Specialty: Tapping underground water sources
President: Joseph Becker
1999 revenues: $900,000
Projected revenues 2000: $1 million
Location: Tacoma
First you need to know that Robinson & Noble's 10 scientists are hydrogeologists, not hydrologists. There's a big difference. Hydrogeologists study water moving under the ground. Hydrologists work with water on the surface. It's like calling scientists engineers.
Robinson & Noble deals with the underground stuff.
The Tacoma firm's "primary focus is services to public and private water purveyors who sell water to customers," said associate hydrogeologist Burt Clothier. The company helps find and protect water resources, obtain water rights and drill for the water. It performs some surface water work, too. In addition to its 10 scientists, it employs two support staff. Revenues have steadily, if slowly, grown to about $900,000 last year, said president Joseph Becker. "They may reach $1 million this year," he said.
The endangered species listing of local salmon has a mixed effect on Robinson & Noble.
"It's hard to say if that's impacted us positively or negatively," Becker said. "It has done both." Purveyors of underground water have delayed tapping more water because they're concerned it would decrease surface water supplies downstream, running afoul of the listing, Becker said. On the other hand, the firm has landed more jobs studying impacts downstream from existing underground water activity, he said.
A much bigger force affecting Robinson & Noble stems from the long-running slowdown in the state's issuing of water permits, Becker said. "If more permits came through, we could drill more," he said. "If the process was speeded up, that would definitely help."
The firm is expanding into more work for sand and gravel miners. "We help them with groundwater problems they may have," Becker said. That runs into another permitting slowdown, where it has grown more difficult to receive sand and gravel mining permits, he said.
Fred Roberts and John Robinson started the firm as Robinson & Roberts in 1947 to consult on water drilling for large public and private water purveyors. Robinson left and John Noble replaced him in the company name.
Noble served as president from 1970 to his retirement in 1995.
The firm's clients include the Lakehaven Utility District, Lakewood Water District, Lacy Olympia Thurston County Tumwater Sewer Water Supply Consortium (aka LOTT), Covington Water District, city of Westport, city of Everett and city of Sumas.