EBJ's 2001 Business Achievement Awards: The Envelope Please Article from Environmental Business Journal Volume XIII No.11/12 2001 List of Award Recipients     Welcome to EBJ's Business Achievement Awards gala presentation ceremony for 2001. Imagine if you will a red-carpeted walkway with eager stargazers craning for a glimpse of the nominees gliding up in the latest fashions. Picture the bunting-festooned auditorium with diligent no-name project managers ready to fill empty seats vacated temporarily by the environmental industry's leading executives. See the lights dim, the curtain come up and an opening number of sustainable music worthy of the most remote indigenous tribe. Taking the stage will be the evening's host to zing one-liners and usher in a parade of CEOs in 30-year old suits to present the year's awards. The environmental industry is not the entertainment industry-and we have some cause to be thankful for that. However, the environmental industry has no less reason to recognize its own for noteworthy achievements each year. In the absence of an Academy, EBJ invited nominations from it readers. It was no easy task to choose from among the plethora of worthy nominees, but EBJ took it upon itself to make the final selection and hereby present the awards. As this is an Olympic year, EBJ awards in each category will be presented with gold, silver and bronze "medals." Doubtless, many more deserve recognition, and we apologize in advance for being unable to mention them all by name. Seriously, the environmental industry has long under-valued the contributions of its over 1 million workers. EBJ realizes many of these contributions have been made with only a modicum of recognition, so this issue is intended as a tribute to the engineers, scientists, technology developers, regulators, equipment operators, rubbish collectors and, yes, even the lawyers who have made the environmental industry what it is. So now on with the awards. SMALL FIRMS In the category of Small Firms, EBJ's gold medal goes to Panther Technologies Inc. (Medford, N.J.) for its rapid growth from startup in February 2000 to $3.7 million in revenues and 28 employees by the end of 2001. Not unlike many other startups, Panther was started when a number of individuals spun out of two national companies. Panther President Peter Palko conceived of the company as "a mid-level environmental construction company that focuses on technical competence and field excellence." Panther provides services from decontamination/demolition to innovative site remediation, primarily along the East Coast to clients in the pharmaceutical, chemical, waste and transportation industries. By the end of 2000, Panther completed over 50 projects and billed just over $1 million, followed in 2001 by 370% revenue growth and an increase in net profits of 800%. Terra-Kleen Response Group Inc. (San Diego) is EBJ's small company silver medalist based on doubling of revenues and increasing profits 600%. In 2000, Terra-Kleen made Inc.'s 500 list of the fastest-growing businesses in the U.S. with a 900% growth rate over the previous 4 years. Continuing that growth, FYE June 30 2000 revenues were $3 million while FYE June 30 2001 revenues were $6 million. Terra-Kleen also successfully licensed its solvent extraction technology to Mitsubishi Heavy Industries and is currently bidding large PCB remediation projects with new partners in Canada. "As a small, innovative technology company it is possible to not only survive but to prosper in the current environmental market," said President Alan Cash. The small company bronze medal goes to InteGreyted Consultants LLC based on 50% growth and 30% EBIBT in a flat market for Environmental, Health and Safety consulting. Key innovations that drive quality and lower overhead were responsible for this performance, including: experts in core disciplines who rely on lump sum pricing; a proprietary GlobalNetEHS network for local cost-effective expertise around the world, and IntelligentEHS, a web-based EHS management system. Says CEO Brian Jacot "While most consultants lumber along with overhead-laden, utilization-challenged business models, InteGreyted's performance validates that its innovative model is redefining the delivery of EHS services in this mature, competitive market." Nowhere is there a longer list of more deserving nominees than in the small company category, so we are listing a few more for Honorable Mention: Penn Environmental & Remediation Inc. (Hatfield, Pa.) for 30% growth, an increase in utilization rate from 75% to 80%, 21 new brownfields contracts totaling $1.2 million and entry into compliance markets; The Phylmar Group Inc. for growing from a one-man EHS consultant in 1998 to a $1-million company; and Innovative Technical Solutions Inc. (ITSI, Walnut Creek) for growing to over 100 people, and winning the