Biz New Orleans January 2015

BIZ NEW ORLEANS

JANUARY 2015

Muses

Mignon Faget Sonny Borey Going Green

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Editor’s Note

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t’s time to party!

Yes, while the rest of the country seems content with one night of festivities for New Year’s Eve, we here in Louisiana are just getting started.

My first memories of moving to New Orleans will always be leaving our boxfilled apartment to take my 6-monthold daughter down to see her first Mardi Gras. It was all so overwhelming – the gigantic colorful floats, the marching bands booming away just a foot from our faces in perfect precision, the beads and toys flying everywhere.

But I have to say the most magical moment, for me, happened between parades. A woman we had never met started talking to us – drawn by the world’s cutest baby I’m sure. When she found out it was our first Mardi Gras, she quickly disappeared into the crowd and returned moments later with two big dishes of the best red beans and rice I’ve ever had. “It’s a tradition,” she said, handing over the food. “My whole family comes down every year and we always bring plenty of food.”

And that, my friends, was the moment I officially fell in love with New Orleans. Which is why I’m excited that the articles you’ll find here in our Mardi Gras issue are all about the heart of Carnival – the people. Whether it’s the story behind New Orleans’ first all-female night parading krewe, the current move toward eco-friendly throws and a more sustainable celebration, or a peek behind the scenes at the workings of a superkrewe, it’s the people, the Louisianians, who make the magic happen.

Within these pages you’ll also find a profile on the offices of another Louisiana institution – celebrated jeweler Mignon Faget.

In 1969, at the very start of her design career, Faget first graced the cover of our sister publication, New Orleans Magazine. Now, more than 45 years later, the same writer, Bonnie Warren, has brought her to Biz New Orleans.

With so much going on, I’m always excited when I can get out and attend a great event. Most recently, it was a monthly luncheon for the newly re-formed New Orleans chapter of the American Business Women’s Association (ABWA) featuring Charlee Williamson, VP of Ralph Brennan’s Restaurant Group (pictured above). It was a special treat to hear her speak about the exciting career she’s enjoyed with such a city staple.

If you have a business event, an opening, an incredible office, or any business story you’d like to see covered, let us know.

Editorial@BizNewOrleans.com.

Happy Carnival Season!

Kimberley Singletary

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JANUARY 2015 | volume 1 | issue 4

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 Carolyn Heneghan, Pamela Marquis, Lucie Monk, Chris Price, Margaret Quilter, Peter Reichard, Kim Roberts, Judi Russell, Melanie Spencer, Keith Twitchell, Bonnie Warren advertising Vice President of Sales Colleen Monaghan Sales Manager Maegan O’Brien Maegan@BizNewOrleans.com (504) 830-7219 Account Executives Melissa Rehage Quijano Melissa@BizNewOrleans.com (504) 830-7225 Caitlin Sistrunk Caitlin@BizNewOrleans.com (504) 830-7252 PRODUCTION Production/Web Manager Staci McCarty Production Designers Monique DiPietro, Ali Sullivan Traffic Manager Erin Duhe 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 Administrative Assistant Denise Dean Distribution Manager John Holzer Subscriptions Manager Sara Kelemencky

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. 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 2015 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.

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January 2015 BizNewOrleans.com

Contents

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32 Features

From the Lens

On the Cover

32 Muses Unmasked

64 Great Offices

Krewe of Muses Captain

The story behind this Mardi Gras favorite

By Margaret Quilter

40 The Business of Throws

From cups to comic books, parade souvenirs are money makers.

By Pamela Marquis

43 Throws Go Green

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A look at efforts to bring business closer to home

By Pamela Marquis

January 2015 BizNewOrleans.com

Mignon Faget showcases the home of her jewelry empire.

68 Why Didn’t I Think of That?

Tuxedos to Geaux – home of the $159 tux.

72 The Greening of the Gras

A look at the efforts to make Carnival more eco-friendly

and Founder Staci Rosenberg Photo by Cheryl Gerber

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Contents

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20

75

Columns

Perspectives

News

18 Dining Biz

48 Maritime

16 Calendar

20 Tourism Biz

54 Banking

30 Biz Bits

Café Hope and Café Reconcile- making meals and a difference.

Full of unique flair, Le Méridien Hotel

is set to open Downtown March 5.

22 Sports Biz

The future looks bright for Tulane basketball.

24 Film Biz

Award season is here.

26 Entrepreneur Biz

Don’t be afraid to compete.

28 Biz Etiquette

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Professional resolutions for the new year

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Shipping innovations are keeping things moving

New regulations that should be on your radar

58 Health & Fitness

Tis the season for gyms to cash in.

Upcoming events not to miss

Industry news

75 Biz Person of the Month

Q&A with Sonny Borey, captain

of the Krewe of Orpheus

78 Around Town - Events

Industry gatherings

Publisher’s Note

Good Times Ahead

F

irst, I wish to thank Jerry Bologna, his staff, and the entire JEDCO board for honoring Renaissance Publishing as JEDCO’s 2014 Small Business of the Year. My partner, Errol Laborde, and I accepted the award on behalf of our team of dedicated employees, who truly deserve the recognition for all the hard work they put into producing outstanding, award-winning products. Thank you JEDCO. Now onto 2015. This month I begin my term as chairman of the Jefferson Chamber of Commerce. Call me crazy, but I look forward to all the board meetings, committee meetings, ribbon cuttings and other networking events to follow. These are all opportunities to see many of you involved in activities that continue moving the business community forward throughout not only Jefferson Parish, but also our entire region.

I am honored to serve as chairman of the four star accredited Jefferson Chamber - a leader for business growth. If you are not yet involved, why not? I would be happy to discuss the great opportunities that exist for you in the Chamber. You can reach me anytime at (504) 830-7247 or Todd@ BizNewOrleans.com.

At Renaissance Publishing, we are getting the year started with two big events this January.

Our bi-annual Bridal Show for New Orleans Bride magazine is Jan. 20 (BrideNewOrleans. com) and New Orleans Magazine’s annual Tops of the Town (TopsofNewOrleans.com) is Jan. 22. Come and celebrate New Orleans Magazine’s readers’ top picks in nearly 100 categories “Under the Big Top” at the New Orleans Public Belt Railroad.

Happy New Year!

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Meet the Sales Staff Colleen Monaghan Vice President of Sales Colleen Monaghan is a seventh-generation New Orleanian and member of the Mayflower Society, who loves her city with a passion. She is a UNO alum who has more than 30 years of experience in both publishing and the nonprofit sector. Colleen enjoys art collecting, traveling the world and living life to its fullest. She has been known to organize fabulous events, both for herself and many charities in the New Orleans and San Francisco areas. You can reach Colleen at (504) 830-7215 or Colleen@BizNewOrleans.com.

Maegan O’Brien Sales Manager, Biz New Orleans Maegan O’Brien was born in New Orleans and raised on the Northshore in Mandeville, La. She graduated from Louisiana State University in 2010 with a bachelor’s degree in finance, but marketing and advertising are her true callings. She currently lives in Old Metairie and loves traveling, wining and dining, and spending time with family and great friends. You can reach Maegan at (504) 830-7219 or Maegan@BizNewOrleans.com.

Melissa Rehage Quijano Account Executive, Biz New Orleans Melissa Rehage Quijano was born and raised in New Orleans. She graduated from St. Mary’s Dominican, attended both LSU and UNO, and received a paralegal degree in 1996. She worked for 10 years as a paralegal in various law firms in New Orleans and then operated her own successful wedding photography business for 11 years. In addition to being on the Biz New Orleans team, she enjoys spending time with her two teenage children, cooking, the beach, 30A, laughing with friends, dancing every day and music. She has a love for shoes and lipstick. Her heart and soul is her children and everything New Orleans. You can reach Melissa at (504) 830-7225 or Melissa@BizNewOrleans.com.

Caitlin Sistrunk Account Executive, Biz New Orleans Caitlin Sistrunk was born in New Orleans and raised in Covington, La. She graduated from Louisiana State University with a bachelor’s degree in marketing.

While attending LSU, Caitlin fell in love with both marketing and advertising. She is ecstatic to begin her career as a sales associate with our new magazine.

Caitlin loves painting, hanging with friends and cooking. You can reach Caitlin at (504) 830-7252 or Caitlin@BizNewOrleans.com.

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Check us out on the web!

BIZ HOMEPAGE

Created in September 2014, BizNewOrleans.com is an interactive, reader-friendly news hub covering southeast Louisiana. The homepage features top news stories, daily blogs, videos and television spots, along with a calendar featuring upcoming business events in the region. Here you can submit an event, read the latest news, or catch up on a Biz-Cast.

BIZ-CAST Every day, Biz video blogger Leslie Snadowsky delivers New Orleans’ first video Biz-Cast, highlighting top business stories and local events.

WWLTV-WUPL PAGE

Tune in to WWLTV-WUPL every Wednesday at 6:30 p.m. to see Biz-Caster Leslie Snadowsky answer all the Biz questions you want to know.

BLOGS Biz New Orleans features weekly bloggers that each provide a unique spin on business news, from profiles on hot startups, to creative business fashion, to the business of sports and tourism.

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including direct links to blogs, news stories, and events. Enjoy all the Biz on your computer or mobile device every afternoon.

See it all at BizNewOrleans.com

Calendar

January Thursday, January 8, 2015

Saturday, January 24, 2015

ABWA Crescent City Connections Monthly Luncheon featuring Connie Uddo

Mystick Krewe of Louisianians Washington Mardi Gras Ball

11 a.m. - 1 p.m.

Heritage Grill by Ralph Brennan 111 Veterans Memorial Blvd., Metairie Register at abwanola.eventbrite.com or contact abwanola@gmail.com

Thursday, January 8, 2015 Downtown Business Association of Baton Rouge Monthly Member Meeting 8 a.m. – 9 a.m.

Old Governor’s Mansion 502 North Blvd., Baton Rouge DownTownBR.org

Washington, D.C. MKOFL.com

Monday, January 26, 2015 Jefferson Chamber of Commerce Young Professionals Kick-Off Event with the Pelicans 5:30 p.m. – 10 p.m.

Smoothie King Center 1501 Dave Dixon Drive, New Orleans RSVP no later than Jan. 12 Brittany@JeffersonChamber.org (504) 835-3880

Friday, January 9, 2015 St. Tammany West Chamber of Commerce Installation and Awards Luncheon 11:30 a.m. – 1 p.m.

Tchefuncta Country Club 2 Country Club Park, Covington business.sttammanychamber.org/events (985) 273-3008

Saturday, January 17, 2015

Tuesday, January 27, 2015

New Orleans Small Business Expo “101 Ways to Grow Your Business”

LABI’s 2015 Annual Meeting

11 a.m. – 4 p.m.

Sheraton Metairie www.score.org (203) 465-2395

Thursday, January 22, 2015 St. Tammany West Chamber of Commerce Northshore Rising Professionals Leadership Summit 8 a.m. – 1 p.m.

Fleur de Lis Event Center 1645 N. Causeway Blvd, Mandeville Speakers include Michael Hecht, Tereson Dupuy and Carl Herrick (pictured here) business.sttammanychamber. org/events (985) 273-3008

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Featuring Dr. Ben Carson 9 a.m. – 1:30 p.m.

Crowne Plaza Executive Center 4728 Constitution Ave., Baton Rouge LABI.org

Tuesday, February 3, 2015 Jefferson Chamber of Commerce Annual Meeting Luncheon 11:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m.

Crowne Plaza New Orleans Airport 2829 Williams Blvd., Kenner RSVP to Katie Ivory Katie@JeffersonChamber.org (504) 835-3880

We’d love to include your business-related event in next month’s calendar. Please email details to Editorial@BizNewOrleans.com.

BizNewOrleans.com January 2015

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Columns | Dining Biz Left to right: Matt Wofford, Aja Lewis and Ariel Goffner prepare meals at Café Hope on Barataria Boulevard in Marrero.

Food that Fuels Futures Café Reconcile and Café Hope are Serving Up Changed Lives.

I 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.

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n the 1980s, a Jesuit priest named Harry Tompson became a regular at our parish church, St. Pius X. He made an immediate impression. His homilies were brief, but they put you on the spot. He always seemed to begin quietly and crescendo up to a dramatic roar, at which point he would fall dead silent.

Fr. Tompson was a live wire, and pretty soon his energy became apparent to the whole city. Though he’s gone now, his life left sparks that continue to light fires.

In the years leading up to his death in 2001, Fr. Tompson opened the Good Shepherd School in the CBD, which provides a faith-based education to children from low-income families. He also opened a homeless center that has since expanded to two locations. And, working with businessman Craig Cuccia and lawyer Tim Falcon, he

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opened the nonprofit restaurant Café Reconcile.

When Café Reconcile opened in 2000, O.C. Haley Boulevard was blighted, forsaken and crime-ridden. The surrounding neighborhood seemed hopeless. But Café Reconcile turned weakness into strength. The concept was so simple that it’s hard to believe that at the time it was revolutionary - use a restaurant to teach young people from rough backgrounds job and life skills.

Café Reconcile quickly became an oasis for kids in Central City seeking to better themselves. In the process, it also pulled Central City up from despair.

O.C. Haley is now both a nonprofit and culinary gathering place. The Southern Food & Beverage Museum, fresh food purveyor Jack & Jake’s Public Market, Roux Carré: the Food Port of New Orleans,

and Adrian’s Bakery have arrived or are on the way, joined by restaurants such as Casa Borrega, Purloo and a forthcoming offering from Adolfo Garcia.

The concept behind Café Reconcile has also spread to the Westbank in the form of restaurant/caterer Café Hope, which opened in 2010.

Situated on the campus of Marrero landmark Hope Haven, Café Hope has its own adjacent 1-acre garden. Executive Director Luis Arocha says the garden produces 60 percent of the vegetables served, making Café Hope a true “seed-to-table” venue. He says the restaurant gets its meat from local farms and butchers it in-house. All seafood is from local suppliers.

In total, Aroch says that about 90 percent of the food on each customer’s plate is from local sources. “It’s really important that we’re giving money back to our local farms and fisheries,” he says.

