Junk mail: Secretary of State Tom Schedler is warning business owners to be cautious when receiving mailers concerning “potential compliance violations” from a company called Business Compliance Division. According to a notice on the agency’s website, the Business Compliance Division is not affiliated or associated with Louisiana state government in any way. Schedler’s office says the Business Compliance Division is a private company, and Louisiana corporations are not required to call or have any dealings with this company. Mailers from the company should be discarded immediately, Schedler says. For more information, visit www.sos.la.gov, or contact a Commercial Division staff member by phone 225.925.4704 or by email at commercial@sos.la.gov.
On the road again: Gov. John Bel Edwards is returning to Washington once again this week as he tries to build the case that Louisiana needs more federal assistance to recover from multiple floods this year, The Associated Press reports. The Democratic governor is seeking $4 billion in federal aid to respond to the flooding that hit south Louisiana in August and the March flooding that damaged north Louisiana. Louisiana received $437.8 million from Congress earlier this year. Edwards will travel to Washington, D.C., for meetings Wednesday and Thursday with congressional and White House leaders to discuss the remaining portion sought. Members of Louisiana’s congressional delegation have warned the request would be more difficult if the state hasn’t devised a plan to spend the $438 million already received. The flood recovery task force created by Edwards hasn’t yet agreed to a spending roadmap.
Done deal: Houston-based Westlake Chemical reported a $65.7 million quarterly profit this morning after successfully completing its acquisition of rival Axiall Corp. in the third quarter, FuelFix.com reports. The $2.3 billion deal for Atlanta-based Axiall boosts Westlake’s scale and strength, says Albert Chao, Westlake president and chief executive officer. But the integration and closing costs cut down on Westlake’s profits. Westlake’s net income fell nearly 65% from a $183.6 million gain during the same quarter last year. However, the company’s revenues jumped slightly from $1.19 billion to $1.28 billion. Read the full story.
