2
February 2016 BizNewOrleans.com
Editor’s Note
From the Heart
I
n honor of Valentine’s Day this month, I want to express my love and appreciation for one of Biz’s writers — Bonnie Warren. A longtime staple of the Renaissance Publishing team, Bonnie served at one time as editor of New Orleans Magazine, and currently writes for the publication, as well as Louisiana Life. When Errol and I were preparing to resurrect Biz New Orleans in the summer of 2014, one of our ideas was to have a Great Offices feature — something that would showcase the amazing work spaces found throughout southeast Louisiana. Thanks to her prolific experience in writing about home interiors, not only for magazines, but in her own books, Bonnie was our first choice. Luckily for us, she accepted the challenge. From the first issue, where she showcased the private office of Saints and Pelicans owner Tom Benson, Bonnie has shared the stories, favorite mementos and personal sides to some of the top business personalities in the region, including Morris Bart, John Deveney, Gary LaGrange, Mignon Faget, Pres Kabacoff, Al Copeland and Ray Manning, just to name a few.
I am sad to announce that Bonnie will no longer be penning our Great Offices feature, as she has decided to spend some more time with her family. She will, however, still be contributing her popular weekly blog, Bizness Style, every Tuesday at BizNewOrleans.com. If you haven’t read it, I encourage you to do so as it is filled with her own signature style that has made her a favorite read for so many. Taking her place will be our own etiquette writer, Melanie Warner Spencer, who has covered residential and commercial design and architecture for a variety of publications for more than 10 years. Spencer was the interior design columnist and reporter at the Austin American-Statesman newspaper and senior reporter covering design at the Houston Chronicle. Her design pieces have also appeared in Modern Luxury Interiors Texas Magazine, as well as Austin Home Magazine and New Orleans Homes & Lifestyles Magazine. We look forward to her work and the evolution of not just Great Offices, but the entire magazine in the year to come! Happy Reading,
Kimberley@BizNewOrleans.com 4
February 2016 BizNewOrleans.com
BizNewOrleans.com February 2016
5
FEBRuary 2016 | volume 2 | issue 5
Publisher Todd Matherne Editorial Editor-in-chief Errol Laborde Managing Editor Kimberley Singletary Art Director Antoine Passelac Photographer Cheryl Gerber Web Editor Kelly Massicot Assoc. Multimedia News Editor Leslie T. Snadowsky Contributors Robert Edgecombe, Steven Ellis, Rebecca Friedman, Lucie Monk Carter, Carolyn Heneghan, Phil McCausland, Chris Price, Peter Reichard, Kim Roberts, Jennifer Gibson Schecter, David Lee Simmons, Keith Twitchell, Melanie Warner Spencer advertising Vice President of Sales Colleen Monaghan Sales Manager Maegan O’Brien Maegan@BizNewOrleans.com (504) 830-7219 Account Executive Caitlin Sistrunk Caitlin@BizNewOrleans.com (504) 830-7252 Account Executive Courtney Andrée Courtney@bizneworleans.com (504) 830-7225 PRODUCTION Production/Web Manager Staci McCarty Senior Production Designers Ali Sullivan Production Designers Monique DiPietro, Traffic Coordinator Jessica DeBold administration Chief Executive Officer Todd Matherne President Alan Campell Executive Vice President Errol Laborde Vice President of Sales Colleen Monaghan Director of Marketing & Events Cheryl Lemoine Event Coordinator Margaret Strahan Administrative Assistant Denise Dean Distribution Manager John Holzer Subscription Manager Sara Kelemencky Subscription Assistant Mallary Matherne
110 Veterans Blvd., Suite 123, Metairie, LA 70005 (504) 828-1380 Biz New Orleans is published monthly by Renaissance Publishing, LLC, 110 Veterans Blvd., Suite 123, Metairie, LA 70005; (504) 828-1380. Subscription rate: one year $24.95, two year $39.95, three year $49.95 — foreign rates vary call for pricing. Postage paid at Metairie, LA, and additional mailing entry offices. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Biz New Orleans, 110 Veterans Blvd., Suite 123, Metairie, LA 70005. Copyright 2016 Biz New Orleans. No part of this publication may be reproduced without the consent of the publisher. The trademark Biz New Orleans is registered. Biz New Orleans is not responsible for unsolicited manuscripts, photos and artwork, even if accompanied by a self-addressed stamped envelope. The opinions expressed in Biz New Orleans are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the magazine or owner. 6
February 2016 BizNewOrleans.com
BizNewOrleans.com February 2016
7
Contents
80
44
38
Features
From the Lens
38 Beyond the Horses
70 Great Offices
44 The Next Move for OC Haley
80 Why Didn’t I Think of That?
The Fair Grounds continues to diversify.
In the midst of a comeback, Oretha Castle Haley Boulevard is reaching a turning point.
Valentine’s Day gift ideas
88 Behind the Scenes
8
February 2016 BizNewOrleans.com
Nora Vaden Holmes Insurance Agency
Boudreaux’s Fine Jewelers
On the Cover Jockey Pat Valenzuela is mounting Our Lady Allie, who is trained by Tom Amoss and owned by Midwest Thoroughbreds. - Photo by Jeff Johnston
Contents
62 76 28 Columns
18 NOLA By the Numbers
More are opting for the urban life.
20 Dining Biz
How to add more wine to the dine
22 Tourism Biz
The latest numbers on Carnival
24 Sports Biz
Perspectives
News
26 Film Biz
52 Law
16 Calendar
56 Healthcare
34 Biz Bits
Is Brees worth the money?
A look at our competitor to the east.
28 Entrepreneur Biz
Carnival brings out the entrepreneurial spirit.
30 Biz Etiquette
When Cupid’s arrow hits the office
32 Tech Biz
Is now the time to take it to the cloud?
February 2016 BizNewOrleans.com
Recent advances in heart care
62 Education
Options and advantages for going back to school
66 Guest Viewpoint
10
Collaborating has its rewards.
Go Red for heart health.
Upcoming events not to miss
Industry news
76 Q&A
Mary and Roland von Kurnatowski
86 Around Town – Events
Industry gatherings
BizNewOrleans.com February 2016
11
Publisher’s Note
Ten Years! T
en years ago this month we started Renaissance Publishing. February 1, 2006 was our official first day of business, but our 15 original employees were all working together for months and years before this date. For those who do not know the story, on Friday, January 13, 2006, I began the discussions to purchase the magazine assets of our predecessor company and took the weekend to put together a deal that would happen on Monday, January 16, 2006. I remember it like it was yesterday. I kissed my wife goodbye that morning and said, “I am coming home with a business or unemployed today. Wish me luck.” She has always been so supportive in my life, and as I left she told me, “Whatever happens it will be the best for us. Have faith in the process and I believe in you.” Over the past 10 years, we have built a media company that has grown to over 35 employees, while purchasing and launching new products and events and growing our existing titles and winning numerous awards along the way. I could not be more proud of my partners and employees who really deserve all the praise. Thank you to our subscribers and advertisers for all of your support, and get ready for new and exciting things to come. Happy Anniversary Alan Campell, Errol Laborde and the Ren Pub Team! Todd Matherne
12
February 2016 BizNewOrleans.com
BizNewOrleans.com February 2016
13
Meet the Sales Staff
Colleen Monaghan Vice President of Sales (504) 830-7215 Colleen@BizNewOrleans.com
Maegan O’Brien Sales Manager (504) 830-7219 Maegan@BizNewOrleans.com
Caitlin Sistrunk Account Executive (504) 830-7252 Caitlin@BizNewOrleans.com
Courtney Andrée Account Executive (504) 830-7225 Courtney@BizNewOrleans.com
14
February 2016 BizNewOrleans.com
Calendar Tuesday, February 2
Thursday, February 18
ACG Luncheon Meeting Featuring Paul Hilliard, president and founder of Badger Oil Company 11:30 Networking 12 – 1:30 Luncheon Roosevelt Hotel, Blue Room ACG.org/Louisiana/events
AMA Luncheon Programmatic Marketing: A Look Under the Hood With J.C. Medici, national director of politics and advocacy for Rocket Fuel 11:30 a.m. – 1 p.m. location T.B.D. AMANewOrleans.com
Wednesday, February 24
Tuesday, February 2
Entrepreneurs’ Organization presents 5 Ways to Generate Revenue in the Next 90 Days with Carl Gould 1 to 5 p.m. Check website for location EOLouisiana.org
BRAC Monthly Lunch Health Care in the Capital Region 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. East Baton Rouge Parish Library 7711 Goodwood Boulevard BRAC.org
Wednesday, February 24
Wednesday, February 3
Hispanic Chamber of Commerce of Louisiana Small Business Breakfast Goldman Sachs Module 8:30 to 10:30 a.m. Delgado Community College 615 City Park Avenue HCCL.biz
Jefferson Chamber of Commerce 2016 Legislative Breakfast 8:30 to 10 a.m. Chateau Country Club 3600 Chateau Boulevard, Kenner JeffersonChamber.org
Thursday, February 25
February 9-10 The Historic New Orleans Collection 21st Annual Williams Research Center Symposium “Perspectives on New Orleans Architecture: Past, Present, Future” Hotel Monteleone 214 Royal Street, New Orleans HNOC.org
AHA Annual “Go Red for Women” Luncheon 10 – 11:30 a.m. free health screenings and silent auction 11:30 a.m. luncheon and motivational speakers Marriott New Orleans 555 Canal Street NewOrleansGoRed.Heart.org
Friday, February 26
Tuesday, February 16 2016 Women’s Business Alliance with Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Business & NAWBO 4 to 7 p.m. Le Pavillon Hotel 833 Poydras St. NewOrleansChamber.org
New Orleans Chamber Presents: 1st Quarter Luncheon with LABI 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Hilton Riverside New Orleans 2 Poydras Street NewOrleansChamber.org
Tuesday, February 16 Starting and Financing Your Business Idea Workshop 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. St. Tammany West Chamber of Commerce 610 Hollycrest Boulevard, Covington StTammanyChamber.org
We’d love to include your business-related event in next month’s calendar. Please email details to Editorial@BizNewOrleans.com.
16
February 2016 BizNewOrleans.com
BizNewOrleans.com February 2016
17
Columns | NOLA By The Numbers 1. Upriver Neighborhoods Total Population 2009 11,551 2014 14,060
2. Treme Area 6,540 5,968
3. Downriver Neighborhoods 14,364 12,564
Percent of Population Between Ages 25 and 34 2009 18% 14% 11% 2014 27% 19% 23% Percent of Residents Ages 25+ With College Degree 2009 11% 11% 2014 52% 24%
11% 35%
Back to the City New Orleans is part of a national wave of residents opting for urban life.
I
Robert Edgecombe is
an urban planner and consultant at GCR Inc. He advises a wide range of clients on market conditions, recovery strategies, and demographic and economic trends.
18
n 1925 Ernest Burgess, an urban sociologist from the University of Chicago, published a seminal theory of the development of American cities. His premise was that cities consisted essentially of concentric zones: first a downtown loop, then a more industrial area, then areas predominantly composed of working-class housing, and finally the suburbs inhabited by wealthier residents. Over time as a city’s population grew, these zones would essentially “invade” each other and progressively push the city’s footprint— and its most “desirable” areas— further and further outward. Although highly oversimplified, Burgess’ insights were largely validated in the 20th-century American urban landscape and its familiar lexicon: suburban sprawl, auto-centricity, “white flight” and the like. The past 20 years, however, have confounded some long-standing conventions about American cities, since in almost every metropolitan area, neighborhoods in or near urban cores are experiencing conspicuous revivals. These revivals have not supplanted
February 2016 BizNewOrleans.com
suburban growth by any means, but they have directed a great deal of investment and cachet into areas long regarded as past their prime. Neighborhoods near downtowns in many cities, which for decades had been sleepy or seedy after business hours, are now increasingly among their regions’ most desired, especially for younger residents. Study after study has observed this trend with empirical and emphatic data. This “back to the city” movement has several explanations— including consumer preferences, federal housing policy, largely decreasing crime rates, the effects of the great recession and others— that scholars of economics and urban development continue to examine. In New Orleans, these dynamics are further complicated by the disruptive effects of Hurricane Katrina. But some of our inner-city neighborhoods provide dramatic examples of these recent national trends. The most obvious changes have been in the Central Business and Warehouse districts downtown. In 2000, the population of these neighborhoods was 2,626. By 2010, they were home to 3,460 residents,
and the most recent estimates indicate that their combined population in 2015 was 6,337. In other words, the population has nearly tripled in 15 years and has grown by over 80 percent in the past five years alone. Scores of new apartments and condominiums have come online, and many more are in the pipeline. Even without significant population growth, however, many of New Orleans’ historic neighborhoods have experienced a significant transition in recent years. I examined data from the U.S. Census Bureau to explore these changes in three popular areas of the city: the “sliver by the river” upriver from the CBD (neighborhoods like the Irish Channel, and East and West Riverside), Treme and its surroundings, and the neighborhoods downriver from the French Quarter (including Bywater, St. Claude and Holy Cross). The results were instructive and unmistakable: Younger, generally well-educated residents with disposable income have chosen to take root in these transitional neighborhoods at far greater rates than before. Although the population of these areas in 2009 and 2014 were nearly identical, the composition of their residents had changed dramatically. For example, in 2009, only 14 percent of residents were between ages 25 and 34. By 2014 residents in this age group comprised 24 percent of the population. In 2009, 30 percent of households earned $50,000 or more. By 2014 this percentage had risen to 38 percent, and the poverty rates fell from 32 percent to 26 percent. And most dramatically, the percentage of residents over the age of 25 in these neighborhoods who had earned a bachelor’s degree or higher rose from 11 percent to 40 percent. This analysis is, of course, a mere snapshot from a diverse and complex set of demographic and economic changes in our region. But it is important for local and regional leaders to understand that trends like these represent a very real and likely very important shift in the urban landscape, one in which certain residents are attracted to life in the urban center in much greater proportions than had been conventional for nearly a century. Next month, we will take a closer look at some potential opportunities and challenges associated with this shift, both nationally and regionally. n
BizNewOrleans.com February 2016
19
Columns | Dining Biz
Down the Hatch Tips for restaurateurs in search of more wining with dining
L Peter Reichard is a native New Orleanian who has written about the life and times of the city for more than 20 years, including as a former newspaper editor and business journalist.
20
et’s all be honest for a second. No waiter, no restaurateur wants to hear a customer say, “I’ll just have water.” What they want to hear is, “Can I see your wine list?” And once customers choose a bottle of wine, the quest begins to get them to empty that bottle and order another. Some waiters have a knack for fueling conversation and conviviality by pouring, pouring without customers even noticing. Recent research from Iowa State and Cornell universities aims at helping consumers consume less. But depending on your perspective, the research can help restaurants pour more cheer — or help diners detect what a clever waiter might be up to. Here are a few key findings. The wider the glass, the more people drink. Cornell researchers found that study participants poured
February 2016 BizNewOrleans.com
12 percent more wine when the glasses were wider. A similar study published in the British Medical Journal focused on alcohol generally and found that shorter, wider glasses led to bigger pours than did tall, slender glasses. Another study found that people poured three quarters more liquid into short, wide glasses than those who had tall, slender glasses – but believed they had poured less. In short, people do a really bad job of judging the amount of liquid a container can hold, and they tend to drink whatever amount is in the container in front of them. So, in with the 18-ounce bolla glasses. Pour it high. Iowa State and Cornell researchers found that people who make it a policy of pouring only half a glass of wine pour 18 percent less than average.
