Baton Rouge's Companies

[byrde]

Getting EA to bring this testing center to BR is a big deal. Kudos to Moret and Jindal.

[dan326]

This is incredible! EA is a major game maker!

[byrde]

Good news for BR and Lake Charles

Shaw to add 2,900 La. jobs in nuclear deal

The Shaw Group Inc. said it will add 2,900 jobs in the next decade

[richyb83]

Good for Louisiana, Lake Charles and BR!!!

^ This is what I was talking about in the recent BR Growth & Devlopment thread! It's developments like this from "Team Jindal/Moret" that make new landmark high-rise tower projects possible(even if a longshot?) for the CBD on a premier site like Fourth Street @ Laurel.. 1,500 addition corporate jobs!!! Which offices will these new people be housed?? This is NOT the old Louisiana anymore!!! This is a new era and I am jumping on the bandwagon!

With DOWNTOWN Class "A" Occupancy rates so high at 98% it's worth a shot with these big-time players. Tell the Country & World BR is OPEN for business!!!

Yeah, I realize Shaw could easily opt for the burbs in United Plaza office park with a new 8 to 10 story companion tower(next to the La. Archives bldg.) not very far the 12-story Essen HQ's. It would probably be cheaper and keep Shaw employees consolidated in one area.

Or only hope that Shaw decides on a mixed-use tower downtown?? Raising Cane's has been outgrowing their offices in One American Place; they along with others could join the mix and combine Albermarle has located in a chunk of the south Chase Tower.

Wonder what tenants will be moving into the Summa office tower??

[dan326]

Wow! :woot: 1,500 new corporate jobs will definitely need a new tower to reside in.

[richyb83]

What does this all mean?? I could only wish for a new "high-rise" tower along the Fourth Street CBD; I say "build it and they come". With Shaw, Albemarle, Turner Industries, etc constantly expanding there would seem to be a legit need?? Or will there be more offices out in the SE BR burbs like Staples and Blue Cross/Blue Shield??

BRAC seeking new headquarters operations

The Baton Rouge Area Chamber is pursuing a pair of corporate headquarters offices that could add another 250 to 300 professional jobs and diversify the region

[richyb83]

Thought this was cool

Xbox game tied to Classic

Today

[nquint1]

I was in Connecticut for Christmas and saw a Lamar billboard on I95. I had no idea they had billboards that far north.

[cajun]

I think the organization to watch for 2009 in Baton Rouge is the non profit "Our Lady of the Lake".

They are now a complete training hospital now in the way that Earl K. Long is now and how big Charity in NOLA was before Katrina. The aspects of their medical facility that existed before 2008 are still running strong and will be expanded.

As far as the "Baton Rouge based thread" goes....this will have much more impact over the next 50 years in Baton Rouge's non-industrial economic sectors- unless of course we land some kind of financial giant. That would mean that Regions Bank would have to stop buying up all of our home grown banks (we have to support our local companies!)

Also, Pennington Biomedical did not receive any budget cuts. Just wanted to put that out there. Baton Rouge has a friendly in the governor's mansion and I think that 2009 is going to be a great year for the city.

Cajuns list of big growth players in Baton Rouge and Louisiana for 2009:

OLOL

All Louisiana banks- Iberiabank, Cottonport Bank, etc...

Exxon

Shaw

LSU

[byrde]

I was in Connecticut for Christmas and saw a Lamar billboard on I95. I had no idea they had billboards that far north.

Yes they have boards from coast 2 coast.

[all2neat]

A friend of mine owns High Power Consulting, a local software development company specializing in web design and development. They have doubled in size the past year which is great news even without considering the economy. Their recent development project was another Baton Rouge based company UTurnBids.com, which you may have seen advertised on electronic billboards in the metro area. Both are small businesses yet I think are great indicators for the local business scene!

[cajun]

BR hospital purchases four properties

http://www.2theadvocate.com/news/37129289.html

Our Lady of the Lake Regional Medical Center wrapped up 2008 with a $28 million shopping spree that included 60 acres spanning from the hospital’s Tau Center near Essen Lane to Interstate 10, two nearby outpatient surgery centers and an office building on Perkins Road.

The year-end deals came as LSU abandoned plans in December to build a replacement hospital for Earl K. Long Medical Center in north Baton Rouge and began negotiations to place LSU’s teaching hospital at the Lake.

Under that proposal, the Lake would be home to medical education programs for the state’s future physicians.

On Monday, it was unclear whether the LSU negotiations would lead to concrete plans for the 60-acre tract, which includes property once linked to the 440-acre LSU AgCenter’s Burden Center and to a Lake affiliate, the 184-bed Ollie Steele Burden Manor nursing home north of I-10.

Lake spokeswoman Catherine Harrell said the purchases are part of the Lake’s long-term planning and the hospital has not decided what it will do with the 60 acres or the former surgery centers on Brittany Drive, between Hennessy Boulevard and Picardy Avenue.

“Right now, we have no plans for either property,” Harrell said.

LSU Health Care Services Division spokesman Marvin McGraw referred questions to Our Lady of the Lake.

The Lake bought the properties to keep its options open, Harrell said.

The Lake paid Ward’s Creek Investors LLC $15.25 million for the undeveloped acreage. The managers of Ward’s Creek Investors include Kenneth J. Johnson, of Torrance, Calif., and Dr. Charles F. Mitchell II, of Baton Rouge, both of whom signed the Dec. 31 sale document recorded at the parish Clerk of Court’s Office Monday.

On Dec. 30, the Lake paid $4.76 million for the former outpatient surgery clinics on Brittany Drive. That transaction included a 21,000-square-foot building, a second 11,000-square-foot building and an additional lot.