Of course the youth also remain at the heart of the mission of Cafe Hope. Young people age 17 to 24 serve as waiters and kitchen staff, but also participate in spirituality classes as part of the 16-week program. They are served meals with a prayer, listen to talks from successful adults and are taught the skills they need, both for a successful inward life, and for life in the work world.

Many of the youth come from difficult home lives and neighborhoods. For some, participating in Café Hope is an act of courageously fighting back against the negativity they face from peers. Many have grown up with narrow horizons; some have never crossed the Mississippi River.

That being said, none of this means that customers should not expect an excellent experience.

“The last thing these kids need is lowered expectations,” Arocha says. “Nobody is going to cut them slack when they get out in the real world.”

Both Café Reconcile and Café Hope have helped hundreds of youth to-date; 72 percent of Café Hope’s graduates have jobs within six weeks of graduation.

Hoping to spread the successful concept far and wide, Cuccia of Café Reconcile has established the Reconciliation Institute to educate social entrepreneurs around the world on how they can replicate the café’s success.

Somewhere Fr. Tompson is smiling. n Photo by Sheila Falcon

BizNewOrleans.com January 2015

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Columns | Tourism Biz Formerly the W New Orleans, Le Méridien is scheduled to host its grand opening March 5, 2015.

The hotel seeks to surprise travelers with a mix of modern design and carefully thought out New Orleans touches.

Le Méridien Aims to Stand Out Full of “moments of discovery,” this new hotel is looking to get people talking.

T Margaret Quilter is an Australian expat whose tales of adventures abroad have been published in international magazines. Check out her weekly blog, “Tourism Biz” at BizNewOrleans. com.

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here is nothing subtle about Le Méridien’s reemergence in the New Orleans hospitality marketplace.

Starwood Hotels and Resorts has invested $29 million in converting the former W New Orleans - at the corner of Poydras and St. Peters streets - into the Le Méridien, a modern, chic hotel that also works in bursts of New Orleans charm. The hotel’s grand opening, or “First Night,” is scheduled for March 5, 2015.

According to John Thompson, general manager of Le Méridien New Orleans, striking the right design balance was key, and will be one of the ways the hotel sets itself apart from the crowd.

“As a tourist coming to visit, you can’t escape the classic style of southern New Orleans,” he says. “What we want is for the guests to experience that and then come together and talk about it.”

Thompson says Le Méridien has incorporated “moments of discovery” throughout the hotel.

“They are designed to make you think about your day, and have you want to share it,” he says.

The “moments” were created

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by New York-based designer Meyer Davis, who had fun with the hotel’s French origins and the cultural and geographical nuances of New Orleans.

Purposefully placed details in all 410 guestrooms, including 22 suites and corridors, are designed to spark creativity and conversation. Among the details are geometrical lines on the walls and ceilings, French writing on bathroom mirrors, headboards fashioned from the opulent crown moldings of New Orleans architecture and vintage suitcase-style elements on the bar fridge. All of these features are designed to both contrast and compliment the hotel’s contemporary mismatched furnishings.

“It can be a lonely planet when you travel, so we take any opportunity that we have to get people talking,” Thompson says.

On the flip side, each of the 410 guestrooms also features a 55-inch screen television – the biggest offered in New Orleans hotels.

Holding everything together is a mid-century color scheme neutral grays, blues and salmons

with pops of orange.

“For me the choice is against everything that is eggshell,” Thompson says. “We have done something that is very striking, and may be polarizing, but you will remember it.”

Beyond the design is the functionality of the traditional public spaces – Le Méridien features 16,000 square feet of flexible meeting and event space spread across the second floor. The hotel’s destination restaurant, LMNO, serves up new American cuisine infused with Cajun and Creole flavors, while the lobby has been reconfigured into Le Méridien Hub, the brand’s signature social gathering place that doubles as a coffeehouse by day and a wine bar at night.

The final stage of renovations, the front desk, is due to be completed in time for the grand opening.

Le Méridien also encourages its guests to “unlock” their destination through partnerships with the Contemporary Arts Center, New Orleans Museum of Art, and Ogden Museum of Southern Art - all provide Le Méridien guests with complimentary passes.

“People joke that when W guests grow up, they go to Le Méridien,” says Emily Liuzza, complex marketing manager for the hotel. “You get the same cultural experience, but it is a little more sophisticated and refined.” n

Photo courtesy of the Le Méridien

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Columns | Sports Biz

Tulane Head Coach Ed Conroy leads the Green Wave vs. Miss. State Bulldogs Dec. 6, 2014.

High Hopes for New Era of Tulane Basketball Green Wave basketball joins higher caliber conference with returning men’s and women’s national champions.

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.

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his past fall’s opening of the new Yulman Stadium overshadowed Tulane’s move to the new American Athletic Conference (AAC) during football season, but the move’s effects will be much more evident once basketball tips off.

While the AAC was overshadowed on the gridiron, it’s stacked on the hardwood. Devlin Field house should see much higher attendance this year, as excitement for the 2014-15 season is the highest since the days of Perry Clark and the Posse.

“This is the beginning of a new era for Tulane Athletics as we move into an exciting and vibrant league,” says Tulane Athletics Director Rick Dickson.

“The exposure and visibility it will bring to Tulane and our programs is unprecedented.”

Highlights on the Green Wave’s schedule include matchups with UConn – defending

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men’s and women’s national champions, and perennial March Madness contenders Memphis and Cincinnati. Those games will likely be played offcampus at the Smoothie King Center and receive national recognition, elevating awareness of Tulane’s program and, hopefully, increasing the talent pool of recruits.

“I get a smile on my face every day from what this year can mean,” says Green Wave men’s Basketball Head Coach Ed Conroy. “The practice facility has been built. The game-day facility on campus has been renovated. We are changing leagues. There are exciting times ahead for Tulane basketball.”

The men’s team returns four starters and the top five scorers from last year’s team; however they are young. There are six sophomores and four freshmen, with only three upperclassmen two seniors and a junior - on the

squad. Scoring will come from the backcourt with junior guard Louis Dabney, who led the team with 15.2 points per game last season, sophomore guard Jonathan Stark (14.5 ppg) and senior guard Jay Hook (13.9 ppg). Senior forward Tre Drye (6.9 ppg and 7.6 rebounds pg) returns to the front court.

“A year ago there was so much uncertainty on our roster and now we have guys that have played a lot of minutes and gained valuable experience,” Conroy says. “I’ve seen great improvement, especially in our sophomore class. Our freshmen are going to add some pieces that we haven’t had. I think we are on great footing on all facets. We have a young team with some great opportunities ahead of them and it will be exciting going forward.”

The women’s team returns 10 letter-winners who were responsible for 98 percent of the team’s scoring last season, including four seniors - guards Jamie Kaplan and Danielle Blagg and forwards Tiffany Dale and Adesuwa Ebomwonyi.

UConn’s Lady Huskies are arguably the best women’s basketball program in history.

In addition to facing them twice, Tulane’s women face a very challenging non-conference schedule including four teams that made the NCAA Tournament last year - NC State, Western Kentucky, Florida State and Sweet Sixteen contender LSU. With the new conference has come renovations to Devlin Fieldhouse aimed at improving its amenities and aesthetic appeal in order to give it a true basketball feel. The athletic department ensured a cost-conscious price point on admission in hopes of attracting families and young professionals, especially those with ties to the university.

Season ticket prices for Tulane’s inaugural season in The AAC are $300 for premium chair-back seating, $200 for bleacher seating and $400 for the family zone, which includes two adult and two youth tickets for both men’s and women’s basketball seasons. In addition, men’s basketball season ticket holders will have the exclusive opportunity to purchase half-price women’s season tickets.

Single game tickets start at $20.

The new era of Tulane Athletics is a source of pride and something to be supported and celebrated.

“With national championships in men’s and women’s basketball, we are a power conference, pure and simple,” says AAC Commissioner Michael Aresco. “I have no doubt Tulane is going to be a great story and will enhance our conference’s national profile and competitive strength.”n Photo By Parker Waters

BizNewOrleans.com January 2015

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Columns | Film Biz

The Nominations Are In Hollywood South has a few contenders in this year’s award season.

T 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.

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he season of statuettes is upon us. For those in the film and movie industry, it’s a time of glitz and glamour that, for the rare few, results in a special little keepsake to call their very own. This year there are a few opportunities for Louisianians to “root, root, root for the home team.”

Of course the mother of all awards shows is the Academy Awards, which will be celebrating its 87th year Sunday, Feb 22. However, a lot of attention is also placed on two other awards nights, at least in part because they tend to predict who will head home with the shining man named Oscar.

The first of those two shows is the Golden Globes, airing live this year on Sunday, Jan. 11. This is the 72nd year for the Globes, which will be led by funny ladies Tina Fey and Amy Poehler. The nominations are out,

and I’m happy to say that Hollywood South has a few contenders - not in movies, but in TV. Academy Award-winner Kathy Bates has been nominated this year for Best Supporting Actress in a Series, Mini-Series or TV Movie for her work in NOLA-filmed “American Horror Story: Freak Show” – a project she readily credits with the resurgence of her career.

Louisiana-filmed TV series “True Detective” is also up for Best TV Movie or Mini-Series, and its two stars - Academy Award winner Mathew McConaughey and Academy Award nominee Woody Harrelson – will battle each other for the title of Best Actor in a MiniSeries or TV Movie. “True Detective” is also represented in the Best Supporting Actress category by Michelle Monaghan. The series follows the 17-year hunt for a serial

killer in Louisiana.

Worth noting is that the youngestever Oscar nominee for best actress, Louisiana native Quvenzhane Wallis (from Houma), has been nominated for a Golden Globe for Best Actress in a Motion Picture, Musical or Comedy for her work this year in the remake of “Annie.” The 11-yearold will be up against Hollywood heavyweights Julianne Moore, Helen Mirren, Amy Adams and Emily Blunt.

Exactly two weeks after the Golden Globes is the 21st annual Screen Actors Guild (SAG) Awards on Jan. 25. Here, McConaughey and Harrelson will have a second chance to duke it out for the title of Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Drama Series.

And then there’s the big night – the Academy Awards. Nominations will be announced Jan. 15, and it looks like the only possible Louisiana project nominee is “Dawn of the Planet of the Apes” for visual effects.

In the past few years, Louisiana productions have done well at the Academy Awards – 2013 saw four nominations for “Beasts of the Southern Wild,” and two Oscars go to “Django Unchained.” And who could forget “12 Years a Slave” taking home last year’s grand prize of best picture (plus two more Oscars) while fellow best picture nominee “Dallas Buyers Club” walked away with three statuettes?

But what does an Oscar mean for the business side of film? Well, there’s such a thing as an “Oscar bump.” In essence, winners - for best picture at least - can expect a sizable boost in box office numbers.

For instance, a week after “12 Years a Slave” won, the $20 million budgeted film was showing in double the number of theaters and ticket sales were up 116 percent. The film ended up grossing just over $56.5 million.

Well, Louisiana, there’s always next year. n Photo Thinkstock

BizNewOrleans.com January 2015

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Columns | Entrepreneur Biz

And The Winner Is… Today’s wide variety of entrepreneurial competitions offer a great way to jump start a business.

T 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.

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here are many ways to get into the entrepreneurial game, but few offer budding businesspeople the chance to jump-start a new project the way entrepreneurial contests do.

In addition, few things make more clear how much of an entrepreneurial city New Orleans has become than the number of these contests that are hosted here annually. From arts to science, education to water management, they are a constant presence on the startup scene.

The following is just a small cross-section of these contests.

Downtown Arts NOLA Business Pitch (March 23, 2015): designed for arts-based businesses that demonstrate economic potential while also highlighting the spirit and culture of Downtown New Orleans. $25,000 cash prize plus business consulting services.

BioChallenge Business Pitch (2015 date t.b.a.): part of the Innovation Louisiana entrepreneurship conference, this contest focuses on biomedical and life-

January 2015 BizNewOrleans.com

science businesses. $25,000 cash prize plus professional services and office space.

4.0 Schools Start-Up Incubator (New Orleans Entrepreneur Week, March 20-27, 2015): education business ideas that show promise for helping students, parents and educators. $10,000 cash prize plus business support services.

The Water Challenge (New Orleans Entrepreneur Week, March 20-27, 2015): for startups that address coastal restoration and water management issues in Louisiana. $10,000 cash prize plus business support services.

Start-Up Weekend (Global Entrepreneurship Week, 2015 dates t.b.a.): this is the local link to a worldwide contest. Ideas are refined with expert advice in a team setting, then advance through international pitches.

Jefferson Parish Economic Development Commission (JEDCO) (March 23, 2015): aimed at businesses that will have a positive impact on Jefferson Parish. $20,000 cash prize plus

in-kind services.

The next two are examples of contests targeted to specific individuals who are frequently under-represented in the entrepreneurial world.

VetLaunch Business Accelerator (2015 date t.b.a.): for U.S. military veterans looking to start businesses. Winners are accepted into a nine-week business accelerator program and provided with mentoring and business skills training.

PowerMoves.Nola (Essence Festival, July 3-5, 2015): now connected to Essence Festival, this contest aims to increase minority-owned businesses in New Orleans. The program is receiving increasing national attention, with some of the festival’s top stars sitting in or sending representatives. $25,000 cash prize.

Many of these contests are affiliated with organizations that offer other opportunities and support to potential new businesses.

Virtually all of them attract audiences of investors and business experts. This means that even participants who don’t win have an opportunity to make valuable connections and advance their ideas.

Just the experience of organizing and pitching your new business idea is valuable.

Participating in these contests is a great experience – what have you got to lose? n Photo Thinkstock

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Columns | Biz Etiquette

Don’t Be That Person 10 business etiquette resolutions for the new year

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.

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n addition to those familiar pledges to eat healthier, exercise more, drink in moderation and smoke less, why not add improve a few office habits?

According to the Emily Post Institute, while 83 percent of employees believe it’s important to work in a civil environment, 12 percent report leaving companies because of incivility.