Set the bottle next to the fat man. Iowa State and Cornell researchers found that men pour more wine than women, with average-size men pouring about 9 percent more than average-size women. The researchers also found that the fatter the man (the higher his body mass index), the more he tended to pour. Women’s size, by contrast, had nothing to do with how much they poured. Another Cornell study suggests that men can be counted on to consume more in the presence of women. Looking at food consumption only, it found that men who dined with at least one woman ate nearly twice as much pizza as men dining with other men. I’ll leave that one to the psychologists. Sell pairings. Cornell researchers have found that offering food-and-wine pairings generated a 45 percent increase in the sale of targeted wines, and recommend targeting high-margin bottles for this practice to boost profits. Pairings also tend to enhance the experience of both the food and the wine, by focusing the diner’s attention more on the f lavors passing through his mouth. One of the most memorable meals I’ve ever had was at a Lafitte’s Landing dinner, where Chef John Folse had paired each of the five courses with a different wine. Glamorize the wine selection. Cornell researchers found that study participants who were told the wine was from California consumed more wine — and food — than those who were told the same wine came from North Dakota. I know a former wine salesman quite well. When he’s pouring the wine and telling me in rich detail about what I should appreciate in it, it tastes far better than if I had poured it myself. n Photo Thinkstock
BizNewOrleans.com February 2016
21
Columns | Tourism Biz
The Dollars in Doubloons A new study takes another look at the economic impact of Mardi Gras on New Orleans.
C Jennifer Gibson Schecter was
once a tourist in New Orleans herself and is now proud to call NOLA home. Prior to New Orleans, she wrote for publications in the Midwest and New York City. She advises travelers to ask their cab/pedicab/ gondola driver for their favorite restaurant and taking a chance.
22
arnival is the single largest event-based economic driver for the city of New Orleans. It draws tourists not only during the season but influences their trips even in July, when they can be seen walking through the French Quarter wearing beads and buying fleur de lis T-shirts in purple, green and gold. Just how important is Carnival? According to professor Toni Weiss of Tulane University, those weeks have a total direct economic impact of $164 million and a combined direct and indirect impact of $465 million when the yearround value of the Mardi Gras brand is included. Her study, published in 2015, examined the 2014 Carnival season and updated the previous three post-Katrina iterations of her studies. Those studies showed increasing economic impact, and with over 1 million visitors reported in 2015, it’s a safe assumption that
February 2016 BizNewOrleans.com
last year’s numbers could be even higher than those revealed in her study. Weiss and her team drilled down and looked at hotel occupancy and revenue from the Smith Travel Services (STS) report. What they found was that the total lodging revenue for Mardi Gras in 2014 was $70 million. Compared to 2011, that constituted a 10 percent increase in daily room days and an increase in daily room rates of 22.5 percent. The study also culled data to arrive at an amount of visitor spending on non-lodging expenses such as food, drink and transportation. Estimating those expenses to run $63.25 per day, they arrived at a total of $61 million spent by guests staying in hotels on non-lodging items. Interestingly, the study also points out that non-traditional lodging such as Airbnb is another source of economic impact that is not accounted for in the official STS reports, and
therefore was not included in the study. Over $3 million in grocery store sales can be directly attributed to Carnival, and the study also reported bars had an average sales increase of 20 percent during the season. The study also took into account the reason New Orleans receives so many visitors for Mardi Gras – the Parade Krewes. The research team developed a questionnaire to capture expenditures by Krewe organizations and individual Krewe members. They requested information on f loats, throws, costumes, licenses, party venues, decorations, food and a variety of other aspects related to parades and balls. They asked Krewe members about money spent individually on balls, throws, costumes, jewelry, and miscellaneous services such as transportation within the city. Their findings show an average expenditure of $2,455 per member and $2.6 million per Krewe. In total, the New Orleans’ Krewe organizations and members invest over $70 million in Mardi Gras celebrations and parades. And while the City needs to spend money to support increased service needs during Carnival, visitor and local spending combined to over $17 million in tax revenues to the city of New Orleans and other local government entities as a result of Mardi Gras. The importance of Carnival season to the New Orleans economy cannot be understated. As evidenced by the study, it supports jobs not only in the tourism and hospitality sector, but also buoys businesses that supply the merchandise, transportation, sanitation and security required to roll a successful parade. Even the local art sector is benefitted by those who create the costumes, floats and music of Mardi Gras. As of press date, phone calls placed to multiple hotels on Bourbon Street and in the Uptown St. Charles Avenue area revealed 100 percent booked rates for the 2016 Mardi Gras season. Gas is currently well under $2 per gallon, making it likely that more regional visitors can afford to drive to New Orleans. Even with an earlier end to Carnival season than typical, signs indicate that Mardi Gras will once again bring good times and great revenue to the city of New Orleans. n
BizNewOrleans.com February 2016
23
Columns | Sports Biz
The $30 million question Drew Brees is the best Saint ever, but is he worth the money?
T chris price is an award-winning journalist and public relations principal. When he’s not writing, he’s avid about music, the outdoors, and Saints, Ole Miss and Chelsea football.
24
he 2016 NFL season doesn’t officially begin until midafternoon on the Ides of March, but the New Orleans Saints have a bevy of questions to answer now in order to prepare for the days ahead. At the top of the list is figuring out what, if anything, they can do with quarterback Drew Brees’ contract and his future with the team. Brees, in the last year of his current deal, is scheduled to make $30 million ($19.75 million in guaranteed base salary, a $10 million prorated bonus, and a $250,000 workout bonus), according to overthecap.com. The site estimates the NFL’s 2016 salary cap will be $150 million. Unfortunately, once again, the Saints are entering the league year in a negative financial position. Entering the league year, the team has a payroll of more than $139.3 million and more than $14.8 million in dead money — salary from previous contracts owed to players no longer with the team. The problem is more than
February 2016 BizNewOrleans.com
just a $4 million difference. The team has only 41 players under contract, 12 shy of filling a 53-man active roster. That means the Saints will be forced to cut, negotiate or renegotiate salaries to get under the league-mandated limit. The best place to start is at the top. Entering the league year, Brees accounts for 22 percent of the Saints’ expected 2016 player payroll. The dilemma is whether they can afford to spend that much on one player, even if he is the franchise’s best player to ever wear their uniform. Ideally (from the fan perspective), the Saints and Brees would negotiate a new deal that ensures he gets the salary he’s currently owed plus a bit more money spread over the next few years. While his physical traits may have dipped slightly, he is still one of the NFL’s best quarterbacks and looks like he can play among the league’s top half of signal callers for the next two to three years. I could see the team offering $60 million to $80
million over three to four years. This will cause Brees’ cap hit for 2016 to go down to an average of $20 million annually, freeing up cash so the team can upgrade much-needed talent around him. Brees has a lot of negotiating power on his side. His contact is guaranteed, so there is nothing that has to bring him to the negotiating table. He could simply play out his deal, make $30 million in 2016 and test what could be a very lucrative free agent market in 2017. There is no doubt that a team in need of a quarterback, especially one who may be a playmaker short of making the Super Bowl, would be interested in signing the future NFL Hall of Fame quarterback to a mega-contract. Besides, just rhetorically asking who would replace No. 9 under center could cause an outbreak of ulcers across the Who Dat Nation. Seriously, Luke McCown suffered a mysterious back injury that ended his year halfway through the season. The Saints have kept mum on it, which raises questions about his ability going forward. Third-round draft pick Garrett Grayson didn’t see enough of the field as a rookie last year, and with the lack of success from recent Saints draft picks, is he ready to lead the Saints attack just yet? Former LSU quarterback Matt Flynn was signed after McCown was placed on injured reserve. Should Brees leave, Flynn may be the best option going forward if they do not add another quarterback to the roster. The Saints could, of course, try to trade Brees in order to get something in return for losing him. While the idea of getting something for the quarterback, if indeed he’s going to go, feels right, a trade doesn’t seem likely. No one wants to be known as the person who traded away the greatest. Plus, would teams be willing to give up a combination of first- and second-round draft picks worthy and enticing enough to give up Brees? I doubt it. If the Saints are hoping to escape mediocrity and again compete for postseason play, the team must escape its financial confinement while assembling the best talent possible. Drew Brees has proved to be the cog that makes the team successful. He was awarded with a contract that made him one of the league’s top paid players and is due $30 million this season. Still one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL, Brees is worth a big deal, but not at the team’s peril. It’s time for the Saints to offer him a contract extension that gives him his due without handicapping their ability to build the rest of the roster. n Photo AP Images
BizNewOrleans.com February 2016
25
Columns | Film Biz
We’ve Fallen Behind And who is now ahead of us? Georgia — and they’re just getting stronger.
J Kimberley Singletary is the
managing editor of Biz New Orleans magazine. A 20-year Southern California veteran, she has been surrounded by the film industry for most of her life and is thrilled to be covering its emersion in her newly adopted home.
26
ust one year after Film L.A. proclaimed Louisiana the feature film production leader in the U.S. (looking at films released in 2013) we fell to No. 7 for 2014. Georgia is No. 5. That’s the fear — that thanks to the tax credit changes, more and more of our film business will head east. In 2013, Louisiana played host to 18 feature films. That fell to only five in 2014. Georgia, meanwhile, remained steady at nine and 10 respectively. So let’s look at our peach loving neighbors to the east. First, they have a strong incentive program. While Louisiana was the first state to offer film and TV tax incentives in 2002, by 2009 44 states had followed our lead and Georgia’s remains one of the most generous, with 20 percent offered on projects that spend over $500,000 and an additional 10 percent if the finished project if the Georgia logo is embedded in the credits.
February 2016 BizNewOrleans.com
Plus, their credits are not capped. According to the Georgia Film, Music and Digital Entertainment Office, the industry generated more than $5.1 billion in economic impact during the 2014 fiscal year. In addition to the credits, the state is home to the world’s busiest airport — Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport — and a solid and still growing infrastructure. Georgia boasts more than 5,000 crew members, 300-plus recording studios and more than 1,000 production suppliers and support vendors, many of whom are included on the state’s free online directory — a useful tool for filmmakers. And then there’s the production studios, which include such behemoths as Fayetteville’s Pinewood Atlanta Studios — 11 sound stages on 700 acres — and the 5 million square feet comprising Atlanta Media Campus and Studios. Just like in Louisiana,
production studios are continuing to open. This past April, Eagle Rock Studios Atlanta opened the largest TV production studio under one roof in the U.S. Formerly a beer distribution center, the space now hold four 30,000 square-foot sound stages. Another adaptive reuse, the former General Motors Doraville Assembly Plant (located about 15 miles northeast of Atlanta) is expected to complete phase 1 of a new production complex called Third Rail Studios this summer. Phase 1 will include 60,000 square feet of sound stages and 20,000 square feet of production. At full buildout, Third Rail will span 270,000 square feet, making it the largest production facilities north of Atlanta. Since 2008, prolific writer, director and producer Tyler Perry has run his own 200,000 square-foot studio space in southwest Atlanta. This past fall he officially announced plans to expand his efforts with the opening of a $30 million studio on the 488 acres that formerly served as Fort McPherson Army Base. Georgia is also home to a project that holds the title (at least as late as last summer) of the single largest film studio development project happening today; Moon River Studios, located in Effingham County, about 20 miles west of Savannah. Spread across 1,560 acres, the studio complex is planned to include anywhere between 20 and 30 sound stages, a 70-acre concert facility, stores, restaurants, bars and museums. Designed to be as open to the public as possible, plans also include running paths, baseball diamonds and tennis courts. Buildout is expected over the next five years. Along with rapid growth comes the same growing pains Louisiana is experiencing in terms of a shortage in qualified workforce. To help with this, the Georgia Film Academy just launched their pilot certification program on January 11. The two-course program is aimed at providing hands-on industry experience with equipment and production crews. Classes will be offered at three different college campuses. The Academy is also partnering with Pinewood studios, which will be the site of a 10-room training facility and 15,000 square-foot sound stage. Currently ranked third in the U.S. (behind Hollywood and New York) in terms of film and TV production, Georgia is a fierce competitor. Here’s hoping that Louisiana will continue to be as well. n Photo Thinkstock
BizNewOrleans.com February 2016
27
Columns | Entrepreneur Biz
Buy Something Mister Carnival boosts the entrepreneurial spirit.
N Keith Twitchell
spent 16 years running his own business before becoming president of the Committee for a Better New Orleans. He has observed, supported and participated in entrepreneurial ventures at the street, neighborhood, nonprofit, micro- and macrobusiness levels.
28
othing brings out the silliness, creativity and celebratory nature of New Orleanians like Mardi Gras. For many locals, the Carnival season also brings out their inner entrepreneur. In addition to the many businesses that produce Mardi Gras items, hundreds of individuals exercise their creativity in finding ways to generate a few extra dollars. Our creative economy benefits from the season. Most musicians are running from one gig to the next, and local art markets see an influx of out-oftown visitors. On top of that are the ad hoc sellers of the season like face painters, costume and mask makers, even those who make a few bucks selling old clothes for costuming purposes. The newly emerging, so-called direct economy also bustles with Carnival
February 2016 BizNewOrleans.com
entrepreneurism. Even people who aren’t Airbnb regulars rent out rooms or their entire houses at Mardi Gras (hence the sudden appearance of New Orleanians on the Colorado ski slopes at this time of year). Uber drivers and their counterparts who drive regular and bicycle taxis, rarely stop to catch their breath. Once again, the entrepreneurial spirit goes well beyond regular businesspeople. Need a parking spot for the parade? Individual driveways, church and school parking lots, and for unsuspecting visitors, even spaces on the street are suddenly on the market. Some people do a sort of time-sharing on ladders they bring to the parades, charging by the half hour or number of floats that go by. I’ve even seen people erect scaffolding and platforms and charge for the better parade view.
Taking this to (we hope) the ultimate Carnival parade service, you can even pay for emergency bathroom access at certain locations. The service is called “Airpnp” — yes, there’s an app for that. And we won’t even go into off-the-books beverage sales… The krewes themselves have their entrepreneurial components, even though, at least in Orleans Parish, commercialization of parades is strictly prohibited. However, most riders buy their throws through their krewes. For example, Muses has an extraordinary number of krewe throws, starting of course with their signature shoes. A cottage industry has sprung up of artisans who decorate shoes for riders too busy to make their own. On top of that, all the Muses logo throws are purchased through the krewe, which makes a little profit in the process. Even a more counterculture outfit like Krewe du Vieux has signature throws (though they tend to be more along the lines of corkscrews and condoms than plush toys) and with them can generate revenue to offset other expenses. Obviously the tourism industry benefits from the half-million or so visitors that come in every year, but not as much as you might think. After all, Carnival is billed as “The Greatest Free Show on Earth”, so while the hotels do come close to maximum occupancy (many boosting their totals by requiring three- or four-night-minimum stays), a lot of restaurants experience as many hassles as profits, and many in the service industry will tell you that their tip percentage drops significantly. We won’t go into on-the-books beverage sales either, which speaks for itself. The last big winner from Mardi Gras entrepreneurism is government. Even though a lot of the seasonal economy is unreported, the city of New Orleans brought in more than $17.5 million in sales tax revenue during the 2015 Carnival season. Add in everything from vendor license fees to hotel taxes to all those extra parking tickets, and the government revenue is substantial. For many of us, Mardi Gras brings visions of purple, green and gold. But for a certain subset, it’s only the green that really counts! n
BizNewOrleans.com February 2016
29
Columns | Biz Etiquette
Breaktime is for Lovers Office romance is not for the faint of heart.
