SAM Perspectives Q1 2023

Adam Long (Austin, Texas) presenting to a group.

CEO’S PERSPECTIVE

Leadership and Success

Where We Are Headed and Why

I am excited that we remain on track for our long-term strategic goal to achieve $500M in revenue and $100M in EBITDA by 2026. We have come a long way from when I first joined SAM in 1994. During that time, our industry has experienced many ups and downs, but SAM has always been able to pivot the business to create significant growth along the way. I want to thank all of you for your efforts to help SAM become the leader in this industry.

To continue to achieve this success and remain the leader in the industry, we cannot approach our business in the same way as we have in the past. We must set the right foundation. Over the last couple years, we have taken those steps. We aligned with a new ownership group, we promoted individuals into new leadership roles across the organization and hired additional leaders to help develop and execute our strategy.

In addition, we must understand and be proactive about how our clients view us and our capabilities. We are no longer simply data collectors. We need to be more for our clients. We must provide our clients insights into their challenges. We need to provide our clients the ability to make informed decisions, mitigate potential risks, and create outcomes that achieve their strategic objectives. We have developed the skills, capabilities, and technology to do those things. Now, we need to make sure our clients understand what we can do.

Finally, we must be mindful of our costs and use of capital. Our growth should not sacrifice our margins. We take great pride in running efficiently and that should not change. We should be proactive with our cost leadership strategy in order to continue to fully support our growth strategy. One area where we can do better is our non-labor overhead cost management. We spent nearly $60M in non-labor overhead costs in 2022. This was nearly a 34% increase in these costs year-over-year which exceeded the revenue growth. We did this in order to position ourselves to execute on our strategy by hiring in advance and incurring the overhead that supports our valuable team. Unfortunately, we are seeing another significant year-overyear increase in the first quarter of over 30%. Our non-labor overhead costs are continuing to grow at a relatively higher speed than our revenue generation and collections. This is related to several costs that could be controlled. We must be

very mindful of our costs that are controllable and manage each dollar spent and ask if it is a “critical expense or a nice to have”. Every dollar we spend matters much like an individual wants to manage their cash efficiently and safeguard their investment of time and materials. As the world continues to evolve and interest rate hikes are putting pressure on everyone, we need to be good stewards of SAM’s assets. Cost leadership and oversight is critical and is a responsibility of all of us to ensure that SAM’s assets are managed effectively. Effective overall free cash flow generation will help us to continue to support the growing needs of our highly valuable team.

How Are We Going to Get There

How are we going to achieve the goals mentioned above?

It starts and ends with Leadership

When I think about leadership, many things come to mind. First and foremost is the responsibility of running a business and what that means. For me, that means making sure everyone is taken care of. We each have the responsibility of taking care of 1,500 families and we need to do everything possible to keep people working, while remaining happy and healthy.

We will always put our People first. Being recognized as a Top Workplace on a national scale for the second consecutive year is a resounding nod to our efforts in making SAM an excellent place to work with engaged employees who want to be part of the team. The feedback we received from the most recent survey shows our employees greatly appreciated the opportunities for growth and advancement, the specialized training we offer, and each other. It was also clear that a top reason you want to stay with the company is the relationships you have developed with your teammates. While we are proud of this recognition and feedback, we also read the comments for what you would like to see improved at SAM, and we will do what we can to take the necessary steps to address your requests.

Earlier this year, we held a leadership summit to discuss a wide array of topics, from strategic business objectives to managing and leading teams, and what we can do to help our people. As SAM continues to grow, it is important to us that our people are growing with the company and feel empowered to lead, regardless of their title. That is why we are committed

to providing each of you with training resources, tuition reimbursement, and the work-life balance benefits from our SAM Cares program.

SAM Cares is a program aimed to support you and your family’s well-being through four pillars: financial, mental health, physical, and community wellness. I want to emphasize the family part of our SAM Cares program. The feedback you have provided on our existing benefits has resulted in SAM earning a Cultural Excellence Award for Compensation and Benefits two years in a row. But we want to do more. We are rolling out programs that not only benefit you, but also your family. Our insurance provider, Blue Cross Blue Shield, provides multiple program benefits for physical and mental health wellness, and our teams across the company continue to work on our community and philanthropy efforts. An addition I am very proud of, is the financial wellness program, SmartDollar by Dave Ramsey, which is designed to help you take control of your personal finances.

