Baton Rouge's Companies

[brresident]

What do the companies Turner, Shaw, Harmony, TopCor, Raising Canes, Picadilly (what's left of it), Mapp, Cellgene, Pennington, and Izzo's all have in common? They are all based here in Baton Rouge.

Entertainment business includes the new movie studios, and let's not forget that alternative rock band Better than Ezra started at Fred's in Tigerland.

For obvious reasons, the Mississippi delta is the industrial construction capitol of the world. Mean's books that rate Louisiana workers are used across the globe. But what about the other big private sectors of Baton Rouge, such as Food and medical tech? How about the new sector in entertainment?

This is the Baton Rouge business thread.

[brresident]

Shaw completes Westinghouse acquisition

The Shaw Group has completed the purchase of 20% of Westinghouse Electric, a premier provider of nuclear fuels, services and reactor technology. Baton Rouge-based Shaw joined a consortium, headed by Toshiba Corp., to buy Westinghouse for $5.4 billion. Shaw paid $1.08 billion for its share. Jim Bernhard Jr., Shaw's chairman and CEO, says the deal gives his company a stake in every aspect of the nuclear power business, an industry that will play a critical need in addressing the world's energy needs.

full article: http://www.businessreport.com/dailyreport.html

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Baton Rouge's new restaurateurs are planning their expansions from day one.

Baton Rouge restaurateurs' dreams no longer stop at simply succeeding in the business.

Used to be, you opened a restaurant, full stop. Maybe it did well. Maybe you were real ambitious, and you opened a second location. Maybe eventually you decided to franchise or found a chain.

Now, before the first napkin is folded and the front door unlocked, Baton Rouge restaurants--Izzo's, Raising Cane's, Walk-On's, Byronz, Hello Sushi and others--are opening with well-thought-out brands and niches, as the first locations in future culinary empires.

"The people that are getting into the restaurant industry in a serious fashion like this are the type that are looking long-range to develop three, four, five or six sites and then make that a regional chain," says Tom Weatherly of the Louisiana Restaurant Association.

Consider Izzo's Illegal Burrito, a plucky fast-casual format that sprang to life in Baton Rouge in 2001. Its Burbank Drive and Bluebonnet Boulevard restaurants have a flair their owners believe will create a breakout success.

"You walk in and everything is visual," says general manager Nick Kovacs, touting Izzo's grilling of corn, tomatoes and other veggies in addition to meat. "There's nothing that comes out of a can or a bag. And with your food consistency and quality--as long as you have that--you can excel to whatever level you want."

In Izzo's case, it wants to transcend Chipotle, a Denver-based stable of 500 Mexican quick-service grills closing in on $700 million in annual sales. Other Baton Rouge restaurateurs are also aiming high. And while profit is always a motive, the legacy thing is never far from discussion.

Whole lot of Cane's

By now, the Raising Cane's story has become the stuff of local business legend. College grad works endless days in refinery boiler rooms and aboard Alaskan salmon ships, raising money to convince investors his chicken finger concept is hot.

But back when he opened the first restaurant in a chain now 40-stong, Todd Graves says multiple sites and millions in sales were not foremost on his mind.

"I wanted one store at LSU," Graves says. "I thought Cane's was just going to be a concept that worked for a college student market. But in my head, I thought, 'If this does really well, I might go to USL and Southeastern.'"

full article: http://www.businessreport.com/newsDetail.cfm?aid=8331

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Celgene to sell $225 cancer pill

Celgene shares rose nearly 6% on federal approval of a cancer medicine that is among the most expensive in history. Celgene is pricing its Revlimid capsule for treating a rare blood cancer at $215 to $225 per pill. An annual supply of the pill could run $54,000. Celgene says the drug saves money because frequent blood transfusions to treat myelodysplastic syndrome are more expensive. Celgene owns the former Anthrogenesis, a company that recovers stem cells from placenta at its offices in Bon Carre in Baton Rouge.

full article: http://www.businessreport.com/newsDetail.cfm?aid=7606

[fla_tiger]

Another local company is Amedysis. Its new HQ's is coming up on S Sherwood Forest Bv near Airline.....

