Specialty: Engineering for water and solid waste treatment facilities
President: Carlos Herrera
1999 revenues: average $3.9 million during the past three years
Projected revenues 2000: $4.5 million
Location: Seattle
Carlos Herrera helped the Seattle Water Department analyze corrosion of its pipes during graduate school. The job was big enough that Herrera promptly formed a company to keep at it even after he received his master's degree in civil engineering from the University of Washington.
"We've pretty much been growing steadily since that time," said Herrera, whose 20-year-old, Seattle-based Herrera Environmental Consultants now totals 50 employees in four Northwest offices.
The company's services include environmental impact assessment, wetlands issues, fisheries design, Endangered Species Act compliance, waste water management and treatment, storm water system design and management, solid waste management and design, hazardous waste management and construction management and inspection.
Clients include Seattle Public Utilities, King County, Sound Transit and the Port of Seattle. For King County, Herrera's company is developing operations plans for the Cedar Hills landfill, including the closure of parts of the landfill as they reach capacity and opening of new parts.
Also, for the county's waste water division, the company provides pump station and transmission system designs.
For Sound Transit, the company drafted the environmental impact statement for the proposed light rail system and is helping in acquiring various permits.
For the port, Herrera is providing oversight of environmental compliance on creation of third runway for Sea-Tac International Airport.
Carlos Herrera serves as the company's majority owner and principal engineer. Owner Walter T. Trial Jr. is vice president and principal scientist. Third owner Michael Spillane is vice president and director of construction management services.
In addition to its Seattle office, the firm's other offices are in Sequim, Portland and Missoula, Mont.
Revenues have reached an average of $3.9 million a year for the past three years.
"The goal is to keep a steady 15 to 20 percent growth," Herrera said.
Like for other environmental firms working in water, the listing of local salmon as endangered species means an increase in Herrera's business.
"We expect it to be a pretty steady increase of work," he said. "Right now it seems the (shortness of) resources of the regulatory agencies is what's holding up the work flow."
Same with the near-gridlock on state water use permits: "It's just the resources of regulatory agencies."
"I think the biggest issue right now in running this kind of business is the availability of experienced staff," Herrera said. "There's a real shortage of people. For engineers it seems it's been going for the past five years. For enviro scientists probably the last two years. The cause is the explosion of work in this area and nationwide from economic growth, public spending and environmental regulations."