While Cajun Industries helped rebuild Louisiana in the years following Katrina, the work also has enabled the Baton Rouge-based contractor to strengthen its own foundations for the future. Traditionally regarded as a civil contractor with expertise in specialties such as foundation and concrete work, Cajun Industries now is a formidable player in the region, this year cracking the Top 10 of ENR Texas and Louisiana's Top Contractors list for the first time.

Through the recession, the company capitalized on unprecedented opportunities in both the public and private sectors. A combination of work with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and industrial clients pushed regional revenue up steadily from $238 million in 2008 to $469 million last year, the most in company history. Cajun also jumped nearly 100 notches to No. 110 on ENR national's 2012 list of the Top 400 Contractors; its revenue total was $497.4 million. All the while, the company maintained a top-notch safety record, even as it brought in hundreds of new workers to its jobs.