge and New Orleans, and shoppers will fnd popular designers and retailers such as Nike, Coach, Michael Kors, Bath & Body Works, Old Navy, Gap, Banana Republic, Southern Marsh and many others, all at discount prices.

AMENITIES

• TangerClub discounts and perks

• Christmas Tree Lighting (Nov. 11)

• Black Friday shopping (Nov. 24)

• Nearby Attractions: Lamar-Dixon Expo Center, Holiday Inn Express & Suites, Restaurants such as Don’s Seafood Restaurant, Walk-Ons, Cracker Barrel and Chili’s

HOUMAS HOUSE ESTATE & GARDENS

INDULGE YOUR senses in the breathtaking gardens and exquisite dining experiences at Houmas House Estate and Gardens. Spanning 38 acres, the gardens are a horticultural masterpiece, showcasing a symphony of colors, scents, and textures. Meander through lush pathways adorned with vibrant blooms, towering live oaks, and charming water features. After exploring the gardens, treat yourself to a culinary journey at one of Houmas House’s acclaimed restaurants. From traditional Southern cuisine to innovative contemporary dishes, every bite is a celebration of favor. The gardens and dining experiences intertwine to create an unforgettable journey. Immerse yourself in the beauty of nature, savor exceptional cuisine, and create cherished memories in the heart of Southern splendor. And your visit wouldn’t be complete without a tour of the mansion, museum, and an overnight stay at the inn.

AMENITIES/ACCOMMODATIONS

• Dining in any of our 3 restaurants

• Turtle Bar

• Overnight accommodations at our Inn

• Tour the Mansion and the Great River Road Museum

LAMAR-DIXON

EXPO CENTER

THE LAMAR-DIXON EXPO Center is a multi-use facility located on 250 acres, featuring all the amenities needed to host conventions, business expos, rodeos, sporting shows and festivals. It is a home to two large equestrian facilities, a large banquet hall, a 68,000-square-foot exhibition hall, an Acadian style chapel, 300 RV hookups and much more. Travelers will fnd comfortable and affordable hotels in the area, including Candlewood Suites in Gonzales and Mainstay Suites (Sleep Inn) in Geismar.

AMENITIES

• Special events such as Louisiana Outdoor Show, Merry Market and many others

• Nearby Attractions: Tanger Outlet Mall, Don’s Seafood Restaurant, Great River Road Museum, Cajun

Raising Cane’s River Center

THE RAISING CANE’S RIVER CENTER has transformed downtown Baton Rouge. Nestled in the capital city of Louisiana, it provides fexible event spaces perfect for hosting concerts, conventions, Mardi Gras balls, car shows and much more. The complex includes a 10,400-seat arena, a 1,792-seat Performing Arts Theatre, and a Grand Ballroom and Exhibition Hall with more than 200,000 square feet combined. The Raising Cane’s River Center Exhibition Hall offers 70,000 square feet of unobstructed foor space, meeting rooms, concession and kitchen facilities, and can be adjusted to create more than 100,000 square feet of continuous exhibit space. The Raising Cane’s River Center is home to the Baton Rouge Zydeco hockey franchise, Baton Rouge Symphony Orchestra, Baton Rouge Ballet and Broadway in Baton Rouge.

AMENITIES

• Hockey games and public ice skating

• Live music concerts

• Mardi Gras balls

• Car shows and monster truck shows

• Broadway performances

• Basketball games

• Nearby Attractions: Louisiana Art & Science Museum, Capitol Park Museum, Old State Capitol, USS Kidd, City Club

West Baton Rouge

WEST BATON ROUGE CONFERENCE CENTER

IT’S A UNIQUE “perfect for all occasions” 7,000-square-foot facility that features a welcoming atmosphere and friendly staff. The Conference Center includes a grand reception room, small meeting rooms, and state-of-the-art electronics. The 8-acre grounds are complete with a pergola and outdoor patio for hosting weddings, corporate or family picnics, crawfsh boils and other special events.

