Expansion into Elko area helps testing facility grow revenue stream

The surge in mining activity and geothermal exploration in Nevada has helped Western Environmental Testing Laboratories grow from a modest five employees in 2002 to 28 employees today.

Expansion into the Elko area and the addition of space to its Sparks facility also has helped the company see significant increases in revenue since 2007, says company President Michelle Sherven. Western Environmental Testing had seen growth of 20 to 25 percent annually until a larger spike three years ago when it added staff and opened its small Elko office off Lamoille Highway.

The company in 2007 began testing Elko's city water supply for inorganic contaminants and its sewage effluent to ensure that treated wastewater is in compliance with federal standards. The Elko facility mainly serves as an intake hub for soil and water samples taken from Western Environmental's customers throughout Elko County.

"It really enabled us to reach some of those outlying areas and kind of close the gap between Reno and Elko," Sherven says.

Most samples are shipped to Reno via Greyhound freight, which allows the company's three Elko employees to gather samples during the day and ship them on that evening's bus.

"It helps our clients (in Elko County) be more efficient because they don't have to burn manpower sending someone in to drop off samples," Sherven says.

Western Environmental also tests soils for inorganic contaminants, and much of its Elko-area business comes from testing at the region's mine sites to make sure soil surrounding the area is not contaminated with chemicals used in the mining process. Mine sites also have groundwater wells that monitor water quality and require quarterly testing, Sherven says. And the surge in geothermal exploration also has led to a great deal of groundwater testing work.

Says Operations Manager Nick Ross: "We try to have a diverse group of clients we work with, not just stick to a couple industries."

Western Environmental Testing Laboratory was founded in Sparks when Sherven broke off from her former employer and went into business for herself at the urging of many of her initial clients. Client referrals also have helped increase revenues.

Sherven never imagined being a businesswoman her degree from Dickinson College in Carlisle, Pa. is in environmental science. She says interacting with clients is her favorite part of the business and it's a major factor behind the company's success.

"It was the best thing I ever did," she says.

Ross, a chemistry graduate from University of Nevada, Reno, says one of the biggest challenges the company has overcome is growing new business because many companies that need water- and soil-testing services have longstanding relationships with preferred testing facilities.

With the additional 11,000 square feet of warehouse and office space the company acquired in October it plans to add new testing services that require different processes and machinery, Sherven says.

"We took over the additional space to spread out, and we are hoping to bring online some new methods in the next year or two to increase our capabilities," she says.