Specialty: Environmental analysis
President: Sue Sander
1999 revenues: $5 million
2000 projected: $7 million
Location: Seattle
As a certified women's business enterprise and disadvantaged business enterprise, Shapiro and Associates has seen a change in the make-up of who does business with the firm.
The catalyst has been two initiatives: I-695, repealing the state Motor Vehicle Excise Tax, and I-200, eliminating state-mandated racial preferences in hiring.
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"We have far less in the way of transportation projects because of 695, and I-200 has changed the complexion of woman business enterprise set-asides," said president Sue Sander. Whereas 70 percent of the firm's business before was from the public sector, that figure has dropped to 50 percent, she said.
Shapiro provides environmental and natural resources analysis, planning and regulatory compliance consulting services. The firm's work is concentrated in several interrelated areas: planning and development, transportation and land use, ecological sciences, water resources and forestry.
"Part of what we've been doing more recently is restoration work: restoring properties that have been adversely affected by things like flooding and toxic waste," Sander said. Shapiro is also working on an environmental impact statement for the redevelopment of the north end of Sea-Tac Airport, and has worked on environmental assessments for expansion on state Route 16.
In terms of wastewater projects, Shapiro has helped municipalities with regulatory compliance associated with pipelines and facilities.
But the "biggest question on our minds," Sander said, is how to deal with new laws handed down by the federal government known as 4(d) rules. Those rules will mostly be felt by private developers since they apply to projects not receiving federal funds.
With more of their business turning to the private sector, Sander said she's watching the local economy -- Microsoft and Boeing in particular -- to gauge which direction the economy is headed.
"We have to be aware of what's going on in the community to pursue projects and clients that will sustain us in times when things are less great than they were," she said.