In that spirit, here are 10 business etiquette resolutions for 2015.

1. Community coffee: Shared items are a breeding ground for faux pas. If you use all but a smidgen of coffee, brew a fresh pot. Replace empty water jugs—or alert the person in charge. If you only want half of a cupcake, find a person to share it with or leave the unwanted half on a plate with a note that it wasn’t handled and is there for the taking. Finally, always clean up after yourself.

January 2015 BizNewOrleans.com

2. Get well soon (then come to work): If you aren’t sure what to do, a good rule of thumb is if you are running a fever, call in sick.

Also, gastrointestinal issues are best dealt with in the comfort and privacy of your own home.

3. Culture clash: A little homework on greetings and customs could be the difference between landing a client and losing one. When planning for a meeting with clients from Japan for example, a simple Google search reveals that the Japanese often offer a small, inexpensive gift upon an initial meeting.

4. Technically speaking: Hallways, elevators, bathrooms and business meetings should be smartphone and earbudfree zones. At worst it can seem impolite, but the isolation also might deter opportunities for positive interactions with senior managers.

5. Navigating the cube farm: Respect the cubicle space of your colleagues. Rather than interrupting them unannounced, send an email or call regarding a good time to swing by for a quick discussion. Also, avoid eating smelly foods, such as tuna or “stinky” cheeses at your desk.

6. Dress for success: It cannot be said enough: What you wear at the office sends a message to colleagues and management.

A popular adage to consider is to “dress for the job you want.” And with on-site gyms becoming more popular, make sure workout gear is restriced to the gym.

7. Emotional territory: Yes, it is difficult to discern tone in email correspondence; however, emoticons are best left for emails and texts to friends and loved ones.

(Confession: I’m resisting the urge to insert a sadface here.)

8. Salutations and closings: Begin your emails with a greeting and a closing, unless it’s one in a long stream of responses.

A formal, “Dear Mr. Broussard,” isn’t necessary, but a simple, “Hello Mr. Broussard,” (if you’ve never met or are not on a first-name basis), or “Hello John,” (if you have met and are on a first-name basis) is acceptable. Adding a closing to your signature is good form. “Cheers,” “Thank you,” and “Best,” are all adequate choices.

9. Respond, s’il vous plait: When you get an email, it’s considerate to let the sender know you received it. A simple “Got it!” works well for more casual business environments or relationships.

10. Reply all: Think long and hard before you hit that “Reply All” button. Most of the time, just say no. n Photo Thinkstock

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Biz Bits - Industry News Around town

Small-business owners faced an uphill battle at the federal level in 2014 with the uncertainty created by Obamacare, overreaching by federal agencies and the removal of important tools for small business, like Section 179 expensing. However, at the state level, NFIB was successful in fending off efforts to raise the state minimum wage and limit business owners’ ability to ask about the backgrounds of potential employees.

Dawn Starns, Louisiana director of the lobbying group National Federation of Independent Business The NFIB Monthly Small Business Optimism Index for December 2014 jumped 2 points, placing it just slightly lower than its historical average pre-recession. Expectations for business conditions six months out rose substantially – 16 percentage points – while expectations for real sales volumes rose by 5 points.

AC Hotel New Orleans Bourbon Opens

Renaissance Publishing Named JEDCO’s 2014 Small Business of the Year

The first AC Hotel by Marriott in the United States opened Dec. 8 at the Cotton Exchange building at 221 Carondelet St. The eightstory, 220-room hotel includes event venues for up to 160 people and showcases the modern, urban look seen in other AC Hotels – 72 of which are spread throughout European cities like Barcelona and Milan.

Marriott is set to open 30 more AC Hotels within the next three years throughout the U.S. and Latin America. Offerings in Kansas City, Mo. and Miami Beach will be the first to debut early this year.

Renaissance Publishing, publishers of eight magazines – including Biz New Orleans, New Orleans Magazine, St. Charles Avenue and Louisiana Life – took home the award for 2014 Small Business of the Year at JEDCO’s annual luncheon Dec. 2 at the Hilton New Orleans Airport. Other winners included Dottie Stephenson, who received the JEDCO Business Retention and Expansion Award, and Jefferson Chamber President Todd Murphy, who was awarded the JEDCO Chairman’s Champion Award.

We’d love to include your business-related news in next month’s Biz Bits.

Please email details to editorial@BizNewOrleans.com.

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January 2015 BizNewOrleans.com

IBERIABANK signs on as title sponsor of New Orleans Entrepreneur Week through 2017.

Small Business Expo and Seminar Jan. 17 Score, a nationwide nonprofit association dedicated to helping small businesses for 50 years, will host the New Orleans Small Business Expo – “101 Ways to Grow Your Business,” Jan. 17, 2015, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Sheraton Metairie.

The event will include multiple seminars on topics such as alternative funding sources, tax mistakes to avoid and a social marketing workshop, as well as the chance to meet various small business entrepreneur success stories. Current partners include: Louisiana Economic Development, Louisiana Small Business Development Center, Paychex, Constant Contact, 5 Stones Media, Trufund Financial Services and the Jefferson Chamber of Commerce.

About to enter its seventh year, NOEW is an eight-day event that engages entrepreneurs, investors, corporations, nonprofits, students and professionals to support growing businesses and the entrepreneurial spirit. The event is produced by The Idea Village and is scheduled this year from March 20 - 27. NOEW is scheduled to include more than 75 different events, drawing an estimated 10,000 people.

“IBERIABANK sees great value in New Orleans Entrepreneur Week because it has become a powerful platform for the larger entrepreneurial community,” says Daryl G. Byrd, president and CEO of IBERIABANK Corp.

The event is free but preregistration is required. For more information, visit NewOrleans.Score.org.

New Employment Search Option Now Online On Dec. 9, New Orleans-based entrepreneur Eric Bernstein officially launched WERKLY, a free website and mobile app marketplace that allows users to find work, or employees, in every field of business.

WERKLY uses an advanced search and filter system that incorporates social connections, user ratings and reviews, performance indicators, and advanced profiles. The goal is to enable users to quickly hire people they know, in their town, who have the skills to do the job at a reasonable and competitive rate.

After 15 years producing concerts and runway shows for luxury brands and hotels, Bernstein has found early success with WERKLY, which already boasts a profile base of over 1,200 people and is rapidly gaining ground in New Orleans, Detroit and New York. www.werkly.com.

Chevron Strikes Oil at Jack/St. Malo Project in the Gulf of Mexico Chevron Corp. announces that crude oil and natural gas production has begun at their new Jack/St. Malo facility. The Jack and St. Malo fields are located within 25 miles of each other in approximately 7,000 feet of water in the Walker Ridge area, approximately 280 miles south of New Orleans.

“The Jack/St. Malo project delivers valuable new production and supports our plan to reach 3.1 million barrels per day by 2017,” says George Kirkland, vice chairman and executive vice president, Upstream, Chevron Corp.

Chevron’s facility is the largest of its kind in the Gulf of Mexico and has a production capacity of 170,000 barrels of oil and 42 million cubic feet of natural gas per day, with the potential for future expansion.

BizNewOrleans.com January 2015

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If the Shoe Fits

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January 2015 BizNewOrleans.com

Staci Rosen b e r g , fo u n d e r of th e Krewe o f Mu s e s , u n masks the bu s i n e s s behin d on e of C a r n i v a l’ s favorite parad e s .

By Ma r g a r e t Qu i lt e r P ho t o g r a phy by C he r y l G e r be r

H

onoring bygone traditions, Mardi Gras Krewes shroud themselves in a code of silence. In 2001, the Krewe of Muses cracked into this world and joined New Orleans Mardi Gras folklore, thus becoming the Downtown celebration’s third-ever all-female krewe - the Krewe of Iris launched in 1917 and Krewe of Venus in 1941.

Muses Founder Staci Rosenberg gives Biz New Orleans a glimpse into the mechanics of Muses. Always a crowd favorite, the krewe is gearing up to mark its 15th parade Thursday, Feb. 12, 2015.

“In the beginning, if I had had any idea what was involved, I probably would never have done it,” Rosenberg says. “Looking back, I’m ecstatic that we did.”

The Dawning Standing alone on Napoleon Avenue watching the Mystic Krewe of Druids roll past, Rosenberg says she was suddenly swept up in the Carnival chaos after spotting a work colleague on a float back in 2000. It was then that she made a decision: She no longer wanted to stand on the sidelines.

“I learned about the different parades and there wasn’t one I really wanted to be on – there wasn’t anything wrong with them, but there just weren’t that many opportunities for women,” Rosenberg says. “So I thought maybe I should start a parade.”

Rosenberg’s next move was to make a call to Weezie Porter.

The sales manager for WWL-TV, Porter had the social connections Rosenberg needed.

Rosenberg then used her background and connections as a lawyer to get approval to stage a parade in Orleans Parish. While the official paperwork was underway, both women researched all the details and costs involved with forming a krewe.

In 2001, the Krewe of Muses became Carnival’s third-ever all-female krewe and the first-ever all-female krewe that parades at night. This year they will begin their journey down Magazine Street Thursday, Feb. 12, 2015 at 6:30 p.m.

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With a set goal of signing on 350 women by June 2000 and charging each rider a $100 deposit and dues of $400, they put the word out. After a few nerve-racking months, Rosenberg was convinced they would not get the numbers.

“We decided right away that the krewe would be open to any women over the age of 18, which was not anyone’s model before that. There was no vetting or anything; it was pretty democratic,” Rosenberg says.

More than 600 women signed on to ride in the first year.

What Rosenberg didn’t realize at the time was that she had started something that the women of New Orleans had been longing for - an allfemale parade that rolls at night.

The Business Side Behind the glitz and glam of being a Muse is the running of a nonprofit organization that requires the input of many. Like the majority of krewes, Muses relies almost entirely on volunteers, with the exception of one part-time business manager.

“City ordinance requires all krewes to be nonprofit – but they are not charitable as in 501c,” Rosenberg explains. “When you contribute money or pay your dues, it is not tax-deductible. Krewes are another co-section, kind of like a fraternity or chambers of commerce – nobody can make a profit. They can pay a staff and expenses, but nobody can own them.”

Muses’ top-tier leadership of 10 to 12 members (which Rosenberg says is not very formal and fairly fluid) relies heavily on the executive committee and float lieutenants to pull off all things Muses.

When asked how much it costs to put on

a parade like Muses, Rosenberg retreats to the mystic world of Mardi Gras. “Putting a price tag on the parade is like unmasking the mystery behind the celebration. I would say that parades run well into six figures, and some - not ours well into seven,” she says.

While Rosenberg did not wish to share the costs involved with membership, she did share that annual dues include a costume, riding on the floats, and the before and after parties. Members have to purchase their own throws. Although there is no set requirement on how much they spend, members tend to spend well over $1,000, some over $2,000, which Rosenberg says is a crucial source of revenue for the organization.

By far, Rosenberg says, the biggest krewe expense is the floats.

“Our celebrated shoe may be the most expensive shoe in town, with a fiber optic light in every inch,” Rosenberg says. “It makes Christian Louboutin shoes look cheap.”

With the cost of floats varying immensely – from mid-five figures to seven figures. Muses decided to switch from renting floats to owning them outright about six years ago. As of this January, they own 35,000 square feet of warehouse space, which Rosenberg admits was may not have been the best financial decision.

“I think we were better off financially renting but we wanted that level of control,” she says.

Without realizing it at the time, Krewe of Muses was given a bit of a break in the first few years by Blaine Kern and marching bands that they signed up to their parade.

“We were charged way less by the float owner and by the bands in the initial years because I think they thought we couldn’t afford it and

LEFT PAGE TOP: Instead of a grand marshall, each year an “Honorary Muse” rides in the krewe’s signature giant shoe float. In 2014 it was writer Julia Reed. The identity of the honorary muse is kept secret until parade day.

LEFT PAGE BOTTOM: Muses currently includes 1,030 riding members and a waitlist (closed since 2010) of more than 500. Those waiting are considered “non-riding members.” They pay annual dues and have access to all krewe parties and events.

ABOVE: Muses provides its riding members with new costumes every year. Riders are also moved around to different floats each year in hopes of promoting more social networking.

that we were going to fail – but actually that was really helpful,” she says.

Another expense that Rosenberg learned was unique to their krewe was costumes. Unlike many other krewes, Muses provides its members with new costumes every year. The cost adds up quickly.

Giving More Than Shoes More than just a fun, social club, Muses also donates to a variety of causes related to women, children and the arts. Over the past 15 years, the krewe has donated over $200,000 to the Greater New Orleans Foundation.

“We auction off a Ride for Charity every year we have done that every year since we started,” Rosenberg says. “That went for as high as $9,000 one year, and another year it went for $7,500, which also had a corporate match.”

This is just a small indicator of how Muses’ popularity has grown.

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Raring to Ride In 2010, Muses closed its waiting list, which to-date includes more than 500 patiently waiting women.

“We have had a waiting list since the second year,” Rosenberg says. “We established our own limitations. We could have more and bigger floats, but it just seems unwieldy. The original idea was to keep it small so we could know everyone and everyone in the krewe could know each other.”

One thousand and thirty Muses are referred to as riding members, while the women on the waiting list – who pay annual dues – are nonriding members who have access to all of the krewe’s parties and events throughout the year.

Rosenberg says the original reputation of being a krewe just for professional women has faded over the years. Muses members cover the full spectrum, from stay-at-home moms to police officers, to teachers to lawyers - all of whom know that if they drop out, they won’t be getting back in.

“It is a financial commitment and there are absolutely people who are putting money aside every month,” Rosenberg says. “They may sacrifice in other parts of their lives so they can be a Muse.”

There is some flexibility, however. Muses has 36

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a very liberal substitute policy that allows riding members to sub out for a year, making room for a non-riding member to join the fun.

“One thing about women is they get pregnant, they have families, sometimes things get financially tight, or they go on vacation – things happen, so we have been pretty flexible about that,” Rosenberg says.

With their membership closed for years now, Rosenberg worries about aging and how that will affect the krewe long term. “You want to be fresh and vibrant, but our membership is closed and the members in the krewe are getting older and that has adversely effected some krewes historically, but we are young at heart,” she says.

