Jim Bernhard Jr. may not be a household name in Lafayette, but lots of people in Baton Rouge and around the globe know his former company, The Shaw Group, which he founded and grew into a Fortune 500 company. Jim Bernhard. Hampton and Taylor say they were told that Richmond would sit down with them and hear about the years-long fight for clean air in their hometown. Together, they formed Bernhard, bringing the Energy-as-a-Service vision to light for clients across the nation. The LSU Board of Supervisors voted Tuesday to split an $810 million energy deal between two contractors, Enwave Energy Corp. and a joint venture that includes Baton Rouge businessman Jim Bernhard and the national firm Johnson Controls Inc. Under his stewardship, Shaw became one of the fastest growing companies in the Fortune 500, offering a broad range of engineering, construction, equipment, environmental and manufacturing services across the energy spectrum. Residents: Don't give up management of LUS. Today, Bernhards mission is to deliver innovative engineering, construction, and energy solutions that empower our clients and promote a sustainable future. WEST FRANKFORT - James "Jim" Bernhard, 73, passed away at 11:44 p.m. Monday, Aug. 4, 2008, at his residence.He was born June 6, 1935, in West Frankfort, to Stephen and Regina (Harr) Bernhard.He marrie BCP recently raised more than $1 billion in investments after an initial $750 million offering in 2015-16. Judge hears arguments, LSU tennis star's parents 'astonished' by inaction after reports of football player's abuse. He tells The DailyAdvertiser his grandmother grew up in Lafayette. What should we know about LSU's handling of sexual misconduct cases? At the time, Blanco denied any political favors were involved. At a time when there were limited opportunities in Louisiana, the brothers took a leap of faith to open a mechanical and plumbing business. He was accompanied by an executive of Shintech, which was planning a $1 billion PVC plant in Louisiana, a construction contract Shaw was interested in winning. The licensing board's executive director said last month the joint venture between Bernhard and Johnson Control also lacked a contractor's license "in accordance with its legal entity name.. John Bel Edwards offered Jim Bernhard an appointment to the LSU Board of Supervisors. 400 Convention Street, 10th Floor Photo courtesy of the University of New OrleansNEW ORLEANS Bernhard LLC, Johnson Controls Inc. and the University of New Orleans have announced a 25-year Energy-as-a-Service (EaaS) partnership. It was like he was trying to brush us off.. Structural Info Known for movies The Saber 2007 as The Voice The Trust 1993 as Mr. Swenson Source IMDB As a company with deep roots in Louisiana, we share the Baton Rouge community and its history and future. How did LSU HR hear about Les Miles' harassment accusations? He can receive contributions but the bottom line is you have to be accountable to your constituents.. Jenkins is now co-founderof Bernhard Capital Partners, the company interested in LUS. When LSU Police investigated allegations in 2018 that a football player was abusing the tennis player he was dating, multiple witnesses told o. LSU held no public talks with either contractor during their negotiations, and the university also never publicly released its criteria for awarding the contract despite taxpayers and students footing the bill. When news leaked in July about the possible sale or management of LUS, it caused a stir in the city and among City-Parish Council members, who were left out of the conversation. BCP Fund II LP in 2017 filed a notice of intent with the SEC to sell $1 billion in equity. The firms grew and expanded as the needs of Louisiana grew and expanded. Privacy Policy Disclaimer. The company at the time of the sale, he added, "was saddled by a portfolio of money-losing nuclear contracts.". Representative Cedric Richmond is the sole Democrat in Louisianas congressional delegation. With the FBI, Treasury Dept and the NCAA sniffing through his financial dealings and ties to the University, is it any wonder LSU is in such a quandary? John Bel Edwards appointed Wednesday four new members to the LSU Board of Supervisors replacing members selected by former Gov. Bernhard was president, CEO and chairman of the board. Peggy Elaine Bernhard, age 63, passed away peacefully on Saturday, December 26th. In 2015, according to records on social media, Richmond hired James M Tres Bernhard III, son of Jim Bernhard, the founder of Louisianas influential Shaw Group and the former chair of the Louisiana Democratic party, who has reportedly considered a bid for governor. Ive been working in his district every year that hes been a congressman, and Ive never seen his face or any of his staff members in the communities working on these [industrial pollution] issues. Tom Ford Jim Bernhard net worth is $200,000 Jim Bernhard Wiki: Salary, Married, Wedding, Spouse, Family Jim Bernhard is an actor, known for The Saber (2007) and The Trust (1993). LUS is not regulated by the Public Service Commission because it is owned by the city. Game Changers is a documentary series profiling some of the world's most influential, determined, hard-working visionaries who are disrupting their industries. Despite a two year non-compete agreement with CB&I,they formed two venture capital businesses in Delaware:Shaw Capital LLC and Shaw Capital LP. And nearly a year ago, Interim LSU President Tom Galligan noted that "bidding is usually not a bad thing, when he spoke of the energy contract. Others thought he might get into real estate. The company will also provide financing for initial improvements to LSU's energy plant and distribution systems, which LSU will pay back later on. An affiliate of the company, Bernhard Capital Partners, is a client of lobbyist TyronPicard who owns The Picard Group in Lafayette. Since 2015,Bernhard and his new private equity firm, Bernhard Capital Partners, have been gathering investors and acquiring energy-related companies across the country. (2011), A DURABLE FIRE . In LSU's Drake Davis case, witnesses said they feared wealthy businessman's retaliation. He is survived and lovingly remembered by his children: daughter Shannon and sons Dean . Rolfes said Richmond could lobby for stricter regulation and enforcement and push federal agencies to conduct more environmental reviews on new polluting projects, but instead hes missing in action.. Richmond then shifted the conversation away from his own advocacy and urged the residents to vote to remove Donald Trump from office. ", Police wrote that Davis reportedly told his girlfriend he would "take [her] to court because in Louisiana [she'll] never win and in any other state [she] will.". Continuing its expansion, MCC opened mechanical construction offices in Raleigh and Charlotte, North Carolina. The Memorial Tower sits on Dalrymple Drive on Thursday, Oct. 5, 2017. Michot also served on Robideaux's transition team. Pin Oak Stud Sold To Bernhard Family. There was a problem saving your notification. LSU has commissioned the Husch Blackwell to investigate past handlings of abuse and sexual assaultallegations on campus. In 2008, The Shaw Group and Westinghouse, alongside Gov. The company continued to expand in the 1990s, acquiring fabrication and pipe companies, including companies in The Netherlands, Venezuela, the U.K. and Australia, and grew into the construction and engineering areas. This was the first of many iconic projects the firm would help construct in the State and solidified Bernhard as a leader in the mechanical and plumbing construction industry. Bernhard is mentioned by name in seven separate instances in police reports about Davis' alleged abuse of LSU tennis player Jade Lewis. When they asked Joseph if he thought Davis was violent, Joseph called him a softie.. In the early 2000s, Bernhard Mechanical, under the leadership of Kenny Bernhard, E.P. Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. "We're not in the utility business," Bernhard said. Bernhard stepped down as CEO of The Shaw Group in the wake of that companys 2013 acquisition by CB&I. LSU board members billed the agreement as an important cost-savings measure for LSU going forward. With heavy hearts we announce the sudden passing of James ("Jim") Nicholas Bernhard on February 20, 2023 at the age of 78. The LSU board did not disclose the price of the deal during the meeting, but LSU officials confirmed it afterward. But these have happened at the local level, seemingly without intervention or comment from Richmond. Jim played a leading role in every major decision of the company from its founding until its sale. Breaux, Bernhard Brothers, and MCC. Richmonds office confirmed Bernhards employment and declined to comment on his background. In 1984, Bernhard Brothers Mechanical Contractors was established in Baton Rouge, Louisiana by William Bernhard Jr.s sons: Bill, Barry, and Jude. Hampton, who has lost her brother, sister-in-law and daughter-in-law to cancer that she blames on the plant, said: Nobody from our local government has made an attempt to help us or show us the way. Prior to founding Bernhard Capital Partners, Jim started The Shaw Group in 1987 with a small personal investment and grew the company into one of the leading global energy services firms with over $6 billion in revenue and 25,000 employees. The witness told Segar, who then reported it to police, that she was worried about her safety because of possible threats originating from the family of Mr. Davis. Segar also told police that she believed the Bernhard family had provided a lawyer for one of the witnesses in the case potentially Lewis herself though the names are redacted from the police reports. He has taken $128,750 from chemical manufacturers, placing him sixth in career donations among current House Democrats. Consultants from the firm KPMG, hired by LSU, warned the board in September that LSU was unlikely to get the best possible deal or the best expertise on building and maintaining energy systems without inviting public bids. In several reports regarding Davis' abuse of Lewis, who spoke out publicly for the first time over social media on Wednesday, witnesses mentioned being intimidated by Bernhard because of his personal relationship with Davis and his standing in Louisiana politics, the Advocate reported. Notwithstanding what the police reports indicate these witnesses may have said, I did not discourage Jade Lewis from reporting nor threaten retaliation against anyone.. James M. "Tres" Bernhard III pleaded guilty Wednesday in Baton Rouge federal court to one count of wire fraud and admitted that he schemed to divert $453,123 of his former law firm's money to. BCP had fourportfolio companies by June 2016. Bernhard Capital Partners ("Bernhard Capital") is a services-focused private equity management firm established in 2013 by Jim Bernhard, Jeff Jenkins and a team of experienced private-equity . BERNHARD. Bernhard