Discover Lafayette

Ted Kergan, one of Sonic’s most successful franchisees in the U. S., began his career with SONIC in 1977 as general manager of an Alexandria, LA location. Today, Ted is CEO of Kergan Bros. Sonic, which owns 60 Sonic locations across Central and South Louisiana, and employs more than 4,000 people each year.

In 2015, Ted was bestowed the Troy Smith Hall of Fame Award given to a franchisee who has worked with Sonic for a noteworthy duration and has made a significant contribution in terms of leadership, growth, positive influence, and brand image. Ted's love for Sonic is palpable, and he attributes his success in the company to his dedicated and longtime employees who make it happen. Between his managers and assistant managers, the employees collectively bring over 1000 years of experience to the job.

In 2015, Ted was bestowed the Troy Smith Hall of Fame Award given to a franchisee who has worked with Sonic for a noteworthy duration and has made a significant contribution in terms of leadership, growth, positive influence, and brand image. Pictured from left: Sonic CEO Cliff Hudson, Ann Kergan, Ted Kergan.

Sonic is a fun company and offers a solid business plan. Troy Smith founded Sonic in 1953 and always gave his managers the opportunity to be equity partners. Ted Kergan has followed Smith's example and this generosity has led to lasting employee loyalty. There are 3600 Sonic locations in the U. S. and successful managers can make around $150,000 per year; the most successful manager in the U. S. is reported to make $250,000 per year. Ted recommends that anyone looking to purchase a franchise opportunity should take a close look at the business plan and select a company that has a name recognition so that people will flock to the door the day it opens for business. Many good concepts are unknown to the general public and it can be risky investing in an unknown name that will not generate adequate traffic.

Sonic was purchased by Inspire Brand in 2018 for $2.3 Billion; Inspire also owns Arby's, Buffalo Wild Wings and Jimmy John's Restaurants. Economies of scale are recognized in food purchases, attorney costs, etc. by franchisees associated with Sonic and Inspire, and Ted finds the costs associated with franchise royalties are greatly outweighed by savings the franchisees enjoy.

Kergan Bros. Sonics has sponsored the annual Sonic Christmas Parade in Lafayette since 2003. An annual and beloved affair with over 70 participants, the parade was originally started by the Abdalla family in 1962.

Santa waving to the crowd in the Sonic Christmas ParadeThe Sonic Christmas Parade is an annual event held free for the community.

Ted also has a deeply moving and personal story to share, about his brother, Gary, who originally got Ted to move to Louisiana to join the Sonic team. Gary’s life came to an untimely and mysterious end on November 28, 1984. Ted’s journey to find out what happened to his brother is recounted in the compelling book, “My Brother’s Keeper, A Thirty-Year Quest to Bring Two Killers To Justice,” written by Chris Russo Blackwood.

Ted Kergan was born in Detroit, Michigan and was raised with his older brother and sister by his mother. Ted's father died the day after he was born and his mother worked hard as a seamstress to make ends meet. The children were close, especially Gary and Ted, who had their own special language where they would communicate using only the first letter of words. Gary meant the world to Ted and was always there for him to guide and protect him.

When Ted was fifteen, his mother couldn't sew any more due to arthritis, and she sold their family home so that she could raise funds to purchase a franchise business.

State Representative Julie Emerson loves helping others and addressing the needs of her constituents. A Republican representing District 39 which covers Northern Lafayette Parish and Southern St. Landry Parish, Julie was first elected in 2015 at the tender age of 27 and was re-elected in October 2019 to serve another four-year term. On this episode of Discover Lafayette, Julie discusses why it's important for constituents to have access to their elected officials, why she believes it is important for young people to become involved and be elected to political office, and how her conservative values drive her agenda to get government "out of the way."

An active Republican since her high school days, Julie Emerson worked with the Republican Party of Louisiana and attended the 2008, 2012, and 2016 state and national conventions. While her family is not overtly partisan, Julie's avid interest in politics was cemented when the Affordable Care Act was first proposed while she was a biology major at UL-Lafayette; the thought of how this law would affect her potential medical career grabbed her attention and she attended the 2008 Republican National Convention in Minneapolis. She's never looked back as she's gained an active voice and a seat at the table advancing conservative interests.

