Dangerous Jobs, Performed with Expert Care
ACM Services, Inc. completes environmental remediation too tough for some firms
President Thom Hess and his team at ACM Services, Inc. (ACM) face challenges most people would never consider tackling—and they do it by combining professionalism and expertise. From asbestos removal, demolition, lead abatement and mold remediation to perchloric acid cleanup, ACM’s staff is proud to perform each job correctly—and safely.
Thom was introduced to environmental services in 1984, beginning his career as an industrial hygienist managing asbestos projects as an owner’s representative. In 1990, he founded ACM Services, Inc. in part because he was intrigued by the challenge asbestos management presented. “I inspected companies performing remediation work and thought it was pretty interesting,” he says. In fact, he didn’t shy away from this type of work at all because, “I learned that when remediation work is performed properly and the rules are followed, it’s safe. I was comfortable because I knew I could do this work in the right way and keep myself and employees safe.” He has held true to this commitment since he founded ACM Services, because he focuses on his employee’s safety and health as the highest priority.
Turnkey Services
The company also has another division, Demolition Services. The firm’s demolition expertise is often coupled with renovation projects that require asbestos or mold abatement. Kyle Neubauer, Environmental Division Manager, says of the company setup, “We have two divisions. Although they often work in tandem, our demolition division independently provides services to owners, developers and general contractors on renovation or redevelopment projects. Our demolition team takes care of all the non-hazardous aspects of the job, including structural, architectural, etc.”
Thom adds, “But, oftentimes when you are renovating a building, demolition is the first thing you do. When asbestos is found, you must deal with it immediately. If you can combine both demolition and abatement under one entity—like what we offer—the project is much more efficient and cost-effective.”
Take for instance Amazon’s HQ2 headquarters in Crystal City, Virginia. Thom says: “Amazon selecting Virginia for its HQ2 was a very big deal locally, and we were excited to be part of the project team. We provided demolition and asbestos removal in the first phase of buildings that were renovated. It was a gratifying experience, and we worked with a great project team, including a local general contractor and a building owner we’ve had relationships with for decades.”
Safety Won’t Happen by Accident
Although much of ACM’s work is related to asbestos, mold and demolition services, the team is nationally recognized for its perchloric acid cleanup. Thom explains, “Of all the services we provide, this is the one that poses the largest hazard. When perchloric acid is used in commercial and university laboratory fume hoods, acid vapors collect and settle in the exhaust system and become crystals (or salts) similar to nitroglycerin. In other words, if not treated or cleaned up properly, the acid crystal could explode.” This is another reason why all regulators—Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and state environmental agencies—are front of mind for our employees. “Not only are we compliant with regulations, we ensure our staff maintains licenses, takes training classes and completes annual refreshers. It’s about teaching our people how to perform our work safely and correctly.”
Kyle adds, “We have a safety program that is very detailed and specific to our services. We have a safety manager who updates and enforces policies and programs, as well as site-specific safety plans and activity hazard analysis. Our supervisors also attend monthly meetings where we highlight safety topics.” Carrying safety down through the ranks, Kyle adds, “We also conduct weekly toolbox talks on job sites and make sure we follow our client’s safety programs. We can’t stress the importance of safety enough.”
The ACM team recently performed work on one such project, the Pantex Plant in Amarillo, Texas. It is the nation’s primary facility for the final assembly, dismantlement and maintenance of nuclear weapons and one of six production facilities in the National Nuclear Security Administration’s Nuclear Security Enterprise. Thom says, “Working in a nuclear arms facility is unique on its own, but when you add dismantling perchloric acid exhaust systems, it makes for quite the interesting experience.” Although challenging, Thom and team approached it with the same vigor they do all projects and completed it successfully and without incident.
Unique Work, Special People
Thom believes that it is truly the people at ACM that really set the company apart, and the level of education the people have both in the field and office that makes their projects successful.
As he frames it, “The majority of our staff come from environmental consulting and industrial hygiene backgrounds. Working with owners to identify what their environmental impacts are and developing a remediation plan or recommending an operations and maintenance plan for them is how our management team functions.” He offers much praise to Kyle, too: “He joined us fresh out of college and has been here for 19 years. He’s now running a multimillion-dollar division with 100-plus employees to manage. That is pretty impressive, and we’re glad to have him and many other employees with decades of tenure here at ACM.”
Kyle adds, “We promote team building and advancement. I give credit to our outstanding team for their dedication and teamwork. If someone on our team needs support, we share our experiences and provide guidance to achieve successful projects across the board.”
It is all About Health & Safety
Thom is also proud of his firm’s employee improvement programs. “We offer our field staff English classes, smoking cessation classes (and even incentivize them to quit smoking with a monetary bonus), training and education, class reimbursement, and the list goes on. We are concerned about the health of our staff.” Citing the statistics by heart, Thom add, “Asbestos is a carcinogen that can affect your lungs, and if you smoke in addition, it significantly increases your risk of cancer by 50-plus times. If we can help someone quit smoking, it is a win-win.”
It’s not only smoking ACM is focused on eliminating to keep employees healthy. The team is provided with advanced tools and safety gear to perform their jobs safely and effectively. ACM also offers “Fieldworker Appreciation Days,” training days, picnics and a slew of other company-sponsored events.
True to Its Word
ACM’s staff longevity and tenure come back to one premise, says Thom. “Our key to success is a focus on the simple basics: we do what we say we are going to do, we finish on time, we don’t overcharge and we act as trustworthy partners to get the job done correctly. Bottom line—we are true to our word.”
When ACM responds to client concerns, it is about the whole relationship and not just a single project. Elaborating, Thom continues, “We will go to a project and do preplanning and budgeting for a job that may not happen for a year or more. We like to coach clients on issues that might happen so they are prepared. In other words, if an owner doesn’t plan for or recognize that asbestos may be an issue, it could be an expensive surprise. Planning early helps them with budgets and ideas on how to remediate efficiently. We provide this service for free because we care about providing value to our clients.”
Speaking of providing value to clients, when Thom is pressed about an infamous project he worked on so many years ago, he politely declines to comment. On Sept. 11, 2001, after the Pentagon was struck, ACM was called into action. Beginning the afternoon of 9/11 and for the next four months, ACM Services’ hazmat and demolition team led the charge of removing hazardous materials, testing, cleaning and making the area safe for occupants and workers during the reconstruction of Pentagon Wedge 1 and 2.
It’s evident when hazardous situations loom and a quick, expert response is desired, ACM is one company that not only answers the call, but also proactively tackles the situation. Finesse and deliberateness perhaps best sum up their approach to client service.