Ingenuity - New Orleans City Business

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Delta Queen Steamboat Co.Revitalized company returns to New OrleansNew Orleans has seen bigger companiespull up stakes, but when Delta QueenSteamboat Co. moved its headquartersto South Florida a few years ago, it was asymbolic as well as economic blow. Afterall, what better place for the company’sfleet of three stately paddlewheel cruisers,and the office personnel who keepthem rolling, than on the mighty riverwhere steamboat traffic once thrived?So it came as welcome news whenDelaware North Cos Inc., the hospitalityand food service giantthat acquired the bankruptriver cruise line twoName: Delta QueenSteamboat Co.years ago, announcedthat Delta Queen’s headquarterswould berestored to New Orleans,along with a number ofjobs that had been shedduring the company’sfinancially troubled years.In 2004, Delta Queen further solidifiedties with its home port when itannounced that New Orleans would bethe permanent home of the company’snewest and largest vessel, the AmericanQueen, and introduced three- and fournightcruises from the Robin St. WharfLocation: New OrleansPresident: Rick AbramService: River cruises onsteamboats combined withland packages.to historic sites along the MississippiRiver between the Crescent City and St.Francisville.The twice-weekly cruise, dubbedthe “New Orleans & RiverboatAdventure Week,” includes hotelstays and meals at some of the city’smost famous restaurants. Companyfigures estimate the new product willdraw some 40,000 passengers thisyear for gross revenues of $30 millionand pump an additional $20 millionto $25 million into theThe American Queen steamboat takes visitors to places such as Natchez, Miss., and is part of anew land-river cruise package offered by Delta.local economy.President RickAbramson said the newcruise makes sense, giventhe city’s status as a premieretourist destination.Internal research amongtravelers showed that,when asked to list theirfavorite U.S. destinations,New Orleans tied New York for secondplace, just behind San Francisco, he said.“So we decided to base the boats herebecause the assets are here in NewOrleans.” These include cultural attractions,museums and restaurants.The company has dedicated $6.5 millionof its total $15 million advertisingbudget to the New Orleans & RiverboatAdventure with the Baby Boom demographicin mind. The three-night cruise,which leaves on Friday afternoons, is alsobeing touted as a weekend getaway forlocal residents.Abramson said a talented local staffand a trend toward family-style, identifiablyAmerican vacations have helpedrevive the company’s fortunes.“There’s never been a cruise companythat went bankrupt and came back,”he said. “We’re gonna be the first one.”— Russell McCulleyWomen of the YearRecognizing exceptional achievement amonglocal professional womenHelp us identify the city’s most successful working womenIn a special supplement coming up in CityBusiness, we’ll name Women of the Year fromthe local area. We will identify, profile and honor these professional women, whose successesin business and contributions to the community have set the pace for the future ofour region. We are looking for innovative leaders who are making waves with their energy,ideas, achievements and commitment to excellence. Nominations are welcomed from allbusiness sectors.Deadline: August 16, 2004Two ways to submit a nomination form:1) Fax it to Women of the Year at 504-832-35502) Mail it to Women of the Year, CityBusiness, 111 VeteransMemorial Blvd., Suite 1440, Metairie, LA 70005Feel free to attach additional sheets if necessary.panel of judges will use nomination forms and independent research to make final selections.Self-nominations are accepted. The Women of the Year will be profiled in CityBusiness andhonored at a special event.Nominee:Title:Company/organization:Business address:City, state, zip:Company phone number:Nominee’s E-mail address:Birthdate:Education (dates/type of diplomas, degrees, technical training):Business accomplishments (job responsibilities, special projects, business-related affiliations)Community involvement (nonprofits, civic, state and national organizations):Achievements and awards:Nominated by:Name/title:Business address:Phone number:E-mail:10A 2004 Innovator of the Year
Chef John FolseReviving culinary innovations from Louisiana’s pastFive years ago, Chef John Folse beganresearch on an encyclopedia of Creoleand Cajun cuisine.He went back into the history ofLouisiana and uncovered some surprisingfacts.In the 1600s, Louisiana was a thrivingproducer of olives and inthe 1700s, cheese makersflourished throughoutNew Orleans.Location: Gonzales“There were cheeseCEO: John Folsestands and cheese marketsrun by the French,Spanish and Germanseverywhere,” Folse said.