The Alternative Board, an organization that provides advice to small- and medium-sized businesses, has expanded into Baton Rouge. Tim Stoll, a certified facilitator who owns the local firm, will meet monthly with small groups or boards of business owners to solve current challenges and take advantage of opportunities.
AlwaysCare Benefits, a sister company of Starmount Life Insurance, has opened an office in Fort Mill, S.C. AlwaysCare, which is ranked as one of the 5,000 fastest-growing private companies in the country by Inc. magazine, provides group dental, vision, life and disability products.
Business First Bank has moved into its new offices on Jefferson Highway. The bank now takes up a 23,000-square-foot space in the old Regions Bank branch near Essen Lane. Business First, which was founded in February 2006 by former Gov. Buddy Roemer, now has $600 million in assets. The bank has branches in Shreveport, Mandeville, Lafayette and Lake Charles.
Covalent Logic is working with Hilton Hotels to help the global hospitality chain boost its presence on social-networking sites. Covalent Logic helped design the background for a new Twitter feed from Dave Horton, the global head of Hilton. Check in with Dave allows Horton to Tweet about his travels and visits to Hilton hotels.
Digital FX has been chosen by Minneapolis-based Preston Kelly Agency to provide crew, camera and lighting for an ad campaign on behalf of the National Marrow Donor Association. The ad features NBA star Shaquille O’Neal, former LSU basketball coach Dale Brown and current LSU basketball coach Trent Johnson.
FreeRxReminder.com has launched a free service that sends e-mail or text messages to remind people to take their daily medicine or refill prescriptions. About 4,000 people have signed up for the service since it launched beta testing. FreeRxReminder.com has been in business for about seven years, handling such services as online medical enrollment and patient assistance.
The Louisiana Business & Technology Center’s mobile classroom is set to get another year of funding from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, a move that will make it easier for LSU’s business incubator to reach entrepreneurs across the state. The USDA signed a contract last month to give the program a $148,730 grant.
LSU celebrated the completion of the $22 million renovation of the College of Music & Dramatic Arts building on Sept. 20 with a ribbon-cutting ceremony in the restored Claude L. Shaver Theatre. The university touts the building as one of the foremost educational performance arts facilities in the Southeast, with classrooms, teaching studios, performance theaters, practice rooms and design shops.
Ochsner Health Center broke ground last month on a larger facility in Prairieville that is scheduled to open in the spring. The 10,200-square-foot health center, next to Ochsner’s current Prairieville center on Airline Highway, will have 18 exam rooms, laboratory services and imaging.
Postlethwaite & Netterville has been named one of the top 100 firms in the U.S. by Inside Public Accounting magazine. With more than $35 million in net revenue, the firm ranked No. 86, up from No. 89 last year. P&N is the only Louisiana-based firm on the list.
The Shaw Group has been awarded a contract to maintain a nuclear power plant in eastern Missouri. Terms of the six-year deal with Ameren Corp. for the work at the Callaway plant near Fulton, Mo., were not disclosed. Shaw will handle routine plant maintenance and construction work.
SNF Holding Company, which plans to build a $362 million water-soluble polymers plant near Plaquemine, has launched a local Web site. Snfplaquemine.com will provide regular updates on the construction of the plant and allow interested vendors to provide information to the company.
Teche Federal Bank, which has four Capital Region locations, has launched “all-day banking,” eliminating the afternoon transaction cut-off time. Weekday transactions made anytime before closing will be credited to accounts the same day.
The 13th Gate was named the top haunted house in America for the second year in a row by Hauntworld, the industry’s leading trade publication. The magazine says attractions are recognized for their attention to detail, high-quality special effects and overall “scare factor.” The 13th Gate is open through Nov. 13.
Vascular Specialty Associates has opened a Zachary office on the Lane Regional Medical Center campus. The office is staffed by board-certified physicians Joseph Griffin, Andrew Olinde, Albert Sam II and Victor Tran.
WBRZ-TV has launched its own Web site, WBRZ.com, after previously sharing a site with The Advocate. The ABC affiliate’s new site includes continuous news updates as well as live video streaming, sports, weather, traffic and features.
Westside Family Medicine now is affiliated with Baton Rouge General’s Community of Caring. The Brusly office is staffed by Drs. Brian P. Higgins and Vicki Munson.
AWARDS/HONORS
Beth Courtney, the president/chief executive officer of Louisiana Public Broadcasting, has been elected to a second one-year term as vice chair of the board of directors of the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.
Boh Bros. Construction has been named the recipient of the Distinguished Achievement Award from the American Concrete Institute. The honor recognizes ACI nonmembers who have made notable contributions to the advancement of the concrete industry.
Entergy Gulf States Louisiana’s River Bend Station has achieved a perfect 100 index score based on criteria established by the Institute of Nuclear Power Operations. The score places River Bend among only a few nuclear plants in the nation to achieve the rating. Two years ago, the station’s INPO index was 46—one of the lowest scores in the industry.
J. David Daniel, president of Daniel & Eustis Insurance, has been installed as the chairman of the Independent Insurance Agents & Brokers of America.
The Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development was among 10 finalists for the 2009 America’s Transportation Award and People’s Choice Award given by the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. DOTD received recognition for its efforts to preserve history during the Front Street Natchitoches restoration project.
Remson/Haley/Herpin Architects received two Honor Awards from the Louisiana chapter of the American Institute of the Architects. The firm won for its design of One Eleven, a residential project adjacent to the Shaw Center for the Arts, and for the renovation and third-story addition to the Belisle Building, a 1920s Italianate building. The firm also received a Member’s Choice Award for One Eleven.
The Rev. Amy Ziettlow, the chief operating office of Hospice of Baton Rouge, has been named to the board of directors of the Lutheran Social Services of the South.
Thomas H. Olinde, the president/general manager of Olinde Hardware & Supply Co., and director of B. Olinde & Sons Co., has been named to the board of directors of Hancock Holding Company, the parent company of Hancock Bank.
Trahan Architects received an Honor Award from the Louisiana chapter of the American Institute of the Architects. The firm won for its design of the Baton Rouge International School, the result of a new 18-acre campus master plan for an international school educating students from infancy to high school. The firm also received honorable mention for its design of First Presbyterian Church in Colorado Springs, Colo.
PHILANTHROPY
The Baton Rouge chapter of the Louisiana Credit Union Association raised nearly $86,000 to build a Habitat of Humanity home, which will begin construction later this month and be donated to a deserving family.
LSU alums Beverly and Jerry Shea of New Iberia donated $100,000 to the campaign for the construction of a new home for the E.J. Ourso College of Business’ Business Education Complex.
