Early 1900’s
The family business history in Downtown Houma began in 1910, when Leopold Blum and his business partner, Shelly Bergeron, began a dried shrimp and fur company right along Bayou Terrebonne. At one point, the company exported over 2 million pounds of dried shrimp to the Far East each year.
Leopold’s son Louis was an engineer and invented the modern shrimp drying machine and the patented machinery and equipment are still used worldwide today wherever dried shrimp is produced.
115+ years later and the business is still in operation by Leopold’s grandson and great grandchildren. The original warehouse and plant on Main Street was sold in 2017 (now home to Bayou Terrebonne Distillers) and a new plant is in operation in East Houma.
1930’s
Logan H. Babin, Sr. arrived in Houma, LA, during the Great Depression after leaving Texas A&M to begin working and support his family, helping to keep his two older sisters in college. He took a job with The Texas Company (Texaco) and worked on one of the first “offshore” platforms in Terrebonne, operating in the bays in just 5 feet of water. After a rig accident permanently injured his hand, Texaco sent him to LSU to earn an engineering degree. He met his wife, Sarah Blum (Leopold Blum’s daughter) during his time at LSU.
1940’s
At the onset of World War II, Logan was hired as a foreman at the Higgins Boat Company, building the landing craft that played a crucial role in the war effort. His brother-in-law, Louis Blum, also worked in the yard and told him about the air conditioners he saw on some of the submarines he repaired. The family commemorated Logan’s work during the war effort with a brick at the New Orleans Word War II Museum.
1950’s
When the war ended, he capitalized on the emerging air conditioning industry in the South and started an electrical and mechanical contracting business. He installed the first air conditioning systems in numerous historical buildings throughout Houma. As his business grew, the need for additional capital led him to begin real estate investing.
1960’s
Logan’s real estate acumen caused one of his many entrepreneurial shifts as he sold his contracting company and represented The South Coast Corporation in their real estate dealings. He successfully negotiated the sale of The South Coast Corporation to Jim Walter, a Florida home builder. Walter wanted the agricultural plant to take the bagasse and help make insulation and building materials for his homes.
1962
In 1962, the Houma Navigational Canal (HNC) was opened. The deepwater channel was a 40-mile waterway that connected the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway in Houma to the Gulf of Mexico. This marked a tremendous economic development opportunity for Terrebonne Parish and The South Coast Corporation, which owned 12 miles of waterfront property on both sides of the HNC. The opening was celebrated in an issue of The Waterways Journal, a national business and waterway publication, and The South Coast Corporation took out a full-page ad in the magazine to entice development in Houma.
As Logan transitioned full-time into real estate and founded Logan Babin Real Estate in 1962, he needed an office. He purchased a home built in 1911 by one of Terrebonne Parish original entrepreneurs, Alphonse Dupont, to convert into his office. Known as The Dupont Chateau, the 110+ year old building is still the home to our family’s real estate business. The story of its conversion was chronicled in the book “I Dug Up Houma” by Helen Wurzlow and can be read here. 60+ years later, 400 Lafayette St. remains the home for The Logan Babin Commercial Group today.
Mid-60’s
A visionary at heart, he dreamed of developing a 10,000-acre industrial park along the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway and the HNC, on land now owned by Jim Walter. Flying to Florida, Logan successfully convinced Walter to entrust him with what became Walter Land Company. He then began planning the development of the property—dredging slips, installing rail, and building roads in East Houma to support the oilfield and shipbuilding industries
1968
In 1968, his son, Logan H. Babin, Jr., was flying airliners for Pan Am after graduating from the U.S. Air Force Academy and serving in the military. However, as he started a family, his father called on him to help develop “The Project” for Walter Land Company. He answered the call and worked alongside his father to develop the Houma-Terrebonne Industrial Park, paving the way for the growth of the oilfield service industry in Terrebonne Parish.
1970
In 1970, the plans were featured in the Houma Daily Guide newspaper. It showed drawings of the 2-story office building at the corner of Grand Caillou and Woodlawn Ranch Roads. The building is now home to Saia Motor Freight and was once the headquarters for the nationwide trucking company. Soon thereafter, the head of Louisiana Economic Development visited the site and praised the development as the largest industrial development site of it’s kind in all of Louisiana.
1971
To spur investment, Logan Sr. and Jr. created a marketing insert that was placed in economic and area publications across South Louisiana. The brochure shared the vision and dream of the industrial subdivision but also provided some insight about Jim Walter as well as Terrebonne Parish.
1972
Logan Sr.’s life and business accomplishments were profiled in a July 1972 article in the Houma Daily Courier & The Terrebonne Press as the “Personality of the Week”. The feature entitled “Logan H. Babin: Depression Begins Developer’s Career” hangs in the office’s lobby and can be viewed here.
Late 70’s
Logan Jr. became deeply involved in local real estate, serving as President of the Bayou Board of REALTORS in 1978 and being named REALTOR of the Year in 1979. Under the mentorship of Max Derbes of New Orleans, he expanded the company’s services into appraisal, consulting, and expert witness testimony. He became a Louisiana Certified General Real Estate Appraiser and was recognized as an expert witness in real estate appraisal in multiple district courts, including Terrebonne, Lafourche, Plaquemines, and Orleans Parishes, as well as Louisiana’s Eastern and Western District Bankruptcy Courts.