says LUS management proposal two weeks away, Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. Bernhard was in the running for Energy Secretary under President Barack Obama and has toyed with the idea of running for governor on several occasions. In 2019, he voted to allow oil drillers to explore the Atlantic coast including by using seismic airgun blasting. Jim Bernhard, the grandson of William Bernhard, and his business partner Jeff Jenkins took this Energy-as-a-Service concept and created a new business opportunity. At the time, The Shaw Group employed as a lobbyist Joe Albaugh, a former FEMA director and former national campaign manager for the 2000 Bush-Cheney campaign, according toThe Washington Post and Newsweek. The NRC requested an internal review of the Lake Charles facility just seven months after it began producing components for the nuclear plants, Reuters reported. Under Blanco's administration in 2004, Louisiana lured a Union Tank Car manufacturing facility away from Texas with a $30 million state subsidy. "I have not seen the police reports and do not know the identity of the witnesses to whom you refer," Bernhard wrote in an email. Founded as a traditional MEP consulting engineering company, the firm quickly added energy service offerings focused on helping clients reduce costs and conserve energy. Both Mary Hampton and Robert Taylor described their recent interaction with Richmond as another moment they have felt let down by their elected officials. See Photos. A football player said something similar in another police interview, telling them he is scared of Jim Bernhards 'power but he has not been threatened by Mr. Bernhard., When police interviewed LSU wide receivers coach Mickey Joseph, they wrote that his phone history showed he had three calls with Bernhard one morning in August. Blanco's husband, Raymond, in January 2005, stirred controversy when heflew to the Capital One Bowl in Orlando, Florida, on The Shaw Group's private jet. But the board rejected the advice. The plant is still operating today, but its construction resulted in a major lawsuit between LSU and Bernhard Mechanical, along with a state Ethics Board scandal. The plant has been operating in Reserve, belching out chloroprene emissions sometimes hundreds of times above the EPAs suggested exposure limit, since 1968, spanning four Democratic presidencies and six Republican. During the 2003Louisiana gubernatorial race, Bernhard supported Louisiana Attorney General Richard Ieyoub. 2023 Brown & Root. The company employs about 100 people in Lafayette and 2,500 across the country. "They invest money with us and we in turn invest it into companies, as well as businesses like LUS," he said. An LSU board of supervisors member asked Friday whether the university could explore severing its relationship with Rouses Supermarkets over c, Its been nine years since the Louisiana Ethics Board first took up what its former chairman called the most egregious case to ever come bef, While LSU poured untold resources into the pursuit of national football championships, campus leaders for years ignored warnings that LSU did , Michael Martin has been in charge of universities across the country, but he says hes only worked in one state where the governor has called . In 2015, according to records on social media, Richmond hired James M "Tres" Bernhard III, son of Jim Bernhard, the founder of Louisiana's influential Shaw Group and the former chair of the. It started with a failed quiz, Drake Davis avoids jail time again as judge terminates probation despite second abuse case. But when the Worlds Fair ended, much of Louisiana went through difficult times. RELATED: Bernhard says LUS management proposal two weeks away. "After Fukushima," he said, "we didn't think nuclear would be acceptable to people in the United States.". While BCP does not manage any city-owned electric systems, itsmanagement team is experienced in the regulated utility sector, including Cleco and Exelon, Jenkinssaid. During the negotiation process, Bernhard's companies filed a complaint against Enwave with the Louisiana State Licensing Board for Contractors, alleging Enwave did not have a contractor's license. Since the beginning of the year, the six candidates running for Baton Rouge mayor-president have collectively raised more than $1.1 million, w, Much of Baton Rouge may finally be reopening, but medical, government and business leaders are warning residents: The coronavirus isn't gone, , Ascension Wastewater Treatment, the state's largest private sewer provider, has been acquired by Baton Rouge private equity firm Bernhard Capi, Louisiana is moving toward entering a complex deal with a company controlled partly by Baton Rouge-based Bernhard Energy Solutions that could , Louisiana will enter into a complex agreement that could lead to the widespread privatization of energy systems at state agencies and universi, Hundreds of LSU students marched through campus Friday afternoon, demanding that the university clean house and stop protecting students esp, Last week started with Samantha Brennans image being published in newspapers across the country as she spoke out for the first time, saying L, Over objections from LSU's attorneys, former LSU student Samantha Brennan testified in court Monday that former star football player Derrius G, The parents of former LSU tennis star Jade Lewis said Sunday that they are dismayed by how LSU administrators have responded to reports that L, The