July 2, 2008 - Denham Springs, LA

PORTABLE GENERATORS IMPROVE SERVICE AND SAVE MONEY
(Article featured in the Louisiana Credit Union League's eNews)

Credit unions have experienced the downside of losing power after hurricanes – angry customers and lost revenues. That’s where Jay Labarre, CEO of Labarre Associates, comes in. “Over the last twenty plus years of providing architecture, facility management, and construction management along the Gulf Coast, we have observed that power outages are often spotty. With the total cost for a generator, design and installation for a branch bank starting at $60,000, coverage of all branches is cost prohibitive, even for the largest financial institutions” said Labarre.

Tommy Jones is the Facility Manager with Facility Systems, a division of Labarre Associates, and he explains, “We install a transfer switch that has step by step instructions printed on the cabinet for our tech’s. The portable generators are stored in a secure, inside location and we inspect, service, and exercise each generator according to a pre-set schedule. When the power goes down, we deliver the generator, hook it up and provide fuel until it is no longer needed.”

When queried about why more organizations don’t institute a similar program, Labarre responds “It’s a technical quagmire and most organizations don’t have the time to assemble the right team and execute the project. Because we’re facility managers, architects, project managers and contractors we provide a point person who is the sole client contact.” Labarre concluded by stating, “Organizations need to plan carefully for disaster management and emergency power is only one variable in the equation. Hurricane season is upon us and it’s never too late to be ready.”

March 12, 2008 - Denham Springs, LA

RONALD A. LABORDE NAMED TO LABARRE ASSOCIATES’ ADVISORY BOARD

Mr. Ronald A. (Ronnie) LaBorde was recently named to the Labarre Associates’ Advisory Board. LaBorde is president of HR Solutions, LLC, a Baton Rouge based company, which provides comprehensive human resource services to small and mid-sized companies. In addition, he is a member of the Board of Directors for Amedisys, Inc., a leading provider of home health care and hospice services. He was formerly CEO of Piccadilly Cafeterias, Inc. The addition of LaBorde brings a new dimension to the strategic management process at Labarre.

“We are pleased and excited to have Ronnie join our team and look forward to the direction he can provide,” said Jay Labarre, president and founder of Labarre Associates, Inc. Julie Brown, a principal and CFO at Labarre added, “Ronnie’s corporate background and management expertise will provide added insight to help accomplish our strategic growth and performance goals.” The Labarre Associates’ Advisory Board meets quarterly to review all aspects of the company and its divisions.

January 15, 2008 - New Orleans, LA

HANCOCK BANK TO FETE CBD FINANCIAL CENTER FRIDAY

Amid this city’s re-energized post-Katrina rebuilding and legendary Mardi Gras revelry, city representatives, community leaders, and area business owners will join local Hancock Bank executives at 10:00 a.m. this Friday, January 18, 2008, for ribbon cutting festivities officially opening a new Hancock Bank of Louisiana financial center in the heart of the New Orleans Central Business District.

Bank officials consider this celebration more than the customary photo opportunity. Located at 203 Carondelet Street and Common Street on the first floor of the historic Maritime Building, the Hancock Bank CBD branch offers comprehensive financial solutions designed to help spark a renaissance of business opportunity in a restored local economy rooted in history, hope, and resilience. For Hancock Bank and its neighbors, another new downtown business means another bright step toward revitalizing one of America’s most exciting destinations.....

Zornman added that Hancock’s facilities administrators, Labarre Architects, and renovation contractor Woodward Design+Build — a division of Carl E. Woodward, L.L.C. — endeavored to preserve the architectural integrity of the Maritime Building during installation of the 6,800 square-foot Hancock branch.

January 9, 2008 - Baton Rouge, LA

LABARRE ASSOCIATES TALK PROVIDES KEY TO UNLOCKING FACILITY COST SAVINGS FOR CREDIT UNION EXECUTIVES

Barry Lynch of Labarre Associates spoke to the Baton Rouge Chapter of the Louisiana Credit Union League on January 9 about controlling facility management cost for Credit Unions. In response to the question “are you paying too much for facilities?” Lynch advised Credit Union executives to focus on three measures that will help them make good facility cost decisions: cost per sq. ft; cost per person and sq. ft. per person. “Lack of a space management system and the insidious creep of facility responsibilities into multiple employee’s job descriptions are the driving factors behind increasing costs for many Credit Unions” said Lynch in a prepared statement.
Meeting re-cap

JANUARY 1, 2008

FORD DICKINSON AND LABARRE ASSOCIATES, INC. ANNOUNCE MERGER

The principals of Ford|Dickinson and Labarre Associates, Inc. are pleased to announce the merger of their firms as of January 1, 2008.