I Melanie Warner Spencer is editor of
New Orleans Bride Magazine. Her writing has appeared in the Austin American-Statesman, the Houston Chronicle, the Chicago Tribune and Reuters. Spencer’s ever-expanding library of etiquette books is rivaled only by her everready stash of blank thank-you notes. Submit business etiquette questions to Melanie@ MyNewOrleans.com.
30
magine, if you will, a Chicago law firm in 1989. A first-year associate named Michelle is tasked with mentoring a summer intern. The intern is smitten with his mentor, but she rejects his advances. Ultimately, she says yes to a movie date. The couple eventually marries. This is, of course, the story of first lady Michelle and President Barack Obama, which wouldn’t have happened were it not for that age-old forbidden love: the office romance. According to Vault, a business ranking and review company, office romance is becoming more acceptable across the United States. In its 2015 office romance survey, 29 percent of respondents believe “all romantic connections in the workplace are appropriate — including those between managers and their direct reports.” Fun-fact: Human resource professionals are the most likely to have had a fling
February 2016 BizNewOrleans.com
with a colleague, according to the survey. The Obamas are among the 10 percent of respondents who married their coworker. Which means 90 percent of office romances don’t work out. With statistics like that, and February being the month of love according to countless Valentine’s Day cards and sugary sweet commercials, it’s a good idea to review a few things to consider before entering into a workplace relationship. n Love and marriage: Fortyseven percent of the Vault survey respondents reported that they are aware of infidelity between colleagues, so this should go without saying. If you are married, rather than cultivating romance at work, go home and work on your marriage. n Rules of the game: Learn your company’s policy on workplace dating. Because office romances are so common, most companies already have rules in place to
keep employees on the up-and-up, avoid favoritism and diffuse potential drama. If you and a coworker are struck by Cupid’s arrow and become an item, come clean with human resources. They may move you to a new department or perhaps they’ll shrug and wish you luck, but at least you’ve done your part. n Go pro: The most important thing to remember is to keep any PDA and/ or drama out of the office. Maturity and discretion are paramount. n Let’s just be friends: If the thrill is gone, do everything possible to keep drama out of the office. For people who find themselves up against an ex who is not handling it well, you may want to visit with human resources to inform them of the situation if, for example, your ex tries to bring arguments and drama into the workplace or behaves badly by spreading rumors. Fingers crossed — once the extreme emotions subside and your ex finds his or her bearings, a strictly professional relationship can be maintained. For the lucky 10 percent who find themselves in a lasting, committed relationship, congratulations. You’ve navigated quite the minefield and come out the other side intact. It’s now time to accept the fact that no matter how hard you’ve worked at being fair, mature, open and above board with management and HR, more than a third of those surveyed by Vault “believe that a colleague has gained a career advantage by getting involved with a co-worker or superior.” But hey, you found love, right? You can’t win them all. While it’s wise to keep your work and romantic life separate, as the poet Emily Dickinson wrote, “The heart wants what it wants.” Just do your best to make sure that what your heart wants is love actually and not fatal attraction. n
Photo Thinkstock
BizNewOrleans.com February 2016
31
Columns | Tech Biz
Rush to the Cloud Is now the time?
B Steven Ellis
has spent the last 16 years working at the intersection of business and technology for Bellwether Technology in New Orleans, where he serves as the company’s vice president.
32
arring a game-changing event, business applications are headed to the cloud. More specifically, I believe that one day all the software we use to run our businesses will be delivered via the software as a service (SAAS) cloud model. In this model, a vendor provides a complete, ready-to-use application via the Internet, with no servers or other infrastructure for the end user to manage or support. Popular examples today include Microsoft Office 365, Google Apps and Salesforce.com. But not all applications have migrated to the SAAS model yet, and many businesses still rely heavily on traditional software designed to run on servers they host and support themselves. The complete takeover by SAAS is still years away. In the meantime, we might feel left behind if we don’t embrace new technology, and the question arises: Should we try to run our traditional applications in the cloud? First, let’s look at how that’s done, which is via the Infrastructure as a Service (IAAS) cloud model. Here a vendor provides cloud-based servers, storage, and networking to IT people, who then manage
February 2016 BizNewOrleans.com
and support software running on them to deliver usable applications. Popular examples of IAAS today include Amazon Web Services (the market leader) and Microsoft Azure (the runner-up and fastestgrowing). IAAS has become very popular with Internet companies and with very large entities — organizations like Netflix and NASA — but their needs are quite different from those of a typical small business. For many the first consideration is simple: direct cost. In this case, the advantage often goes to traditional computing. With typical and reasonable assumptions, buying an appropriately sized server and using it for three to five years costs less than paying Amazon, Microsoft, or some other cloud provider to host everything for you. It’s not uncommon for hosting vendors to tip the scales in their favor by overestimating the number or size of traditional servers needed or by underestimating the duration of physical servers’ useful life, so be sure to review their cost comparisons carefully. The exception is when your demand for computing might grow or shrink very quickly or drastically, which is
the type of situation that the cloud handles well and cost effectively. If cost is not the main factor or differentiator, most people will then wonder about security and reliability in the cloud, for which there are good arguments on both sides. On one hand, cloud providers have more sophisticated protection and redundancy than a typical small business. On the other hand, cloud providers may be more frequently targeted by attacks, and the complexity of their systems can lead to outages. From my standpoint, both cloud and traditional computing are sufficiently reliable for most businesses when implemented well, and whatever differences in security vulnerabilities might exist at the infrastructure level pale in comparison to widespread human, device, and password vulnerabilities. Consequently, I would not make security or reliability the basis for my decision whether to put something in the cloud. Another major consideration is performance. While most cloud offerings are great at running web servers and databases, public IAAS offerings like AWS and Azure are not designed to run full-desktop workloads such as Microsoft Remote Desktop Services and Citrix XenApp. If one of these products is part of the solution to bring your traditional application to the cloud, choose your provider carefully, allow for thorough testing, and have a solid fall-back plan. A final thought is disaster recovery, which is another area where the cloud really shines because most data centers are well protected from likely natural disasters and because cloud resources can be ratcheted up when needed. This consideration alone might tilt the balance in favor of the cloud for production use or could make the cloud a key component of a disaster-recovery solution for locally hosted systems. Putting it all together, I would always consider using the cloud before investing in new servers or other infrastructure, and the first thing to look for is a cloudbased version of the application under consideration. If no suitable cloudbased solution exists, then cloud-based infrastructure is good for scalability and disaster recovery, but the traditional approach often is the best answer for typical needs. n Photo Thinkstock
BizNewOrleans.com February 2016
33
Biz Bits - Industry News Around town
The life sciences represent a high-growth sector in Louisiana in terms of building companies and creating jobs…We have already come a long way and there is great optimism for the future. - David Rieveschl, a shareholder in Baker Donelson’s New Orleans office and leader of the firm’s Louisiana Emerging Companies Team. The Baker Donelson and LouisianaBio joint report, released January 13, on “The State of Life Sciences Entrepreneurship in Louisiana” analyzes the current perceived state of life sciences entrepreneurship in Louisiana and provides anecdotal data about the startup climate for entrepreneurs in the life sciences. To read the report, visit bakerdonelson.com/louisiana-life-sciences/
Ochsner Celebrates Largest Medical School Class To Date On January 9, 123 third-year medical students attended Ochsner Clinical School’s sixth annual White Coat Ceremony, the largest since the school opened in 2009. Traditionally held during the first year of medical school, Ochsner’s is held during the beginning of the third year as students embark on the clinical phase of their education. The school is run in partnership with the University of Queensland in Australia, where students spend their first two years of study.
Allegiant Adds Service to Two New Cities Beginning April 2016, Allegiant Air will launch nonstop service from Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport (MSY) to Jacksonville International Airport (JAX) and St. Petersburg–Clearwater International Airport (PIE). The new year-round flights will each operate twice weekly. Flight days, times and fares can be found at www.Allegiant.com. Allegiant Air launched service from Armstrong International in February 2015.
34
February 2016 BizNewOrleans.com
VOAGNO Seeks Mentors Volunteers of America Greater New Orleans launched a mentor drive last month in honor of National Mentoring Month. The drive hopes to draw adult mentors, particularly men, who would like to make a positive difference in the lives of local children age 4 to 18, who have an incarcerated parent or guardian or youth age 14 to 24 who have been involved in the juvenile justice system. Statistics show that 70 percent of children with a parent in prison will eventually be incarcerated themselves. Volunteers are asked to commit to 8 hours a month with their mentee for a minimum of one year. For more information, visit voagno.org or call (504) 836-8701.
Recent Openings
Landing Zone The newest business incubator in New Orleans opened to the public January 14 at 625 Celeste Street in the Lower Garden District. The 20,000-square-foot co-working space and small business incubator offers tenants options from private offices to lounge-style spaces, along with a long list of amenities including receptionist services, a full gym, secure filing storage, free parking and video conferencing equipment.
Panavision/Light Iron NOLA Panavision, a leader in designing, manufacturing and renting lenses and camera systems, and postproduction leader Light Iron opened their expanded new facility at 837 Distributors Row in New Orleans on January 16. The 30,500-square-foot facility will offer turnkey solutions for filmmakers from pre-production through delivery.
COMING SOON G2X Energy, a developer of advanced natural gas to methanol projects based in Houston, broke ground of a world-scale methanol production facility in Lake Charles, Louisiana on January 13. The Big Lake Fuels Methanol Plant, once complete, will produce 1.4 million metric tons of commercial-grade methanol per year and will have the necessary facilities to convert methanol to automotive gasoline in the future. New Orleans TV station WYES broke ground on phase two of the WYES Innovation Center for Educational Media at 916 Navarre Avenue on January 20. The $16.7 million Innovation Center will serve as home to the station’s new educational initiatives, award-winning documentaries, locally produced series and PBS programming. When it opens in 2017, the center will complete the station’s facilities that were destroyed during Hurricane Katrina.
East Baton Rouge Contractor Support Center On January 15, TruFund Financial Services Inc. opened the East Baton Rouge Contractor Support Center at 2875 Michelli Drive in partnership with the Louisiana Economic Development (LED), East Baton Rouge Parish Fair Share Program, East Baton Rouge Parish Public School System and the Southern University Small Business Development Center. The support center will host TruFund’s Contractor Competiveness Boot Camp, which will provide assistance and guidance to underserved small businesses and nonprofit organizations and is expected to serve nearly 100 contractors throughout the first half of the year by offering supportive services including workstations, desktops, software and industry-specific training to participants.
Seattle-based retailer Nordstrom is scheduled to open a 35,000-square-foot Nordstrom Rack store at The Outlet Collection at Riverwalk this fall. The off-price retail division of Nordstrom, Nordstrom Rack offers everyday savings of 30 to 70 percent off regular prices. Planned for the south side of the mall, the addition will represent the third Nordstrom Rack in Louisiana — the Mall of Louisiana in Baton Rouge opened one October 1, 2015 and another will open March 10, 2016 at Ambassador Center in Lafayette. The new North Terminal at Louis Armstrong International Airport broke ground January 14. Construction manager Hunt-Gibbs-BohMetro will complete the new terminal for an opening date of Oct. 1, 2018. In total, the project will generate nearly $1 billion in direct investment in the region and create over 13,000 new construction jobs. The 760,500 square-foot terminal will feature 30 gates and a 2,300-car parking garage.
We’d love to include your business-related news in next month’s Biz Bits. Please email details to Editorial@BizNewOrleans.com. BizNewOrleans.com February 2016
35
36
February 2016 BizNewOrleans.com
ADVERTISEMENT
Close your next deal at one of these business-friendly bistros.
Crossroads at House of Blues
Broussard’s Restaurant
225 Decatur St. | (504) 310-4961 houseofblues.com/neworleans/crossroads
819 Conti St. | (504) 581-3866 Broussards.com
Located in the French Quarter, our delicious cuisine is a mix of American and international dishes. From juicy steaks and tantalizing salads to decadent desserts, our world famous venue is sure to please. Dine while listening to live music on one of four stages including an outdoor bar and courtyard.
Broussard’s Restaurant, located just blocks from the Central Business District, is now offering lunch on Fridays, from 11:00AM to 2:30PM. New lunch menu with classic dishes with a twist and $19.20 lunch menu, a nod to Broussard’s historic opening date, almost a century ago.
Kingfish
Jazz Brunch at Maison Dupuy
337 Chartres St. | (504) 598-5005 kingfishneworleans.com
1001 Toulouse St. | (504) 586-8000 maisondupuy.com
Kingfish is a popular restaurant and cocktail bar that salutes the Huey P. Long Era. The Kingfish menu embodies new Louisiana cuisine by renowned Chef Nathan Richard along with our talented bartenders’ skill to create a unique Louisiana-centric dining experience. Kingfish is the perfect place for lunch, dinner, or cocktails.
Sunday Jazz Brunch returns to the iconic Courtyard and Bistreaux of the Maison Dupuy, beginning on Easter Sunday and continuing each Sunday, 10:30am to 2pm. Enjoy great food, music, complimentary parking, Bloody Mary bar and bottomless Mimosas and champagne. Rediscover our exquisite courtyard, fabulous food & drink and superb service. For reservations please call 648-6113. BizNewOrleans.com February 2016
37
38
February 2016 BizNewOrleans.com
BIT
on the
After 143 years, the New Orleans Fair Grounds Race Course continues to overcome challenges, which now include a changing marketplace. by Lucie Monk Carter
R
hythm rules a certain stretch of Gentilly Boulevard, right where it bends off Bayou Road in the middle of a residential neighborhood. But the source of the pounding depends on when you’re passing by. During the two-weekend stretch between April’s end and the beginning of May, it’s the secondlines, swarming crowds, and stacked lineup of the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Fest. From Thanksgiving Day to early spring, though, you’re hearing hoof beats in the air. The New Orleans Fair Grounds Race Course, the third-oldest continuously operating thoroughbred track in the country, was officially founded in 1872 but boasts roots in the opulence of antebellum New Orleans. Today the property, owned and operated by Churchill Downs Inc., hosts two major events a year, with premier attractions including the Louisiana Derby and the New Orleans
Handicap, and maintains 11 off-track betting facilities in the metropolitan area. The course has been graced by the likes of Black Gold (winner of the 1924 Kentucky Derby) and Pan Zareta (called “Queen of the Turf,” she won more races than any other mare in the country’s racing history). But horse racing no longer dominates the realm of spectator sports. The New Orleans Saints and the New Orleans Pelicans call for the attention of everyone from casual fans and tourists out for a slice of local culture to rabid devotees wagging foam fingers. Racing has competition as a gaming outlet too, losing gamblers and their burning wallets to the rise of the casino industry in the ’80s and ’90s. The question is: How does the Fair Grounds remain relevant and profitable after entertaining New Orleanians for well over a century?
New Orleans Fair Grounds Race Course President, Tim Bryant, came to the Fair Grounds after 20 years working in casinos and gambling.