AMENITIES

• Business center

• Free parking & free WiFi

• Onsite catering

• Complimentary coffee

• Nearby Attractions: West Baton Rouge Museum, LSU, downtown Baton Rouge, Old State Capitol, Raising Cane’s River Center, Hollywood Casino

HOLIDAY INN EXPRESS & SUITES

BATON ROUGE - PORT ALLEN

WITH A MICROWAVE, refrigerator and fat-screen TV, our rooms help you feel at home during your stay with us. Our free high-speed internet allows you to work comfortably before you settle into the cozy triple-sheeted bedding at the end of the day. If you’re here on business, our 1,064-square-foot meeting room with A/V equipment, catering services and helpful meeting professionals can accommodate up to 60 of your clients. Holiday Inn Express was recently renovated to meet all of our guests’ needs.

AMENITIES

• Indoor heated pool

• Well-equipped ftness center

• Free breakfast bar

• Nearby Attractions: LSU, downtown Baton Rouge, Old State Capitol, Raising Cane’s River Center, state government offces, ExxonMobil, Dow Chemical, Blue Cross/Blue Shield of Louisiana

HAMPTON INN PORT ALLEN

JUST OFF I-10 you’ll fnd the Hampton Inn, seven minutes from Port Allen and a 10-minute drive over the Mississippi River to Baton Rouge. There, you can explore downtown attractions like the USS Kidd Veterans Museum or Shaw Center for the Arts. Hot breakfast and WiFi are on us.

AMENITIES

• Pet-friendly rooms

• Complimentary breakfast

• Special group rates

• Nearby Attractions: LSU, downtown Baton Rouge, Old State Capitol, Raising Cane’s River Center, Hollywood Casino

Here in Baton Rouge, we make the most of every minute –both on and o the clock. Because in Louisiana, we know how to have a good time – and there’s nowhere more “Louisiana” than The Capital City.

visitbatonrouge.com/meetings

Crowne Plaza Executive Center

LOCATED IN the heart of Baton Rouge, the Crowne Plaza is more than just a great place to stay when visiting the capital city. It is also a perfect venue for locals to fnd delicious food, drinks, and entertainment. On weekends, the hotel features live entertainment poolside in a beautifully landscaped setting. Guests can enjoy oferings from the outdoor grill or visit the seafood bufet in the restaurant on Fridays. Sundays feature a sumptuous champagne brunch with piano melodies to enhance the experience. And the lounge is always a great place to relax at the end of the day with experienced bartenders known for their craft cocktails and of course, a wide selection of beer and wine. The Crowne Plaza has something or everyone.

AMENITIES

• 294 guest rooms

• Fitness Center

• Business Center

• 17 meeting/conference rooms

• Valet parking

• Nearby Attractions: LSU, downtown Baton Rouge, LSU Rural Life Museum, Louisiana Art & Science Museum

Oxbow Rum Distillery

SINCE 1859, our family estate has raised sugarcane on the banks of an ancient Mississippi River oxbow in Pointe Coupée, Louisiana. This sharp bend in the river has made for fertile land, sweet sugarcane and enchanting rum, and generations have farmed this land. This estate rum is a tribute to them.

Made from either 100% Grade A sugarcane molasses or fresh-pressed cane juice, these fne sipping rums embody the essence of Louisiana’s sugarcane harvest. Unfltered and distilled in small batches, Oxbow Rum has no sweeteners or additives. Experience the bright, smooth taste of sugarcane in every sip.

Every drop of Oxbow Estate Rum is made from scratch. We farm, mill, and distill each batch to ensure that every sip embodies the essence of Louisiana’s fnest sugarcane.

Private events • Nearby Attractions: Belle of Baton Rouge, Chelsea’s Live, 13th Gate Escape, Brickyard South, Tin Roof Brewing

L’Auberge Baton Rouge

L’AUBERGE BATON ROUGE is a premier southern Louisiana destination ofering a fully integrated casino and entertainment experience. L’Auberge captures the feel of a southern river lodge and embraces Louisiana’s rich cultural history, food, music and laissez les bon temps rouler way of life. This unique entertainment complex features an expansive singlelevel 74,000-square-foot casino; over 1,000 slot machines; 50 table games; two open-air, smoke friendly gaming terraces; a 12-story hotel with 205 guest rooms, unique rooftop pool and state-of-the-art ftness center overlooking the Mississippi River; fve dining outlets; 13,000-square-foot Event Center and outdoor festival grounds; Barstool Sportsbook, a full-service restaurant, bar and sports betting experience featuring a 22-foot video wall and 30 TVs; and the new Edge Social Music Lounge, featuring live comedy, music and local entertainers from across the region.

