ENVIRONMENTAL - International Erosion Control Association

IECA members
Emerald Member Profile:
Ground Service Technology, Inc.
Emerald Members receive an article in Environmental Connection
as part of their member benefi ts package. To upgrade your membership,
please contact IECA.
Focus on Full Service Keeps Customers
in Compliance
Ground Service Technology, Inc.,
in Escondido, California, USA, started
out as a hydraulic seeding contactor six
years ago. But IECA Emerald Member
Hank Erler and his wife, Jennifer, who
own and operate the firm, located in
the San Diego metropolitan area, soon
saw an opportunity that others were
missing.
“No contractors were providing a
full range of in-house erosion control
services,” recalls Jennifer. “They would
do some of the work themselves and
hire sub-contractors to provide other
services.”
As a result, she says, coordination
of the various erosion control activities
tended to suffer. So did quality
of the work and timely completion of
the project. Offering an alternative,
Ground Service Technology established
itself as a full-service erosion
control company.
Today, the company’s consulting
and Phase II compliance services include
design, implementation and
monitoring of Storm Water Pollution
Prevention Plans, installation and
maintenance of erosion control Best
Management Practices, and stormwater
analysis and treatment. The company
also sells and rents a wide range
of erosion control products.
This long menu of services makes
compliance with NPDES requirements
easier for customers, Jennifer notes.
“We’re committed to meeting and exceeding
expectations of the construction
community, and we make sure
that the erosion and sediment control
work is done properly and in a timely
manner,” she says. “We take pride in
the high quality and professional service
we provide our customers. None of
them have had any stormwater permit
violations or fines.”
Well-Qualified Personnel
In addition to its sales and office
staff, Ground Service Technology employs
40 or more field people, depending
on the season. “Our crew leaders,
equipment operators and installers are
the backbone of our company,” Jennifer
says. “They bring years of experience
and a high level of professionalism to
every project.
“Our staff has designed, engineered,
and implemented erosion control
devices that have been approved
by local municipalities, as well as the
California Regional Water Quality
Control Board, California Department
of Wildlife, Fish & Game, and the U.S.
Army Corps of Engineers.”
The company’s employees, who include
several IECA members, receive
training on erosion and sediment control
practices, products and rules and
regulations conducted by IECA as
well as other organizations involved
with stormwater compliance, Jennifer
reports.
Hydroseeding projects involve
residential developments, highways,
parks, and sports fields as well as
mitigation projects, such as wetlands
revegetation.
Some of the jobs can be challenging.
On one project, for example, the »
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