Photo Jeff Johnston
BizNewOrleans.com February 2016
39
Keeping Track Many have held the reins of the Fair Grounds throughout the years. Called the Union Race Course in its first incarnation, the 400-acre property opened in autumn of 1852 with a pacer race of gray geldings. From there it became the Creole Course in 1859, and by 1863 the property (called the Mechanicals & Agricultural Fair Grounds or just plain “Fair Grounds” by then) was being used for wartime entertainment: boxing, bull fights, and baseball joined the ongoing horse races (though the prime equine athletes had been sent off to war, too). After the war, a schism in the Metairie Jockey Club — divided over control of the Metairie Course, a competitor of the Fair Grounds — led to the club’s younger members founding the Louisiana Jockey Club in 1872 and holding their meets at the Fair Grounds. But the club’s ongoing financial troubles ended in a disbandment in 1877. Faced with a potential lack of racing entertainment in the city, former Metairie Jockey Club members engineered a fundraiser to purchase the Fair Grounds as the New Louisiana Jockey Club. “The Fair Grounds, with its racecourse and clubhouse, form an estate which should be preserved,” reported one local newspaper during the campaign. “It would be a public calamity were this property to pass into private hands and be divided up.” The track was defeated by another sort of hurdle in 1908, when the anti-gambling contingent successfully passed the “Locke Law” in the Louisiana Legislature, and horse racing was rendered illegal. Seven years later, the law was repealed and racing bounced back, only to be weakened by the Great Depression, which led to lower prizes, or purses, for the race winners and multiple shifts in ownership. 1940 legislation from Gov. Sam Jones placed legal sanctions on racing, forcing the track’s owners to put it up for sale due to the new expenses. Thankfully for racing enthusiasts, the track was saved from a likely future as a subdivison when the Fairgrounds Corp., a group of New Orleans businessmen and horsemen, jumped into action, with the track’s operations overseen by the new Fair Grounds Breeders and Racing Association. The track underwent a short closure in 1945, joining race courses across the country in obeying a directive from the War Mobilization Department issued during World War II. But the Fair Grounds’ next serious opponents were all natural.
Weather Delays A 1993 fire consumed the Fair Course’s grandstand in the middle of a racing season. Still, the course persevered and managed to complete the season by erecting temporary facilities. A new grandstand began construction in 1994, opening to the public 40
February 2016 BizNewOrleans.com
“Thoroughbred racing has failed to keep up with rising competition from other forms of gambling, sports and entertainment,” said a recent report from McKinsey & Co.
as a grandstand and clubhouse in 199X. But when Hurricane Katrina came calling a few years later, in August 2005, the winds ripped the top off the new grandstand. The property flooded, too. But the races didn’t stop. Louisiana Downs in Bossier City, Louisiana, became a refuge for the rest of the season, hosting race meets as “Fair Grounds at Harrah’s Louisiana Downs.” The New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Fest went ahead as planned at the Fair Grounds that spring, and when the racing season returned on Thanksgiving Day 2006, a record crowd of 8,732 people was in the stands to celebrate.
New Leadership Churchill Downs Inc. purchased the Fair Grounds in 2004, not long before Katrina’s arrival. In 2007, a temporary slot facility was opened on the premises, with a permanent structure established the next year. Photos Jeff Johnston
“Horse racing on its own is a very difficult business to run.” – Tim Bryant, Fair Grounds President It’s not inexpensive to keep a horse, especially a thoroughbred racehorse whose needs include training and keep, not to mention entry fees and travel. A survey conducted by Thoroughbred Owner View showed that the average costs for an owner in 2014 was $40,423.
Louisiana Bred Certain incentives are given to horses with Louisiana lineage. Since 1991, the Fair Grounds has co-hosted Louisiana Champions Day with the Louisiana Thoroughbred Breeders Association (LTBA), where Louisana-bred quarterhorses and thoroughbreds are the sole competitors in an 11-race showcase. Similar events are held at Evangeline Downs and Louisiana Downs, with Louisiana Legends Night in July and Louisiana Downs Champions Day in August, respectively.
A Changing Industry
Long ago, the Fair Grounds supplemented horse racing with boxing, bull fights and baseball. Since 2007, gaming revenue has enabled the facility to offer larger purses to racers.
“Other tracks had gotten slots,” says Fair Grounds President Tim Bryant. “State legislature passed it many years prior to that.” Bryant arrived to the Fair Grounds with over 20 years of experience in casinos and gambling. Prior to this position, he stood as vice president of operations and finance at Harrah’s New Orleans. According to Bryant, adding slots to the Fair Grounds was not just a smart move, but a historically accurate one. “It’s pretty clear when you research the history of it that the horse-racing industry did that often to help supplement purses,” says Bryant. “Horse racing on its own is a very difficult business to run,” he adds. The income provided by the gross gaming revenue at the slot as well as video-poker machines installed at 10 of the Fair Grounds’ 11 OTB facilities allows the track to offer larger purses for the meets. “It makes it more appealing for horsemen,” says Bryant. Photos Jeff Johnston
The Jockey Club, upon its 1894 establishment, resolved in its mission statement “not only to encourage the development of the thoroughbred horse, but to establish racing on such a footing that it may command the interests as well as the confidence and favorable opinion of the public.” Still true to its word in 2011, the club commissioned a report then from management consulting firm McKinsey & Co. The study, titled “Driving Sustainable Growth for Thoroughbred Racing and Breeding,” recommended greater integrity in the sport, larger field sizes (defined by the number of horses competing in a race), additional TV coverage, and more. “Despite many laudable innovations,” stated the report, “Thoroughbred racing has failed to keep up with rising competition from other forms of gambling, sports, and entertainment.” Causes for the decline were determined to be poor reputation, limited broadcasts of events, and a dilution of the product. The core fanbase is on the wane, too. “The people most attracted to horse racing are an older demographic,” says Bryant. “More customers are dying than we’re bringing in. We’ve made a conscious effort to have family days and appeal to younger generation. We don’t want to lose the crowd.” The stern message of the McKinsey report was heard loud and clear by Bryant and fellow members of the racing industry. Changes based on these recommendations, which include simulcasting — in which the broadcast of a race allows wagers at multiple sites, leading BizNewOrleans.com February 2016
41
to a larger betting pool — have already led to profits and “positive momentum” for the Fair Grounds, according to Bryant.
Working Relationships “There are so many different pieces,” says Bryant of the racing community. “Horsemen and tracks have to get along.” The Fair Grounds works with the Horsemen’s Benevolent & Protective Association as well as the Louisiana Thoroughbred Breeders Association on ensuring the track’s operations maintain integrity. “We won’t agree on everything, but it’s vitally important that we sit down at the table together,” says Bryant. Bryant claims there’s one issue that’s clearcut to all parties: “We need to be a viable industry that’s attractive to many.”
The Experience “If you come on a big race day, there’s a big crowd,” says Bryant. “But even on a small day, there’s an energy in the anticipation of who’s going to win. People are excited.” Bryant describes a “pageantry” to the races, extending from the fanciful dress of some audience members to the proceedings on the field. “The horses are paraded through the paddock,” he explains, “and the jockeys mount their horses right on the track. Then when the race starts, you have those two minutes of anticipation.” It’s a singular excitement. “We don’t have 60,000 people like
“We don’t have 60,000 people like the Superdome, but the vibe and energy we’ve got … well, it’s a cool place to be. It’s a cool place to work.” – Tim Bryant, Fair Grounds President the Superdome, but the vibe and energy we’ve got … well, it’s a cool place to be. It’s a cool place to work,” says Bryant. Nostaglia adds to the environment. “Tons of people will say they have some kind of memory of the fairgrounds,” says Bryant. “They might not come here more than once a year or once every two years, but they have an association with it.”
Officially founded in 1872, the New Orleans Fair Grounds Race Course is the third-oldest continuously operating thoroughbred track in the country. 42
February 2016 BizNewOrleans.com
Photos Jeff Johnston
Family Time The Fair Grounds doesn’t limit its competition to the equine. Included among its more family-centric offerings, the track hosts competitions for exotic animals. “Camels, ostriches, zebras … they all come here to race!” says Bryant. Dachshunds compete too, though it’s safe to say no jockeys are involved. The track holds Family Days designed to add variety to the crowd. “Kids will climb stuff. They’ll jump up and down,” laughs Bryant. He hopes a day at the races will continue to appeal to a wider audience, “whether you’re an avid bettor or a family.” “We want to continue to redefine and come up with different ways of entertainment,” he adds. In addition to watching the races, there’s the clubhouse for dining, the slots if you’re on a lucky streak, or even the large grandstand area, where people-watching the eclectic crowd should keep you occupied. “You’re betting against each other, too,” says Bryant, of the audience experience. “You’re not betting against the house. You’re not betting the Fair Grounds.”
Jazz Fest Founded in 1970, the annual New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Fest held its first two events at what is now known as Armstrong Park but moved to the Fair Grounds in 1972. It’s been there every year since. Once the thoroughbred meet concludes in late March or early April, the grounds are handed over to the festival organizers. “It’s amazing how they convert it,” says Bryant. The Fair Grounds handles beverage operation for the festival but leaves the rest of the popular experience in organizers’ hands. “We hope that it raises awareness of the Fair Grounds,” says Bryant. “We can say ‘Home of Jazz Fest.’”
The Way Forward With a successful thoroughbred meet in 2015, and a new year in the same vein, Bryant has a rosy outlook on the Fair Grounds’ future. The conscious forward motion wouldn’t be possible without respect for the track’s long history in Mid-City. “We’re a racetrack that sits in the middle of three different neighborhood associations. It’s important to us to be a good community partner,” says Bryant. “And we want to continue to be a part of the fabric of this community.” n
Over the decades, the Fair Grounds has conquered financial and legal battles, as well as war, fire, flood and now an aging customer base. Photos Jeff Johnston and Cheryl Gerber
BizNewOrleans.com February 2016
43
BUILDING THE LEFT: Linda Pompa, executive director of the Oretha Castle Haley Boulevard Merchants and Business Association. RIGHT: Carol Bebelle, co-founder and executive director of AshĂŠ Cultural Arts Center.
44
February 2016 BizNewOrleans.com
Photos Jeff Johnston and Cheryl Gerber
BOULEVARD With business booming along Oretha Castle Haley Boulevard, Central City faces a turning point. By David Lee Simmons
L
inda Pompa and Carol Bebelle could be considered a study in contrasts. Pompa is the executive director of the Oretha Castle Haley Boulevard Merchants and Business Association and an expert in urban redevelopment who’s become a booster for the business boom currently underway along the boulevard. And Bebelle is the co-founder and executive director of Central City fixture, Ashé Cultural Arts Center. Yet, in separate interviews, unprompted, when asked to expound on the importance of what on its face feels like a business renaissance in the area, they’re both quick to point out the boulevard’s motto: “Culture. Commerce. Community.” The area, as Pompa sees it, “is an ecosystem. We want to be a neighborhood commercial district,” with emphasis on the word neighborhood.
Bebelle, a longtime champion in the fight for the authenticity of this historic neighborhood, agrees. She views this potential renaissance with guarded optimism, but optimism nonetheless, as businesses (including banks) grow alongside nonprofits, mixed-income housing developments and charter schools, while churches hold their ground and everyone hopes to retain the flavor that made Central City click in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. “Central City and the (Oretha Castle Haley Boulevard) corridor are a part of what is happening today in New Orleans,” Bebelle says. “When you look at what’s happening in Bywater and the Marigny, I don’t know if they had the neighborhood’s culture in their head when they planned that community after the storm. The story is yet to be told on that one. But I do know in Central City, there a lot of people who are connecting arms together to have a diverse comBizNewOrleans.com February 2016
45
munity that’s able to support and serve a residence that is very diverse, and growing their own way. “Part of what Ashé has done is to be a place where people can be together. We have to keep striving to be diverse, and recognize that a rising tide lifts all boats.” It’s not always so easy.
“This isn’t Magazine Street.” Renee Blanchard sits inside her Church Alley Coffee Bar, which is basically a loosely carvedout section of what used to serve as the lobby of Zeitgeist Multi-Disciplinary Arts Center on Oretha Castle Haley Boulevard. A few customers are scattered about the cozy spot. Business is good, she says. It’s pretty much doubled each year since she opened in January 2013 — making her, at the ripe old age of 36, the godmother of for-profit retail on this historic stretch. But from the beginning, and up to today, she remains wary of the situation. “The first year, it was a struggle,” she says, having moved from her original location a few blocks closer to the New Orleans Mission. “I live two blocks away. There’s a huge difference, just two blocks off the boulevard. The neighbors still call it Dryades Street. (The boulevard was renamed in 1989 after the New 46
February 2016 BizNewOrleans.com
1
2
3
4
Orleans civil rights leader.) It’s a huge divide.” Blanchard wants to be of the neighborhood as much as she is in the neighborhood, and is self-conscious of being a young white woman in a historic African-American neighborhood with deep roots in the city’s jazz and Mardi Gras Indian scenes. Born in Lafayette but having lived around the country, Blanchard spent years working in the nonprofit world, most notably for the Waterkeeper Alliance and Greenpeace. She doesn’t want to be a gentrifier, but, she doesn’t want to go broke, either. “It’s really hard. I have this social-justice background, and that’s all about leveling the playing field for everyone,” she said. “I have to reconcile that with keeping my doors open and having an affordable menu. I had to build the menu over time. And I have different types of price points.” “We live in a city that’s had racial and economic divides since it began,” says Blanchard, whose husband, Adam Montegut, runs the nearby New Orleans Tattoo Museum. “It’s difficult to wrap your head around. So I try to participate in all of the activities on the boulevard, and I talk to my neighbors.” She pauses at one point, and looks toward the river. “This isn’t Magazine Street,” she
1: A look inside the Ashé Cultural Arts Center 2: Mural outside the Ashé Cultural Center 3: Church Alley Coffee Bar at the Zeitgeist Multi-Disciplinary Center 4: Café Reconcile
says, and she doesn’t want it to be. Welcome to life operating a business on the quickly expanding Oretha Castle Haley Boulevard, which, like a handful of other stretches of New Orleans streets, has undergone a post-Katrina renaissance that has entrepreneurs and neighbors vacillating between excitement and wariness. They love the restoration of previously shuttered buildings, the promise of mixed-use residences, and the proliferation of businesses — many with a “social enterprise” vibe that befits a stretch that’s also filled with nonprofit organizations.
Recent Boom While the makeover of “the boulevard” has been many years in the making, the most eye-catching openings have happened over the past three years. There was Church Alley, and then Casa Borrega, and more recently the relocation of the Southern Food & Beverage Museum (with its own bar and restaurant, Purloo), the New Orleans Jazz Market, the Roux Carré constellation of food vendors, and Photos Cheryl Gerber
“I liked the fact that there was a strong cultural element here that’s absent in a lot of other commercial districts.” – Linda Pompa the ambitious Dryades Public Market (inside the old McDonogh #38/Myrtle Banks building), which provides a range of specialty foods, sandwiches and pastas, along with cooking demos and a bar. This past May, Chef Adolfo Garcia (owner of La Boca, Ancora and High Hat Cafe) chose OCH to serve as home to his latest restaurant, Primitivo, whose centerpiece is a massive brick and steel grill and oven. “Business has been good to great, with some slow spots as expected,” Garcia says. “Foot traffic has been increasing and I think the comfort level, the perception, is on the rise. I am more than happy with where we are six months in.” The Oretha Castle Haley Boulevard renaissance, promised and anticipated for decades, appears to be finally happening, and the rest of the nation is paying attention. Pulse-taker Thrillist recently named the boulevard one of Photos Cheryl Gerber
5
6
7
8
its “12 neighborhoods across America that are about to blow up.” Pompa is dubious about the characterization. “We’re not about to ‘blow up,’” Pompa says. “The changes have been incremental, especially since Katrina. ‘Exploding’ doesn’t tell the story about how incremental that change has been.”