.State Rep. Julie Emerson with her mother, Susan Emerson State Rep. Julie Emerson being sworn into office on January 11, 2016

Julie currently serves as an elected member of the Republican State Central Committee. While she is no longer the youngest member of the Louisiana Legislature since the recent election of Matthew Willard from New Orleans who is a few months younger than her, she is the youngest Republican female ever elected to the Louisiana legislature. She serves on the House Committees of Appropriations, Agriculture, and Education.

While 50 to 69-year-olds are 'chronic voters," the most frequent and dependable voting bloc at election time, Julie believes that Millennial voters need to hear a concise and clear message as to why it's important to vote. She believes the Republican Party actually represents young voter interests more effectively than a socialist or democratic platform. Most of her friends are not partisan, they just want government "out of their way." In the podcast, she explained that most busy young parents don't pay attention because they are busy shuttling their kids to sports, working their way up the career ladder and haven't yet experienced how government can impact their lives.

In 2018, Julie was named one of the 15 most Persuasive Millenial Politicians and Activists in the U. S. by Micgoat, an online community connecting people to video debate society’s biggest issues in politics, finance, sports and more. Julie is an active proponent of citizen engagement. The following video of Rep. Julie Emerson explaining why all Millennials should be Republican has gained more than 300,000 views on Facebook.

https://youtu.be/HQXsgtW0auc

Julie Emerson explains why Millennials need to hear a clear, concise message about why Republican values are much more in line with their basic beliefs in a free market, low taxes, freedom to choose schools, and cheap health insurance. "It's about time the Grand Ole Party got some fresh new blood."

An interesting example of how Louisiana government regulation can get in the way of people conducting business involves the hair braiding profession. The Louisiana State Board of Cosmetology requires hair braiders to obtain 500 hours of training to qualify for an "alternative hair design permit," as opposed to the rules in Mississippi which require a $25 fee with a filled-out application. Julie took up the cause to deregulate this cosmetology overreach,

Jimmy Domengeaux is well-known as a successful Lafayette attorney and member of the iconic Domengeaux family which has served our community well. Jimmy is a graduate of LSU Law School and has practiced law for 33 years at the Domengeaux, Wright, Roy & Edwards law firm. He cherishes his French roots grounded in South Louisiana and shares his story with Jan Swift of Discover Lafayette.

When asked to define what makes Acadiana so special, Jimmy recalled a classic Cajun song that sums up the culture: "Travailler c'est trop dur," which translates to "Working is too Hard." The cultural ethic defined in this song captures the hard work endured by the Acadian people, their family values, and the determined adherence to their French heritage.

Travailler c’est trop dur (Working is too hard)

Working is too hard,And stealing is not pretty,Asking for charityIs something that I cannot do.Each day that I live,They ask me, on what do you survive,I say I live on love,And I hope to live old.

I take my fiddle,And I grad the bow,I play my old waltzTo make my friends dance.You know, dear friends,That life is too shortTo live in sorrow,Let us dance tonight.

I get my old horseAnd I grab my old saddle.And I saddle my old horseTo go and get my darling.You know, dear,It’s far from one to the otherBut from San Antonio to Beaumont,I was looking just for you.

Zachary Richard, Les Editions du Marais Bouleur

While at LSU Law School, Jimmy wrote a Louisiana Law Review article in 1986 entitled, “Native Born Acadians and the Equality Ideal”, under the direction of Constitutional Law Professor Paul Baier. The article was based upon a 1980 federal lawsuit heard by U. S. District Judge Edwin Hunter in Lake Charles which decided whether or not French-speaking people, known as "Cajuns" and derogatory derivatives of that name, were protected as a class against employment discrimination under the Civil Rights Act. It became settled law that Acadian descendants were a "protected class" under federal law, and as Judge Hunter said, "You don't have to come from a country, it's your place of origin that decides whether or not you are protected."

Jimmy's uncle, also named Jimmy Domengeaux, was the founder of the Domengeaux Wright law firm, as well as the Council for the Development of French in Louisiana ("CODIFIL") which has worked diligently for the past 50 years to preserve the French language in Louisiana as well as to garner pride and respect for all people who descended from the Acadians deported from Acadie in Nova Scotia in 1755. CODIFIL was established during the time John McKeithen served as governor, and he well understood the mission of CODIFIL, as did local Acadiana icon Senator Sonny Mouton who shepherded the legislation through the Legislature.

