Our Mission
Pyramid Environmental & Engineering, P.C. is dedicated to quality safety, innovation and excellence.
Our mission is written by our employees – who are the most important resource we will offer to you, our client. At Pyramid, people are our number one priority: we dedicate ourselves to our clients, our employees, and our community.
To our clients we promise to provide:
- Tailored, prompt service
- Our complete focus, time and attention
- Client advocacy
- Sound technical data and advice
- Confidentiality that protects client interests
To our employees, we promise to provide:
- A climate of safety, teamwork, support and mutual respect
- Training, education, and professional development
- Empowerment for research, innovation and creativity
To our community, we promise to provide:
- Responsible corporate citizenship
- Stewardship to preserve our natural resources
- Programs of education, charity and volunteerism
- Our success is measured by client satisfaction, employee fulfillment and community recognition.
Company History
Pyramid Environmental & Engineering was founded in 1990 by Doug Canavello, and since that time we have continuously provided quality environmental services throughout the United States, with a focus in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeast regions.
Certifications and Affiliations
Corporate Certifications
- Registered North Carolina Board of Examiners for Engineers and Surveyors—License C-1251
- Registered North Carolina Board for Licensing of Geologists— License C-257
- Registered Environmental Consultant (REC) North Carolina Department of Environment and Natural Resources
- North Carolina Department of Transportation Small Professional Services Firm (SPSF)
- North Carolina Department of Transportation Small Business Enterprise (SBE)
Certifications & Affiliations
- Association of Engineering Geologists (AEG) – Sponsor
- Member ASTM – Voting Member of Committee E50 (Environmental)
- AWRA – American Water Resources Association
- Members of the National Groundwater Association
- Members of the Groundwater Professionals of North Carolina
- Member of the Carolina Geological Society
- North Carolina Petroleum Marketers Association
Certifications held by Pyramid Employees:
- Registered Site Manager (RSM) in the NC DENR Inactive Hazardous Site Branch (IHSB) Program
- Registered North Carolina Board for Licensing of Geologists Professional Geologist
- Registered North Carolina Board of Examiners for Engineers and Surveyors
- North Carolina, South Carolina & Virginia Certified Asbestos Inspector/Manager
- North Carolina & South Carolina Certified Lead Based Paint Inspector
- North Carolina Licensed Well Driller
- North Carolina Certified Wastewater System Operator
- Registered Tennessee Professional Geologist
- Registered Florida Professional Geologist
Our Staff:
Doug Canavello, P.G., M.B.A
Company Principal, Professional Geologist (NC)
MBA, Finance, Tulane University
M.S., Geology, North Carolina State University
B.S., Geology, Duke University
As President of Pyramid Environmental, Doug oversees all aspects of company performance, including finances, marketing, and operations. He is the principal employee involved in assessment and analysis of economic benefits and alternatives relating to client environmental issues. Doug’s experience includes more than 20 years in management, design, and implementation of hydrogeological, geochemical, and geophysical investigations, as well as the design and implementation of soil and groundwater remediation projects.
Michael Jones, P.G.
Operations Manager, Senior Hydrogeologist
B.S., Geology, Florida State University
Mike has over 30 years of environmental consulting experience serving industrial, government, federal, private, and petroleum clients. Mike seeks to understand the client’s long term goals and then formulates a plan to achieve them. Mike will evaluate a client’s routine, generate a selection of innovative solutions, and ultimately pick a course of action that will reach their goals in an expedient fashion. Mike is well versed in state and federal regulations, and works well with the regulatory community to seek the right solution for environmental problems. Mike has successfully completed challenging brownfields projects, performed all phases of investigation and remediation for 8 petroleum bulk fuel terminals for Shell Oil Company, and has worked on a variety of assessment and remediation projects, large and small. Mike supervises multiple project management staff providing training, project guidance, regulatory interpretation, customer care, and final report professional reviews.
Brett Higgins, E.P.
Senior Project Manager
B.S., Geology, University of North Carolina Wilmington
Brett has over 24 years of experience and coordinates project activities to ensure the project objectives are met within the prescribed time frame and funding parameters. He supervises and performs fieldwork and prepares reports associated with Phase I Environmental Site Assessments, Comprehensive Site Assessments, Corrective Action Plans, Underground Storage Tank Closures, Stormwater Management Plans, and Asbestos and Lead Paint Inspections. Brett also prepares cost estimates for all services offered by Pyramid.
Tim Leatherman, P.G.
