Southeastern's Business Incubator adds two clients
Contact: Rene Abadie
12/7/11
HAMMOND – Two new clients have been added to the Southeastern Louisiana University business incubator, a unit of the Southeast Louisiana Business Center.
The JBM Group, a company of computer consultants focused primarily on services for law enforcement agencies, and the multifaceted marketing and communications firm 5 Stones Media are now conducting business in the university facility, located off-campus at 1514 Martens Drive.
“We welcome the addition to the incubator of these two up-and-coming companies that we believe have strong potential to establish themselves in this area,” said William Joubert, director of the business center. “These are the kinds of businesses that our state economic development leaders are hoping will take root and expand. We’re happy to be able to provide them the business support and marketing expertise that comes with being a part of the incubator.”
JBM is operated by Barbara M. Ruppert and Michael DiMaggio, both Southeastern graduates. The company provides programming services for a number of organizations, including law enforcement agencies such as the sheriffs’ offices in Jefferson, St. James, and Lafayette parishes.
“Our clients depend on us to provide custom software solutions, general information systems management tasks and support for the Automated Record Management and Mapping System (ARMMS), which is used by many Louisiana law enforcement agencies to cover a wide range of needs from criminal history record keeping to jail management,” said Ruppert.
While ARMMS is public domain software and free to any agency that wants to use it, the program does require installation, setup, training and ongoing support, which JBM provides, she added.
Ruppert and DiMaggio have extensive experience in information technology and law enforcement support and have typically performed most duties themselves.
“JBM is taking the next step in business expansion by hiring employees to assist in application programming,” said Joubert. “This gives them time to spend more time consulting with current and potential clients and further the development of the business. With the help of the business development staff here at the center, they are structuring their operation into more of a general business model that will allow growth and provide a wider variety of services for their current and future clients.”
With 15 years of combined marketing and communications experience, Brian Walker and Tim San Fillippo joined forces to establish 5 Stones Media. The name is taken from the Biblical account in which David selected five stones as he prepared to meet the giant Goliath.
Walker previously headed his own firm, Walker Worx, which offered web design and e-mail marketing to area businesses. San Fillippo started his firm, Sanman Studios, prior to Hurricane Katrina, providing web design and printed marketing tools for businesses in the New Orleans metropolitan area. San Fillippo recently completed Southeastern’s graduate program in organizational communication. After working together on a few projects, the two decided to combine their efforts into a single marketing entity.
“The incubator program is helping to make our goals a reality,” said San Fillippo. “We knew the incubator would be an excellent opportunity to help launch our new company. So far, business has been good, and the support from the Southeastern staff has been overwhelming. The resources here – from the physical space to the business expertise available to us – are incredible.”
For more information on the Business Center’s incubator program, contact Joubert at 985-549-3831.
More News...
