Herrera Environmental Consultants
Specialty: Environmental and engineering services
Management: Carlos Herrera, president
Founded: 1980
Headquarters: Seattle
2004 revenues: $9 million
Project 2005 revenues:$9 million
Current projects: Stormwater management comprehensive plan for Seattle Public Utilities
Photo courtesy Herrera Environmental Consultants Herrera staff assess woody debris in the Cedar River with Dave Beedle, far left, of Seattle Public Utilities. Herera workers are, from left; Tracy Phelps, Johnny Grady and Tim Abbe. |
With many of its projects tied to public funding, Herrera Environmental Consultants’ work comes in cycles.
A new cycle
Herrera Environmental President Carlos Herrera said the last cycle hit its peak two years ago, and the next cycle is just beginning.
“The biggest market for us is the transportation industry and transportation improvements,” said Herrera. He said doing infrastructure improvements in an environmentally friendly way is a trend that he expects will continue.
A recent example of that trend is the firm’s Hoh River logjam erosion control project. The project, on Highway 101, is reportedly the largest engineered logjam in the Northwest.
The project was designed to curb erosion that threatened to undercut the highway. Herrera helped design four mid-channel ELJ structures and a river diversion channel, and provided consultation during construction.
Tech staff shortage
With business starting to pick up, Herrera said he will be challenged to find workers. “In general, the technical staff is in short supply,” he said, referring to environmental scientists and biologists. “Public agencies in this area are taxing the local resources of the environmental scientists community.”
In terms of trends in his field, Herrera said more mobile forms of communication are affecting how he does business.
“Data has become more mobile — the collection and transfer of data from the field into the office,” he said.
In addition to the Hoh project, Herrera said one of his most important accomplishments in the last year has been initiating an employee stock ownership program.