Today we’d like to introduce you to Casandra Williams. They and their team shared their story with us below:
A-Tech Consulting, Inc. is an environmental health and safety firm founded In 2002, by Robert and Casandra Williams. The early years rings a familiar entrepreneurial story of a bootstrapped startup that began in the owners’ garage, with long days, months, and years developing a company and team that could scale. From humble beginnings, and years of entrepreneurial trial and learning, the leadership team at A-Tech dialed in its focus and growth to become a 5 consecutive time INC 5000 fastest-growing company honoree from 22018-2022. Achieving this growth and success during a global pandemic is a testimony to the grit and determination of our team and the loyalty of our customers.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
As a woman-owned and family ran business, A-Tech has weathered and persevered through many storms in its 21 years of operation. With no prior business experience and being only 22 when the company opened, Casandra Williams faced many challenges as a young female entrepreneur in a male dominant field where both age and sex bias were regularly experienced. There were many instances where a lack of experience, understanding, and network created temporary setbacks and roadblocks in the growth of the company. There were a lot of frustrating results and lonely times in the early years of running the company. There were three pivotal turning points for our organization. The first was when we lost one of our family members unexpectedly. It really caused us to look within at what is important as a family-owned organization and strive to better understand and support one another and do whatever it takes to row in the same direction, no matter what. The second was when we hired our first business coach (who also happened to be an aunt) Virginia Knudsen, who came in and taught our young leadership team how to do a full corporate strategic plan with key performance indicators, process implementation, and leadership development. The mentorship of our coach (and later other coaches) and the determination of our leadership team really set us on a foundation for growth and success.
When the global pandemic hit in 2020 most companies were stress-tested and A-Tech was no exception. As an essential service provider, A-Tech staff worked continuously throughout the pandemic providing infection control services across numerous industries. For months we were training on how to properly disinfect buildings, utilize protective equipment properly, and secure PPE for our clients. A-Tech was an early provider of COVID Compliance officers to the entertainment industry so that TV and movie professionals could safely return to work, Overseeing occupational safety for over 21 simultaneous productions, each needing multiple staff, A-Tech more than doubled in size in a matter of a couple of months.
COVID really was a great opportunity to experience both the strengths and weaknesses of our organization and due to the multiple strains the pandemic placed on our organization, our company discovered it was time yet again to reconstruct the culture, direction, and brand of the organization. At the heart of that restructuring was financially doubling down and attracting, acquiring, and retaining top industry talent. After almost two years of organization restructuring, A-Tech employs the most diverse and experienced professionals in the industry and is poised for rapid expansion.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
There are several unique aspects of A-Tech Consulting that sets us apart from our industry peers. Our diverse in-house industry professionals allow us to offer a wide breadth of services in our industry from professional engineering, industrial hygiene, infection control, legionella testing, lead in water and materials, asbestos mitigation, noise monitoring, ergonomics assessments, OSHA training, Phase I and II assessments, groundwater monitoring, legal expert witness testimony, construction monitoring, and HAZMAT management. At A-Tech the employee experience is a focal point of our company. Ongoing education, the continuous opportunity for career growth, and everyone having a voice culture combined with a caring environment make A-Tech an employee-centric environment.
The founders of A-Tech are most proud of its community involvement. Casandra Williams sits on the board of Orangewood Foundation and Lyon Workforce Academy and the corporation is heavily involved in the initiatives of both non-profits. Participating in the Orangewood Challenge, Stars and Stripes, 44 Women and Ambassador luncheon fundraisers as well as providing internships for students at the Samueli Academy; the A-Tech team enjoys the opportunity to partner with an organization that has a direct impact on the youth in the local community. The Lyon Workforce Academy is a partnership with Orangewood that connects at-risk youth with local mentorship-minded corporations for an opportunity to have access to career growth positions at culture-first companies. A-Tech also supports 150 students in Cap Haitian, Haiti, providing these youth with a free meal and education, daily. In 2023, A-Tech donated over 1,000 shoe boxes to Operation Christmas Child and made sizable donations to Caterina’s Club, an organization that has served millions of meals to children across Southern California. Working in tandem with other Corporate Social Responsible community companies makes building a brand and organization a worthwhile endeavor.
What sort of changes are you expecting over the next 5-10 years?
The environmental, industrial hygiene, infection control, water management, occupational safety, and health and professional engineering segments of our industry are poised for continuous and substantial growth over the next 5-10 years. There is an ever-increasing evolution of awareness and understanding of health effects due to exposure to hazards in the built environment, workplace, and environment at large creating a high demand for licensed and experienced professionals in this industry.
Contact Info:
- Website: atechinc.net
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/atechconsulting/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/atechconsultinginc
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/a-tech-consulting-inc.
- Youtube: www.youtube.com/@a-techconsultinginc
Image Credits
All photos owned by A-Tech Consulting.
