Sevenson history

In 1970 the first Earth Day was celebrated, the organization of which led to the creation of a permanent Washington lobby.

The city allowed homes to be built on the site, but in 1978 state officials discovered that toxic chemicals were seeping into the basements.

In 1979 the Albert Elia Building Co., Inc. received the first of a series of contracts led by the State of New York Department of Environmental Conservation for cleanup work at Love Canal.

In October 1986 Congress then re-authorized the Superfund cleanup program, allocating $9 billion for the next five years.

Net income reached $4.3 million in 1987.

Barnhart was still working out of his Buffalo apartment in 1988 when he was able to procure laboratory and office space through the nonprofit Western New York Technology Development Center, which was created to assist area high-tech companies.

The company rebounded nicely in 1992, posting revenues of just under $70 million, although net earnings increased by just 5 percent to $5.4 million.

In 1994 the Securities and Exchange Commission began requiring publicly held companies to disclose potential environment problems at their facilities.

1995: Company exceeds $100 million in annual revenues.

In 1996 President Clinton and a Republican-controlled Congress squared off in a budget dispute that resulted in the so-called "government shutdown." Superfund projects were among the many government initiatives affected, as reauthorization of the fund was also delayed by the budget impasse.

The slump would continue into 1997, although the company's poor performance was more the result of two major projects being delayed rather than the lingering effects of the budget stalemate.