The name Vantage Health Plan Inc. may no longer exist as an independent health insurer, but its legacy in healthcare across North Louisiana will always have a place.
After Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana acquired Vantage Health Plan’s Louisiana clientele in 2018, Vantage’s successor Primewell Health will discontinue its Arkansas and Mississippi health insurance offerings on Dec. 31.
Another Vantage subsidiary Affinity Health Group, LLC continues to operate five clinics in Monroe and recently joined The Baton Rouge Clinic network (in 2024) to expand its reach statewide.
Formed in 1994 by a group of physicians led by Dr. Gary Jones, the health maintenance organization (HMO) provider became a reliable source of health insurance for more than 50,000 residents across North Louisiana and later into Arkansas and Mississippi.
Headquartered in Monroe on DeSiard St., Vantage leveraged its knowledge and relationships in the area to provide dependable health insurance coverage.
Not beholden to national trends or encumbered by a hefty organizational structure, Vantage’s founding physicians were entrenched in the regional healthcare community.
These physicians and their networks had credibility with local doctors and hospitals, and clinical decisions were more locally informed and not dictated from some remote seat of power.
Vantage intimately knew health challenges specific to North Louisiana, and they tailored health plans to address these needs while keeping costs as low as possible.
Those relationships also allowed clients to see specialists without a referral and offered a more efficient style of care.
The challenges of rural healthcare are immense, but Vantage understood the distinct obstacles that providers in North Louisiana faced daily.
Vantage built a particularly strong brand in Medicare Advantage plans, developing a loyal senior citizen membership.
That extended with its own clinics when Affinity Health Group was formed in 2007, aligning clinicians with health insurance coverage to deliver care in a cost-effective way.
Primewell Health continued to build that reputation in Mississippi and Arkansas as one of the highest-rated providers in those states before operations in those states cease later this month.
Former Vantage CEO Dr. Jones remains a practicing family physician in Monroe in his fourth decade of service to the community.
Vantage’s legacy lives on through its effect on Blue Cross plans and its doctors, and their impact on North Louisiana healthcare will continue.
Our staff will be stepping away from work this week to spend time with their families celebrating the arrival of Santa Claus and more so, the anniversary of the joyous news of the birth of the Christ child.
We wish you and yours peace on Earth, goodwill to all, and a very, very Merry Christmas!
Almost since Henry Ford introduced the mass production of automobiles via the assembly line, Walker Automotive has been selling cars in Central Louisiana.
The family-owned automotive group is in its 106th year since W. Foster Walker Sr. purchased the Alexandria Auto Company in 1919 and began selling REO and Durant autos in downtown Alexandria.
Now the family is in its fourth generation as Lawrence Searcy (who married then Amy Walker) assumed the presidency in 2021 from Foster Walker III, who was nominated for Time Dealer of the Year in 2014.
Walker Automotive consists of 11 different dealerships, 10 of which are in Alexandria/Pineville with one in Scott.
From luxury brands like Mercedes-Benz and BMW to everyday brands like Honda, Toyota and General Motors, buyers are sure to find something they like in the largest automotive group in the area.
While the brands may have changed through the years – the dealership was known for nearly 75 years as Walker Oldsmobile before General Motors shuttered that line in 2004 – customers always knew to expect a first-rate experience at any Walker dealership.
Customers often return for Walker Automotive’s service and collision departments to maintain and repair their car through the life of the vehicle.
Aren’t in the market for a car just yet? Walker also sells a range of lawn equipment, all terrain vehicles, motorcycles and side-by-sides.
Walker Automotive is military-affiliated starting W. Foster Walker Sr., a World War I veteran. Many Walker employees are veterans of the U.S. Armed Forces.
Having a business of any type doesn’t just survive and pass down through four generations over more than a century by chance.
Take family-run All Star Automotive Group out of Baton Rouge, which had been in business for four decades. Their sale of its 13 locations to Hudson Automotive earlier this fall is the largest automotive deal in Louisiana history and proves that decades of longevity doesn’t mean the future is guaranteed.
But from the Great Depression, the Great Recession, COVID-19 pandemic and many other times of economic inflation and deflation, Walker Automotive has found their way through hard times and prospered in boom times.
Walker Automotive is a part of the community through ventures like Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure, the Food Bank of Central Louisiana, and Hope House of Central Louisiana among others.
And they plan on serving the Central Louisiana community for another century.
Natchitoches is nationally known for its annual Christmas celebrations and has been named by HGTV as one of America’s Best Small Christmas Towns. The city is home to the Natchitoches Christmas Festival of Lights, widely regarded as one of the oldest and largest holiday light festivals in the country.
