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Allen & Gooch Teams Up With Whitney Bank for Acadiana's Top 50 Privately Held Companies Luncheon

Congressman Boustany brings front-line report to local business leaders

Earl Alleman, Byron Breaux, William Hendrix and Duayne Richard

U.S. Rep. Charles Boustany Jr., will be the keynote speaker for the first-ever luncheon honoring Acadiana’s Top 50 Privately Held Companies on Tuesday, Aug. 11, at the Cajundome Convention Center. Presenting sponsors for the luncheon are Allen & Gooch Law Firm and Whitney Bank. VIP parking for the Top 50 executives will be available, courtesy of supporting sponsor Giles Automotive.

The list of the area’s Top 50 Privately Held Companies will be published in a special cover feature in Acadiana Business Wednesday, July 29. The rankings, based on annual revenues, will identify Acadiana’s biggest, locally owned private companies along with analysis of trends among the region’s top producers and profiles of bellwether companies. The feature will also cover publicly traded companies headquartered in the Acadiana area. This demanding project is being produced by the same team that published Acadiana’s Top 100 in its heyday.

CEOs and presidents from each of the Top 50 companies will be invited as guests to the luncheon.

Acadiana Business Co-Publisher Cherry Fisher May notes that the timing is perfect for Congressman Boustany’s address. “We are hard-pressed to name a time in our nation’s history when so much critical legislation is under active consideration and development at the federal level as there is today,” says May. “Specifically, we’ve asked Congressman Boustany to address the massive changes in health care, changes in regulations and laws governing the financial markets and proposed new federal energy policy. We believe it will be extremely useful to have a front-line report about what is going on in Washington and the impact it’s going to have on Acadiana’s business community.”

Front row: Chuck Kreamer, Clay Allen, Joel Gooch, Nora Stelly and Emile Joseph
Back row: Raymond Jackson, Frank Flynn, Alan Meche, Michael Parker, Brian Perry, Billy Parker, Jim Gibson and Troy Broussard

Clay Allen, managing partner for Allen & Gooch, says the luncheon is a tribute to excellence in Acadiana’s business community. “Why do some companies outperform others? What are the qualities of an enterprise that destine it to move beyond good to simply great? In working with our clients, we see every day what it takes to build a successful business: the relentless pursuit of customer satisfaction, recruiting the brightest to ‘the best place to work’ and creating a sustainable advantage by delivering results with uncommon skill and diligence,” says Allen. “These are the same core values that we embrace in our firm’s culture as we work with Acadiana businesses to prepare them for success. We are proud to co-sponsor the celebration of Acadiana’s Top 50 Businesses, which exemplify the entrepreneurial spirit and economic leadership that make Acadiana a great place to work and live.”

Whitney Bank’s Lafayette market President Duayne Richard notes that many of the businesses that earned top ranking on the list are customers of his bank. “Whitney has been a strong banking presence in south Louisiana for 125 years and has served the Lafayette market for more than 22 years,” he notes. “During that time, we have seen strong business growth in the Acadiana area and we strive to continue partnering in the growth of this region by providing customized business banking products and great customer service. We congratulate all of the companies who made the cut and are pleased to co-sponsor this luncheon to honor their excellence and hard work.”

In addition to sponsoring the convenient parking for honored guests, Giles will showcase exciting new models from the automotive lines it carries in its Johnston Street showrooms: Volvo, Nissan and Subaru.

The luncheon is slated for Tuesday, Aug. 11, from 11:45 a.m. to 2 p.m. A limited number of tickets are available for purchase. Individual tickets are $45; tables for a reserved table for eight are $395. For more information or to download a ticket order form, go to www.theind.com and click on INDEvents or call 769-8620.