Accountable – Responsive – Committed | Dr. Louis B. Lynn | ENVIRO Ag Science

Dr. Louis B. Lynn, President and Founder of ENVIRO Ag Science, grew up in Darlington County South Carolina before graduating from Clemson University. He has been a member of the Clemson University Board of Trustees since 1988 and takes pride in having attended almost all the 96 Graduation Ceremonies that have occurred during his board tenure.   He hasalso served as Adjunct Professor of Horticulture at Clemson. Dr. Lynn also currently serves on the Board of Trustees of the NYC headquarters of the National Urban League.   Dr. Lynn is a retired Corporate Bank Director of BB&T now TRUIST Financial (NYSE – TFC). Dr. Lynn formerly served as a national board member of the American Horticulture Society; a national board member of the National Association of Minority Contractors, a two-term Commissioner for the SCCommission on Higher Education; a Commissioner forthe StateWorkforce Development Board.

Dr. Lynn has over 37 years of experience in the Greens Industry and Construction Industry, from corporate office administration to project management.Under his leadership, ENVIRO AgScience, Inc. is recognized for its commitment to “Social and Civic” Responsibility. Dr. Lynn believes in paying his civic rent, meaning that if a company is going to feed from the public trough, they must put something back into it. He is ensuring that the company follows this basic principle while conducting business. Headquartered in Columbia, SC, in a HUBZone, ENVIRO AgScience currently has 85 full-time employees. ENVIRO AgScience believes that doing the right thing for their customers is always the right thing to do for the business.

In 1985, with a PhD in horticulture and several years of corporate experience, Dr. Lynn launched ENVIRO AgScience as a commercial landscape installation and large acreage lawn care firm. The firm began expanding its services in 2005 by opening a construction management division. ENVIRO strengthened its successful construction division by adding architectural services and general construction services Partnering with local leaders in the construction industry and participating in the US Small Business Administration Mentor-Protégé programs. ENVIRO soon became known for its construction management ability, as well as its award-winning landscaping services. Today, ENVIRO AgScience offers landscape services, construction, construction management and architectural service for a wide range of government and private sector clients. ENVIRO AgScience is currently a participant in the US Small Business Administration (SBA) HUB Zone Program and a successful graduate of the SBA 8(a) Business Development Program.

In partnership with larger construction firms, ENVIRO AgScience takes a unique approach when starting a new project.  They start with preconstruction planning, where the goal is to understand the full scope of a project and its requirements. They ensure that they can identify the project definition in the planning phase, identify potential issues, schedule, and analyze the scope, estimated budget, extraneous requirements, and overall needs analysis. During the preconstruction phase, ENVIIRO AgScience represents and offers a qualified and experience Minority Business Enterprise partner who also takes on the responsibility of bringing in other small businesses who can provide local specialized services that enhances the diversity goals for a project. The company insists on local hiring so as to ensure that tax dollars are invested back into the local economy, reduce the environmental impact of commuting, foster community involvement, and preserve local employment opportunities.

ENVIRO AgScience ensures the highest quality work, a commitment to addressing issues, and exceedingtheir customers’ needs by assigning a Quality Control Manager for every job and introducing a “Fresh Eyes” perspective approach to offer a non-biased third-party opinion. In an instance, for the construction of the $30M Columbia Fireflies Minor League Baseball Stadium, ENVIRO AgScience implemented a workforce development initiative. There was a requirement of hiring local subcontractors and local employees. The Mayor of Columbia and local media recognized ENVIRO AgScience and its partners for completing a major government project using local talent. In another scenario, ENVIRO AgScience assisted in offering internships to high school students to learn the Greens Industry and helped some of them obtain OSHA Safety certifications.

ENVIRO AgScience has a number of showcase projects for public sector and private sector clients.   ENVIRO has completed government contracts for facilities on Department of Defense military bases and Department of Energy facilities around the Southeast. The firm has completed construction projects at the Atlanta Jackson-Hartsfield Airport; a Detention Center and Dining Hall at Camp Lejeune, NC; Streetscapes for Greenville SC and Columbia SC; Athletic Facilities for several colleges and over a dozen K-12 schools.   The firm has or still provides large acreage lawn maintenance for manufacturing facilities for BMW, Mack Truck, Roche Pharmaceuticals, several Department of Defense Forts and Bases: the US Department of Energy Savannah River Nuclear Plant and a public school district with over 50 facilities and campuses.

For the days to come, the company is all set to offer Affordable Housing Development; they will be doing the same hand-in-hand with a Public-Private Partnership with the City of Columbia to build a 9-acre multiuse development to replace housing loss during the 2015 Historic Flood. This project will also include a grocery store since the site is currently in a food desert.  This Affordable Housing project will incorporate Workforce Development and Fast Track Design-Build techniques.

Over the years, Dr. Lynn and ENVIRO AgScience have received numerous corporate and civic recognitions. ENVIRO has been recognized as the Minority Small Business of the Year by the SC Chamber of Commerce, the Small Business Administration Region V and the US Department of Commerce. The company has received Safety Awards from several Landscape and Construction trade organizations. ENVIRO AgScience has been included in the annual Black Enterprise Magazine list of the “Largest Black Businesses”. Dr. Lynn has been included on a national registry of the 300 Most Influential Black Corporate Directors.  Dr. Lynn has received The Clemson University “Distinguished Service Award” which is the university’s highest alumni award. He was name Marquis Who’s Who in the World for 2018. In 2018, SC Governor McMaster awarded Dr. Lynn the Order of the Palmetto which is the state’s highest civilian award.

ENVIRO AgScience is currently executing a multi-year Succession Plan for Dr. Lynn to turn over the reins of the company to his son and two daughters as well as a few key long-term managers. Dr. Lynn and ENVIRO’s Leadership Team have embraced technology plus hands-on-management to guarantee successful transfer of leadership and to take the firm to the NEXT LEVEL.