Biz | The Family Business 2020

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When it comes to business in this country, it’s most often a family affair — 90% of all business ventures in the United States are family-run, including 35% of all Fortune 500 companies.

Here in Southeast Louisiana, we’re proud to have our own array of family-run superstars that represent a wide range of booming industries, and we are excited to share our annual showcase of local family-owned and family-run businesses. This group of hardworking professionals, along with their families, have fostered legacies that continue to set the standard for excellence, service and prosperity in our region.

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A Cl ear er Path

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THIR D GENER ATIO N

Cenac Marine Services 742 HIGHWAY 182 HOUMA, LA 70364 (985) 872-2413 CENAC.COM THREE GENERATIONS OF THE CENAC

family have led Cenac Marine Services — and upheld its deeply rooted values — since the company was founded in 1927. The family legacy was started by Jock Cenac, who believed that excellent customer service and outstanding employee morale were the keys to success and longevity for any business.

More than 90 years later, and after passing through the care of Jock’s son, Arlen Sr., and current owner, Benny Cenac, those values have withstood the test of time.

“The maritime industry is in my DNA,” says Benny Cenac. “Beginning with the humble roots of our company started by my grandfather and continued by my father, I have always been driven by their work ethic, sustained excellence and commitment to quality.”

Over Cenac Marine’s lifetime, the maritime industry has made great strides in innovation and technology, and the company has evolved in turn.

Keeping up with and embracing new ways to do business and serve customers is one of the many ways the company — and Cenac himself — ensures the prosperity of the region and state.

And because of its ancestral beginnings, Cenac takes care to make his company feel like a second home for his employees. His philosophy is simple but effective: take care of your

people, and they’ll take care of you. Cenac exemplifies that principle through every facet of his company, whether that means providing outstanding benefits and resources or simply offering support. He maintains an open door policy for all his staff — or in the time of social distancing, an open phone line.

“The most important value that was instilled in me was the unique opportunity a family-owned business can capitalize on,” Cenac says. “The company has grown larger and larger but has never lost sight of the benefits of treating everyone

(ABOVE) Benny’s fondest memories at Cenac have been shared with family.

Pictured are his two sons and late father, Arlen B. Cenac at a boat christening. (RIGHT, TOP) Cenac Marine employee working on the building of a new ship. (RIGHT, BOTTOM) Tier IV Tractor Tug being built at Main Iron Works for Bisso.

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DID YOU KNOW? Benny Cenac, Jr. is the owner of Louisiana’s largest privately owned refuge, Golden Ranch Farms, where he raises various animals, including blackbuck antelope, oryx, Père David’s deer, axis, elk, sika and even zebras.

like family. This foundational belief has not hindered growth but enhanced it, as generations of employees have made Cenac a leader in the industry.”

When obstacles do arise, as they certainly have in 2020, the team at Cenac Marine Services is well-equipped to meet any challenge proactively and unitedly. As the winner of a Safest 70 award from the Louisiana Workers’ Compensation Corporation, the company reinforced its reputation as a leader in safety by enforcing strict guidelines to protect the health of all employees, partners and their families during the pandemic.

“The challenges brought this year have certainly been unique. However, my father and my grandfather faced many unique challenges over the years,” Cenac says. “Their dedication, persistence, and determination are all ingrained in me as I watched them navigate through obstacles over the years. Their spirit lives in me as we tackle yet another obstacle in our way.

The team here at Cenac has always risen to the occasion under difficult circumstances.”

Cenac is equally passionate about supporting his local community through philanthropy, another virtue instilled in him by his father and grandfather. Coastal restoration and climate conservation are of profound importance to him, and he strives to make a difference by volunteering his time with organizations like Restore or Retreat, Coalition to Restore Coastal Louisiana and Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries Foundation.

Through it all, Cenac never loses sight of what makes Cenac Marine’s success, prestige and resiliency possible: the vision and dedication of the family members who paved the way before him.

“My biggest accomplishment at Cenac Marine is growing the company and never losing sight of the foundation it was built on,” Cenac says. “This company’s success is largely based on the work ethic and commitment from my father and grandfather. I am proud to be able to continue that today.”

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SE C OND GENERATION

Classic Interiors 2017 WILLIAMS BLVD. KENNER, LA 70062 (504) 466-0431 CLASSICINTERIORSNOLA.COM W H EN C LA SSI C I N T E R I O RS WA S

founded in 1980, family was always envisioned as the heart of the operation.

Not only is the company family owned and operated, but when customers call on the team of sales, design and installation professionals, they’re trusting Classic Interiors to design

spaces that are perfectly suited to their own family’s needs and lifestyles. It’s a responsibility not taken lightly, so from the second a client schedules a consultation, Bill Bourgeois and his dedicated staff use their years of knowledge and expertise to make every client’s vision a reality.

