The business got its start when Gaines purchased a Kentucky road construction company, growing it to include 15 paving and aggregate companies and four hot mix asphalt plants throughout the southeast.
The company relocated to New Orleans in the 1950s, and after Gaines’ retirement his son George H. Wilson, Sr. managed the company until his death in 1977. With George’s three young sons not yet ready to take the reins, his wife Betty Wilson was named Chairman and Chief Executive. With a compassionate commitment to integrity, ethical business practices, and a safe work environment for Barriere’s more than 100 employees, the company prospered under her respected leadership.
Today, Betty Wilson still plays an important role as family matriarch, though the Louisiana company is managed by her sons George Jr., who serves as President, Chief Executive Officer, and Chairman of the Board; Peter, President of Barriere’s North Shore divisions; and Bert, President of Barriere’s South Shore divisions.
Barriere’s commitment to its employees and the communities where they live and work mean that multiple generations of employees are common.
The Todd family, pictured with some of members of the Wilson family, at the 2010 Safety & Health Extravaganza.
The Todd family – David, Donnie, Christopher Sr., and Christopher Jr. – are examples. The late David Todd worked directly for Barriere founder Gaines P. Wilson, and Donnie has worked at Barriere for more than 50 years. His son Chris begins his 25th year at Barriere in 2012, and Chris Jr., the youngest Todd to join the Barriere family, began work in 2009.
Another family with deep Barriere roots is the Breland family – James, Bart, and Jim. James Breland, father of Bart and Jim Breland, began his Barriere career in the 1940s. Currently, Bart serves as vice president of Barriere’s Heavy Civil Construction Division and has more than 30 years of company service, while his brother Jim is North Shore Asphalt Division manager and has been with Barriere nearly a decade. Jim Breland’s son, James, recently completed Barriere’s internship program while he earns his civil engineering degree at LSU.
FOURTH GENERATION WILSON FAMILY MEMBERS HAVE ALSO JOINED THE COMPANY. ROBERT SENGELMANN, ESTIMATOR AND PROJECT MANAGER, AND MATTHEW P. WILSON, FIELD ENGINEER, BOTH WORK IN THE SOUTH SHORE ASPHALT DIVISION, CONTINUING A TRADITION OF SAFETY, QUALITY AND SERVICE STARTED DECADES AGO BY GAINES P. WILSON, MATTHEW’S GREAT GRANDFATHER, (AND ROBERT’S GREAT GRANDFATHER-IN-LAW.) We look forward to more Wilson family members from the fourth generation joining Barriere Construction Co. in the near future.
We admire these talented and dedicated people who represent the men and women responsible for building Barriere into the strong company it is today.