Networking, from the beginning, has remained an integral component of the organization. Going against the norm of some other krewes, where riders remain on the same float year after year, Muses riders are assigned to different floats every year in order to generate a strong social network within the organization.

All That Glitters “Muses live with a crazy amount of glitter, in your food, in your hair, in your floorboards,” Rosenberg says. In order to work on throws, members have transformed areas of their houses into glittering stations – some even dubbing

Contrary to popular belief, the highly sought-after Muses shoes are not considered an official krewe throw. Each member is limited to creating and throwing only 30 shoes each season.

their repurposed garages “glitter-ages.”

Contrary to popular belief, the highly soughtafter decorated themed shoes are not an official throw of Muses. What first started as a movement within the krewe has now grown to now be an unofficial trademark.

“People are getting so much better at it… some have their kids helping, some get together in all kinds of groups. It is a big part of peoples’ social life - glittering through the year while waiting for the parade,” Rosenberg says. “And there are lots of people who don’t do it - it is completely individual.”

The number of shoes that each member can bring on board the float is capped at 30. This is not only because they take up a lot of space, but because throws are a major source of revenue for Muses. And of course there’s the fact that the leadership wants the shoes to remain special, limited and hand-crafted.

“Once a few people started, it really took off and eventually the krewe took it on,” Rosenberg says, noting that the krewe has since provided members with helpful tips on creating the

shoes. “We figured if people were going to do it anyway, then we wanted to make it as attractive as possible,” she says.

Although the shoe throws were not an original part of the krewe, since the beginning, Muses has always had a ‘Shoe of the Year’ - a bead in the shape of a shoe, along with the signature shoe float.

While Muses was originally intended to be an all-female parade, Founder and Captain Staci Rosenberg says that idea quickly became impractical. She does note, however, that many of the female marching groups - like Camel Toe Lady Steppers, The Bearded Oysters and Pussyfooters - originally formed for Muses or first appeared in the krewe’s parade.

Rollin’ Down St. Charles The Thursday night before Fat Tuesday, the signature shoe, bathtub and sirens floats roll to excessive crowds scrambling for a shoe, or at the very least one of the 30 different Muses themed throws.

True to tradition, Muses’ annual theme remains shrouded in secrecy up until the 26 floats line up, ready to make their way down the parade route, showing off the latest designs that often include satirical takes on women, pop culture and politics.

Adorned in themed costumes and their own headdress creations, the 44 riders on each float honor the city ordinance that requires all riders to be masked, throwing randomly – or, at times, purposefully - all things girlie to hordes vying for their attention.

“We work so hard to come up with throws that are in-demand,” Rosenberg says. “Every single item that we sell to the krewe has our logo on it, our name or initial – we don’t have generic things.”

Rosenberg is aware that the word on the street is that Muses have gotten stingy with their throws, but she says that just isn’t true. “As our crowds have grown, it is hard to throw enough,” she says. “Physically, you are dumping the stuff constantly and you still can’t get enough out there.”

At least one band and one marching group strut their stuff between the floats. Originally trying to keep it all-female, Rosenberg says that became very hard and was not very practical. At one point, the krewe tried to have only female tractor drivers too, but there just weren’t enough of them.

“A lot of the women’s marching groups formed for Muses or first appeared in Muses,” Rosenberg adds. “That tradition didn’t exist before.

Camel Toe Lady Steppers, The Bearded Oysters, Pussyfooters - most of them were exclusive to us for many years but now most of them do other parades.”

With no official grand marshal, Muses instead opts for an Honorary Muse to ride in the signature shoe float. That person is always someone considered to be a role model for women and children, who has had an impact in different areas. Falling within the code of silence, the Honorary Muse is revealed the day of the parade.

Among Muses’ latest additions is the first female torch carriers, the Glambeaux, which the krewe featured in its 2014 parade.

Choosing not to follow the long-standing tradition of the captain riding on a white horse, Rosenberg can be spotted on the first float, leading the flamboyant parade. Along with 10 other officials, she will be throwing paraphernalia out to the crowds that started congregating along the neutral ground since daybreak, and oftentimes the day before.

“We had really bad weather karma in the first few years, where it was raining or freezing cold, and we were blown away that people would stand out in the rain and pick up soggy stuffed animals out of the gutter,” Rosenberg says. “That was when I knew we were onto something big.”

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No BUSINEsS like throw business They may be free to parade-goers, but Carnival throws are a multimillion-dollar industry.

By Pamela Marquis

“I

n essence, throws are the currency of Carnival, and Carnival is a large part of the currency of the city.”-Throw Me Something, Mister: The History of Carnival Throws in New Orleans by Lissa Capo.

According to Sections 34-33 of Chapter 4 of the Code of the City of New Orleans, the following are among the things you cannot throw off a Mardi Gras float: insects, marine life, rodents, fowl or other animals, dead or alive.

Luckily, that leaves plenty of treasures for Carnival’s aristocracy to fling to the adorning throng. In fact, a study conducted on 2011 Mardi Gras celebrations reported that “superkrewes” such as Endymion and Bacchus tossed more than 2 million cups, 3.5 million doubloons and more than 50 million beads.

Dan Kelly, owner of the store Beads by the Dozen and president of the Krewe of Endymion, says that each of the roughly 2,700 members of his krewe throws an average of 2,500 strands of beads.

Until the 1960s, the most common form of beads were glass - multicolored strings made in Czechoslovakia. These have now been replaced by the less expensive and more durable plastic beads from China. In all, about OPPOSITE LefT: A Carnival doubloon featuring jazz musician Pete Fountain.

OPPOSITE right: The most prized throws from the Krewe of Zulu parade are coconuts hand painted by the krewe’s members.

OPPOSITE BOTTOM: Local supplier Beads by the Dozen will import about 150 shipping containers of Carnival paraphernalia this year. The items will fill the store’s 200,000 square-foot facility and additional 125,000 square-foot storage area.

25 million pounds of Mardi Gras beads are shipped to New Orleans each year.

Beads by the Millions Started in 1983, Beads by the Dozen now has sales of more than $10 million and imports around 8 million pounds of plastic annually.

“This year, between beads, plush, feather masks, trinkets and vinyl ball products, we will import about 150 containers,” Kelly says.

The store’s primary site is 200,000 square feet, but it also stores product in another 125,000-square-foot facility. Kelly says approximately 300 people work at the plant during the regular season, and about 400 in the weeks before Mardi Gras.

Although local Mardi Gras krewes help stoke the business, Beads by the Dozen also benefits from branching into other markets.

The company supplies beads and other products to event organizers throughout the U.S. According to Kelly, the future of beads is very bright.

“The riders and public do not want the cheaper, smaller beads anymore,” he says.

“Bigger is better, and lighted is best!”

Money from Above In 1884, the Krewe of Rex began throwing wooden medallions into Mardi Gras crowds.

Gradually wood was replaced by aluminum, and in 1968, John Barr and Col. Bill Cox began producing aluminum doubloons at The New Orleans Mint at 117 Lasalle St. Forty-seven years later, John Barr’s sons, Peter and David Barr, now run the Mint, which sits right next door to their other business, OPA Signs & Graphics.

“The Mint is so important to us because it is keeping our father’s legacy alive,” says Peter Barr. “We are proud to be a local company making a local product for the local people.”

The business operates out of a 3,000-squarefoot space that is just a doubloon’s throw from the Superdome and has annual sales of between $350,000 to $400,000.

“We are the only mint in Louisiana that strikes its own doubloons,” says Pat Feeney, the Mint’s manager, who’s been with the business for 35 years. “We easily do 3 million doubloons in a season.”

The process starts in August and by November is in full swing, guided by Joe Fisher, who has manned the machines for 18 years.

“Rolls of aluminum are cut into blank coins, and then the machine takes over, striking out the image from the die onto thousands of doubloons,” he says.

In addition to Mardi Gras, the Mint’s doubloons graced the front page of the very first New Orleans Saints programs and commemorated many of NASA’s shuttle launches. And when Larry Dias, the set decorator for “Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl,” went looking for “pieces of eight” doubloons for the movie’s Isla de Muerta cave set, he called on The New Orleans Mint.

“We did 250,000 of them – now that was something to be proud of!” Feeney says.

Giacona Container Company The first plastic souvenir Mardi Gras throw cups were thrown in 1980 by the Krewe of Alla.

They were made by a local company, Giacona Container Co., owned by Corrado Giacona II.

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TOP: Members of the Krewe of Muses save year-round to spend thousands each on throws for awaiting parade attendees.

BOTTOM: Among Muses’ original throws are tiny comic books designed locally by artist Caesar Meadows.

“From the very first year, we set out to work with local artists,” Rosenberg says. “What is amazing is that through our custom shoes, we ended up bringing out the artist in many of our members.”

The krewe throws plenty of beads and other items from China but makes an effort to throw items that are made locally and that people will want to keep after the parade passes by, such as scarves, bracelets and totes.

As to what all these trinkets cost krewe members, Rosenberg says, “We have to keep some secrecy in Mardi Gras, but our members definitely save year-round to buy enough throws.”

A Little Something Different

During the 1960s, Giacona revolutionized the idea of direct, high-speed, dry, offset printing onto metal cans. Eventually, he began using the process on plastic and the Mardi Gras cup, or “New Orleans fine crystal,” was born.

“We manufactured metal cans for the syrup, oyster and crabmeat industries for years after American Can and Continental Can closed in New Orleans,” Giacona explains. “But in the 1970s, I designed new plastic containers to replace all metal cans and created a new printing technique to print on metal and plastic.”

Giacona Container Co. operates in a 20,000-square-foot space and has approximately 20 employees, many of whom have been with Giacona for 10 to 25 years. The company does not publish sales, but Giacona states that more than 80 percent of his sales are outside of Louisiana, in countries all over the world. Some of his clients include Coca-Cola, Anheuser-Busch and Disney.

Giacona’s business is decidedly a family affair. His wife is the company’s secretary/ treasurer, and all three of his children have been active in the business. His daughter Gina Giacona Lynch is the chief operating officer of Giacona Container and the creator of Party Cup Express, a division of Giacona Container.

“She is the ‘today’ of our business,” he says.

Zulu Coconuts In 1910, Zulu introduced the first thematic 42

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throw of Carnival – gold-painted walnuts called Golden Nuggets. It is thought that Zulu switched from walnuts to coconuts in the early 1920s. The first were unadorned “hairy” coconuts purchased at the French Market because it was a throw the men could afford. The more elaborately decorated coconuts distributed by today’s riders didn’t enter the picture until the late 1940s.

“By creating their own form of currency, one which could not be obtained from any other krewe, Zulu enticed more people to attend their parade and therefore enlarged their share of the developing throw economy,” Capo explains in her book.

Today it has been estimated that each Zulu rider on a float handles an average of five cases of Zulu coconuts a season – at 34 coconuts per case with an estimated 20 riders on 30 floats, that adds up to a total of 102,000 coconuts from one parade.

Muses Shoes Founded by Staci Rosenberg, the Krewe of Muses first paraded in 2001. Its glittery real shoes are some of Carnival’s most-coveted throws.

Caesar Meadows formats his comic strips into tiny comic books that fit inside 2-inch plastic vending capsules. The 1.5-inch-highby-1.25-inch-wide format makes an excellent parade throw. In 2013, he created a new method of hand-assembling that increased the amount of throws he could make in an hour from 40 to 500. It meant he could offer the comic books at prices comparable to other throws. He called the throw a Qomik. Last year, Muses ordered 30,840 of them.

Meadows’ goal is to establish the Qomik as a popular Carnival throw that becomes as collectible as doubloons.

“It has been a complete dream come true for me to have the Krewe of Muses toss my little Qomik,” he says. “I feel quite fortunate to have contributed something unique and enjoyable to the New Orleans parade experience.”

Founder of the Krewe of Kolossos and The Bearded Oysters Mardi Gras dance troupe, Katrina Brees has become a prominent figure in the effort to provide eco-friendly, locally sourced throws through her company, I Heart Louisiana, which she formed in 2012.

Throw Me Somethin’ Green Photo Joshua McGowan

A look at some of the big players in the movement toward local, eco-friendly throws.

By Pamela Marquis

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I Heart Louisiana offers an array of medallions hand-crafted from paper clay, a substance made from pulp that has the density of wood. Her clients include Krewe du Vieux and Krewe of Zulu.

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eads and other popular throws from China aren’t going anywhere anytime soon. But from its very beginning, besides all the fun, Carnival was about bringing money to the city. The goal to push toward local throws will begin to put more and more money back into the pockets of our local artists and entrepreneurs.

“We have so much talent in Louisiana, and it’s essential that we nurture that talent by providing opportunities for it to grow,” says Aimee Smallwood, CEO of Louisiana Cultural Economy Foundation, an organization that advocates for the state’s cultural workers.

“Imagine the millions of dollars spent on Carnival throws coming into our own economy versus China,” says Smallwood, “and you will see real impact on real people.”

I Heart Louisiana Founder of the Krewe of Kolossos and The Bearded Oysters Mardi Gras dance troupe, Katrina Brees has entrenched herself into the Mardi Gras scene. Her latest venture is I Heart Louisiana, a company she founded in 2012 with the goal of making more local Mardi Gras throws available and affordable to krewes and revelers.

“I was troubled by the trash and all the money going toward China,” she says. “I felt as though it was taking away from our culture and arts.”

Brees scours Louisiana to find locally produced throws from Louisiana artists, farms and factories. She also produces hand-crafted beads and medallions from paper clay, which is made from pulp and has the density of wood.

Brees uses iconic New Orleans symbols such as the New Orleans Sewerage & Water Board logo to give her medallions a local flair. A minimum order of 50 necklaces sells for $150. Her clients include big names, including Krewe du Vieux and Krewe of Zulu, and she continues to see her business grow.

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faster to trends,” she says. “We can work in the krewe’s themes, and we get their inside jokes.”

I Heart Louisiana has one employee, but Brees hires more as needed during the height of the season. She says that her company provides more than $100,000 to artists to create and produce her company’s throws.

