NEW ORLEANS — News broke this week that the Cint Group, a Swedish market research firm, has agreed to buy New Orleans-based analytics company Lucid for roughly $1.1 billion. Cint, which listed on the Stockholm and NASDAQ exchanges in February, said it will pay $580 million in cash and $470 million in shares for Lucid. “Cint and Lucid are complementary leaders in the insights industry, helping insights-driven companies unlock substantial efficiencies across their value chains,” said Cint CEO Tom Buehlmann in a statement posted to the company’s website. “Us coming together will be a transformational step change for Cint. The combined organization will be a global leader in technology-enabled insights, and further strengthen Cint’s current proven business model.” Founded in 2010 by Patrick Comer, Lucid makes software that “helps organizations access survey takers who contribute authentic responses to their studies providing valuable data for their insights.” The company, which has been growing year after year, said it has approximately 230 employees spread across offices in the U.S., Europe and Asia.
Here are some of the week’s other big business stories:
Louisiana is ending its statewide indoor mask mandate after emerging from its latest and worst coronavirus spike of the pandemic and seeing a sharp decline in new COVID-19 infections, Gov. John Bel Edwards announced Tuesday. The decision marks one of the first mask mandates enacted for the delta variant-fueled outbreak to be scrapped. “I stand here today optimistic, relieved that the worst of the fourth surge is very clearly behind us now,” Edwards said. …
Children’s Hospital New Orleans has announced the opening of its new pediatric Emergency Room in Metairie. Patient care began at 7 a.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 26. The new, 11-bed ER provides a “complete range of emergency services to care for children from birth through age 21, in addition to scheduled imaging tests,” said a hospital spokesperson in a press release. “Children’s Hospital is proud to bring specialized pediatric emergency care closer to home for families on the East bank of Jefferson Parish,” says John R. Nickens IV, the hospital’s president and CEO. “With our robust primary and specialty care network in Metairie, expanding services to include emergency care will best serve the nearly 50,000 children of this community with expert care from our team of pediatric emergency medicine providers.” The new facility, located at the corner of Clearview Parkway and Veterans Boulevard, will be open 24 hours a day. Children’s Hospital’s network of pediatric specialists will provide specialized pediatric emergency services as well as diagnostic imaging services. …
Legalized sports betting is on its way to Louisiana and Caesars Entertainment has announced its Caesars Sportsbook app is officially available for download by eligible sports fans in the state. “Louisiana and the entire Gulf Coast region are a special part of the Caesars family. We couldn’t be more excited to build on our longstanding commitments in the state with the launch of legal sports betting,” said Eric Hession, co-president of Caesars Digital. “We know how passionate Bayou State sports fans are about their teams and we’re confident our brand-new Caesars Sportsbook app and the exciting offers we have for launch can offer them a sports experience that can’t be matched.” The Caesars Sportsbook app links mobile sports betting with a loyalty program. In addition to mobile sports wagering, sports bettors in Louisiana can soon bet in person at Caesars properties Harrah’s New Orleans and Horseshoe Bossier City. Each casino will soon take in person bets at temporary retail locations inside their properties, before the unveiling of their new Caesars Sportsbooks, pending regulatory approval in the state. In the fall of 2022, Isle of Capri Lake Charles will be renovated into Horseshoe Lake Charles and reopen with an additional Caesars Sportsbook location. …
School administrators have announced a plan to renovate Richardson Memorial Hall, the 113-year-old building that houses the Tulane University School of Architecture. Groundbreaking on the construction project is scheduled for early spring 2022, with the building open again in fall 2023. “I’m thrilled to announce this much-needed renovation,” said School of Architecture Dean Iñaki Alday. “We are especially grateful for the support of Tulane University and to our donors, who recognized the need for the renovation, which will enhance the top-notch education our students are already receiving.” Built in 1908, Richardson Memorial Hall is located on the Gibson Quad between Dinwiddie Hall and Richardson Building, just off St. Charles Avenue. Originally constructed for the Tulane School of Medicine, the limestone building has housed the School of Architecture since 1968. …
The University of New Orleans Boysie Bollinger School of Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering and Scale Innovations, a New Orleans industrial design firm, are working together to design and engineer an electric boat. “Maritime and related industries have been an important part of the New Orleans economy for many years,” said Matt Tarr, vice president for research and economic development at UNO. “Further developing new technologies to keep our region nationally and internationally competitive is critical for our economic growth. Electric boat technology is one key development that can continue to support sustainable economic development around our maritime sector and stimulate job growth in the region.” …
Rotolo Consultants, a commercial landscape maintenance and construction company, has announced its entrance into the Houston market. Founded in 1978, the company employs more than 800 people, has 12 locations in the southeast and provides a range of facility services from disaster response to large-scale landscape installation. “Moving into Texas is a natural and exciting next step for RCI,” said Keith Rotolo, the company’s president and CEO in a release. “Our team of industry-leading professionals are primed and ready to begin servicing some of Houston’s finest commercial properties. We look forward to working in the ‘City with No Limits.’” …
Drew Brees has certainly kept himself busy since Jan. 17, when he threw his last pass as the quarterback of the New Orleans Saints. His latest undertaking is serving as global ambassador for PointBet, an online bookmaker that began in Australia and has now expanded its operations to eight states (with more on the way) in the U.S. The company announced this week that the NFL all-time great and future Hall of Famer has debuted in the first of three new ad spots for its “Live Your Bet Life” campaign, which “highlights PointsBet’s market-leading technology infrastructure, category-leading in-game betting capabilities, and strategic approach to the competitive sports betting space,” according to a press release from Troika Media Group, a brand consultancy and marketing innovations company that is PointsBet’s creative agency partner for 2021. …
The Idea Village has opened applications for VILLAGEx, its flagship accelerator program for emerging, high-growth, technology-enabled startups. The selective four-month program provides the cohort of founders with the resources and connections needed to rapidly scale their ventures and to build industry-leading companies. Applicants can apply online until November 19. VILLAGEx 2022 will run from January to May 2022. Its mentor-driven programming model provides access to a vast network of industry leaders, educational and pro bono resources, and perks exceeding $1M in value. The accelerator serves to maximize a founder’s ability to scale up quickly and to positively impact the economy of New Orleans and its surrounding regions.
