About Us
Founder Bob Drew:
Bob's passion for nature and water began during his formative years in Wisconsin. He grew up an avid swimmer, canoeist, kayaker, skier, and sailor in the water-abundant great lakes region. Along the way, he spent five and a half years as an engineer in a paper mill in of all places Southern California where water is of course quite scarce. Paper making uses copious amount of water, and Bob was in charge of running the water plant while optimizing paper production and quality. Through his conservation efforts, he was able to cut water usage in half while improving production and quality. The water savings of a million gallons a day was enough to supply 12,500 residents! He is taking that passion and know-how to get similar results in Atlanta with its water challenges.
Bob has done other things in his career, such as designing new and improved products, optimizing products and processes in Latin America and Europe, and managing large engineering projects. His eye for innovation and his project management orientation are great assets to the design and installation of rainwater systems.
Bob holds a degree in Chemical Engineering from University of Wisconsin and an MBA from UCLA. He is a professional accredited by the American Rainwater Catchment Systems Association. He was recently elected to the board of directors of ARCSA and also is vice chairman of SERHSA (Southeast Rainwater Harvest Systems Association). He serves on the advisory board of DeKalb Tech's new Green Technologies Academy.
Operations Director - Jason Ostby:
Jason is a veteran in the fledgling rainwater collection industry. He has done rainwater collection installations ranging from small above ground 1,000 systems to full fledged 20,000 gallon commercial systems. In addition to being a rainwater expert, Jason runs our high efficiency irrigation and low impact landscaping departments with a wealth of knowledge and experience in both these areas. Jason attended University of Colorado in engineering.
Affiliations:
ECOVIE is a proud members of the following associations:
- Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce
- Green Chamber of the South
- ARCSA (American Rainwater Catchment Systems Association)
- SERHSA (Southeast Rainwater Harvesting Systems Association)
- Buckhead Business Association
Partners:
ECOVIE collaborates with a wide range of adjacent businesses whose goal is to provide the latest green technologies. Here are just a few:
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Inman Solar specializes in photovoltaic solar solutions for businesses and homes:
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ECOMECH is a firm specializing in geothermal energy solutions:
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Earth Balance Organics provides natural and organic lawn care and landscapes:
