Chapter 16
Grace Torrijos, Owner and President: Business as a Family Affair 1
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Rita Majerle and Elizabeth A. Piocos Downloaded by RUTGERS UNIV on December 31, 2017 | http://pubs.acs.org Publication Date: June 28, 2005 | doi: 10.1021/bk-2005-0907.ch016
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Hamline University, 1536 Hewitt Avenue, St. Paul, MN 55104 Clairol Research and Development, Procter & Gamble Company, 2 Blachley Road, Stamford, CT 06922
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This profile highlights a successful chemist who took her love for science from teaching to environmental testing to owning her own business. One way she has met the rigorous demands of such career moves is to integrate her entire family into her work. Grace Torrijos makes helping people and helping the environment a family affair.
As the owner and president of Solar Environmental Services, Inc. (SES), Grace Torrijos finds her life in a healthy balance, surrounded by the work she loves, her family, and a beautiful northwestern location. Anchorage, Alaska, is home to Grace and SES, an environmental testing, engineering, and consulting firm she founded in 1991. SES specializes in abatement solutions, project management, and testing for asbestos, lead, and other hazardous materials. Analysis for the materials of interest can occur in a variety of matrices, resulting in anything but routine analysis procedures. The projects can be really varied and may include determination of hazards from underground fijel tanks, establishing the presence of unhealthy environments in buildings, conducting surface and groundwater monitoring, and project management for abatement work. "For example, often our job can be to examine the structure of buildings and test for the presence of any harmful substances. If substances are detected, we determine whether they pose a health hazard and require removal," explains Grace.
© 2005 American Chemical Society
Hinkle and Kocsis; Successful Women in Chemistry ACS Symposium Series; American Chemical Society: Washington, DC, 2005.
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Grace Torrijos (Courtesy of Grace Torrijos.)
Education and Early Career Her interest in chemistry was sparked in high school, leading Grace to the decision to pursue a degree in chemistry. Upon obtaining her bachelor's degree in 1979, she started teaching at both the high school and college level at Jimel Academy in the Philippines. Then Grace's family immigrated from the Philippines to Alaska in 1985, and she obtained a position as a lab instructor in
Hinkle and Kocsis; Successful Women in Chemistry ACS Symposium Series; American Chemical Society: Washington, DC, 2005.
Downloaded by RUTGERS UNIV on December 31, 2017 | http://pubs.acs.org Publication Date: June 28, 2005 | doi: 10.1021/bk-2005-0907.ch016
103 analytical chemistry at the University of Alaska, Anchorage. Grace later joined a local environmental firm, Pittsburgh Testing Laboratories (PTL), and found herself learning microscopy to analyze and monitor asbestos samples. Though trained as a general analytical chemist, she became very proficient at microanalysis and rose to the position of director at P T L . Although she was in a prominent position, Grace thought something was missing. It was during a fishing and camping trip with her husband and two young sons (who were ages 9 and 4 at the time) that she decided she wanted to start her own firm. "I was on this hunting and fishing trip, in a camper, meditating about my life and what I was doing, when I realized, I can do this for myself! I really enjoy my work." She told her family of her decision, came up with a name for the company, found an office when they returned from their weekend trip, and gave two weeks notice to her then current employer.
The Business Today, Grace's staff consists of chemists, professional engineers, industrial hygienists, safety engineers, and certified inspectors. Laboratory services include phased contrast and electron microscopy analysis, and lead and asbestos assessment. Also included are analyses o f various environmental pollutants, including PCBs and hydrocarbons, and ground and surface water monitoring, along with microbial analysis. Solar Environmental Services, Inc., serves a wide variety of public and private clientele. Although SES is a relative newcomer to the environmental scene, the reputation o f the firm is widespread and most of Grace's clientele come from referrals. Her reputation has proceeded her. When asked what is necessary to develop a clientele in a relatively competitive small business territory, Grace said that it is extremely important to keep current with regulations and techniques of analysis. "Continuing education and updating techniques and instrumentation are critical."
Work-Life Balance From its inception, SES has truly been a family affair. Grace is from a business family. Her father, an engineer, helped her get a start in the business. Though recently retired, he played a key role in developing laboratory procedures and conducted laboratory analysis. Grace's husband does field work and is EPA-certified (Environmental Protection Agency) in lead analysis techniques. Her oldest son is currently studying computer programming at the University of Alaska, Anchorage. He is also trained in and has conducted
Hinkle and Kocsis; Successful Women in Chemistry ACS Symposium Series; American Chemical Society: Washington, DC, 2005.
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Downloaded by RUTGERS UNIV on December 31, 2017 | http://pubs.acs.org Publication Date: June 28, 2005 | doi: 10.1021/bk-2005-0907.ch016
mineral analysis and has developed a program for data correction. Her younger son is also working for the firm, performing data entry and results analysis. Although Grace truly loves her work and her company, she advises keeping a close watch on the amount of time spent on work. "Don't permit work to take over. Make sure you have time for yourself!" She carefully guards her hours and has developed the business acumen necessary to bring her jobs to completion on time, without sacrificing time with her family. In her spare time, Torrijos enjoys the Alaskan wilderness as an active participant in hunting, fishing, and camping. She also enjoys music and plays both the piano and the guitar. "Music runs in the family too," she stated. Both her sons play piano, and the oldest plays guitar and composes too.
Success Grace defines success by the quality of the work she performs. "Satisfaction is felt when you know that you have helped someone who required assistance. It is also satisfying to develop and maintain a fine reputation in the field that you work in and remain in business for a long time. Compromise is not necessary as long as you know how to balance your time and your money." Grace believes that long hours, hard work, and dedication have brought her to where she is today. Family support has been critical in sustaining SES. "I have a deep sense of accomplishment and fulfillment. I have learned, too, to manage time more efficiently. Time management is the most important factor in this business. It helps me prioritize my work schedule while not damaging my family obligations and relations."
Mentors and Final Advice When asked about mentors in her life and how they helped, Grace said that her parents were her most influential mentors. Her father, in particular, gave her lots of pointers in business and shared the workload. Grace also credits her high school chemistry teacher as being a strong influence. "Her teaching method opened me up to the wonders of chemistry and science." Finally, Grace's advice for those interested in owning their own business is to investigate the possibilities thoroughly. " Y o u must love your work and be prepared to devote a lot of time to it, i f you are planning to start your own business. There are many advantages and disadvantages and you must carefully weigh all of them." Being the successful woman she is, it is easy to see that Grace lives by her words and truly believes in her values.
Hinkle and Kocsis; Successful Women in Chemistry ACS Symposium Series; American Chemical Society: Washington, DC, 2005.
