Our Product and Company News

ERA Environmental Management Solutions celebrated on November 26 as co-founder and CEO Sarah Sajedi was named a national finalist and runner up for the highly competitive Telus Trailblazer award at this year's RBC & Women of Influence Women Entrepreneur Awards.

Only three entrepreneurs were chosen as finalists for the award category, with over 4,000 nominees vying for a spot in one of the Women Entrepreneur Awards' 6 categories. Today Sarah Sajedi holds the distinct honor of being one of just 18 women entrepreurs celebrated as top national business leaders. 

The Telus Trailblazer Category recognizes entrepreneurial women that are setting the standards for their industries, in both the types of products and services they provide, and in the quality of customer service and added value they offer. Finalists are true trendsetters: they've recognized a new market, product, service, technological advancement or opportunity and led the way. They demonstrate outstanding leadership and their market and set standards for originality, quality and successful management. Finalists must be a mentor, a visionary, a leader, a successful businesswoman and a trailblazer in her field.

Sarah Sajedi was chosen as a finalist for breaking ground in the environmental software industry by achieving advanced capabilities beyond what competitors can offer and for the extraordinary customer satisfaction ERA enjoys thanks to her belief that clients come first. 

At the awards gala, hosted at the Royal York hotel in Toronto, Sarah was named runner up for the Telus Trailblazer award. Sarah represented the entire Eastern Canada region. This is Sarah's second time as a finalist for the RBC Women of Influence awards, with her being the Eastern Canadian winner and national finalist for the TPH Sustainability Award in 2012. 

This is an important update for all ERA EMS users: Microsoft has corrected a known bug in its latest security update. Below are instructions on how to download the patch.

Microsoft released an update with known issues, causing an interruption in some services. Today Microsoft has released an automatic patch to correct this issue. ERA is pleased to report that the patch resolves all compatibility issues with the EMS.

If you have uninstalled Update KB3008923 on your device, first reinstall the update and then restart your device. 

If your device already has Update KB3008923 installed, checking for new Windows updates will find a download for the new patch. Once the patch is downloaded and applied, your ERA EMS will resume full functionality.

ERA appreciates your patience while Microsoft corrected its error. We are committed to providing the most reliable and accurate EH&S software for your business.

If you require assistance with this process please contact your ERA Technical Support Expert at 1-866-493-6409 or by email at tech_support@era-ehs.com.

This Windows update has been found to create compatibility issues for other Windows users and programs, and it is expected that Microsoft will quickly release a patch or new update to correct these issues.

ERA is also developing a compatibility solution, which will be rolled out as soon as possible. ERA appreciates your patience as Microsoft repairs its update.

Work-Around Solutions

There are two work-around solutions to resolve this issue:

For an immediate, temporary solution, uninstall Update KB3008923 and then retry generating your needed report:

1. Open your device's Control Panel. 
2. Click Programs.
3. Under Programs and Features, click View Installed Updates.
4. Click Update KB3008923 and click Uninstall. You may be prompted to enter the device's administration password.
5. Reboot the device.

ERA expects that Microsoft will resolve this issue shortly. Our internal technical support team is also monitoring the situation.

If you have any questions or would like further technical assistance please do not hesitate to contact your ERA Technical Support Expert at 1-866-493-6409 or email us at tech_support@era-ehs.com.

The Commission for Environmental Cooperation (CEC) hosted a public forum in Mexico City, November 2014, focusing on North America’s progress on the international Pollutant Release and Transfer Registry (PRTR) program. The event brought together government, industry experts, NGOs, and the public.

ERA Environmental attended the forum as an industry and environmental expert and was selected as a panel speaker at the event. This year’s conference emphasized the role of the automotive industry in emissions reporting. Gary Vegh, co-founder and Environmental Toxicologist, gave a panel presentation on transparency and EHS best practices. You can download the slides from it here.

Government officials from the Environmental Protection Agency, Environment Canada, and Mexico’s SEMARNAT took the pulse of North America’s automotive industry, and spoke about the need for better EHS data throughout the supply chain. Gary Vegh, ERA co-founder, gave a presentation on world-class EHS record keeping, and shared insight on collecting data from the shop floor up and rolling that data into any type of PRTR or emissions report.

ERA Environmental has been an active member of the CEC, including co-chairing panels with sustainability executives from the automotive industry and EPA administrators. ERA is working with the CEC and its government partners to create better communication across the automotive industry’s supply chains and to create standards of communication that will improve sustainability tracking. 

Don't forget to download and view our presentation on EH&S transparency and best practices.

The 4C Conference is one of the year's most important environmental conferences for the Oil & Gas industry, and this year ERA Environmental Management Solutions is pleased to be one of the event's official Compliance Sponsors.

The event took place February 16-19, 2015, in Austin Texas. For more information about the conference, visit the conference's Linkedin page.

The 4C Conference is an opportunity for EHS professionals to connect and collaborate in order to share best practices to improve compliance for the entire industry. The conference is putting the spotlight on monitoring systems, including Continuous Emissions Monitoring Systems (CEMS). ERA was on hand to share our expert knowledge on air emissions, storage tank determinations, compliance data management, and monitoring systems. Our EMS system is able to fully integrate with your CEMS technology and meet the complex reporting requirements of the Oil & Gas industry.

ERA Environmental's team will be attending the upcoming automotive industry meeting hosted by ANPACT of Mexico, the National Associations of Producers of Autobuses, Trucks, and Tractors (Asociación Nacional de Productores de Autobuses, Camiones y Tractocamiones).

The ANPACT meeting brings together some of the globe's most important automotive manufacturers, including Volkswagen, Mercedes-Benz, Volvo, Isuzu, and Kenworth, many of whom have already implemented ERA's environmental management software at their facilities. 

ERA's compliance experts will be there to contribute their specialized knowledge to the compliance issues of the day, including air emission reporting for Mexico's regulatory requirements. They're looking forward to speaking with other EHS experts and manufacturing professionals in Mexico's automotive industry.

If your business is attending the ANPACT meeting, make sure to keep an eye out for ERA and come speak with us.

ERA Environmental will be attending the upcoming North American Truck and Heavy-Duty Trucks (NATBUS) Project meeting in Mexico, focusing on sustainability for manufacturers in North America. The event is being hosted by the Commission on Environmental Cooperation (CEC).

This year's meeting will focus on best practices for automotive sustainability and new tools that could be used by the industry to solve anticipated regulatory updates and issues. As compliance experts, ERA's team will be on hand to answer questions about upcoming regulatory changes and the tools available on the market.

ERA is an active member of the CEC, and has previously been a panel speaker alongside automotive manufacturing professionals and sustainability experts. Our team is looking forward to the opportunity to work with everyone on the CEC NATBUS project again this November 12.

ERA Environmental's team of environmental compliance experts will be attending the upcoming PRTR (Pollutant Release and Transfer Register) forum hosted by the Commission for Environmental Cooperation (CEC) in Mexico City this November 11. 

The meeting is an open forum for industry representatives, citizens, academics, governments, and non-government organizations to come together and discuss how government information on pollutant releases can be used to fuel pollution prevention within North American. This year's forum will specifically cover PRTR reporting for the automotive, bus, and truck manufacturers and their suppliers.

PRTR programs covered by the forum will include the U.S.'s Toxic Release Inventory (TRI), Canada's National Pollutant Release Inventory (NPRI), and Mexico's Registro de Emisiones y Transferencia de Contaminantes (RECT). Government regulators will be there to present updates on their PRTR programs and get feedback.

ERA's compliance experts, who have years of experience helping the automotive industry manage these reports, will also be on hand to give their feedback and advice to regulators and manufacturers. If you have any questions about your business' PRTR reporting needs, come see us during the forum.

Sarah Sajedi, ERA’s CEO and director of Research, has been recognized this year as a prominent chemist and in the latest chemistry/science curriculum for the province of Ontario.

Sarah is being highlighted in the most recent edition of McGraw-Hill Ryerson’s Chemistry 12 College Preparation textbook. Sarah has transformed her expertise in chemistry into her successful business, ERA Environmental Management Solutions, helping manufacturers across North America track and report their environmental emissions and improve EHS performance. 

The textbook and improved curriculum aims to encourage young people, especially women to pursue their goals in the sciences and highlight how women in the field are making an impact that improves the world around them. Because Sarah is such a passionate advocate for access to education and women in the sciences, she is especially proud to be part of science education in Canada.

Here's what McGraw-Hill Ryerson had to say about Sarah Sajedi:

"Sarah Sajedi is a Canadian woman who has used her background in chemistry to not only raise awareness about air and water quality issues, but to become involved in humanitarian efforts as well. Sajedi has a degree in chemistry/biochemistry from Concordia University and is the Chief Technical Officer and Chief Executive Officer of ERA Environmental Management Solutions. One of the products created by ERA Environmental Management Solutions is a computer program that allows companies to track the pollutants they are releasing into the atmosphere. “We know how to quantify those emissions, and we built the software around this that helps [companies] to track it… By knowing how much you pollute, you then can work toward better reduction and recycling, and things that would make your company more sustainable,” says Sajedi about the benefits of using the software. Clients of ERA Environmental Management Solutions include chemical companies, companies in the wood industry, and car manufacturing companies.

Sajedi’s background in chemistry has allowed her to work in many areas of environmental sustainability, by identifying, reducing, and preventing pollutants from reaching both air and water. She has used her success as a prominent businesswoman as a passport to support education and humanitarian efforts as well. Sajedi sponsors scholarships for higher education and works with Angels of Mercy to provide food and clothing to homeless people in Montréal. She also works with Helping Hands, an organization that provides clothing and education to children in developing countries.

In 2013, Sajedi won the Sara Kirke Award for Canadian Entrepreneurship and Innovation from the Canadian Advanced Technology Alliance. She was recognized as a role model for women entrepreneurs. In 2012, she was an RBC Canadian Women Entrepreneur Awards finalist in the sustainability category. “There’s no ‘No’ in my vocabulary. If it is a good idea, you work at it hard, and you figure out a way to get it done,” says Sajedi about building a business." 

ERA Environmental is proud to announce that our CEO Sarah Sajedi is officially a finalist for the national title of TELUS Trailblazer Award Winner. This is Sarah's second nomination for a RBC Woman Entrepreneur Award.  

The Trailblazer Award recognizes a trendsetting business leader who is leading the way in her field by perfecting new technologies, setting new standards for the market, and for her leadership abilities in creating a successful business while breaking new ground. Sarah is being recognized for all of these qualities and more.

Since founding ERA Environmental, Sarah has been a driving force behind ERA's environmental management software and is an internationally-requested speaker and educator on environmental management. 

Sarah Sajedi is one of 3 finalists for the TELUS Trailblazer Award selected from across the country, chosen out of 4,000 nominees. 

The winners will be announced and celebrated at the 22nd annual Awards Gala on Wednesday 26,2014. The entire ERA team is looking forward to a fantastic evening, you've earned the recognition Sarah!