About Us
The Magnolia Companies of Louisiana, L.L.C., is an eighteen company conglomerate based in the Louisiana River Parishes, in the city of St. Rose, adjacent to New Orleans.
For over 50 years, The Magnolia Companies, under the leadership of the Smith family, the late Henry A. Smith, and his sons, Glen D. Smith and Gary L. Smith, have developed an excellent reputation in many businesses and relationships, based on strong commitments to integrity, expertise, productivity and reliability.
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Henry A. Smith began a heavy equipment and construction business in the late 1950’s as a resource to the River Parishes and to multiple other state, national, and international agencies and enterprises. The business evolved into marine recovery and dredging, in response to various climatic disasters, such as Hurricanes Betsy, Camille, and Andrew, as well as ecological calamities including the Deepwater Horizon gulf oil spill. Since The Magnolia Company’s inception, the Smith family has continued to create new support businesses, building a vertical operation with complementary divisions.
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From the Maritime division, including dredging and quarter barges, to the land-based Heavy Lift Division that serves many development and construction industries, and to the Real Estate & Investments Division that owns, develops and manages properties for a wide range of businesses, the Magnolia Companies has grown and risen continuously as a leader in Louisiana, recognized and respected world-wide.
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Among its accomplishments, the Magnolia Companies are known for:
o Aiding industry by dredging the Mississippi and Mobile River channels, keeping them free of silt deposits;
o Providing a superior natural base material for commercial construction industries;
o Supplying offshore housing for the marine industry;
o Providing emergency response to local, state, and federal governments;
o Building and managing commercial real estate properties;
o Providing hydraulic crane operations to an assortment of industries;
o Developing luxury motorsport equipment;
o Creating inventive cyber security methods to protect field information and operations;
o Consulting with clients on their federal legislation needs;
o Partnering in the first movie studio, Quixote Studios, in the River Parishes in order to develop ties with the film industry.
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Most significant to The Magnolia Companies, now involving its third generation, is the importance of family—not just its own, but the families of its community. The Magnolia Companies team supports and encourages community involvement, with focused attention on seniors, veterans, members of law enforcement and disadvantaged and ill children.