Ford|Dickinson was founded in 2001 by Jack Ford and Bayne Dickinson. Their current and previous projects include Woman’s Hospital, Mockler Beverage, American Bank Center, Tiger Gift Center, as well as consulting for Lamar Advertising. Jack Ford states “Through our partnering with Labarre Associates, in addition to comprehensive design solutions, we can now offer our clients services typically not found within the traditional architectural practice. In today’s business world, the ability to provide a broad range of services is a clear advantage for our clients. We are now able to address more of our clients’ needs in house while still maintaining a high degree of control and personal service to each individual client.”

Labarre Associates, Inc. was established in 1984 by Jay Labarre. In addition to its architectural division, LAI also provides client services through its construction, facility management and real estate divisions. Labarre’s current clients include Hancock Bank, Omni Bank, Pelican State Credit Union, e-Federal Credit Union, First Castle Credit Union, The City of Denham Springs, Greystone Golf and Country Club and the YMCA. Jay Labarre, president and CEO of Labarre Associates, states “Ford|Dickinson is one of the premier design firms in Louisiana having won numerous design awards for work throughout the state, as well as the Gulf Coast area. We are extremely fortunate to partner with a firm of this caliber. The association of our firms can only help provide additional benefits to our respective clients.”

October 11, 2007 - Baton Rouge, LA

KEAN’S AWARDS CONTRACT FOR NEW KEAN’S THE CLEANER TO CONSTRUCTION MANAGEMENT, a division of LABARRE ASSOCIATES, INC.

Mr. Rock Rockenbaugh, president and owner of Kean’s, announced the awarding of the construction contract for the new Kean’s the Cleaner building near the corner of Perkins Road and College Drive to Construction Management, a division of Labarre Associates. “We are excited to build a plant on Perkins Rd, especially with the current development activity and favorable demographics in the area,” explained Rockenbaugh. He continued, “This project has been in the works for almost two years. This site will serve as a full-service facility and be a sister to our Perkins location near the overpass. This model will mirror the successful model we have in the Jefferson – Bocage corridor.”

Jay Labarre, president and founder of Labarre Associates, said, “We are privileged to work with Kean’s on this project. Kean’s the Cleaner, established in 1900, is Baton Rouge’s oldest and largest dry cleaning operation and we are excited to be a part of its continued expansion efforts. In addition, we are proud to have been chosen as the architect for this project, which allows us to build the structure we envisioned. ”

October 5, 2007 - New Orleans, LA

FIRST CASTLE FEDERAL CREDIT UNION AWARDS CONTRACT FOR NEW HEADQUARTERS BUILDING TO CONSTRUCTION MANAGEMENT, a division of LABARRE ASSOCIATES, INC.

Mr. Kirk Arnold, CEO of First Castle Federal Credit Union, announced the awarding of the construction contract of its new headquarters building in St. Tammany Parish to Labarre Associates, Inc. “This new facility is of vital importance to the future growth of our credit union. We knew we needed a facility that would not only allow us to serve our current members, but would also offer our new and potential members a great new place to do business. This new facility will be a great asset to the community that we will serve,” explained Arnold. He continued, “We have worked hand in hand with the Labarre team for almost a year discussing our wishes and needs, coming up with a great design, and finally getting all of the necessary approvals. We are dedicated to great member service, and with Labarre Associates, we have received the same great service our members expect from us. We certainly could not have done this alone and consider Labarre Associates a great partner for this project and future projects.”

Jay Labarre, president and founder of Labarre Associates, said, “It is an honor to have been selected as the general contractor for this project. This is the outgrowth of a project that began almost a year ago when we sat down with First Castle to determine their facility needs for the future and to develop a strategic facilities plan. In partnership with Ford|Dickinson, a Baton Rouge-based architectural firm, we designed a facility to fit their short- and long-term needs.” Established in 1984, Labarre Associates, Inc. is a diversified, full-service organization that provides its clients with a choice of quality and cost-effective services from concept through operations. In addition to construction, architecture, and facilities consulting, Labarre Associates provides facility management, real estate, and IT services.

July 2, 2007 - Denham Springs, LA

GREYSTONE GOLF & COUNTRY CLUB SELECTED LABARRE JOHNSON ARCHITECTS TO DESIGN THE NEW CLUBHOUSE COMPLEX

In an agreement made on June 25, 2007, Greystone Golf & Country Club selected Labarre Johnson Architects to design its new clubhouse complex.

Jay Labarre, AIA, president of Labarre Associates, Inc. reported, "We are proud to have been chosen as the architectural firm to work on this landmark project with Greystone Golf & Country Club. We are proceeding with programming for the new complex." Established in 1984, Labarre Associates, Inc. is a diversified, full-service organization that provides its clients with a choice of quality and cost-effective services from concept through operations. Labarre Associates provides architecture, construction, facility management, consulting, development, and IT services. 