Jimmy's father, Jerome Domengeaux, another South Louisiana icon, served as Chief Judge of the Louisiana Third Circuit Court of Appeals and was renowned for his legal acumen. Jimmy's Louisiana roots run deep and his family has always enjoyed the outdoor pursuits offered freely in Louisiana's "Sportsman's Paradise."

http://www.jimmydomengeaux.com/

Now, back to our guest! Jimmy Domengeaux grew up enjoying opportunities to fish and hunt in the Atchafalaya Basin and marshes of South Louisiana. He always" felt a great connection with the serenity of the Atchafalaya Swamp" and particularly loved bass fishing and competing in fishing tournaments. While he always enjoyed being outdoors and viewing sunrises and sunsets, as Jimmy matured, he felt an obligation to capture the beautiful scenery he had always taken for granted. He picked up a camera, whatever it was, a Canon EOS or the camera on his iPhone.

Yvette Landry, Grammy-nominated artist, two time State of Louisiana Music Ambassador, 2019 inductee into the Louisiana Music Hall of Fame, author, lifelong educator, cross-country and volleyball coach, and record producer is a force to be reckoned with. Known today for her soulful storytelling shared through her inspired lyrics and beautiful voice, Yvette's current life path didn't begin until she was forty years old and had reached a crossroads in her life. She turned to the electric bass guitar, a choice prompted by an inner spiritual urging, a bit of serendipity, and the need to find a release from the unrelenting stress that threatened to break her spirit.

The interesting part of this story is that Yvette had never picked up any kind of string instrument in her life. She hadn't played music since she put down the woodwinds (flute, saxophone, and oboe) and closed the keyboard on the piano upon graduation from high school in Breaux Bridge years before. While she never enjoyed playing music as a young girl, she enjoyed the thrill of competing against others in a similar fashion that she enjoyed the competitive nature of athletics in which she really excelled.

Growing up in a musical family, however, was something that she did enjoy, and it is definitely in her blood. Her aunt was a music teacher who played the piano and organ. Her dad was in a barbershop quartet. Her grandmother, Viola Hebert Landry, played with her family in the Louisiana Six. Her dad's grandparents were both musicians and came from a large family of musicians. Incredibly, her family descended from the Acadians who settled here generations ago and "the first Hebert in our family who settled here was a fiddler."

Dealing with a marriage that was ending and facing the reality of her father's brain cancer, Yvette was driving down Johnston Street one day and pulled into the parking lot of C & M Music Center in Lafayette on a whim. She looked up at the wall and saw guitars in different colors, knowing nothing about guitars but knowing that she wanted one. The first one she tried was too heavy, the second one she tried was too wide, but the third one was perfect....sort of in the Goldilock's vein of being "just right." So she purchased it along with a small amplifier that the clerk told her she would need since it was an electric bass guitar.

Yvette's initial hope was that she could "mess around with the guitar" when she was on the way to M. D. Anderson for her dad's treatments. Not knowing how to play it, she fell in love with the instrument and played by ear. She believes the reason she fell in love with music the second time around was that there was no teacher standing over her, telling her to play louder or change the way she approached a song. There was no need to read music as she could just listen to what she liked and figure out the chords.

Never having picked up a string instrument until that fateful day at C & M Music, playing the guitar clicked for Yvette. She knew that "this is where I'm supposed to be." A friend's husband, Brazos Huval, invited her to join a Cajun Jam that met every week, a group of about 50 to 60 people, "aged six to eighty-six years old." Yvette hadn't grown up listening to Cajun music; she had actually grown up listening to Swamp Pop but was intrigued by the music that sang of her family's roots and joined the group that welcomed her with open arms.

A couple of months later, Randy Vidrine invited Yvette to play at Randol's Restaurant with his band, the Lafayette Rhythm Devils. While it was "the most stressful three hours she had ever spent," as she was still learning how to play guitar, she was hired and spent ten years playing regularly on Wednesday nights at Randol's, as well as touring festivals throughout the U. S., Germany, and France.

Jimmy Guidry is well-known throughout Acadiana for his iconic restaurant, Hub City Diner, which features affordable and delicious comfort foods such as hamburger steak, chicken tenders with Curly Q's, omelets and all sorts of classic American diner food that pleases any palate, young or old.