A second aspect of leadership is helping develop new leaders. As SAM continues to grow, we will need more leaders. We are always looking to elevate those who are willing to step up, and as you have each probably heard, there is a strong trainingyour-replacement mentality at the company. But being a leader is deeper than that. Leadership is about helping influence others to make the right decisions and understand why and what they are trying to do. You do not have to be a manager to be a leader. In fact, we often see great leadership from non-managers.

Being a leader means looking for ways to rise up, take on new challenges, make sound decisions, and inspire others to do their best work. In 2022, SAM saw 317 promotions. If you weren’t part of that group, we want to help you identify the qualities and skills you need to build upon, because there’s a place at SAM for you to grow. Practicing leadership can put you on that path.

Another important element of leadership in running our company, is knowing when and how to convey information. Information is power and keeping confidential and preliminary conversations to yourself is demonstrative of being a good leader. Leadership means influencing results, treating people well, finding opportunities to mentor, being versatile, and asking good questions along the way.

So, what should you do to improve your leadership skills? Ask the right questions to inspire collaboration among teams. By soliciting help from others and demonstrating you value an opinion or recommendation, you admit to not having all the answers and show vulnerability, which cultivates trust. Instead of directing the work, sometimes staying quiet and asking your team for opinions provides an alternative perspective, or multiple ones, you may not have considered before. Additionally, it facilitates learning. As a non-manager, when you ask questions, you show dedication and enthusiasm in your work, thoughtfulness about what you are doing, and a willingness to learn. Asking good questions often leads to becoming a resource and building strong relationships. Finally, another area to focus on to better prepare yourselves are soft skills. Soft skills focus on teamwork, communication, adaptability, problem-solving, and influencing without authority. They are an integral part of being an effective leader. Having and developing soft skills for both your team, and yourself, is important for interpersonal and communication skills which foster collaboration. Hard skills are important, but don’t forget to nurture the soft skills as well.

We have a great year ahead of us and I am excited to see how much more we can accomplish together. Thank you for choosing to be on the SAM team.

Chris Solomon, RPLS President & CEO

SAM is pleased to welcome all new employees from our acquisition of Axis Surveying and Mapping (Axis) on March 13, 2023.

Axis was a professional geomatics solutions company in Redmond, Washington with strong client relationships in engineering, public works, and infrastructure-focused clients. The company’s service offerings included topographic mapping, boundary services, and construction layout.

SAM’s acquisition of Axis supports our strategic growth plan, geographic expansion to the Pacific Northwest, and emphasizes an extension of our technical capabilities.

SAM is pleased to welcome our new teammates from our acquisition of, Carolina Surveying Services, Inc. (CSS) on April 3, 2023.

CSS was a professional geomatics solutions company in Lexington, South Carolina with forty years of experience in delivering high-quality geomatics solutions to a strong client list of national and regional architectural, engineering, and construction (AEC) firms.

SAM’s acquisition of CSS is a continuation of our bold growth strategy, emphasizing our technical capabilities, expanding our client solutions, and delivering industry-leading spatial data solutions and intelligent deliverables to our current and future clients.

These two acquisitions represent the 15th and 16th firms we have acquired in the last six years.

SAFETY MATTERS

Staying Heart Healthy

In the United States, heart disease is the cause of one in four fatalities each year for men and women. According to the American Heart Association, there are many ways to keep your heart safe and healthy, including:

Talking to your doctor: Ask your doctor to perform a cholesterol test to let you know if you’re at risk for heart disease. They can help you by recommending a diet and exercise plan, as well as medication, that can help you lower your cholesterol and your risk of heart disease.

Getting active: Try to get at least 30 minutes of exercise 5 days a week. You can break it into smaller exercise goals of 10 or 15 minutes a few times a day. Walking, running, yoga, hiking, cycling, or playing a sport are great ways to get active. Get active with a friend, family member, or a coworker that supports your efforts – and has the same goals.

