June 06, 2018

Environmental Business Journal presented its 19th annual EBJ Business Achievement Awards for outstanding business performance in 2017. GEAR won the Gold Award for the Small Business category.

May 25, 2018

The Society of American Military Engineers (SAME) National Chapter bestowed the owner of GEAR, Mr. Neeld Wilson, with the Industry Government Engagement award at the SAME JETC Conference in Kansas City on May 25, 2018. 

Since 2010, Mr. Wilson has spearheaded the charge in repealing the Small Business Administration’s service-disabled veteran self-certification status in the System for Awards Management (SAM).

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Click here to visit the gallery.

May 01, 2018

Mr. Wilson is the 2018 recipient of the Industry-Government Engagement (IGE) award to be presented by the Society of American Military Engineers (SAME) on May 25, 2018, at the Joint Engineering Training Conference (JETC), in Kansas City, Missouri.

This award represents the collaboration of issues at every level of industry and government in order to achieve consensus, efficiency, and transparency.

The SAME Industry-Government Engagement Plan is effectively producing viable solutions that enhance industry/government collaboration and add value to joint efforts to improve America’s infrastructure. The award establishes national recognition among all levels of government, industry, academic and business interests.

Read the May-June 2018 issue of The Military Engineer magazine

April 30, 2018

GEAR became a member of Associated Builders and Contractors, Inc. (ABC), on their Central Florida Chapter.

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Associated Builders and Contractors is a national construction industry trade association representing more than 21,000 members. 

ABC helps members develop people, win work and deliver work safely, ethically and profitably for the betterment of the communities in which they work.

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ABC members identify issues critical to merit shop construction and work together to find solutions using the resources of one of the largest construction-related groups in the world.

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Visit ABC website.

September 29, 2017

VA awarded GEAR an AE Design of a "Legionella Control/Monitoring System" at the Alexandria VA Health Care System in Pineville, LA.

September 22, 2017

GEAR participated in the 2017 SGM Engineering 18th annual Fore Our School Golf Tournament, on Friday, September 22, at the Villas of Grand Cypress Golf Resort. 

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GEAR’s President, Neeld Wilson, was honored to be on the Foundation for Orange County Public Schools’ Golf Committee and in helping the Fore Our School Golf Tournament raise nearly $190,000. GEAR employees volunteered at one of the popular tee box tents.

September 08, 2017

GEAR Ranked #11 in Orlando Business Journal's Largest Veteran-Owned Businesses List for 2017.

August 30, 2017

GEAR was awarded a design-build contract to correct the water tower deficiencies that affect the safety, security, longevity and functionality of the water tower at James Haley VAMC in Tampa, Florida. A complete set of drawings and applicable specifications were  prepared by GEAR.

August 30, 2017

VA awarded GEAR a Design-Build project for a Patio/Dining enclosure at the Lee County VA Healthcare Center in Cape Coral, FL.

July 07, 2017

VA awarded GEAR an AE Design of a "Legionella Control/Monitoring System" at the Alexandria VA Health Care System in Pineville, LA.

June 23, 2017

GEAR wins Replacement Contract with Department of Veterans Affairs to Remove and Replace the Stand-by Generator Fuel Polishing System at Lee County VA Healthcare Center in Cape Coral Florida.

May 06, 2017

Neeld Wilson and John Kaiser win top honors at University of Central Florida’s Veterans Entrepreneurship Program on May 6, 2017 where over 30 veterans attended 4 months of business classes to develop and showcase their business ideas and growth strategy.

May 01, 2017

 GEAR wins Design contract to provide Legionella control per VHA Directive 1061 at the Department of Veterans Affairs at the Alexandria VAMC in Alexandria, Louisiana.

April 21, 2017

GEAR ranked 9th among the top Environmental Services firms in Central Florida for 2016.

The Orlando Business Journal based their rankings on billings for companies in the Central Florida region.

April 20, 2017

GEAR purchases 5,100 square feet of Class A office space in a desirable location at the intersection of two major highways in Orlando, Interstate 4 and State Road 434.

April 01, 2017

GEAR wins SpaceX contract to provide Pre-Construction services including Phase I Investigation, Wetlands delineation, Threatened and Endangered Species Survey, Stormwater Design and ERP Permitting, and Site Civil Design for the new landing pad in Cape Canaveral Air Force Base in Florida.

