Logistics solutions firm to add jobs, investment in Baton Rouge Area
Baton Rouge, La. (July 18, 2018) – The Baton Rouge Area Chamber (BRAC) joined Brown Eagle CEO Lela Mae Wilkes today in announcing the startup of a new bulk solids contract packaging facility. Brown Eagle, a logistics solutions firm, will create 14 new jobs and invest $8.5 million in improving the former Baton Rouge Beer Agency building on Airline Highway in Baton Rouge, La.
The 14 new direct jobs will include an average salary of $42,000, plus benefits. Part of the newly-acquired, 100,000+ square foot warehouse has been updated to include a bulk silo, pneumatic transfer system and multiple bulk bagging lines to package commodities in powder, pellet and/or flake form. The facility also serves as a consolidation and distribution warehouse for products packaged on and off-site.
Bulk solids packing includes 18-wheeler trailer loads of pellets, powders, flakes and more.
Brown Eagle is also working on a plan to restore rail access from the Canadian National line to accommodate projected growth.
“This success is a reflection of the hard work of our wonderful, dedicated employees – many of whom have been working together for more than 20 years,” said Wilkes. “We have the unique opportunity to be a small business supplier to valued partners in the chemical industry, which is the top provider of jobs in Louisiana’s manufacturing sector supporting more than $79.7 billion in annual sales for businesses in our state.”
Brown Eagle has operated in East Baton Rouge Parish for more than 40 years. The new facility joins its existing location on Dijon Drive in Baton Rouge.
“It is always exciting to celebrate home-grown success,” said Adam Knapp, president and CEO of BRAC. “Brown Eagle is an entrepreneurial success story whose growth is a positive sign for our region’s business climate, and we were pleased to assist in the permitting process for their expansion.”
Brown Eagle provides industrial logistics management, logistics labor services, packaging, materials handling (including HAZMAT), rail loading and switching, warehousing and fulfillment (including mixing, blending, kitting and assembly) and transportation management services for clients both large and small.
“I am thrilled that Brown Eagle is expanding and investing in North Baton Rouge,” said Mayor-President Sharon Weston Broome. “I commend this thriving, women-owned business on their second location and continued success in the City of Baton Rouge.”
About Brown Eagle
Brown Eagle Group, Inc. is a 100-percent woman-owned, Louisiana business with nearly 50 years of experience as a one-stop solution for industrial facilities’ packaging and logistics needs. It provides services to manufacturers in Louisiana, Texas and the eastern United States, including the management and operation of clients’ packaging, bulk material handling, third-party logistics, warehousing and shipping functions. For more information visit browneagle.com.
About the Baton Rouge Area Chamber
The Baton Rouge Area Chamber (BRAC) leads economic development in the nine-parish Baton Rouge Area, working to grow jobs and wealth and to improve the business climate and competitiveness in the region. Today, BRAC investors include more than 1,500 small businesses, mid-sized firms, large industry and entrepreneurial startups, as well as individuals and organizations that support business and economic development. In this capacity, BRAC serves as the voice of the business community, providing knowledge, access, services and advocacy. More information is available at www.brac.org.
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