Each year, more than 300,000 lights and over 100 illuminated set pieces line the Cane River Lake waterfront and the city’s historic district. The seasonal display is accompanied by fireworks, live entertainment, and extended shopping hours downtown, allowing visitors to stroll through the historic area beneath the lights while local businesses remain open late.
HGTV notes that Natchitoches’ combination of historic architecture, riverfront setting, and long-running holiday traditions distinguishes it as a standout small-town Christmas destination.
Oil and gas exploration in Natchitoches Parish continues to accelerate, with over 50new leases filed at the Parish Clerk of Court’s office since November 22, 2025.
These latest filings push the year-to-date total to 380 leases recorded since January 1, 2025 reinforcing Natchitoches Parish’s expanding position within the Haynesville Shale region. Industry observers note that this level of sustained leasing reflects long-term confidence from operators rather than the short-lived surges seen in some neighboring areas earlier this year.
“I’ve reviewed the leases that have been filed between November 22 and Dec. 10” said Natchitoches Parish Clerk of Court David Stamey. “The activity continues to be strong in western Natchitoches Parish. Tracking the recent leases on the Tax Assessor’s parish map, I feel that you can continue to say that Robeline is the geographical center of the recently filed documents. The other areas of activity are along La. Highway 6 from Hagewood to the Sabine Parish line, along Shady Grove Road, La. Highway 485, and Posey Road.”
The size of the recent leases has ranged from less than an acre to two different leases of 350 acres, demonstrating the varied nature of the mineral acquisition strategies being employed across the parish.
The recent uptick in activity — with over 50 leases filed in less than three weeks — suggests accelerated interest as operators position themselves for 2026 development activities. This expanding footprint aligns with operators’ efforts to refine geological models and assess new zones of interest heading into the new year.
Stamey said he is thrilled with the current activity and the economic impact it has already created and is excited about the possibility of wells being drilled in 2026.
Landowners approached with lease offers are strongly encouraged to seek counsel from qualified oil and gas attorneys before signing. Mineral leases can have long-term consequences for royalty structures, surface rights, and future development activity. Proper legal guidance remains essential for protecting property rights.
A review of Natchitoches Parish Clerk of Court records shows that over 50 new leases have been filed since November 22, 2025. The NPJ obtained this list directly from the parish’s online public records system.
Alexandria-based RoyOMartin announced a historic leadership transition November 11, marking the first time in the company’s 102-year history that someone outside the Martin family will serve as Chief Executive Officer. E. Scott Poole, current President and Chief Operating Officer, will assume the CEO role effective January 1, 2026, while Dr. Roy O. Martin III transitions to Chairman of the Board and Chief Investment Officer.
The change represents carefully planned succession for Louisiana’s largest private forestry and timber products business, which has grown from a single 1923 sawmill to a vertically integrated enterprise managing more than 500,000 acres of timberland and employing 1,400 people across Louisiana and Texas.
A Strategic Succession
Dr. Roy O. Martin III, 65, who led RoyOMartin as CEO for six years and worked for the family business for 42 years, said the transition reflects five years of strategic planning. Martin will remain deeply involved as Chairman and Chief Investment Officer, focusing on long-term strategy, financial stewardship, and community engagement.
“Scott has demonstrated extraordinary leadership, integrity, and commitment throughout his 39 years with the company,” Martin stated. “He has been instrumental in shaping RoyOMartin’s growth, culture, and operational excellence.”
Martin cited a desire to spend more time with family as a factor in stepping back from daily operations, though he emphasized the business will maintain its family-owned character. “Scott feels like kin,” Martin said.
Poole’s Four-Decade Journey
E. Scott Poole began his RoyOMartin career nearly 40 years ago, advancing through leadership roles in forestry, operations, and executive management. His leadership has been pivotal in achieving record growth, expanding product lines, and strengthening the company’s reputation as a premier employer and industry innovator.
“I am deeply honored to continue serving this remarkable organization in a new capacity,” Poole stated. “RoyOMartin’s success has always been rooted in its people, its values, and its commitment to doing what’s right for our team members, our customers, and our communities.”
Accompanying the CEO transition, Jeremy Burford was promoted to Executive Vice President of Manufacturing and Sales, effective August 2025, while Cade Young also ascended to a new leadership role.
Century of Growth
RoyOMartin’s history traces to 1923, when Roy Otis Martin Sr. came to Louisiana from Michigan and purchased a lumber mill in Alexandria. Over the subsequent century, the Martin family acquired thousands of acres of timberland across central Louisiana and grew the operation into a regional powerhouse.
Today, RoyOMartin operates three manufacturing facilities: corporate headquarters and operations in Alexandria, a plywood and timber mill in Chopin, an oriented strand board (OSB) plant in Oakdale, and a Texas facility in Corrigan. The company’s operations are vertically integrated, encompassing timberland, mills, mineral holdings, and pipeline manufacturing businesses.
