Malcolm Forbes, Sr. once said, “You can tell more about a company by the man at the top, than the bottom line.” In most companies, the CEO is that unique individual who casts the vision for the team and runs the show. They are the driving force who often sit alone at the top—that place where “the buck stops.”
Editor Penny Font profiles some very important CEOs in the corridor. These five individuals head corporations that have the distinction of being counted among the Fortune 1000 [largest companies in America].
Get to know Manuel Perez, Jim Bernhard, J. Wayne Leonard, Terence Hall and Mark Rohr—and what makes them tick—starting on Page 34.
Something else that seems as large as these Fortune 1000 companies—and also generates a lot of money [especially on Super Bowls], is the Superdome. And it just doesn’t operate by itself.
Meet the man who makes it happen [click here], season after season, event after event. Doug Thornton is amazing. He brought the Dome—a Big Easy icon—back from destruction after Katrina, and recently, the NFL awarded the Superdome another Super Bowl for 2013.
By 2030, the 10/12 corridor is expected to gain nearly half a million people [growing twice as fast as the state as a whole], and nearly 70% of them are coming to just two parishes. Can you guess which ones? Check out the projected numbers for all corridor parishes on page 24.
So, how is Southeast Louisiana doing four years later after Katrina? Find out in our new In Focus feature. We take a deeper look at the Southeast Louisiana economy [Orleans, Northshore, River parishes].
We provide an overview, plus profiles of key players, major economic development projects on the drawing board, and all the facts you need to know about the region’s demographics and economic indicators. It begins on page 56.
Our next In Focus, published in November, will examine Baton Rouge and the Capital Region.
Also in this issue:
•?Money is the mother’s milk of politics. We’ve got the lists identifying the biggest donors in the corridor for each member of Louisiana’s congressional delegation. The names start on page 14.
•?The 10/12 corridor is a creative corridor and we give you a preview of arts performances scheduled for this fall. Check it out on page 30.
•?Food is a pleasure in Louisiana, and an ?industry. We profile six “men & women in white” who are rising stars of cuisine along the corridor. The first course is served on page 48.
GOOD NEWS: An auto plant, Global ?Command, and a new French industrial site have come to Louisiana—all in one week.
That’s what Gov. Bobby Jindal and Louisiana Economic Development Secretary Stephen Moret announced in June. That brings a total of about 3,000 jobs at a time most other states are announcing closures and layoffs. And there’s more to come.
Also this summer, Baton Rouge was ranked No. 2 in job growth and low unemployment. Congratulations to Mayor Kip Holden and Chamber President Adam Knapp, and thanks for their leadership.
After attending a national convention with other business publishers and hearing their stories, I realize we should all count our blessings.
FYI …
•?Blane Comeaux of Acadian Monitoring Services in Lafayette was the winner of our “Weekend at the Ritz-Carlton” contest.
•?Check out how you could win two free round-trip airline tickets just by signing up for any of our free, online e-newsletters. Click here to sign up.
•?Mark your calendar now for Oct. 7 & 8 at the Baton Rouge River Center for the 27th Annual BizTech Expo. The Expo will also feature ?economist Dr. Loren Scott at the Top 100 luncheon [Oct. 7] and a new CEO Forum with five top CEOs from the corridor [Oct. 8]. More details here. Don’t miss it.
