The Farmer Becomes Part of Georges Media Group
Today, The Farmer begins a new chapter under the ownership of Dathel and John Georges, who also own The New Orleans Advocate.
Georges Media Group purchased The Farmer last week from the family of Karen Goodwyn Courtney, which has owned the newspaper since 1928. Under the new ownership, The Farmer will continue to be an independent newspaper at its home on North New Hampshire Street in downtown Covington. Many of the familiar bylines will remain. But some things will change. The Farmer, which had been printed in Hattiesburg, Mississippi, will now be printed right here in Louisiana. And it will be distributed a day earlier, on Wednesday.”
Gil Stroud, longtime Georges Enterprises executive, dies at 70
W. Gilbert Stroud Jr., chief financial officer of Georges Media Group and longtime Georges Enterprises executive, died Sunday. He was 70.
Stroud earned a bachelor’s degree in accounting from Northwestern State University in Natchitoches. He began his career as a certified public accountant in 1968 with Arthur Andersen & Co., where he worked with major corporate accounts in southeast Louisiana, including many oil and gas companies. Later, he worked as vice president of finance and operations for William B. Reilly & Co. and Standard Coffee Company.
“Our companies would not be what they are today without Gil Stroud’s contributions and having his hand in every complicated business deal over the last 25 years,” said John Georges. “Our business family will miss him tremendously.”
New Orleans Advocate opens new building on St. Charles Avenue
The New Orleans Advocate has opened a prominent new office on St. Charles Avenue, creating a more visible downtown presence for the city’s only seven-day, home-delivered newspaper.
The building, located at 840 St. Charles Ave., will house about 50 New Orleans-based journalists and advertising sales staff, as well as offices for the owners and publisher.
“Thanks to the overwhelming support of the community, The New Orleans Advocate is on its way to becoming the dominant source of print and online news in New Orleans,” said John Georges, who with his wife Dathel, purchased The Advocate in 2013 and dramatically expanded its New Orleans operations. “We are very proud to restore a historic building to its splendor and make it a vibrant community center in the heart of downtown.”
Advocate owners John and Dathel Georges give $1 million to United Way for poverty fight
New Orleans business owners and philanthropists John and Dathel Georges have donated $1 million to the United Way of Southeast Louisiana to help the nonprofit’s efforts to eradicate poverty.
The hefty donation earns the couple, who own The Advocate, a seat at United Way’s Million Dollar Roundtable, a national circle of donors who give $1 million or more.
“We are more than happy giving to United Way to support the local community where our customers, employees and family live and work,” the Georges said in a statement.”
Lemonade Day winners named in Zachary event
Level Homes provided 50 lemonade stands to the first 50 students who registered for the second annual Lemonade Day Louisiana event at Americana in Zachary in April.
Lemonade Day was first brought to Louisiana in 2010 by entrepreneurs John Georges, CEO of Georges Enterprises and owner of The Advocate, and Todd Graves, founder and CEO of Raising Cane’s Chicken Fingers, who both received their first taste of business by operating their own lemonade stands as children.
The goal of Lemonade Day is to empower youths to take ownership of their lives and become productive members of society. Each child who registers to participate receives a backpack with an Entrepreneur Workbook that teaches the 15 lessons of Lemonade Day including creating budgets, setting profit-making goals, serving customers, repaying investors and giving back to the community.
