What Cowlitz Clean Sweep does

Cowlitz Clean Sweep (CCS) is an industrial cleaning and environmental services provider founded in 1987 in Longview, Washington, and currently operating as a division of Pacific Northern Environmental LLC (PNE), which acquired the company in 1999. CCS delivers a consolidated portfolio of industrial cleaning services — including holding pond and lagoon dredging, street sweeping, tank cleaning, hydrodemolition, hydroblasting up to 40,000 PSI, hydro excavation, vacuum services, and confined space rescue — alongside environmental services such as 24/7 emergency spill response, hazardous and non-hazardous waste disposal, UST/AST tank decommissioning, and site remediation. Its technology stack centers on a specialized fleet (vacuum trucks, hydroblasting units, Conjet ACR Robots, dewatering centrifuges, belt presses, and geo-tubes) and proprietary 3D automated tank cleaning methods that differentiate it from manual-cleaning competitors.

CCS monetizes primarily through time-and-materials billing at standard rates (disposal work at cost-plus 20%, other work at cost-plus 15%) under 30-day invoice terms, supplemented by recurring annual Emergency Response Agreements with industrial customers. Go-to-market is direct enterprise field sales led by Business Development Managers in Longview and Eugene, with cross-sell motion into sister PNE brands (AET electrical services, WXE waste disposal, PNE Construction). The customer base is concentrated in Pacific Northwest commodity industrial verticals — pulp and paper mills, major oil companies, manufacturing/industrial clients, federal and state government agencies, municipalities, and the marine industry — served from 10+ offices across Washington, Oregon, and Idaho.

The company's structural advantages derive from capital-intensive specialized equipment, multi-location Pacific Northwest distribution enabling rapid 24/7 response, a safety program anchored by five full-time safety professionals and seven contractor prequalification memberships, and brand longevity (37+ years of relationship-based selling into pulp and paper and petroleum customers). However, there are no disclosed AI/ML capabilities, no software product surface, and no public revenue disclosure, framing CCS as a mature industrial services operator whose strategic levers are geographic expansion, cross-brand selling within PNE, and technology-led service differentiation rather than technology platform development.

Name

Cowlitz Clean Sweep

Legal name

Pacific Northern Environmental LLC

Website

https://ccs-pneco.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1987

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

Cowlitz Clean Sweep is a Pacific Northwest industrial cleaning and environmental services company founded in 1987 and operating as a division of Pacific Northern Environmental. It provides tank cleaning, hydroblasting, hydrodemolition, vacuum services, emergency spill response, and waste management to pulp and paper, petroleum, manufacturing, government, and municipal customers across Washington, Oregon, and Idaho.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Industrial Cleaning & Environmental Services

NAICS

Remediation and Other Waste Management Services (5629), Waste Treatment and Disposal (5622)

SIC

Sanitary Services (4950), Hazardous Waste Management (4955), Refuse Systems (4953)

akta.pro primary industry

Industrial & Warehouse Cleaning (Degreasing, Machine/Plant Cleaning) (BPABABAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

Chemical Tank Cleaning, Decontamination & Turnaround Waste Services (BPALAHAH), Specialty Deep Cleaning (Duct/Kitchen Exhaust/Pressure Washing) (IMAIADAN)

Keywords

• Industrial cleaning services
• Environmental remediation
• Hydrodemolition services
• Hazardous waste disposal
• Emergency spill response

Headquarters

HQ city

Longview

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices10 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Time and Materials Industrial Cleaning Services: CCS bills on a time and materials basis at standard rates for labor, materials, and equipment. Work not covered under standard rate schedules is billed at cost plus 20% for disposal work and cost plus 15% for all other work. This is the primary revenue stream for industrial cleaning services.
2. Emergency Spill Response Services: 24/7 environmental emergency response services billed based on scope of work determined upon site assessment. Includes containment, cleanup, remediation, and waste disposal of hydrocarbon and pollutant releases from transportation spills, industrial incidents, and energy transmission facilities.
3. Environmental Waste Management and Disposal: Hazardous and non-hazardous waste management, hauling, tank cleaning, and disposal services throughout the Pacific Northwest. Revenue includes transportation and disposal services with pricing subject to adjustment based on disposal facility price changes.
4. UST and AST Tank Decommissioning: Licensed contractor services for underground and aboveground storage tank closure and removal, following local and state decommissioning procedures including site assessment, tank cleaning, waste management, and disposal.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Cowlitz Clean Sweep provides industrial cleaning, environmental emergency response, hazardous waste management, tank cleaning, hydrodemolition, hydroblasting, hydro excavation, vacuum services, confined space rescue, UST/AST decommissioning, site remediation, sweeping, and holding pond/lagoon dredging. The company serves industrial, commercial, utility, and government clients across the Pacific Northwest. Services are delivered 24/7 with dedicated safety professionals on each team.