In this episode of Discover Lafayette, Jimmy sat down with Jan Swift and discussed his journey in the hospitality business, which began when he was ten years old and his mother bought a Dairy Queen in Opelousas. As the youngest child, his job was to pick up the trash as he rode his bike to school each morning. By the time he was twelve, he was handling money; by fourteen, he was grinding beef and helping cook menu items from scratch. As a teen, he realized how much he enjoyed helping others and working with people.

A graduate of USL (now UL - Lafayette) in Marketing, Jimmy bartended for a couple of years and got his start at Uncle Pete's where he befriended another well-known restauranteur, Charlie Goodson, who has remained one of his best friends. After waiting tables at Beef & Ale, Jimmy opened the Brass Rail in 1973. He quickly opened a second bar, Mother's Mantle, which provided live entertainment six nights a week, plus Friday afternoons. The second locations of Brass Rail and Mother's Mantle were opened in Baton Rouge, and Antler's Restaurant in downtown Lafayette was then purchased and updated. Incredibly, yet another establishment followed, Boo Boo's Nightclub on the Breaux Bridge Highway, which was an 800 seat honky-tonk open on Friday and Saturday nights and featured T. K. Hulin and Johnny Allen.

Mother's Mantle was owned by Jimmy Guidry, along with The Brass Rail, Boo Boo's Nightclub, and Antler's Restaurant.

Back in those early days of his career, there were no opening and closing ordinances governing times of operation. So Jimmy joking stated, "We were the first to open, around 9 a.m., and the last to close, whenever the last person walked out, which could be 4 a.m. He kept a regimented schedule, rising at 10 a.m. to get to work, taking a break at 2 p.m. to work out, napping, and then getting up at 8 p.m. to get back to work.

By 1981, Jimmy realized he didn't need to be in the bar business anymore and sold his interest in all endeavors. He joined Cuco's Mexican Restaurant's management team and had a fifteen-year run, first as a general manager, and then regional manager. He loved his job and attributes his experience with Cuco's and his wonderful boss as providing an outstanding training ground for learning systemized procedures for purchasing of food and equipment, leasing, and management. He was eventually ready to take on ownership of his own restaurant.

In 1998, Jimmy was dining with Charlie Goodson and asked if anything in the Lafayette area was available for sale. Charlie had been an early partner in Hub City Diner with chef Pat Mould and George Graham and knew that George may be willing to sell his interest as he had been the sole owner for several years. The sale was consummated and Jimmy Guidry has been the owner of Hub City Diner since 1998.

Hub City Diner is a staple for so many demographics in the community. Regular customers fall into several categories and some show up every day: entrepreneurs show up around 7 a.m. with their Wall Street Journal and study the day's news; around 8 a.m., the casual guys come in and have meetings with friends and colleagues; at 9 a.m., another group comes in for breakfast. Around 10 a.m., a group of people show up who eat two meals a day and have their first meal at the diner. It all begins again at noon, and so on.

"Over the years, we've had people eat all their meals with us, seven days a week, two times per day.

Cassie Doyle joined us on Discover Lafayette to discuss her screenwriting career and success in having several Lifetime movies to her credit at the young age of 27. We invited Cassie's childhood friend, Taylor Marie Swift, to join us in this special episode where we reminiscence about her focused journey to hone her craft and pursue her dream of creating films.

A Lafayette native, Cassie is becoming well-known for writing feature-length films that successfully make it to television screens. For Christmas 2019, two of her movies premiered on Lifetime and are entitled The Road Home for Christmas and Radio Christmas.

In 2018, two other

Christmas films Cassie wrote aired on Lifetime, A Christmas in Tennessee,

and A Christmas Contract. A Christmas Contract was filmed right here in

Lafayette.

Cassie graduated from UL – Lafayette in Moving Image Arts. She moved to NYC in 2015, initially served as an assistant for a small jewelry design company, then as an Assistant at A & E Networks where she made contacts in the industry and started writing. She is a member of The Writers Guild and is currently working on new projects that aren’t related to the Christmas season.

Cassie understood early on that relationship building is important in the film industry, just as in any other endeavor in life. While she worked as an administrative assistant in NYC, she attended various networking events where she made friends in the industry. A contact led to her pivotal job at A & E Networks. She also volunteered at various creative workshops and was always writing scripts, always ready to respond to a call for her work. She befriended higher-ups at the A & E Network who were willing to give her a hand up when she was ready to submit her first Christmas film script, even though she didn't yet have an agent. Her efforts and willingness to work hard, plus a shot of "luck," opened a door that is continuing to open wider and wider for this young talented woman.