“My father instilled the value of hard work to achieve success,” says Bourgeois, who now runs the family business alongside his two sons, Michael and John. “I feel that I have passed on this traditional value to all of my children and our work family. Everyone at Classic Interiors strives to have advanced product knowledge, and everyone working here, at one point, has installed the products they sell.”

Whether working on a residential home or a large commercial project, Classic Interiors (PICTURED FROM offers a range of elegant window treatLEFT TO RIGHT) ments and flooring options suitable for Michael Bourgeois, any customer’s budget. Their showroom Bill Bourgeois, John Bourgeois features an extensive Hunter Douglas gallery, automated window coverings, interior plantation shutters, custom tile showers, backsplashes, wood, vinyl, porcelain, laminate flooring and more.

Customer satisfaction is always the number one priority, and Bourgeois says there’s no greater reward than hearing a customer express their satisfaction with their experience.

“Knowing that many of our next jobs come to us from a satisfied customer referral is how we envision our business being successful for another 40 years.”

DID YOU KNOW? While the Bourgeois family’s leadership has always been the same, the company has gone by a few different names. Once called Classic Flooring, Paint and Decorating, Inc. and Blinds & Shutters Direct, the company was rebranded as Classic Interiors to reflect the full scope of available products and services.

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FOU RTH GENERATIO N

Dupuy Storage 4300 JOURDAN RD. NEW ORLEANS (504) 245-7600 DUPUYGROUP.COM M O R E T H A N 8 0 Y E A R S H AV E

passed since John Dupuy opened a coffee warehouse in New Orleans, starting a legacy that would transform Dupuy Storage into the leading global logistics and storage provider it is today. The intervening years have been marked by change and innovation, as the company’s footprint has grown from its humble beginnings on South Peters Street to encompass additional facilities in South Carolina, Texas and Florida.

One thing that hasn’t changed, however, is the company’s dedication to its deeply rooted values. Four generations of the Dupuy family have upheld the same standards of trust, reliability and service that have become synonymous with The Dupuy Group. Today, that task is helmed by the father-daughter team formed by President Allan Colley and Vice President Janet Colley Morse. The pair have worked in tandem since Morse’s childhood to ensure the preservation of the company’s central ideals, which has only served to make the company — and its relationships with customers and staff — stronger than ever.

According to Allan Colley, it all comes down to three simple steps: “Keep your word. Empathize with others. Do what’s right.”

Equipped with these guiding principles, the company has been able to adapt to changing times and technologies, never sacrificing its commitment

DID YOU KNOW? Dupuy New Orleans opened the first green coffee silo facility in North America in 1992.

to quality and customer satisfaction — and that remains true as Janet makes her own mark on the family legacy.

“Our industry is a family,” she says. “I work with people I have known since I was a child. It’s a privilege to carry on the tradition of a family business, and I hope Dupuy will continue to be recognized for our service and our integrity.”

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FI FT H GENER ATION

Jacob Schoen & Son Funeral Home 3827 CANAL STREET NEW ORLEANS, LA 70119 (504) 482-2111 SCHOENFH.COM FOR NE A R LY 150 Y E A RS , JACO B

Schoen & Son has been committed to providing families of all cultural backgrounds and walks of life with the highest standard of memorial and funeral services regardless of financial circumstances. Though the business has seen many expansions and transformations since its founding, five generations of the Schoen family have maintained the legacy of compassion, dedication and sensitivity that New Orleanians have come to know and trust.

“Compassion and consideration have been the guiding principles for the Schoen family and its many dedicated employees since 1874,” says managing partner Patrick Schoen. “We are passionate about making a family’s time with us as memorable and uplifting as possible.

It is our attentive personal concern that distinguishes us and allows us to give families the peace of mind that their loved one is well taken care of before, during and after their funeral.”

The business boasts an extensive range of services, ranging from pre-planning arrangements and 24/7 assistance to burials, cremations, memorials and Military ceremonies. The integration of

DID YOU KNOW? The iconic family home, a city-designated landmark, was originally built in the Victorian style in the early 1890s.

It was converted in 1931 to the Romanesque/Spanish Revival style that is seen today.

Stop by for a tour.

modern technology allows family and friends to participate in and remember their loved one’s funeral from anywhere in the world through both live streamed and recorded webcasts.

No matter what a family needs, the staff at Jacob Schoen & Son guarantee to offer services that meet all of their specifications while exceeding all of their expectations. That hasn’t changed after a century of serving their families and still continues today.

“The sixth generation of the Schoen family is being groomed to continue our family’s legacy,” Schoen says. “We will have instilled in them the family’s values of serving others and the importance of giving back to the community we are proud to serve.”