After more than two decades at the helm of Grand Junction-based HRL Compliance Solutions Inc., Herman Lucero sold the company to employee Matt Smith.

Under Lucero’s ownership, HRL Compliance Solutions, 2385 F 1/2 Road in Grand Junction, grew into a trusted and reputable environmental firm working with a variety of industries, recognized for its expertise in regulatory compliance, environmental solutions and innovative industry practices.

Smith, an industry veteran with more than 12 years of experience in the oil and gas and environmental sectors, an HRL employee for six of those years, and a Colorado Mesa University alum, now leads the company into its next phase.

“Our team remains committed to providing industry-leading regulatory and environmental compliance solutions while embracing innovation to meet the evolving needs of our clients,” said Smith, who has a background in regulatory compliance, environmental management and industry best practices.

The acquisition signifies a period of transformation for HRL as Smith aims to build upon the company’s foundation and expand its capabilities in an ever-changing regulatory and environmental landscape.

To that end, Smith brought on Dustin Held as HRL’s environmental division manager. With more than 15 years of hands-on experience in environmental compliance and an environmental geology degree from Fort Lewis College in Durango, Held brings expertise and strong industry relationships to his new role.

Held often describes his work as being an “earth janitor,” focusing on cleaning up and managing environmental challenges across various industries.

Held is based in the newly-opened HRL field office in Rifle and will guide HRL’s efforts in industries such as oil and gas and governmental compliance, while helping expand the company’s network and workforce.

The new Rifle office is located at 762 Buckhorn Drive and will act as a division office to better support environmental services within Colorado, Utah, and Wyoming.