AMENITIES

• PENN Play Loyalty Program

• 18 STEAK fne dining experience

• Cashless gaming options

• Nearby Attractions: LSU, downtown Baton Rouge, Tiger’s Trail RV Resort Old State Capitol, Mall of Louisiana, Perkins Rowe

COMPANY NEWS

Our Lady of the Lake Heart and Vascular Institute has become the rst medical facility in Louisiana to o er the revolutionary Pascal Precision System. is state-of-theart medical technology represents a signi cant advancement in minimally invasive cardiac procedures, further solidifying Our Lady of the Lake Health’s commitment to providing cutting-edge health care solutions to its patients.

Resilient Energy Solutions, a new player in the generator and HVAC equipment rental industry, has o cially opened its doors. e company, led by former Cajun Ready Mix Concrete co-owners Ryan Heck and Steven Cheatham along with specialty equipment rental and service industry professional Jason Rallis, promises to bring a new level of customer satisfaction and service quality to the Southern U.S. market. e company’s corporate o ce is in Baton Rouge, and its rst store, in Albany, La., is already operational.

ACCREDITATION CERTIFICATION

Campus Federal has been certi ed by the U.S. Treasury Department’s Community Development Financial Institutions Fund as a Community Development Financial Institution. is designation is available only to organizations shown to provide nancial services and products in communities that historically have lacked access to traditional banking services. CDFI certi cation is granted with the purpose of generating economic growth and opportunity in some of the nation’s most distressed communities.

AWARDS HONORS

Aptim has been recognized by Engineering News-Record as a leader in the treatment of hazardous waste on the 2023 Top 400 Contractors list. e professional solutions rm is listed No. 3 on the Top 20 Hazardous Waste Contractors list in the U.S. e ranking marks a climb from No. 4 in the same category last year and re ects Aptim’s leadership in the research, development, design and implementation of methods to treat

hazardous waste, including emerging contaminants like per uoroalkyl and poly uoroalkyl substance.

Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana is recognized on DiversityInc’s 2023 Top Regional Companies list. e health insurance provider is ranked 30th among companies that demonstrate workplace fairness, equity and inclusion in their business practices. DiversityInc’s list is based on survey submissions from employers with at least 750 employees in the U.S. Companies are evaluated within the context of their industries on veri ed policies, practices and procedures.

Breazeale, Sachse & Wilson’s health care team was listed on Modern Healthcare’s Largest Healthcare Law Firms list. e rankings are determined by the headcount of health care lawyers employed by U.S. law rms with a dedicated health care

practice. As part of this recognition, Breazeale will be featured in Modern Healthcare alongside other top law rms to make the list.

Kevin Cunningham and Jimmy Ordeneaux were presented Distinguished Service awards from the Independent Insurance Agents and Brokers of Louisiana. Cunningham is a partner with Southern Strategy Group. He is the local lobbyist for the American Property Casualty Insurance Association, the largest insurance company trade association in the U.S. He also represents the Reinsurance Association of America,

Independent Insurance Agents and Brokers of Louisiana

HOW A POTENTIAL EXXONMOBIL ADVANCED RECYCLING FACILITY COULD ATTRACT MORE INVESTMENT IN THE CAPITAL REGION

Artificial turf fields past their lifespan that previously were sent to landfills are now being broken down to their molecular components and turned into new products through advanced recycling. ExxonMobil operates one of the largest advanced recycling facilities in North America, located in Baytown, Texas. The company is assessing other locations around the world for a new facility, including Baton Rouge.

TenCate, the world’s leading company in synthetic turf for sports and landscaping, along with GeoSurfaces, its local construction brand located in St. Gabriel, is working with ExxonMobil’s Baytown cility to provide plastic feedstock in the form of turf fields they remove from sports facilities across the country. After removing the turf and separating the infill products like sand and rubber, plastic grass is shredded. The pieces are pressed, baled and sent to ExxonMobil as a feedstock for the company’s advanced recycling facility, says TenCate’s Charles Dawson.

