FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: October 15, 2007
Contact: Kassia Travers
(417) 890-9500

Environmental Works Named One of the
Best Places to Work in Southwest Missouri

SPRINGFIELD, MO – Environmental Works, Inc. (EWI) was recognized as one of the 2007 Best Places to Work in southwest Missouri by The Springfield Business Journal.  Companies were rated in the areas of Incentives, Family Friendly, People Development and Corporate Culture. 

The honorees were divided into four employee size categories: 1 to 24, 25 to 100, 101 to 300, and 301+ employees.  The five businesses with the highest score were placed under each category.  EWI was ranked under the 25–100 employees category along with Amberg Entertainment Inc., Ollis & Co., The Insurancenter and University of Phoenix.  Scores were tallied by accounting firm Whitlock, Selim & Keehn LLP, the independent judge for the competition.  Ranked results will be announced Nov. 16 during a special breakfast event at the Oasis Hotel Convention Center, and honorees will be featured in a special publication in the Nov. 19 issues of Springfield Business Journal and Joplin Tri-State Business.

In addition to the specific categories ranked by SBJ, the actual employees at EWI have voiced many more reasons why their company is one of the best places to work.  One of the greatest reasons they have now is that EWI President and Owner, Robin Melton, is taking all her employees, each with one guest of their choice (84 people total) on a 4 day/3 night Royal Caribbean Cruise, departing on October 25th to celebrate 15 successful years in business. 

Starting with only 2 employees in 1992, Melton has grown the firm to nearly 50 associates and three locations.  EWI is now the largest environmental engineering firm in the Southwest Missouri area according to the Springfield Business Journal 2007 Book of Lists.  Melton contributes a large part of this success to her employees and because of this she asserts that investing in her staff is one of the most valuable business investments she can make.  To show her appreciation and gratitude, Melton is taking her employees on the celebration cruise.  At the 10-year mark in 2002, Melton took her staff plus a guest each to Cancun.

“The Cancun trip was the best vacation I’ve been on,” said Suzan Gonder, Principal Scientist and Division Manager of Railroad Services at EWI.  Gonder is also really looking forward to the cruise coming up in a few weeks.  “During my 9 years with EWI, one of the aspects I have loved the most is that we work in an environment that is open.  It is open to our creativity, ideas, high energy, hard work, and fun-loving nature.  Everyone in the company is encouraged to contribute their ideas and it's not a hard thing to do as our president is right down the hall and her door is always open.  In addition, we all have a strongly vested interest in seeing EWI succeed and we're happy to say we are doing just that!” said Gonder.

Environmental Works, Inc. (EWI) is an environmental consulting firm, which has developed a national reputation in the specific field of petroleum storage tank remediation, hazardous waste management, and highly specialized railroad industry services.  In addition, EWI performs a broad range of environmental services from subsurface investigations to due-diligence assessments.  EWI was founded in 1992 in Springfield, Missouri by company president, Robin Melton.  The firm quickly became an industry leader with an impressive list of clients including BNSF Railway Company, Bass Pro Shops, Inc., Commerce Bank, Tracker Marine, and a host of other local and regional companies.  The corporate headquarters remains in Springfield, Missouri with regional offices in Kansas City, Kansas and Rolla, Missouri.

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