Brees fervently hopes that future Carnivals become much more local and artistic and much less dependent on plastic: “I want Mardi Gras to be more Cirque du Soleil and less Disney,” she says.

The Krewe of Freret In late 2011, seven young Loyola graduates wanted to create a new kind of krewe. Their mission, “to create jobs, support our local artists, and shift away from petroleum-based beads that harm our citizens, our wildlife, and our environment.”

“We wanted to enjoy all the decadence and creative expression of Mardi Gras while assuming a role of stewardship for our culture, planet and people,” says Greg Rhoades, one of Freret’s founding members.

Because of that desire, the Krewe of Freret wanted a signature throw that wasn’t made of plastic and that had local input. To do this, each member is given 40 plain white papiermâché masks to decorate.

Last year, the krewe also threw 60,000 doubloons from the New Orleans Mint, coloring books, magnets, medallions and necklaces made by I Heart Louisiana.

“We want to be a parade that is known for being environmentally conscious,” Rhoades says. “We want to recycle floats and costumes and throw local throws. I’ve made it my goal this year to throw all local items and I am hoping others in the krewe will follow my example. It’s not going to happen overnight, but you have to start somewhere.”

The krewe knows its environmentally friendly throws are catching on because parade-goers proudly share their catches on

social media using the hashtag #BeMardiGras.

ZomBeads ZomBeads is a socially conscious, community-driven business that serves as a revenue stream for the Louisiana Bucket Brigade, an environmental health and justice organization. Its throws have made appearances in numerous parades.

ZomBeads’ local line of products is made exclusively through partnerships with artists and manufacturers in the Gulf Coast region, and the company offers a wide variety of throws, including soda can bracelets and drink cozies made from recycled bras. The one product ZomBeads offers that isn’t local is the hand-rolled paper beads, which are made from recycled magazine pages and produced in Uganda through a partnership with an organization that provides impoverished women a path to financial security. The fashion-forward necklaces are roughly 30 inches long, and a gross of beads (144) sells for $2.25 per strand.

“It’s taken some time, but we now have a product line we are truly proud of,” says Anne Rolfes, founding director of Louisiana Bucket Brigade. “We feel like we are pioneers in the field of affordable, locally made specialty throws.”

Tchoup Industries Created by Patti Dunn, a 10-year veteran pack and luggage designer, Tchoup Industries creates backpacks, shoulder bags and accessories from repurposed materials from a 650-square-foot building and employs six parttime employees. The company’s sales in 2015 are estimated to hit $90,000.

Dunn also creates throws for ZomBeads out of real nutria fur and rice sacks.

“Our mission is to build eco-conscious, locally sourced bags and accessories that support a thriving local community,” Dunn says.

“ZomBeads has a very similar mission, and we are honored to be a part of the green Mardi Gras movement.”

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Perspectives A closer look at hot topics in three southeast Louisiana industries

48 Maritime

54 Banking

58 Health/Fitness BizNewOrleans.com January 2015

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Perspectives | Maritime

In response to demand, Hornbeck Offshore reports that it has built some of the largest offshore service vessels (OSVs) in the Gulf of Mexico. Shawn here is the HOS 370 Multi-Purpose Support Vessel.

Bigger, Better and Greener Responding to substantial growth in 2014, the Louisiana shipping industry is stepping up its game. By Kim Roberts

D

uring his 2014 State of the Port Address, Port of New Orleans President and CEO Gary LaGrange announced that, for the first eight months of 2014, total general cargo was up 25 percent compared to 2013, totaling 5.89 tons.

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also come along with a variety of emerging technologies that are enhancing efficiency and encouraging environmentally friendly operations throughout all aspects of the shipping industry.

“Ships on the Mississippi River just keep getting bigger and bigger in an effort to save money by transporting more,

and larger, loads of cargo at a time,” says Jimmy Baldwin, owner/manager of Southern Sails, a company that specializes in custom designing marine transportation and logistics solutions. “The ships are bigger and better and feature advanced automation, which lets them load and unload vessels quicker and more efficiently. They are

also being built to be environmentally friendly.”

A sign of the times, Hornbeck Offshore Services, a leading provider of marine transportation services (that reported thirdquarter 2014 earnings of $26.6 million) has made significant capital investments in its f leet that will grow from 55 OSVs (offshore service vessel) and 4 Photo courtesy of Hornbeck Offshore

The Port of New Orleans saw a 25 percent increase in total general cargo in the first eight months of 2014, further spurring efforts to increase capacity and efficiency among those in the shipping industry.

MPSVs (multipurpose support vessel) to 68 OSVs and 9 MPSVs by 2016. These investments are expected to reshape the f leet to further meet customer demand.

“When we launched our most recent new build program back in the fall of 2011, we saw a growing need for larger, more advanced and more capable vessels from our clients,” says Leslie Hellmers, sales analyst for Hornbeck Offshore. “Since our establishment, we have been focused on providing innovative, technologically advanced marine solutions to meet the ever-changing needs of the industry.”

“Ships on the Mississippi River just keep getting bigger and bigger in an effort to save money by transporting more, and larger, loads of cargo at a time.”

- Jimmy Baldwin, owner/manager of Southern Sails “Several factors, including project location and specifications, led us to build larger vessels on the high-end of the equipment spectrum and upgrade or divest of the low end of our equipment spectrum,” Hellmers says. “In response to the customer community, we have built some of the largest OSVs ever built in the Gulf of Mexico with deadweight tonnage capacities up to 6,000 tons and liquid mud capacities approaching 20,000 barrels.”

Apart from the new build OSVs, the company recently completed upgrades of six 200 class OSVs to 240 class DP-2 vessels by inserting a 40-foot plug, adding an additional thruster and enhancing the DP capabilities.

Although cargo ships occupy the largest category in regard to the sheer number of vessels that are in operation, the growing trend among new ships is leaning more toward specialization and meet-

Photo courtesy of Associated Terminals

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Perspectives | Maritime

Associated Terminals’ Gottwald crane is a 360-degree revolving crane that replaces the multiple levers and foot pedals present on hydraulic cranes with a simple joystick in order to move cargo quicker, safer and more efficiently.

ing individual customer needs. Companies are reinvesting in customized ship types, which is mostly visible in the heavy lifting industry and transportation of chemicals.

Container ships, once credited for transforming the face of shipping, are now the standard form of conveyance for most forms of manufactured items across the globe.

“The shipping industry has really evolved over the past 10 years, both onshore and offshore. The changes have been remarkable,” says Tony Collins, vice president of Associated Terminals. “Probably the greatest technological advancements are with the cranes that are used to get cargo to and from ships. What is really noteworthy is that the old-school hydraulic cranes with all of the multiple levers and foot pedals have now been replaced with Gottwald crane barges that are controlled with the equiva50

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lent of a gaming joystick.”

“It’s like the operator is playing a giant video game, with the joystick controlling the crane’s every movement,” he adds.

This technology has allowed us to minimize damage and create a better working environment.”

The high-capacity Gottwald crane is

“It’s like the operator is playing a giant video game, with the joystick controlling the crane’s every movement…We can see anything and everything we need to know at the strike of a key on the keyboard.”

-Tony Collins, vice president of Associated Terminals “Every motion the crane makes can be monitored on computer screens in office. We can see anything, and everything we need to know at the strike of a key on the keyboard.

the latest in equipment technology. The 360-degree revolving crane is mounted on a pedestal, with boom lengths ranging from 164 to 168 feet set on barges that range

Photo courtesy of Associated Terminals

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Gottwald Cranes allow Associated Terminals to unload ships, depending on the cargo, from both sides at the same time.

in size from 250 to 270 feet long by 72 feet wide and 12 feet deep.

These high-tech cranes can be used for mobile operating in the water and are used to move cargo quickly, safely and efficiently.

“It’s interesting to point out that the new technology gives us the capability to unload ships, depending on the cargo, from both sides of the vessel at the same time. It is so much more efficient and cost effective,” Collins says. “The industry is using a lot of mobile equipment and automated cranes because damage is minimized and it provides for a better working environment. The automation provides real-time information that allows controllers to quickly pinpoint safety issues, fostering a proactive environment.”

“The technology puts a system in place that lets you see the crane activity and cycle time on a computer. You can see everything you need to know on the computer, the entire process is real life,” he adds. “Customers also benefit from the real-time technology because they get the most up-to-the-minute information about their cargo. The computerized improvements are immense and have definitely led to safer operations and improvements in the industry overall.”

Like every aspect of modern life, the shipping industry is focusing more and more on environmental sustainability and as such is investing in new technology. Improvements in the construction of engines and equipment, as well as better propeller performance and high-tech coatings, are being embraced by the industry.

“The trend is moving toward clean shipping solutions and energy sources,” Baldwin says. “Ships are being designed to reduce emissions and increase fuel usage.” n

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Photo courtesy of Associated Terminals

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Perspectives | Banking

Two new mortgage loan forms this year are focused on clearly disclosing loan information (costs, interest rates, monthly payments) in order to better inform consumers and help them compare and contrast different loans.

Banking on Change in 2015 New rules and regulations for the coming year

By Leslie T. Snadowsky

T

hings are always changing in the world of banking, and in 2015, this translates to new mortgage disclosure forms, stock perils and tax traps, local lending opportunities and stricter accounting of financial transactions.

Among the changes: Starting Aug. 1, 2015, banks and lending institutions will be dramatically streamlining the formats of their disclosure forms.

Mortgage Loans Made Easier For more than 30 years, those who sought mortgages were given multiple disclosures at different times, and they were often con54

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fusing to read and burdensome to behold.

According to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act’s regulatory requirements will direct lenders to hand over a single loan estimate - which provides key facts about the loan’s features, costs and risks - no later than the third business day after a loan application is submitted.

Another form called the closing disclosure contains information about all transaction costs and must now be given at least three business days before the consummation of the loan - a big change since banks didn’t

have to provide any kind of window to customers before closings in the past.

The new forms will clearly disclose interest rates, monthly payments and costs to close the loan, provide data to help consumers decide whether the loan is affordable, and compare the terms with other loan offers, including the cost of the loans over time.

“It’s going to be a huge shift,” says Fidelity Bank Senior Vice President and Compliance Officer Linda Tresemer. “It will be like changing the direction of an iceberg.”

Tresemer, whose bank is a mortgageheavy lender, says that while the new forms

High income earners ($200,000 for individuals, $250,000 for married filing jointly) need to be aware of the 3.8 percent Net Investment Income Tax.

will benefit customers, the challenge is to get all parties involved on, literally, the same page.

“The old disclosures had so many regulations we used to call them ‘Alphabet Soup,’” she says. “Now, they are very transparent, and loan information is explained in laymen’s terms. However, we need to make sure everyone involved will be following the new guidelines together.”

Mark Higdon, partner and shareholder of GC Lending Services, says the new settlement statements in 2015 will itemize all the charges for his clients, satisfy all the Truth in Lending requirements, and provide better guidance for financiers, real estate agents and title companies.

“The guidelines are there to protect consumers,” Higdon says.

“Regardless of the headaches we may have to deal with, they were put there so that no terms can be changed at closing. It’s a good thing, but it’s something we’ll all have to adjust to.”

Playing The Stocks, Avoiding The 3.8 percent The stock market is continuing a strong five-year run, which means there is no time to waste in diversifying your portfolio in 2015.

“It’s always prudent to diversify,” says Claude Silverman, CPA, financial adviser and partner of the Ericksen Krentel Financial Group. “But it’s more prudent, particularly now.”

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“I look for that entrepreneurial spark,” says Michael Bush, president and CEO of Mississippi River Bank. Bush says small business owners could do well to turn to local community banks like his that may be willing to look at things a little differently.

uptick, try not to predict market performance, but invest for the long term based on your individual risk tolerance.

It’s important to be sure you’re fully diversified among seven major asset classes - including U.S. large cap stocks, U.S. small cap stocks, international developed markets, international emerging markets, real estate, commodities and fixed income investments – to be best protected, Silverman says.

“Another issue facing higher-income individuals who have benefited from the rising local economy is that investment gains may be subject to a Net Investment Income Tax, a 3.8 percent tax that came with the Affordable Care Act during 2013,” Silverman says. “Times have been prosperous in our area of late, and investment gains and income levels have risen to a point where more people will be impacted by this tax in 2015, above and beyond other traditional taxes they’re expected to pay.”

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The 3.8 percent tax comes into play when your modified adjusted gross income exceeds $200,000 a year for a single tax filer or $250,000 a year if married filing jointly, he says. If you fall into that financial parameter, expect to be taxed on the lesser amount of your net investment income or modified adjusted gross income above the specified thresholds.

For example, if you’re single and make $225,000 including $30,000 of investment income, you’ll be taxed on that $25,000 above the $200,000 modified adjusted gross income threshold, since it’s less than your investment gains.

“One strategy we’re recommending is if you have substantial gains from real estate sales, consider taking advantage of a Section 1031 Like-Kind Exchange,” Silverman says.

“If you sell a property, acquire a similar property so you can defer taxes on that exchange. By trading properties, you’ll not only defer capital gains taxes, but also avoid

falling into that category where you might have to pay the additional 3.8 percent Net Investment Income Tax.” Silverman also recommends maximizing qualified retirement-plan contributions.

In this way, you’ll be building long-term wealth in a tax-deductible, tax-deferred way, he says, while reducing your taxable income to potentially minimize the 3.8 percent tax in an effort to retain more of your annual earnings.

For Banks, Look Local Michael Bush, president and CEO of Mississippi River Bank, sees lots of potential growth in 2015 for small businesses and entrepreneurs who want to stay, and bank, locally.

While area community banks have worked a lot with the oil and gas industries, Bush says banks like his are bridging the gap to reach out to those in the emerging tech fields.

“Community banks are important to

capitalism,” says Bush of the locally owned and operated Westbank bank. He notes, however, that many startups and new college graduates don’t understand the value of what they can offer.

“The goal is to do business with those who bring something to the table for the community,” he says, “whether it’s creating jobs or filling a specific niche.”