ExxonMobil’s advanced recycling facility takes di cult to recycle plastics, including multi-layer products and those contaminated with some residual waste, and breaks them down to their original molecules –something that the traditional mechanical recycling process can’t do. These molecules become the raw materials used to make brand-new products, including new plastics.

If ExxonMobil were to build a new advanced recycling facility in our area, it would allow for more collaborations with businesses that want to recycle their plastic waste, diverting the waste from landfills, and providing an alternative to fossil-based feedstocks, such as crude oil.

Turf fields like those found at area high schools contain the equivalent amount of plastic as 100,000 water bottles, Dawson says. “Ten fields can translate into a million typical water bottles. From a volume standpoint, it makes a real impact,” he says.

ExxonMobil is hoping to work with additional businesses who have similar goals of reducing their waste. Natalie Martinez, ExxonMobil North

America Advanced Recycling Commercial Manager, says businesses may not be aware that they have a lot of di cult-to-recycle plastic waste streams – like pallet wrap, shrink wrap and foam material that is comprised of polyethylene and polypropylene plastic – that could be recycled today using advanced recycling methods.

circular economy, meaning that when a product reaches its end of life, it’s recovered and put back into the economy as a new product rather than ending up in a landfill.

For businesses that are interested in taking part in ExxonMobil’s supply chain for advanced recycling, they should examine their waste streams to better understand what could be recycled rather than put into landfills and then advocate for the option in our area, Martinez says. ExxonMobil is expected to make a final investment decision on the advanced recycling facility by late this year or early next year. For more information about advanced recycling at ExxonMobil, visit exxonmobilchemical.com/exxtend.

These images show ExxonMobil’s new advanced recycling facility located in Baytown, Texas. The company is assessing other locations around the world for a new facility, including Baton Rouge.

Liberty Mutual/SafeCo, and Ace/ Chubb. Ordeneaux is a partner with Plauche Maselli Parkerson law rm. He represents Louisiana Farm Bureau in legal defense cases, and for the past several years has also represented Farm Bureau at the Louisiana Legislature.

e Louisiana State Bar Association is the recipient of the 2023 Harrison Tweed Award, presented by the American Bar Association’s Standing Committee on Legal Aid and Indigent Defense and the National Legal Aid and Defender Association. It recognizes bar associations that have made extraordinary e orts to improve and expand civil legal services or indigent defense services for people living in poverty in their communities.

Zehnder Communications, a full-service advertising agency with locations in Louisiana, Tennessee and Florida, won 11 Telly Awards for clients across multiple industries. Zehnder earned three gold, seven silver and one bronze award

for its video productions for Green River Distilling; South Walton, Florida; Origin Bank; Nashville Superspeedway; and SweetBay coastal living community.

LWCC has been named to the Ward’s 50 group of top performing companies for the 18th time. LWCC was recognized as a top performer nationally, achieving superior performance and passing all safety and consistency screens over the analyzed ve-year period of 2018 through 2022. Ward, a subsidiary of Aon, is the leading provider of benchmarking and best practices studies for the insurance industry, analyzing sta levels, compensation, business practices and expenses for all areas of company operations.

APPOINTMENTS MEMBERSHIPS

Camille Bryant of McGlinchey Sta ord has been named vice chair of outreach for the Leadership Council on Legal Diversity. As such, Bryant joins the

LCLD’s executive council for the 2023-2024 term. Bryant practices in McGlinchey’s labor and employment practice group in New Orleans.

chair. Charlette Minor joins UREC’s board of directors as a member.

Cullens

J. Cullens, a founding attorney and member of Walters, omas, Cullens in Baton Rouge, was recently inducted into the American College of Trial Lawyers, one of the premier legal associations in North America, during the association’s annual meeting in Rome.

Several community leaders have been appointed by the Urban Restoration Enhancement Corporation to the roles of o cer or board member. Morise Du n of the Louisiana Department of Health’s Bureau of Health Services has been appointed board chair. Michael Johnson, who serves as project manager for the state’s Facility Planning and Control O ce, has been appointed vice

e Louisiana State Bar Association Young Lawyers Division’s 2023-24 o cers and council were installed recently at the LSBA’s annual meeting. Senae Hall, an assistant district attorney in the Caddo Parish District Attorney’s O ce in Shreveport, was installed as 2023-24 YLD chair. Other o cers sworn in include Kristen Amond, chair-elect; Collin Melancon, secretary; and Danielle Borel, immediate past chair.