Product overview

Cowlitz Clean Sweep (CCS) is an industrial cleaning and environmental services company operating as a division of Pacific Northern Environmental (PNE). The company offers a unified suite of integrated services rather than discrete software products. The core service portfolio includes: industrial cleaning services (Holding Ponds & Lagoon Dredging, Sweeping, Tank Cleaning, Hydrodemolition using Conjet ACR Robots, Hydroblasting, Hydro Excavation, Vacuum Services, and Confined Space Rescue); and environmental services (24/7 Environmental Emergency Response, Disposal Services, UST & AST Tank Decommissioning, and Remediation). These services work together as a comprehensive 'All About Solutions' approach where the company deploys various technologies and methodologies—often combining vacuum trucks, hydroblasting, and excavation capabilities—to address complex industrial cleaning and environmental remediation challenges for customers across the Pacific Northwest.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Industrial Tank Cleaning Automated and robotic tank cleaning for industrial storage tanks, using 3D automated cleaning technology to remove hazardous residues, sludges, and deposits. Serves refineries, chemical plants, pulp and paper mills, and other industrial facilities requiring confined-space tank entry and decontamination.
• Hydrodemolition Services

Quantifiable outcome

• EMR and TRIR well below industry averages
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments8 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Pacific Northern Environmental (PNE)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1999PNE acquired CCS and its industrial and environmental services businesses in 1999. Building on the acquisition, PNE expanded its footprint in 2001 by acquiring Industrial Maintenance in Aberdeen, WA. CCS operates as a division of PNE (dba Pacific Northern Environmental LLC dba Cowlitz Clean Sweep). PNE family includes AET (electrical), WXE (waste disposal), and PNE Construction (commercial/petroleum construction).
• ISN (ISNetworld)minorOthersCCS maintains safety membership with ISN (ISNetworld), a contractor management platform providing safety compliance verification services.
• AvettaminorOthersCCS maintains safety membership with Avetta, a supply chain risk management platform providing contractor safety and compliance verification.
• BrowzminorOthersCCS maintains safety membership with Browz ('The Right Fit'), a contractor prequalification and safety compliance management platform.
• NCMS (National Compliance Management Services)minorOthersCCS maintains safety membership with NCMS for contractor monitoring and compliance services.
• VeriforceminorOthersCCS maintains safety membership with Veriforce for contractor safety and compliance verification services.
• OQSG by PinionminorOthersCCS maintains safety membership with OQSG (Operator Qualification Solutions Group) by Pinion for safety compliance management.
• TappiSafeminorOthersCCS maintains safety membership with TappiSafe, a safety organization serving the pulp, paper, and packaging industries.
• ConjetcoreTechnology or IntegrationCCS utilizes Conjet ACR Robots (Models 327, 437, 557) for hydrodemolition services. Conjet provides high-pressure water robots for automated concrete removal using water jets up to 40,000 PSI. This is a core technology partnership for their hydrodemolition service offering.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Republic Services: Republic Services is a major US solid waste and environmental services provider (which acquired US Ecology). Its non-hazardous and hazardous waste handling and disposal services overlap with CCS's disposal services and UST/AST decommissioning work.
• Veolia North America: Veolia operates hazardous waste treatment, industrial cleaning, and environmental remediation services across North America, directly comparable to CCS's waste management, tank cleaning, and site remediation offerings, though at vastly greater scale.
• Clean Harbors: Clean Harbors is the largest North American provider of hazardous waste management, environmental remediation, and industrial cleaning, including spill response. It overlaps with CCS across environmental services, tank cleaning, and emergency response but operates nationally with a much broader portfolio.
• Stericycle: Stericycle specializes in regulated waste management and compliance services, comparable to CCS's disposal and environmental compliance offerings, though Stericycle focuses on healthcare/specialty waste streams rather than industrial cleaning.

Direct peers

• Brand Industrial Services (now EMCOR Industrial): BrandSafway/EMCOR Industrial provides industrial cleaning, hydroblasting, scaffolding, and specialty services to refineries and industrial facilities, overlapping with CCS in tank cleaning, hydroblasting, and industrial plant maintenance.
• PSC Industrial Services: PSC is one of North America's largest industrial cleaning and hydroblasting contractors, offering tank cleaning, hydrodemolition, vacuum services, and confined space entry—directly overlapping CCS's core industrial cleaning portfolio.
• Triumvirate Environmental: Triumvirate offers industrial cleaning, hazardous waste management, and environmental services with similar customer verticals to CCS, including manufacturing, energy, and higher-education/lab clients.
• Heritage Environmental Services: Heritage provides industrial cleaning, waste management, tank closure, and remediation services with regional US operations, comparable to CCS in service mix and customer base (manufacturing, energy, government).
• HydroChemPSC (now part of PSC Industrial): HydroChemPSC, now integrated into PSC Industrial Services, was a direct specialist in industrial hydroblasting and chemical cleaning, closely matching CCS's hydroblasting and tank cleaning service lines.

Emerging players

• SET Environmental: SET Environmental is a Midwest-based environmental services firm offering industrial cleaning, emergency response, waste management, and remediation—similar service mix to CCS though serving a different geography.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Cowlitz Clean Sweep