Business in Vancouver’s “How I Did It” feature asks business insiders to explain in their own words how they achieved a business goal in the face of significant entrepreneurial challenges. This week, Alan Whitehead, CEO of Radon Environmental Corp., talks about making a business out of raising awareness of a little-known issue, dealing personally with the effects of radon, and how increased education could make radon prevention a profitable new industry.
“Radon Environmental is a health sciences company based here in Vancouver. Our focus is increasing public awareness in order to prevent radon-induced lung cancers, and we’re a recognized leader in the field to raise awareness in radon education across Canada. We’ve been in business for seven years.
“We’re active in raising awareness and education and we have developed a number of communication tools to do that. One of the most significant ones was developing the first geologic radon potential map of Canada.
“Radon does exist in every indoor environment; it’s a question of to what degree. We were very careful with the map to make sure that the messaging is that regardless of region or zone, everyone should test their home or indoor environment for radon.
“We supply radon detectors and monitors, and we also have certified radon measurement professionals on staff. We’re the only company in North America that has a business model like this that is 100% focused on the prevention of radon gas.
“We are also working directly with the policy-makers and influencers to try and get them to treat the issue with the seriousness that it deserves. We’ve got, in Ontario, Bill 96, and that is a radon prevention and awareness provision, which passed second reading with all parties’ support in September. That will be the first of its kind in Canada.
“Ironically we formed Radon Environmental in 2007, and it wasn’t until 2010 that my wife was diagnosed with lung cancer, but never smoked. I knew that there was a very good chance that the lung cancer was likely caused by exposure to high levels of radiation in a former home that we had lived in for seven years in Ottawa.
“I reached out to the current owner of that home and said, ‘Look, my wife’s got lung cancer. We think there’s a chance that it could have been through exposure to radon gas. If I sent you a detector would you check the home?’ I sent the detector and within a week she called me and asked me whether the detector could be faulty. She said, ‘It’s got a reading of 3,200 becquerels.’ The World Health Organization’s guideline is 100 becquerels.
“It’s a sensitive issue, and communicating health risks is a very specialized subject. A lot of people don’t respond well to fear, even though it is something that people should be frightened of. Our investors are people who have been very successful in building businesses themselves during their careers and are looking for an opportunity to invest money in a company that also is doing some good.”