April 10, 2007 - Denham Springs, LA

ROD STEVENS, AIA, CFM, NAMED TO LABARRE ASSOCIATES ADVISORY BOARD

Mr. Rod Stevens, AIA, CFM, IFMA Fellow, LEED AP was recently named to the Labarre Associates Advisory Board. He joins George P. Thompson, III, a certified financial planner with Waddell and Reed, Inc. in Baton Rouge, LA; Lamy J. Chopin, Jr., PE, PLS, retired engineer with most recent positions of principal engineer for Hydro Consultants, Inc. and CFO/principal of C-K Associates, Inc. both in Baton Rouge, LA; W. Roger Clark, MAI, retired senior management executive and current COO of Pelican Mortgage Corporation, a residential mortgage brokerage firm; along with firm CPA, Fernand P. Genre, with Hannis T. Bourgeois, LLP CPAs, who provides financial review and CPA services.

Stevens is an architect/facility information manager for Pioneer Hi-Bred International, Inc., an international agricultural genetics company headquartered in Des Moines, Iowa, a subsidiary of DuPont. Stevens responsibilities at Pioneer align with the scope of services Labarre Associates provides with its architecture, construction, facility management and consulting services. IT is an integral line of business within the Labarre Associates Consulting division.

"We are pleased and excited to have Rod join our team and look forward to the direction he can help provide," said Jay Labarre, president and founder of Labarre Associates. Neal Johnson, a principal at Labarre-Johnson Architects added, "Rod's architecture and facility management expertise will provide added insight to help accomplish our growth and performance goals." The Labarre Associates Advisory Board meets quarterly to review all aspects of Labarre Associates and its divisions.

Established in 1984, Labarre Associates, Inc. is a diversified, full-service organization that provides its clients with a choice of quality and cost-effective services from concept through operations. In addition to construction, Labarre Associates provides architecture, facility management, IT, and consulting services. The web site is www.labarre-inc.com. Visit the web site for additional information on each member of the advisory board.

February 12, 2007 - Baton Rouge, LA

C.B. PENNINGTON, JR. YMCA AWARDS INDOOR AQUATIC CENTER PROJECT TO CONSTRUCTION MANAGEMENT, a division of LABARRE ASSOCIATES, INC.

Mr. Bob Jacobs, president and chief executive officer of the YMCA of the Capital Area, announced the awarding of the Indoor Aquatic Center project at C.B. Pennington, Jr. YMCA to Labarre Associates. "For the first time in our 90-year history, the YMCA of the Capital Area conducted a citywide capital campaign and the indoor aquatic center marks our first project undertaken from this effort," explained Jacobs. He continued, "The aquatic center is a $2.5 million project. We are excited about the impact, thankful for the investors and donors who heard our message about providing a substantial facility to serve our community, and look forward to our return on investment."

"Labarre Associates and Labarre-Johnson Architects have been instrumental in the planning of the new aquatic facility and making it compatible with the new plan," said Jacobs. "The original campus was built in 1976. Over the years, Labarre Associates has provided remodeling to modernize the campus and helped us plan for future growth, including this new project, which is part of the overall master plan."

Jay Labarre, president and founder of Labarre Associates, said, "It is a privilege to work with the C.B. Pennington, Jr. YMCA on a project of this magnitude. We have been involved with this project from its initial conception and will continue through its completion, including design, construction, and facility management. We are committed to working hand-in-hand with the YMCA to ensure they receive the best project for the best value." Neal Johnson, a principal at Labarre-Johnson Architects said, "We are proud to have been chosen as the architects for this project and to have been among the select group considered."

The Master Plan for the campus includes redevelopment of the entire site. Labarre-Johnson Architects reconfigured the existing building in anticipation of the aquatic center and planned teen center. The indoor aquatic facility will be a 12,000 square foot project and the third indoor facility in the area.

The facility will be unveiled and ready for use by December 2007. "The new facility will allow the community access to swimming year round," said Jacobs. "Currently, we rely on the weather conditions and usually open in late Spring and close in early to mid-October. The year-round swimming will be ideal for senior citizens for aquatic exercises, swim lessons, and high school swim teams. We will be hiring more life guards and swim instructors, additional aquatic employees, and be able to provide continuity for certifications."

"The relationship we've developed with the Y and this project is the closest example of our mission statement," said Labarre. The mission statement is: 'Through partnership and innovation, we help you reach your goals by providing comprehensive solutions for your built environment.' "We enjoy and excel in assisting clients with all aspects of facility improvements and expansions," he explained.

Jay Labarre was active with the C.B. Pennington, Jr. YMCA board, which developed the master plan over several years, and assisted the Facility committee, which prioritized the goals and implemented the master plan directives.

