Surveying and Mapping, LLC (SAM) was founded in 1994 with a core guiding principle of leveraging the latest technologies to maximize value for clients. Today, SAM is the largest geospatial service company in the U.S. and has a reputation for being a technology leader in the AEC industry.
Since its founding, SAM has continuously expanded its services to include a broad range of geospatial services including manned and unmanned aerial mapping, airborne, mobile and terrestrial LiDAR, photogrammetry, geographic information systems (GIS), subsurface utility engineering (SUE), utility coordination (UC), hydrographic surveying, and construction phase services.
Headquartered in Austin, Texas, SAM has over 900 employees in 29 offices across the U.S. In 2018 the company was ranked by Engineering News-Record (ENR) magazine as number 106 among the Top 500 Design Firms. In an independent survey of its employees, SAM has been recognized as a Top Work Place for six years in a row, from 2012-2017.
SAM currently employs more than 180 surveying, SUE, and geospatial crews nationwide. Its staffing and technical infrastructure enables it to deploy advanced UAS platforms regionally, providing lower mobilization cost for clients. With over 100 licensed surveyors, engineers, photogrammetrists, and GIS professionals, the company has licensed staff in 42 states.
The use of LiDAR scanning technologies became important at SAM early in the life of the company. According to Chris Guy, Geospatial Operations Manager, “SAM completed its first aerial LiDAR topographic mapping project using a subcontractor in 1998. The project consisted of low density LiDAR flown with a fixed-wing aircraft and breakline enhancement completed using stereo photography and photogrammetry. Our first electric transmission project to map overhead structures was completed in 2003, capturing HD LiDAR with LIDAR mounted on a helicopter.”
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