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Pigskin publicity

The LSU football team will be well-represented on the newsstands this week, thanks to an impressive 38-24 victory over Ohio State in the BCS Championship Game. Glenn Dorsey, the Tigers’ defensive tackle, made the cover of the current Sports Illustrated, and Ali Highsmith, a linebacker, is on the cover of The Sporting News. Along with making the covers of magazines, the Tigers have been discussed repeatedly on ESPN and in a host of national newspapers, including The New York Times and The Boston Globe.

Gary Roberts, the former head of Tulane University’s sports law program, says while there is no way to quantify the value of all the national attention that comes along with winning a BCS championship, the exposure doesn’t hurt. “The publicity is great,” says Roberts, now the dean of the Indiana University School of Law. “It makes the alumni prouder ... It’s an intangible factor, but one that presidents and chancellors realize instinctively.”

One item that LSU officials can look at is the sale of licensed merchandise. The university gets a 12% royalty rate on the wholesale price of any officially licensed BCS championship item like all the T-shirts, caps and sweatshirts that hit store racks right after LSU’s victory. Athletic Director Skip Bertman says LSU could collect up to $4 million in licensing fees thanks to the sale of BCS merchandise. For the fiscal year that ended in June, LSU brought in more than $3 million in licensing royalties, a school record.

While Business Report isn’t going to buy you a copy of Sports Illustrated or The Sporting News, we do have copies of Road to the Championship: The LSU Tigers’ Season of Destiny up for grabs. It’s a special issue with game-by-game analysis, squeezing as much football frenzy into 80 pages as possible. Look for it at select area retail locations. Feel free to frame it, gild it or use it to wallpaper your Tiger-themed bathroom. —Timothy Boone

Questions, questions

Two big mysteries surround LSU Chancellor Sean O’Keefe these days: How, exactly, did he get crossways with the “business community”—if indeed that’s what happened to spur his rumored disfavor within the palace? And who, exactly, ultimately decides whether he keeps his head or not: the LSU Board of Supervisors or LSU System President John Lombardi?

As for the first question, the folks at the Baton Rouge Area Chamber—who know what lurks in the heart of the business community better than anybody—have nothing to say. BRAC officials last week said any comments would have to come from then-outgoing

president and CEO Stephen Moret, now secretary of Louisiana Economic Development. Moret did not respond to several

requests for comment regarding O’Keefe’s performance.

Charlie Weems, an LSU board member since 1991, likewise declined to comment on where O’Keefe might have tripped up or whether performance reviews past and present contain damning evaluations. Weems did say there’s no way someone in O’Keefe’s job can please everybody. He’s bound to have detractors as well as supporters, thus it’s important to weigh the total body of O’Keefe’s work.

“I don’t think you’re going to find unanimity of opinion in the business community one way or another,” Weems says. “I think our board and

president should listen to all those views.”

As for who has ultimate hiring and firing authority, it depends to whom you talk. Board Chairman Jerry Shea says it’s Lombardi’s call whether O’Keefe stays or goes and the board shouldn’t try to micromanage. Weems sees it differently, noting that LSU bylaws clearly state that the president recommends and the board decides.

“While I certainly respect and heavily rely on the recommendations of the president, I would feel like I would be derelict in my duty as board member if I didn’t make an independent evaluation of the facts and an independent decision,” Weems says. “That’s how our bylaws are set up. That’s our proper role and responsibility.”

A decision could come as early as next week, though the issue is not currently part of the board’s agenda for its Jan. 17 meeting. —Steve Clark

Jungle o’clock

If you call Jordan Traditions, Jordan & Broadwater or The Winning Way and you’re told an employee is in “The Jungle,” it’s not a lie. It’s a 150-square-foot space in their new building on Brookline Avenue, where their 12 employees can go to read magazines and books, do puzzles, listen to music, play on a Mac and open their minds. There’s even a safari hat, jungle mural, running wall fountain and jungle stick.

“There are no rules,” Alan Jordan says. “Get from behind that desk. Get off that phone. Quit looking at that computer screen.”

The Jungle is a symbol of the company’s philosophy about not doing good, but doing great, which they define as “efforts that matter and make a difference.” Alan, his father Larry, and their partners wanted to help create a work environment where all employees want to be, and want to do great. They consider their company one built and continued by pioneers, those who explore and push beyond. Enter: The Jungle.

“It’s unexplored. It’s new territory,” Larry Jordan says. “You can’t see very far ahead of where you’re going, but there are all kinds of opportunities.”