“It made sense that thesecultures that were greatcheese makers in the Old World naturallywould want to bring some of that to theNew World.”Folse began experimenting with the OldWorld cheeses prevalent in the early days ofLouisiana and became confident thatcheese making could thrive in the state.In 2000, Folse built a cheese plant inGonzales, named it BittersweetPlantation, and less than two years laterproduced his first Creole cream cheese.Bittersweet Plantation, one of theGeneScan USACompany capitalizes on demand for accurate food labelingThe rest of the world’s queasiness aboutgenetically modified food is Louisiana’sgain. The country’s leading testing facilityfor genetically modified organisms inprocessed food, GeneScan USA, has itsheadquarters in Jefferson Parish.GeneScan USA began when theRussell Marine Group bought CentralAnalytical Laboratories in an effort towork on food chemistry and food analysis.After this, the RussellMarine Group formed apartnership with aGerman entity calledGeneScan in 1999. Thetrio of companies generatesbetween $15 millionand $20 million in annualrevenues.GeneScan usesapplied molecular biology to authenticateingredients in processed foods. Forexample, if a buyer purchases sausagemeat and wants to make sure there isnothing like horse meat in the sausage,GeneScan can perform tests to authenticatethe ingredients.One of the main services GeneScanprovides for its clients is to test forgenetic modifications in food. TheName: Chef John Folse & Co.Product: Resurrectingtraditional and artisanalcheeses oncecommon in Louisiana.Name: GeneScanLocation: MetairiePresident: Mike RussellService: Test food forgenetically modifiedorganisms.only specialty artisan dairies inLouisiana and the only chef-owneddairy in the United States, createsCreole cream cheese and two varietiesof fromage triple cream cheese.Folse is expanding the product linewith goat cheeses, cottage cheese, fetacheese, butter and yogurt.Bittersweet Plantationproducts are marketed inthe food industry, retailshops, supermarkets andhigh-end grocery stores,and distributed nationally.In 2003, BittersweetPlantation earned$500,000 in product revenuesand expects to doublethat in 2004.Folse says the real obstacle to makingcheese here was the lack of knowledge.“In the 1800s, the Louisiana cheeseindustry disappeared. People whocraved the real Old World flavors wereable to import cheese from Europe, sothe small farmers who converted theirexcess milk into cheese saw no need tocontinue producing. This made localexpertise difficult to find.”Folse networked with cheese makersEuropean Union has strict regulationsstating that all genetically modified substances(DNA or proteins) must beaccurately labeled. GeneScan performstests for American clients that sell foodin the European Union as well asEuropean food processors who useAmerican ingredients. As geneticallymodified food becomes more commonplace,GeneScan’s services becomeincreasingly valuable tofood processors.GeneScan is located inMetairie and employs 75highly skilled workers in arecently renovated 22,000-square-foot laboratory.“Since we startedbusiness here, we arethe largest genetic modificationlab in North America,” saidMike Russell, company president.Not only is GeneScan located inMetairie, but 80 percent of itsemployees have been educated atLouisiana institutions. GeneScanalso conducts testing and suppliesanalytical data for Louisiana StateUniversity food science professors.Russell said two factors setChef John Folse is on a mission to revive Louisiana’s heritage as a center for artisanal cheeses.around the country and took a course instate but across the country,” Folse said.in cheese making at Washington State “This state is known for great food andUniversity.innovation, and if we can market ourFolse hopes Bittersweet Plantation product and get the message out, tie it towill help the struggling local dairy farmersby introducing a new line of products country will once again look to Louisianaour culture and history, the rest of theto the marketplace.as a great producer of cheese.”“We should see a new excitement inLouisiana cheese products not only—-Richard A. WebsterGeneScan’s laboratories in Metairie use molecular biology to test for genetically modified organismsin processed foods.GeneScan apart from competitors.One is the company’s technical superiority,thanks to a large, state-of-theartresearch and development facilityin Berlin. Second, Russell said thetop-notch customer service offeredby GeneScan anticipates and meetsindividual needs for each specificcompany it serves. Russell’s motto oncustomer service is simple: “Keep’em happy.”In the future, GeneScan hopes to keepits place at the top of the American bioengineeringfield while developing andapplying new technical advances in thefield of molecular biology.•—-Fritz Esker2004 Innovator of the Year 11A
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Page 5 and 6: Intralox has adapted to the demands
Page 7 and 8: Organizing your event with the wron
Page 9: Boudreaux’s Butt PasteQuirky name
Page 13 and 14: LEI Inc.Recycling lamps proves prof
Page 16 and 17: P&R AccessoriesMotorcycle rider’s
Page 18 and 19: Napoleon Ave Container TerminalBusi
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Page 22 and 23: nonprofitsAudubon Center for Resear
Page 24 and 25: STARC Commercial Linen ServiceOrgan
Page 26 and 27: nThe BrinkBesides our 2004 honorees

Ingenuity - New Orleans City Business

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