Before the modern conveniences of fiberglass insulation and flame retardants, many buildings were constructed using asbestos. The health risks posed by such toxic building materials were unknown. Removing these hazardous materials is a top priority, but asbestos removal is no easy task. It requires specialized protective equipment, expensive testing equipment, and extensive training. Thus, contractors that offer asbestos removal services are in high demand.
In this article, we’ll take a closer look at what asbestos removal entails, list of the top contractors for the job, and identify common traits of the fastest-growing asbestos removal contractors.
Asbestos Removal Industry Overview and Outlook
Asbestos was often used in construction projects before the turn of the century. It’s still found in many spaces, including ceiling tiles, heating ducts, and interior insulation. However, these building materials have a finite lifespan, ranging from roughly 20-40 or 50-100 years (depending on the specific material).
Asbestos removal contractors are highly trained professionals who specialize in safely removing their materials once their lifespan is up. Their services include:
- Testing building materials and air quality to determine asbestos exposure
- Evacuating and marking off all contaminated areas
- Eliminating all harmful building materials present in the area
- Securely storing and disposing of asbestos fibers
- Deep cleaning any affected areas, including a final air quality test to ensure all asbestos has been removed
Approximately 20% of public and commercial buildings in the US still contain asbestos. Many materials containing asbestos are nearing the end of their time, meaning lots of potential projects for asbestos removal contractors.
Asbestos removal is a subset of the environment remediation and abatement industry, which reached $26.4 billion last year and is growing at a compound annual growth rate of 4.6%. Asbestos testing alone is outpacing market growth, projecting a 5.21% CAGR between now and 2028. These favorable market conditions are causing numerous renovation and restoration companies to expand their services to include asbestos testing and abatement.
27 Top Asbestos Removal Contractors in the US
With more contractors offering asbestos abatement services, it’s easy to feel lost when trying to find the best asbestos removal contractors. That’s why we’ve compiled a list of some of the top contractors specializing in asbestos and environmental abatement.
We reviewed company profiles from three top industry resources:
- Engineering News-Record’s Top 600 Specialty Contractors list
- Thomas Net’s Top Asbestos Removal Contractors in the US and Canada
- Expertise.com’s Top Asbestos Removal Companies
This resulted in a list of 27 top asbestos removal contractors that generate over $10 million in annual revenue, predominantly concentrated in New York and California. They range from family-owned small businesses focusing on environmental abatement to large companies with abatement services subsidiaries.
7 of the Fastest Growing Asbestos Removal Contractors
Seven contractors on this list stood out to us due to their noteworthy growth rates. All seven made the ENR’s Top 20 Firms in Abatement/Environmental. Each grew 2022 revenue by more than 25%, with one—ATI Restoration—hitting a 192% year-over-year growth rate.
Here’s a closer look at these seven fastest-growing asbestos removal contractors.
1. ATI Restoration LLC
Headquarters: Anaheim, CA
Annual Revenue: $60.5 million
YOY Growth: 192%
ATI Restoration is the nation’s largest family-operated disaster recovery services firm. Founded in 1989 in Anaheim, California, ATI has over 65 offices across 26 states. It’s dedicated to providing the flexibility and personal touch of a family business while still performing at the high-volume standards of industry leaders.
In addition to asbestos abatement services, ATI offers a full suite of reconstruction, renovation, and environmental abatement services for residential and commercial properties, plus government buildings and organizations. Its primary focus is remediation and reconstruction for damages caused by fires, floods, hurricanes, and other natural disasters.
Learn more on ATI Restoration’s website.
2. Winter Environmental
Headquarters: Peachtree Corners, GA
Annual Revenue: $26.4 million
YOY Growth: 121%
Winter Environmental is a full-service environmental services contractor founded in 1987 by Winter Construction. The company employs over 200 environmental specialists and laborers from a single office in Peachtree Corners, Georgia. It has completed nearly 5,000 environmental cleanup projects across 24 states.
Winter’s main focus is abatement and decontamination services, like the removal of asbestos, lead, and mold. Its services extend to encompass the broad scope of environmental cleanup work including decommissioning nuclear materials, contaminated soil remediation, and even natural disaster cleanup.
Learn more on Winter Environmental’s website.
3. International Asbestos Removal Inc.
Headquarters: Babylon, NY
Annual Revenue: $22.1 million
YOY Growth: 69%
International Asbestos Removal Inc., also known as IAR, is a family-owned company that provides environmental remediation and insulation services. Karen Grando founded the business in 1987. It's one of the only recognized Women’s Business Enterprises in its field and holds WBE diversity certificates in New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania. IAR has completed over 20,000 since opening.
