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About Us

    Advanced Environmental Laboratories, Inc. (AEL) is a NELAP certified, full-service environmental analytical laboratory firm, headquartered in Jacksonville, Florida, with additional labs in Gainesville, Miami, Orlando, and Tampa. 
     
    AEL was founded in 1994 and is still owned by the same sole proprietor, Charles Ged.  He opened AEL as a two-person lab with a dream of one day building his small company into the best lab in Florida.  Today, AEL is well on its way with a network of five labs and over 1,000 clients across the state.   Staffed by professionals knowledgeable about the local regulatory environment, AEL places a premium on providing personalized service and a top quality product to every client, be they billion dollar corporations or a small home builder. 
     
    AEL performs over 35,000 projects a year and hundreds of thousands of individual tests.  Typical projects include analytical investigations of soil, water, and air at RCRA, CERCLA, landfill, UST, drinking water, wastewater, commercial property transfer, remediation, and O&M sites.  Clients include over 75 City, County, and State agencies across Florida; Federal agencies including the EPA, Navy, Air Force, and ACOE; many of the world’s largest environmental consulting firms; and dozens of commercial firms from small fabrication shops to huge breweries and theme parks.
     
    To serve those clients, AEL maintains a stringent quality assurance program and constantly upgrades/modernizes equipment.  Between 2006 and 2009, AEL invested over $2.5 million in new analytical equipment and computer systems spread over all five laboratories.  Below are brief descriptions of our laboratories.

    AEL-Jacksonville:  Opened in 1994, the Jacksonville lab started with just two chemists doing work on UST sites and quick turnaround remediation projects.  The lab now has 35 employees working on projects from wastewater to Superfund sites.  The 8,400 square-foot building was custom designed by AEL and specifically engineered to serve as an environmental testing laboratory and as the corporate headquarters.  It encompasses state-of-the-art laboratory design and instrumentation, and offers sampling and courier services.

    Jacksonville Laboratory Manager: Bob Dempsey. BS in Chemistry/Biology from the University of Pittsburgh and 19 years experience.  Bob has been with AEL for six years and the Jacksonville laboratory Manager for five years.  Bob is a member of the First Coast Manufacturers Association and the Florida Association of Environmental Professionals.

    AEL - Jacksonville
    6601 Southpoint Parkway
    Jacksonville, FL 32216
    Phone: 904-363-9350
    FAX: 904-363-9354

    Lab Manager: Bob Dempsey | Find us on MSN Maps

    Lab Certification:


    AEL-Tampa:  In 1998, AEL-Tampa began operations as a small wastewater testing laboratory providing wet-chemistry analysis.  Today the lab provides a full range of metals and organic analysis as well from the 10,200 square-feet facility.  AEL-Tampa currently services a long list of consulting firms and other clients ranging from the Florida DEP to MacDill Air Force Base to real-estate firms.  The lab also services scores of water and wastewater treatment clients including municipal and county, private-residential, and industrial plants.  Sampling and courier services are available.

    Tampa Laboratory Manager: Michael Cammarata. BS in Microbiology and a minor in Chemistry from the University of South Florida and 15 years experience.  He has been with AEL for 11 years as the Manager of the Tampa laboratory.  Michael is of the Florida Rural Water Association, the Florida Association of Environmental Professionals, and the America Water Works Association.

    AEL - Tampa
    9610 Princess Palm Avenue
    Tampa, FL 33619
    Phone: 813-630-9616
    FAX: 813-630-4327

    Lab Manager: Michael Cammarata | Find us on MSN Maps

    Lab Certification:


    AEL-Gainesville:  AEL opened a start-up laboratory in Gainesville in 2000.  In 2006, AEL purchased PPB Environmental Laboratories, a firm with over 20 years in the industry, and AEL merged the two facilities into one operation.  The 4,100 square-foot AEL-Gainesville operation serves clients from all over Florida and specializes in low-level wet-chemistry testing.  Clients include State agencies, various Cities and Counties, consultants, and industrial plants.  Sampling and courier services are available. 

