By Lauren Pope
Working from home is now more common than ever before. And while reading emails in the comfort of your bathrobe has its perks, many people still need a place to get things done. The Zachary Business Co-Op will soon offer professionals and business owners living in Zachary a state-of-the-art co-working space. A place for meetings, collaboration and focus without the 45-minute drive to Baton Rouge.
The Co-op is the brainchild of Rising Plains, LLC, an ownership group founded by the folks behind the land-clearing construction company ShredHedz, who recently purchased the business park adjacent to the Zachary Animal Center off Old Scenic Hwy. ShredHedz was founded by Dwayne Hall and has been operating out of Ethel for the past 12 years. They set out to find a new office space because they’d outgrown their previous space, but soon realized that they had the opportunity to do much more than simply expand their own space.
Rising Plains Business Park
They’ve already made some huge changes to the outside of their new digs, painting the brick and swapping out the dated pillars for fresh Cypress posts. In the coming weeks they’ll be updating the signs and giving the doors and shutters their own paint job. It looks fresh and modern, but what’s inside is what will be a game changer for local business owners.
The Co-op will include 10 office spaces, one of which is imagined as a sort of “Airbnb for businesses” space that can be booked on an as-needed basis. The rest will give businesses a physical space (and address!) to set up a place to work that’s in town but, critically, away from your barking dogs or crying toddler. Zachary Business Co-op will also include a conference room wired for virtual meetings that can accommodate eight people, and a business center set up for printing and faxing. They’re taking deposits on spaces now and the office should be ready for occupancy on August 1.
Office Space As You Need It
While the Co-op is perhaps the most innovative aspect of the renovation, it’s far from the only exciting aspect of the Rising Plains Business Center. The business park has other separate office suites available. One of the suites will be the new headquarters for ShredHedz itself. Another has been claimed by Roaming Shot, a company that books hunting trips, builds custom rifles and teaches shooting classes. That leaves two suites available (1300 and 2800 square feet) at the time of this writing for those whose needs are greater than what the Co-op can offer. The suites were designed in consultation with Southern Signature Accents and renovated down to the door hinges. The stylish, modern finishes are sure to impress clients.
“We were really motivated by the idea that professionals could live and work in Zachary,” says ShredHedz and Rising Plains President, Travis Gaspard. “We built the infrastructure that we wanted to see. Many franchises, for example, have agreements that state that the business must have a physical address. This gives business owners an opportunity to lease a place in Zachary to call their own. People want a place where clients can pop in to go over details of a deal. We’re also hoping this attracts more entrepreneurs to keep their business in Zachary instead of going to Baton Rouge, and that will help the whole community.”
If you’re interested in claiming a spot at the Co-op or leasing one of the larger suites, contact Mike Gennaro, CCIM, at 225-931-3111.
Big Business in a Small Town
Hear from Travis Gaspard, President of ShredHedz and Rising Plains, LLC on Porch & Parish The Podcast by tapping the play button below or searching “Porch & Parish” on your favorite podcast app (we recommend Apple Podcasts, Spotify or iHeartRadio!).
Learn about more upcoming developments stirring the RenaiZance in Zachary as featured in our July 2023 special section by clicking here.