Those surgery centers were the property of Surgi-Center LP, whose managing partner is Dr. Thomas Hansbrough, with Dr. Frank Fazio and Kirk Patrick listed in state records as business partners. The physicians didn’t return calls seeking comment about the sale.

Harrell said the Lake does not plan to reopen the facilities as surgical centers because it already performs outpatient surgeries at the hospital and at a Lake-owned center.

The Surgi-Center property, however, lies in close proximity to Our Lady of the Lake College, which has more than 2,000 students enrolled in chiefly health-related degree programs, Harrell said, and it’s near the hospital’s main campus, each of which could benefit from the property in the future...................

.............On the LSU matter, it’s unclear whether the Lake will build a new facility for the teaching hospital and medical school or use existing space. One possibility may be converting the space in the Lake’s children’s wing, which includes 90 beds, if the Lake succeeds in raising enough money to build a separate children’s hospital...............In north Baton Rouge, the state is building an $18 million outpatient medical clinic due to be completed in March. That clinic would continue outpatient services now handled by Earl K. Long.

Full article continues at link. http://www.2theadvocate.com/news/37129289.html

More medical jobs for Baton Rouge, possibly a new medical school to accompany a new training hospital on the new, recently purchased tract of land off Essen Lane/Summa at I-10.

[richyb83]

At least that answers what the prime 60-acres of cleared land along I-10 could be used for. Can't wait to see the land filled up!

A POLL in Business Report's Possible Land-Uses include:

*Build a children's hospital

* Expand Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center

*Build a new LSU teaching hospital

* Build a mixed-use medical development

[richyb83]

Here is another article from the Business Report Real Estate Weekly.....

OLOL buys site along I-10

Our Lady of the Lake Regional Medical Center has purchased a 58-acre parcel fronting Interstate 10 for $15.25 million, or about $6 per square foot. OLOL had been negotiating with Ward's Creek Investors for more than a year. The land is located on the south side of I-10 between Essen Lane and Bluebonnet Boulevard and is accessed from One Calais and Essen Park.

Ben Skillman with Skill Real Estate has been marketing the property. The sale price reflects that significant site work will need to take place and bridges will need to be built before the property can be improved.

The property is prime for a mixed-use development, but it is more likely that OLOL will use the land to expand its regional medical center. It has been suggested that OLOL develop a children's hospital or expand the Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center on the new site. There's also talk that OLOL will partner with LSU and become home for the state's teaching hospital, replacing Earl K. Long Medical Center. Officials with OLOL say they have no plans for the land at this time.

http://www.businessreport.com/archives/rea...-weekly/latest/

[dan326]

I can't wait for them to build something one that property!

[richyb83]

^Me too Dan. That's some prime property! Wonder what they would do with the small section of land between Ward's Creek and I-10??

While the recession may be affecting BR some; it's not to the magnitude of most places around the country and globally...

Albemarle BR facilities open

Construction plans for a $15 million catalyst facility and a $6 million flame retardants lab at Albemarle Corp.

[richyb83]

Some nice infil along Goodwood Blvd; but sorry to see the little watering hole go away. Wish this could have been a 3-story building like BR Water Co nearby; instead done in phase of just one floor; then two.

Starmount

[richyb83]

This is really cool! And football season is only one week away!!!

Nerjyzed releases new game on Xbox 360

There are thousands of interactive sports games, but when Baton Rouge-based Nerjyzed Entertainment started working on

[richyb83]

Saw this yesterday...any time BR competes with cities like Chicago or Dallas; is always an attention getter! Looks like the Bonne Carre Business Center will be growing!Wasn't sure if they were adding more space or renovating exsisting space??

Insurance firm consolidating operations in B.R.

Affirmative Insurance Holdings says it will consolidate its retail agency operations in the Bon Carr

[cajun]

Have you guys heard anything about more financial business moving into the region?

Birmingham, Atlanta, and Houston all have home based financial services companies. Baton Rouge lacks this. Kinda wanted to see more.

[dan326]

Well Cajun, not to be rude but...

Baton Rouge < Birmingham

Baton Rouge <<< Atlanta

Baton Rouge <<< Houston

[richyb83]

Albemarle posts record profits

Albemarle Corporation says it had record earnings in the third quarter, reporting profits of nearly $93.7 million, or $1.02 a share. That's 80% more than what the Baton Rouge-based specialty chemicals manufacturer reported last year.

http://www.businessreport.com/archives/daily-report/2010/oct/22/1905/

[richyb83]

Not BR "based"..but an interesting development IMO!

Game developer to put new studio in Baton Rouge

A video game developer based in the U. K. is now the newest addition to the Louisiana Technology Park in Baton Rouge.

Representatives from Firebrand Games and the Baton Rouge Area Chamber made the announcement with parish officials earlier today. They said Firebrand would locate a new digital media studio at the Park that would employ around thirty staff members, and open this January.

"We have attracted a worldwide leader in game design, with a payroll expected to exceed $1.5 million annually and a start-up date in January,” said EBR Mayor-President Kip Holden. “This announcement means more good jobs and good news for the Baton Rouge economy, and one more reason young professionals are choosing to live and work in our city and parish."

Firebrand, which is based in Scotland, designs racing games for Nintendo systems but reportedly plans to expand to the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. Their previous titles include Grid, Race Driver, DiRT and Need for Speed, as well as all console versions of Trackmania. They have a second studio in Merritt Island, Fla.

http://wbrz.synapse-cms.com/news/game-developer-to-put-new-studio-in-baton-rouge