This feature is a question-and-answer session with a new Blount County Chamber member. So, here we go with our 220th installment visiting with David Headrick, senior project manager for Surveying and Mapping, LLC (SAM).
Describe what SAM does. “We are land surveyors, mappers, utility location technicians, and GIS technicians. If something needs to be surveyed, mapped, measured, or located, we are the people to call! We are the local presence for a larger nationwide company. So, we have deep resources. For surveying, we have all of the traditional equipment, plus planes, helicopters, drones, mobile LiDAR, and 3D laser scanners. For utility location, we have pipe locators, geophysical equipment, and vacuum trucks.”
Who are your customers? “We have contractor customers who need construction surveying and asbuilt services. We have engineer and architect customers who need asbuilts and maps to do design work. We have industrial/manufacturing customers who need their facilities mapped and modeled. Our customers are in transportation, power, solar energy, residential and commercial development, utilities, and plenty of other areas.”
How did you get started? “I got started surveying in the field about 30 years ago. An engineer friend knew I was good at math and suggested that I come work for him. I worked my way into the office as a CAD technician. I started managing projects, then people, then departments.”
What do you enjoy most about this profession? “I enjoy being part of the design and construction process. Our services directly contribute to the development of homes, buildings, roadways, solar farms, plants, and other things that make the world a better place. I enjoy solving problems, particularly with advanced surveying technologies like 3D laser scanning, LiDAR, and drones. That allows me to really help out and make a difference.”