T. Baker Smith, Bollinger win BIG

Following a call for nominees in January, the Bayou Industrial Group – a Houma-based industrial association – handed out its first annual BIG Achiever awards, which were based on activities that exemplify BIG’s mission to further strengthen the area.

Individuals in the community and members of some of the region’s strongest and quickest growing businesses were analyzed based on their contributions in the education, coastal restoration and protection, infrastructure and economic development sectors.

“We were so pleased with the nominations received that, instead of selecting only one winner, we decided to present the new Big Achiever Award to both an individual and a company this year,” said BIG Director Jennifer Armand.

Members of the group’s banquet and program committee selected winners.

Executive Vice President of Bollinger Shipyards Charlotte Bollinger was pinned the winner in the individual’s category and was hailed by many as a champion of multiple causes, carrying a caseload of accolades and accomplishments that seem to extend far beyond the Tri-parish area.

“I didn’t even realize they were giving out awards that night. To be the first was quite a surprise and very exciting,” she noted. “It’s great that an organization has decided to feature the many good folks giving back to this community.”

Bollinger has served on the advisory council to the U.S. Coast Guard and the board of directors of the World Trade Center. She was also president of the Lafourche Chamber of Commerce and is a LA 1 Coalition board member.

Praise also came in local form, ranging from coastlines to schools.

“[Bollinger] is passionate about implementing large-scale restoration projects to ensure our sustainable coastal future, as well as effective hurricane protection,” said Armand. “Providing teachers and schools with the tools they need to create the best learning environment possible for students is another effort [she] has championed, along with the need for a new Leeville bridge, which was completed just last year.”

On the other side of the aisle was T. Baker Smith (TBS), a local engineering firm that beat out about five other companies to win the second BIG Achiever award.

While TBS has grown by leaps and bounds over the last several years, it wasn’t their mechanical genius or workmanship that earned them the top spot.

“[Although] their work has helped produce many of the roads, bridges, levees and public buildings we have in our parishes today, it is their volunteer activities and charitable contributions that we recognize this evening,” Armand explained before presenting the award to the company.

“Receiving the BIG Achiever Award is a humbling experience. Our families, our firm, and our livelihood are all located along the Gulf Coast, therefore TBS has a vested interest in helping to enhance the communities in which we work through partners in education, and by investing in economic development and coastal restoration to help attract and maintain residents and businesses to our area,” said TBS corporate marketing director Paula Schouest.

TBS is known for partnering with local schools and participating in activities like reading programs and science fairs. They also hold a variety of fundraisers that aim to benefit the students of the schools they partner with – Pointe-aux-Chenes Elementary and St. Charles Elementary.

“Giving back to the communities in which we serve is an important component of T. Baker Smith’s corporate culture. The organization contributes to these partners by taking a hands-on approach,” noted Schouest.

The engineering firm has also taken a stand in the higher-education arena.

Students at Nicholls State University who are considering stepping foot into the Geomatics or Environmental Science curriculums have a chance to earn a TBS-sponsored scholarship or internship.

“The internships help students gain valuable real work experience in the fields that they are studying,” explained Schouest.

Both Bollinger and TBS were delighted to receive the award, which is the first of its kind.

Thibodaux City Judge Mark Chiasson, left, poses with BIG President Stella C. Lasseigne and Louisiana Treasurer John Kennedy after overseeing the installation of this year’s officers. * Photo by the BAYOU INDUSTRIAL GROUP