Eating healthy: One of the best ways to prevent heart disease is to eat a balanced diet. A good healthy eating plan starts with:

• Eating vegetables, fruits, and whole grains

• Eating fish, poultry, beans, nuts, and fat-free or low-fat dairy products or vegetarian or vegan equivalents

• Limiting foods that are high in saturated fat and sodium

• Limiting sugar and other sweeteners

Reducing stress levels: Stress can contribute to high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and other heart risks because it directly affects your energy, sleep cycles, and hunger levels, which can make your body store more fat. Make a plan to sleep for 7–8 hours a night, practice meditation or visualization activities, become more physically active, and talk with a friend or counselor to help you cope with stress more effectively. In most cases, heart disease is preventable when people adopt an active, healthy lifestyle, which includes not smoking, managing stress, maintaining a healthy weight, treating high blood pressure and cholesterol, and getting some moderate-intensity physical activity each day. It’s easier to stay on track when you engage the help of friends and family to support your healthy lifestyle.

SAM periodically offers CPR and First Aid classes for employees. If you are interested in participating, email safety@sam.biz and let them know you would like to take a CPR and/or First Aid class so they can start planning.

FACTS ABOUT THE HEART:

• The heart beats over 100,000 times per day.

• The heart pumps about 1.5 gallons of blood each minute.

• There are 60,000 miles of blood vessels in the body, which is enough to go around the world twice.

• The average heartbeat of a woman is about 8 beats a minute faster than a man’s.

• Other than the cornea, every cell in the human body gets blood from the heart.

Why Wellness Matters –Introducing

SAM Cares

Dealing with financial strain, staying active or keeping a healthy diet, finding enjoyment in everyday activities, or even feeling disconnected socially – life takes a toll on all of us. Take a minute to reflect. What is most important to you when it comes to health, and what would you like to focus on more?

Wellness is not a phase; wellness is a lifestyle that should be adopted and regularly maintained. Just like a car needs regular maintenance to run smoothly and avoid breaking down, your body and mind also need regular care to function at their best. By taking care of yourself and prioritizing your wellness, you'll have more energy, feel happier, and be better equipped to handle whatever life throws your way. Plus, investing in your wellness now can help prevent health issues down the road, saving you time, money, and stress in the long run. Think of it as a smart investment in yourself, your future, and your loved ones around you.

Still trying to figure out where to begin? We’ve got you covered. Through SAM Cares, we strive to encourage employee well-being centered around four main pillars: Financial Wellness, Mental Health Wellness, Physical Wellness, and Community Wellness.

Each one plays a critical role in helping you lead a happy and healthy life inside, and outside, of work.

// Financial Wellness

Money matters, and we know it can be a significant source of stress for many people. Keeping your financial health in-check could mean something different for everybody. Perhaps it’s creating a budget to reduce spending, saving for emergencies, or finding more effective ways to pay off student loans or a mortgage.

Solutions: SAM is proud to offer the Dave Ramsey SmartDollar Program to help employees take control of their finances in whatever way relates to them. This program provides tools and resources to teach individuals how to manage their money effectively, including budgeting, saving, investing, and managing debt. SmartDollar provides a free and comprehensive financial education curriculum in addition to group coaching sessions.

After the first year in the program, the average SmartDollar user reports more than $16,200 of debt paid and dollars saved.

// Mental Health Wellness

Mental health is critical because it affects every aspect of our lives, including our emotional well-being, relationships, work performance, and overall quality of life. Again, this looks different for every person. It's sometimes challenging to figure out where to start to take care of your mental health, but it could be as simple as engaging in a new hobby that you find enjoyable or relaxing. It could be consciously spending more time with friends and family, taking more breaks, or setting healthy boundaries.

Solutions: SAM is committed to creating an environment where you feel comfortable seeking support when you need it. Did you know that if you’re on our health insurance plan, Blue Cross Blue Shield (BCBS), there are extensive resources for mental health support? Employees can access free and confidential counseling services, mental health hotlines, and support groups to help you manage stress, anxiety, depression, and other mental health concerns.

// Physical Wellness

When you feel good physically, it's easier to feel good mentally. To improve physical health and wellness, it is essential to adopt healthy habits such as regular exercise, healthy eating, sufficient sleep, stress management, and avoiding harmful habits such as smoking and excessive alcohol consumption. Solutions: Eat your vegetables. Just kidding. Even though that’s a small piece of it, there are plentiful ways to start or continue your physical health journey. BCBS resources offer discounts on gym memberships, yoga classes, nutrition counseling, smoking cessation resources, and preventative health services to help you maintain your physical wellness.

