Opinion
Bateman: Hindsight 2020: We have learned so much during the past year
As we enter the final quarter of 2020, it is important to take time to look back over not just the challenges faced this year, but also the accomplishments of 2020 and thank those who helped make those accomplishments possible. Like everyone else, at Bossier Parish Community College, our vision for 2020 took a sharp [...]
Opinion
Clark: The only constant during a year like 2020 is change
Back in the early nineties, when I was the Dean of the College of Business at LSUS, I oversaw the installation of a large satellite dish on the south side of campus. The idea was to allow LSUS to host national speakers virtually, beaming them live via satellite technology to our campus and community. At [...]
Opinion
Guice: COVID-19 has fostered innovation
The COVID-19 pandemic has required innovative work from Louisiana Tech University’s faculty and staff to deliver quality academic programs and co-curricular activities that will enrich those programs while adhering to our health and safety guidelines. Our students come to Tech not only for our strong academic programs, they also choose to be a part of [...]
Opinion
Johnson: Flexibility leads to economic growth in Bossier
As we all continue the work to make Bossier a great place to live, work, play and learn, we only need to combine our efforts to work together to be successful and really make our area SHINE! Just know that while the vision for 2020 may seem a little blurry, that doesn’t mean it isn’t [...]
Opinion
Specht: Progress is about emerging from ‘The Dip’
In 2007, business and marketing guru Seth Godin wrote a little book titled, “The Dip: A Little Book That Teaches You When to Quit (and When to Stick).” In it, Godin describes what a dip looks like. “Every new project (or job, or hobby, or company) starts out fun…then gets really hard, and not much [...]
News
Despite COVID-19 capital improvements coming to port
Special to BIZ. Magazine 2020 has been a year full of surprises. A pandemic essentially shut down the economy. Then, a hurricane named Laura made her presence known in Northwest Louisiana. Despite these obstacles, one constant was The Port of Caddo-Bossier. Currently, The Port and its tenants have created about 1,850 jobs. Noted economist Dr. [...]
News
Ronpak Inc. found a successful home in Shreveport-Bossier
Christine Rambo | NLEP As a leading manufacturer of custom-printed paper bags and food wraps, Ronpak Inc. faced an enviable problem in 2010: demand for its food-grade bags from fast food customers outstripped its capacity. With facilities in New Jersey and California, Ronpak experienced difficulties serving its customers in the central and southern regions of [...]
Opinion
The Report: Economic downtown led by services sector
An economist says the state, let alone Shreveport-Bossier, will not recover this year from the massive economic downturn caused by the COVID-19 epidemic. The hard numbers were laid out during the 39th Annual Louisiana Economic Outlook presented by Dr. Loren Scott, professor emeritus of economics at LSU, on Sept. 16, 2020. He noted the Bureau [...]
Feature
Scott: Not all economic challenges are COVID-related
COVID-19 was not kind to Shreveport-Bossier’s economy, but the pandemic's effects were magnified by several key losses, says a state economist. Dr. Loren Scott, professor emeritus of economics at LSU, recapped the economic numbers of 2020 during the 39th Annual Louisiana Economic Outlook hosted by the Port of Caddo-Bossier in mid-September. The event was sponsored [...]
Feature
Economist: Shreveport-Bossier economy may boom
A state economist says Shreveport-Bossier is expected to emerge from the darkness caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, but not for several years. Dr. Loren Scott, professor emeritus of economics at LSU, looked ahead to 2021-22 during his 39th Annual Louisiana Economic Outlook hosted by the Port of Caddo-Bossier in mid-September. Dr. Scott gave the caveat of [...]
Feature
A history of the Shreveport-Bossier economy
*Edited from a summary of the Shreveport-Bossier MSA’s history as provided from the Louisiana Economic Outlook produced by Dr. Loren Scott The Shreveport/Bossier area suffered through a prolonged, and deep, recessionary period from 1985-89. While this decline was partially a result of a badly declining exploration industry, that was not the main culprit. The AT&T [...]
Feature
10-2020 BIZ. Magazine e-Edition
The electronic edition of the October 2020 BIZ Magazine in Shreveport-Bossier. This month is the annual BIZ. Shreveport-Bossier Progress edition. https://issuu.com/rbrownbossier/docs/10-2020_biz
Opinion
Teri Haynes: Eating With People Again
Casual business dining isn’t the same as at home Now, this is progress! Restaurants may now seat patrons at up to 75% capacity. This means more business lunches and dinners will occur. It is time to un-learn the relaxed habits we have developed while working from home these five months. Here is a light-hearted refresher [...]
Opinion
Swaine: Work of DDA essential, even during COVID-19
2020 has been a dumpster fire, a ‘zero’ on a scale of one-to-ten, the worst blind date ever. During the early days of COVID as Governor Edwards told folks to stay at home, I continued to come to the office at the Downtown Development Authority, not to flout any rules, but because I felt like [...]
Opinion
Evans: Local tourism industry perseveres in pandemic
This year has been a roller coaster for Shreveport-Bossier’s tourism industry. It started on a high with Mardi Gras, and by mid-March tourism ground to a near halt. Hotels, restaurants, attractions, meeting venues, and retailers had to close their doors to comply with the stay-at-home mandate to flatten the curve of COVID-19. Those efforts helped [...]
Opinion
Jeansonne: ‘A season of improvising’ describes Chamber’s year
“Improvise, Adapt, Overcome” is an unofficial slogan of the United States Marine Corps. This line was made popular in the 1986 film Heartbreak Ridge starring Clint Eastwood as Gunnery Sergeant Thomas Highway. While this film is now over thirty years old, Gunny Highway’s words, even today, accurately describe how the Greater Shreveport Chamber of Commerce [...]
Opinion
Consumer spending habits evolving due to pandemic
Watching, waiting, and even wincing at what could come next have been the common reactions over the last six months as the novel coronavirus swept the world and our nation by storm. As shutdowns, regulations and mandates were imposed in the name of public safety many, within our business community were left scratching their heads [...]
Opinion
White: For the economy to progress, north Louisiana needs workers
To stimulate economic development in Northwest Louisiana, we need more residents with documentable workforce skills. That means a lot more people with education and training beyond a high school diploma. According to the Board of Regents Louisiana Prospers Master Plan, only 44.2% of Louisiana’s working age population has a degree or certificate beyond high school, [...]
Opinion
Meador: Unprecedented year brings unprecedented changes to education
Wow! What a year this has been. To borrow a great but over used quote - “It has been the best of times and the worst of times.” Over the last 6 months, the team and students of Northwest Louisiana Technical Community College have been tested to their limits in so many ways. The [...]
