Environmental Compliance Co. Sees Residential Housing Market Growth, Bucking COVID-19 Pandemic

Earthworks Environmental

With the residential housing market across Arizona and the U.S. experiencing steady growth despite COVID-19, Earthworks Environmental LLC has seen an increase in business of 20 percent compared to a year ago.

The Mesa-based woman/minority-owned environmental compliance firm operates in Arizona, Florida, Maryland, Delaware, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Ohio, Iowa, Wisconsin, Indiana, Illinois, Minnesota and Texas.

Services provided include stormwater pollution prevention, Phase I and II Environmental Site Assessments, dust control, and construction safety compliances. The firm primarily serves land developers, vertical developers, commercial construction, and land-holding companies.

“Our growth has been impressive considering we haven’t added any new states,” said Earthworks Environmental Principal Cherie Koester. “It’s several things. The market is there across the country. Interest rates are low. In Arizona, people are moving here from other states. We’re also seeing more projects and home builders here.”

Koester said the firm is consulting on nearly 900 permits nationally, including more than 500 in Arizona. She said her firm hired a new employee whose sole job is to apply for the new Arizona Department of Air Quality (ADEQ) construction general permit (CGP).

“We’re active in Arizona now from Flagstaff to Bisbee,” Koester said.

Earthworks Environmental employs a proprietary program, ERX, a reporting software program that puts all aspects of environmental compliance into one program. This includes any permits and inspections. Koester said nearly 75 percent of the violations in her industry occur in the paperwork process.

“ERX can adapt to changes and is very customizable,” she said. “There is no program out there that has that capacity.”

Earthworks Environmental was founded in 2016, recently celebrating its 5-year anniversary. The office comprises 40 employees.

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