// Community Wellness

At SAM, we know the value of community and believe that connecting with others is an essential part of your well-being. Do philanthropy and volunteerism inspire you? We’ve made it easy for employees to find organizations they want to be a part of, and if there’s something you’re passionate about, let us know how SAM can get involved.

Are you convinced wellness is not a phase yet? Remember, taking care of yourself is essential, and we're here to support you every step of the way.

Learn more about SAM Cares and the resources available under the program tab on the Perspectives website.

Top 10 Misconceptions about SAM IT

Technology touches almost every aspect of our lives and can be used in so many different ways. There are a half-dozen ways to tackle almost any problem, but there can be misconceptions about how things actually work, or how SAM specifically uses an aspect of technology.

At least once a week, in our conversations at SAM, the IT Department hears misconceptions about how IT works at SAM. Listed below are the top 10 misconceptions we hear on a regular basis and the truth behind each one:

1. Working from home is as fast as working from the office. Working from home will never be as fast as working in the office. Home Internet speeds vary, and VPN encryption will decrease the speed at which data can move around. If you have a large data set to work on, then it will be more efficient and possibly necessary to do it from the office.

2. IT deleted my data.

IT does not automatically purge or delete anyone’s data without their approval. We may archive older projects to conserve space, but data retention is up to the creator.

3. IT security controls will keep me cyber safe. While we have many security controls in place, you are still the last line of defense. If an email, text message, or phone call is even slightly suspicious contact the Help Desk.

4. My personal data or activity on my SAM computer is mine and private.

SAM’s company policy establishes that anything done on SAM-owned computers or systems makes it company property. Keep your personal life and work life separate.

5. My email box is a good place to keep files and attachments. The email system is not a file cabinet. If you need to keep an email or file for reference, save it to a file sharing site. To send it to an internal user, send a link to the file. For external users, use Newforma Information Exchange. Users can request access to Newforma Information Exchange through the Help Desk.

6. IT has our data backed up for years.

We have backups, but they are not kept forever and are not a record retention system. Backups are kept for 30 days (15 days for Aerial due to volume) and are for emergency recovery purposes only. If it’s on a server, it stays there until the user deletes it or if IT gets the approval to archive it.

7. IT buys equipment, so it doesn’t cost my office or department anything.

SAM IT does maintain stock inventory, but it still costs the company money which gets allocated back to the offices. All tech purchases (hardware/software/cloud) must be run through IT.

8. I can just contact the IT tech I know for any problem I have. SAM has almost 1,500 employees in 43 offices, in 2 countries. Please contact the Help Desk with your issue so we can address it in order. We want to help as quickly as possible, but IT needs to follow an orderly and prioritybased workflow.

9. Equipment used in my office belongs to my office and I can repurpose it as I see fit.

All assets are property of SAM and when someone leaves, IT needs that equipment back so we can repurpose it for the next person that needs it. Promptly return all IT equipment to IT if someone leaves SAM

10. I can leave my computer on indefinitely. You can leave your computer on, but it’s still running Microsoft Windows. At a minimum, you should reboot weekly, if not daily, to ensure you have the latest updates.

We are here to help! If you have technical issues, please contact the SAM IT Help Desk at helpdesk@sam.biz. For emergencies, call 512-685-3501.

RECRUITING NOTES

SAM Employee Referral Program

Employee referrals continue to be our number one source for hiring. This should come as no surprise, as good talent knows other good talent. Employee referrals are important and have many benefits to SAM, outside of hiring a great candidate. Referrals not only reduce a company’s time and cost of hiring, but they generally lead to stronger hires and longer retention rates.

SAM currently has 10% better retention rate with employees hired through referrals versus other sources like Indeed and LinkedIn. Even so, referrals continue to be underutilized. How can you help?

• Refer candidates through the “Email a friend” feature on the job posting

• Send a candidate’s name to our Talent Acquisition inbox for assistance with the application process at ta@sam.biz

• Share our job postings on LinkedIn with your network to reach an even broader audience. We want to ensure our teams are acknowledged for their efforts, so SAM will reward employees for each person they refer that is hired.

The chart below shows a quick outline of the reward levels based on positions.

$1,000 for hourly positions $2,500 for salaried positions

$5,000 for Senior Project Managers or higher

Reach out to Kelli Howard at khoward@sam.biz for more information.

Getting to Know our Office Team

How many years of experience do you possess in the industry?