March 01, 2017

GEAR completes $577,000 design project for the Department of Veterans Affairs in Augusta, Georgia for the control and prevention of Legionella bacteria per VHA Directive 1061.

February 01, 2017

SpaceX awards GEAR multi-services contract for Site Civil Engineering at Launch Pad 40 at Cape Canaveral.

GEAR to prepare storm water design and complete permitting.

January 01, 2017

GEAR wins Design Build Contract with Department of Veterans Affairs to replace the Boiler Feedwater System at James Haley VAMC in Tampa, Florida.

January 01, 2017

GEAR wins two Asbestos Monitoring projects associated with the construction of new work spaces at James Haley VAMC in Tampa, Florida.

December 01, 2016

​US Army Corps of Engineers, South Atlantic Division, awarded GEAR with a  5 year, $30M IDIQ contract under the Regional Acquisition Environmental Tool (REAT) for Environmental Compliance.

December 01, 2016

GEAR awarded multiple contracts with the REV Group to conduct air permitting, tank closures, hazardous cleanup, and ASTM Phase I and Phase II projects in Pennsylvania, California, North Carolina, Indiana, Florida and Saskatoon, Canada.

September 30, 2016

Mr. John Kaiser was honored with the 2016 Veterans of Influence award, presented annually by the Orlando Business Journal for the Central Florida region. 

The Veterans of Influence award recognizes veterans who have actively demonstrated involvement in their communities and made significant achievements in their professional careers.  Mr. Kaiser is a retired Navy Captain and is the 2nd individual to receive this distinguished honor at Gator Engineering and Aquifer Restoration, Inc.

September 30, 2016

GEAR was ranked among the Top  Veteran-Owned Businesses of 2016 by The Orlando Business Journal.

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Companies must be at least 51% privately- and veteran-owned, and headquartered in C. Fla. in order to participate in this list.

September 23, 2016

GEAR participated in the 17th annual Fore Our School Golf Tournament, on Friday, September 23, at the Villas of Grand Cypress Golf Resort. The tournament raised more than $176,000 for Osceola County Public Schools students and teachers.

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GEAR's Golf team, conformed by Neeld Wilson, Matthew Humphrey, Jim Cohen, Fred Pearson, won 3rd place.

September 25, 2015

GEAR was ranked among the Top Veteran-Owned Businesses of 2015 by The Orlando Business Journal.

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Companies must be at least 51% privately- and veteran-owned, and headquartered in C. Fla. in order to participate in this list.

September 25, 2014

Neeld Wilson, President of Gator Engineering & Aquifer Restoration, Inc. (GEAR), was honored by the Orlando Business Journal for their first annual Veterans of Influence Awards luncheon and celebration in honor of military veterans who have made a significant achievement in their careers in the past year, have a strong record of innovation or outstanding performance in their work and are actively involved in the community.

September 25, 2014

GEAR was ranked among the Top Veteran-Owned Businesses of 2014 by The Orlando Business Journal.

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Companies must be at least 51% privately- and veteran-owned, and headquartered in C. Fla. in order to participate in this list.

April 22, 2014

GEAR has been ranked #1 by Diversity, Inc. for SDVOSB businesses in Florida for 2013. Nationally, GEAR was ranked #7 for all SDVOSBs and ranked #35 for all small business categories nationally. Mr. Neeld Wilson, President of GEAR stated, “We are honored to be ranked so highly by Diversity, Inc. Service Disabled Veteran Owned Small Business's offer something that is truly special... the strong desire to overcome adversity and problems".

February 20, 2014

For the third consecutive year, GEAR has been awarded with a contract to study the water distribution system of VA Hospitals. The Department of Veterans Affairs has selected GEAR because of our successful past experience in studying, evaluating, and reporting on water distribution systems. The Legionella bacteria are ubiquitous in all water systems but veteran populations at VA hospitals are prone to communicating the Legionnaires Disease due to their compromised health, not because of Administration or operations. Water Distribution Studies pinpoint and isolate locations where Legionella bacteria are likely to grow, and feasibility studies recommend the best treatment systems based on unique characteristics of the hospital.