For Change, Not Just For Profit No stranger to urban blight, Pompa spent years working in Baltimore before coming to New Orleans in 2007 on an urban redevelopment fellowship through the University of Pennsylvania and the Rockefeller Foundation, and never left. She is quick to offer a tour up and down the boulevard and note a transformation more complex and compelling than just the addition of a bunch of shops. “The boulevard was very appealing to me, and I liked the fact that there was a strong cultural element here that’s absent in a lot of other commercial districts,” says Pompa, who’s just as excited to see the continued existence of spaces such as Zeitgest and the expansion of Ashé Cultural Arts Center as anything else. She also emphasizes the kind of socialenterprise activity in the neighborhood that goes back to the founding of Café Reconcile
5: The New Orleans Jazz Market 6: One of Roux Carré’s vendors, Johnny’s Jamaican Grill 7: Inside the Southern Food & Beverage Museum 8: Dryades Public Market
in 2000 with the hope of providing job training and other help for at-risk youth. The most recent example: the opening in November 2015 of the Good Work Network’s Roux Carré. A series of multi-ethnic food vendors, Roux Carré hopes to incubate small businesses with affordable food working inside 175-squarefoot “pods” surrounding a courtyard, with names like Pupusa Lady, Johnny’s Jamaican Grill, Splendid Pig and the Juice Box. The latter business, serving snowballs, is sponsored by Central City’s Youth Empowerment Project, which since 2004 has worked with young people who are seeking their high school equivalency and benefit from intense mentoring. Nonprofits work on a range of issues, from the venerable New Orleans Mission and the Gulf Coast Housing Partnership to more recent additions such as RIDE New Orleans. Even smaller businesses try to help out. Zaneta Flowers, who grew up Uptown before moving away for years, returned a few years ago and opened Charlie Boy, a resale fashion boutique exclusively for men. BizNewOrleans.com February 2016
47
9
She even ponders the idea of a nonprofit to help men who have just been released from prison and need tailored clothes for job interviews. “We’re a community-based business,” she says. “We’re here for everybody.” On a grander, yet nonprofit scale, the Southern Food & Beverage Museum and Peoples Health New Orleans Jazz Market provide a blend of cultural preservation along with food, drink and musical entertainment. In January, “SoFAB” presented “Cochon Sauvage,” in which local chefs (including Ryan Hughes from SoFAB’s Purloo) carved up and cooked a wild pig as part of an initiative by the state Department of Agriculture to curb the local porcine overpopulation. The museum also offers free days and affordable access to its commercial kitchen for aspiring chefs and caterers. “We feel that we are making an impact,” says SoFAB’s Liz Williams. “We want to be the Smithsonian of food, and we feel like we’re on our way.” Similarly, the New Orleans Jazz Market, under the stewardship of musician Irvin Mayfield of the New Orleans Jazz Orchestra, gets a lot of notice for its performance venue and the sophisticated Bolden Bar. But it also provides a library and digital jazz archive with eight viewing stations for the community. It remains uncertain how a pilot literacy program will be funded after news broke last year that the New Orleans Jazz Orchestra had earmarked funds from the New Orleans Public Library Foundation — which Mayfield ran along with Ronald Markham. Both have resigned their foundation titles, with NOJO promising to return some $800,000 in funds to the library foundation. Regardless, the Jazz Market represents a performance home for NOJO and a return of live jazz to the genre’s cradle, given Central City was the home of such legends as Buddy Bolden, Kid Ory, Jelly Roll Morton and Professor Longhair. Not interested in that particular strain of 48
February 2016 BizNewOrleans.com
10
jazz? There’s always a Latin vibe going on back up the street at Casa Borrega, the funky café opened by artist Hugo Montero and his wife, Green Project founder Linda Stone. Asked how he decided to make it all happen, Montero shrugs. “I create my own reality,” he says. “Everybody told me I was (freaking) crazy. We’re not catering to tourists. The idea was to create my own niche. Business has been totally amazing for dinner.” The result: Positive reviews from local critics and write-ups or mentions in Forbes, USA Today and The Wall Street Journal.
Housing Worries Challenges remain, most notably in the form of affordable housing. Central City’s transformation has included the closing of the Magnolia housing development, replaced by Harmony Oaks — a mixed-income residential complex. Also new is The Muses Apartment Homes, a mixed-income project developed by the Gulf Coast Housing Partnership that caters to everyone from families to Tulane University students. “We’ve made a lot of progress. They’ve been great additions to the neighborhood,” Pompa says, adding, “We’re still hoping to see some momentum on redevelopment of vacant housing.” As she passes by the Friday Night Fights Gym, which among other things sponsors popular boxing shows featuring fights, dancers, rappers, drag queens and burlesque performers, she stops and points to a house a half block off O.C. Haley and says, “You see that house? A couple years ago it sold for $97,000, and the developer flipped it within a year for over $600,000.” And this is a house that faces a parking lot and is next to a vacant lot with abandoned mattresses. She worries that other flipping-minded developers might take advantage of older residents who might not appreciate the value of their home but might sell in the face of
9: Hugo Montero, owner of Casa Borrega, a restaurant and museum he created with his wife, Linda Stone. 10: Mike Tate with Friday Night Fights.
increased property taxes and pressure from higher-income residents. She resists comparisons to the fast development along Freret Street, and hopes for, more than anything else, balance. “There is a lot of flipping going on,” she says. “More people with money are moving into the neighborhood. You can’t go from having one restaurant that’s reasonably priced to a whole bunch of restaurants that cost two to three times as much without having this issue of gentrification.” As she, too, worries about displacement of these longtime residents, Bebelle comes back to that theme of culture, commerce and community to ensure that everyone thrives on the boulevard. “Ten years from now people should be able to stay in Central City and live in decent housing, and there should be people who can pay market value for properties as well,” she said. “And we’ll work together to create an economy that can have businesses, and nonprofits, and services for everyone. “If we don’t we’ll be living into a rehash of what’s happening everywhere else.” Pompa says the key here is a balance between neighborhood-serving businesses and destination retail that doesn’t shut out residents. “We don’t want to be overdeveloped and have people living right up against the French Quarter.” Carol Bebelle echoes the worries about displacing established residents. But both women come back to that motto — “Culture. Commerce. Community” — that unifies people who love and are dedicated to the boulevard. n
Photos Cheryl Gerber
BizNewOrleans.com February 2016
49
50
February 2016 BizNewOrleans.com
Perspectives A closer look at hot topics in three southeast Louisiana industries
52 Law
56 Healthcare
62 Education BizNewOrleans.com February 2016
51
Perspectives | Law
All for One Far from lone wolves, local law firms see the value in collaboration. By Kim Roberts
W
hile many people may view law firms as being, for lack of a better term, cut-throat, collaboration among firms in the New Orleans market is more common than most would expect. It turns out that practicing in today’s increasingly global, technologically enhanced legal system means there are obvious benefits in working together. “I find New Orleans to be a very collegial legal community,” says Edward Harold, managing partner at Fisher & Phillips. “On occasion, I am faced with an issue of first impression or a highly unusual fact pattern, and I will send an email to a few attorneys who might have insight. And they invariably respond. When I have a question outside 52
February 2016 BizNewOrleans.com
my field, it is very easy for me to find an attorney with expertise who will take a call and provide an answer.” There is also some collaboration among firms on operations through the local associations of legal administrators, he adds. These non-lawyer managers meet on a monthly basis to discuss operational issues. Slidell-based personal injury attorney Frank D’Amico, says his firm collaborates with other law firms not only in areas unrelated to their primary areas of expertise — personal injury, product liability, and wrongful death litigation — but also within their areas of expertise. “The practice of law is very specialized,” D’Amico says. “We Illustration Jrcasas
always refer criminal matters, family matters, and issues involving succession law to firms specializing in those areas. There is a definite value in collaboration among law firms. Specifically, in handling a wrongful death case last year, we associated with an attorney specialized in succession law to achieve the best result for our client.” Fisher & Phillips LLP focuses exclusively on labor and employment law for employers. Since its establishment 70 years ago, it has grown to become a national law firm with more than 330 attorneys and 31 offices nationwide. “Collaboration is very valuable. I think it brings different perspectives to solving a problem,” Harold says. “The combination of different areas of expertise can be very beneficial to clients. If a firm represents clients who operate internationally, then having relationships and collaborating with firms from around the world is important. Having a relationship with a foreign firm that you know and trust introducing your clients to is a valuable service.” The attorneys of Fowler Rodriguez are internationally recognized as legal experts in the areas of international law, commercial transactions and litigation, construction, criminal law, maritime, environmental, insurance and reinsurance, energy, and defense of liabilities, including personal injury defense and product liability. In addition, they have pioneered a new area of specialization and coined the phrase “maritime criminal defense.” With six offices in the United States, as well as offices in Bogota and Cartagena, Colombia, the firm establishes relationships with other firms both locally and internationally on a case-by-case basis for the benefit of the client.
“We collaborate financially with other firms to cost-share the expenses of jointly retained experts and medical records.” – Jennifer Adams, partner at Deutsch Kerrigan & Stiles “Our firm has had relationships and established affiliation agreements with other firms for decades,” says George Fowler, partner with Fowler Rodriguez. “These agreements provide us with a person to go to for assistance with clients when needed. Also, since we have such a vast experience working with cases in Latin America, New Orleans firms often use our expertise for specific cases in South America because of our expertise in certain fields and our bilingual attorneys. When we collaborate with other firms, we do so independently and clients receive a bill from each firm for the services provided.” “We have been doing business like this, collaborating with other firms, for the whole history of our firm,” he adds. “In addition to our expertise in Latin America, we also have established a niche in the maritime industry and have been able to provide a boots-on-theground approach for other firms who are in need of assistance with a maritime case.” Founded in New Orleans in 1926 by Eberhard Deutsch and Emmett Kerrigan, Deutsch Kerrigan & Stiles law firm prides itself on problem solving and applying enduring principles of craft to serve clients effectively and efficiently. The firm employs more than 60 legal counselors and trial attorneys practicing primarily in the areas of civil litigation, commercial litigation, commercial transactions, construction law, labor and employment law, marine and energy law, professional liability law, and toxic tort and environmental law. The firm operates offices in New Orleans and Gulfport, Mississippi, and BizNewOrleans.com February 2016
53
represents local, national and international businesses from Fortune 500 companies to small, emerging businesses, as well as state and local governmental bodies, nonprofit organizations, and individuals. “We collaborate financially with other firms to cost-share the expenses of jointly retained experts and medical records,” says Jennifer Adams, partner at Deutsch Kerrigan & Stiles. “Also, at times we join forces when our client needs are similar regarding strategies of defense. “I find that the New Orleans law industry is an ‘all for one’ group that often compares notes and best practices, especially in the area of toxic tort defense,” she says. “In the area of asbestos litigation, it is very important for the defense to be jointly focused on state-ofthe-art issues, medical and industrial hygiene expert issues across the nation. Additionally, the defense bar likes to keep up with what goes on in other states to see if similar defenses could be used in Louisiana.” Adams adds that there are instances when other firms and their clients’ needs coincide with her firm’s clients’ needs, and that comparing notes in certain cases is a win-win situation. “We collaborate quite a bit,” says Lynn Swanson, partner with Jones, Swanson, Huddell & Garrison. “We are in the business to help our clients and be the most efficient with our cases that we can possibly be. If a client needs a counsel in an area that we do not specialize in, we have no problem referring them to a specialist. Just as other firms refer their clients to us if we are specialists in an area that they are not.” “A lot of attorneys in New Orleans are very close, and some firms have partnered together for years,” she adds. “We share notes and best practices with other firms to make sure we are providing our clients with the best possible services, and collaboration with other firms allows us to gain a skill set that can enhance a case with additional and new information.” Jones, Swanson, Huddell & Garrison, LLC, is a boutique litigation law firm based in New Orleans, with a second office in Baton Rouge. The firm primarily handles complex commercial and environmental/ property disputes. In those litigation arenas, the firm has a strong nationwide presence. Being a boutique firm, Jones Swanson not only represents large business entrepreneurs and landholders in the state of Louisiana 54
February 2016 BizNewOrleans.com
“Our firm regularly meets with a group of firms, 10 in total, from across the country to share notes and discuss cases.” – Lynn Swanson, partner with Jones, Swanson, Huddell & Garrison and throughout the southeast region, they also provide customized representation for smaller businesses and individuals. The firm has served as lead counsel in New York, Connecticut, Massachusetts, California, and Texas, as well as in Mississippi, Alabama, Florida, and Louisiana, where they’ve successfully litigated high-profile cases against large oil exploration and production companies for damages to and restoration of Louisiana’s coastal wetlands. “Our firm regularly meets with a group of firms, 10 in total, from across the country to share notes and discuss cases,” Swanson says. “We all bring a certain skill set to the table, and it is exciting to learn about other skill sets that will benefit our clients.” The group was the brainchild of James Swanson, managing partner of Fishman Haygood and Lynn Swanson’s brother. Members of the legal community quite often collaborate during various national legal association meetings, conferences and while participating in nonprofit or civic group activities. These situations provide attorneys with a place to meet and establish and foster mutually beneficial relationships with fellow attorneys. This provides them with an avenue to sharpen their skills, gain knowledge, solve problems, network and in many instances continue their education. “The main collaborative efforts in which we engage with other firms are in bar association groups, CLE conferences, and other civic activities,” Harold says. “Many CLE events turn into discussions of new and difficult issues and the best way to approach them.” “Through the efforts of the Academy of New Orleans Trial Lawyers, I have always found that there is a collaborative, supportive spirit among my colleagues,’ D’Amico says. “Plaintiff’s attorneys, in my opinion, are team players who are willing to share knowledge and support one another.” n Illustration Jrcasas
BizNewOrleans.com February 2016
55
Perspectives | Healthcare
The Heart of the Matter Local programs and technologies promote heart health in New Orleans. By Carolyn Heneghan
H
eart disease—the No. 1 cause of death in the United States for many years, accounts for one in every four deaths. It is a nationwide concern that’s evident in Louisiana. In the New Orleans area, several heart facilities are working toward prevention strategies and using innovative diagnostics and treatments to improve heart healthcare at the local level. In honor of American Heart Month, four notable heart health institutions explain their most recent contributions.
Screening Is Key Regular screenings for heart complications is one way patients may get ahead of heart disease before it becomes more serious. West Jefferson Medical Center (WJMC) and its Heart Clinic understand the importance of encouraging New Orleans residents to get screenings, know their numbers, and speak with their doctor if any abnormalities surface. Each year at WJMC’s Heart Health Fair, held this year on February 24, the hospital offers a variety of free tests, including
56
February 2016 BizNewOrleans.com
electrocardiograms (EKGs), (one of the most common procedures), and others critical to heart health, such as blood sugar, cholesterol and body mass index. After undergoing the free screenings, participants meet with a physician who reviews their results with them and facilitates referrals and appointment bookings if the numbers show a potential problem. In addition to all of the typical diagnostic testing and treatments a heart clinic might perform, from stress tests to angioplasties, WJMC cardiologist Dr. Edmund Kenneth Kerut and Heart Clinic nurse practitioner Tracy Fife are piloting a health and wellness program to encourage patients to better manage the risk factors that lead to the beginnings or worsening of heart disease. The 12-week program begins with a series of tests to determine general heart-related numbers, cardiac age (as opposed to chronological age) and atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease risk. After three months of changes to patients’ dietary and exercise regimens, those numbers are tested again, and often the results include lower blood pressure and cholesterol levels and weight loss.