I've got about nine years of experience in Utility Engineering (UE). I was in the field for four years and the last five in the office. Having both experience in the field and office makes you a well-rounded professional; I believe everybody should have some field experience. It makes managing and understanding our work a lot easier.

Describe your day-to-day.

years of Varsity Golf in high school, and it's one of the best things I could have done to prepare myself for project management, ha! I am fueled by passion, and any chance I can share that passion with my team, my clients, or others is what I enjoy the most.

Do you have a favorite project?

How did you get started at SAM?

I joined SAM in 2016 as a part of the So-Deep, Inc. acquisition. I remember the day I was hired at So-Deep. I found the job opening in the newspaper, walked into the office, and the hiring managers were reviewing test holes and designating field sheets. They explained everything and then gave me an on-the-spot interview. They hired me right then! I showed up to work the next day at 5:45 AM and started my career digging test holes. Fast forward to today, I’m currently a Project Manager in our Northern Virginia office and heading into my sixth year at SAM. From performing, designating, and locating utilities, to managing clients and other employees, the path from field to office growth has continued for me at SAM. I moved up from Field Technician I to Project Manager.

Fun fact, I graduated with less than 150 students from Manassas Park High, and currently, there are 5 Manassas Park graduates working for SAM!

I feel an immense sense of being and purpose at SAM. Typically, my day starts with ensuring all my crews have made it in and the schedule can run as planned. Once all our crews are out, I review the work done the day before. I perform a review and QA/ QC of all forms and data, then I begin to forecast and plan to ensure that the rest of the week and month is planned out. I provide operations and management of our people on a daily/weekly basis.

Once completed, I switch hats and put on my business development cap. I attend all 811 events across Virginia, representing SAM and educating people about the importance of knowing what's below ground before you dig. I also preach the differences between professional services vs. contract locating.

What is your favorite part about being a Project Manager?

The best part about being a Project Manager is that I am able to do a lot of different tasks. Our hands are in almost every aspect of projects, and we have that control. It may be too much for some, but I thrive off the big expectations. As a young Project Manager, this type of experience is excellent. From building teams, learning how to manage people, creating that team worth, delivering data to clients, developing proposals, and attending events with that SAM smiling face to all our current clients and the clients we want to win. I enjoy being in front of our clients as much as possible. I played four

There's this one project that tops every project I've worked on. SAM got to work with Park Mobile, the parking app that owns parking spaces in major cities. Park Mobile has over 5,000 assets in Washington DC, including Parking Signs, Parking Pay Stations, and Coin Meters. For the project, we took pictures, GPS points, and condition assessments of every asset in Washington, DC. We put down over 35 miles by foot in a 7-square-mile city. We saw the nation’s capital right in the middle of the cherry blossom season. It was one of the most beautiful times in the city. The weather was phenomenal, and spending all day in the city walking around and taking pictures was the most remarkable project I've ever worked on.

What do you do outside of work?

I serve on the City of Manassas Utility Commission and have been a city commissioner for two years. I volunteer around our city, educating people on the importance of utilities and how the city's utilities bring in a significant revenue source. Outside of utilities and work, I have an amazing 11-year-old son who aspires to be the next Ja Morant. We're at basketball training and AAU practice 3-5 times a week, plus weekends. On the nice days, I enjoy driving my Camaro to work, powered by a 427" Nitrous Stroker LS. Those are the good days!

Courtney Tolson

Project Manager NoVA Office

PROJECT SPOTLIGHT

Using Applied Science to Determine Facility Ratings

As each of you may know, SAM is known for our innovative solutions catered to the individual needs of our clients. Our latest patent-pending methodology, Applied Science for Facility Ratings is an excellent example of this.

The North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC) has been increasing their enforcement of FAC 008 guidelines, and electric utilities need a cost-effective, safe, and accurate solution to demonstrate compliance.

Across the board, conductor parts have proven a challenge. To determine the manufacturer’s specifications, utilities need precise measurements of the conductor diameter, strand diameter, and strand count. The known values allow a utility to, in combination with existing records, identify the conductor codes listed in manufacturers’ tables.

Measuring the conductors by hand is expensive, dangerous, and time-consuming, and finding the conductor and strand diameters to the necessary degree of precision without using a caliper was problematic before SAM engineered an alternate method.

