Asbestos-containing construction products were pervasive throughout the 1950s to the 1980s, and no one gave it a second thought. It was not until much later that research linked asbestos to serious health conditions and these materials were phased out of use. With it, a new industry emerged, and Phil Crook met the opportunity by starting Clean Air Services in 1996. Over the following 30 years, the small abatement business grew exponentially under the leadership of the second generation, and today, Clean Air Services is an industry leader providing safe and cost-effective hazardous material abatement services to clients throughout southern Alberta.
“My dad ran the company for 10 years, and we just watched what he did,” says Graham Crook, co-owner of Clean Air Services. “He had 18 years in the military so he was very structured, and I think we both picked up the way we deal with people and the day-to-day operations from him.”
One of their dad’s lessons that they took to heart was to never give a client a reason not to hire them. Their reputation for professionalism, quality and consistently striving to exceed expectations has kept clients coming back over the years. But securing new clients and projects is equally important. Phil’s advice on that front was simple: be available, not only during the work week but after hours as well.
“Clients are going to call three companies for a price. You want to be one of those calls,” says Graham. “When we first started, phones were forwarded at night and we were answering calls at 10:00 p.m. and on holidays because we wanted that client. We knew if we didn’t answer, they were calling somebody else.”
With this customer service focus to guide them, Graham and his brother, Andrew, built on their father’s solid foundation to grow the company. They bought Phil out of the business in 2006 and together the two formed an effective leadership team: Andrew oversees operations, project managers and crews, while Graham focuses primarily on the financial and administrative side of the business. The result is a partnership built on clearly defined roles, a commitment to quality service, trust in each other’s expertise and a lifelong history of working together, first as brothers and then as colleagues.
It has proven to be a winning formula. Through solid leadership and a stellar industry reputation, Clean Air Services has developed long-term relationships with clients, many dating back decades. The Calgary Board of Education gave the company its first job in 1996 and has continued to contract them for projects ever since. The company has also fostered strong ties with institutions such as the University of Calgary and Mount Royal University as well as solid relationships with general contractors working on significant projects ranging from large-scale renovations to helping decommission a gas plant.
Clean Air Services’ seven crews in the field complete more than 300 jobs annually for commercial and industrial clients in Calgary and, since its 2004 expansion, in Lethbridge. Although asbestos-containing products began to be replaced with safer alternatives in the 1980s, regulatory action was slow to materialize. Final federal regulations came into effect in 2018, meaning that despite decades of awareness around the hazards of asbestos, there continues to be a need for abatement so many years later.
“I remember, even in the first 10 years, people would ask, ‘Is there going to be this stuff around forever?’ and here we are, 30 years later, still going strong. The whole thing is that more and more people are aware of it and it doesn’t get missed like it used to. There’s still lots of work out there,” says Graham.
Asbestos abatement remains at the core of Clean Air Services’ business, but the team also handles lead removal and, to a lesser extent, mould removal and PCB remediation. Much of its work involves buildings constructed before 1990 when asbestos was widely used in construction. It can be found in more places than property owners realize, including floor tiles and vinyl flooring, ceiling stipple, plaster, caulking, tile adhesives, HVAC compounds, drywall joint compound and vermiculite attic insulation. This makes abatement highly dependent on understanding not only what hazardous material is present but also that how a building is renovated, demolished or otherwise impacted dictates its treatment.
Every project starts with an environmental consulting company identifying hazardous materials and preparing a hazardous material survey report. From there, Clean Air Services develops its scope and bids the work, which can range from a few hours on site to a months-long assignment involving extensive demolition and reconstruction. No matter the size or complexity, clients know they can rely on the firm to deliver quality results on schedule.
“We get work done when we say we will. We pride ourselves on meeting those schedules. We’re always the first ones in so we don’t want to hold people up,” says Andrew Crook, co-owner of Clean Air Services. “It can be daunting when it’s a two-year project and you’re the guys going in for the first month. We know that if we mess this up, it’s going to have a snowball effect.”
The team at Clean Air Services does all it can to ensure that snowball effect never happens. Its crews are experienced, with many of the key employees having a decade or more of tenure with the business. Leaders like Jim Brandon started in the 1990s and is now a supervisor, and Terry Watts joined the company at inception and now runs the Lethbridge operation. Longevity like this creates a level of trust that can’t easily be replicated. Project managers know they can hand crews a job file, briefly explain the requirements and trust that their experienced employees will manage the work and interact professionally with clients on site.
Given the strength of the team, it makes sense that keeping these crews together is a priority, even when business slows. The company values its people and would rather take a loss to keep them busy through downswings than risk losing experienced employees to competitors. They invest in their employees, ensuring they are set up for success through government-regulated courses followed by certification renewals and ongoing training in-house. Also, the company’s COR certification and safety pre-qualification requirements demonstrate its commitment to employee safety while aligning Clean Air Services with the protocols of major clients and contractor networks.
Every day, Andrew and Graham do all they can to support their team and make Clean Air Services a place where employees want to build a career not simply draw a paycheck. They achieve this in a simple way that pays off in employee satisfaction, great morale and retention.
“The way I look at it, I worked in the field for years, so I know what it is like. We basically just treat our guys how I wanted to be treated,” says Andrew.
What started with Phil Crook has become a lasting family legacy built on the same principles that guided the company from the beginning: work hard, treat people well, earn clients’ trust and keep it, deliver quality service and always give clients a reason to make that next call to Clean Air Services.