Photo courtesy of East Jefferson General Hospital
Putting New Tech to the Test East Jefferson General Hospital (EJGH) has a long-standing heart program, but the hospital is also employing new buzzworthy technology to better help patients with serious heart health complications. About a year and a half ago, EJGH funded and built a hybrid lab that focuses in part on nonsurgical ways to treat heart arrhythmias, namely via an electrophysiologic approach called CryoCath, performed by Dr. James McKinnie. With CryoCath, also known as Arctic Front Cardiac CryoAblation Catheter, McKinnie uses the world’s first cryoballoon to isolate pulmonary veins while treating paroxysmal atrial fibrillation (PAF), a form of heart arrhythmia. Instead of taking medications the rest of their lives to control PAF, many patients have their arrhythmia eradicated for either long periods of time or forever, according to EJGH CEO Dr. Mark Peters. EJGH is participating in heart health month through a variety of health initiatives, both through its cardiovascular department and the wellness center. But EJGH doesn’t just focus these initiatives on patients—employees are encouraged to get involved, too. The hospital offers incentives for employees who belong to wellness programs, such as walking 10,000 steps a day, Peters said.
Dr. James McKinnie employs new technology called CryoCath at East Jefferson General Hospital. The world’s first cryoballoon, CryoCath represents a nonsurgical way to treat heart arrhythmias.
Photos courtesy of East Jefferson General Hospital
BizNewOrleans.com February 2016
57
Studying Structural Heart Conditions The Cardiovascular Institute of the South (CIS) has worked closely with Terrebonne General Medical Center (TGMC) to form the “heart team,” which includes interventional cardiologist Dr. Peter Fail and two cardiovascular surgeons. The heart team collaborates on decisions regarding the best treatment strategies for structural heart issues. Those conditions exclude coronary heart disease and more typically refer to other cardiac anomalies, such as a valvular heart disease, like aortic stenosis or mitral regurgitation, left ventricular dysfunction or atrial and ventricular septal defects. The CIS and TGMC heart team has been involved in research projects that test newer percutaneous valve technology for conditions like aortic stenosis or mitral valve regurgitation. Other recent research includes trials for treatments for diastolic heart failure, systolic heart failure and left atrial exclusion. The heart team’s state-of-the-art treatments address a variety of structural heart issues. For heart attack patients, the team may employ left ventricular restoration therapy, wherein a device placed in the heart partitions the infarcted segment (which caused the heart attack) to enable more efficient functioning of the heart. The heart team can also repair previously placed surgical valves with a perivalvular leak, which commonly happens after surgery.
Supporting Weak Hearts The Tulane Heart and Vascular Institute (TUHVI) offers heart and vascular treatments to patients in three different clinics: Downtown New Orleans, Metairie and the Westbank. TUHVI’s heart specialists are trained in fields like nuclear cardiology, arrhythmia, atrial fibrillation, lipid management and interventional cardiovascular procedures. The institute also treats vascular problems at the Westbank clinic. Heart failure is another focus for TUHVI and the technological innovations its facilities employ. Sometimes heart failure patients do not respond to or cannot tolerate oral medicines, and for them, TUHVI offers home infusion of inotropes, medicines delivered intravenously that help weak hearts generate blood pressure and blood flow throughout the body. Another option for patients with weak hearts is a left ventricular 58
February 2016 BizNewOrleans.com
Normal Valve
Stenotic Valve
Percutaneous valve Interventional cardiologist Dr. Peter Fail (pictured here), along with two cardiovascular surgeons, form the “heart team” — a joint effort of the Cardiovascular Institute of the South and Terrebonne General Medical Center. The team has been involved in percutaneous valve technology to treat various heart conditions.
assist device (LVAD), a mechanical device that helps the heart pump blood from throughout the body and to vital organs. The device has a power source that connects to a control unit, which monitors the pump’s functions, and low power or poor functioning of the device triggers an alarm. Some VADs employ a heartlike pumping action to distribute blood throughout the body, but some newer VADs provide a continuous flow of blood, though this might generate an abnormal pulse for these patients. VADs are also commonly used during or after heart surgery to provide temporary additional support to the heart until it recovers. TUHVI electrophysiologist Dr. Colleen Johnson is also working with patients prone to infections from implanted devices by offering subcutaneous defibrillators, which are placed just under the skin rather than directly touching the heart or vascular system. Photo courtesy of Cardiovascular Institute of the South
BizNewOrleans.com February 2016
59
Heart Health Insurance 101 With the Affordable Care Act came changes to what heart conditions are covered by insurance carriers. Some plans, such as those through Medicare or Medicaid or through the Louisiana health insurance Marketplace, have to abide by certain minimums of coverage, which generally includes care for chronic diseases. However, anyone receiving health insurance coverage through their employer should analyze their plan to ensure treatments, diagnostic testing, and prevention for heart conditions are covered, especially if a family history of heart disease or other risk factors, such as diabetes or hypertension, are involved. Important services for patients with heart conditions include: n
Prescription drug coverage;
n Diagnostic testing, such as EKGs and stress tests; n
Rehabilitation services;
n
Emergency room and hospital coverage; and
n Counseling for diet, smoking, alcohol abuse or depression.
Patients Get Younger and Younger One unfortunate trend acknowledged by many of these healthcare institutions is that patients coming in with heart attacks and other heart complications are not just the elderly anymore — these patients are getting younger. “The patients we see who come in with chest pains or a heart attack, the age has continuously dropped,” said Christy Kareokowsky, director of WJMC’s Cardiac Service Line. “It used to be your 60-, 70-year-olds that came in with a heart attack, but it’s now your 40-year-olds. And that’s been consistent across the nation, not just in New Orleans.” “We are seeing the effects of an entire generation living a more sedentary lifestyle and living on fast food,” said Suzanne Mason, senior section administrator at TUHVI. “Young people have been raised on high-fat, high-sodium and sugary foods and beverages. With age, heart complications are more prevalent in individuals with these diets.”
Heart Health in Louisiana According to a 2015 state-by-state analysis of public health from the United Health
60
February 2016 BizNewOrleans.com
Foundation, Louisiana ranks as the least healthy state in the country. While this ranking includes a number of health-related factors, heart health certainly plays a role. In terms of heart health, culture could be the culprit — especially the local diet. “There’s the great side of the food that’s available in New Orleans, but there’s a down side to that in terms of the caloric intake, the fat component, and cholesterol in a lot of food that we eat,” said Peters. “There’s a fine balance there of people being able to enjoy themselves, but I think there are steps people can take that can moderate their diet without giving up all the things that people want.” Education about heart disease and people’s understanding of their own heart health numbers and family history are also important factors in improving the area’s lessthan-appealing reputation for public health. “Some patients come in for our free screenings who have never seen a physician or had an EKG,” said Kareokowsky. “We think it’s very important to put that out there: Here is your EKG, here are your numbers, and we’ll work with you to get to where you need to be.” If Louisiana, and the rest of the country, can’t get heart health under control, the
Some health insurance carriers even cover programs for home monitoring of blood pressure and various heart risks. Others, like Peoples Health, available statewide, offer more comprehensive services that go beyond approval and coverage for heart-related healthcare services. Peoples Health’s Chronic Care program involves groups of clinical staff working in different markets throughout the state and teaching members how to best self-manage their chronic diseases, including heart conditions.
effects could be damaging not only to the individuals but the economy as well. “A healthcare system that is proactive can curtail potential heart problems before they occur or become more serious problems,” said Dr. Abhishek Jaiswal, heart failure specialist at TUHVI. “This presents a cost savings to the individual and the community. As the economics of healthcare become more pressing all over the country, investing in quality heart healthcare in a place like New Orleans can make a big impact.” n
Photo Thinkstock
BizNewOrleans.com February 2016
61
Perspectives | Education
Taking the Next Step A look at the options, and rewards, for those looking to forward their careers through higher education. By Phil McCausland
F
or those considering a return to academia, it can be a harrowing task to consider all the choices before finding the best program tailored to their needs. Is a master’s degree a good idea, or are continuing-education courses or a certification program the way to go? In New Orleans numerous colleges and universities cater to the professional looking to return to school. Louisiana State University, Delgado Community College, Tulane University, Louisiana Tech, University of New Orleans, Our Lady of Holy Cross College, Southeastern Louisiana University, and Nunez Community College all offer the compelling prospect of a 62
February 2016 BizNewOrleans.com
professional shift. Yet the engaged working stiff may still wonder: What are the benefits of getting an advanced degree or going back to school? What are some potential programs? How do these colleges and universities ensure their curriculum and materials remain relevant to industry standards? What are the differences between continuing education and an advanced degree program?
Benefits of an advanced degree Both quantitative and qualitative benefits make a case for returning to school. Some people have an insatiable thirst for knowledge, while others hope that college or university coursework Photo Thinstock
can make their résumé more attractive. Some potential students want to know how to better their workplace and think that additional studies and discussion can aid in that pursuit.
“Advanced degrees typically mean a higher pay. They can also mean starting off at a higher level of employment or moving up higher in the chain of the business.” -Dr. Sheryl S. Shoemaker, dean of Louisiana Tech University’s graduate school “It’s an opportunity for them to bring professional examples into the classroom and work on them there,” said Amanda Athey, director of UNO’s graduate school. “They get to have that objective perspective in the classroom setting and examine a problem. That gives them a different skill set moving forward in terms of bringing it back into the profession. A lot of it has to do with the interaction with the faculty and their peers and getting other people’s perspectives on the problems that they share.” But there’s also the literal f lip of the coin in considering the quantitative benefit. Students between the ages of 21 and 64 who return to school and receive an advanced degree earn an average annual salary of $55,242, while their less credentialed counterparts only earn an average annual salary of $42,877, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. This boost in salary or financial reward can also be accompanied with a better job title, greater recognition and an earned sense of credibility amongst peers. “Advanced degrees typically mean a higher pay,” confirmed Dr. Sheryl S. Shoemaker, dean of Louisiana Tech University’s graduate school. “They can also mean starting off at a higher level of employment or moving up higher in the chain of the business.” Higher qualifications may also help earn the type of employment that once could be secured with only a bachelor’s degree. Baby boomers and generations after have learned that baccalaureate programs may not be enough to gain attractive entry-level positions. As many professionals remain busy with work and their families, schools have tailored their programs to appeal to the professionals so that they are accessible at night or over the Internet. “It’s a way to build skills and confidence while students are earning something tangible and meaningful each step along the way,” said Lindsey B. Jakiel Diulus, Nunez Community College’s Public Information and Alumni Relations Officer. “It’s really helping people to advance, if they’re already working in the field in a entrylevel job while they are simultaneously working toward a degree.”
Photo courtesy of Louisiana Tech University’s graduate school
BizNewOrleans.com February 2016
63
Popular programs Colleges in New Orleans and southern Louisiana area offer a number of compelling opportunities to those considering a return to the classroom. The schools mentioned above offer non-credit courses, certifications and advanced degrees in everything from welding to business, from education to tourism and hospitality management. This area’s educational options ref lect the region’s industries and employment. “We offer associate degrees, bachelor’s degrees, certificates, post-baccalaureate certificates, master’s degrees in homeland security, liberal arts and computing technologies,” said Rosaria Guastella, associate dean of Tulane’s School of Continuing Studies. “We have six programs in addition to our appliedcomputing and homeland-security undergraduate programs; we also have paralegal studies, media arts that includes digital design and public relations; we have health and wellness; and we also offer associate degrees only in business.” The other colleges and universities in the area have varied course and degree offerings. Louisiana Tech boasts popular MBA, engineering and computer science programs. Southeastern Louisiana claims a robust master’s of education and international baccalaureate degree program as well as business and nursing programs. Our Lady of Holy Cross includes counseling, education and business programs within the institution and is beginning a master’s degree in Catholic theology. Delgado Community College offers culinary arts, business and technology, and nursing and allied health programs. One popular program at Nunez Community College is process technology: It prepares individuals to become process technicians and operators. UNO boasts an MBA, MS degrees in hospitality and tourism management and healthcare management, and a number of certification programs, including their coastal science and coastal engineering certifications. LSU is known for its endless list of graduate degree programs — many of which can be earned online — as well as its distance college credit courses, professional development courses, noncredit programs for students in K-12, and the personal enrichment programs in its school of continuing education.
Maintaining relevance But just how relevant are classroom discussions to today’s business world? How do programs stay on top of industry standards? Many a student has been frustrated by the theoretical applications found within the classroom, and they want to know that their school of choice keeps a utilitarian and hands-on perspective.
“Each of our technical programs have advisory committees made up of industry representatives.” - Dr. Kathleen Curphy, vice chancellor for academic affairs at Delgado Community College. Louisiana schools do this in a number of ways, but many start with the process of earning accreditation, which is done college- or university-wide and then sometimes within specific programs. “If there is not an outside accreditation agency, the college as a 64
February 2016 BizNewOrleans.com
Popular programs at Louisiana Tech University include MBA, engineering and computer science.
whole is accredited and that program has to do a program review itself,” said Dr. Carolyn White, dean of the College of Counseling, Education, and Business at Our Lady of Holy Cross College. “There’s a template they have to go through that is pretty extensive. You have student-learning outcomes, and you have to prove your students are meeting those outcomes and stay up-to-date on the current research and literature that is out there for the programs.” Beyond that, schools also engage in an open dialogue with the area’s industry leaders. They do this best by bringing in members of various industries to examine programs and tell them where they could do better. “Each of our technical programs have advisory committees made up of industry representatives,” said Dr. Kathleen Curphy, vice chancellor for academic affairs at Delgado Community College. “We meet with them regularly and talk about what’s going on in their business area, what changes they foresee in the next five years, and how our students are doing that they’re hiring. It is an ongoing process. We don’t just do this once every five years.”
Continuing education vs. advanced degree There’s a difference between taking continuing education courses and earning an advanced degree. “Typically the people who are in professional development aren’t going back to school in the traditional sense — they’re not seeking a degree,” said Kathy Carroll, director for research, planning and communication at LSU’s School of Continuing Education. “They’re seeking a credential that will help them in some more immediate manner. Our credit courses are for people who are either working on a degree or they’re pursuing a professional credential that requires college credit.” Many continuing education courses are non-credit but might look good on a résumé. These skills are more a means of professional development and can aid a person in a much quicker sense. Certification programs may take only a semester or a year, while degree programs can often take two years or more to complete. New technologies might compel a person to take these courses, such as learning social media best practices or computer coding — all skills designed to create more attractive job candidates. “You take college courses for one reason, you take professional development, continuing education courses for another,” added Carroll. “They’re both good, they’re both important, but they serve different needs and get people to different goals.” n Photo courtesy of Louisiana Tech University’s graduate school
BizNewOrleans.com February 2016
65
Guest Viewpoint
Go Red This Month Businesses are encouraged to raise awareness of the No. 1 health threat for women.