IAR’s abatement services included the removal of asbestos, molds, and other hazardous chemicals. The company also offers fireproofing and insulation services, which are often necessary after removing asbestos materials from a property. Some of its most notable projects include the World Trade Center and every airport in New York.
Learn more on International Asbestos Removal’s website.
4. Lakeshore Environmental Contractors LLC
Headquarters: Birmingham, AL
Annual Revenue: $22.4 million
YOY Growth: 44%
Lakeshore Environmental, headquartered in Alabama, is one of the nation's leading asbestos removal contractors. It has operating licenses in nearly 30 states across the East Coast and Midwest. Overseen by an experienced environmental abatement team, Lakeshore prides itself on offering the best service available in the industry.
In addition to asbestos abatement, Lakeshore offers lead removal, infection control, demolition, duct cleaning, mold remediation, and emergency response services. Its client base includes large clients across government, banking, industrial, healthcare, telecommunications, and education.
Learn more on Lakeshore Environmental’s website.
5. Sessler Environmental Services
Headquarters: Waterloo, NY
Annual Revenue: $16.7 million
YOY Growth: 36%
Sessler Environmental Services (SES) is a family-owned and operated specialty contractor that offers a range of environmental and asbestos abatement services. SES was founded in 1958, making it the oldest company on our shortlist. With three offices across New York, the company has a proven track record across the Northeast, Mid-Atlantic, and Great Lakes regions.
Sessler’s services include asbestos removal, environmental remediation, industrial cleaning, demolition, decontamination, and environmental investigation. The company takes pride in being an expert in asbestos removal and all asbestos-related requirements, procedures, and regulations.
Learn more on Sessler’s website.
6. Performance Contracting Group Inc.
Headquarters: Lenexa, KS
Annual Revenue: $39.9 million
YOY Growth: 32%
Performance Contracting Group (PCG) is a top-tier specialty contractor well-known across the US, with a wide portfolio of divisions. Its asbestos removal projects officially fall under Performance Abatement Services (PAS). As the leading expert in hazardous material removal, PAS employs a multi-stage abatement process to ensure environmental risks are fully mitigated.
PCG offers turnkey asbestos and lead abatement, as well as mold remediation services that include encapsulation, enclosure, and complete removal. The company strongly emphasizes compliance and safety, employing the safest methods to eliminate asbestos, such as glove bagging, ceiling scraping, and industrial buffing.
Learn more on Performance Contracting Group’s website.
7. Irex Contracting Group
Headquarters: Lancaster, PA
Annual Revenue: $31.2 million
YOY Growth: 29%
Irex Contracting Group is an affiliated group of specialty contractors that specialize in scaffolding, insulation, painting, and abatement (SIPA) services. It operates nine subsidiaries out of 35 offices across the country, employing over 2,000 employees.
Irex provides new construction, renovation, and maintenance services. It serves an array of industries, with particular emphasis on commercial, industrial, marine, petrochemical, and power markets. Asbestos abatement is just one of its 16 service lines.
Learn more on Irex’s Contracting Group’s website.
What Every Subcontractor Can Learn from Fastest-Growing Asbestos Contractors
Market demand has certainly been a key driver of the exceptional growth rates for these fastest-growing asbestos removal companies. But demand alone doesn’t make a financially sound construction company. After all, construction businesses face more financial challenges than most other industries—including delayed payment cycles, cash flow issues, tight profit margins, and fluctuating material costs.
Contractors like these that demonstrate 25%+ growth rates are doing a few things right.
- They’ve built reputations as leaders in safety and compliance. This is important for all contractors, but especially for abatement contractors. Failure to adhere to environmental regulations can potentially put them out of business.
- They’ve pursued and procured large contracts from reputable general contractors and developers, ultimately minimizing their risk.
- They’re smart about their resources. Running a profitable construction company is not easy. You basically have to finance your growth, which means you need to get a grip on your financial forecast.
Subcontractors across all trades use tools like Siteline for greater visibility into A/R, including cash forecasts, over- and under-billing, and billing projections. Plus, it streamlines accounting processes to get money in the door weeks faster.
If eliminating payment delays and gaining greater financial clarity would make a difference for your construction business, take a look at Siteline. It’s built to help trade contractors grow faster.
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