Dominion Energy (Dominion) asked SAM if we could provide a faster, safer, and reliable solution. After considering and testing several alternative technology solutions, SAM conducted a pilot project with Dominion to demonstrate and test a few theories for an improved solution.

Bryan Fitzpatrick assembled a team of SAM surveyors, photogrammetrists, and software developers. The team developed a remote sensing and indirect method utilizing closerange terrestrial photogrammetry to measure conductors in a reliable, accurate, and safe method. Bryan enhanced the data collection process by creating a GIS field form for cataloging uniform, georeferenced images to enable multiple, redundant measurements from various perspectives. The results were validated in the field and confirmed in the office for quality assurance in near real-time. The methodology used in this project also passed a Southeastern Electric Reliability Council (SERC) audit in the fall of 2022, officially establishing that SAM’s method meets the challenge of FAC 008 compliance.

We have realized several advantages of employing remote sensing to collect spatial data for the measurements. First and foremost, it is safer. No one has to climb or get into a bucket truck, so there is no risk of falling or working in close proximity to electrical lines. Since the crews collect the images at a distance using long focal length HD cameras outside the substation fence, there is no risk of contact with power lines, and the lines can stay energized. Our innovative solution reduces the number of people needed to one or two person crews. In addition, since all the equipment necessary fits in a single backpack, our crews can walk to the conductor locations in conditions that would be inaccessible for bucket trucks.

What has been most impressive about this method is how quickly the data can be collected.

In practice, we can collect as many as twenty measurements per day with a single person and a safety coordinator. The full turnaround and delivery to the client is often the same day, or the next day, after the images and observations are collected in the field.

SAM’s Applied Technology department has integrated the processing to provide additional quality assurance (QA) into SAM InspectTM for repeatable, uniform measurements, utilizing computer vision and automated edge detection. Utilizing the customized GIS web forms, the data and documentation are available in near real-time for tracking the program’s status. In the end, Dominion’s timeline was reduced from five years to two. Their cost savings can be measured in millions of dollars. And most importantly, the safety concerns with climbing were eliminated.

Since that first successful pilot project, our team has:

• Collected over 10,000 measurements with proven accuracy and precision

• Gained thousands of hours of on-site experience

• Made data management and delivery more efficient with SAM InspectTM

Civil 3D 2023 Rollout and Updated SAM Digital Standards

Over the next six months, the rollout of Civil 3D 2023 will include many new tools, fixes, and enhancements to the SAM Digital Standards and standard field codes. We encourage all groups to move to the new version as it becomes available. Civil 3D 2023 is compatible with versions going back to 2018.

SAM’s Civil 3D Digital Standards and codes have been reviewed and updated with the new rollout. A new standard survey template (DWT) and Trimble feature code library (FXL) will be available to address the issues and suggestions brought up by several of our offices and team members. This template is to be used as the survey and SUE base template in Civil 3D whenever a client’s standard is not specified. These updates are based on the National CAD Standard and are documented on the intranet under SAM Digital Standards

This year, we will also have access to nationwide GIS layers from Regrid and RexTag for parcels, major pipeline, transmission line, railroad layers, and more, all available to pull directly for reference into Civil 3D, or other software.

In addition to our core SAM Digital Standards, the 2023 rollout also includes new Fiber Engineering client specific standards to be used on all Fiber Engineering products created in Civil 3D. These are based on our core standards, but also include requirements from our various clients in the industry. If you have any questions about creating a client-specific or practice-specific standard, please work with the AT team to get it included in our automated standards rollout, so all our SAM teams are creating consistent digital products.

SAM is also changing resellers. Starting this year, ImagineIT will now be SAM’s new value-added reseller for Autodesk products. This company is much larger than our last reseller and is much better equipped to provide the support SAM requires.

If you have any questions about Civil 3D or our digital delivery standards, please contact Nathan Hunt at NHunt@sam.biz

2023 ENHANCEMENTS:

• SUE line types added, and existing line types edited for consistency

• Civil 3D label consistency with masks, arrow, and text size

• More layer examples included in base template

• Example layer filters added for suggested layer management

• New SAM custom commands and automation

• Field code attributes expanded to capture more data in the field

• Many field code “descriptions” clarified for easier filtering

CONNECTION

Q&A with the Leadership Team

How would you describe your leadership style?

