Environmental Data Resources Celebrates Twenty Years of Innovation, Commitment to Market

MILFORD, Conn., Jan. 11, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Environmental Data Resources Inc., the nation's premier provider of environmental risk information on companies and properties, is proud to announce that it is celebrating its 20th anniversary in business. EDR was founded in 1990 by two environmental professionals on a mission to provide the market with a single source of government data -- information needed to conduct an environmental site assessment for commercial property transfer. Since that time, EDR has expanded beyond its role as a risk information vendor to also deliver report-writing platforms, market research, and a range of educational and social networking tools to clients in the environmental, corporate, lending, legal, insurance, and residential relocation industries. The company's award-winning services are designed to improve risk management and help clients simplify and standardize environmental due diligence.

"EDR is truly an industry pioneer," says Rob Barber, CEO of EDR. "Our founders, active in the environmental industry for decades, had a vision to cull, update and organize government records into a comprehensive report that would enable environmental professionals to do their jobs better. Although the products we sell today are, technologically speaking, light years away from that original report, I attribute our success to the fact that our commitment to helping our clients succeed has never changed. Our product and service innovations work because they are a direct result of reaching out to clients to ask them whether the technology we have today will meet their needs tomorrow. The fact that our customers consider us a trusted partner thanks to our educational programs and continued outreach is icing on the cake. I'm really proud of what we've accomplished over the past 20 years, and I'm excited for the future."

Notable milestones:

1990: Environmental Data Resources is incorporated.
1991: EDR launches its first product, a text-only report that provides environmental records for a given ZIP code.
1992: EDR launches its flagship product, the EDR Radius Map Report. The report simplifies environmental due diligence by visually depicting areas of concern on a map, with the target property plotted in the center.
1996: EDR acquires the 130-year old Sanborn Map Company, giving it access to historical data and maps. Since historical research is a critical component of an environmental site investigation, EDR becomes a one stop shop for environmental consultants performing site assessments.
1998: EDR introduces Due Diligence at Dawn, a half-day educational workshop for clients. Now in its 12th year, the program is a popular resource for environmental professionals looking to stay abreast of technical and market developments.
1999: DMG Information, a division of the Daily Mail and General Trust plc (DMGT), a UK-based media company listed on the London Stock Exchange, acquires EDR. The acquisition "significantly enhances DMGI's existing interests in risk management information businesses."
2002: As part of its aggressive growth strategy, EDR acquires Vista Information Solutions. The acquisition makes EDR the nation's largest provider of environmental risk information.
2003: Outgrowing its offices in Southport, Connecticut, EDR moves its headquarters to larger space in Milford, Connecticut.
2005: The Environmental Business Journal recognizes EDR with a business achievement award for its efforts to educate the property due diligence market about a new federal regulation, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's "All Appropriate Inquiry" rule. EDR serves as a "resource participant" for EPA in the development of the federal due diligence regulation.
2007: EDR acquires iTAG PARCEL, a company best known for developing PARCEL, a web-based platform designed to help environmental consultants write, review, assemble, and deliver high quality Phase I environmental site assessments, property condition assessments, and other types of due diligence reports. The PARCEL acquisition is part of EDR's ongoing commitment to invest in technology solutions that help its customers.
2007: The Environmental Business Journal recognizes EDR's PARCEL platform with a business achievement award in the Information Technology category.
2008: EDR launches commonground, the first social networking site for business professionals involved in property due diligence globally; it wins its first of three Environmental Business Journalawards.
2009: At the request of municipalities and other users of historical data, EDR introduces an electronic, geo-referenced mosaic of the 1.2 million Sanborn maps in its collection. Over three years in the making, the digitized Sanborn maps make research more accurate, less time-consuming and less costly.
2009: Forrester Research recognizes commonground with an esteemed Groundswell award for best business-to-business supporting community for "explosive success and personal support."
2010: EDR wins a 2010 business achievement award from The Environmental Business Journal for “growth and the introduction of new environmental information products and services.” EBJ recognized EDR’s GreenProperty Report , which enables homebuyers to access information about the historical and current use of land in their neighborhoods that may pose environmental risks, the EDR VEC App, which helps environmental professionals screen properties for vapor intrusion, and commonground, which experienced explosive growth—from May 2010 to November 2010, web traffic to the social networking site grew 530 percent.

About EDR: Environmental Data Resources, Inc. (EDR) is the nation's leading provider of environmental risk reports for companies and properties. The company created and maintains the National Environmental Data Information System, or NEDIS™, its proprietary aggregate database of environmental records and historical land use information culled from public records and private sources. Over 20 years in the making and updated continually, NEDIS contains 1,400 databases, some of which are proprietary, and more than 3.1 billion records.

Founded in 1990 and based in Milford, Connecticut, EDR has regional offices located throughout the United States. The company is wholly owned by DMG Information Inc., the business information division of Daily Mail and General Trust, plc (DMGT). For more information about EDR, please visit www.edrnet.com.