Tim Foltz is a problem solver. People come to him because they're worried about contaminated water or soil, and he helps them find the best tools for the job, at the right price.

Tim has specialized in tools that monitor water and soil for contaminants for over twenty years now. In the early days, he spent a lot of time in his basement creating or modifying equipment so that he could do his job. Since then, the demand for environmental monitoring equipment has grown explosively, and manufacturers have responded with carefully designed tools for just about every possible purpose. Today, Tim no longer builds tools; he's the one selling them.

As technical sales representative for Solinst, a small equipment manufacturer in Georgetown, Ontario, Tim is the tool man people come to for service with a smile. Solinst makes about 35 products, including devices that test for gasoline, fuel oil and jet fuel contamination in the water table, as well as others that collect fluid samples from wells, rivers, and lakes. They also distribute similar products made by other manufacturers. Tim prides himself on having tried every piece of equipment the company carries. Many of the devices were developed with his help.

Tim has more hands-on experience with the equipment he sells than anyone else at the firm. His technical experience in finding and cleaning up water table contamination is reassuring to many of his clients, who include municipalities, Armed Forces facilities, and airports. "We even have some home owners as clients, who live next to limestone pits, chemical-based manufacturing organizations, gas stations, or other organizations that could possibly contaminate the ground water," says Tim. "They want to know if their drinking water is safe."