SBA/DOC National Minority Small Business Firm of the Year Award. MID-SIZED FIRMS : GROWTH EBJ's gold medal winner in the mid-sized firm category is Compass Environmental Inc. (Chicago). Compass began in 1995 with one program and $2.5 million in revenue. Six years later the company has 5 programs, 100 employees, $30 million in revenue, $35 million in backlog and profits above industry norms. Diversified growth into industrial cleaning, remediation, demolition, liabilities to assets (a form of brownfields) and waste brokering has lead to its two newest programs of tanker truck and rail car cleaning. Says Brian Delaney, "We have not acquired a single company, started a new technology or landed the largest project in history. We simply do things right and treat our customers as customers. Too often, our industry has come to expect huge companies with billion-dollar revenues only to see those companies collapse two years later. Chapter 11 should not be as widely accepted as it is, and good business sense should be honored more than it is." EBJ's silver medal winner in the mid-sized firm category is Canadian firm Komex (Calgary, Alberta) for growth and international expansion. Komex has expanded from its core multi-disciplinary environmental services into earth sciences, agribusiness, risk assessment, waste management, natural resources exploration, eco-tourism and water treatment. In the last nine years Komex has expanded from one office in Calgary to 27 offices on five continents worldwide. With a staff of over 300 employees, sales have grown from $17 million in 1997 to about $30 million in 2001. Export sales have increased from about 4% to 30% during the last five years. Receiving the bronze in mid-sized firms is Schoor DePalma (Manalapan, N.J.), for posting a 32% growth rate in 2000 and a similar rate in 2001 in its Environmental Division. Company highlights in 2001 included upgrading the Water Resources Department to divisional status, the acquisition of Bay Pointe Engineering and expanding into the prosperous utility market.   Environmental Business Journal Volume XIII No.11/12 2001 features this article and more ...   View List of Award Recipients MID-SIZED FIRMS : MANAGEMENT & TRANSITIONS Given the extent of consolidation and ownership transition in the consulting & engineering sector, EBJ has instituted an award category to recognize management of ownership transitions. Following its management buyout from long-term German parent RWE in 2000, ENSR International has undergone a culture shift making it worthy of an EBJ gold medal. The 1,400-employee company launched a global campaign to shift the culture towards an employee-centered focus, with an ambitious goal of becoming the "Employer of Choice" in the environmental industry. ENSR's concept is simple: Engaged employees are productive and loyal, fostering satisfied clients, resulting in revenue growth thereby satisfying shareholders, who then reinvest in employees. ENSR's employee-focused program survey featured an 85% participation rate, and subsequent action plans resulted in a 55% reduction in employee turnover, first-ever 100% retention of ENSR's top 15 clients, and record profitability in 2001. EBJ's silver medal in ownership transition management goes to Environ Holdings Inc., which emerged from 'going private' in 1999 to post15% and 20% revenue growth in successive years, as well as improved profitability each year. For Environ, 2001 also saw geographic expansion to the Asia Pacific region with five new offices in Kuala Lumpur, Perth, Sydney, Singapore and Shanghai and continued key senior hires in the U.S. and Europe. The bronze in this category goes to Braun Intertec for re-focusing on management and core business after the retirement of its founder. After 40 years, Braun Intertec developed a national infrastructure for a $70-million-firm while only generating $40 million in revenues. Second-generation owners devised a new plan that focused on its core competencies and transitioned under-performing business units. Rather than being "all things to all people," Braun Intertec returned to its regional strength, and 2001 results included a 50% reduction in overhead, double-digit return to shareholders, 12% increase in net revenue per employee, and record-breaking profit. LARGE C&E FIRMS In the category of Large Consulting & Engineering Firms, EBJ's 2001 gold medalist Foster Wheeler Environmental Corp. grew revenue 45% in 2001 in its Environmental Services Programs. FW expanded its Ports, Harbor & Waterway program, adding 10 staff with expertise in sediment and dredging management and port design and planning, resulting in an award for the Port of Miami $110-million terminal redevelopment project. Initiatives in Natural Resources resulted in 100% revenue growth, spearheaded by the award of $92-million in contract capacity with 5 