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Chamber
honors Alford with small business award
Friday,
August 8, 2003 9:30 AM EDT
By
Ben Johnson
North
Fulton Neighbor Staff Writer
As a natural resources consultant, Erik Alford has discovered work and play
donÕt have to be mutually exclusive.
One
day I may be at a site doing work, and the next day I could be out there
bird watching,Ó said Alford, President of Ecological Solutions in Roswell.
The Greater North Fulton Chamber of Commerce recently selected Alford as
the 2003 Small Business Person of the Year. Criteria for the honor include
original entrepreneurship, innovative products or services and a
demonstrated ability to overcome adversity.
ÒErik Alford went to school to be a scientist. He knew nothing about
running a business, but was able to start [Ecological Solutions] and go
through the pains of becoming a business,Ó said Turner Collins, key
accounts manager for the Greater North Fulton Chamber of Commerce.
Ecological Solutions works with developers to clear regulatory hurdles and
meet environmental standards for obtaining building permits. The company
serves as a consultant on issues including wetlands, endangered species and
water quality.
ÒAnyone who does any type of development is required to satisfy a number of
federal, state and local government regulations,Ó said Alford, who founded
the company in 1999. ÒItÕs a challenge to satisfy each want and desire, but
you typically end up with a better project than you started with.Ó
The city of Roswell has been a major client for recent projects including
the Roswell Riverwalk trail and groundwater studies at Leita Thompson Park.
South of Atlanta, Ecological Solutions has helped organize the Flint River
Mitigation Bank, allowing developers to finance off-site wetlands
preservation work to compensate for the impact of a project.
Employee
retention also played a major role in AlfordÕs recent award, Collins said.
In nearly four years, Alford has never fired a worker and no employees have
left to accept other job offers.
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