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Bringin’ out the big guns

Lafayette-based Bizzuka Inc., has raised $1.7 million in financing from Advantage Capital Partners, the Louisiana Technology Fund and several individual investors. The company, which has a sales office in Baton Rouge, plans to use the funds to accelerate its national expansion plans. Since relocating to Lafayette in 2004, the company has added 18 new jobs. Bizzuka is the first Lafayette-based company to receive funds from the Louisiana Technology Fund.

Hear them roar

Lion Copolymer has completed its acquisition of the Ethylene Propylene Diene Monomer and chemical foaming agent assets associated with Chemtura’s plant in Geismar. The acquisition was completed last month. The acquisition leverages the firm’s extensive EPDM manufacturing and marketing experience. Lion Copolymer is now America’s only diversified manufacturer of all major types of synthetic rubber.

92% approval rate

Fidelity Homestead Savings Bank announced that with 92% approval from their depositors, the conversion to a state-chartered savings bank, and confirmation of their name change from Fidelity Homestead Association to Fidelity Homestead Savings Bank, would be a reality. The new name will better reflect that Fidelity is a full-service bank with competitive rates and personal service.

Skilled workers

The Louisiana Department of Labor announced its Incumbent Worker Training Program would soon offer pre-employment training opportunities for expanding businesses. Gov. Kathleen Blanco recently signed this additional feature of the program into law. IWTP is designed to benefit business and industry by assisting in the skill development of existing employees. Businesses must meet standard IWTP requirements in order to participate in the program.

A reason to stay?

The Louisiana Education Loan Authority announced it will provide interest-free education loans to nursing students who remain and work full time in Louisiana after graduation. LELA’s Higher Education Loan Program for Nurses applies to federal Stafford loans and Grad PLUS loans obtained through LELA’s SuperTop program. All Louisiana direct patient care licensed nurses and nurse educators who are employed full time in Louisiana can apply annually.

Striving for excellence

Our Lady of the Lake Regional Medical Center is participating in the Institute for Healthcare Improvement’s 5 Million Lives Campaign, a national campaign to dramatically reduce incidents of medical harm in U.S. hospitals. The campaign asks hospitals to improve the care they provide in order to protect patients from incidents of medical harm over a 24-month period, which ends December 2008. It represents a continuation of the largest improvement effort undertaken in recent history by the health care industry.

Share the wealth

Capital Area Corporate Recycling Council, along with funding from the Baton Rouge Area Foundation’s foundationsforrecovery.org, Neighbors4Neighbors in Miami, the National Cristina Foundation and Entergy—and with donations of computers from hundreds of individuals and businesses across the country—has donated more than 3,000 computers to individuals, school, churches and nonprofits as part of an 18-month hurricane relief effort.

Crime-fighting technology

Sen. David Vitter announced $150,000 in federal funding for Baton Rouge law enforcement technology improvements was included in the U.S. Senate Commerce, Justice and Science Appropriations Bill, which passed out of the U.S. Senate Appropriations Committee in late June. The funding will support the expansion for the Baton Rouge Police Department communications technology pilot program. The bill is expected to move to the U.S. Senate floor later this year.

AWARDS

Glenn Sumners, faculty member of the LSU E.J. Ourso College of Business and the director for LSU’s Center for Internal Auditing, has received the Bradford Cadmus Memorial Award. The award, given by the Institute of Internal Auditors, is presented to individuals who have made significant contributions to the profession. Sumner is a coordinator of the IIA’s Internal Auditing Education Partnership program at LSU and has been a member of the faculty since 1980.

Georgia-Pacific Corporation was awarded the annual Leo Bankston Ground Water Conservation Award by the Capital Area Ground Water Conservation Commission. The award was started in 2003 to recognize and encourage water users in the Capital Area who promoted the principle of good stewardship of valuable groundwater resources. Georgia-Pacific was cited for more efficient use of wastewater for ash sluicing, replacing a faulty valve in a cooling tower and reusing water from an evaporator surface condenser as cooling water for a concentrator surface condenser.

Grace & Hebert Architects recently received two IIDA Delta Regional Chapter Excellence 2007 awards, taking home an excellence award in hospitality design for the Bluff House and an excellence award in corporate design for the Amedisys Home Health Services corporate headquarters. The challenge for both of these projects was to meet the criteria while maintaining their projected budgets.

The Louisiana Sea Grant College Program communications office is the recipient of a 2007 APEX Award of Excellence for its documentary Sister Storms: A Louisiana Sea Grant Response. The short film explores the professional and personal challenges three Sea Grant Extension agents faced during and after hurricanes Katrina and Rita. Nearly 5,000 entries in 11 major categories were submitted to the 19th annual Awards for Publication Excellence competition.

HONORS

Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana was named the Health Care Fraud Case of the Year winner under Blue Works, a program of the national Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association that recognizes Blue Plans for outstanding performance in various categories. Blue Works generates awareness and recognition of successful Blue Plan initiatives that improve health care. The winning case examined Dr. James T. Hill of Shreveport, who provided hundreds of painkiller prescriptions to patients whom he had not examined.

Tipton Associates has been recognized nationally for its design of the University of Southern Mississippi’s Power House restaurant. The most recent award is the 2007 Best Concept Award for Best New Facility from Food Management magazine. The collaborative effort between Tipton Associates, ARAMARK Corporation and the University of Southern Mississippi, has won several awards since opening in fall 2006. The restoration of the facility, built in 1934, was driven by the need to respect the historical character of the building.

Entergy Corporation has been ranked among the best companies in the United States and the very best in the utility industry for effectiveness of their corporate investor relations programs. The market research firm Greenwich Associates conducted its annual survey in early 2007 of more than 700 investment analysts. The survey ranks a public company’s investor relations efforts against industry peers.

NOMINATIONS

The Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality is seeking recipients for the Gulf Guardian Award. As a partner with the Gulf of Mexico Program, DEQ is encouraging Louisiana residents to nominate citizens, companies and organizations that are taking positive steps to keep the Gulf of Mexico and associated coastal water habitats healthy, beautiful and productive. Entry forms for the 2007 Gulf Guardian Award are available at epa.gov/gmpo/gulfguard.html. The deadline is July 31. For details, call Dugan Sabins at 219-3553.