Veteran Owned and Family Operated Since 2003

"Welcome to our Website. We would like to introduce our family-owned business to you and offer our goals in preserving our beautiful waters and environmental resources." - The Cardona Family

Environmental and Labor Solutions, Inc. was founded in 2003 by Julian and Lori Cardona. Julian, a service-disabled veteran, had a vision for environmental and emergency response opportunities while serving ten years in the United States Navy. While stationed at Naval Air Station Mayport his duties included harbor operations where he received training in oil-skimming operations and oil spill response.

After leaving the Navy, Julian worked with a prominent environmental remediation and emergency response corporation. His oversight of large numbers of personnel, provided by various out-of- state staffing companies on large projects and emergency response operations, gave him the experience and taught him the complexities of leading large groups of workers for emergency services. It was no easy task. His vision and experience, along with the business management experience of his supportive wife Lori, led to their decision to form Environmental and Labor Solutions, Inc.

In forming this new business, Julian’s vision included a new concept he called the “HANDS OFF APROACH” to staffing. This management technique allows the client the benefit of having trained workers without dealing with the difficult and mundane tasks of direct oversight. ELS would instead provide its own temporary workers and incorporate leaders and experienced supervisors in the mix. In addition to man power, ELS would assist in arranging and providing lodging, transportation, meals, per diem, insurance, payroll, and required payroll taxes. Each and every worker was trained and certified in dealing with various aspects of working with hazardous materials and remediation.

This “Hands off Approach” caught the attention of a prominent environmental company, who offered Environmental and Labor Solutions a first right of refusal agreement for response services to the Deep Water Horizon Oil Spill. ELS provided training and managed 400 people in two states for the oil spill cleanup. Soon many other environmental companies noticed the benefits of this management approach, and, due to this unique all-inclusive service, the company has grown its client base substantially over a period of 13 years.

The Cardona children, Alex and Alyssa, grew up experiencing the company’s success and participated in many of the projects led by their parents. It was just a matter of time for them to attend college and join the family business. Both are currently assuming leadership roles with the company.

In Julian’s quest for expanding his opportunities, he discovered he could provide needs for minority participation in the construction and abatement industries by contracting directly to owners or prime contractors.  He left Environmental and Labor Solutions in 2012 in the hands of his wife Lori and son Alex and formed ELS Abatement & Construction, LLC, with certifications from the Small Business Administration as an 8 (a) firm, Hispanic-Owned and Disabled Veteran-Owned Business.

Why We Are Different

Our experience in emergency response has allowed us to recognize a need. During the initial response our clients have found themselves in a position to manage hundreds of people from hotel assignments, site specific training, muster, per-diem disbursement etc. In recognizing this need our company has developed leaders with experience in the environmental field to assist managers and supervisors with the mundane tasks. This has allowed our clients to have supervision for personnel and gives them the freedom for more important tasks. They will have not only the time to run a more efficient mission but also allowed them the time they need to complete their documentation.