Cassie loves to travel, and has visited thirty countries as she has written her travel blog, Cassie Finds, sharing her favorite things to do, or not do, in exotic locales around the world.

The future looks bright and wide open for Cassie Doyle, who now works independently and is working to fulfill her next dream of working on a series. Best wishes, Cassie, and thank you for sharing your love of Lafayette, your family, and your craft with Discover Lafayette!

Missy Bienvenue, CEO of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Acadiana, grew up in Lafayette and understands that she has lived a privileged life. What is remarkable about Missy is that she works each and every day to provide under-resourced youth the same privileges she has always taken for granted: access to fun, safe and structured programming that open doors to successful lives. She provides the perfect combination of talent, heart, and discipline that can make positive things happen.

Jan Swift, host of Discover Lafayette, with Missy Bienvenue Andrade, CEO of Boys & Girls Clubs of Acadiana, in offices of Rader Solutions for taping of the podcast.

Missy's early love of dancing led her to a life instilled with self-discipline, whether it was serving as a Sparkler for the St. Thomas More Cougars, or teaching dance across the U. S., Europe, Central America, South America, and Asia on behalf of Varsity Brands International. She compares the structure and discipline of being on a competitive dance team with the rigors of working professionally as a team player to get the job done. Her experiences in teaching dance to students to children from all backgrounds also led her to understand that you "take the kids where they are and work together to open doors of knowledge." This lesson has served her well in her current role with Boys & Girls Clubs of Acadiana.

"I got to see the world doing something I loved. Yet, everywhere I traveled, I became more informed about how much I appreciate home. There's no place like home. And I chose Lafayette as my final destination."

The Boys & Girls Club of Acadiana serves almost 5000 kids annually at five facilities located in Lafayette, Vermilion, Iberia, and St. Landry Parishes. Its mission is "to enable all young people, especially those who need us most, to reach their full potential as productive, caring, responsible citizens." While all children from six to eighteen years of age are welcome to participate, a majority of the kids come from single-parent, non-traditional households with challenging circumstances. The Club's focus is to keep things fun, safe, and structured so as to provide programming that develops each youth's potential.

Three areas of development underlie the various programs offered: (1) Academic Success is first and foremost, and the students have to complete their homework each day; (2) Good Character and Citizenship (with the Torch and Keystone Clubs in place to develop leadership opportunities in 11 to 13-year-olds and 14 to 18-year-olds, respectively); and (3) Healthy Lifestyles which exposes the children to wholesome cooking, opportunities for exercise. and fun activities such as "Kids in the Kitchen" sponsored by The Junior League of Lafayette and Wacky Olympics and Food Bingo sponsored by Lafayette General Health.

Lafayette's Junior League volunteers leading "Kids in the Kitchen" in the Granberry Unit of Boys & Girls Club, teaching the kids about healthy eating and healthy living.

In June 1970, The "Boys Club of Lafayette" began serving young men through the efforts of local business leaders, spearheaded by the Sertoma Club and the Jaycees. Through the years the Club's mission grew with a sustained period of growth and in 1990, the name was changed nationally and locally to "Boys & Girls Clubs." Acadiana celebrates its 50th anniversary of the Boys & Girls Club of Acadiana next year in 2020; Missy was excited to share that in conjunction with the 50 anniversary celebration, Acadiana will host the Louisiana Youth of the Year competition, "a prestigious honor bestowed upon an exemplary young person in recognition of leadership, service, academic excellence, and dedication to live a healthy lifestyle." 

Destin Ortego, Director of the Opportunity Machine, and Rodney Hess, Vice President of Rally Marketing, joined Discover Lafayette to discuss Innovate South, which will take place November 13 - 15, 2019 during National Entrepreneur Month. It's all about building entrepreneurship in Lafayette!

Entrepreneurs, startup founders and small business owners from all over the Gulf South will come together to learn and share innovative best practices in business and marketing. The event is organized by the Opportunity Machine, an initiative of Lafayette Economic Development Authority.