While many aspiring businesspeople may seek national brand banks, Bush says banks like his could actually be a better fit for their financial needs.

“Eighty percent of all new businesses fail within five years,” he says, noting that local banks tend to be more familiar with a specific region, its needs, and the local competition present in any given field. As such, they may be better suited to find that successful 20 percent.

According to Bush, the larger national banks don’t have the time, or inclination, to do this kind of research.

“I look for that entrepreneurial spark,” Bush says. “It’s hard to define, but I know it when I see it.”

Dead Money “Imagine going to Rouses to buy a bottle

of milk, and when you’re about to leave someone takes the milk away, hands your money back, says you can’t do business with them again and won’t tell you why,” says Mark Rosa, CEO of Jefferson Financial Credit Union. “In banking, that’s a reality.

In certain circumstances we would have to tell a customer we no longer want your business, here’s a check for all your money, we’re closing your account, and, by the way, we can’t discuss it.”

Rosa says he believes the Bank Secrecy Act will be more strongly enforced in 2015.

According to the U.S. Treasury Department’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network, the Bank Secrecy Act, BSA, was established in 1970 and requires “U.S. financial institutions to assist U.S. government agencies to detect and prevent money laundering. Specifically, the act requires financial institutions to keep records of cash purchases of negotiable instruments, file reports of cash transactions exceeding $10,000 (daily aggregate amount), and to report suspicious activity that might signify money laundering, tax evasion, or other criminal activities.”

Rosa says the regulations have evolved in recent years, and now any unusual trans-

action, no matter the amount, could be enough to trigger the filing of a suspicious activity report, or SAR. “The way these security laws are enforced are contrary to the way Americans do business,” Rosa says. “After 9/11 these regulations got teeth. Now, they can’t be enforced enough. They’ve got teeth and claws.”

The parameters for determining what suspicious activity entails are very broad and subjective, Rosa says, and banks are not even allowed to discuss them with a customer in question.

“The point of frustration is you can’t have the conversations you want to have,” he says.

Rosa says that not only does the Act hurt customer relations, it hurts a bank’s bottom line.

“Compliance costs are enormous and getting higher,” he says. “We’re member-driven and member-owned with a larger variability of net income each year. But larger financial institutions have to pass those costs along.”

Rosa says the bank would rather use the money spent on compliance to make improvements to mobile banking or enhance client services,” he says. “Instead it’s all going to compliance costs. It’s dead money.” n

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Perspectives | Health & Fitness

Since Anytime Fitness opened in New Orleans’ Bywater neighborhood last February, they’ve seen a wide range of clientele. The club says last year’s opening rush has prepared them for what this season will bring.

Resolutions Mean Revenue Fitness club owners brace for new year newbies during “the Black Friday of fitness.”

By Judi Russell

I

f the new year has you planning to hit the gym – for real this time – you’re not alone.

Fitness clubs are familiar with the “New Year’s Resolution Syndrome,” says Cliff Bergeron, a personal trainer at Downtown Fitness Center who refers to the first week of January as “the Black Friday of fitness.”

Attracting, and Controlling, the Crowds And just as big box stores battle it out for the Black Friday crowds, fitness clubs work hard to grab the attention of the New Year’s resolution crowds.

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Downtown Fitness, for example, will waive the annual fee to join during the first few weeks of the year, while other local clubs package personal training and nutrition sessions.

Gyms also know that an avalanche of newbies can result in a room filled with people dressed in brand-new workout clothes, trying to figure out how to turn on the treadmill.

“We beef up our staff,” says Bergeron.

“The new folks need orientation.”

If it’s been awhile since a client has exercised, it’s important to help them begin with small steps while their bodies adapt. When the initial workouts are too punishing, aches

and pains will turn new members off.

“It’s equally essential to keep bumping up the program,” Bergeron says, “so clients start seeing improvement in both their energy levels and their appearance.”

It helps, too, if your fitness center is open for enough hours to spread the newcomers around. Mark Segreto, an owner of Anytime Fitness in Bywater along with John and Colin Reilly, says his center can handle the rush because it’s open 24 hours a day.

Segreto opened the gym last February to capitalize on the inf lux of young workers moving into the Marigny/Bywater area.

“Tattoo artists, doctors and lawyers – we Photo courtesy of Anytime Fitness

Personal trainers can be useful in orienting new members and helping to prevent both injuries and burnout.

run the gamut,” he says. He and his manager, Kai Keegan, became experienced in handling a rush of new members during the opening, so he’s confident they’ll be fine when another wave arrives in January.

Colin Brunet, a personal trainer at Elmwood Fitness Center in Harahan, says that new exercisers can smooth their introduction to a club by arranging for some one-on-one instruction.

“We start a lot of people in the pool,” he says, which makes for a fairly easy workout. Then they can opt for 30- or 60-minute training sessions that include a consult with a nutritionist.”

Additional Perks of Personal Training While personal training comes with an added cost, it can help save money and time in the long run. For instance, if someone uses the wrong equipment, or uses the equipment incorrectly, they won’t benefit from their efforts, and may get hurt.

Making a bond with a trainer can also help with the dreaded “drop out syndrome.” At French Riviera Fitness, for example, Fitness Director and Trainer Levi Bowling, says that trainers place follow-up calls to encourage new members to stick with their programs. (They also continually develop new workouts to help clients stave off exercise boredom.)

The Exclusive Club Model Iron Tribe Fitness, near Lee Circle, uses a different tool to keep members enthusiastic. The club limits its membership to 300, and accepts only 15 new people each month. When someone joins, they must commit to attending a minimum of three days a week.

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TOP: Iron Tribe Fitness has found success in Downtown New Orleans by limiting membership to a dedicated group of 300.

BOTTOM: New Orleans commonly sees a secondary bump in gym activity after Carnival season, and a third before swimsuit season.

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Photos courtesy of Irontribe Fitness (top) and Anytime Fitness (bottom)

To entice the New Year’s resolution crowd, Downtown Fitness waives the annual fee to join during the first few weeks of the year.

“You won’t see treadmills and other machines at Iron Tribe,” says owner Jim Strickland. Instead, his four full-time coaches offer classes and workouts for groups of eight to 20, and each member can track his or her progress online.

“It’s always interesting,” says Strickland. “People absolutely love it.” Iron Tribe also offers its own line of food that follows the popular Paleo diet.

The New Orleans Difference Like with many things, New Orleans is just a little different when it comes to the highs and lows of fitness participation. While many clubs hit a lull in February - when locals are busy eating king cake and going to parades - the ensuing Mardi Gras pounds tend to inspire a burst of activity in March. However, typically pleasant weather in April, along with activities like the French Quarter Fest and Jazz Fest, tend to draw people away from the gym. A third wave of club activity then predictably hits before bathing suit season.

But club owners know that come December, locals will once again be feasting and partying, pushing their exercise efforts into yet another new year. n

U.S. Gym Memberships – By the Numbers Number of health and fitness clubs: 30,500 (as of Jan. 2013) Number of health club members: 51.3 million (as of Jan. 2013) Annual gym and health club industry revenue: $21.8 billion (2012) International Health, Racquet & Sportsclub Association

Photo courtesy of Downtown Fitness Center

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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.

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L U X U R Y

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Great Offices

Mignon Faget shows off some of her creations inside her office within the company’s headquarters on Magazine Street.

Home to Mignon A look inside the work space of famed local jewelry artist Mignon Faget.

By Bonnie Warren Photography by Cheryl Gerber 64

January 2015 BizNewOrleans.com

LEFT: The spacious conference room features classic arts and craft furniture.

BELOW: A vault from Hibernia Bank (the former tenants of Mignon Faget’s offices) remains in use today as a repository for Mignon valuables.

W

ith the same care she puts into her signature jewelry pieces, Mignon Faget has spent almost half a century crafting the multi million-dollar business that is Mignon Faget Ltd. A fifth-generation New Orleanian, Faget says her life, and her work, are a product of the city.

“My success is firmly planted in New Orleans,” Faget says. “This is where I was born and educated, and it’s the vibrant city that has always inspired and supported my work.”

Today Mignon Faget Ltd. has 70-plus employees. Formerly home to Hibernia Bank, the corporate office at Magazine and General Pershing streets was purchased in 1997 and encompasses 6,485 square feet.

Almost half of this space is allotted to workshops and production, where, 10 jewelers,clad in blue smocks, work at well-lit stations handling each assignment with great precision.

“My talented craftspeople are amazing,” she says. “Each one is a treasure in her or his own right. I feel it is an important part of my story for everybody to know that this is where it happens.”

Faget is so dedicated to being “made in New Orleans” that even when executives from a TV shopping channel approached Faget with the opportunity to mass-produce her jewelry in a foreign country for distribution on its sta-

tion, she simply shook her head, saying, “No, we don’t mass-produce jewelry. Everything is created by talented artists right here in our New Orleans workroom.”

The only part of Mignon Faget’s production not done on-site is handled by Calbar, a casting company Faget owns in New Jersey.

The Mignon Faget corporate offices are a beehive of activity. As you step through the front door, a large conference room furnished with Arts and Crafts furniture lies just to the right. A honeycomb of offices is spread throughout the first and second floor, with an original Hibernia bank safe still in operation as a repository for valuables.

One special spot on the second floor is allotted to John Humphries, Faget’s son, who launched his own line of jewelry in 2009. His creations are available Faget’s galleries and on his own website - www.johnhumphries.com.

Faget says she is pleased to have her son’s office next to hers.

“He is talented in his own right and has already developed a following of his own,” she says.

A Woman of Many Talents Faget’s career began in 1969 with the launch of her first ready-to-wear collection, which featured clothing made of organic fabrics such as wool, cotton, linen, and silk. She

adorned luxurious suede with nail heads, and a cover article about her clothing was featured in a 1969 issue of New Orleans Magazine.

It was a natural transition for her to quickly add a belt, pin or necklace to enhance her clothing. Designing and making jewelry quickly followed.

Over the years, the company has grown to include not only jewelry, but home designs including glassware, table linens, candles and desktop items as well. Faget also has a bridal department offering a bandeaux, wristlet, and belt for the bride, and a set of bridal cake pulls.

In all of Faget’s years in business - from the day she opened her first shop and workroom at 714 Dublin Street in the Riverbend area, to her spacious headquarters today - she has been a dedicated businesswoman.

“I still have fond memories of opening my first atelier-style operation,” she says. “I take great pride in the fact that many people who shopped at my Dublin Street store are still collectors of my jewelry today.”

“My work has been like a journal,” she says. “Whatever it is that I’m particularly interested in at any phase in my life comes out in my work.”

It would take a dozen single-space pages to list all of the collections Faget has launched BizNewOrleans.com January 2015

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The Mignon Faget Ltd. flag flies outside the window of the company’s conference room.

in her career. Her latest – LUZ/OBSCURO – is now selling in the company’s five retail outlets. Mignon Faget’s lastest 50-page catalog has been mailed to every state in the country.

“Once again I find it exciting to be offering a new collection of 38 pieces of jewelry, all mainly made right here in New Orleans in my workshop on Magazine Street,” she says, adding that her website has had a banner holiday season.

“It is always my latest collection that excites me the most, and I especially like my justreleased LUZ/OBSCURO because it expresses the idea that beauty is all around us, in life’s contrasts and diversities,” she says. “It is named ‘Light and Dark’ and inspired by New Orleans, a city where the spirit of living dissolves boundaries and encourages originality.”

Faget is proud that her jewelry designs have been derived from natural and architectural forms found in her native New Orleans environment.

“This is a mysterious place, and what is so beautiful about New Orleans and Louisiana comes out in my work,” she says. From the beginning, Faget has worked closely with 66

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natural forms, never simply duplicating but always extracting the substance, the essence or a particular shape. “I keep refining until I am satisfied with the outcome,” she says.

Shaped by the Past “My parents were great influences in my life,” she explains. “My mother encouraged my creativity and indulged my desire to always be slightly different by willingly executing the clothes I would imagine in my head.”

Mignon Josephine Cressy Faget lived to be 104 and enjoyed watching her daughter become a nationally known jewelry designer.

“My mother’s encouragement definitely shaped my path of creativity,” she continues.

“By the time I was ending my senior year at the Academy of the Sacred Heart, I was confident enough to design the dresses worn by my entire graduating class.”

She fondly remembers her father Edouard Beeg Francois Faget as a tall, handsome doctor who would allow her to ride with him as he made house calls.

“He was an inspiration to me by his genuine caring for his patients,” she says. “He was

from a family of five generations of accomplished doctors and very dedicated to his profession.”

Faget earned her bachelor’s degree in fine arts with a major in metal work from Newcomb College of Tulane University.

Following graduation, she studied for a year at the Academie de la Grande Chaumière in Paris, and later attended Parsons School of Design in New York. Well after her career was launched, Faget returned to Tulane University to take postgraduate classes in botany and other areas.

Faget’s childhood influences can be seen in the many philanthropic endeavors she has undertaken throughout her career, including multiple donations to the New Orleans Preservation Resource Center (PRC), as well as the proceeds from a rebirth pin that she created post-Katrina for the Louisiana Cultural Economy Foundation. Pieces created to benefit the Coalition to Restore Coastal Louisiana after the BP oil spill are still generating income for that cause.

In June 2014, The Historic New Orleans Collection and the Louisiana State Museum

LEFT: Purchased in 1997, the headquarters of Mignon Faget measures 6,485 square feet, with almost 3,000 feet allotted to the workshop and production area.

Capitol Park honored Faget with a retrospective exhibit examining her life’s work, titled “Mignon Faget: A Life in Art and Design.”

Some of her many awards are neatly displayed on tall shelves in the conference room of her headquarters. Her accolades are too numerous to list.

With all of this success behind her, what does the future hold for Faget?

“I am always anxious to begin working on a new collection,” she says. “In the past I have created collections that explore nature, architecture, textiles, and New Orleans traditions, as well as my now-thriving textiles and home accessories. I’m not sure what the future will bring. I am just sure it will be interesting.”n

RIGHT: Jewelers in blue smocks work at well-lit stations crafting Mignon creations onsite.