“We used to be a forestry company that manufactured products,” Martin explained. “Now we are a manufacturing company that owns a lot of timber land.”
Innovation and People-First Culture
RoyOMartin has established itself as a leader in sustainable forestry practices and technological innovation. “We are able to grow our timber four times faster than my grandfather did because of smart agriculture practices,” Martin said.
The company’s people-first culture extends to operating its own on-site healthcare company, providing employees access to doctors, physician assistants, and nurses for primary care and wellness services. Safety prioritization and employee healthcare represent Martin’s proudest accomplishments as CEO.
Navigating Challenges
The transition comes during challenging times for the timber industry. Tariffs, higher interest rates, and a housing market slump have driven timber prices down and softened demand. Canadian competitors are acquiring Southern mills, intensifying competition.
Martin acknowledges significant industry change during his four decades with the business. However, the company’s diversified holdings and planning position it to weather downturns. “The industry is in a slump, but we are a commodity business,” Martin said. “We plan for slumps.”
Regional Economic Impact
As a major employer in central Louisiana with operations in Rapides, Natchitoches, and Allen parishes, RoyOMartin plays a significant economic role. The company’s 1,400 employees make it a leading employer in every region where it operates.
Looking Forward
As Poole prepares to assume the CEO role January 1, he does so with full confidence of the Martin family, the board, and a leadership team groomed through years of strategic planning. The transition positions RoyOMartin to build upon its foundation as Louisiana’s timber industry leader for generations to come.
About RoyOMartin: Louisiana’s largest private forestry and timber products business, headquartered in Alexandria. Founded in 1923, the company operates three manufacturing facilities, manages more than 500,000 acres of timberland, and employs more than 1,400 people.
Published: December 7, 2025 | North Louisiana Business Journal
Construction of a new 1,500 MW gas-fired power plant
RAYVILLE, LA – December 7, 2025
Entergy Louisiana broke ground December 1 on two state-of-the-art power generation facilities in Richland Parish designed to supply electricity to Meta’s massive artificial intelligence data center, marking a significant milestone in North Louisiana’s transformation into a digital infrastructure hub.
The Franklin Farms Power Station represents billions in capital investment and is projected to deliver more than $650 million in customer savings over 15 years while supporting thousands of construction jobs and strengthening Louisiana’s electric grid.
Powering Digital Growth
The groundbreaking in Rayville launched construction on two combined-cycle combustion turbine generation facilities recently approved by the Louisiana Public Service Commission. Together, the plants will add approximately 1,500 megawatts of highly efficient natural gas generation capacity to Louisiana’s power grid.
“These facilities represent the next step in Entergy Louisiana’s long-term strategy to modernize our generation fleet and deliver reliable, cost-effective power to our customers,” said Phillip May, Entergy Louisiana president and CEO. “We’re ensuring that Louisiana remains a competitive, attractive place to live, work, and do business.”
The power plants will primarily serve Meta’s $27 billion AI-optimized data center under construction in Richland Parish, one of the largest private investments in the region’s history. The data center project is expected to support more than 5,000 construction jobs and 500 permanent operational jobs once complete.
Customer Benefits
Entergy Louisiana customers will benefit directly from Meta’s operations through lower energy costs and enhanced system resilience. Meta’s contributions are expected to lower customer storm charges by approximately 10 percent and reduce bill impacts of resilience upgrades by a similar amount.
Over the 15-year agreement, Meta’s contributions toward Entergy’s system costs—including storm recovery—are projected to save customers approximately $650 million. Under terms approved by regulators, Meta will fund the full cost of utility infrastructure required to serve its data center, preventing cost-shifting to other customers.
“Entergy Louisiana’s partnership with Meta and our local leaders demonstrates how strategic energy investments can drive economic development,” May said. “Together, we are building the foundation for Louisiana’s energy future.”
Construction and Timeline
Construction on the two Richland Parish facilities began immediately following the groundbreaking, with both projects expected to be completed and operational by late 2028. The facilities utilize next-generation combined-cycle combustion turbine technology that uses less fuel to produce more power, resulting in lower emissions and improved system reliability.
Public Service Commissioner Foster Campbell called the project “truly a bright day for northeast Louisiana.”
The Franklin Farms Power Station is not Entergy’s only generation facility for the data center. The company plans to construct a third combined-cycle plant at its Waterford nuclear power plant site in St. Charles Parish, with an expected operational date by the end of 2029. Together, all three gas plants will generate approximately 2,200 megawatts of electricity.
Legislative Oversight
State Senator Cameron Henry announced formation of a task force to examine power availability concerns and verify claims about customer benefits. The task force will investigate whether Entergy Louisiana customers may ultimately pay higher utility rates as data centers consume significant grid resources.