Jacobs concluded with identifying four other YMCA of the Capital Area projects to be initiated in 2007, which include: Expansion and renovations of the AC Lewis, Baranco-Clark, and Southside YMCAs, and the addition of a gym at the Paula G. Manship facility. "We could not undertake these projects without the Pennington Foundation and other substantial donors and are so appreciative of their commitment to the community and the YMCA," concluded Jacobs.

Established in 1984, Labarre Associates, Inc. is a diversified, full-service organization that provides its clients with a choice of quality and cost-effective services from concept through operations. In addition to construction, Labarre Associates provides architecture, facility management, IT, and consulting services. The web site is www.labarre-inc.com. The YMCA web site is www.ymcabatonrouge.org.



January 22, 2007 - Denham Springs, LA

LABARRE ASSOCIATES HIRES BARRY LYNCH AS PROJECT MANAGER

James P. "Jay" Labarre, III, president and CEO of Labarre Associates, Inc. announced today, "Barry Lynch has joined the Labarre Associates team and will serve as a project manager, where he will specialize in solving difficult or complex real estate problems that require expertise in Architecture, Interior Design, Real Estate, and Finance."

Mr. Lynch comes to Denham Springs from North Carolina where he was senior program manager at Grogan Associates for the Black Rock/Merrill Lynch Investment Management Merger (57 sites, 23 countries) and assistant program manager for the Regions/AMSouth Bank Merger (320 Branch consolidations). Mr. Lynch previously owned his own Facilities Management consulting firm, Lynch Consulting, PLLC. In this role, he completed 4.4 million square feet of facility planning work with a proposed construction budget of $270 million for clients such as Pepsi, Shaw Industries, Hancock Bank, Pelican State Credit Union, and E Federal Credit Union.

At Labarre Associates, he will manage the design and construction of projects that were developed during the strategic facilities planning process. His strategic facility planning skills were acquired at Gensler and Associates, the nation's largest architectural firm, and developed as senior architect at RJR Nabisco, where he was responsible for strategic facility planning and project implementation for more than 17 million square feet of space for five business units.

Mr. Lynch is certified as a facility manager (CFM) by the International Facility Management Association (IFMA), and has served in numerous executive committee roles throughout his decade-long membership, including chapter president from 1995-1996 and international education committee (2004-present). He was also elected to the college of Fellows of IFMA for his contributions to the FM profession, an honor bestowed on only 65 of the 19,000+ IFMA members. Lynch is also a licensed architect and real estate broker and holds Masters degrees in Business Administration and Architecture from the University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana and a Bachelor's degree in Environmental Design from the University of Colorado in Boulder.

He improves facility and financial performance with pre-project architectural services, turnkey project management, real estate portfolio management, financial analysis, and business process management consulting. Lynch, his wife Martha, and four children are looking forward to relocating to Denham Springs.

Established in 1984, Labarre Associates, Inc. is a full-service firm located in Louisiana. Architecture, construction, facilities management and maintenance, IT, development, and consulting comprise its service offering. The firm clients are in the financial, healthcare, government, retail, corporate, entertainment, and educational industries.



December 28, 2006 - Denham Springs, LA

RICK FOSTER NAMED PROJECT MANAGER FOR LABARRE ASSOCIATES, INC.

Jay Labarre, president of Labarre Associates, Inc., announced the hiring of Richard "Rick" Foster as a project manager for the company's Facility Systems Division. Foster served Cox Communications for the last four years as facilities supervisor, and prior to that was with Home Depot for nine years. "Rick Foster is an excellent addition to our team. He brings a wealth of facility and project management experience that will ultimately benefit our clients," explained Labarre.

Foster has experience as a facilities supervisor and has managed over 420,000 square feet of retail, office, and technical space. For Labarre Associates, he will manage the security, janitorial, equipment, and maintenance contractors; the staff that services Facility Systems' clients; and manage special client projects. In addition to his work with the company's Facility Systems Division, he will also work closely with the Construction Management division.

His breadth of experience includes involvement with Cox Communications' corporate Real Estate department, overseeing contracts, and arranging lease and purchase of properties. For Labarre Associates, he will ensure all company and client properties operate efficiently by tracking costs, preparing budgets, obtaining bids, and managing projects from conception to completion with attention to timelines, deadlines, budget, details, and client satisfaction. "At Labarre Associates, we have earned a reputation for our attention to detail, budget, and turn-around," said Labarre. He continued, "Mr. Foster's experience and dedication align ideally with our clients' expectations."

Additionally, Foster's experience includes building renovations; complete office relocations and reconfigurations; as well as furniture purchases for offices, training rooms, conference rooms, workspaces, and break rooms. In addition to project management, Foster has significant safety and risk management training experience.

Foster is currently president of the Baton Rouge Chapter of the International Facility Management Association (IFMA) and has been a member since 2002.