I am a hands-on leader, and I don’t ask my staff to do anything I wouldn’t be willing to do or haven’t already done myself at some point in my IT career. Over the years I have learned to balance business impact versus IT security when it comes to implementing technology. When my team is implementing something new, I guide them in finding that balance and understanding why it matters.

How do you keep your team motivated despite conflicts and obstacles?

The IT world is changing on a daily basis, and technology is ingrained in every part of our lives. We stay focused by setting priorities based on the type of work; 1) Keep the lights on - keep everything up and running 2) Cyber Security - keep the business safe 3) Business needs - what does the business require to meet its goals 4) IT maintenance and 5) Research and Development. We stay motivated by treating people fairly, setting these priorities for them, helping them understand why we are doing what we are doing, and humor, lots, and lots of humor.

How do you lead through change?

Communication is paramount in navigating major changes. As a leader, you must get buy-in and commitment, so you need to explain the reasoning behind the change and do it early and often. How is it making the business grow, thrive and survive, and how do you as a team member impact that by adapting to this change? People will adapt faster if they understand the why and potentially how it will impact them and their careers. If you can accept that change is a constant factor—because it is—then it’s not that hard to navigate.

How do you help employees grow and develop in their careers?

In IT we like to start people, who are new in their IT careers, at the Help Desk. When we are hiring, we look for people with the right work ethic and good technical capabilities. We can teach the technical skills, but we can’t teach work ethic. Then we mentor and train in how and why things work the way they do. From there, as the company grows, opportunities arise that allow them to move into other facets in the IT career path. Too many IT people are siloed in their skills sets and it limits the team and the employee. I want wellrounded IT skillsets within my team which will only make them, and us, stronger so we explain and train in anything they want to understand.

What activities do you enjoy outside of work?

Now that my son is off to college (Hook ‘em!) my wife and I are enjoying travelling more. We went to France and Italy last summer and went to Greece in April.

What is something about you that people at SAM don’t know?

I served in the U.S. Navy from 1990-95 and did two tours to the Persian Gulf, visiting multiple countries each time. My time in the military gave me a whole different perspective on the world (cue the “A Whole New World” music from Aladdin) and made me appreciate different cultures, values, and opinions. I believe we are all very fortunate to live in the United States compared to some of the countries I have visited.

What advice would you give someone relatively new in their career?

I tell this to all my staff when they hire on with SAM; “If you screw up, own up, don’t cover up.” You are human, you will make mistakes, but learn from them and don’t repeat them. If you lie, lay blame elsewhere, or try and cover it up, you will eventually get caught and you lose trust. Honesty is very important. I like this quote by Thomas Jefferson “Honesty is the first chapter in the book of wisdom.” It’s okay to say, “I don’t know” but follow up with, “I’ll find out”.

As a leader, how do you build culture among your team and why is that important to you?

It all starts with hiring the right people with the right work ethic. Then I sit down with each new hire and explain my guiding principles, so they know what to expect upfront. We have a lot of technical experience with the senior members on our team and we want to share that knowledge so they can eventually replace us! We also find time for teambuilding activities. We have to book them months in advance, but it gives us something to look forward to and there is always at least one good story from them. (Just ask anyone in IT)

Shawn Dunn

Vice President and Director of IT, Austin Office

QUALITY CORNER

SAM’s Quality Policy

Recently most of our employees were asked to acknowledge and comply with SAM’s Quality Policy. Our objectives and policies must stay pertinent to our actions as we move forward.

Our Quality Policy is the beginning of the overall framework and details of our Quality Management System (QMS). The policy is a brief statement aligned with our company’s purpose, mission, and strategic direction and is an integral part of our Quality Management Plan (QMP) that we share with our clients.

SAM’s Quality Policy is as follows:

SAM Companies (SAM) has become the largest provider of geospatial data solutions and inspection services in the United States, and parts of Canada by consistently providing high-quality deliverables across our geomatics, aerial mapping, Geographic Information Systems (GIS), utility engineering, Building Information Modeling (BIM), and inspection services. We recognize the importance of our clients, our employees, and the quality of our data, so we invest in the best people, equipment, training, technology, and state-of-the-art data collection processes that allow us to provide best-in-class solutions for our clients. Our senior leadership and teams across our organization support an error-free, on-time culture of continual improvement by documenting best practices, sharing knowledge, improving skills, and supporting each other.

