Our history

Key events through the years

Trace began in 1995 with a handful of engineers and a niche to fill. Three decades on, our systems run across the country and the same hands-on approach still defines the company. Here's the path that got us here.

The 1990s

  1. Mar 1995

    GSI Automation provides a CEMS data acquisition system to Ames Rubber Corporation in Hamburg, NJ — where Dave Martin is the head air quality engineer and Buck Franke is the project's software engineer.

  2. May 1995

    Buck, Bob Magno, and Dave decide to start Trace Environmental to serve the new Compliance Assurance Monitoring (CAM) requirements. CAM never materializes — but the team finds its niche in Part 60 CEMS.

  3. Jul 1995

    Trace Environmental Systems is incorporated in New Jersey. Dave leaves Ames Rubber and reports to work at 3 Merry Lane, East Hanover, NJ as employee #1.

  4. Jan 1996

    Jim Toolen sells our first CEMS, to Reckitt & Colman.

  5. Spring 1996

    Trace hires employee #2, Frank Pearson, and GSI Technical Services builds Trace's first CEMS for Reckitt & Colman.

  6. May 1996

    Buck and Dave deploy the first version of the Data Monitor and Processor programs at Reckitt & Colman.

  7. 1997

    Trace sells its first Part 75 CEMS DAS, to Westinghouse Power in Parlin, NJ.

  8. 1998

    Trace sells its first CEMS into the wastewater treatment industry — ultimately leading to 40 subsequent systems at plants throughout the US.

  9. 1998

    Trace provides CEMS and DAS to the Kinder Morgan terminal in Carteret, NJ — the first of 40+ marketing terminals nationwide.

  10. 1998–1999

    Jim Toolen connects with Joe Aldina at Ogden Martin Energy. Trace ultimately deploys DAS2000 at 34 sites, now operated by Covanta/Reworld.

  11. 1999

    Tess-Comm begins building CEMS for Trace.

  12. 1999

    Buck and Dave complete Data Monitor, Data Explorer, and the Automatic Report Agent, and release DAS2000.

2000–2009

  1. 2000

    Jim Toolen, Buck Franke, and Bruce Trauger become full-time employees of Trace. Jim becomes a part owner.

  2. 2001

    Trace contracts with Indeck Energy to provide Part 75 DAS to five power plants in New York.

  3. 2001–2007

    Trace provides DAS to five American Re-Fuel plants (later acquired by Covanta/Reworld).

  4. 2003

    We hire our first field support technicians, Joe Wolfe and Eric Jenkins, and Pat Bayerlein joins as office manager.

  5. 2003

    Our first ethanol-industry CEMS is deployed at Little Sioux Corn Processors in Marcus, Iowa. Trace's NOₓ/O₂ CEMS comes to dominate continuous monitoring in the ethanol industry.

  6. 2003–2004

    Buck releases the first fully configurable CEMS PLC logic for SLC500 and CompactLogix.

  7. 2004

    Mark Maxwell and Kevin Sullivan are hired as our first dedicated project management and DAS support personnel.

  8. 2004

    Bob departs as an owner of Trace.

  9. 2004

    Dave designs our CEMSFlow 500.

  10. 2007

    Trace moves into its Sparta office and begins building its own CEMS.

2010–Present

  1. 2014

    The WebDAS2k project begins with Macrosoft.

  2. 2016

    Buck steps back as an owner of Trace. We lose Buck to cancer 20 months later.

  3. 2019

    Josh Benson is hired as operations manager.

  4. 2020

    Josh becomes a part owner of Trace, and Bryn Martin is hired as Chief Technology Officer.

  5. 2021

    Trace, Siva, and Karthik found Tech Gazebo, our software development company in India.

  6. 2023

    Malek Hatar joins Trace as Director of Engineering.

  7. 2024

    Jim Toolen steps back as an owner. Dave becomes CEO and Josh is appointed President; Bryn becomes a part owner of Trace.

Trace now has hundreds of customers and more than 40 employees. It has been a rewarding journey filled with hard work and lots of memorable experiences — and gratitude to everyone who has been part of building this company.

Three decades of ownership — yours next

The same team that built this company owns your system end to end, from first design through years of service.

Get in touch Meet the team