Lafayette has historically had a "wildcatter mentality" in the oil and gas sector, and today an entrepreneurial ecosystem is also flourishing in its healthcare and technology sectors. How do you build a culture that works for the initial five employees and sustain it for the 5000 people you eventually employ? Whether you are an accountant, attorney, techie, or healthcare employer, how do you grow your business in a way that sustains your vision for helping your clients?

This inaugural Innovate South aims to build upon the creative momentum being experienced in the region and will offer a diverse array of local and national speakers addressing the key issues facing start-ups as well as experienced businesses. Destin Ortego's vision for the event is to be a catalyst for a "melting pot of innovation," and create synergy by bringing in outside ideas and combining them with the rich talent already based here.

The event kicks off with networking Wednesday evening at Rock'n'Bowl de Lafayette. Startup and Small Business Day on Thursday, November 14, will provide opportunities to foster networking, exchange ideas peer-to-peer, and present ways to identify and create solutions for problems your customers may have. The overriding question should always be "What value am I bringing to my customers and how can I best solve their problems," according to Ortego. Participants are guaranteed to walk away from each presentation with at least three to five concrete ideas on how to execute ideas shared by the speakers.

The Get Started Medical Pitch Competition is a live forum and pitch competition open to the public and presented by Cox Business in partnership with Lafayette General Health and the Opportunity Machine on November 14 at 6:30 pm at the Acadiana Center for the Arts. Register here.

The Get Started Medical Pitch Competition is being sponsored by Cox Business, and conducted in partnership with Lafayette General Health. Cox is underwriting a $20,000 cash prize to be awarded at the Thursday evening event. Forty medical start-ups from around the country applied and the eight finalists will compete in Shark Tank-style by presenting their idea in two-and-a-half-minutes before a live audience. The top candidates were selected based upon the stage of development of the idea being pitched, the potential viability of what Lafayette has to offer the company, how much money the company has raised, and the company's growth potential. The hope is that the companies will locate their headquarters in Lafayette as a couple of other past Medical Pitch contestants have done. Admission is free but you must pre-register here.

Digital Marketing Day on November 15 will appeal to any size organization or individual interested in growing their business or personal "brand". Brand is not just a logo but is defined as "whatever the public says about you," according to Hess. The day will provide guidance on best digital marketing techniques, relationship building in the digital age, and "winning the inbox."

Registration is affordable and tickets for Startup Day or Digital Marketing Day may be purchased individually for...

Lafayette native Jim Gossen has been immersed in the seafood industry since the early 1970s when he began picking up and selling Gulf seafood out of the back of his pickup truck to source fresh seafood for Landry's Restaurants. His hands-on experience and relationship building over the past few decades have given Jim an up-close understanding of the challenges facing the fisherman who captain the seafood industry and what it will take to pass on the tools for business survival to the next generation of fisherman. His message is clear: the Gulf Seafood industry must have a unified voice and be innovative as it adapts to changing circumstances if it is to remain viable for future generations.

In this episode of Discover Lafayette with Jan Swift, Jim Gossen shares his love of the seafood industry, provides an historical overview of how consumers' tastes and demand for seafood has evolved, and explains why he believes Louisiana's fisherman can successfully compete globally by focusing on the quality of their superior product as compared with other country's cheaper and inferior seafood offerings.

Jim Gossen's dedication to the seafood industry led him to great success as a restauranteur, seafood processor, manufacturer and distributor of fresh Louisiana seafood. In the early days of his initial business, Creole Foods, Jim drove his own 18-wheeler to source and deliver shrimp and red snapper. Creole Foods quickly evolved into a successful business renamed Louisiana Foods, a global seafood endeavor that Jim sold to Sysco in 2012. He served as Chair of the board of Sysco until his recent retirement.

Jim currently serves as Chair of the Gulf Seafood Foundation, which promotes Gulf seafood, tourism, and culture. He also owns Jimmy G's by the Houston airport and Louisiana Catering, an oil-related catering business. A recipient of the Environmental Protection Agency’s Gulf Guardian Award for his work in promoting the use and sale of by-catch (seafood such as Cobia or Triggerfish caught unintentionally while hauling in fishing nets that can be sold to restaurants), he has also been recognized by "My Table’s Legends of the Industry, Southern Living’s Heroes of the New South Awards, and is one of Cooking Light’s 20 Food Heroes in America.

