Meet Eric Lane
Occupation: President
Organization: Gerry Lane Enterprises
What does your organization do?
Automotive sales, service, financing, and body shop.
What are some advantages of being located/doing business in the Capital Region?
Baton Rouge has the Mississippi River, I-10 and I-12 major interstates, three universities, and is the state capital – most cities would like to just have one of those assets!
The Mississippi River affords the Capital Region many opportunities. It helps bring in new industry and gives the community direct barge access.
The interstates bring us visitors who use our restaurants, hotels, and gas stations as they travel. And it allows for the transportation of goods to and from the Baton Rouge Area.
The universities help with recruitment and retention of young professional talent as students and faculty choose to stay in the area after they are finished with their education. The area’s collegiate sports also help drive revenue in the area, as game days are a huge draw.
Just being the state capital has its advantages as well. With a host of visitors from other parishes, Baton Rouge is often welcoming state legislators, who in turn bring lobbyists with them, further helping the tourism industry. And because we are the Capital City, many federal agencies choose to locate here to be close to the capitol. It in turn gives us direct access to those agencies.
Why did you decide to invest in BRAC?
The Chamber of Commerce is the backbone of any community. We have done business in five different cities, and all of them had a chamber of commerce that we supported.
What would you say to companies contemplating joining BRAC?
All businesses need to be a member – together we are strong. We need BRAC to continue to attract and retain businesses. This is very important to any community.
What do you anticipate for your company in the next five years? For the Capital Region?
We anticipate getting healthy again. The 2016 flood really devastated the car business, along with many other businesses. We are finally seeing a recovery after two very tough years. We look forward to meeting the challenges that always come. Having my two children and their spouses with me in the business is a real advantage for my company. I am blessed. BRAC is an investor-driven organization leading economic development in the nine-parish Baton Rouge Area. BRAC’s investor base includes small businesses, midsize firms, large industry and entrepreneurial startups, as well as other individuals and organizations.
Each month, BRAC highlights one of its investors in the Investor Spotlight. To learn more about becoming an investor, visit the Join BRAC page or schedule a meeting with BRAC’s Investor Development and Relations team.