regions of the U.S. Forest Service. A strong presence was also maintained with the Department of Defense with the award of a $100-million Environmental Remedial Action Contract by the Air Force Center for Environmental Excellence. FW also won a unprecendented third consecutive $100-million Remedial Action Contract with the U.S. Navy. Receiving the large company silver is AMEC Earth & Environmental for doubling its annual revenue from $100 million in November 2000 to $200 million in November 2001. In November 2000, the AGRA Earth & Environmental acquisition of Ogden Environmental resulted in an expansion from 60 offices and 1,600 people to 90 offices and 2,200 professionals. Under the new name of AMEC and leadership of new president Roger Jinks, the company has had its best year. AMEC was also honored to serve in the recovery and rebuilding at both the World Trade Center and the Pentagon. Dedicated AMEC crews have been working 12-hour shifts since September--monitoring air quality, training workers, and supervising the health, safety and environmental aspects of the cleanup. The bronze medal is awarded to Golder Associates Inc. for its entry into natural resource markets. Since founding a new group to address Endangered Species Act (ESA) issues in 1999, Golder has completed over 100 ESA and salmon projects. The Ecological Sciences Group and has 12 full-time staff with three senior managers spread across six regions in the Pacific Northwest. Deserving Honorable Mention in the large C&E class were particularly those publicly traded companies that showed impressive stock gains in 2001 through improved financial performance, diversifications and acquisitions. Leading the way were TRC, Jacobs and Versar. (See the next issue of EBJ for more detail on these companies.) Last but not least in the large consulting & engineering firm awards is an honor not just for 2001 but a lifetime achievement award for EBJ's perennial number one C&E firm CH2M Hill. From third in EBJ's 1990 ranking of environmental service firms at $400 million and maintaining its position as the number one C&E firm for the 8th consecutive year at $1.38 billion in 2000, CH2M Hill has been an industry leader in technology, strategy, employee satisfaction and client satisfaction in industrial, municipal and federal markets, as well as advocating a role for the environmental industry in shaping environmental and economic policies of the future. According to the company, project highlights for 2001 include the former Mare Island Navy Yard 25 miles northeast of San Francisco where CH2M Hill is leading cleanup and redevelopment five years ahead of schedule and under budget. A similar project in Charleston offered DOD a "guaranteed fixed price contract." As part of the Chevron Port Arthur Remediation Team, CH2M Hill made two major achievements: more than 2.2 million safe work hours, and more than 2.5 million cubic yards of waste stabilized.   Environmental Business Journal Volume XIII No.11/12 2001 features this article and more ...   View List of Award Recipients TECHNOLOGY AWARDS Awarding medals for environmental technology is touchy given the multitude of applications, systems and engineered solutions. So rather than choose one winner or even rank medalists for 2001, EBJ has chosen to issue merit awards for those nominations that caught our interest for innovation or that merit recognition for addressing unmet needs in the market. So here, in no particular order, are EBJ's 2001 Technology Merit Award winners: Croll-Reynolds Clean Air Technologies for designing and building one of the most advanced air pollution control systems for Eastman Chemcial's hazardous waste facility in Kingsport, Tenn. that meets new EPA multi-pollutant hazardous waste combustor MACT standards. Battelle Marine Sciences Laboratory for myco-remediation or a process of cond-itioning higher fungi, resulting in proprietary strains adapted to remediate particular contaminants with applications to clean up fecal coliform bacteria, petroleum products and organophosphates. GreenTechTexas International Inc. for EcoDrain, an in-drain treatment system that cleans storm water with a botanical absorbent. Synagro for its cow manure digestion system in Chino, Calif. that manages 3,750 dairy cows using an anaerobic biological treatment technology that yields electric power and compost, and a biofiltration process to control odor. Pacific Northwest National Laboratory for its saliva monitor that can determine exposure to chemicals or trace metals. Initially developed for lead, researchers are developing the monitor for a broad range of chemicals. Hydroscope Inc. for its waterline condition assessment service to address the aging water infrastructure. Hydroscope analysis uses measured pipe conditions and operating and environmental parameters to develop probability of failure