“We’ll have a good review of what the rules and regulations are, make sure that Louisiana is prepared to grow like we want it to grow,” Henry said. The task force must produce findings to the Louisiana Senate by March 1, 2026.
Energy Infrastructure Investment
Beyond natural gas generation, Meta has committed to matching its electricity use with 100 percent clean and renewable energy, working with Entergy to bring at least 1,500 megawatts of new renewable energy to the grid.
Entergy Louisiana provides electricity to more than 1.1 million customers in 58 parishes and is a subsidiary of Entergy Corporation, which serves 3 million customers across Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Texas.
The Franklin Farms Power Station represents a critical foundation for supporting energy-intensive digital operations while protecting existing customers and ensuring grid reliability across Louisiana.
BATON ROUGE — A once-surging wave of carbon capture development in Louisiana is now running into a series of significant headwinds — including revised pollution projections, a statewide permitting freeze, and questions surrounding the future of federal tax incentives that help finance the industry.
Air Products, the company behind the largest proposed carbon capture project in the world, quietly submitted new environmental filings this fall with the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality. The request would allow its planned hydrogen and ammonia complex in Ascension Parish to emit up to 2.16 million metric tons of greenhouse gases annually — a dramatic increase from earlier expectations.
The adjustment stems from a reality the company disclosed to regulators: for as much as one-quarter of the time, especially during extended plant startup and early-years commissioning, captured carbon dioxide may not be injected underground as originally planned.
If peak emissions occur as outlined, the facility’s climate impact could place it among the state’s largest industrial polluters — comparable to major refineries and petrochemical plants along the Mississippi River corridor.
A Project Already Under Fire
Air Products has spent four years battling local pushback against its intention to inject captured CO₂ more than a mile beneath Lake Maurepas, a sensitive estuary and popular fishing and recreation area northwest of Lake Pontchartrain. Opposition has ranged from environmental concerns to skepticism that permanent underground storage will work as promised.
The $4.5 billion project is central to Louisiana’s ambition to become a global carbon-capture hub — but the revised emissions estimate has intensified scrutiny of whether the technology is being deployed cleanly enough to justify its risks.
State Hits the Pause Button
The regulatory climate shifted further in October when Gov. Jeff Landry signed an executive order blocking new Class VI injection well permit applications indefinitely.
That pause leaves 33 existing applications in limbo at the Department of Conservation and Energy — each requiring thousands of hours of technical vetting and typically two years of review before approval.
Industry groups reacted swiftly and forcefully.
The Louisiana Chemical Association argued the moratorium sends a destabilizing signal to companies that have already committed tens of billions of dollars to cleaner production and expansion projects in the state.
Oil and gas groups were equally blunt. “Louisiana cannot afford to lose its competitive edge,” warned Louisiana Mid-Continent Oil and Gas Association President Tommy Faucheux, pointing to Texas as a strong rival for private-sector investment.
Current announcements and approved projects represent a potential $76 billion in capital spending and 17,000 construction and permanent jobs, according to state economic development figures. Any delay could push developers to take those dollars elsewhere.
Federal Tension Over 45Q Tax Credit
Overlaying the regulatory uncertainty is a larger national fight unfolding in Washington, D.C.
The 45Q tax credit, which offers up to $85 per ton of geologically stored CO₂, has been the financial backbone of nearly every major U.S. carbon capture development. But watchdog groups claim the program has been plagued by waste, misreported emissions, and underperforming projects, warning its future taxpayer burden could top $850 billion.
More than 100 lawmakers from the Midwest and Western states have urged Congress to end the incentive entirely, while the 45Q Repeal Act continues to gather Republican co-sponsors in the U.S. House.
Supporters counter that without 45Q, America would have no realistic path to industrial-sector decarbonization, and argue inflation has already eroded over half of the credit’s value since 2018.
Air Products Reconsiders Its Timeline
Against this backdrop, Air Products has pushed its target startup date to 2028 or 2029. Company analysts have indicated that additional buyers for the plant’s lower-carbon fuels must be secured before new capital is released.
That reassessment underscores the precarious position the industry finds itself in: the technology is ready, the engineering is proven, the investment is enormous — but policy stability remains elusive.
A Critical Turning Point
What was once positioned as Louisiana’s next great economic transformation is now encountering a convergence of pressures:
Higher upfront emissions than originally expected
A permitting review system stopped in its tracks
A federal tax incentive under political siege
Persistent local resistance near storage sites
Whether carbon capture becomes a defining pillar of Louisiana’s industrial future — or a stalled transition experiment — will depend on decisions made over the next several months by regulators, lawmakers, and investors alike.
Published December 7, 2025 North Louisiana Business Journal
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