You’ve likely heard the term “veteran owned business.” It’s not new, nor is it news. Veteran owned businesses are all around us. Statistics show that 1 of every 14 employer businesses throughout the United States is a veteran owed entity. That’s a decent percentage.
What are the benefits of working with a veteran owned business? Well, they’re vast, but in short, veteran owned businesses, by-and-large are trustworthy, customer service driven organizations. Sown from the seeds of hard work, determination, strong whit, and a desire to be better in the industry or market that the company serves, as well as an overarching goal of serving towards the betterment of the country as a whole.
The military has a strong track record of teaching transferable skills to its members which serve them well while they’re under military contract as well as their time navigating life as a civilian business owner once they’re no longer under the guise of active duty. Skills such as:
- Critical thinking
- Multitasking
- Teamwork
- Leadership
- Integrity
- Motivation
- Problem solving tactics
- And more…
The reason we bring all this up is our founder, Chris Rider, is a US Military Veteran who took charge and started his own business (two in fact!) after his duty to our country came to a close.
A few questions for Mr. Rider:
What’s your military experience?
I spent one year in the reserve and three years on active duty in the United States Navy – Submarine Service.
What did you learn from your collective enlistment?
There is not much that is more complicated/sophisticated and highly engineered than a submarine. It needs to be this way to function safely.
What led you to start your own business after you “retired” from the military?
I’ve always worked for myself. After the Navy I realized that I didn’t want a boss, I wanted to be my own boss. I saw and experienced strong military leadership while enlisted and took the skills that military leaders showed me and used it in my civilian life. Initially I was in the automotive business – Porsche repair, importation and sales and then moved on to where we are today with Global Environmental Solutions (GES). (Read more about the Porsche topic here: https://globalenvironmentalsolutions.com/traditional-environmental-techniques-antique-auto/)
Global Environmental Solutions was founded in 2001 (originally as DirtGlue Enterprises, LLC), and, as you may already know, is heavily entrenched in the science of high-technology soil stabilization. We take great pride in developing and providing green soil stabilization solutions to a host of industries for both wind and water erosion control. One of these industries that has served as a lynchpin and serious case study for our company is, in fact, the military. We’re proud to serve the men and women that serve our country so selflessly.
For many, the immediate thought when you think about the military is deserts. Our DirtGlue® and Dustless® soil stabilizer solutions were formulated specifically to keep dust down as our military trains and actively engages with soil that will otherwise wind up in the air if untreated (think about the dust a helicopter throws around as it approaches a landing pad in an area like the desert). As you can imagine, and as this one case suggests, terrain is a vast challenge for our armed services. They spend a lot of time in the desert and get back and forth using a myriad of operative vehicles such as large wheeled cargo units on the ground, and helicopters in the air. In short, a lot of dust is displaced – or can be displaced if untreated.
Let’s not get too far away from the point here… We’re not just another soil stabilization and dust control company. We’re a veteran owned company that started with the vision of providing the best possible eco-friendly products to get the job done right the first time, from inception to completion, and in a timely, cost-efficient, and ecologically compliant manner.
Highly focused on research, development, leadership, and customer service, our goal has always been to provide the best possible results in an industry where ‘good’ just isn’t good enough. We strive for technical and ecological superiority; every product, every project, all the time. Tried, true, and focused on the task at hand – loyal to our customers’ needs while serving the country in a safe, and ecologically friendly manner.
GES: For the earth, with the earth in mind.