Why I Built My Business in Lafayette, LA, and You Should, Too
Find out why this region is the perfect place to launch a business.
Savvy entrepreneurs can’t ignore Lafayette, Louisiana‘s promising future, resources, community support and infrastructure — the quintessential “wants” for starting or growing a business, if you will. In fact, some of the biggest companies in the country have chosen to plant roots in this parish (county), like Acadian Ambulance Service and jewelry equipment supplier Stuller.
To find out more about the area’s business scene and the opportunities it provides, we sat down with a few company founders to learn why they chose to launch and grow their businesses in Lafayette.
In This Article
Richard Zuschlag
Acadian Ambulance Service CEO, co-founder and chairman of the board
Richard Zuschlag co-founded Acadian Ambulance Service in 1971, starting with just two ambulances and eight medics, to fill the community’s ambulance need.
“Until the late 1960s, funeral homes typically provided ambulance transports because their vehicles could accommodate stretchers,” Zuschlag says. “Following a landmark study documenting deficiencies in emergency medical care, the federal government began developing standards for EMS, and many funeral homes stopped providing ambulance transports.”
But why Lafayette? For Zuschlag, it was the people who made it an attractive location.
“I think if we had started Acadian Ambulance anywhere else, it would not be as successful,” Zuschlag says. “We started as a membership company, and it struggled, but Lafayette is a very giving community and interested in helping their neighbors. Even if they didn’t need it, they were willing to support our business so their neighbors had the service.”
Zuschlag notes that another benefit of the area is the region’s large talent pool.
“We have top-rated universities educating talent and an untapped market of previous oil and gas workers,” he says. “Organizations as a whole lift businesses up here — our parishes collaborated to create One Acadiana because our region believes the whole area rises together.”
Charles Edwards
One TeleMed CEO and founder
Charles Edwards spearheaded the telemedicine movement in Louisiana. One TeleMed was the first telemedicine provider to bill insurance for services. The idea for the company originated from Edwards’ work in inpatient psychiatry.
“Every 30 to 45 days, I would see the same patients come through, and it made me wonder how we can better serve the community. Then I was asked to conduct a patient assessment via Skype because there were no providers in that area,” Edwards says. “It gave me the idea that maybe I could use the technology to provide access to care, especially in underserved areas. That’s when I decided this was the journey I had to go on.”
One TeleMed’s journey has been incredible, partly because of the Lafayette community.
“The people here are amazing. I’ve traveled the world and never met such kindhearted people. The opportunity to succeed here is much greater because business is built on relationships. If you build strong relationships, the community will support you,” he says.
Edwards continues to revolutionize Lafayette’s mental health industry. For example, One TeleMed is set to launch a wearable technology for live streaming services in August 2023.
“Our wearable technology enables clients to see a doctor and complete a visit through live stream video,” Edwards says. “The device is standalone and doesn’t require Bluetooth. It has its own network and is the first of its kind.”
Edwards advises those considering a business in Lafayette to focus on having genuine intentions and motives, and in doing so, the community will rally behind them.
Katie Kennedy, Erin Judice, Michelle Robertson
Embark Fine Jewelry co-founders
Embark Fine Jewelry offers fine and demi-fine jewelry, gifts and accessories. The company was started by Erin Judice and Katie Kennedy in 2021, and Michelle Robertson joined the team six months after its inception. The idea for Embark came about because they wanted to bring a fresh and approachable fine jewelry shopping experience to Lafayette.
“We all worked together in jewelry wholesale: I was working with the customers, Michelle was merchandising and Erin was in marketing. We put our minds together to bring Lafayette something we thought was missing. It was the perfect storm,” Kennedy says.
The trio chose Lafayette because it’s where they were born and raised, but they’ve opted to stay because of the community.
“It’s truly been amazing to build our business in our hometown,” Judice says. “Lafayette is exceptional. It’s quaint. People have opportunities to shop elsewhere, but they choose to support local businesses.”
“Lafayette is magnetic,” Kennedy says. “It’s a happy place, and it attracts happy people. Family is the core of everything, and people here really do enjoy working hard and playing hard.”
Plus, the women credit the parish’s overall entrepreneurial spirit for their continued success.
“In Lafayette, entrepreneurs help and encourage other entrepreneurs to flourish,” Robertson says. “We formed a women’s dinner group with other female entrepreneurs, which has been so helpful to share tips and tricks, but also to see other successful female entrepreneurs. We reached out for help during our early stages, and if you’re thinking about starting a business here, don’t be afraid to ask questions because there are entrepreneurs willing to help.”
Nathaniel Moore
Moore Consulting Investment Group CEO and founder
Moore Consulting Investment Group acquires distressed businesses in the child care and health care industry.
“We help update processes and technology and grow the business and job opportunities in the community,” Moore says.
Moore chose Lafayette for his business because it’s where he grew up.
“I have a lot of family and relationships here. Having traveled worldwide, you realize the type of people here — hard working and relationally driven — and that was important to me as I built my business,” he says.
And his community is the reason Moore Consulting continues to flourish.
“Lafayette is a giant small city,” Moore says. “You get a variety of customers with different expectations, and that diversity facilitates new entrepreneurs and ideas. The younger generation is changing how we think about childcare. We’ve become a better business and more aligned with the current marketplace because of this transition.”
A common thread that runs through all of these entrepreneurs’ stories is the people in Lafayette — and the support they provide — playing a huge role in helping businesses succeed.
“This culture is relational, trust-based and word of mouth. You can’t hide behind your product or service; you must be on the ground meeting people, talking about your product and service,” Moore says.
This article was sponsored by the Lafayette Convention & Visitors Commission, Lafayette Economic Development Authority and One Acadiana.