Lt. Gov. Billy Nungesser has been elected by the Aerospace States Association as national vice chair for the association. e association is a nonpartisan 501c (3) organization comprising lieutenant governors, governor-appointed delegates, state legislators, territorial and tribal government representatives and associate members from aerospace organizations and academia working to advance aerospace and aviation throughout the U.S.

Bryant

Shingleton

Pat Shingleton has been selected to serve on the Humana Foundation Senior Council. e Humana Foundation is the philanthropic arm of Humana Inc. and has announced a new strategy to advance health equity by eliminating barriers to equitable health and health care. e council’s goal is to remove obstacles to health equity and investments in mental health and nutrition through a holistic approach to care.

administrative posts and was acting director of the art department. He has practiced architecture and sculpture in Greece and France as well as the U.S. He was a founder and director of the Drury University Center in Greece and the head of the architecture department at the American University of Sharjah in the United Arab Emirates. He is currently interim director of the LSU Robert Reich School of Landscape Architecture.

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Dean Alcibiades Tsolakis of the LSU College of Art & Design has received honorary membership from the American Society of Landscape Architects. Tsolakis is a professor of architecture and dean of the LSU College of Art & Design. Tsolakis was a founding faculty member of the Hammons School of Architecture at Drury University in Spring eld, Missouri, where he held several

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Matthew Walton and Walthena Gosa have been appointed board members for Open Health Care Clinic. Walton is an administrator at Zachary Manor Nursing & Rehabilitation Center and brings more than 30 years of experience in the health care eld, including long-term care and allied health education. Gosa is a licensed marriage and family therapist and program manager with Healthy Blue, where she ensures support services for individuals who otherwise may go without in the Baton Rouge community.

Carefully check this ad for: CORRECT ADDRESS • CORRECT PHONE NUMBER • ANY TYPOS This ad design © Melara Enterprises, LLC. 2023. All rights reserved. Phone 225-928-1700

Kasey Melancon has been promoted to director of Sentinel Pension, a division of Faulk & Winkler. Melancon will play a pivotal role in driving the company’s growth, fostering innovation and leading strategic initiatives. Melancon joined Faulk & Winkler in 2017 as a pension administrator in the Sentinel Pension division. He was promoted to senior manager of business operations in 2021.

EDUCATION

Keena Arbuthnot has been appointed by LSU to the inaugural position of vice president and chief data o cer. In this role, Arbuthnot will have the charge of building data-driven analytics and measurement systems to guide decision-making

and assess university progress toward strategic goals. e position will oversee the newly created O ce of Data & Strategic Analytics, which will house LSU’s existing O ce of Institutional Research. Arbuthnot’s most recent role was special adviser to the president at LSU.

Danny Barrow has been selected to serve as LSU’s vice president for enrollment management and student success, pending approval by the LSU Board of Supervisors. Barrow has been serving as the interim vice president since March. Since joining LSU in 2017 as director of admissions, Barrow has helped the university set records in academic quality with consecutive record-breaking freshman classes. As vice president, Barrow will oversee several departments

Family-owned and operated since 1985, our team of seasoned professionals is well-equipped to handle various construction projects. Wesley Construction takes pride in delivering quality service that meets the unique needs and exceeds the expectations of our clients.

Wesley Construction provides a comprehensive range of construction services from simple facility maintenance to major renovations and custom construction.

KEENA ARBUTHNOT LSU DANNY BARROW LSU SPENCER ROGERS LSU TARA TITONE LSU

including e University College, Center for Academic Success, Undergraduate Admissions, O ce of the University Registrar, Financial Aid & Scholarships, Future Scholars Program, Transition & Student Success, University Testing & Evaluation, Student Support Services, Roland E McNair Scholars, and Enrollment Operations, Data and IT. Technology licensing and commercialization veteran Spencer Rogers has been named director of the LSU O ce of Innovation & Technology Commercialization. Rogers was previously associate director of technology transfer at Brigham Young University, which had one of the nation’s most successful tech transfer o ces. While there, Rogers successfully negotiated more

than 100 license agreements representing hundreds of inventions and patent portfolios.

