Some of the biggest environmental engineering companies tapped Regenesis Bioremediation Products Inc. to help clean up their projects.
The San Clemente-based company makes products that are used to treat contaminated water and soil.
Engineering compan-ies such as Colorado-
based CH2M Hill, San Francisco-based URS Corp. and MWH Global Inc. of Colorado use Regenesis’ products for real estate and public works projects.
The privately held company is backed by a group of investors and generates less than $25 million in yearly sales, Chief Executive Scott Wilson said.
Regenesis counts some 60 workers at its Orange County headquarters and its office in Britain, Wilson said.
Some notable names sit on Regenesis’ board.
Gavin Herbert, cofounder and chairman emeritus of Irvine’s Allergan Inc., started Regenesis in 1994 and now is chairman.
Louis Rosso, chairman emeritus of Fullerton’s Beckman Coulter Inc., is a Regenesis board member, as is David Tappan Jr., former chairman of Fluor Corp., which moved from Aliso Viejo to Texas a few years ago.
Regenesis researches and develops all of its products in OC and has them made at factories in the U.S. and abroad.
The products are sold throughout the U.S., Europe, South America and Asia through sales representatives, Wilson said.
The company’s products have been used in more than 16,000 projects worldwide, Wilson said.
Running a company like Regenesis isn’t easy.
The constant development of products requires a lot of time and money, Wilson said.
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Shampoo, conditioner: Bureau Number Four’s products vegan, free of gluten, sulfate, paraben |
Protecting those new ideas is even more of a challenge.
A good chunk of the company’s resources
is spent on designing patented products. The patents are very technical and thorough so they’re not likely to be copied by other companies, Wilson said.
“We take our patents very seriously,”
he said.
The rising cost of materials is a big obstacle for Regenesis, Wilson said.
“Commodity pricing for raw materials has skyrocketed and we’ve tried to absorb much of that cost ourselves,” Wilson said.
A weak economy also has presented challenges.
A slowdown in housing and commercial construction has impacted environmental engineering companies and their product providers.
Regenesis has noticed the slowdown but still is generating orders for products related to development because clients have already made commitments to clean up development sites, Wilson said.
Companies also are divesting themselves of properties, which require them to clean up the properties before they can become marketable again, Wilson said.
The company has managed to stay afloat by selling more products overseas in countries that continue to see development such as Britain, Japan and Brazil, Wilson said.
Being an international business also helps Regenesis since many local U.S. municipalities don’t require the same treatment of groundwater and soil before development as governments abroad do.
But the demand for scarce water sources could eventually change that, Wilson said.
Regenesis believes that it will someday receive a windfall of work from local government agencies to help find clean drinking water, Wilson said.
“There will be more of a push to look at this because this is a source that can’t be ignored,” he said.
The company plans to get through this year’s downturn by offering more products around the world.
Most recently it created a product that acts as a protective shield by preventing contaminated ground water and soil from seeping into development sites.
Regenesis plans to come out with new products for green development as well, Wilson said.
“We’re constantly developing products,”
he said. “We want to continue to be
innovative.”
Hip Hair Products
Newport Beach-based Bureau Number Four LLC makes hair care products inspired by fashion, art and music.
The year-old company is making a run at the overcrowded hair products category with high-end shampoos, conditioners, styling creams, hair spray and other products under the No. 4 brand.
Bureau Number Four’s products are 100% vegan and free of gluten, sulfate and paraben. They’re made with vitamins, minerals and natural ingredients such as vegetable protein, acai berry and algae.
The products sell for about $45 at hair salons, spas and boutiques including Los Angeles-based Fred Segal.
The privately held company is backed by investors and doesn’t disclose revenue.
Bureau Number Four employs a half dozen workers at its OC headquarters and a handful of sales representatives.
The company researches and develops its products locally and has them made and packaged at a factory in California, according to founder and Chief Executive Rick Hough.
Getting the company off the ground took about a year of research and development, which required a lot of time and money, Hough said.
The company tapped hair stylists, consumer product industry veterans and creative marketing directors to style and shape Bureau Number Four into what it is today.
The goal was to create an upscale hair products company that would work with designers, artists, musicians and others through product collaborations and sponsorships.
“We wanted to be the first hair care line to draw inspiration from art, music and fashion,” Hough said.
Bureau Number Four, like many other newcomers to the consumer products scene, has to deal with limited exposure.
Building a name in hair care is tough when big companies such as France’s L’Oreal SA, which makes high-end hair care products under the PureOlogy and Matrix brands, already dominate the market.
Smaller competitors such as New York-based Frederic Fekkai & Co. also have established names.
“Our biggest challenge is getting the word out,” Hough said.
Bureau Number Four isn’t the first hair care company to call OC home.
Stylist Jim Markham started Irvine-based PureOlogy Research LLC in 2001, which sold to L’Oreal in 2007 with the help of San Francisco-based private equity firm TSG Consumer Partners LLC.
This year Bureau Number Four will spend a good chunk of its time on marketing, Hough said.
The company recently showcased its products at New York’s Fashion Week and plans to show them off at more fashion shows and events this year and next year, he said.
More products are also in the works, he said.
Hawaiian Push
Irvine-based EarthPack is laying the groundwork to open a distribution center in Honolulu next year.
The company makes recycled shopping bags, boxes, labels and other packaging materials for some of the biggest makers of surf-inspired apparel including Huntington Beach-based Quiksilver Inc., Costa Mesa-based Volcom Inc. and Anaheim-based Pacific Sunwear of California Inc.
EarthPack has seen the demand for its products in Hawaii grow over the years as its OC clients open more stores in the region, according to Dave Bock, founder and chief executive.
The company also has picked up a few Hawaii-based clients along the way including Hawaiian Island Creations Inc., Grand Wailea Resort Hotel & Spa and Kona Brewing Co.
“It’s gotten to the point where we’re generating enough volume in Hawaii,” Bock said.
The company plans to open a 3,000- to 4,000-square-foot distribution office in downtown Honolulu, Bock said.
The office will warehouse and manage inventory for the company’s Hawaiian accounts, he said.
EarthPack has yet to determine how many employees will work out of the Hawaii office, Bock said.
The company counts 14 workers at its Irvine headquarters and plans to hire more workers this year, Bock said.
The retail industry has seen its share of challenges this year because of a downturn in the economy.
EarthPack has seen a slight decrease in bag usage as a result and is trying to sign on accounts to offset a dip in sales, Bock said.
The eco-friendly products category is still a robust industry that is growing in popularity, he said.
A slowdown in retail isn’t the only hurdle EarthPack is dealing with.
The company makes its products at factories in the U.S. and overseas and is faced with sky-high material and labor costs, Bock said.
The company plans to get through this year’s downturn by selling more environmentally friendly supplies on its Web site.
EarthPack will start selling ironing boards, clothing tags, hangers and other supplies online.
All of the products will be made from sustainable materials or result in less pollution since they’re made and transported locally, Bock said.