    Gainesville Laboratory Manager: Karen Daniels.  MS in Food Science and Human Nutrition from the University of Florida and 28 years experience.  Karen has been the Manager of AEL’s Gainesville lab for four years.  She is a member of the America Water Works Association and the American Chemical Society.

    AEL - Gainesville
    6815 SW Archer Road
    Gainesville, FL 32608
    Phone: 352-377-2349
    FAX: 352-395-6639

    Lab Manager: Karen Daniels | Find us on MSN Maps

    Lab Certification:


    AEL-Orlando:  The 2,300 square-foot AEL-Orlando operation opened in 2004 and serves as a lab/service center for clients in the central Florida area.  The lab focuses on providing short hold-time and general chemistry analysis, sampling and courier service, and project management to consultants and industrial clientele.  Sampling and courier services are available.

    Orlando Laboratory Manager: Myrna Santiago.  BS in Microbiology/Chemistry from the University of Florida and 13 years experience.  Myrna has been with AEL for five years and Manager of the Orlando lab for four.  She is a member of the Florida Water and Pollution Control Operator’s Association.

    AEL - Orlando
    528 S. North Lake Blvd., Suite 1016
    Altamonte Springs, FL 32701
    Phone: 407-937-1594
    FAX: 407-937-1597

    Lab Manager: Myrna Santiago | Find us on MSN Maps

    Lab Certification:


    AEL-Miami:  AEL began servicing the Miami area in 2008 with a client management staff of three people.  In 2009, we began the process of opening an 8,600 square-foot full-service laboratory.  Once completed, the lab will have wet chemistry, metals, and organics capabilities.  AEL clients in the area include municipalities, consultants, and industrial operations.  Sampling and courier services are available. 

    Miami Laboratory Manager: Andres A. Romeu, Ph.D.  Doctorate in Chemical Oceanography from Texas A&M and over 23 years of experience working for environmental laboratories and consulting firms.  Andy has deep experience in Organic chemistry and in data review/validation projects.  In addition, he has served as either laboratory or Corporate Quality Assurance Officer in several large firms.

     

    AEL - Miami
    10200 USA Today Way
    Miramar, FL 33025
    Phone: 954-889-2288
    FAX: 954-889-2281

    Lab Manager: Andres A. Romeu, Ph.D | Find us on MSN Maps

    Lab Certification: Pending

Corporate Staff Include:

    Chuck Ged – President.  BS in Chemistry from the University of North Florida and 24 years experience.  He started in the industry in 1985 and has a technical specialty of organic analysis.  Chuck’s background includes seven years with the Jacksonville Electric Authority (JEA) and five years with commercial labs in Jacksonville before starting AEL.  At AEL, he is responsible for overall operations and direction of the company.  Chuck is a strong supporter and actively involved with the University of North Florida (UNF).  At UNF, Chuck sits on the Dean’s Council, has set up an endowment to UNF’s Environmental Center, and has established the “Mr. & Mrs. Charles Ged Science Scholarship” which is annually awarded to a deserving student pursuing a degree in Chemistry.

    Kelly Bortle – Quality Assurance Manager.  BS in Geology from Penn State University and over 27 years experience.  Kelly has been with AEL for 10 years and started in the Organics Department.  For the past four years, Kelly has been responsible for overseeing the Quality Assurance program including quality manuals, SOPs, performance testing, internal audits, personnel training, and tracking regulatory changes affecting primarily AEL, but also those affecting its clients. Kelly is a member of the Florida Society of Environmental Analysts and regularly attends other association meeting and FDEP/FDOH presentations to keep up to date on new rules and requirements. 

    Walter Kronz – General Manager.  BA in Communications and 15 years of experience.  Walter started in the environmental field working for with an engineering firm and has been with AEL for the past eight years.  At AEL, Walter’s primary responsibility is the development and implementation of the business and marketing plan.  Walter is a member of the First Coast Manufacturers Association, Florida Petroleum Marketers Association, and the Florida Association of Environmental Professionals.