BELOW: Small bird and animal bones - collected by Faget as inspiration for her Dynamics Collection - hold a place of honor in her office.

Mignon Faget Galleries New Orleans 3801 Magazine Street Canal Place METAIRIE

Baton Rouge 7350 Jefferson Highway Lafayette 1921 Kaliste Saloom Road, Ste. 124

Lakeside Shopping Center

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Why Didn’t I Think of That? | Creative businesses taking hold in Southeast Louisiana

Since March 2014, Mel Grodsky’s Tuxedos to Geaux has been offering tuxedos and suits for $159.

Formerly a tenant at Lakeside Shopping Center, he now operates from a storefront at 3400 16th St. in Metairie.

Ready to Geaux

Tuxedos to Geaux is revolutionizing men’s formal wear in southeast Louisiana.

By Lucie Monk | Photography by Cheryl Gerber

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A

t Tuxedos to Geaux in Metairie, clothier Mel Grodsky offers his ever-growing client base the chance to feel like a million bucks … for

only $159.

Pay that price and Grodsky will package a full custom-fit tuxedo (coat, pants, formal shirt, cummerbund and tie) and throw in a lifetime of free alterations.

It’s a shocking value that begs the question, “What’s the catch?”

The modern era of virus-riddled emails and “one neat trick” diet pills has molded a cynical, beady-eyed crowd of consumers, eager to Yelp a scam artist out of business. Yet Grodsky has no discernable tricks up his cuff-linked sleeves.

The business model of Tuxedos to Geaux relies on a constant stream of new clients.

After all, the promise of free alterations and service for life doesn’t make for a profitable returning customer. But the guarantee and its ensuing loyalty has yielded rewards.

“Everybody that walks out of our store thanks us,” says Grodsky. “Word-of-mouth is far and away our biggest source of clients.”

To his New Orleans clientele, he’s Mel Grodsky, a longtime business owner and fixture in men’s retail. As the good word carries his business further and further afield, however, he’s become known less by name than by trade. “Some of the fraternities just call me ‘The Tuxedo Guy.’” The Tuxedo Guy makes calls to campus after campus, servicing LSU, Southeastern, University of Louisiana at Lafayette, dozens of area high schools, and anywhere else that beckons.

“We’re running,” Grodsky says. “I’m on the road all the time since I fit them all myself.”

The Birth of Tuxedos to Geaux Tuxedos to Geaux established its brick and mortar in March 2014, but the richer thread begins in 1860 when the New Orleans clothing store H.B. Stevens’ opened on Canal Street. A similar shop, Porter’s, set up later on Baronne.

The two popular stores merged in the 1970s under the ownership of the Chicago-based Hart Shaffner & Marx. The company sprinkled several Porter Stevens locations, now marketing men’s and women’s retail, throughout Louisiana and Mississippi.

Hart Shaffner & Marx filed for bankruptcy in 1995, shuttering all the Porter Stevens stores. Seeing an opportunity, Grodsky bought the rights to use the name.

Grodsky took the Porter Stevens cachet

Known by some simply as “The Tuxedo Guy,” Grodsky does a large business with college fraternities and high schoolers, along with Mardi Gras revelers and “anyone who needs a tux.”

and opened a smaller location geared solely toward men in Metairie’s Lakeside Shopping Center.

The clothing business has always been ingrained in Grodsky. Just two years after Lakeside Shopping Center opened in 1965, Grodsky began working at his father’s store, Wright Tailors. He then went on to helm Mel’s School Uniforms, Mel’s Monograms, and J. Michael’s, which he closed shortly after taking over Porter Stevens.

“At the time, things were changing,” he says.

“Styles were changing. Men weren’t wearing suits like they used to in the old days.”

Inventory at the Grodsky-owned Porter Stevens adjusted to meet the trends. “But Macy’s was killing us,” he says. “They took every brand we had and put it into low costs

like Walmart does and tried to put us out of business.”

But Grodsky remained savvy, and soon the changing trends swung his way.

“About two years before we closed, I kept getting calls from kids coming into the store for one fraternity, one high school prom, or one thing or another,” he says. “And we really weren’t in the tuxedo business. So I decided to aim for a special price point where I could compete with the big guys who were going after us.”

Making the Leap Demand for tuxedos was on the rise at LSU fraternity houses. “I was driving around providing this very unique service,” says Grodsky. For group sales, he would travel free BizNewOrleans.com January 2015

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Grodsky offers a lifetime of free alterations with every tux or suit purchase, plus the opportunity to customize with a vest for $10.

of charge from Metairie to Baton Rouge to outfit his new clients.

Predictably, the $159 tuxedo set took off.

“Every time I’d find one fraternity, another fraternity would want to do the same,” he says. “So I was running around like crazy.”

The word spread beyond college boys to groomsmen, Mardi Gras revelers, and even ringbearing toddlers. (Grodsky describes his demographic as “anyone who needs a tux.”)

Finally, Porter Stevens had an edge on the monolithic competition.

“And they can’t compete with us on service and experience,” adds Grodsky.

The Name The venerable “Porter Stevens” name packed less of a punch as Grodsky’s business expanded well beyond New Orleans consumers.

“A great deal of the students I outfitted, and continue to outfit, aren’t from Louisiana, they’re from all over the country,” he says.

“Plus, the ones from Baton Rouge didn’t know Porter Stevens. They couldn’t associate Porter Stevens with anything even though it had a history since 1865.”

Grodsky credits his daughter, Sarah, then an LSU student, with crafting the magnetic new name.

“We figured if they can remember ‘tux-

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edos’ and they can remember ‘Geaux Tigers,’ it’ll work out,” he says.

Rent vs. Own “Why just rent a tuxedo when you’ve got to bring it back, and then you’ve got nothing for your money?” argues Grodsky.

But for men who don’t foresee a formal occasion again in the near future, the high price tag attached to most quality tuxedos can’t be justified.

“I don’t know how it works in other cities,” says the New Orleans entrepreneur, “but here you have so many occasions to wear a tux.”

Even so, for non-residents, it’s no stretch to reach cost-effective status when the cost is less than $200. At Tuxedos to Geaux, “you pay just a little bit more than a rental, or maybe even less than a rental. Wear it twice in five years and you’ve paid for it,” Grodsky says.

Along with lifetime alterations, Tuxedos to Geaux tailors to clients’ ongoing tastes.

“Say you’re in a wedding and need a vest to match the bridesmaids’ dresses, but then you want a Mardi Gras vest down the road,” Grodsky says. “Once you buy a tux from us, every accessory we sell goes to half price.”

Overhead For two years, Grodsky sold his tuxedo package in Lakeside Shopping Center.

“Then I decided that keeping the mall overhead and hours was not going to work with this price range. The price is really critical to compete with the rentals.”

Grodsky vacated the mall, his workplace for almost half a century.

“Basically I retired for a week,” he laughs.

He turned to Brinkman’s, a men’s clothing store on Severn Avenue in Metairie, with a strategic suggestion.

“I told them, ‘Why don’t you let me just put a little tuxedo department in there and I can take it a little easier?” he says. “No more nights. No more Black Fridays. No more seven days a week.’”

His pitch succeeded … and then some.

“Within six months, we outgrew that space.”

Now Tuxedos to Geaux makes its home on 16th Street, where Grodsky pays one-third of the rent he paid at the mall.

The staff consists of Grodsky, two full-time employees, his wife and his daughter (who is being groomed to take over Tuxedos to Geaux), along with an alteration team that includes two full-time and one part-time worker.

With the approach of Mardi Gras and prom season, he’ll find part-time help to handle the sales spike.

Even while maintaining his bargain price, Grodsky has been able to secure well-made

“Once you buy a tux from us, every accessory we sell goes to half price,” Grodsky says.

tuxedos thanks to tremendous volume.

“I found three sources of tuxedo suppliers that work with me,” he says. “They know they’re going to get paid and that I’ll cut a high volume.”

Mardi Gras Spike “Before us, people were just getting the cheapest thing they could find for balls,” says Grodsky. “Those rentals usually run about $99, and that doesn’t even include accessories.”

Patrons of Tuxedos to Geaux also skirt the obligation of returning the tux the next day.

“Who wants to do anything the morning after a Mardi Gras ball?” Grodsky points out.

Tuxedos to Geaux also extends service to last-minute celebrants.

“If you come in town and get tickets to Endymion or Bacchus two days before the event, just call us from your hotel, give me your measurements, and I’ll deliver your tuxedo to you Downtown at no charge.”

Revenue Tuxedos to Geaux offers both tuxedos and

suits at the $159 price. To add a vest, Grodsky tacks $10 on to the bill.

“You either pay us $159 or $169. We make it really simple,” he says.

Grodsky established the tuxedo package in 2009 with minimal inventory.

“It was no big investment,” he says. “Now we’re stocking inventory like crazy. Every six weeks we have 500 or 600 tuxedos come in from overseas.”

His customer service strategy and client base stem from his days running Mel’s School Uniforms.

“We took care of 112 schools in the area,” says Grodsky of his days in the uniform business. “The schools loved us, but our profits were all tied up in inventory. We gave so much service away that it was time to move on and get out of it.”

The New Orleans Connection While his customers call and email from everywhere, Grodsky finds room to showcase a little hometown pride with a selection of novelty shrimp boot shirts.

“That comes from my days in the mall,” he

explains, noting that he previously stocked Lacoste shirts, but when Macy’s offered slashed prices, Grodsky had to back down.

“We needed a polo shirt to replace it,” he says. “My older daughter came up with a shrimp boot logo. Everyone knows shrimp boots in south Louisiana. Soon, we were selling more of the shrimp boot shirts at half the price of the Lacoste shirts because people could relate.”

Biggest Challenge Grodsky says his biggest challenge is “being dependent on buying things out of the country,” but he notes that the only way to compete with big retail today is to source outside the United States. As such, he’s susceptible to issues outside of his control.

And then there’s Mardi Gras.

Non-Louisiana manufacturers gear their business entirely toward prom season. “They figure if they can get their tuxes out by January, that’s wonderful,” Grodsky says. “But I tell them, ‘You don’t understand! Mardi Gras will be over by the time you unload the boat.’” n

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Purple and Gold, but Mostly Green

German artist Stephan Wanger finds new life for old beads in his murals.

His 2013 Guinness World Recordholding 8-foot-by-48-foot mural entitled “Main Street in Louisiana” used roughly over 2 million beads.

The movement is underway toward a more eco-friendly Carnival season.

By Carolyn Heneghan

P

urple, green and gold may be the traditional Mardi Gras colors, but in the past few years the effort has picked up on the green side - with many local businesses, organizations and artists promoting efforts to recycle, clean up pollution and produce more ecofriendly throws, costumes and floats.

frequent garbage truck collections. The cans are in addition to the 110 solar-powered public litter cans currently in use along major corridors installed by the Regional Transit Authority. This, the City believes, will also cut down on pollution along the parade routes.

Throw Local Cleaning Up Routes Perhaps the most visible moves toward a greener Mardi Gras are the recycling efforts being made by the City along the parade routes.

The New Orleans Department of Sanitation manages the parade route cleanup, but it also supplements its existing staff and equipment to handle high traffic areas, such as the French Quarter and Central Business District, with other companies’ efforts.

The Department of Sanitation does not supply recycling containers along parade routes, mainly due to resistance of people to recycle during parades and the contamination of recycling bins. However, the department does partner with organizations to promote the recycling of Mardi Gras beads. This includes Arc of Greater New Orleans, which collects Mardi Gras beads year-round to benefit people with developmental disabilities, Verdi Gras, a Mardi Gras recycling organization, and LifeCity, another organization dedicated to inspiring eco-friendly practices for local businesses.

The Department is still making a sanitation plan for 2015, but the city is planning to install approximately 200 solar-powered public litter cans in areas of high-volume pedestrian traffic. These cans reduce greenhouse gas emissions, as they compact the trash to require less 72

January 2015 BizNewOrleans.com

One of the biggest waste producers of the Carnival season is the throws. About 25 million pounds of beads are imported to the city each year – many of which end up in a landfill, where they will never break down.

In an effort both to reduce waste and move some of the money currently spent overseas to local companies, krewes are beginning to buy locally made throws. A few companies provide not only throws that krewes can purchase from local vendors, but also items that are also more sustainable and less harmful to the environment.

ZomBeads, for example, creates beads that are made of paper at a cost of $2.25 per strand (if you buy a gross, or 144), as well as voodoo dolls and rice bags for $5 each. These prices put them on par with many of the plastic beads and throws found in stores. Last year, ZomBeads saw about $6,000 in sales, primarily selling to smaller krewes, such as “tit Rex.” ZomBeads founder Anne Rolfes finds smaller krewes to be more concerned about the environmental impact of their throws.

“When I started this, I thought it would be a no-brainer - that we’d go to these big krewes and say, ‘You’re already civic leaders. Why don’t you be a leader and blaze a new trail with this?’” Rolfes says. “In fact, Photography by North Photography

Beads: The Ugly Truth Verdi Gras estimates that superkrewes throw approximately $56,000 worth of throws per block, most of which are beads.

A multi-million dollar industry, beads are primarily manufactured in China.

Beads are non-biodegradable and made from oil in a process that can be very ecologically damaging.

According to the Ecology Center, beads are made with hazardous chemicals like polyethylene and no. 6 polystyrene, which contain hydrochlorofluorocarbons, a chemical that potentially causes cancer and other life-threatening diseases.

This is primarily true of beads with shiny coatings rather than clear plastic or glass beads.

what we found is it’s the smaller krewes that already understand that there’s a problem with all of this plastic and chemicals in Mardi Gras, and they are trying to do something different.”

Katrina Brees is founder of both the Greening the Gras Conference and I Heart Louisiana, a company that creates local, sustainable throws. She notes that greener throws don’t always have to be more expensive than cheap, imported throws.

“In one study, we found that many people were buying items that were as high as $20 per piece to throw to special people in the crowd,” Brees says. “We assume beads are cheap, but only cheaply made beads are cheap. Many beads we see thrown from parades that blink from batteries and have multiple plastic moldings cost over $5 per strand.”

