RK Environmental Services grows through food industry service

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December 13, 2016

RK Environmental Services delivers expert knowledge and customized solutions in the food industry.

RK Environmental President Hank Hirsch, BCE. Photo: RK Environmental Services

RK Environmental President Hank Hirsch, BCE.
Photo: RK Environmental Services

Revenue growth. It’s what every company strives to achieve every year. As the popular saying goes, “If you’re not growing, you’re dying.” Double-digit growth? Even better. And RK Environmental Services can confidently say it’s achieved double-digit growth, primarily through its proactive approach to service in the food industry.

“We only service the food industry — that’s our niche, and nobody does it better than we do,” says Hank Hirsch, BCE, president of RK Environmental.

RKE, whose reputation is based on personal attention and proven results, understands the food industry, and that helps with the sales process. It operates a sister company called Comprehensive Food Safety that offers food safety consulting, training and customized audits.

“Our dedicated approach to the food industry has definitely given us an advantage,” Hirsch says.

The company’s sales and service has played a significant role in its growth the past several years. With the Food Safety Modernization Act and the increasing need for a Global Food Safety Initiative audit, there has been a considerable need for consulting services — and a more professional, formalized approach to integrated pest management services.

“This need and our reputation for quality have definitely contributed to our growth,” Hirsch says.

When it comes to giving advice to others in the industry about sales and service tactics, Hirsch suggests being professional and training sales staff to know — in RKE’s case — the food industry and how different sectors are susceptible to different pest problems.

“No two clients are alike, so each scope of service must be customized,” he says.

In terms of the company’s sales and service best practices, each of RKE’s sales staff holds the title of account executive and has relationship-building responsibilities, serving as an additional layer to ensure quality. All the staff go through food safety training, and because the company works with so many food processors, they’re all well trained on the different audit standards with which RKE has to comply.

Looking ahead, Hirsch wants to see RK Environmental evolve from paper documentation to cloud-based record keeping using tablets. The technology is available now, and the company is beginning to use it, but Hirsch anticipates it will take several years to get clients comfortably on board. The company also is working toward using remote device monitoring so its service specialists can focus on inspection and preventive measures, rather than spending so much time servicing devices.

So next year, RKE just might be able to add technology to sales and service in the food sector as reasons why it reached its projected double-digit growth.


RK Environmental Services

Headquarters: Westwood, N.J.
2015 revenue: $7.2 million
Projected 2016 revenue: $8.6 million
Projected increase: 20 percent

Top 3 business tips:

  1. Keep internal and external communication at a high level.
  2. Challenge staff and implement incentive programs to help motivate and reward success.
  3. Keep things in perspective at all times. Don’t let little things bother you, and never make your staff feel bad. People might not remember everything you say, but they’ll always remember how you made them feel.

Contributor John Walsh can be reached at jwalsheditor@gmail.com.

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