By JEFF WEISS Contributing Reporter Allied Industries Inc. Sherman Oaks No. 5 Fastest Growing Company Overall (57.1%) When most people think of California’s eco-friendly legislation, they most commonly think of the state’s stringent smog, gasoline and oil-drilling regulations. But while they might never be able to come up with a budget on time, the state’s legislators have also put in place a rigorous array of protections against asbestos, lead and other toxins, laws that have greatly aided the growth of environmental remediation construction specialists, Sherman Oaks-based Allied Industries Inc. “We went from 60 to 140 employees in just the last seven months and it’s been all sorts of projects. We’re working on construction, design and building facilities with the highest environmental engineering and environmental remediation standards,” Fernando Gutierrez, Allied vice president, said. “In addition to lead removal, we do quite a bit of asbestos removal. California is an environmentally conscious state and all the different regulations require companies to be capable of catering to business’ needs. We have that ability.” And clients have certainly noticed, with Allied placing fifth on the Business Journal’s list of Fastest Growing Private Companies, with a 57.1 percent growth rate between 2005 and 2006. But it’s more than just catering to a market niche, Allied has wisely enlisted big name partners to go after lucrative government contracts. “Strategic partnering has been essential for our success,” Gutierrez said. “We’ve tried to look for companies that share a corporate culture with us and we’ve partnered up with the likes of Tetratech and URS Corp. to after federal contracts. One of our biggest goals is to get those federal contracts.” But Gutierrez insists that such growth would ultimately be impossible without being able to attract top-notch employees, a notoriously difficult obstacle in the Valley, but one that Allied has been able to overcome. “We look for aggressiveness, personality and charisma. It’s difficult to get that kind of employee but by performing work and meeting people in the realization of our projects, our reputation has spread,” Gutierrez said. “People come to us for work because they see the opportunities as well as the management’s clear vision.” As for this clear vision, Gutierrez claims that plans for acquisitions loom in the company’s future, with plans to tentatively expand into the Washington, Nevada and Washington D.C/Virginia area.