C
Suzanne Whitaker currently serves as the 2016 chair for the New Orleans Go Red for Women campaign, and is also a member of the American Heart Association’s Go Red Executive Leadership Team and Circle of Red. 66
February 2016 BizNewOrleans.com
ould your business survive without women? Think about it. What would you do if your female customers started disappearing? What if your female employees were no longer there to count on? The reality is that those aren’t really hypothetical questions. Women are dying at an alarming rate from heart disease every year. Heart disease is still the No. 1 health threat for women age 20 and over, killing approximately one woman every minute in the United States. Not only that, but more women die of cardiovascular disease than the next four causes of death combined, including all forms of cancer. There is something that companies, like yours, can do to help. Your office can “Go Red” in support of heart health this February during American Heart Month to bring awareness to the factors that contribute to heart disease. The good news is that it can be prevented. With the right information, education and care, heart disease in women can
be treated, prevented and even ended. Such an aggressive disease requires an equally aggressive response. That’s why the American Heart Association (AHA) has spent more than $3.3 billion on research, which has increased general knowledge and understanding about heart disease and stroke — making AHA the largest funder of heart disease research, second only to the U.S. government. Over 10 years ago, the AHA launched “Go Red for Women,” a campaign to increase awareness of heart disease and to inspire women to take charge of their heart health. This grassroots campaign has since grown into a vibrant national movement as more women, men, healthcare professionals and philanthropists embrace the cause of women’s awareness of heart disease. In the last decade, more than 627,000 women have been saved from heart disease and 330 fewer are dying each day. So, the message is resonating. Photos courtesy of the American Heart Association
The women who have embraced the Go Red message these past 10 years have made heart-healthy choices, which include: n Nearly 90 percent making at least one healthy change in their daily lives; n More than one-third have lost weight; n More than 50 percent have increased the amount they exercise; n And six out of 10 have made healthy changes to their diets. “The American Heart Association is on the frontlines in the battle in the fight against heart disease,” says Dr. James Perrien, East Jefferson General Hospital cardiovascular specialist. “It is with their efforts we can see developments in research and treatment. We want to support them in bringing awareness to women in our community so they can seek preventive care.” Need more incentive for your company to participate? Go Red for Women encourages women to uncover the truth about heart disease and make ending it a reality. Unless women are aware of their greatest health risk, they are unable to act. Eighty percent of heart disease is preventable through diet, exercise and well-woman screenings.
Participate in National Wear Red Day National Wear Red Day — February 26, 2016 — is the American Heart Association’s special day to bring attention to heart disease. We encourage everyone to wear red, raise awareness, know their cardiovascular risk factors, and take action to live longer, healthier lives. With your help and participation in Wear Red Day, we can end the No. 1 killer of our mothers, sisters, daughters and friends. Join other companies participating citywide in support of the Go Red for Women movement by going red on National Wear Red Day. If you are new to participating in Go Red, here is a list of activities your company can do this Heart Month: n Ask employees to show their support by wearing something red on National Wear Red Day. n Distribute heart-healthy tips in employee paychecks during the month of February. n Give away healthy red food such as apples to your employees, or host a heart-healthy open house, providing heart-healthy snacks and healthy lifestyle tips for employees. Photo courtesy of the American Heart Association
n Offer weekly drawings in February for American Heart Association cookbooks available on ShopHeart.org. n Feature an AHA heart disease awareness article in your employee newsletter, available on GoRedforWomen.org. n Have a Go Red page on your company’s employee web site featuring heart-healthy tips and recipes. n Distribute red flowers to employees to honor friends and loved ones with heart disease. Wearing red isn’t just for people; it’s for buildings, bridges, parks and landmarks, too. This year, you can help New Orleans Go Red in a big way by thinking on a grand scale. Light the exterior of your building red on Wear Red Day and amplify the message in the community.
Join the Fight — Let’s Unite! Please join us in the fight against heart disease. The New Orleans American Heart Association will host the annual Go Red for Women luncheon on Thursday, February 25, 2016, at the New Orleans Marriott, and we invite you to purchase individual tickets, or a table, and attend. The luncheon will be a rally for awareness and prevention. If heart disease has already touched you or someone you love, unite with us in creating awareness by being a part of the Go Red for Women movement in New Orleans. For more information on the event and tickets, visit nolagored. heart.org. You may also visit the New Orleans American Heart Association on Facebook, facebook.com/AHANewOrleans, as well as follow the conversation on Twitter and Instagram, #nolagored. Go Red for Women is nationally sponsored by Macy’s and locally sponsored by East Jefferson General Hospital, Entergy Corp., Peoples Health, Paris Parker, LAMMICO, Cardio DX, First NBC, Harrah’s New Orleans, HUB International, Postlethwaite & Netterville, Touro Infirmary and Crescent City Physicians, United Healthcare, Cox Communications, WWL-TV, Entercom Radio, The New Orleans Advocate, St. Charles Avenue magazine, and New Orleans Magazine. n
BizNewOrleans.com February 2016
67
PUBLISHER’S NOTICE: All real estate advertised herein is subject to the Federal Fair Housing Ace and the Louisiana Open Housing Act, which make it illegal to advertise any preference, limitation, or discrimination because of race, color, religion, sex, handicap, familial status, or national origin, or intention to make any such preference, limitation, or discrimination. We will not knowingly accept any advertising for real estate which is in violation of the law. For more information, call the Louisiana Attorney General’s Office at 1-800-273-5718.
68
February 2016 BizNewOrleans.com
L U X U R Y
R E A L
JOHN SCHAFF www.NOLArealtor.com 2734 Prytania Street, New Orleans, LA 70130 Cell 504.343.6683 Office 504.895.4663
E S T A T E
PRICED BELOW APPRAISED VALUE! One of the Avenue’s finest examples of Queen Ann Italianate! Original details, beautiful inlaid pecan floors and spectacular gourmet kitchen make it an incredible home for entertaining and raising a family. 3rd floor can be used as an apartment or a mother-in-law suite. Spacious carriage house, enough for overflow guests, and the 4 car garage really comes in handy during Carnival!
BizNewOrleans.com February 2016
69
Great Offices
1
Let There Be Light Metairie’s Nora Vaden Holmes Insurance Agency brings a light, feminine touch to insurance. By melanie warner Spencer | Photography by greg miles 70
February 2016 BizNewOrleans.com
1
2
3
C
ream, bright white and gray permeate surfaces of the offices at the Nora Vaden Holmes State Farm agency in Metairie. Fleetwood Mac is playing over the sound system and a customer — seated on a bench custom built by Ian Dreyer, principal architect of the company’s design firm, NANO, and upholstered with metallic naugahyde by Romo Group — fills out paperwork. Most days, Nora Vaden Holmes’ six-year-old King Charles Cocker Spaniel mix, Baxter — a rescue from Animal Rescue New Orleans —
greets visitors at the door. This is not your average insurance and financial services office. “I wanted it to be bright, light and airy,” says Holmes. “I didn’t want any dark wood.” Prior to Hurricane Katrina, Holmes’ offices were on Airline Drive by Rouse’s. Flooding caused the company to find a temporary space, which Holmes describes as dark and dated. She bought the property the offices are currently located on at Metairie Lawn after
BizNewOrleans.com February 2016
71
4
the hurricane, but due to termite infestation and rot, wasn’t able to complete her plan to repurpose the existing structure. The brick and stucco building she contracted was finished in 2009, but Holmes received and accepted a request to lease it out. Once the leases ran out, Holmes said she finally had a clear plan of what she wanted for the space. “I looked at other State Farm offices and thought, ‘I don’t want to look like an insurance office’,” says Holmes. “I started looking at Google and cool offices in Norway … I kind of came into this thinking I could do this on my own.” Holmes quickly recognized she’d need help grappling with 3,000 square feet of space in need of a massive reconfiguration and redesign. To help bring her vision of a contemporary, bright, stateof-the-art space to fruition, she hired her client and one of NANO’s owners and founding partners, Terri Dreyer, for the project with the help of Martha Pearson, interior designer with the firm. “The biggest challenge is the square footage,” says Dreyer. “Our goal was to make sure she had an open, airy and pleasant environment that could be interchangeable.” Since the space was already built out, the team reconfigured it and better incorporated the upper and lower levels. From November 2014 to April 2015, they worked on designing, planning, construction and finish out. The conference room soon became a design challenge, because Holmes kept requesting more and more space on the upper floor for the footprint. “I wanted to have a community conference room for neighborhood groups, church groups, non-profits and other groups,” says Holmes. “It was very important to me.” With a high-tech audiovisual system for presentations and video 72
February 2016 BizNewOrleans.com
5 1: A white, back-painted glass reception area greets visitors at the Nora Vaden Holmes State Farm offices in Metairie. 2: NANO’s principal architect, Ian Dreyer, created the custom-installed naugahyde bench. 3: Offices are divided by Texas sliding glass doors with brushed aluminumcased finishes. 4: Nora Vaden Holmes wanted a different look and feel for her office, which features a painting of a woman holding a red bloom that she bought in Point Clear, Alabama, two years before starting the design process. 5: Holmes wanted the office to be light and airy, but with a state-of-the-art flair. 6: Glass windows promote the open, airy feeling of the space with furnishings by AOS. 7: The 18-foot by 10-foot conference room boasts a high-tech audiovisual system with custom cabinets and serves as a community space made available to nonprofits and other groups.
AT A GLANCE Company Name: Nora Vaden Holmes State Farm Address: 117 Metairie Lawn Office completed: April, 2015 Architect: NANO Interior Designer: NANO Furnishings: AOS Size: 3,000 square feet Main goal: Reconfigure the space and make it light and airy. Biggest Challenge: The large overall square footage Standout Feature: Sleek bak-painted glass wall in the reception area
6 7
BizNewOrleans.com February 2016
73
8
conferencing, custom cabinets and a glass wall the length of the vast 18-foot by 10-foot room, the conference room has become a hub for everything from AARP safe driving classes to Arbonne health and beauty sessions. The upper level features Shaw Group’s carpet tiles in “Dusk” gray, for which the team worked with Peter Plaia at Delta Flooring. The homey kitchen is also located on the second floor. A massive double stacked Carrera Marble counter top from Stone Gallery perched on a 17-inch-high wood pedestal base is a comfortable place for employees to gather for lunch, to watch a little TV or, on this day, sneak a bite of King Cake. Throughout the offices there is a mix of modern and contemporary-style desks with high grain, gray wood veneer and gray chairs, as well as commercial grade finishes and furnishings with a residential look. Holmes worked with AOS for much of the furniture and placement. A favorite painting by Gretchen Howard hangs at the end of the hallway next to the entrance to Holmes’ office. “I told Terri I wanted to walk in every day and see that paining, so we built a cabinet feature to house it,” says Holmes. Gray and white flooring, covered with porcelain floor tiles made in Italy by Storka Flooring, have the appearance of wood, with the durability and easy maintenance of tile. In the reception area a Caeserstone counter is backed by “Yesterday’s News” wallpaper in “Herald” style, made by Innovations USA. Texas sliding glass doors with brushed aluminum-cased finishes in the first floor office area create an open space with a private feel. It’s easy to discern the pièce de résistance however. The white, back-painted glass reception wall bearing the company name and 74
February 2016 BizNewOrleans.com
8: A double stacked Carrera marble countertop sits atop a French pedestal in the kitchen.
logo is a favorite of Dreyer, who says it turned out better than she ever imagined when they came up with the concept, a theme that seems to be repeated at this outwardly unassuming Metairie office. Overall, Holmes says it was about her clients, explaining, “I wanted everything to be light and have a really nice place where people could come and talk about their finances.” n
BizNewOrleans.com February 2016
75
Q&A
“I think the arts are something that affect our lives from birth until death.� - Roland von Kurnatowski
76
February 2016 BizNewOrleans.com
Photo Cheryl Gerber
Keeping the Arts Center Stage Mary and Roland von Kurnatowski, the duo behind the newly renovated Orpheum Theater, Tipitina’s, and a planned lakefront festival park, share their thoughts on why the arts are more than just big business in New Orleans.
By Rebecca Friedman
I
f you ask them, Mary and Roland von Kurnatowski didn’t set out to become keepers of New Orleans’ cultural flame, but over the years, they have quietly taken on that role. Nearly two decades ago, they bought the iconic uptown music club Tipitina’s and have since helped grow the Tipitina’s Foundation into a thriving organization that aids young musicians across the city in developing their craft. In 2014, along with a business partner, local orthopedic surgeon, Dr. Eric George, the von Kurnatowskis bought the Orpheum Theater, one of the city’s most beloved performance spaces. After a painstaking restoration — in which the couple played a highly hands-on role — the theater reopened in August 2015 to great fanfare and has reclaimed its position as a premier downtown arts and events space. Next up, the duo is looking to the lakefront and the former site of the Bally’s riverboat casino, where they are developing plans for a festival park, along with George, under a company called Studio NetworkLakefront LLC. Tipitina’s Festival Park, as it is is currently called, is proposed to span 4.5 acres and include a water park, 5,000seat outdoor amphitheater, shops and an outdoor market. Mary and Roland share their thoughts on these projects and what the business of the arts means to New Orleans.
Biz: The reopening of the Orpheum made a big splash in August. How have the first few months of operation been?
Roland von Kurnatowski: The opening was interesting — [General Manager, Kristin Shannon] put it together, and she did a great job. I felt like it was the perfect New Orleans feel. Then it was, we’ve got to start the business of making this thing work. Kristin is all about that — she’s got a real sense of how to serve customers at a very high level, and we think that the Orpheum is the perfect place to set a very high bar for people coming in and being satisfied that they did their wedding, event, etc. with the Orpheum. Biz: How do you differentiate the Orpheum from other venues in the city?
RvK: I think that we get differentiated in a few ways. One is our capacity. We’re in the middle — we’re not 800, we’re not 3,000. We’re 1,500-1,700, so that differentiates us to a large degree. But the history and the community awareness for the Orpheum is also different. We didn’t create it, we’re just trying to preserve it. Even its location — it’s not right on Canal; it’s right across from the Roosevelt — that’s a little different. The third differentiation is the floor because we’re not locked into solely theater activity. That gives us the flexibility to do other things — from weddings to rock concerts to Mardi Gras balls. That floor
BizNewOrleans.com February 2016
77
goes up in nine-and-a-half minutes. It has massive 13-inch steel beams with 5 inches of concrete poured on it, and it weighs 235,000 pounds, so when you’re on that floor, it’s solid as a rock. We also, thanks to Kristin, changed our original plan from putting in a serving kitchen to a high-end full kitchen, which gives us flexibility that I didn’t realize we would need. And we put in an installation that enables us to show first-run movies, which opens up more possibilities, like premieres. Biz: Is there a part of the Orpheum that you are the proudest of after such an extensive renovation?
Mary von Kurnatowski: I think the last place I painted in the building before we had the preview party was part of the proscenium arch on the stage — that’s probably my favorite part. But it’s like picking out your favorite child. That whole building is just really special. They really used to know how to build things. I also love the mezzanine bar area because [our daughter] Mary Grace and I spent probably over a month working in there every day 78
February 2016 BizNewOrleans.com
over the summer, painting it together. And I love that we did so much there. RvK: For me, it’s the floor, because we did that ourselves. With our construction and design team, we had to do it from scratch. If we had put something there that wasn’t solid as a rock, if it took too long or cost too much to do it, it would have been a failure. I’m pretty proud of our group for figuring out that floor. Biz: You’ve owned Tipitina’s for nearly 20 years. What does that institution mean to you, and to the community?
