BATON ROUGE, LA (October 31, 2018) – After a statewide nominations and selection process, the Louisiana Association of Business and Industry (LABI) is pleased to recognize nine companies and individuals selected as the 2018 Free Enterprise Awards winners. Their unparalleled devotion to their employees, local communities and Louisiana’s future will be formally recognized at an evening reception presented by APTIM and Dow Chemical Company in Baton Rouge on November 15, 2018.

Stephen Waguespack, LABI president and CEO stated, “We are proud to recognize these LABI members and outstanding Louisiana citizens who work steadfastly to create jobs and help their communities to grow and prosper. We are proud to partner with them every day and look forward to honoring their hard work and dedication to the state on November 15th.”

The 2018 Free Enterprise Awards reception will be held at APTIM headquarters located at 4171 Essen Lane in Baton Rouge, LA 70809 at 6:00 p.m. on November 15, 2018. For tickets or more information, click here or call 225-928-5388.

The 2018 LABI Free Enterprise Awards recipients are as follows:

The Ed Steimel Achievement Award honors long-standing membership and service to LABI and recognizes individuals who have committed extraordinary time and effort to improve the quality of life in Louisiana.

• Posthumous 2018 Ed Steimel Achievement Award Honoree: Stephen “Steve” Stumpf, Durr Heavy Construction LLC

Free Enterprise Champions are individuals who demonstrate exemplary commitment and contributions to the state’s business climate and their local communities.

• 2018 Businessperson Honoree: J.H. “Jay” Campbell, Jr.
• 2018 Young Businessperson Honorees: The Students of Cristo Rey Baton Rouge Franciscan High School

Company of the Year Award recognizes outstanding achievement among Louisiana companies.

• 2018 Company of the Year > 100 Employees: ExxonMobil
• 2018 Company of the Year < 100 Employees: Golfballs.com

Manufacturer of the Year Award recognizes outstanding achievement among Louisiana manufacturers.

• 2018 Company of the Year > 100 Employees: Entergy Louisiana LLC
• 2018 Company of the Year < 100 Employees: Eastman Chemical Company

Workforce Innovator of the Year Award honors individuals or organizations that have provided substantial innovations or contributions to workforce development in Louisiana. The award recognizes those who have excelled in creating, implementing, or supporting a high-caliber education or workforce development initiative aligned with closing the employment gap. This year LABI’s 2018 Workforce Innovator of the Year award winner is a perfect example of industry’s commitment to the future of Louisiana. Numerous LABI members have a deep-rooted commitment to increasing educational opportunities for available local jobs in the STEM fields; Their direct workforce investment can be seen through the success of SOWELA Technical Community College.

• 2018 Workforce Innovator of the Year: SOWELA Technical Community College

Economic Development Partner of the Year Award recognizes exceptional leadership by an economic development or business organization.

• 2018 Economic Development Partner of the Year: The Jefferson Chamber of Commerce

In conjunction with the Free Enterprise Awards, LABI will honor those legislators recognized in the 2018 LABI Legislative Scorecard as “Most Valuable Policymakers” (MVPs), All-Stars and Honorable Mentions. At the 2018 Free Enterprise Awards event, 24 LABI MVPs will be recognized for their perfect scores on major legislation that affected the state’s economy. Two senators and 20 representatives will also be honored for their status as LABI All-Stars, scoring 90 percent or higher on the legislation selected for the Scorecard analysis. Finally, LABI will recognize 11 legislators with Honorable Mentions for scoring 80 percent or higher in the 2018 sessions.

Waguespack explained, “This year, the LABI Legislative Scorecard highlights members who fought through times of contention and frustration to profoundly impact the ability of Louisiana employers to create jobs. We thank them for their service and exemplary commitment to free enterprise and are pleased to publicly honor them on November 15th.”

The 2018 Scorecard was released in August and can be found online at https://labi.org/assets/images/2018-Scorecard.pdf.

2018 MVPs:

Senator Conrad Appel (R-Metairie)
Senator Jack Donahue (R-Mandeville)
Senator Sharon Hewitt (R-Slidell)
Senator Beth Mizell (R-Franklinton)
Senator Barrow Peacock (R-Bossier City)
Senator Michael Walsworth (R-West Monroe)
Senator Mack Bodi White (R-Baton Rouge)
Representative Mark Abraham (R-Lake Charles)
Representative Beryl Amedee (R-Houma)
Representative Thomas Carmody (R-Shreveport)
Representative Patrick Connick (R-Marrero)
Representative Phillip DeVillier (R-Eunice)
Representative Rick Edmonds (R-Baton Rouge)
Representative Julie Emerson (R-Carencro)
Representative Raymond Garofalo (R-Chalmette)
Representative Dodie Horton (R-Haughton)
Representative Nancy Landry (R-Lafayette)
Representative Tanner Magee (R-Houma)
Representative Jack McFarland (R-Jonesboro)
Representative Blake Miguez (R-Erath)
Representative Scott Simon (R-Abita Springs)
Representative John Stefanski (R-Crowley)
Representative Kirk Talbot (R-River Ridge)
Representative Polly Thomas (R-Metairie)

2018 All-Stars:

Senator Dale Erdey (R-Livingston)
Senator Jim Fannin (R-Jonesboro)
Representative Tony Bacala (R-Prairieville)
Speaker of the House Taylor Barras (R-New Iberia)
Representative John Berthelot (R-Gonzales)
Representative Stuart Bishop (R-Lafayette)
Representative Steve Carter (R-Baton Rouge)
Representative Jean-Paul Coussan (R-Lafayette)
Representative Raymond Crews (R-Bossier City)
Representative Stephen Dwight (R-Lake Charles)
Representative Reid Falconer (R-Mandeville)
Representative Franklin Foil (R-Baton Rouge)
Representative Cameron Henry (R-Metairie)
Representative Stephanie Hilferty (R-Metairie)
Representative Valarie Hodges (R-Denham Springs)
Representative Paul Hollis (R-Covington)
Representative Mike Huval (R-Breaux Bridge)
Representative Barry Ivey (R-Baton Rouge)
Representative Stephen Pugh (R-Ponchatoula)
Representative Alan Seabaugh (R-Shreveport)
Representative Julie Stokes (R-Kenner)
Representative Mark Wright (R-Covington)

2018 Honorable Mentions:

Senator Bret Allain (R-Franklin)
Senator Eddie Lambert (R-Gonzales)
Senator Jonathan Perry (R-Kaplan)
Representative Larry Bagley (R-Stonewall)
Representative Paula Davis (R-Baton Rouge)
Representative Sherman Mack (R-Albany)
Representative Joseph Marino (I-Gretna)
Representative Kevin Pearson (R-Slidell)
Representative Clay Schexnayder (R-Gonzales)
Representative Major Thibaut (D-New Roads)
Representative Jerome Zeringue (R-Houma)

For press inquiries, contact:

Camille Ivy-O’Donnell

(817) 944-5091

camillei@labi.org

About the Louisiana Association of Business and Industry

The Louisiana Association of Business and Industry was organized in 1975 to represent Louisiana businesses, serving as both the state chamber of commerce and state manufacturers association. LABI’s primary goal is to foster a climate for economic growth by championing the principles of the free enterprise system and representing the general interest of the business community through active involvement in the political, legislative, judicial and regulatory processes. Find out more information at www.labi.org.

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