Catherine Pears now works as a green Mardi Gras float designer. Pears has found ways to get around using Styrofoam and fiberglass, the traditional but damaging materials that comprise traditional floats, by using old sheets and cloths immersed in carpenter’s glue to create a moldable, weatherproof material.

For their art bikes, Kolossus members repurpose Katrina-ruined tricycles and assorted materials, such as local newspapers, phone directories, old plastic hampers and metal dish drainers, for adornments.

The fuel that powers floats’ tractors is another aspect of a greener Mardi Gras. In 2008, Barry Kern, CEO and president of Kern Studios, told WDSU that his fleet of over 100 tractors is now powered by biodiesel, which burns cleaner, creates less air pollution and provides better mileage. It also presents a globally visible opportunity to publicize and inspire greening for other major events. Use of biodiesel benefits

Upcycled Costumes One of the best parts of Mardi Gras is that it is an event that inspires plenty of crowd participation. Parade-goers often show their spirit with costumes, and even here, efforts are going green. Green designers are focusing on upcycling previously used fabrics, trims and knickknacks found at thrift stores, garage sales, and even Mardi Gras stores like Jefferson Variety to create fashions out of recycled materials.

For example, Oliver Manhattan recently created elaborate ensembles made from dog food bags and adornments, that he has named “The Princess of Purina” and “The Duchess of Dogchow.” Another artist, Tracy Hamlin, uses nutria pelts, alligator heads, oyster shells, Spanish moss and other assorted trinkets in her creations. Some designers turn visor caps upside-down to use as a base for stunning Mardi Gras headpieces.

To find these designs, every year hundreds of costume lovers descend upon the Carnival Costume Bazaar, now celebrating its 24th anniversary. Once held at Café Brazil and later Blue Nile, its home is now the Healing Center on St. Claude Avenue. The bazaar features a number of established and up-and-coming bohemian-style costume designers, most of whom use upcycled materials in their unique Mardi Gras fashions.

Smaller krewes, such as Kolossus, promote what they call “trashion,” or landfill-rescued, upcycled clothing that might include old band uniforms, upholstery samples and vintage Mardi Gras costumes.

Eco-friendly Floats Upcycled materials are also creating more eco-friendly Carnival floats. Originally an eco-conscious producer of theatrical sets,

Local artist Oliver Manhattan recycled dog food bags to create this Carnival costume he calls “The Princess of Purina.”

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Louisiana soybean farmers.

Beads as Art German artist Stephan Wanger recycles landfill-bound beads by using them to create murals and other art. He buys beads from the Arc of Greater New Orleans and St. Michael’s Special School, which sells them to benefit mentally disabled students. His murals are made with the help of the community, particularly local children.

“Beads create so much excitement after they’re thrown from the float to a person,” Wanger says. “It’s great energy and emotion to transform into artwork afterwards. The recycling part makes it even more charming because I give the Mardi Gras beads more life than they were originally intended.”

On average, Wanger uses 18 to 30 beads per square inch, depending on the size and design of the beads. His 2013 Guinness World record-breaking mural, the 8-foot-by-48-foot “Main Street in Louisiana,” used roughly over 2 million beads. He estimates that, in total, he has saved more than 15 million individual beads from the landfill.

Wanger is currently creating a new mural, “Life in the French Quarter,” which is set to break his own record. Sponsored by the Hotel Monteleone and The New Orleans Advocate, the mural depicts a second line coming out of the hotel. Proceeds from prints made of the mural will benefit local music nonprofit Sweet Home New Orleans and the Tipitina’s Foundation.

As more and more ideas take shape, the hope is that the business of Mardi Gras will become more mindful of our environment, and more financially beneficial to locals who are eager to show off their creativity and relentless Carnival spirit. n

LEFT: ZomBeads’ Voodoo Dolls are made from recycled materials.

BOTTOM: Krewe of Kolossus showcases art bikes created from Hurricane Katrinadamaged bicycles and tricycles.

Sustainable Throws to Watch For Giacona Containers’ ecofriendly cups Aunt Sally’s pralines Elmer’s snack bags PJ’s coffee Loomed NOLA’s hand towels hand-woven from 100-percent global organic textile standard cotton Decorated oyster shells Wine corks Jewelry Key chains Bottle openers T-shirt necklaces Coloring books Classics like Zulu coconuts and Muses shoes

Mardi Gras Cleanup By the Numbers The Department of Sanitation will place between 50 and 100 additional cans along major parade routes for convenience and pollution prevention.

In 2014, the city collected 1,758 tons of trash during the final 10 days of Carnival season and spent nearly $1.5 million on sanitation.

The 2014 costs were $247,000 higher than 2013 due to the necessity of additional contract workers and equipment.

Arc of Greater New Orleans recycled 120,000 pounds of beads in 2013.

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Photos courtesy of Zombeads and Crew of Kolossus

Q&A - Biz Person of the Month

Sonny Borey at the Krewe of Orpheus office on Canal Street.

Oh Captain, My Captain Captain of the Krewe of Orpheus and Chairman of the Mayor’s Mardi Gras Advisory Committee, Sonny Borey is an integral part of New Orleans’ annual festivities.

By Kim Singletary - Photography by Cheryl gerber

W

hen you talk about the big players of Mardi Gras in New Orleans, Sonny Borey’s name inevitably comes up.

Borey has served as the captain of the Krewe of Orpheus since he founded it, together with musical superstar Harry Connick Jr., back in 1993.

As a captain of a parading krewe, Borey also serves on the Mayor’s Mardi Gras Advisory Committee – responsible for working with city fire, police and sanitation departments to ensure every festival season is the safest it can be.

Borey is currently the chairman of the 34-member committee, which

is convenient since his day job since August 2014 has also been in the Mayor’s office - heading up special events and protocol for New Orleans.

Borey knows all about what it takes to put on a show. A 40-year veteran of the New Orleans theater scene, he spent 30 years as head of the speech and drama department at Jesuit High School, and a decade as executive/artistic director for Le Petit Theatre.

As we head toward Orpheus’ 22nd year (the krewe rolls Feb. 16), Biz caught up with Borey to discuss both the business side of operating a superkrewe and the collection of new rules the Mayor’s Advisory Committee is set to implement.

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The Krewe of Orpheus debuted Leviathan - the first float to use fiber optic lighting - in 1997. This year the signature float will be updated with more fiber optics and additional kinds of lighting.

Biz: Let’s start with the new rules that we’re going to see go into effect this year.

SB: Yes, for about a year and a half to two years the committee has been meeting to update the rules for Mardi Gras. They haven’t been updated in many years.

Biz: Among the new rules is that the maximum number of parading krewes has been changed from 34 to 30.

SB: Yes, but I have to be clear that this is not an immediate change. All the krewes that participated last year are still invited to parade. All this means is that if a krewe drops out, their space will not be filled. This will happen year after year until we get to 30 krewes. The change will only be made by attrition.

Biz: Why the change?

SB: Like all the rules, this one is based on providing parade goers with the safest, most enjoyable experience possible. Working with local police, we learned that the time con76

January 2015 BizNewOrleans.com

A collection of Carnival memorabilia sits on display at Borey’s Orpheus office. He co-founded the krewe with Harry Connick Jr. in 1993, and has served as captain ever since.

straint involved for them with each parade is substantial, so we feel this is a positive move.

Biz: In the spring there was widespread reporting that, due to construction on Napoleon Avenue, some traditional parade routes would have to be changed. Is this true?

SB: We have met with the Corps of Engineers and they have assured us that we’ll still be able to use the traditional routes.

Currently no changes are planned.

Biz: Let’s move over to your role with Orpheus.

I read that you were Harry Connick Jr.’s drama teacher in high school. Is that true?

SB: (laughing) Yes, it is. He was actually one of my students. I first met him when he was in the eighth grade. Even back then, I knew he was going to go far. Over the years we kept in touch – like I have with a lot of my students.

When you work in theater, it tends to be a tight knit group.

Biz: So when he decided to form his own krewe, he contacted you?

SB: Yes, he called me during lunch one day and asked to get together. We decided what we wanted the krewe to be, got some members together, put together a budget and called Kern Studios.

Biz: Although krewes are nonprofit organizations, would you say they’re run like a business?

SB: Definitely, and I do have some background there. I’ve owned a costume store with my mother on Canal Street called Broadway Bound Costumes since 1987. My family has been involved with Mardi Gras for decades.

In fact, my mother, Helen Koenig, is a familiar face with just about every Mardi Gras Indian.

She sells them the supplies to make their costumes.

Biz: The Krewe of Bacchus was the first to have a celebrity king – Danny Kaye in 1969.

Now Orpheus has become known for its celebrity riders. Would you say you’ve taken Bacchus’ idea and run with it?

SB: Yes, I’d say we’ve gotten a lot of what

we do from Bacchus, and from all the other krewes. I respect them all. The fact that we have all these celebrities each year is just our way of adding to what New Orleans can show the world. It creates this additional excitement. Of course Harry helps a lot in getting the stars in, but we also have a committee that works hard all year on that front.

Biz: What goes into successfully running a superkrewe?

SB: You definitely have to run it as a business – we have a staff of three full-time [employees] solely devoted to running Orpheus. As the captain, along with all the other captains, all the work I do is unpaid.

All the nights and weekends are more than paid for, though, by the excitement inherent in what you’re doing. The way I look at a parade is that it’s nothing more than theatre on wheels. You put on a show and you put it on the street.

Biz: Can you talk a bit about financials?

SB: All of our money comes from our membership, and we’ve tried to keep that steady at about 1,250 to 1,300 members. I think that’s important to ensure our members are all

given the time and attention they deserve.

Our membership is about $1,000 a year, which doesn’t include throws. I’d say the average spent on those is over $1,500.

Our major costs could be broken down into two categories – the parade itself, and our annual ball – Orpheuscapade, which always features a big celebrity act. The floats, of course, aren’t cheap. Every time we add another float I always say it’s like buying a house. Our Smokey Mary float is actually eight cars long – more than a city block.

Biz: What can we look forward to seeing from Orpheus this year?

SB: Well, back in 1997 we debuted the first float to use fiber optic lighting – Leviathan.

This year we’re excited to be updating that float with even more fiber optics and other kinds of lighting.

Orpheuscapade will feature country music star Dierks Bentley, so we’re excited about that. There will also be a special event with a new technical device. That’s all I can say about that.

Biz: With costs going up - as everything grows bigger and better - but your desire to keep

Among Orpheus’ signature floats - floats that appear year after year - are a train called Smokey Mary and this trojan horse.

membership levels about the same, how do you cover the difference?

SB: We raise membership costs. We’ve also fluctuated in our membership levels, I’d say by about 100 back and forth. I won’t say I’ll never give in and raise the number of members by more than that, but right now I’m satisfied with what we’re doing.

Biz: Speaking of costs, the city costs involved with Mardi Gras have again come to public attention.

SB: Yes. The fact is that the parades do cost a lot of money, but, based on a study we commissioned with Tulane in 2011, we can say that for every $1 that’s spent on Mardi Gras, the return on investment for the city is about $8.55.

We’re doing another one of these studies for 2014, again with Tulane. We feel they provide citizens with a more complete story and show the financial benefit of Mardi Gras. But then, of course, there’s always all the benefits that can’t be quantified, including all the positive attention it brings our city. There’s just nothing like it. n BizNewOrleans.com January 2015

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Events Jefferson Chamber of Commerce State of the Parish

Jefferson Chamber of Commerce First Annual Fat City Festival

November 12, 2014

November 15, 2014

Crowne Plaza New Orleans Airport

18th Street, Metairie

A sold out crowd attended this annual event where Jefferson Parish President John Young outlined the latest news and events of the parish. This year he was joined by Council Chairman Elton Lagasse.

The Jefferson Chamber Young Professionals presented this first-annual festival to showcase the positive changes made to the Fat City area over the years. The event featured live music, food and drink vendors, giveaways, contests, high school bands and face painting.

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3 1. Kate Moreano, Kelsey Scram & Lacey Bordelon 2. Elton Lagasse 3. Senator Conrad Appel, Byron LeBlanc, Stacey Shane Schott and Lawrence Chehardy 78

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1. Lauren Thom and Whitney Colmean, Fleurty girl 2. Jon Luther with kids Burgan, William Vienne and Ronin Luther

ABWA Crescent City Connections Express Network Luncheon

BGR’s 2014 Annual Luncheon

December 11, 2014

New Orleans Marriott

Heritage Grill, New Orleans

Formed in New Orleans in the early ‘30s, BGR is an independent nonprofit dedicated to gathering information on government and other public issues. The organization’s annual luncheon featured an address by U.S. Secretary of Education, Arne Duncan.

The New Orleans branch of the American Business Women’s Association hosted a luncheon featuring Charlee Williamson, executive VP of Ralph Brennan Restaurant Group. Williamson spoke of her more than 20 years working with the restaurant giant, helping to take nine restaurants from concept to completion.

December 11, 2014

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1. Mindy Dinicola, Rachel Nunez and Charlotte Piotrowski 2. VP of the Ralph Brennan Restaurant Group, Charlee Williamson 3. Stacie Candies, Orelia Minor, Raven Bass and Lauren Glonek

1. Mary Spooner, Natasha Doughty, Kandace Madise and Nicole Saulny 2. U.S. Secretary of Education, Arnie Duncan 3. Dr Jim Meza, Edgar Chase, Jeanne Johnston and Sen Conrad Appel BizNewOrleans.com January 2015

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Behind the Scenes

Sweet Success

Although we may think of king cakes as a seasonal treat, Haydel’s Bakery on Jefferson Highway has been baking up these Carnival delicacies year-round for customers worldwide. Now run by the third generation of Haydels, the bakery serves up an estimated 60,000 king cakes a year.

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January 2015 BizNewOrleans.com

Fun Fact: in 2010, Haydel’s grabbed the record for world’s largest king cake with a cake measuring 5,300 feet long and weighing in at 8,688 pounds. Now that had to be a big baby! Haydelbakery.com.