Inspiring Conversations with Matt Zar of Rarefied Air Environmental

Today we’d like to introduce you to Matt Zar.

Hi Matt, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
I began in the LA area as a kid with zero experience in environmental consulting. I had landed my friend a job at a book store I was working at at the time. They placed him as a cashier and he was one of these people that talked to EVERYONE. One day, he struck up a conversation with a woman that ended up being the owner of a well- established environmental consulting firm, CTL Environmental. She gave him a business card in case he was ever looking for a job opportunity. He was actually headed to the army some time after that and just gave me the business card and told me to call Martha.

Subsequently, I left the book store for an interview with CTL and they took a chance on me. A 21 year old, naive kid. I became licensed and began earning my stripes. Fast forward about 10 years and an old employer moved me down to San Diego to try & build that market. At that company, AEG, I met my current business partner, Bruce Rosenblatt. He was in sales and I was in the field. After building a good repertoire, we decided we should open our own consulting firm that would elevate and separate itself from the competition. We built Rarefied Air Environmental and we did just that.

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Honestly, I would say because of the core team, Bruce, myself and my wife, Araceli, we were always built for access. We always lived by the motto, “Failure is not an option.” Of course there were growing pains, arguments, struggles and the expected drama of the CEO and Administrative Director being married. As I always tell people, I’m the CEO of my company but I’ll never be the king of my own castle! But, we endured and became larger & stronger every year.

Owning a business is not for the faint of heart, but it hardens you. It builds you up as much as it tears you down. But, it does change you. I’m not the same guy now, as when I started. I miss some of it, but I wouldn’t trade it for the world.

Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about Rarefied Air Environmental?
We are environmental consultants. We have licensed and trained technicians to perform testing for asbestos, lead, mold, allergens, fire combustion byproducts and other hazardous materials in the construction world. We perform testing for property managers, construction & remediation companies, real estate agents, plumbers, homeowners- you name it. We are known for having high quality people and elite customer service. Yes our pricing keeps us always competitive, but we’re far more than just cost savings. Our customers know we can deliver and do it with expediency. Opening our own NVLAP accredited lab in 2022 has also help us separate from our competition.

To this day, we are still expanding our knowledge and digging deeper into the science than we ever have before. We will never be content. We will always push the boundaries of what can be done and what we can deliver to our customers.

Who else deserves credit in your story?
The founding fathers are myself, Bruce & Araceli. But on the Mount Rushmore of RAE I have to say that Yumi Chavez & my brother Aaron Zar must be carved into that stone. They built our project coordinating and report system from the literal ground up. Along the way, I have so many honorable mentions that I can’t name them all, but we have a family core here that has stuck together for over a decade now and I’m very proud of that.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://rareairenv.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rareairenviro/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/p/Rarefied-Air-Environmental-Inc-100083418337044/