tough challenge to LSU and its vaunted athletic department, so important to Louisiana and the university, is about more than whether rules. You have permission to edit this article. Jim was born on November 12, 1944 in Humboldt, SK and was predeceased by his parents, Nick and Theresa (nee Cales). Under Mr. Bernhard's leadership, The Shaw Group has grown intrinsically and through a series of strategic acquisitions to over $3 billion in revenues since its inception in 1987 and is one of the youngest companies to be . Bernhard was born in Baton Rouge, but his family moved to Lafayette when he was young. Segar showed them pictures of bruises around her neck. The Shaw Group became an industry leader in the power industry, a top environmental services provider and the global leader in nuclear power services, in particular. Shortly after receiving the Guardians questions, Richmonds communications director, Jalina Porter, blocked both authors of this article on social media. The Shaw Group sued, alleging the Bernhard group was trying to capitalize on the Shaw name, The Advocate reported. Components would be shipped and assembled at the nuclear plant site. An examination of congressional records, suggests he has not spoken about the issue in Congress. (redacted) went on to say that shortly after the incident Mr. Davis was contacted by his adopted father Jim Bernhard, who Ms.(redacted) explained gives him money and is best friends with all the police officers, police wrote in their report. But they only got two minutes. Enwave runs the energy systems for LSU Health Sciences in New Orleans. Analysis of Richmonds news releases shows he has not mentioned air pollution in his district at any point during his tenure. The university budgets $30 million annually for utilities, operations and maintenance. Two cities Lafayette and one from another state are in the running to host NextGen's headquarters where 1,000 people, most local, would be employed. Ms. Peggy was the youngest of four born on Mother's Day on May 12, 1957 to James "Jimmy" and Barbara Bernhard.. He was among roughly two dozen Democrats to side with Republicans and vote for the Keystone XL pipeline in 2015. Bernhard stepped down as CEO of The Shaw Group in the wake of that companys 2013 acquisition by CB&I. by Paulick Report Staff | 11.08.2022 . He backed legislation that experts said would undermine environment reviews for liquefied natural gas infrastructure. The Louisiana state environment agency, LDEQ, has moved towards legal action against Denka, the Democratic governor, John Bel Edwards, has commissioned a health study in the area. Bernhard Brothers had a continuous, client-focused mission to make sure when you finished a project the customer had nothing bad to say about you.. At one point, she was punched hard enough to fracture a rib. Jimmy was born on December 4, 1925 in Baton Rouge, LA, to William and Christabell Bernhard. Founded in 1994 as a small, family-owned, . There was a problem saving your notification. Davis told the Sarasota Herald-Tribune in 2015 that he moved into the Bernhard household in sixth grade and at that point Bernhard and his wife became his permanent guardians. Richmond declined to answer whether he supported the Senate bill. Enwave will pay Louisiana Energy Partners the name of the joint venture between Bernhard LLC and Johnson Controls directly, instead of LSU paying both entities, Ballard said. Jim Bernhard is a Founder and Partner of Bernhard Capital Partners. The firm, Bracewell LLP, began lobbying for Denka in March 2017. The LSU Board of Supervisors will determine the fate next week of a lucrative energy contract that multiple board members say is likely to be . Joseph told officers that Bernhard had told him on one of the calls that police had an arrest warrant out for Davis. He recently turned down a coveted position on the LSU Board of Supervisors, an appointment Gov. A rising star in the Democratic party, who now co-chairs former vice-president Joe Bidens 2020 presidential campaign, Richmond is the lone Democrat in Louisianas delegation to Washington. Sitting on the LSU board would have prohibited him from doing business directly with the university. The firm also expanded fabrication capacity by opening a new fabrication facility in south Mississippi. The athletes on his payroll opting out for fear of being implicated in . Hampton and Taylor have lost numerous relatives to the disease over decades, and blame the plants emissions of a compound named chloroprene, listed by the US government as a likely carcinogen. Les Miles reached a secret settlement with an LSU student, sources say. Jim Bernhard, Founder and Partner at Bernhard Capital Partners, commented: "We are very pleased to congratulate Mark, Catherine, Bryan, Chris and Jason on their well-deserved promotions.Each of . Each company brought an expertise and culture that complemented one another. The company manages several billion dollars, making it the largest private equity firm in Louisiana, Bernhard said. Leveraging this newly combined expertise, the firm quickly began to implement its Energy-as-a-Service vision with projects at Ochsner Medical Center in New Orleans; AT&T Stadium in Dallas, Texas; the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences in Little Rock; and beyond. 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The congressman has partly kept hold of power due to his ability to vastly outspend his rivals, thanks in large part to corporate donations.