Going into the family business often gets a bit…messy. If there’s no chemistry, everyone could become testy, and everything starts to feel dirty and soiled. Suddenly, you start noticing holes everywhere in the business, and things could tank as a result. And that’s not a healthy environment.
But - what if the family business is about cleaning things up?
That example of the world’s worst keyword search should tell you what R.M.J. Environomics is all about: Cleaning up when others can’t is what they do best.
However, this is a family business that has all the chemistry in the world. R.M.J. Environomics is headed by Rita Della Fave, a remarkable woman who learned the remediation business from her father, Mike, who founded the company. Rita, after years of working alongside her father, officially took over the business in 2021 and has been steadily growing it ever since, all while making quite the name for herself.
Mike founded the company 27 years ago, landing on the name RMJ for his three kids: Rita, Michael, and Joseph.
“My father has been in the industry for over 45 years,” Rita explains. “He started with Hoffman La Roche when it was in Nutley. I’ve been part of R.M.J. Environomics my entire life, even as a child, entering receipts or putting together invoices to help my father with simple paperwork. I was known to send faxes for everyone in the office because, for some reason, they all found it very tedious at the time. But like any kid, I simply enjoyed pressing all of the buttons!”
In the years that followed, she learned all that there was to know about the remediation business. Researching property history, what chemicals need to be tested for, and how to remove problems. Everything.
Fast forward to 2020, and Rita is now pressing more than just the buttons. She’s leading the way as owner and president of R.M.J. Environomics. And while she learned all that she could about the remediation business from her father, there’s one experience he didn’t have that she now has mastered: being a woman running a company in a decidedly male-dominated industry.
“I’ve become ‘the environmental lady’ for most people,” Rita says. “I appreciate it. It helps me to stand out.”
Ultimately, the gender issue isn’t that big of a deal for most people who need help with remediation. Clients come to R.M.J. Environomics because they are having an environmental problem, typically one that’s tied to a real estate transaction. The economics of the situation far outweigh any other issue. Most already know that Rita is the best there is at what she does.
“A real estate deal is stressful enough as it is,” Rita notes. “And that’s before you add environmental issues. I am half psychiatrist, half environmental consultant. I think I talk people off the ledge probably more than I talk about what I'm doing on their property.”
“I’m not saying that remediation is inexpensive. But it’s necessary. I give them the reassurance of ‘hey, I know how bad this looks, and I know it's expensive, but it has to be done. In the end, the business deal that they’re looking to make is contingent upon fixing the environmental issue that they have, so we go full speed ahead to help them make that happen. I tell them, ‘let’s get this done for you’, so they can end up with the deal that they ultimately wanted to make in the first place.”
And that’s how you become successful in this business. Or any business, really.
“Just tell people that you’re sorry they have to go through this, take responsibility, take ownership, be direct, and you can sleep at night. If you’re honest and transparent, it doesn’t matter who you are; you’re doing the right thing. You’re helping people solve a problem that they didn’t ask to face.”
It looks like Mike taught his daughter far more than which buttons to press. He taught her how to be a good human, no matter what the environment is.
R.M.J. Environomics is based in Wayne. If you think you have a property issue that might need remediation, you can get in touch with Rita at 973-633-0020 or rmjenvironomicsnj@gmail.com.