Baton Rouge, Louisiana, October 8, 2025
News Summary
Three Baton Rouge-area construction firms and several public programs illustrate how labor, materials and planning are shaping regional building work. A firm that started in 2012 has expanded from multifamily housing into commercial projects; a family-owned contractor is blending long-standing client relationships with modern management tools; and a major electrical contractor has pivoted from oil and gas into large energy and tech projects. Rising material costs are pressuring school budgets, voter-approved road taxes are funding many infrastructure projects, and large energy and data center developments are driving workforce and regional growth.
Regional construction firms, public works and school projects: what matters now
The latest snapshot of local construction activity centers on three building firms and several public programs that together show how labor, materials and planning are shaping work across the region. At the top level: a Baton Rouge firm that began in 2012 and grew from housing into commercial work, a family construction company that still values in-person relationships while adding modern tools, and a large electrical and instrumentation contractor that has expanded from oil and gas into big data and energy projects. Those firms are working through higher material costs and changing budgets on public school work, road projects funded by a voter-approved sales tax and large energy export and tech-sector projects.
Who the firms are and what they do
Grant Ethridge and Carter Terral are partners in Grant Ethridge Construction (GEC). GEC was founded/got its start in 2012. The company began with multifamily new construction and renovations and later added commercial work. GEC has worked on housing projects including Progress Park and Hollywood Acres and has done work at three Baton Rouge restaurants: Jubans, Soji and BLDG 5. GEC worked on Les Maison de Bayou Lafourche apartment homes in Lockport. Les Maison de Bayou Lafourche received the first Fortified Gold Multifamily Designation from the Insurance Institute for Business and Home Safety and was designed to withstand a Category 3 hurricane. During Hurricane Ida in 2021, Les Maison de Bayou Lafourche saw minimal damage. GEC assigns a field superintendent and a project manager to each project, conducts biweekly owner, architect and contractor meetings for each project, and uses Procore software for project coordination and management. The company also partnered with Essential Safety Partners on safety practices and runs an internship program that often turns interns into permanent employees. GEC supports local charity events connected to its staff and community work.
Wesley Construction was started by Steve Wesley in 1984. When the company started in 1984 there were no computers and business records were kept as paper files. Early Wesley Construction checks were written out by hand and business was conducted in person or by telephone. An email address was eventually added to Wesley Construction’s operations. Vice President Bryan Wesley joined the family business in 2019 and added modern touches such as direct deposit, social media, and Procore construction management software while keeping the company focused on client relationships and service. Wesley Construction is based in Baton Rouge, has worked in 33 states, and lists its address and phone as 10182 Patriot Drive | Baton Rouge 70816 and 225.753.5600. The company website is wesleyusa.com.
James B. “Pepper” Rutland is the founder and CEO of MMR Group. MMR Group is headquartered at a campus on Airline Highway in Baton Rouge. MMR’s historical core sector is oil and gas, and the company expanded into large infrastructure work for the tech sector, renewable projects and LNG terminals. MMR’s annual revenue grew by 75% in 2024 to more than $2.3 billion. The firm has worked on Venture Global’s Calcasieu Pass and Plaquemines LNG facilities and was an electrical contractor on the Venture Global Plaquemines LNG project. MMR has offices across North America, recruits from local universities and runs workforce programs to speed skill development.
How higher material costs are changing public school projects
Rollover inflation from the pandemic, combined with President Trump’s tariffs on wood and steel, has driven material costs significantly higher. That rise in materials has strained contractor and public official budgets and complicated the use of tax dollars on government-funded work, which is awarded through bids based on cost estimates at the time of the bid. Judith Anderson is the CSRS Architectural Program Director and oversees contracts for East Baton Rouge Parish Schools. She and contractors are watching prices and trying to keep project scopes aligned with budgets. Adam Bourgeois, a general contractor with Milton J. Womack, Inc., reports higher costs in wood, cabinets, upholstery and some raw materials, saying earlier increases were roughly 25% and another 10–25% could follow.
Specific project cost examples show the pressure: Brownfields Elementary was initially bid at $25.1 million in 2023 and now has a budget of $28.9 million. The Baton Rouge Center for Visual and Performing Arts was budgeted at $28.1 million in 2023 and has increased to over $34.4 million. At Banks Elementary, demolition costs paid in 2021 were $290,000 for similar work; demolition and remodel costs for the current project are expected to exceed $500,000 by completion.
Road work funded by a voter-approved half-cent tax
East Baton Rouge Parish voters in 2018 approved a half-cent sales tax for 71 road projects under the MoveEBR program. The sales tax went into effect April 1, 2019, and will remain in effect until March 31, 2049. Proceeds from the tax can be spent only on the approved list of projects. The MoveEBR construction jobs include new roads, traffic flow improvements and sidewalks. Some original projects were later broken into smaller related projects, creating a total list of 139 MoveEBR projects. As of the reporting date, 27 MoveEBR projects have been completed, and the most recent ribbon-cutting marked a new two-lane road from Picardy Avenue to Constantin Boulevard.
