Business Briefs for May 20, 2012

LSU AgCenter sets rice, forage events

The LSU AgCenter will have a rice field day and a forage field day for farmers.

• Rice farmers can hear from LSU AgCenter scientists and tour a new railroad loading facility at Lacassine during the Southwest Rice Field Day on May 30. Registration is at 9 a.m. at the Fenton Rice Cooperative at 1311 U.S. Highway 165.

Participants will go to the Jimmy Hoppe farm, where AgCenter scientists will make presentations on variety development, pest control, fertilization and the condition of the Louisiana rice crop.

The field day then moves to Lacassine to tour the rail loading facility that will be used for rice. Lunch will follow at the Progressive Tractor Co.

For more information, contact [e-mail].

Scientists and specialists will present ways to improve pasture at the forage field day at the Southeast Research Station in Franklinton on May 31 and celebrate the 125th anniversary of the experiment station.

Registration is at 8:30 a.m., followed by a discussion of amendments for forage production. Other topics include ways to manage summer forages for high yield and quality, Holstein steer growth from pasture and agriculture-byproduct supplementation, and a panel discussion of successful beef, dairy and equine forage programs.

A barbecue lunch will be followed by informal viewing of the dairy nutrition project, which includes evaluating corn distiller’s solubles, alfalfa/clover plots, brown midrib millet summer annual plots, organic-versus-commercial fertilizer plots, dairy nutrient management lagoons, the forage lab and confinement dairy facilities.

For more information, contact Mike McCormick at [phone] or [e-mail].

Nominations sought for Torch Awards

The Better Business Bureau of South Central Louisiana Inc. is seeking nominations for its 2012 Douglas Manship Sr. Torch Awards for Ethics in Business.

The deadline is June 15.

The award recognizes outstanding Baton Rouge-area businesses. It is open to all for-profit businesses in the BBB’s service area of Ascension, Assumption, East and West Baton Rouge, East and West Feliciana, Iberville, Livingston, Pointe Coupee, St. Helena, St. James and Tangipahoa parishes.

Nominees must be in business for at least three years and will be evaluated by an independent panel of judges against certain criteria.

The criteria and an entry form can be found at http://www.batonrouge.bbb.org.

The 2012 award will be awarded to four businesses, representing categories based on business size.

Winners will be honored at the 2012 Torch Awards Banquet on Oct. 30.

Call Julie Stalls at [phone] with questions about the process.

Lafayette company receives investment

Environmental Drilling Solutions LLC in Lafayette has received a growth equity investment from Element Partners and CSL Capital Management, EDS Chairman Kirby Arceneaux said.

The amount was not disclosed.

EDS was formed in 2009 and is solids control company, serving oil and gas operators in Louisiana, Texas, Oklahoma, Wyoming, Pennsylvania, Ohio, West Virginia and the Gulf of Mexico.

Element Partners is an energy and industrial technology-focused private equity fund. CSL Capital Management is an energy-services private equity firm.

Under the continued the management of EDS, the two energy investment firms said they intend to drive advanced growth in the drilling solids segment.

Additional proceeds from the investment will be used to expand operations both onshore and offshore.

EDS employs more than 250 people.

“Solids control has been a focus in the offshore markets for decades, but the explosive growth of the U.S. shale plays has brought it quickly to the forefront for ‘best-practices’ in onshore drilling. We look forward to working with CSL and Element to capture this huge opportunity for our business,” said Chad Hollier, founder and president of EDS.

Hurricane tips webinar planned

A global climate expert from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration will discuss the 2012 Atlantic Hurricane Season forecast during a free webinar 1-2 p.m. May 29, with the discussion to include disaster-preparedness tips for businesses.

The webinar is being hosted by the U.S. Small Business Administration and Agility Recovery and will include a question-and-answer session

SBA partnered with Agility to offer business continuity strategies through a website at http://www.preparemybusiness.org, which provides access to past webinars and additional preparedness tips. Space is limited.

Register at https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/456830896.

LSU researcher gets child cancer grant

An LSU researcher has won a $500,000 research grant from the U.S. Department of Defense to investigate ways to improve the outcomes of childhood cancer survivors.

Wayne Newhauser, LSU professor of physics and astronomy, will collaborate with colleagues from Northern Illinois University in the two-year research project.

“We have developed a method for predicting the risk of long-term side effects in children treated with radiation,” Newhauser said in a news release. “Our approach is unique in that we can provide an estimate that is tailored to each individual child. For example, children who develop certain types of pediatric cancers are known to be more sensitive to radiation and, thus, are more likely to suffer from long-term side effects. Our method can take these factors into account.”

The research will focus on personalizing and integrating cancer treatment and care after the children’s cancer treatment has ended. A multi-disciplinary team will perform computer simulation, clinical trials to develop an evidence base to guide clinical and policy decision-making.

The team includes researchers at Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center, LSU, the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center and other research institutions.