Leslie Davis

Growing up, Leslie Davis always enjoyed solving problems.

While attending the University of Arkansas at Little Rock, Davis worked at an environmental consulting company. “The time I spent there researching and solving problems for our clients had me hooked,” she said. The North Little Rock native received her bachelor’s degree from UALR in environmental health sciences in 1994.

After working as an environmental consultant for years, Davis and her business partner, Trena Adair, decided to start their own firm in 2007. “It was right as the oil and gas boom was starting,” said Davis, principal of Harbor Environmental & Safety of Little Rock. “The Fayetteville Shale and Arkansas didn’t have good oil and gas regulations to address what was going on in there, so we saw this niche opportunity.”

Those early years in the company were focused on the oil and gas industry, but “we figured out that that was not going to last forever,” she said. “We spent a lot of time in 2010 and 2011 trying to diversify the business.” In February 2015, Harbor acquired Blaylock Threet Engineers Inc. of Little Rock, which expanded Harbor’s engineering and surveying expertise. Harbor offers environmental, safety and engineering consulting.

Harbor has grown from two employees to 30, with employees in Louisiana and Washington. This year it plans to add between five and 10 employees. It also has outgrown its 6,000-SF office and is looking for more office space this year. Harbor’s revenue increased 25 percent in 2015 to a range of between $2 million and $4 million, Davis said.

Davis said the company has been successful because of its management team and employees. “We try to do what’s best for the client in every situation without compromising our integrity,” she said.

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