1984
In 1984, Logan Jr.’s expertise earned him membership in The Counselors of Real Estate (CRE), then known as the American Society of Real Estate Counselors. The CRE’s is an invitation-only international organization of distinguished real estate professionals. His knowledge was quickly recognized as he was named Editor of The Counselor magazine for 1987-88.
1994
Louisiana Governor Edwin Edwards appointed Logan Jr. to serve on the Louisiana Real Estate Appraisers Board in 1994. He served until 2003 and Chairman from 1997 to 2002.
1995
In 1995, Logan Jr. was named President of the CRE’s which also came with an appointment to the National Association of REALTORS Board. He traveled the world to CRE Conferences and Meetings and continued years of dedicated service to the CREs serving on numerous Boards and Committees.
1997
In 1997, Logan “Hank” Babin, III returned home to carry forward the family legacy. He immediately began working with local and federal officials to revive a permit for a new industrial slip in Walter Land Company’s industrial park. At the same time, he immersed himself in the real estate and appraisal trade under his father’s guidance, attending numerous national Appraisal Institute courses.
New Millennium
By 2003, Hank had earned certification as a Louisiana General Real Estate Appraiser and began testifying as an expert witness in real estate appraisal in Terrebonne and Vermilion Parishes. In 2012, he was invited to join The Counselors of Real Estate (CRE).
Over the years, Hank has served on numerous industry and economic development boards and committees, including:
- International I-49 Coalition (Board of Directors, 2011-2012)
- Louisiana REALTORS Association (Appraisal Team Member, 2007-2015; Commercial Team Member, 2016-2019)
- Bayou Board of REALTORS (MLS Committee Member, 2009-2015; Chair of Building Team, 2010-2011)
- Houma-Terrebonne Chamber of Commerce (Infrastructure & Government Committee, 2002-present)
- Terrebonne Economic Development Authority (Retail Development Team, 2011-2013)
2008
Logan Jr. was elected in 2008 as a Fellow of The Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors (FRICS), an international measure of excellence recognizing his individual professional achievements.
2016
After 40 years of service to the real estate profession at local, state, and national levels, in 2016, Logan H. Babin, Jr. was honored as a REALTOR Emeritus by the National Association of REALTORS. Louisiana REALTORS CEO Norman Morris praised him as “truly a wonderful person that cares deeply about his family and friends. He is very passionate about issues that affect his community, state and country, but in particular he is deeply passionate about the appraisal industry. In fact, he is at the top of my list in terms of the state’s greatest appraisers! I have truly learned so much about the real estate industry from Logan and consider him a friend, mentor and a dedicated real estate professional. Congratulations on your REALTOR Emeritus Award!
2014 – 2016
In 2014, Rhoda Portier joined Logan Babin Real Estate as the Office Manager. Her experience working in the legal and banking industries has been invaluable to our team and our clients.
Ed Bice was added in 2016 and quickly made an impact, contributing to a multi-million-dollar industrial real estate transaction in 2017. He has consistently been a top producer in real estate transactions, surpassing the million-dollar mark in annual sales volume multiple times.
2017
In 2017, Logan Babin Real Estate was featured in the book “Terrebonne Parish: Stories From the Good Earth”. The book told the story of numerous Terrebonne Parish businesses and community leaders and how they helped the Parish grow.
2021
The company was named the 2021 Houma-Terrebonne Chamber of Commerce Small Business of the Year. Accepting the award, Hank Babin reflected on the company’s impact, stating, “We think of the large businesses – some are the largest employers here in Terrebonne Parish right now like K&B Industries – who started off buying one acre from my grandfather on the other side of town back in the late 60s and early 70s. And that’s the real honor: to have our small business help their large businesses and the economy in Terrebonne Parish grow.”
2022
2022 marked Terrebonne Parish’s Bicentennial Celebration and they asked Logan Jr. to be part of a group of local industry leaders to discuss how business and commerce grew in Terrebonne Parish over the decades in the video “Good Earth, Good Business”. Other participants in the video included Kenny Wood, Sr. (one of our first clients) and Louis “Skip” Blum, from our family’s 100+ year-old seafood company: Blum & Bergeron Shrimp Co.
2025
January 2025 marked a major transition for the company. After more than 60 years as an independent brokerage, Logan Babin Real Estate merged with the local Keller Williams Market Center to form KW Commercial South. Hank Babin was named Commercial Director of KW Commercial South while continuing to lead The Logan Babin Commercial Group. Ed Bice took on the role of Commercial Sales Associate. This move also allowed Logan Jr. to retire after a distinguished career in real estate.
Explaining the decision, Hank stated, “After extensive research, it became clear that partnering with KW Commercial would benefit our clients—past, present, and future. This decision was driven not by necessity but by our commitment to growth and innovation. Change is inevitable. Growth is a choice!”
Hank was also selected to join a national commercial sales team with KW Commercial, serving as Market Vice President of Louisiana & Mississippi for the SCLM Commercial Real Estate & Development Group. This group was founded by industry veterans to revolutionize real estate and capital development for middle-market companies in supply chain, logistics, and manufacturing.
For decades, Logan Babin Real Estate has helped numerous oilfield service companies purchase their first properties, many of which have grown into international energy service providers. With this next step, The Logan Babin Commercial Group of KW Commercial South and SCLM will continue that tradition, offering comprehensive real estate services to clients wherever they are need in the world.
Logan Babin Real Estate—now The Logan Babin Commercial Group of KW Commercial South: Over 60 Years and Three Generations of Local Knowledge with a National Reputation!