Gulf Shores, AL. — (GSN) — Louisiana State University has officially named its newly established School of Construction within the College of Engineering as the Art Favre School of Construction. The university also announced that the program's future 148,000-square-foot state-of-the-art facility will be named the Performance Contractors Construction & Advanced Manufacturing Building, recognizing Favre’s long-standing dedication to LSU and the construction industry.

Favre, a native of Gulfport, Mississippi, earned a Bachelor of Science in construction from LSU in 1972 as part of the university's inaugural construction management graduating class. In 1979, he founded Baton Rouge-based Performance Contractors, Inc.. Under his leadership, the firm grew into one of the nation’s premier industrial general contractors—specializing in industrial construction, pipe fabrication, modular work, and turnaround services across petrochemical, energy, manufacturing, and power sectors. Performance Contractors was named the 2023 ABC National Contractor of the Year and remains licensed in 34 states.

Beyond growing his business, Favre’s ventures have-served as a vital economic engine for Louisiana and the Gulf Coast. Performance Contractors employs thousands of workers across the region, including more than 120 LSU graduates serving in key technical and executive roles.

Philanthropy and Community Investment at The Wharf

Favre is also the owner and developer of The Wharf, a prominent retail, dining, and entertainment complex in Orange Beach, Alabama. Through The Wharf's Anchor Campaign, he has long prioritized giving back to local communities. The Wharf has established a strong tradition of supporting local high school students in Baldwin County by offering annual scholarship programs, including its annual $10,000 Baldwin County Scholarship to empower future leaders, educators, and entrepreneurs.

While The Wharf’s initiatives continue to fund local individual scholarships, Favre’s latest contribution to LSU establishes an unrestricted, permanent endowment dedicated to the Art Favre School of Construction. This permanent fund builds upon his previous $15 million leadership gift toward the school’s new $107 million building project.

Unlike capital project gifts, the new endowment provides LSU with an ongoing, sustainable source of funding to support faculty cluster hiring in high-tech fields such as robotics and artificial intelligence, advance research initiatives, and expand degree programs. Favre’s endowment ensures that LSU will remain at the forefront of construction management and advanced manufacturing education for generations to come.