While today's restaurant menu typically offers salmon, crabcakes, and a variety of fish dishes, it wasn't always so. When Jim entered the distribution business in the early 1970's and moved to Houston, seafood was not a staple on menus. No one knew what Creole meant, no one knew what crawfish was. In fact, when Jim drove his fresh seafood offerings to Houston, he also carted along Community Coffee, Barq's Rootbeer, Camellia Red Beans, tasso, Veron's Andouille Sausage, and New Orleans' Leidenheimer French Bread, all of which were unknown commodities outside of Louisiana. They quickly became hits in the cowboy market of Houston and beyond.....as did Jim Gossen.

At the age of 30, Jim Gossen on one of his trips to pick up food products along with fish, shrimp and oysters in Louisiana. Photo Gossen Archives

Over the years, tastes have changed and the manner in which seafood is sourced has also changed dramatically. In the 1980s, restaurant patrons feasted on Speckled Trout and Redfish. Both of these fishes were made popular by Chef Paul Prudhomme and his "blackened" seafood dishes. No one could have imagined how fast the popularity of these dishes would take off worldwide and the fish became scarce due to high consumer demand. Limits were placed upon the catch of speckled trout and redfish and now they are only accessible by the recreational fishermen in the region. China and other countries, however, have been willing to step in and meet the demand for affordable and accessible seafood.

Vince Hayward, CEO of L. H. Hayward Company, brings passion and joy as he speaks of the many ways beans can enrich and nourish your life. A graduate of UL-Lafayette in Business Administration, Vince is a hands-on manager of the company which produces the iconic Camellia Bean brand.

The beginnings of this family business began in 1850 when his great-great-great-grandfather, Sawyer Hayward, relocated from Bermuda to New Orleans. A vibrant shipping port, New Orleans offered the Hayward family the opportunity to expand their trade capacity for sales of cotton and other dry goods. It was in the Caribbean Islands and the West Indies that Hayward first learned about beans and gained a fondness for them. He brought that knowledge to the U. S. and also began selling beans, along with other goods, in bulk.

In 1923, the company was formally organized and named Camellia after the favorite flower of the wife of L.H. Hayward, Jr. The Haywards supplied wholesale beans and other foods to local corner grocery stores and restaurants; over the years, their business focus narrowed to the distribution of beans.

Around 1940, when supermarkets were first coming about, William Gordon Hayward came up with the revolutionary idea to package beans in individual bags for sale directly to consumers. Post-WWII, as people had access to transportation and were moving to the suburbs, consumer sales of the individual beans took off. Today, 19 different varieties of beans are sold by Camellia, with over 80,000 to 100,000 pounds of beans packaged every day in its facility in Elmwood.

Allen Growe watches beans on gravity separator table. Photo by Brett Duke, Nola.comVanessa Smith prepares beans for shipping at Harahan facility. Photo by Brett Duke, Nola.comJarrod Carter stacking black-eye peas for shipping. Photo by Brett Duke

Camellia sources its beans from all over the U. S., and at times Canada if needed, and Vince explained that edible beans aren't typically grown in humid areas such as Louisiana. From the time the beans are harvested from the field to the time they make it to your plate, the beans have been examined six to eight times in a mechanical, technological process, as well as inspection by the human eye, to remove foreign materials or filter out beans that do not meet rigid specifications relating to color or size. The Haywards have worked for generations to ensure that the product in the bag is the best it can possibly be starting with sourcing the best quality beans possible. Their growers have been supplying the product for generations and understand the quality Camellia expects for its brand.

The Hayward family supports a holistic approach to eating and beans offer just about the healthiest choice you can make in food. As Vince said, "Beans offer all the great things and none of the bad things. Studies show that three cups of beans per week can be life-changing for your health, especially gut health, which is crucially important, as the fiber feeds the digestive process."

"Beans offer a dish that spans all boundaries of economics, race or geography. Everybody loves some type of bean. I love being a part of that. My dream is to have everyone in the country be a fan of red beans and rice!" Vince Hayward

There is a grassroots movement among home gardeners to protect the original sources of our food, as people became aware that over 94% of our unique seed strands for fruits and vegetables have been lost forever with the industrialization of farming. As consumers have come to understand the importance of knowing where their food comes from, so has the awareness of the need to protect seeds so that future generations may have access to a diversity of crops. LPB's Christina Melton approached Vince and Camellia Beans fo...