On the lookout: One Acadiana, the business development arm of the nine-parish Acadiana region, hopes to hire a new director and CEO by the end of the year, The Advertiser reports. Chairman Frank Neuner says leaders of the organization began meeting Tuesday about the vacancy, following former president and CEO Jason El Koubi’s departure for a new position in Virginia. His last day was Friday, and he is joining former LSU Foundation President and CEO Stephen Moret at the Virginia Economic Development Partnership. Because El Koubi led the creation of One Acadiana, Neuner says the organization is not seeking “a change agent,” but rather someone who can execute established plans. Read more.
Marking a milestone: Smoothie King has opened its 900th location in Wappingers Falls, New York—a town about 10 miles south of Poughkeepsie. Already this year, the New Orleans-based company has signed 62 franchise and development agreements for 90 committed stores. CEO Wan Kim says he expects the privately-owned company to continue to flourish as the brand and its products are introduced to new markets. Smoothie King says sales thus far this year are up 1.7% through June 30. Read more.
Word on the street: Negative publicity can hurt a company’s brand and hurt its ability to recruit talent, according to a recent survey from employment website CareerBuilder.com. The results show 71% of U.S. workers say they would not apply to a company experiencing negative press coverage. Women, at 79%, are much more likely to not apply, while 61% percent of men said they also would not apply. The national survey included 2,369 full-time employers and 3,462 full-time workers in the private sector, and was conducted online by Harris Poll on behalf of CareerBuilder from May 24 to June 16. Read more.
