Doug Baker joins ownership team of Excelsior sustainability consultancy

Doug Baker, the executive chairman and former CEO of Ecolab, has taken a minority stake and is now on the board of an Excelsior sustainability company run by former Thor Development head Ravi Norman.

JIT Services helps clients from large international organizations to affordable housing developers save money and lower their carbon footprint.

"The opportunity to invest in a team that is also 'all in' on sustainability and economic equity was incredibly important to me," Baker said in a news release. "JIT already delivers outstanding value to its customers and community, and has the opportunity and capability to do even more. I am looking forward to helping JIT reach its full potential."

Baker retired as CEO of Ecolab in January and remains executive chairman of the St. Paul-based maker of water treatment, hygiene and cleaning products. He is also a member of the board of directors at Target Corp. and on the board of trustees at the Mayo Clinic and the College of the Holy Cross in Massachusetts, his alma mater.

JIT was founded in 1991 by Jamie Aragon to provide engineering, accounting and staffing services before transitioning in 2002 to provide utility and energy consulting services. In 2017, Aragon sold the company to Thor Development and Mike Menzel.

In 2019 NGE Holdings acquired a majority interest in JIT and named Norman as CEO. Thor Development had ceased operations in 2019 after severe financial problems.

JIT's ownership group and board includes Norman; Harold Massey, co-founder and partner of NGE; and the firm's long-time president, Menzel.

Baker has purchased a 20% interest in the firm that has 52 employees and annual revenue in excess of $50 million. NGE Holding is 100% owned by Norman and Massey and they control 51% of JIT Services. Menzel owns the remaining 29%.

"Doug and I have a long-standing relationship and alignment around values, vision and mission," Norman said in the release. "We are uniquely positioned to help our clients succeed in achieving their environmental, social and governance (ESG) goals."

Menzel said the company is rooted in helping customers manage utility costs, and now also about helping them "make a meaningful impact on their resource use."