For over 30 years John Cowdery has been creating value, improving operations and guiding the growth of successful environmental services firms.
Today he’s sharing his vast industry knowledge, connections and proven methods to help business owners meet their objectives – growth, improved financial performance and operations, succession, or acquisition.
Passionate about the quality and preservation of our natural resources, John has built businesses that not only succeed financially, but succeed in advancing their founders’ visions and ideals.
At Hygienetics, a Boston based consulting firm, John grew the firm’s West Coast operations from six to 120 people in 18 months, opening and running West Coast offices in San Francisco and Orange County.
At ATC Group Services he ran West Coast operations, growing the division through organic growth and strategic acquisitions from $7mm to over $30mm in annual revenues.
In 2000, Jones & Stokes hired John to be CEO and lead the company through an operational turnaround including streamlining of back office procedures, new operational programs, and business development designed to stabilize and grow the firm while planning for ownership succession and acquisition. During his eight years there he grew the firm through acquisitions and organic growth from four offices to 23, and from $22mm to over $75mm in revenue with annual growth of 15%. In 2008 he orchestrated Jones & Stokes sale to ICF.
In 2010 he left ICF and started Callard and Cowdery and took on several large projects:
- Became COO for Pacific Municipal Consultants (PMC). Lead improvement programs for profitability, bank relationships and business develop. Resulting in substantial growth and profit improvement resulting in PMC selling to Michael Baker.
- Provided advisory services for EORM to help internal strategies for M&A, balance sheet improvement and margin enhancement. Resulted in the successful transaction with BSI.
- Multiple other confidential projects.
In 2013, John was contacted by the CEO of TRC and convinced to return to full-time employment as the President of the Environmental Sector. With his leadership team, John grew TRC’s Environmental Sector from $200 million in revenue to $400 million in revenue generating 23% operating margins. He participated in TRC’s transition from a publicly traded company to be sold to a private equity sponsor (New Mountain Capital). Worked with the leadership team of TRC to develop their 5-year strategic plan.
In 2018, John was contacted to take on the role of CEO for Cascade Environmental, a field services contractor owned by private equity sponsor Snow Phipps (now TruArc). John lead the turnaround and integration of 15 firms that had been purchased by Snow Phipps over a three year period prior to John joining. With the support of his team, he re-organized the firm, improved sales and margin enhancement, and created the One Company mindset needed to have Cascade perform as it should.In 2022 he returned to Callard and Cowdery and has been providing advisory services to select clients.
He’s an effective sounding board for the toughest questions and issues. And rather than peering over an owner’s shoulder, John stands shoulder-to-shoulder with his clients, ready to roll up his sleeves to help execute these business-changing strategies.