Aspect
Consulting
Specialty: Water resources, environmental, engineering geology, GIS/environmental data management
Partners: Tim Flynn, president; Mark Shaffer, Lori Herman, Doug Hillman, John Strunk, Erick Miller, Chip Goodhue, Steve Germiat
Founded: 2001
Location: Bainbridge Island and Seattle
2003 revenues: $4.5 million
Projected 2004 revenues: $5 million
Largest current projects: Feasibility study for Georgia Pacific in Bellingham, Brightwater tunneling project for King County, watershed study for Benton and Klickitat counties
Aspect Consulting’s strongest growth area remains in water resources and environmental work, said President Tim Flynn, with revenues for this year expected to be up around $500,000 over last year.
“A lot of our work is in water rights, looking at infiltration systems and further development of surface water and ground water resources,” Flynn said. “We’re putting a lot of emphasis on improved resource management and participating in the state’s watershed studies.”
That work has spurred more involvement in aquifer storage and recovery, particularly managing those water resources to meet the needs of fish on the endangered species list, as well as for water needs for major population growth, he said.
“That’s continuing to be a big issue for us. Despite popular views on the struggling economy, we’ve been fortunate to maintain our work and even add staff. There’s not so much a growing work opportunity in environmental work, but there’s certainly a steady need,” he said.
The firm’s workforce stands at about 39, he said. Although work is primarily in the private sector, the firm does a good share of its work with semi-public or public entities, too, including the Port of Seattle, counties and cities.
“Our core practice is in the Pacific Northwest but we also have projects in Arizona and Southern California involving groundwater management and finding ways to boost water supplies,” Flynn said. “Several of those projects in the Southwest involve working with Indian tribes on water rights issues and resource management.”
Responding to a growing market, the firm added four new specialists last spring to increase the depth of its earth science and engineering practice, including Mike Ehlebracht as an associate chemist, Alan Mortimer as a GIS specialist, Jay Chennault as a hydrologist and Jeremy Shaha as a hydrogeologist.