Daigle Industries, LLC Lyons Specialty Company

WHAT VALUES OR PRINCIPLES GUIDE YOUR BUSINESS?

HOW HAS YOUR BUSINESS CHANGED OVER THE YEARS?

History

History

The story begins with the establishment of R.J. Daigle & Sons Contractors, Inc. in 1977 by RJ Daigle and his sons Vance and Ronnie. Over time, R.J. Daigle became a trusted name in the asphalt industry. In 2013, Vance and Ronnie formed a trucking company, Daigle Industries. In 2017 Daigle Industries expanded into concrete production with two mobile mixers. The next generation (Nick, Ethan and Colin Daigle) now manage both companies with the same brand of innovative, quality construction. Daigle Industries has grown its feet to 35 trucks, with six mobile mixers currently servicing the Greater Baton Rouge area.

In 1945, LSU auditor William E. Davis, Sr. began selling 10-cent pecan rolls to local stores from the storage room behind his garage. He named his side business Baton Rouge Wholesale Candy Company. The next year, he purchased Lyons Specialty Company, which had been founded in 1923, from the owner’s widow for $7,690.61, leaving Davis just $75 in the business bank account. He continued operating under the Lyons name in order to keep the company’s existing customers. Davis’ grandson Hugh Raetzsch Jr. is CEO of the company today.

WHAT VALUES OR PRINCIPLES GUIDE YOUR BUSINESS?

For a family to work together successfully, everyone must pull their own weight. When I began working in the business over 30 years ago, I was given an opportunity by my grandfather and my mother, Jane Dunlap. It was my job to make the most of that opportunity. Now that my kids are entering the business, they have the same opportunity.

Quality and safety are our driving forces. We achieve quality by embracing new technology to continually refine and perfect our products and services. In the dangerous heavy construction industry, the safety of our employees guides our decision making from day-to-day operations to long-term strategy. The Daigle family of companies has received three LWCC’s Safest 70 Awards.

WHAT IS IT LIKE TO WORK WITH FAMILY?

WHAT IS IT LIKE TO WORK WITH FAMILY?

Like all relationships, it hinges on communication in both your personal and professional life. Working with family provides a stable foundation across all aspects of your life. Everything becomes more manageable because you have a family you can trust and rely on.

Early on in my career was a difficult time. There were some strained relationships and even today, there are scars from those times. But over the last couple of years as my two older sons have graduated from college and entered the business, it has been extremely rewarding. I feel very fortunate to see my kids every day and share the successes of running a 100-year-old family business. Not many people get that opportunity. It is truly special.

HOW HAS YOUR BUSINESS CHANGED OVER THE YEARS?

So much has changed compared to when I began in the business over 30 years ago. One of our core values is adaptability … it has been key to our success and the success of our customers. What’s important to our customers today is different than it was just a few years ago and what will be important to them five years from now.

It has changed primarily in size and technology. In 1977, R.J. began with a single used steel drum roller that he bought at auction. Since then, Daigle Industries has grown to include multiple companies with about 200 employees combined. With that growth has come innovation. For example, the company’s mobile mixers recently produced concrete that traveled over 1,000 feet through three pump trucks, across water to a barge.

WHAT’S ON THE HORIZON FOR YOUR COMPANY?

WHAT’S ON THE HORIZON FOR YOUR COMPANY?

We see our mobile mixers being used more in the industrial setting. In 2017 we started producing concrete for ourselves to perfect our product. We are in a unique position to provide fully customizable concrete at the snap of a finger, anywhere we can drive a truck. We are confident that our product can live up to the quality standard that the Daigle family of companies is known for.

We completed an expansion project in 2018 which doubled the size of our warehouse and office. This gives us the necessary space and added efficiencies to more than triple our current sales at our existing facility. We will continue to focus on growing our food service category, growing our MAX12 customer membership program, and growing our Marketing Advantage Monthly in-store marketing program.