Week in Review, May 30-June 3: Bemana, Army Corps and More

NEW ORLEANS — Here, from staff and wire reports, are the week’s top business headlines:

JEDCO celebrated the grand opening of Bemana’s new headquarters in Metairie on Wednesday. The specialized recruitment firm cut the ribbon on a 3,000 square-foot-space alongside partners and elected officials. The celebration marks a move toward expanded staff and offerings by the Bemana team. Established in Metairie in 2014, Bemana recruits employees for various equipment, power generation, and industrial sectors across North America. The business currently employs 10 people at its Metairie office at an average annual compensation of $100,000. By 2030, Bemana estimates it will employ more than 50 people in Metairie and contribute over $20 million to the local economy.  Bemana’s clients include the nation’s leading equipment manufacturers, distributors and dealers, service and repair companies, and industrial end-users, ranging in size from small family-owned businesses to Fortune 500 companies. Led by husband-and-wife team, Joseph and Linn Atiyeh, Bemana’s mission is to future-proof companies and fuel growth by making the best possible match between businesses and people. 

Seventeen years after Hurricane Katrina flooded New Orleans, the Army Corps of Engineers has completed an extensive system of floodgates, strengthened levees and other protections. The 130-mile (210-kilometer) ring is designed to hold out storm surge of about 30 feet (9 meters) around New Orleans and suburbs in three parishes. It is “the largest civil works project in the Corps’ history and is the result of nearly two decades of hard work and collaboration at the local, state and federal level,” Gov. John Bel Edwards said during a symbolic handoff to the state Friday. “The people of New Orleans have experienced the worst Mother Nature has to offer, and with the completion of the system, they’ll be protected by the best of engineering, design and hurricane protection.” (AP)

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The St. Augustine High School board of directors has appointed Aulston Taylor to the permanent position of president and CEO, lifting the interim label from his previous title. Taylor and the board agreed to a three-year term that will run through 2025. “One year ago we were very pleased to announce Aulston Taylor as the interim president and CEO of St. Augustine High School. A year later we are even more excited to formally install him as the seventh president of our school,” said Darren Diamond, the school’s chairman of the board of directors. St. Augustine said it experienced enrollment growth of 9% under Taylor’s leadership during his interim phase. The school formed alliances with the University of Notre Dame, Southeastern University, LSU, Stillman College, Houghton College, Austin College, Canisius College and Texas Southern University. Taylor and his team launched partnerships with fortune 500 companies. These include a deal with LG Electronics to support the school’s efforts to rebuild its damaged athletic facility, and an agreement with The Walt Disney Company to create pipeline development and internship opportunities with graduates of St. Augustine who are currently enrolled in college.  

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