New Orleans City Business

New Orleans Culinary Institute Director Leases Eiffel Tower Bldg. To Use As a Banquet Facility

For nearly three years, the Erector Set-like building in the 2000 block of St. Charles Avenue containing pieces of the Eiffel Tower has sat vacant like a 200-ton white elephant. In its 20-year history, various entrepreneurs have attempted to operate restaurants and clubs out of the structure and failed. A new layer of rust accumulated with each flop.

Rents Skyrocket On New Orleans' Magazine St. After River Garden Redevelopment

A year ago, Shane Finkelstein signed an expensive nine-year lease for his second Nacho Mama's Mexican Grill, at 3240 Magazine St. He said he knew the monthly note would be a burden. But now, despite customers' rave responses to a second helping of Nacho Mama's, he's having second thoughts.

New Orleans-Based Autoimmune Technologies Develops Method of Diagnosing Fibromyalgia

A new diagnostic test is designed to shed light on a mysterious disease that mainly afflicts women. Autoimmune Technologies LLC, a New Orleans biomedical company, and Corgenix Medical Corp., a producer of diagnostic tests based in Denver, developed a method for accurately diagnosing fibromyalgia, a chronic pain and fatigue disorder. The test is called the APA ELISA Kit, short for Anti-Polymer Antibody Enzyme Linked ImmunoSorbent Assay.

Mississippi State Auditor's Office Clears Olivier After 18-Month Probe

An 18-month investigation by the Mississippi State Auditor's Office into the finances of the Harrison County Development Commission, the former employer of new Louisiana Department of Economic Development Secretary Michael Olivier, found no evidence of improprieties, the auditor's office said. Auditors did question incentive payments made to Olivier while he served as executive director of the HCDC. But the auditors said they really don't believe there's anything further at this point and rec...

Federal Grand Jury Returns Fraud Charges Against Slidell Exterminator

An exterminator may soon be plying his trade in federal prison. A federal grand jury returned an indictment last week against St. Tammany resident Mark D. Taylor on charges of impersonating a Secret Service agent in an effort to defraud his employer. U.S. Attorney Jim Letten and Kim H. Tate, U.S. Secret Service special agent in charge, New Orleans Field Office, said Taylor told his employer, Terminix Exterminating Co. in Slidell, he had missed an extended period of work because he was a Secre...

Major Soap Stars Turn Out for Crescent City Charity

Some of the biggest soap opera stars descended on the Hotel Monteleone over the weekend to take part in a special Celebrities 4 Charity event. Actors including Guiding Light star Laura Wright, Mark Collier from As the World Turns and Christian LeBlanc from The Young and the Restless took part in the three-day event to raise money for The Myositis Association, a charitable organization based in Washington, D.C. Myositis is a chronic muscle inflammation disease.

New Orleans-Based Flutter Fetti Fun Factory Provides Confetti for Gop Convention in Nyc

When the GOP convenes in the Big Apple this week for the Republican National Convention, they'll have a little piece of New Orleans with them. Millions of little pieces, to be exact.

New Orleans Firefighter Wins $1,000 in Annual Five-Alarm Hormel Chili Cook-Off

Firefighter Kevin Harrell of New Orleans Fire Department Engine No. 1 cooked up a $1,000 prize for his fire station in the annual Five-Alarm Hormel Chili Cook-Off at the New Orleans Cooking Experience earlier this month. The cook-off is part of a 2-year-old Hormel program honoring firefighters throughout the nation for community service. This is the first time Hormel has held a chili competition in New Orleans.

Hurricane Charley Alerts Gulf Interests to Potential Danger

By the time Hurricane Charley made its way into the Gulf of Mexico in the first week in August, oil production companies had already taken action. Non-essential personnel had been evacuated from offshore platforms as company officials monitored the storm's projected path.

Lafayette-Based Fenstermaker Thrives in Wake of Added Regulatory Demands

David Mettz, with Gulf South Operators in New Orleans, had a regulatory nightmare on his hands. His company was taking over a marshland project in the Delta National Wildlife Refuge, which was producing oil with no safety system and creating a bank mess.

Service Firms Push for Work From Numerous Liquefied Natural Gas Projects Off Louisiana Coast

The surge of interest among major petroleum producers in importing liquefied natural gas is leading state oil and gas service companies to push for work on the projects planned off the Louisiana coast. Dr. David Dismukes, associate director of the LSU Center for Energy Studies, estimates more than 13,800 jobs will be created through the construction of LNG facilities off the Louisiana coast. Dismukes said oil and gas developers he surveyed for the study he released in April gave him the impre...

Nfl's Player Development Program Helps Players Prepare for Life After Football

The New Orleans Saints and the National Football League spend millions of dollars and hundreds of hours each year promoting the value of education. Most NFL educational publicity targets school-age children so it highlights players who have excelled academically.

Jefferson Parish's Subdivision Code Being Rebuilt to Bring Regulations Up to Modern Standards

Jefferson Parish's archaic subdivision code is being demolished and rebuilt to bring regulations up to modern standards. The new code aims to create mechanisms that guarantee subdivisions are built once they receive parish approval. The parish now has no power to ensure approved subdivisions are ever developed, which takes valuable land out of commerce.

Mississippi River Advocacy Group Makes Its Public Debut

The Mississippi River is gaining friends. At the Port of New Orleans last week, Friends of the Great River, a nonprofit advocacy group that will serve as a watchdog for the riverfront, made its public debut in a room with about 100 attendees. Annual dues are $25.

Nafta's Impact Proves to Be a Mixed Bag for Louisiana

After 10 years, Louisiana officials say the gains from the North American Free Trade Agreement have not come without pains. NAFTA is a 1993 trade agreement between the United States, Canada and Mexico, which eliminated tariffs and duties on goods and services traded between the three countries.

First Bank and Trust Reorganization Keys Profitable Approach in 2004

First Bank and Trust is having a banner year, and its top executive says key decisions a year ago were the foundation for success. First Bank's second-quarter net income shot up 52 percent to $2.27 million from $1.49 million for second quarter 2003. Earnings for the first six months of the year increased 90 percent to $4.83 million from $2.55 million for the first half of 2003. Assets totaled close to $681 million, an 18 percent increase from $575 million at the end of second quarter 2003.

Metairie Investment Firms Ranked On Wealth Manager List

Bloomberg ranked two Metairie investment management firms in its latest list of 450 Top Wealth Managers. Resource Management Inc. made the list for the first time at No. 76. Crescent Sterling Ltd. ranked No. 316 in its third time on the list.

Northrop Grumman Nets $107.1m Navy Contract

The U.S. Navy awarded a $107.1 million advance procurement contract to Northrop Grumman that will provide funding for long- lead materials for the USS Anchorage, the seventh amphibious transport dock ship of the San Antonio class. The Anchorage, also known as Landing Platform Dock 23, will be built at Northrop Grumman's Avondale Operations in New Orleans.

West End Cafe in New Orleans Files for Bankruptcy

Graffagnino's Inc., which owns West End Cafe, 8536 Pontchartrain Blvd., has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy as the eatery finds new ownership, said President Richard Unangst. Unangst, running for Orleans Parish School Board against incumbent Jimmy Fahrenholtz, Sandra Wheeler Hester and Charles Francis Wusthoff III, said he can no longer operate the cafe due to severe back problems.

Baton Rouge-Based Portable On-Demand Storage to Open Franchisee in New Orleans

The Baton Rouge-based franchisee of Portable On-Demand Storage has set up shop in Harahan to service the New Orleans market. John O. Hearin opened a PODS franchise in his hometown of Baton Rouge in June 2001 and has expanded his market to include Lafayette and Hammond. The PODS chain, based in Tampa, Fla., assigns its franchise owners to areas with approximately 400,000 residents.