By Amanda McElfresh, amcelfresh@theadvocate.com
This article is brought to you by Cox Business.
In Louisiana, family means everything. On any given weekend, you can find multigenerational gatherings filled with food, laughter and lots of love. Grandparents, aunts and uncles cheer on their loved ones at school events and athletic competitions. It isn’t uncommon to hear of ongoing group texts that allow extended families to keep up with each other’s daily lives.
That spirit extends into Louisiana’s business world as well. Our region is the proud home of many family-owned companies that have stood the test of time, often evolving over the course of many decades to meet customers’ needs. The original founders may be gone, but the lessons they taught still resonate with the current generation.
Whether the family-owned business is a flower shop, a clothing store, a vehicle dealership, a plumbing company, a chain of restaurants, or an arts and entertainment studio, the core principles that continue to drive their success remain the same. It’s all about a commitment to high quality, a dedication to customer service, treating employees like family and doing the best you can to make your community a better place for all.
We have been honored to share six of these families’ stories over the last several weeks. As fellow family-owned businesses, The Advocate | The Times-Picayune and Cox Business continue to be inspired by their combination of adhering to longstanding values while adapting to change with the times. Most of these companies have dealt with numerous challenges over the years, but have worked hard to overcome and thrive. That’s something we can all be proud of.
As you shop for products and services in the coming months, we encourage you to support family-owned businesses in Acadiana, Baton Rouge and New Orleans. It makes a difference, not only for the Louisiana economy, but for families just like ours.