and economic models. HydroFlo Inc. for its odor and corrosion control system for subsurface pipelines which slip-streams a portion of wastewater flow through a low pressure aeration contactor, creating an aerobic environment. Energy Efficiency Systems for the AutoNox probe that uses a heated catalyst to convert NO2 to NO before water can absorb it, thereby allowing accurate measurement of NOx. BioReaction Industries LLC for innovations in biofilters for air pollution control of VOCs and odors with applications in wood products, paint & coatings, wastewater treatment, military, automotive and pulp & paper industries. DriWater Inc. for its irrigation system which saves 25% of water use, allows nutrient delivery, and has had recent installations in Egypt, Jordan, Israel and China. INNOVATIVE PROCESS AWARDS Besides innovative technologies, EBJ also recognizes innovative processes with the following merit awards: Spire Corp. for its 'brightfield' program which is converting brownfield sites in Chicago and Brockton, Mass. into manufacturing plants and generating stations for solar photovoltaics. URS Corp. for its conception and permitting of the use of discharge from a wastewater treatment plant as the water source for a merchant power plant being built by Mid American Holdings on the Lower Fox River in Wisconsin. Palm Harbor Homes, a Florida manufacturer of 10,000 homes per year, for investing in the energy efficiency and durability of their homes to result in 25% energy savings over HUD standards and bringing environmentalism to mobile home communities everywhere. TAMS Consultants Inc. for developing the means to organize, distill and respond to 73,000 public comment documents during a seven-month period regarding EPA's prominent plan to remediate PCB-contaminated sediments for 40 miles along the Hudson River. Michael Baker Corp. with Global Ground Support for the development of the IceWolf Aircraft Deicing System that uses 90% less glycol, has operating cost savings of 80% and increases aircraft throughput by 40%. A number of companies made strides in brownfield-related technology or processes and deserve honorable mention: Innovatech for it ETHEC recovery procedure; Struever Bros. Eccles & Rouse as a 'smart developer;' consulting firm Erler & Kalinowski for its accelerated assessment program for the city of Gardena, Calif., Marasco Newton Group for its work in land reclamation and in EPA'sBrownfields Program; and Environmental Management Associates for it advanced field screening system. Other honorable mentions go out to the following firms: Louis Berger for its Panama Canal expansion study, Harding ESE for its horizontal biosparge wells used in a Florida remediation project, FuelCell Energy for its ongoing development of clean energy systems, and two additional mid-sized consulting & engineering firms Horne Engineering Services and YSI Inc. SOFTWARE AWARDS In software, EBJ recognizes three companies: Pavilion Technologies for its corporate compliance tool Environmental Portfolio Manager; Environmental Software Providers for sales growth of 55% from its EHS software products which include 2001 introductions tying financial and environmental performance with the emission credit market; and Ecosquare, an Italian company founded in late 2000 to broker waste, byproducts and environmental services in Europe and America. GOVERNMENT AWARD Lastly, in recognition of government programs EBJ issues a gold medal award to the US-Asia Environmental Partnership, a US-AID program that has worked with the U.S. environmental industry to transfer solutions to 11 Asian countries over the past 10 years. Progams have resulted in 550 direct sales, joint ventures, licensing agreements and infrastructure contracts, or $1.4 billion in U.S. environmental exports leading to the creation of 26,800 jobs, according to SBA guidelines. And there you have it. A whirlwind extravaganza of companies, technologies and awards. Thanks for coming ladies and gentlemen, congratulations to our winners and thanks for the nominations and remember... you're only as good as what you do this year so let's make 2002 memorable. ###   This article appeared in Environmental Business Journal Volume XIII No.11/12 2001 List of Award Recipients   [Home] [EBJ] [Reports] [Data] [Info by Segments] [Surveys] [Links] [Free Sample] [About EBJ] [Contact] ------------------------------------ Copyright ZweigWhite Information Services One Apple Hill Drive, Suite 2, Natick, MA 01760 USA Phone: 1-800-466-6275 | Fax: 1-800-842-1560 | Web Site: www.zweigwhite.com | E-mail ZweigWhite All rights reserved. This website, or any part, may not be duplicated, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form without prior written permission of the publisher. Unauthorized use of this information is illegal. 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