We are honored to receive the Zweig 2019 Top New Venture AwardThe award honors some of the fastest growing start-ups in the AEC industry and is based on revenue growth as well as entrepreneurial spirit.
Success StoryCatalyst Environmental Solutions Corporation was established by a cohesive team that had successfully worked together for many years and, following acquisition of the firm that they helped grow, decided to utilize their extensive technical and business experience to create a company for like-minded staff. Our platform consists of a team-oriented environment that allows our smart, high integrity staff to work together towards a shared goal of diversity in markets, clients, services, and coworkers.
The increasing complexity of environmental issues, both from scientific and policy perspectives, ensures continued growth for those firms that focus on building long-term client relationships and delivering high-quality services and cost-effective solutions. The industry’s consolidation trend has resulted in a focus by the large firms on growing top-line revenue, leaving a growing gap in the marketplace for attentive, creative, expert solutions. The time was right for Catalyst to enter the market as established expert consultants with industry name recognition and a reputation for creative problem solving and expert communication skills. We are trusted strategic advisors, developing innovative solutions to complex environmental issues.
Proceeds from the sales of the early firms allowed the founders to self-fund the start-up . In the first week, Catalyst lost 70% of theanticipated backlog through a client bankruptcy and a client receiving an adverse court decision. With that imminent challenge facing the team, the founders reminded themselves of one of the fundamental keys to their collective success and a cornerstone to the Catalyst business plan - ”diversity of clients, services, and markets”. Accordingly, the team activated its broader network and made Year 1 a success after a surprising start. At the end of 2016, the firm was battle-tested, successful, and poised for growth.
Growth JourneyOne of Catalyst’s guiding growth principles is early succession planning. By fostering the environment described in the Mission Statement, new leaders of the firm are grown from within, and are imbued with the ideals and guiding principles of the firm. Our succession plan is embodied in our Mission Statement, which says in part: “We create an entrepreneurial, diverse supportive and collaborative work environment that fosters growth by working together as a team. We maintain a reputation as innovative, objective, and ethical experts in our fields.”
Putting this mission into practice has meant
Succession Planning from Day 1. Our goal is to attract like-minded individuals who are energized and passionate about what they do. How does such an ecosystem become self-sustaining and resilient in the choppy waters of a survival-of-the-fittest marketplace? By making succession concerns part of the fiber that holds us together as we grow. What does this mean? We support each other’s career growth. We look for opportunities for
others to shine. We seek out and attract early-career talent to keep our ideas and methods current and our work relevant.
In addition, we focus on actively fostering the career growth of our staff, including promoting staff to levels of increasing responsibility, client contact, and decision-making.
For more information on the award, click
here.
