This month's "Spotlight Businesses"

Gabriel Building Supply, the areas oldest building materials retailer is celebrating its 80th birthday this year. What started in the 1920’s as a millwork shop by Harry J. Gabriel Sr., is now a fourth generation full service hardware and retail building supply. Serving Tangipahoa and its surrounding parishes, Ponchatoula is home to all the Gabriel Family. Quality materials, competitive pricing, and hometown service have been part of our success, however without our loyal customer base, this would not have been possible! The Gabriel family and their employees say Thank You, Ponchatoula and its citizens!

I began operation of J & M in 1973 in my garage after some 25 years in the textile bag business. I saw an opportunity to recycle coffee bean bags into burlap bags for the local feed, agriculture and oyster industries. Business really took to my idea and after two short years I doubled the size of my operation, moving into larger facilities in the wharf district of New Orleans. With the help of my brothers we expanded operations in new areas, manufacturing custom separation cloth for grain ships frequenting the port and new multi use textile bags. Our products were welcomed in the industry and we began to develop a reputation for innovative and practical solutions. Our ability to manufacture textile bags grew so rapidly that J & M soon became the lone survivor in a once thriving textile bag industry in New Orleans. With five acquisitions in the ‘80’s and early ‘90’s and our expanded production capabilities, word of our solution oriented approach to business spread, bringing us new customers requesting specialized applications for their industries. New product lines were added to support and compliment our existing bag and tarp business. Full lines of waxed shipping boxes, packaging supplies, plastic cups and buckets helped to meet the diverse needs of our expanding customer base.
By the end of the ‘80’s our product lines of protective tarps had grown and diversified to include a wide range of fabrications and applications. We’re proud to have played a part in Desert Storm having been selected as one of three companies in the nation to manufacture ammunition covers to stringent Army specifications. We shipped more than half of the Army’s requirements in record time.The experience gained from the military contract expanded our markets and production of high quality protective tarps into other fields. Successes led to the 1992 construction of a new 80,000 square foot manufacturing facility in Ponchatoula, Louisiana a 47,000 square foot addition in 1999 and a 20,000 square foot addition currently under construction, plus a 26,000 square foot distribution center in Rayne, Louisiana. Giving us the resources to continue serving our customers.
Our entire company is immensely proud to apply our traditions of excellence and innovation toward new challenges as we grow into the new century. We look forward to having an opportunity to serve you as we have so many of our faithful friends and customers for over thirty-three years.

Maurice Gaudet
J & M Industries

Pon Food Corporation is a third-generation family-owned company  celebrating 50 years in business in the great city of Ponchatoula. Tony Berner, Sr. founded the company in 1956 and mainly sold and delivered fresh foods to retail stores and restaurants. Tony Berner, Jr. then led the company in a new direction by selling dry, refrigerated, and frozen foods to schools and state institutions from New Orleans to Shreveport. Corey Berner has helped expand the product line to include non-food items ranging from disposable food service products to janitorial supplies. Overall, five members of the immediate Berner family are employed at Pon Food Corporation, including Michael (Vice President) and Patti (CFO). Pon Food Corporation has grown throughout the years just as the city of Ponchatoula has experienced significant growth. In 1956, the company started with one delivery truck and now has over twenty. The warehouses and offices used to be located downtown on the same block as historic Paul's Café. The company relocated in 1997 to the Ponchatoula Industrial Park to upgrade their facilities and improve their working environment. A great aspect of the company is that the majority of the employees live in Ponchatoula and enjoy being able to live and work in the same city. Pon Food Corporation would like to thank the Chamber of Commerce for all that they do to help promote business in Ponchatoula. We look forward to another 50 years in business in the Strawberry Capital of the World!