Amedisys is a leading provider of home health care services. The company operates sites across 18 states and was incorporated 1982. In 1994, the company became public and currently trades on The Nasdaq Market under the symbol

[brresident]

Amedisys names new CFO

John Giblin has been named chief financial officer for Amedisys. For eight years Giblin has served as CFO of Crawford and Company, an Atlanta insurance consulting firm. He replaces Gregory Browne, who resigned in February after the company's fourth-quarter earnings fell short of expectations. At the time of Browne's departure, Amedisys officials said they were looking for a CFO who had worked at a billion-dollar company.

http://www.businessreport.com/dailyreport.html

[richyb83]

It would be nice for a Amedisys, Blue Cross, Lamar, etc. to locate an office tower of some-type in downtown. But it's just cheaper for these companies to build out near the suburbs with more available land and parking spaces. Going vertical was not an option for them.

Some of this will hopefully change in BR soon.

[fla_tiger]

link to an article in todays Advocate about Baton-Rouge-based Esperance Pharma Inc., a start-up company developing targeted anticancer agents. Dont know a lot about the company except that they may have worked closely with pennington to develop a cure for breast cancer. this could be the start of a very big deal for BTR.

http://www.2theadvocate.com/news/business/4530431.html

[richyb83]

Thanks for posting this flatiger. Innovative things going on more and more lately. Pennington is not only important for Baton Rouge, but the entire state. I only hope it will get proper state $funding soon.

[brresident]

Lamar profit jumps 39%

Lamar Advertising Co.'s third-quarter profit jumped 39%, fueled by a 10% increase in revenue. The Baton Rouge-based outdoor advertising company says net income for the quarter ending Sept. 30 was $16.8 million, or 16 cents per share, compared with $12.1 million, or 11 cents per share, during the same period last year. Revenue for the quarter hit $292 million, up from $265.6 million in the comparable quarter of 2005. Lamar says fourth-quarter revenue should be about $286 million, a 9% pro forma increase over the same period in 2005. Lamar has a total of 152,000 billboards in more than 150 cities in 44 states and Puerto Rico.

(Bill Bowden)

http://www.businessreport.com/dailyreport.html

Multi-Service Contract Awarded

Contact Marie Crespo 225.214.2195

08.03.06, 09:59 AM

Turner Specialty Services was recently awarded a multi-service contract at Graphic Packaging in West Monroe, La. The contract is a two year maintenance contact with options to renew. services include the management of a 31 acre ash pond, construction and operation of primary solids dewatering system, and a beneficial reuse program.

Project Manager

[dimebag1980]

I think it's Lamar who recently put up a bunch of new digital billboards around this area. They're basically giant TVs. Imagine how many ads they can store in those things. They'll have those things paid for and be profiting in no time!

[byrde]

That is probably Lamar. They have several around BR.

[dimebag1980]

That is probably Lamar. They have several around BR.

Yeah, Lamar is big all over this region so I figured it must be them. They've replaced the three-way rotating billboards with these things. Seems to me that the amound of ads could be virtually unlimited? I see this as a huge money maker for them.

[richyb83]

Lamar has been expanding and is in the process of moving their Corporate Blvd. HQ's one block west in the (larger) old LNB Bldg.

They should have a digital vertical billboard(like a giant flatscreen) on the side of the new Third Street parking garage at Convention Street. More lights for the nightlife in the New Entertainment District.

[dimebag1980]

Lamar has been expanding and is in the process of moving their Corporate Blvd. HQ's one block west in the (larger) old LNB Bldg.

They should have a digital vertical billboard(like a giant flatscreen) on the side of the new Third Street parking garage at Convention Street. More lights for the nightlife in the New Entertainment District.

That will be cool! El Dorado Casino has a giant digital billboard on their skywalk, but it's not the size of a billboard and it's horizontal, not vertical. I'd like to see pictures of this once they do it!

[richyb83]

That will be cool! El Dorado Casino has a giant digital billboard on their skywalk, but it's not the size of a billboard and it's horizontal, not vertical. I'd like to see pictures of this once they do it!