October 25, 2013

Hazardous, Toxic and Radioactive Waste issues were encountered at the Bay Pines VAHCS and GEAR was called into action. The contracts were a series of work orders that investigated, assessed, remediated unmarked drums, arsenic-laden soils, and exotic chemicals associated with operations that are typical of large facilities. GEAR successfully completed all of the work orders while on-going construction was taking place to build a new Mental Health Building where the hazards were discovered during excavation of basement footers and utility banks.

August 24, 2013

SpaceX designs, manufactures and launches advanced rockets and spacecraft. The company was founded in 2002 to revolutionize space technology and their operations at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station required GEAR to conduct and update SpaceX’s stormwater plans and prepare SPCC plans at their launch sites. Mr. John Kaiser, GEAR Vice President stated, “We are honored to be a part of the SpaceX team and we endeavor to provide the same level of quality and expertise that they demand of themselves”.

February 28, 2013

GEAR completed the first NEPA study for the Construction and Facilities Management (CFM) under its new IDIQ contract for the VA at the Tallahassee National Cemetery in Leon County, Florida. With frontage along U.S. Highway 27 (Apalachee Parkway) and Old St. Augustine Road east of Tallahassee, GEAR investigated the 250-acre parcel in accordance with NEPA requirements. The cemetery will serve 83,000 Veterans and their eligible dependents in the Tallahassee area, as well as southwestern Georgia and southeastern Alabama.

October 27, 2012

GEAR was awarded a $7M, 5-Year Indefinite Delivery Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) Multiple Award Environmental Services Consulting Contract for the Eastern Region of the United States (VISN 1-8) Including Puerto Rico and US Virgin Islands. The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), Office of Construction and Facilities Management selected GEAR amongst dozens of proposals that included some of the largest environmental firms in the US. GEAR’s President, Neeld Wilson, expressed “This is a validation of our past performance, service, quality, and attention to the client’s needs, we are extremely pleased and look forward to a long and productive relationship with the VA and CFM.”

May 18, 2011

GEAR’s owner, Neeld Wilson, was elected to become the new Co-Chair to the Florida Petroleum Marketers Association (FPMA) prestigous Environmental Committee beginning August 1, 2011;  he will assume the Chair position in 2012. The FPMA Environmental Committee is widely recognized as the petroleum cleanup industry’s leader by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP). Mr. Wilson previously served as the Chairman in 1996, 1997, 2005, and 2006 garnering the Chairman’s Award and Winner’s Award.

May 18, 2011

GEAR wins U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Contract number W91278-11-R-0015. TITLE: Indefinite Delivery Contract (IDC) with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Mobile District, South Atlantic Division to Support the Mobile District Military Construction Design Program. The USACE contract partners GEAR and Merrick & Company together for the first time although the two companies have teamed before on other USACE proposals. “This is a win win situation for the GEAR/Merrick team and the USACE Mobile District as the Army Corps continues to improve their SDVOSB Set-aside goals.” Neeld Wilson, President, Gator Engineering & Aquifer Restoration, Inc.

February 23, 2011

Mr. John Kaiser will serve as a Task Order Manager for projects and will be directly involved with logistics, scheduling, and project oversight. Mr. Kaiser graduated from the United States Naval Academy with a degree in Physical Science and Engineering and has over 26 years of, engineering, management, and environmental related experience.  He joined GEAR after six years with Aerostar, and 20 years with MACTEC and ABB Environmental Services.  He has managed major environmental assessment and remedial investigation programs for federal installation clean-up strategies; and started, organized, and closed major environmental programs.  He is very familiar with NEPA guidelines and processes, Due Diligence Phase I and II ESA’s, environmental compliance, and environmental assessment record of decisions.  Mr. Kaiser has managed CERCLA based assessment and site investigations for numerous federal and non-federal clients including the U.S. Navy at the former Naval Training Center in Orlando, Florida; site assessments and hydrological studies for the CEU Miami Coast Guard Stations in the southeast; and NEPA projects for the Air Force at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station and Travis AFB in California

September 22, 2010

GEAR is awarded a $750,000 design/build construction project to upgrade existing fuel depot and emergency generators with four double-wall underground storage tanks. The work included arsenic and petroleum remediation, Environmental Protection Plan, and NPDES permitting.

September 22, 2010

GEAR wins sub-contract award with CH2M Hill for geotechnical field exploration, soil classification, SPT sampling, exfiltration tests and geotechnical report for the Air Force Reserve Center in West Palm Beach, managed by Louisville District Army Corps.