Stine expands into Bossier City

Stine Lumber is bringing its well-known brand of lumber and building materials to Bossier City and surrounding communities. Stine CEO Dennis Stine reports the Sulphur-based company has acquired the Bossier City assets of Cassity Jones Lumber.

“We’re excited to locate in the Bossier/Shreveport region, a community we’ve been serving peripherally from our Natchitoches facility,” said Stine.

The Cassity Jones Lumber Bossier City location became Stine Lumber on Jan.15. It is the12th Stine location in the state of Louisiana.

Stine is Louisiana’s largest family-owned building materials dealer and employs over 800 associates in 12 stores across the state of Louisiana and one store in Natchez, Miss.

“Our relationship with the Jones brothers goes back over 40 years.  Like them, we are a generational family-owned business and share the same company values as it relates to customers and employees,” Stine said.

Wendy Stine, president of Stine, said all Cassity Jones Bossier City employees have accepted jobs with Stine. There will be no interruption of service and customers may continue to interact with the same employees with whom they have built relationships.

In addition to Bossier City, Stine Louisiana locations include Sulphur, Lake Charles, Iowa, DeRidder, Natchitoches, Pineville, Eunice, Jennings, Crowley, Broussard and Walker.

Visit LC shares team updates

Visit Lake Charles announces Matt Young’s role change from director of association sales to director of public relations and welcomes two new sales team members, Emily Treme and Morgan Dodd.

Young joined Visit Lake Charles in March 2023 as director of association sales. He transitioned to the marketing team as director of public relations on Dec. 1.  

Before Visit Lake Charles, Young served as both the director of cultural affairs and the public information officer for the city of Lake Charles.

Young is a Louisiana Tech University graduate with a bachelor’s degree in communications, political science and public relations.

Treme has joined the sales team as director of association sales, replacing Young. She will concentrate on boosting convention sales and expanding business for association group meetings and tradeshows.

As a seasoned event planning professional, Treme is returning home to Southwest Louisiana from Colorado, where she was recently employed as the sales and operations coordinator at RMC Destination Management Group. During her time there, Treme showcased skills in crafting, organizing and overseeing both large- and small-scale events.   

Treme is a McNeese State University graduate with a bachelor’s degree in general studies.

Dodd joins the sales team as meeting sales manager. In her new role, Dodd will lead efforts to promote Lake Charles as a destination for social, military, education, religious, fraternal and corporate meetings.

Prior to VLC, Dodd served as the senior sales executive at Medical Diagnostic Laboratories. She is a McNeese State University graduate with a bachelor’s degree in health and human performance. As a former Mardi Gras Southwest Queen, she serves as the board’s pageant chairman and overseeing marketing and social media for the pageant.

Deputy receives NCFI award

Calcasieu Parish Sheriff’s Office Digital Forensics Detective Jerod Abshire was recognized as one of the “Top Forensic Examiners” throughout the United States by the National Computer Forensic Institute (NCFI) for the third consecutive year.   

Abshire was awarded after being ranked 48 out of about 4,800 forensic examiners in the nation for his productivity of digital forensic exams. Digital forensic exams are used in all types of investigations — to include violent crimes, crimes against people, and financial crimes.    

This award is given by the U.S. Secret Service’s NCFI to the top 50 state and local law enforcement officers trained in digital forensic examination techniques.

Perry a ‘40 Under 40’ to watch

Jacob Colby Perry, 30, of Welsh has been named to the NYC Journal’s “40 Under 40 Class of 2024.”

“40 Under 40 Class of 2024” spotlights 40 of the brightest disruptors, thought leaders and experts in various industries.

As the founder and CEO of Sprout and Gift — a Louisiana-based online boutique featuring curated houseplants, artisanal products credited from natural woods and textiles and an array of botanical-themed gifts including handcrafted soaps, cosmetics, home fragrances, herbal teas and home decor — Perry began his work in e-commerce with an eBay store, which catered to a worldwide audience.

Perry is also a former alderman for the town of Welsh, director of CDS Wealth Management, Colby Global Capital and Perry Premier Enterprises. He is a member of the U.S. Navy Reserves.

Pop-A-Lock recognized

Pop-A-Lock has been recognized as one of the top 500 franchises in Entrepreneur’s Franchise 500. The 2024 Franchise 500 ranks Pop-A-Lock as No. 1 for its outstanding performance in areas including unit growth, financial strength and stability and brand power.

Pop-A-Lock was founded in 1991 by local law enforcement officers in Lafayette, who recognized a need for a car locksmith in their community. Pop-A-Lock is now the largest professional locksmithing franchise in the United States, serving over 8,500 communities.