In 1993, Scott L. Turner set out
with $500 and the desire to create
the premier private contractor
for responding to hazardous-material
emergencies.
>>>It is a business that demands a high
degree of care and attention to safety.
>>>“Clients depend on us to dot the
i’s and cross the t’s so they can rest
assured that their people and facilities
and the public are safe and free
from hazardous exposures,” says
Turner, president and chief executive
officer of HMHTTC Response
Inc., the company he started in a
rented apartment in Flanders.
>>>Today, Turner’s company operates
around the country and around the
clock, responding to all sorts of disasters,
from plane crashes and chemical
plant explosions to fuel spills and train
derailments. HMHTTC even played a
role in responding to the anthrax scare
at U.S. Senate office buildings in
Washington, D.C., in October 2001.
>>>Not surprisingly, safety is high on
the company’s list of concerns. Thus,
HMHTTC insists on a high level of certification
and training for its employees.
Workers in the field undergo 48
hours of safety training a year.
>>>As an added measure, workers
are sent for certification in specific
areas, such as railroad tank cars and
explosives. A 24-hour dispatch center
can provide additional safety
information to field managers and
instruct them on whatever equipment
and precautions are necessary.
>>>The main reason for stressing
safety is the human element, Turner
says. “I would not want that bad news
coming to my doorstep about my
child,” he says. “So, I will do everything
in my power to prevent having
to knock on a family member’s door.”
>>>The company stresses teamwork
and quality. “Every incident, no matter
the size, is handled with the same
urgency and utmost quality and
response,” Turner says.
>>>Even after 13 years of responding to
all types of disasters, however, the company
still finds that reality can throw up
unexpected challenges. Consider hurricanes
Katrina and Rita in 2005.
>>>The federal government and oil
refiners contracted with HMHTTC
for cleanup and hazardous-materials
containment after the storms.
Within days, the company had called
in people from around the country
and hired additional part-time staff,
eventually fielding a team of more
than 120 workers.
>>>The large team created logistical
and financial challenges.
HMHTTC had to find food, shelter
and equipment while ensuring its
other offices continued operating.
The company rented a dozen
mobile bunk houses, air boats able
to navigate the swampy waters and
additional equipment.
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As team members worked 16-
hour days, Turner came up with the
idea for a mobile canteen. The
company transformed a tractortrailer
into a fully functional kitchen
with a walk-in freezer and refrigerator,
galley and pantry, 16 stove-top
burners, three ovens sinks and
microwaves. It held a month’s supply
of food for 100 people and could.
>>>In addition to lending a hand in
some of the country’s biggest disasters,
HMHTCC is active in local communities.
>>>The company’s offices join
local emergency planning committees
that are charged with boosting
chemical safety.
>>>In conjunction with local
authorities, the company’s employees
have helped stage and coordinate
training and safety programs,
such as a recent terrorism response
exercise in Wilmington, Del.
>>>Lastly, the company gives free
hazardous-material training to volunteer
fire departments to help
them better prepare
for and identify
threatening
situations.
>>>And, every year,
the company hosts
a golf tournament
to benefit a cause
that has gone unnoticed.
This year’s
event hopes to raise $25,000 to help a
soldier disabled by injuries sustained in
the war in Iraq.
>>>Turner, meanwhile, has been
recognized as a leader in the business
of hazardous materials emergency
response and is sought after
as a trainer and speaker.
>>>For the future, HMHTTC is counting
on a threefold plan for growth.
First, the company is aiming for
internal growth, including addition
of new regions and offices in the
United States.
>>>Second, the company has
launched a franchise program, a relative
novelty in its industry. HMHTTC
sold its first franchise in February
with a second following in October.
>>>The third step is growth through
acquisition abroad. HMHTTC was
negotiating with a British company this
fall and eyeing European expansion. Visit HMHTTC Response Inc.'s Website |
