Pacific Aquascape Inc. is hoping to float to a new level.
The Huntington Beach-based environmental engineering firm designs and builds water falls, lakes and other aquatic design features. Its work can be seen at some of the most exclusive resorts, golf courses, hotels and communities. But while Pacific Aquascape’s work is visible, the company is not.
Until now, Pacific Aquascape has relied on referrals for new business. That strategy has worked so far, helping the company grow to about $15 million in annual revenue. But now the 80-person company is looking to other ways it can grow, according to Rob Regan, Pacific Aquascape’s director of project coordination.
Two years ago, Pacific Aquascape split off its civil engineering into a sister company, Pacific Advanced Civil Engineering. In the first year, the new company had about $1 million in revenue and is on track to do $2 million to $3 million this year, Regan said. Last fall, PACE, as it is known, moved into its own building, but is already outgrowing the space. Aquascape recently created another division, Pacific Environmental Resources, to focus on the growing interest in environmentally sensitive water management.
The company also is looking for ways to improve performance. It has brought in a consultant to tweak its internal operations. And it recently hired a marketing director to go after new business.
While the lion’s share of Pacific Aquascape’s projects have been in the Palm Springs area and in Arizona, it also has worked on developments in Las Vegas, Hawaii and Guam and is doing design work for projects in Mexico and Chile.
Its client list reads like a who’s who of golf course and hospitality developers: Ted Robinson, Arnold Palmer, Del Webb, Hyatt Corp., Marriott Hotels and Resorts, Westin Corp. and Hilton Hotels Corp. among them.
Some of the high-profile projects for which Aquascape has done design or building work are Marriott’s Desert Springs Resort & Spa in Palm Desert, the Hyatt Regency Waikoloa in Hawaii and the Pointe Hilton at Squaw Peak in Phoenix.
The company also does work locally. It did the engineering, design and construction of lakes, waterfalls and rock formations for the Ted Robinson-designed golf course at Tijeras Creek in Rancho Santa Margarita. It’s also working with the developers of the golf course community of Talega in San Clemente. Aquascape bid on the Aliso Viejo Golf Club project, but lost out.
Rich Knowland, vice president and area manager for the active adult division of Shea Homes, said he’s worked with Aquascape for 10 to 15 years,first on lakes and later on larger water resources issues.
“I use them in every community I build,” Knowland said. “The big difference (between Aquascape and its rivals) is that most competitors only do lakes and waterfalls. The environmental aspect is where their value comes in.”
Knowland said Aquascape’s emphasis on water management, water quality, urban runoff and habitat restoration are key.
The services “allow you to get state and federal permits,” Knowland said. “If we don’t do these things, (regulators) won’t let developers build any more.”
Aquascape competitors include San Diego’s Cooke & Solis Construction. But Regan said most of its rivals are smaller. They can build a waterfall, he said, but they might not be able to provide the design or engineering services for the project.
One newcomer, Irvine-based Signature Control Systems, which made OC its home last year, provides irrigation control systems to clients that include a “lot of golf courses,” according to President Brian Smith. Smith said he wasn’t familiar with Aquascape, though they’ve both done work in Palm Springs.
Aquascape founder Johan Perslow, a native of Sweden, has a passion for working with natural features in his projects, according to Regan. Perslow, who lives in Palm Desert and commutes to Orange County a few days each week, always is looking at water management systems,like the Santa Ana River channel,and aspires to someday make them better.
“Instead of a concrete channel,” Regan said, “we can design a channel that might look like a natural river.”
The company ventures into other, well, waters, too.
Aquascape has worked on public projects involving flood control, wastewater treatment, site grading, drainage studies and other aspects of water management.
It also designed the Marine Mammal Care facility in San Pedro and provided design, engineering and construction for a tube ride at Raging Waters in San Dimas.
Aquascape hasn’t done work for OC’s big development names: Cedar Fair LP, parent company of Knott’s Berry Farm, the Walt Disney Co., or OC’s most prominent home developer, The Irvine Company.
Regan said Pacific Aquascape has “looked at” some projects for Disney and others but said they’ve been hesitant to get involved with developments where the company might lose control of the operation.
“We like to pick and choose our projects,” Regan said. “We know we’re more effective in some scenarios than others.”
Even so, Regan said the company is busy. Indications are the next year will be “great,” he said,
“We probably have $15 million in projects in Arizona alone,” he said.
That bodes well during a good economy when golf courses, hotels and homes go up in the blink of an eye. But does he worry about a downturn?
The flashy projects may go away, but Aquascape’s core market should hold steady, he said. He points to the millions of Baby Boomers set for retirement, the spread of masterplanned communities and an increasing scrutiny of urban runoff and other water issues.
“Our backbone is small lakes and retirement community projects,” Regan said. n