I wish!!! That's just an idea of mine. The DDD said there is an ordinance against the regular/standard Lamar signs that have the giant poles coming out the ground with the actual sign being horizontal. They have those signs all around BR like that(some digital too). But Downtown does not need poles out the ground, they need a specially made vertical bolted-digital billboard into the side wall of the multi-storied parking garage. That would compliment the coca-cola sign on Third Street at Florida St. Downtown deserves a digital billboard!!!!

[dimebag1980]

I wish!!! That's just an idea of mine. The DDD said there is an ordinance against the regular/standard Lamar signs that have the giant poles coming out the ground with the actual sign being horizontal. They have those signs all around BR like that(some digital too). But Downtown does not need poles out the ground, they need a specially made vertical bolted-digital billboard into the side wall of the multi-storied parking garage. That would compliment the coca-cola sign on Third Street at Florida St. Downtown deserves a digital billboard!!!!

Oh okay, I see now! When you said they should have one, I thought maybe you were expecting it because they'd talked about it or something. Sorry for the misunderstanding, Richy!

[richyb83]

No problem at all Brian. It can be confusing sometimes communicating on a computer, I do the same thing too

[richyb83]

Louisiana Business & Technology Center at LSU gives awards to three of it's tenant companies.

http://www.2theadvocate.com/news/business/4830971.html

[richyb83]

Click Here Publishing LLC, a software development company has been accepted as the newest tenant of the Louisiana Technology Park.

http://www.2theadvocate.com/news/business/4865431.html

[brresident]

Trace Security makes 'Today' show

Baton Rouge-based Trace Security has gotten more national attention, hot on the heels of an article in Time magazine. The company was featured on the Today Show this morning, with co-founder Jim Stickley talking about the dangers of identity theft. To see the segment, click here and scroll down to "Today Show video" -- it's item entitled "How safe is your identity?"

http://www.businessreport.com/dailyReportArchiveResults.cfm

When things go boom

State and national building surge pushes LSU construction management program to grow.

LSU's Construction Management bachelor's program was popular before Katrina and Rita, but at least it had room for everyone who wanted in.

With Louisiana's post-hurricane construction boom, the department is turning people away, says L. Leslie Rosso, associate professor with the construction management department within the College of Engineering.

"We're getting quite a few more inquiring about the program," he says. "I have people call and e-mail me sometimes on a daily basis."

Rosso says it's hard to quantify how many of those inquiries actually end up as enrollments since no tracking system exists. But the department has stretched itself to be able to accommodate 96 freshmen and graduate 80 seniors per fall and spring semester. Two years ago, to keep up with demand, the program added more sections of its introductory course. It's still not enough, since the department could stand to add another two sections.

But you can't just add sections without adding more faculty. Two more sections would require hiring four more full-time faculty--easier said than done, Rosso says. Finding people with at least a master's degree and preferably a Ph.D. to teach in the program is a tall order, considering the lure of working in the private sector, which pays so much better. Then there's the matter of lab space.

To make ends meet faculty-wise, the department not long ago introduced a "professional in residence" program, a three-year term Rosso likens to a "glorified instructorship," though in this case the "instructor," who's free to re-up after the third year, is required to have a master's degree and at least 10 years of experience in the industry.

"It's kind of the industry's answer to a sabbatical," he says. "It fills the gaps."

Professionals in residence enhance the program's teaching pool, composed of full-time and adjunct faculty and part-time instructors, says Rosso, who has taught construction management at LSU since 1980. The department has grown from four full-time faculty members in the mid-1980s to 12 full-timers today, in addition to several other part-time, adjunct and professional members of the teaching staff.

In the mid-1980s when Louisiana's economy was in the toilet, the program had about 90 students max. Now it has some 600 students in or entering the program during any given semester.

According to Rosso, things really picked up in 1996 when construction management moved from the relative obscurity of LSU's general college into the College of Engineering. The move gave it more cachet and visibility and may have encouraged more majors in the field since engineering students in other disciplines could change their majors to construction management without leaving the engineering college.