Big projects and regional contractors
U.S. Secretary of Energy Chris Wright, U.S. Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum, and Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry toured the Venture Global Plaquemines LNG export facility on Thursday, March 6, 2025, in Plaquemines. Baton Rouge-based MMR Group was an electrical contractor on that project. MMR has also helped install wiring at a large semiconductor plant outside Boise and works on hyperscale data centers, power plants and renewable proposals. The firm has expanded its regional footprint with new offices and a recent regional headquarters in Utah to oversee western and energy-related work.
FAQ
Q: Who are the partners in Grant Ethridge Construction?
A: Grant Ethridge and Carter Terral are partners in Grant Ethridge Construction (GEC).
Q: When did GEC start?
A: GEC was founded/got its start in 2012.
Q: Who founded Wesley Construction and when?
A: Wesley Construction was started by Steve Wesley in 1984.
Q: How did Wesley Construction handle records when it started?
A: When the company started in 1984 there were no computers and business records were kept as paper files.
Q: What is driving material cost increases?
A: Rollover inflation from the pandemic, combined with President Trump’s tariffs on wood and steel, has driven material costs significantly higher.
Q: How has the Brownfields Elementary budget changed?
A: Brownfields Elementary was initially bid at $25.1 million in 2023 and now has a budget of $28.9 million.
Q: When did the MoveEBR sales tax start?
A: The sales tax went into effect April 1, 2019.
Q: Who toured the Plaquemines LNG export facility on March 6, 2025?
A: U.S. Secretary of Energy Chris Wright, U.S. Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum, and Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry toured the Venture Global Plaquemines LNG export facility on Thursday, March 6, 2025, in Plaquemines.
Q: Who founded MMR Group?
A: James B. “Pepper” Rutland is the founder and CEO of MMR Group.
Q: Where is MMR Group headquartered?
A: MMR Group is headquartered at a campus on Airline Highway in Baton Rouge.
Q: How did MMR Group perform financially in 2024?
A: MMR’s annual revenue grew by 75% in 2024 to more than $2.3 billion.
Key features at a glance
| Topic | What to know | Impact |
|---|---|---|
| Grant Ethridge Construction (GEC) | Started in 2012; multifamily and commercial work; site-based leadership; uses Procore; runs internship program. | Model for storm-aware housing and hands-on project management in the region. |
| Wesley Construction | Family firm started in 1984; added modern tools recently; project work across 33 states; based in Baton Rouge. | Long-term client relationships and steady, organic growth. |
| MMR Group | Founded by James B. “Pepper” Rutland; headquartered on Airline Highway in Baton Rouge; expanded into LNG, semiconductors and data centers; 2024 revenue over $2.3B. | Large regional employer and major player on national energy and tech projects. |
| School project budgets | Material price increases linked to pandemic inflation and tariffs; example increases shown for Brownfields Elementary and the Visual and Performing Arts center. | Budgets rising, requiring adjustments to scopes and careful planning. |
| MoveEBR road tax | Half-cent sales tax approved in 2018; effective April 1, 2019; runs through March 31, 2049; funds 71 original projects now split into 139 items. | Focus on road, traffic and sidewalk improvements with projects already completed and more underway. |
Deeper Dive: News & Info About This Topic
Additional Resources
- Business Report: Wesley Construction — Company Insights
- Wikipedia: Wesley Construction
- Business Report: Grant Ethridge Construction (GEC)
- Google Search: Grant Ethridge Construction
- WAFB: Rising construction costs challenge school projects in East Baton Rouge
- Google Scholar: construction cost inflation schools
- The Advocate: Baton Rouge road projects (MoveEBR)
- Encyclopedia Britannica: MoveEBR
- NOLA: MMR Group expands into data centers, LNG and energy projects
- Google News: MMR Group Baton Rouge
Author: Construction FL News
FLORIDA STAFF WRITER The FLORIDA STAFF WRITER represents the experienced team at constructionflnews.com, your go-to source for actionable local news and information in Florida and beyond. Specializing in "news you can use," we cover essential topics like product reviews for personal and business needs, local business directories, politics, real estate trends, neighborhood insights, and state news affecting the area—with deep expertise drawn from years of dedicated reporting and strong community input, including local press releases and business updates. We deliver top reporting on high-value events such as the Florida Build Expo, major infrastructure projects, and advancements in construction technology showcases. Our coverage extends to key organizations like the Associated Builders and Contractors of Florida and the Florida Home Builders Association, plus leading businesses in construction and legal services that power the local economy such as CMiC Global and Shutts & Bowen LLP. As part of the broader network, including constructioncanews.com, constructionnynews.com, and constructiontxnews.com, we provide comprehensive, credible insights into the dynamic construction landscape across multiple states.
