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When entities like US Steel, Conoco and the Louisiana
Department of Environmental Quality need scientific data
compiled, they turn to Baton Rouge-based Integrate, Inc.
In the 12 years since it was founded by entrepreneur
and chemist Dr. Michael Crouch, Integrate has developed
a number of software systems designed to manage chemical
and geographical data. Crouch comes to the
business with an impressive background: He has 30
years experience in analyzing and managing environmental
data and founded a laboratory that became one of the
first to qualify for the Federal Contract Laboratory
Program to analyze data from Superfund sites. In
1990, he struck out on his own by founding Integrate.
The company's flagship product is TerraBase, an
environmental database system introduced in 1997 that
the company offers as an application service provider.
TerraBase allows clients to access data over a secure
Web site.
Using TerraBase, clients may see aerial photos of
their facilities along with related chemistry and
geological data. They may access this data in
seconds, regardless of their computer or operating
system. "They can look at hundreds of megabytes of
information over a normal modem," says Crouch.
The information can be easily shared with select
individuals such as engineers, consultants or lawyers.
"Whoever has permission can access all or part of the
data, wherever they are, and that's a big deal," says
Crouch. He adds that while numerous companies
provide scientific data management services, very few,
if any, provide a Web-enabled application.
Integrate has carved out a niche in the environmental
information management industry, which is clearly on the
rise. A recent study by Boston-based market
research firm BTI Consulting Group Inc. says the
environmental management information systems industry
will reach $6 billion by 2005 and is growing at 35% per
year.
Integrate's piece of the pie is relatively small, but
Crouch is confident his company will grow along with the
industry. The company was recently valued at $25
million and he expects to increase it's market value to
$100 million over the next two years.
Early this year, Integrate's growth prompted Crouch
to raise venture capital for the first time since the
company was founded. Integrate used the funds to
move its software to the Web, build a data center,
purchase the powerful servers that run TerraBase and
begin an aggressive sales and marketing campaign.
Crouch says the company raised $2 million of it's $5
million goal. "We're in the growth phase right
now," says Crouch. "We've always done well, but we
figured if we're going to go national we've got to
invest in our infrastructures."
Integrate has already "gone national" in a sense:
The company manages groundwater data for all landfills
for Waste Management in the country, and for huge global
operations like ExxonMobil, Citgo, Canada-based Imperial
Oil, and PPG Industries, a global supplier of coatings,
glass, fiber glass and chemicals based in Pittsburgh.
Integrate is divided into three operating divisions:
data management services, software sales and
development, and Web-based services. Data
management is the consulting arm that helps entities
organize, manage and maintain their data. The
software sales and development division sells desktop
versions of software and enters into joint development
contracts with partners. Web-based services
section provides applications such as TerraBase, the
fee-based application service provider. Currently,
most revenue come derived from data management services,
Crouch Says.
Another new service Integrate plans to offer by the
end of this year is ValidateOnline, which will provide
automatic validation of analytical data. The
process of checking the data against federal guidelines
normally takes four to six weeks, but the Validate
Online service will complete the process in minutes.
Integrate will offer it to anyone who needs the service.
As Integrate beefs up its offerings, it will be
adding to its staff of 20 before the end of the year,
says Crouch.
--Kaija Wilkinson, New Orleans CityBusiness |