“I guess some people from a return on investment perspective would say it’s not a very efficient use of time,” Alan Jordan says. “I think it’s the most critical use of time. If the right people choose to be here, then the vision comes out of the right people.”

“Sometimes you get a $30,000 idea out of this space right here,” Larry Jordan says. —Marissa Frayer

Sippin’ it

Community Coffee unveiled its ready-to-drink bottled Mochasippi last month, hitting the shelves in major grocery stores, convenience stores and CC’s Community Coffee Houses. Mark Schneider, senior brand manager at Community Coffee says they are very pleased with the launch so far and “we are meeting both our internal expectations and our customers’ sales expectations.”

Schneider says they conducted tastings with hundreds of Mochasippi users in south Louisiana to ensure the product would meet their high expectations. The 9.5-ounce bottle comes in mocha, vanilla and coffee flavors whose labels instruct it should be served chilled or poured over ice.

In a highly unscientific Business Report taste test, our taste buds found⎯consistency aside⎯the Mocha bottled Mochasippi version more akin to a Yoo-hoo with nary of hint of bitter coffee goodness compared to a freshly amped and brewed chocolate Mochasippi from a CC’s.

We’re probably not the only ones buying one of each from CC’s, at $1.99 and $3.50, respectively.

“The bottles are an add-on to coffeehouse sales. We find that our customers will purchase a fresh-made Mochasippi at a CC’s, then also grab a bottled Mochasippi to drink at home or at work, later in the day,” Schneider says. —M.F.

BUSINESS of POLITICS

Bye-bye Baker

You can rest assured U.S. Rep. Richard Baker, a Baton Rouge Republican, recently started giving lobbying-as-an-afterlife serious thought. For starters, a new law kicked in Jan. 1 that prohibits lawmakers from lobbying for two years after they leave office. Had Baker entered the revolving door last year, he could have started lobbying for the Managed Funds Association, which is courting him, possibly by the end of 2008.

Additionally, frustrated staffers have been wondering about their boss’ political prospects for months now, with few hints coming. Still, the writing was on the wall [21 years on the Hill, no chairmanship to speak of and a House under Dem control]. As the soap opera played out, two senior staffers left to bolster their own careers, along with a couple of office workers.

Aside from being limited to horizontal moves in D.C., there were also lingering questions about his ability to get re-elected in Baton Rouge’s post-Katrina landscape, which pundits have been predicting since 2005 would be overrun with Democrats due to hurricane evacuees. Not everyone buys the theory, though.

In a paper presented this month to the Southern Political Science Association, Jeffrey Sadow, associate professor of political science at LSU Shreveport, suggests the displacement’s impact on the electorate was “insignificant” and Baker’s coming decision is more about his inability to secure a chairmanship. Voting patterns have hardly changed in Baton Rouge, he says, and Democrats have gained little numerical advantage.

While Baker hasn’t made an official announcement, one is expected soon. —Jeremy Alford

Camera culture

The second annual Baton Rouge Jewish Film Festival is on, running Jan. 17 to 20, presented by the Jewish Federation of Greater Baton Rouge in conjunction with Jewish Cinema South in Jackson, Miss., and its affiliate organization, the Institute for Southern Jewish Life.

“A film festival is not just looking at movies,” local spokesman Harvey Hoffman says. “You can bring in speakers relevant to the film such as the writer or someone knowledgeable about the subject.”

Chris Stelly, director of film and television with the state Office of Entertainment Industry Development, says the festivals also provide a great opportunity for filmmakers to showcase their talent.

“Our commnity is rich with culture and we are excited that the Jewish Film Fest showcases experiences and heritage captured on film,” he says. “We recognize in addition to being a creative exchange, film fests contribute to the economic health of our local community.” —Anna Thibodeaux

Jan. 17—The Rape of Europa, 7 p.m., Darius Spieth, LSU assistant professor of art history, will speak after the feature at the Manship Theatre.

Jan. 19—The Tribe and Blues By The Beach, 7 p.m., at the Manship Theatre. Blues Filmmaker Jack Baxter will speak following the double feature.

Jan. 20—A Jumpin’ Night in the Garden of Eden, 2 p.m., at the Manship Theatre. The New Orleans Panorama Jazz Band will perform after the film. At 7 p.m., Varian’s War will air as the final presentation.

For more information, visit brjff.com.

Know anything?