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, excellent employment opportunities for construction managers should last through 2014, since the number of job openings will exceed the number of qualified people trying to enter the field. The BLS predicts the situation will remain constant even as college construction management programs expand to meet the high demand for graduates.

The average annual salary for last semester's graduates was around $45,000. About 45% of those graduates, meanwhile, were taking jobs out of state. Rosso thinks that ratio is likely to shift in Louisiana's favor considering the amount of work here. As a reflection of just how much in demand construction management graduates are in general, he cites the fact that job offers for the last batch of grads averaged out to about 2.6.

"Basically anyone who wanted a job and gave it a shot got one," Rosso says.

Thomas Ray, an associate professor of construction management who is also the program's chairman, says maybe 60 construction companies showed up for a recruiting fair last semester. Construction management was already popular before Katrina and Rita, but since then he's seen a huge jump in the number of students transferring to construction management from other engineering majors.

To get a bigger piece of the action in the midst of a surging construction industry nationwide, Ray's department has raised academic standards and is intent on expansion. It's not easy, though, since nearly every construction management program--many of them already larger and with deeper pockets than LSU's--have the same thing in mind.

Texas A&M, for example, had a plan to add 16 more faculty members, he says. Texas A&M's program has 22 full-time faculty members compared to LSU's 12. Also, Texas A&M offers a master's degree in construction management. LSU doesn't.

Clark Barton, a construction management senior and president of the department's Construction Student Association, decided to go back to school after losing his New Orleans home and real estate appraiser's job as a result of Katrina. For the time being he's working as a field engineer on a Superdome insulation project. Depending on what kind of job offers come through when he graduates in five months, Barton may stay in Louisiana to work or go to another state, though he concedes there are good reasons to stay.

"If you want to work here, you can find a job and the pay will be pretty good," he says.

Ed Pratt, spokesman for the Louisiana Department of Labor, says workforce development is a major focus of his agency since Katrina and Rita left the state with a monumental reconstruction chore and not enough bodies to perform it. So yes, the department would love to see more LSU construction management grads stick around to work. In fact, the department would love to see more construction management programs period, Pratt says. He expects--and hopes--more grads will stay in Louisiana for the work and help get the state back on its feet.

"It's imperative to keep as many of them here as possible because it helps with reconstruction," he says. "Also we need more people in this area who can help maintain the growth around the state in construction--not just in the affected areas but in places like Shreveport and Alexandria. We need more people in that field."

complete article: http://www.businessreport.com/newsDetail.cfm?aid=10491

[richyb83]

Thanks for posting this. More positive exposure as Baton Rouge tries to re-invent the "New South"! Baton Rouge has learned from other progressive southern capital cities like Austin, Nashville, and Raleigh.

[richyb83]

Just wanted to get this thread rolling again.......

Shaw wins contract: The Shaw Group has been awarded a five-year $62million contract by the Army's Chemical Materials Agency to monitor the aging supply of chemical weapons. Shaw will monitor pollution and test ways to eliminate the chemical weapons.

*compliments of businessreport

[richyb83]

Media Firm relocating to BR

http://www.2theadvocate.com/news/business/6177851.html

Will move into office/studio on South Sherwood Forest Blvd. near the new Amedysis HQ's

[richyb83]

Stanford Group selects BR man for national post

http://www.2theadvocate.com/news/business/6273022.html

The article speaks of having to hold past meetings at Commander's Palace in New Orleans, but now with the new venues downtown they are able to meet at places like Shaw Center for the Arts and Hilton Capitol Center. There is a cool pic with a view of the Old State Capitol from City Plaza's office building.

[brresident]

http://www.2theadvocate.com/news/business/7056047.html

Shaw Group returns to Fortune 500 ranks

Advocate staff and wire report

Published: Apr 17, 2007

Baton Rouge-based Shaw Group Inc. reclaimed a spot among the nation

[richyb83]

Curious to know the list for Louisiana. I'll have to check it out

Data center bought; Firm centerpiece of BR tech park

http://www.2theadvocate.com/news/business/7075492.html