Tara Titone has been named director of LSU Hilltop Arboretum. Previously, Titone served as interim chief executive o cer of Build Baton Rouge, where she was also chief operating o cer. She has more than 20 years of experience in leadership, administration, program development and landscape design from her work with private, nonpro t and public sector rms in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, New York City and Baton Rouge.

Mark Tullos Jr. is the new executive director of the LSU Museum of Art. A Baton Rouge native, Tullos has dedicated his career to the preservation and promotion of the arts

as an executive director in art museums and visual arts organizations for more than 35 years in Louisiana, Texas, Mississippi and Florida. Tullos has held notable directorial roles at esteemed institutions including the o ce of Louisiana State Museum, where he served as the assistant secretary and director of the museum system in New Orleans, Baton Rouge, Natchitoches, Patterson and ibodaux.

HEALTH CARE

Ti any Murdock is Ochsner Health’s next system vice president and chief nursing o cer. In this leadership role, Murdock will set the strategy and vision for the organization’s nursing practice and lead the organization’s more than 9,000 nurses. Murdock joins Ochsner’s leadership team after eight years at Singing River Health System in coastal Mississippi, where she has served as CEO since 2022.

Our Lady of the Lake Health has named Dr. Christopher Tom Trevino as vice president, physician executive – Baton Rouge market emergency services. OLOL Health treats

approximately 200,000 patients across its six emergency rooms each year, and Trevino will help to improve outcomes at all sites of care.

INDUSTRY

Laura Eiklor has been named manager for ExxonMobil’s Baton Rouge Plastics Plant and Resin Finishing Plant. Eiklor, a chemical engineering graduate of Pennsylvania State University, has 15 years of company service. In addition to her role as Plastics Plant manager, Eiklor will serve on the Baker chamber’s board of directors and will step into the management sponsor role for the ExxonMobil Women’s Interest Network.

Phil Hansett, a nuclear industry leader with more than 20 years of experience, has been named vice president of Entergy’s River Bend Station in St. Francisville. Hansett joins Entergy after a career at Exelon, most recently serving as site vice president at LaSalle County Generating Station in Marseilles, Illinois. Prior to that, he held various leadership positions including at the Dresden Generating Station near Morris, Illinois.

PHIL HANSETT Entergy

Offce equipment and supply dealers

equipment and supply dealers

Offce equipment and supply dealers

Offce equipment and supply dealers

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Country Wholesale Supply 1003 Carwash Drive, P.O. Box 191, Donaldsonville 70346 225-473-9999 | 800-259-4999 | bayoucountrywholesale.com

| bayoucountrywholesale.com

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Business Offce Systems & Services 4830 Government St., Baton Rouge 70806 225-751-1661 | bosscopiers.com

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16 11 Business Offce Systems & Services 4830 Government St., Baton Rouge 70806 225-751-1661 | bosscopiers.com

Offce Furniture World Inc.

12944 Coursey Blvd., Baton Rouge 70816 225-751-4024 | ofwbr.com

Furniture World Inc.

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DBA-doing business asNR-did not respondNR-not rankedTo be featured in Business Report's Listmakers, offce equipment and supply dealers must have at least one location in the nine-parish Capital Region and respond to our requests for information. The Business Report presumes the provided information is accurate. Information about all 17 frms that responded 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 August 2023.

DBA-doing business asNR-did not respondNR-not rankedTo be featured in Business Report's Listmakers, offce equipment and supply dealers must have at least one location in the nine-parish Capital Region and respond to our requests for information. The Business Report presumes the provided information is accurate. Information about all 17 frms that responded 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 August 2023.

year's list, please contact Alaine Keisling at research@businessreport.com. Published August 2023.

Randy Pierce

CEO and general manager, DEMCO

“Growing up and listening to people like Bob Dylan, Johnny Cash, Eric Clapton—I was enamored. I started playing acoustic guitar when I was a teenager and worked my way through college by playing gigs in the evenings. Music will go as deep as you want to go—you can escape the realities of the day through music.”