You’ve seen the billboard but, more importantly, have you seen its contents? Charlie Moore, a private investigator working for Larry Varn, a partner in the Boston-based law firm of Sullivan & Worcester wants to know.

The blue box is made of watertight hard plastic and has two clasps for the placement of padlocks. Inside is (or was) the back-up data lost last year by Iron Mountain containing Louisiana Office of Student Financial Assistance records. As for the contents, if you can confirm what they look like, perhaps you should call Moore.

“We have a witness who saw someone pick it up off the street,” Moore says. “The witness has been cooperating with us.”

The billboards⎯ two locations in Baton Rouge and one on Interstate 10 on the way to Lafayette⎯touts a $10,000 reward for the contents in any condition with “no questions.”

“We need to know where they went. If someone is holding them or if they’ve been destroyed. No questions asked. There was no law broken, no crime committed. We just want the contents back. That’s it.” —M.F.

An Amedisys America

The first weeks of 2008 have been busy for Amedisys. The Baton Rouge-based home health company announced three deals to buy agencies with operations in Georgia, South Carolina, West Virginia and Puerto Rico. While the company did not release specific details about the transactions, they are expected to add more than $11 million in net revenue this year. The transactions are a continuation of Amedisys’ strategy to grow by smart acquisitions.

According to Investor’s Business Daily, the company bought or opened about 80 home health agencies and hospice centers in the past year. The company is maneuvering to get a bigger share of the $62.8 billion market for home health care—a market that will continue to grow as baby boomers grow older.

—Timothy Boone

ON THE BEAT

Kip’s backing: Mayor-President Kip Holden has joined with 23 other elected officials to endorse U.S. Sen. Mary Landrieu. He says the endorsement is because of the help she’s given to Baton Rouge and Louisiana, including money for road projects, riverfront development and helping the homeless.

Moving bean counters: LaPorte Sehrt Romig Hand, a New Orleans-based accounting firm that last year merged with The Gautreau Group, is moving into the Perkins Rowe development in May. The agency will lease 6,000 square feet in the same building as the Cinemark movie theater.

Steppin’ out: A new nightclub that will feature live music and Latin dancing will open at Main and Sixth streets in the next few weeks. Sara and Jeremy Meighan are the owners of 600 Main. The couple has been sponsoring Latin dance nights at area clubs for the past 10 years.

Spacing out: Jacobs Engineering will move into the old CDI Engineering building off Sherwood Forest Boulevard later this month. Chad Rigby, an agent with Maestri-Murrell Brokerage, says the company has leased 31,013 square feet on Westfork Drive. Jacobs occupies a 200,000-square-foot office building on Essen Lane, but needed more space.

Fuel power: Dyesel, a rap artist from Reserve, has been chosen by Suzuki for a new advertising campaign around its Hayabusa sport motorcycle. Dyesel and five other underground rappers are being featured in the campaign, which is going on in Baton Rouge and in five other cities, reports Ad Week.

Fish food: Kona Grill opened its first Louisiana location in Perkins Rowe. The restaurant features American and Asian fare, including sushi, in a casually elegant atmosphere that includes a 2,000-gallon saltwater aquarium. This is the 18th restaurant for Arizona-based chain.

Out with DOL? The Louisiana Association of Business and Industry has unveiled a proposal to replace the state Department of Labor with a centralized Workforce Commission. The proposed commission is modeled on the Texas Workforce Commission and would operate bottom up with an executive direction responsible for daily operations.

Steel of a deal

CMC Capitol Steel has purchased nearly 18 acres off South Choctaw Extension for $1.8 million and plans to build a new manufacturing plant there in 2009. The land is near the Central Thruway, now under construction, and across from Direct General Insurance call center. Richie Edmonds, of Thornton, Harvison and Rhodes Real Estate, who helped broker the deal along with Collier Thornton and Larry K. Sullivan of Larry K’s Real Estate, says CMC Capitol Steel had been looking for room to expand for about three years.

The company, which specializes in re-bar fabrication, has been located at North Foster and Choctaw drives for about 70 years. Edmonds says Capitol Steel, which has about 100 employees, has seen an increase in activity since Hurricane Katrina, because of the rebuilding efforts along the Gulf Coast.

CMC could be the first of several tenants to set up shop in the area. Sullivan says his family is working to develop the I-12 Legacy Industrial Park in the area. The Sullivans and the Coxe family own 1,100 acres, stretching from Florida Boulevard to Frenchtown Road. —T.B.