Our role with Tipitina’s is that we didn’t change it. We held onto it. We’ve had a lot of offers to turn it into karaoke and stuff, and we said no, it needs to be Tipitina’s. You see these things about ‘the 10 best clubs in the country’ all the time, and we seem to be in there a lot. In terms of affection, I think it’s absolutely true that artists have a place in their heart for Tipitina’s. I think our job is to preserve it. The goal of the Tipitina’s Foundation with musicians, from my point of view, is to help them, not change them. I heard somebody once say you’ve got to help these musicians
“I also love the mezzanine bar area,” says Mary, “because [our daughter] Mary Grace and I spent probably over a month working in there every day over the summer, painting it together.
become better businesspeople, and I was like — they’re musicians. I’m not sure we need to do that. We need to help them have their business taken care of better. But they just need to be the musicians. The internship program we got very lucky with. For years now, Donald Harrison [Jr.] has been an absolute rock for that program. We have somewhere between 18 and 30 interns a year, and very few drop out. What we do is we expose these young people to professionals like Donald Harrison, and what we really want out of it is that they absorb how to become a serious musician from a practical standpoint. What do you really need to get work and be taken seriously as a musician? Biz: How does the lakefront project fit into the picture?
RvK: We have a boat out there, and we’ve gone out there for years. The marina has been underutilized and undersold ever Photo Jamie Shaw
Along with orthopedic surgeon Dr. Eric George, the von Kurnatowskis purchased and restored the Orpheum Theater, which reopened last August.
since Katrina. There’s a private airport and a marina — what other city do you know in the country that has waterfront opportunity and is just dead in the water? MvK: I think so much of the waterfront focus here sometimes winds up being on the river and not on the lake, but I think the lake has been a sentimental favorite of New Orleanians for decades, with everything that used to be out there. RvK: So you say to yourself, ‘What could happen here?’ We got approached about doing a little festival out there. We made a couple of commitments on that but didn’t think too much about it because it was so far out, and the Orpheum took center stage. But then the powers that be decided to put out a call for proposals for somebody to lease this property and develop it. I think we just took it a week at a time, and if the Orpheum had stalled out somehow or gotten into a crunch, we probably would have backed away from the festival and Photo Cheryl Gerber
the proposal. But we decided to go ahead with the festival, and that taught us some things about that site that made us feel more encouraged about doing the proposal. So we did the proposal. And they liked it. Biz: How are the plans shaping up?
RvK: We’re into the process now. Eskew+Dumez+Ripple is the architecture firm — I can’t say enough nice things about them. With the structure that’s out there, we can put a really first-class restaurant on the upper level. It’s 25 feet up and will have a panoramic view of the lake and the city, a huge outside deck for eating, and underneath will be an open-air pavilion to do all different kinds of community events, fishing rodeos, corporate events, crawfish boils, a green market. We’ll have an amphitheater for music shows, a fuel dock, and a recording studio to bring artists in from all over the country and the world. And we’re in discussions with the World War II Museum to have a PT boat out there as an attraction. I think that the development is going to be stretched over maybe three years, but the things I mentioned would be the first part of that.
Biz: Why do you think the arts are so important to the city’s cultural economy?
MvK: I look at it from the childhood perspective. Keeping the arts in our city and our schools is critical because study after study has shown that being able to study art or music in school has a tremendous impact on the rest of a child’s academic performance and a willingness to stay in school longer. I think the arts are something that affect our lives from birth until death. New Orleans certainly has its share, and yes, that’s a huge part of our economy and we rely on it for that, but I think it goes a lot further. RvK: It’s just a very simple fact that the soul of New Orleans is very important to who we are. I’m sure it has to do with a mixture of cultures, attitudes and circumstances, but it exists. And we definitely shouldn’t lose it. It’s unique. Music, of course, is critical to that. So if our little piece is to keep Tipitina’s in play and maybe do some other things, that’s great. It doesn’t have to be a big enterprise, just take them as they come, do what we’ve learned to do and hope for the best. n BizNewOrleans.com February 2016
79
Why Didn’t I Think of That? | Creative Businesses Taking Hold in Southeast Louisiana
In honor of Valentine’s Day, which happens to fall this year on the heels of Carnival entertaining, Biz New Orleans takes a peek at four local companies behind some creative gift offerings. Whether you’re in search of a small hostess gift for a Mardi Gras party, or a thoughtful token for someone you love, these entrepreneurs are hoping you’ll look no farther than right next door. By Kim Singletary
80
February 2016 BizNewOrleans.com
Greg Sorenson is the fourth generation of his family to run Baker Maid, makers of the new brand, Love, Cookie.
Love, Cookie
Promising “you never forget your first,” Love, Cookie is the newest offering from Baker Maid a company that has been catering to New Orleans’ sweet tooth since 1953. Love, Cookie — a line of hand made, smallbatch cookies offered in eight different flavors, including Almond Toffee Crunch, Espresso Chocolate Chip, Midnight Almond, Chocolate Chip, Lemon Cooler, Butter Pecan Praline, Dark Chocolate Orange and Dark Chocolate Mint — launched last fall. “We have done everything we can to make sure these are the best cookies they can be, says Greg Sorenson, the fourth generation of his family to run Baker Maid. “Everything from the vanilla extract to the toffee in the almond toffee cookies — we make that all in-house.” From its 30,000-square-foot production space next to Breaux Brothers on Julia Street, the company crafts about 40 different bakery items completely from scratch. Originally a bakery supply house, Baker Maid used to provide products like jellies, fillings and emulsifiers to local businesses. In the 1980s, Photos by Cheryl Gerber
the company moved to providing its own fruitcakes to department stores. “Soon we moved to rum cakes and cookies, and things just started picking up from there,” Sorenson says. Along with Colin Manekin and his father, Darryl Sorenson, Greg led the company in partnering with Rouses in 2010 to provide all of the grocery chain’s sheet cakes, cupcakes and petit fours. “That relationship has helped us grow a lot,” he says. The business currently has four facets. “We still do our fruitcakes, for both grocery stores and department stores, plus we offer five types of king cakes, and then we have our commercial baking side, including Rouses. And then, of course, we have our cookies.” Sorenson says sales of the new cookie brand have been doing well. “It’s exciting to see. We went through dozens of flavor profiles, testing batches every day for six months to whittle it down to the best ones. I’m really proud of this product.” Love, Cookie can be found throughout the Gulf South, at grocery chains including Rouses, Robert Fresh Market, Breaux Mart, Dorignac’s, Langenstein’s and Maxwell’s. Each package is priced at $3.99. BakerMaid.com
BizNewOrleans.com February 2016
81
Sisters-in-law Julie (left) and Allison (right) Hoffman are the force behind new local nail polish line, Native Polish.
Native Polish
Sisters-in-law Julie and Allison Hoffman love to meet once a week and get their nails done together. About a year ago, one of these regular pampering sessions spurred a business idea. “We started talking about it one day and we couldn’t believe that New Orleans didn’t have a local line of nail polish,” says Allison Hoffman. “We seem to have lines of everything else.” After a full day of discussion at last year’s Jazz Fest, the women were ready to move on their idea. “We started doing our research and it really invoked the passion we have for creating a product that is as natural as you can get with nail polish. We both have little girls so it was important to us that we do a ‘5-free’ polish (free of formaldehyde, formaldehyde resin, toluene, camphor and dibutyl phthalate).” All polishes are also vegan and not tested on animals. After some searching, the women found a manufacturer for their polish in the Southeast that could meet their demands and soon they began the fun part: designing the colors. 82
February 2016 BizNewOrleans.com
“It was a lot of trial and error,” Hoffman says. “We started with a good basic neutral, our Gulf Oyster. It’s turned out to be our most popular color, which was actually unexpected. Our second most popular color is our gray, which we called Pothole. People love the name: it’s definitely something they can relate to. All our names reference New Orleans in some way.” In mid-January Native Polish released two more colors, the company’s first Mardi Gras hues — Krewe of Native and Masquerade. A spring collection is expected to hit stores in late February or early March. Hoffman says finding retail outlets to carry the line happened organically.
“We didn’t sit down and make a list or anything. Our first stop was actually Two Sprouts, a kids store on Metairie Road where we both shop a lot. They really got behind us immediately. It was a catalyst for us. Through friends and social media we’re now in 19 stores in just two months, including Forever New Orleans and Fleurty Girl. “Women of NOLA are loving Native,” Hoffman says, “because it’s made by women just as passionate as they are about our beautiful city.” Native Nail Polish sells for $11 a bottle. All polishes come ready to gift in a stylish burlap bag. Facebook.com/NativePolish Photos courtesy of Native Polish
Nola Boards
Husband and wife team Mandy Simpson and Daren Sumrow opened Nola Boards last year.
Photos by Cheryl Gerber
Combining form, function and pure fabulousness, these cutting boards are handcrafted in Uptown New Orleans from domestic and exotic hardwoods by professional woodworker Daren Sumrow. Up until last year, Sumrow’s woodworking skills were confined to New Orleans Woodworking, a local company he owns that tackles projects like restaurant build-outs, as well as cabinetry tables and furnishings for commercial and residential clients. “One day in the fall of 2014, Daren was asked by a friend to make a cutting board for a wedding,” explains Sumrow’s wife, and now business partner, Mandy Simpson. “The finished product was so beautiful that I put some pictures up on social media and we were both amazed at the response.” Not long after, Nola Boards was born. The company blends Sumrow’s woodworking talents with Simpson’s skills in marketing, design and photography. “The business has exploded, it feels like overnight,” Simpson says. “We’re just a year old now and we’re frantically looking for retail space so we can expand.” Simpson says Nola Boards was recently bolstered by a celebrity endorsement. “Rachael Ray found us somehow and did a full-page article about us in her holiday gift guide,” she says. “That was really incredible.” Materials range from the delicate green tones of the Louisiana sinker cypress in the company’s most popular board — the Atchafalaya — to blends including cherry, maple and walnut, as seen in the Trinity, the Marigny Triangle and the WILD CHOP-itoulas. “We’re seeing these boards become a centerpiece of people’s kitchens,” Simpson says. “I have to admit that half the time I don’t want them to leave the house.” While most of Nola Boards sales are made online, a few retailers carry some products, including The New Orleans Historic Collection gift shop, Merchant and Coutelier. Simpson says Nola Boards is constantly expanding its offerings outside of just cutting boards. Currently this includes an iPad holder, craft beer coasters and magnetic knife holders. “This is very much a culinary town,” she says. “And we are always open to suggestions.” NolaBoards.com
BizNewOrleans.com February 2016
83
Charles Carriere (left) and Cole Wiley (right) hold products printed by their company, Scandy.
Scandy Looking for a truly unique way memorialize a moment in time? A desktop decoration that’s bound to get noticed? New Orleanians Charles Carriere and Cole Wiley have introduced their own spin on 3-D printing with the Scandy 1.0 app and Scandy Sphere. “With the free Scandy app, for the first time users will be able to create 3-D content through their mobile devices,” says Carriere. “Up until now you’ve had to either purchase a very high-end scanner or use a sophisticated CAD program.” With Scandy 1.0, iPhone users can take 3D scans from their phone and order Scandy Spheres — actual spheres featuring a 360-degree panorama. Users can either capture their own panorama with the app, upload one they’ve already taken, or choose from existing pre-selected Scandy Favorites. “I had the idea for Scandy 3-D sphericalpanoramas while laying in bed staring at the room reflected in a brass bed knob,” says Carriere. The Scandy 1.0 app also allows users to share the panoramic images they’ve created 84
February 2016 BizNewOrleans.com
on social media. It is expected to be released for Android users later this year. Prices range from $50 for a 2-inch sphere, to $75 for a 3-inch sphere and $100 for a 4-inch sphere. Always wanted an action-figure-sized version of yourself or a loved one? Scandy can help with that as well. Last March the company launched Scandy 0.1, which allows anyone with an iPad to scan in 3-D with the purchase of an Occipital Sensor. Users can then order 3-D prints of the object through Scandy. Prices for object prints are based on volume but average around $25 for a 2-inch figure, $75 for 4-inch and $100 for 6-inch. Launched in late 2014, Scandy held a Kickstarter campaign last November that reached its goal of $25,000. “Every time we hand a Scandy Sphere to someone who’s never seen one before, they’re really blown away,” says Wiley. “Right now the focus is just on getting the word out, putting it in people’s hands,” Wiley says. “It’s all about figuring out that one perfect pic to show. We’re still fine-tuning the method.” Biz New Orleans readers receive 25 percent off their first order. Just use the code BizNOLA. Scandy.com n
Photos courtesy of Scandy
BizNewOrleans.com February 2016
85
Events 2015 Plaquemines Association of Business and Industry (PABI) General Membership Luncheon
AMA New Orleans Southshore Luncheon December 17, 2015 Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse on Fulton Street
November 11, 2015 Bayou Barriere Golf Club John Supan, PhD, director of the LSU Oyster Hatchery Program, served as the keynote speaker for the November General Membership Luncheon of the Plaquemines Association of Business and Industry.
The AMA New Orleans Southshore Luncheon featured a moderated panel discussion of three leading marketers working in the New Orleans area, including Christine Briede with the American Red Cross, Melissa Gibbs of Gibbs Construction and Mia Perez with Louisiana Federal Credit Union.
1
1
2
2
3
3
1. Bill Bubrig, Bobby Thomas, John Supan and Robert Hopkins 2. John Supan 3. Billy Nungesser and Bill Bubrig 86
February 2016 BizNewOrleans.com
1. Elizabeth Reiner, Jack Reiner and Melissa Gibbs 2. Melissa Gibbs, Christine Briede, Mia Perez and Chip Catanese 3. Mia Perez, Matt Lundy and Christine Briede Photos courtesy of PABI and by Cheryl Gerber
New Orleans Chamber Annual Meeting
ACG Louisiana Luncheon
December 18, 2015
January 5, 2016
Hyatt Regency New Orleans
Roosevelt Hotel — Blue Room
This year’s annual meeting of the New Orleans Chamber of Commerce featured a keynote address by Louisiana Governor-elect, John Bel Edwards.
January’s ACG luncheon featured speaker Robert Merrick, chairman and chief executive officer of Latter & Blum, Inc.
1
1
2
2
3
3
1. Leo Seago, Shannon Remberton, Ben Castillo and Renee Bellows 2. Governor John Bel Edwards 3. Robert Dees, Michael Gnau and Steve Molnar. Photos by Cheryl Gerber
1. Kelvin Gipson, Barbra Barnett and Eli Feinstein 2. Robert Merrick 3. Ryan Gerton, Nene Glenn Gianfala and Anthony DiBenedetto BizNewOrleans.com February 2016
87
Behind the Scenes
Piece by Piece Before a high-end engagement ring ever earns its place under the bright lights of the display case at Boudreaux’s Fine Jewelers, it goes through a transformative process to shape it from design and raw materials to the final product. From right to left, the metal and design prototype are used to cast the ring blank shown at the far left. The ring is then hand polished before the master jeweler sets the matched group of diamonds selected by the gemologist. Finally, it gets a final high-polish before being thoroughly inspected by the owners. From start to finish, each ring goes through over 60 hours of design, fabrication and inspection before it earns a chance to be featured in the display case.
88
February 2016 BizNewOrleans.com
Photo by Jeff Johnston