Senior Project Manager, Professional Geologist (NC)
B.S., Earth Science, University of North Carolina at Charlotte
Certified Well Contractor (NC)
Tim has been with Pyramid since 1999, and has over 20 years of experience. He is responsible for the management of project operations in the field and development of reports covering various aspects of soil and groundwater investigations and cleanup activities. His remediation experience includes use of Aggressive Fluid Vapor Recovery (AFVR) for free-product recovery, operation and maintenance of “dual-phase extraction” systems (MMPE), SVE systems, and groundwater recovery system. He has also completed multiple Preliminary Site Assessments for road widening/construction projects in North Carolina.
Eric Cross, P.G.
Geophysicist; Business Development; Professional Geologist (NC, FL, TN)
M.S., Marine Geochemistry, University of South Florida
B.S., Earth and Ocean Sciences, Duke University
Eric has over 17 years of experience in geophysics, geology and environmental investigations, and has been with Pyramid since 2012. His experience includes near surface geophysical surveys, geologic site characterization, geotechnical investigations, and environmental assessments. At Pyramid he acts as the Senior Geophysicist in charge of the management and implementation of all geophysical investigation projects. He also manages Pyramid’s standing contract with the North Carolina Department of Transportation, and assists other project managers with various environmental investigations. Eric also acts as Pyramid’s Business Development Associate, typically serving in a technical marketing capacity.
Ryan Kramer
Project Manager
B.A., Geology – Kutztown University
Ryan has been with Pyramid since 2011 and has over 14 years of experience in the environmental field. For the past 4 years, Ryan has been responsible for completing Phase I, Phase II, Asbestos, Lead-Based Paint and Radon surveys for the National Park Service (NPS) and other federal government agencies. When the NPS purchases property or receives a land donation, Ryan provides an evaluation of the current environmental conditions of the property and provides possible solutions and recommendations. While most of these NPS jobs involve undeveloped properties that start and end with a Phase I ESA, some contain structures that require further inspection. Ryan has completed numerous environmental inspections across the United States, including locations in North Carolina’s Blue Ridge Mountains, a variety of Civil War battlefields, Grand Canyon National Park and Carlsbad National Park.
Mika Trifunovic
Project Manager/Engineer
M.S., Engineering Management, University of New Orleans
B.S., Manufacturing Engineering, University of Belgrade
Mika has ten+ years of experience in the environmental field and brings 20 years of experience in engineering and project management. He has completed more than twelve soil and groundwater remediation systems since joining Pyramid in 2007. He provides essential skills to research equipment, prepare bid specifications, coordinate with equipment vendors, prepare final bid documents, and solicit bids. He coordinates and conducts fieldwork including drilling and soil/groundwater sampling, arranges laboratory work, and interprets data and prepares reports. Mika works with other project managers and conducts Phase I ESAs, Phase I LSAs, CSAs, Operation and Maintenance, UST Closures and many other types of projects and reports. He is well versed in contaminant plume characterization, regulatory requirements, and permit applications such as NPDES and NCDENR-DAQ air permits.
Richard N. Webb, P.E.
Senior Engineer
MBA, Marketing, National University
B.S., Mechanical Engineering, Clemson University
Richard has over 30 years of management, civil engineering, and environmental experience. His current responsibilities include oversight and project work for all of Pyramid’s engineering projects. His recent focus has been the design of groundwater and soil remediation systems relating to petroleum leakage from underground and aboveground storage tanks, development of Integrated Spill Plans and SPPC Plans, air quality studies, and air permitting.
Testimonials
“I know we never would have gotten where we are without you [Mike Jones] and Pyramid. So much thanks.”
Matthew Reddell, VP, Chief Mechanical Officer & Chief Safety Officer / Patriot Rail Company LLC
_________________________________________
“I just wanted to give Ryan and Pyramid some Kudos for doing excellent work for NPS. Pyramid has always gone that extra mile for us either expediting a job or just going out of your way to give us an excellent report, I really appreciate it. Especially a job I gave Ryan last November at New River. We needed to close before the end of the year and Ryan raced out there to get the job done so we could acquire it on time………and we did! Without Pyramid’s effort we may have lost that parcel of land. ”
Andrew J. Petro – Realty Specialist / National Parks Service, NERO
_________________________________________
“Pyramid went to bat for me to keep the cost reasonable and to save money wherever they could. The site cleanup was proposed and came in at less than half of the price estimated. I am glad that I found Pyramid and that they helped me get my site to regulatory closure with some money left over! Thanks Pyramid!”
Charles Holland – Former Owner & Operator of the Holland / Irving Park BP
_________________________________________
“Was that a rabbit? Met a guy last Friday; he has been in one (Brownfields permit process) for 5 years. I told him we worked with Pyramid and got it done!”
Louis Barber, CFO – Pallet Express, Inc.