The policy was designed to cover the four principal actions:

• SAM’s Quality Mission

• SAM’s Internal/External Customer Satisfaction

• SAM’s Compliance

• SAM’s Continual Improvement

The Quality Policy and QMS are objectives for every person at SAM and are supported by leadership and throughout our organization. It is required that every employee acknowledge and comply with the policy. People are not expected to memorize or recite the policy but to have a basic understanding of it and how to locate it. Additionally, there is a short video on SAM University to help us better understand our Quality Policy.

If you have any questions or would like to share any good, bad, and unique quality conversations, please email us at quality@sam.biz

Please go into UKG to acknowledge and comply with the SAM Quality Policy if you haven't already. This is required for all employees.

Why You We Should Think “We” First

There’s no doubt about it, business is a team sport, particularly when providing professional services. It starts even before we are awarded a project, proceeds through the performance of the work, and continues beyond nurturing an ongoing relationship with clients. One thing successful organizations embrace is “we” over “I”. That indicator of success is backed up by researcher Jim Collins in his book, “Good to Great”. Collins found that one of the key differences between top performing CEOs and lower performing CEOs is their use of the words “I” and “we”. Top performing CEOs use the word “we” much more than they use the word “I” and, conversely, lower performing CEOs refer to “I” much more often.

Collins also goes deeper in his distinction of “I” vs. “we” to describe a window vs. mirror mentality. In his research, lower performing CEOs tended to look in the mirror when praising performance and look out the window when criticizing or assigning blame. Top performing CEOs were much more likely to look out the window to find others to praise and look in the mirror to both accept responsibility and adjust their own actions when things didn’t go so well. The result of the latter is great teams rallying around a great leader to accomplish great things.

Externally, adopting a “we” mindsight helps us as a company equally consider client needs, as well as our own when developing scopes of work, proposing, and delivering solutions. It doesn’t mean ignoring our own needs, only that we first identify, acknowledge, and consider the client’s need to fix, accomplish, or avoid something in their business before developing a plan of action. This is even more applicable to our interactions that include teaming partners and the need to consider all three parties.

The same concept applies internally. When we first look to the needs of other members of the team, it’s easier to see the overall picture and work together to accomplish all our goals. It’s easy to label ourselves as teams, and maybe even assign team names, but that can quickly lose meaning if our interactions don’t include more use of the words “we”, “us”, “our”, etc. and less “I”,” you”, “me”, “they”, etc.

Whether internal or external, using more “we” words is contagious. The more they are used within the team, the more the team members buy-in to the language and start to use “we” words and adopt “we” mentalities. This helps build consensus and create alignment. It also generates broad participation among teams in a variety of activities and cultivates a positive experience while producing better overall end results.

In addition to solidifying the overall “team” mentality, more use of “we” words has been found to correlate with higher status within a group or hierarchy. In other words, those that are perceived as we-focused/others-oriented tend to float to leadership and high-influence positions in groups. The study published in the Journal of Language and Social Psychology was unable to determine which caused which, but clearly establish that leaders use more “we” words and exhibit more others-oriented behavior.

Consequently, adopting a “we” mentality, and aligning your words with that mentality, can be a key component of career progression and succession planning. To move up, you’ll need to prepare a replacement. Fostering more engaged teaming behavior helps team members gain experience, confidence, and comfort accepting responsibility. In addition, fostering a more we-focused/others-oriented approach positions you as a leader ready to take the next step.

Words do make a difference and they don’t necessarily have to be big words to leave a strong impression, even the little ones can make a significant impact. If you are a leader or aspiring to be a leader at the next level, check the “we” words in your next meeting. Are you an “I” word person or are you on the right track to build a “we” mentality. Better yet, expand the scope and check to see if “we” are on the right track towards building great teams.

Getting to Know our Field Team

When did you join the team, and what aspects of SAM influenced your career decision?

In 2018, I decided on a different trajectory for my career and joined SAM. I wanted to step from behind the desk to be outside in nature more. I pursued a career with a company that values People, is committed to providing Excellence In Service, and allows employees opportunities outside of an office.

What is your current role, and how did you get there?

Early in my career with SAM I started traveling as a Field Technician. While my home base was in Ohio, I helped out on projects throughout Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New York, and Pennsylvania. Although some would find it difficult to be away from home, I enjoyed the adventure of travel. Most recently, SAM aided me in fulfilling a dream of mine to move to Colorado. I am fortunate to have the position of Field Technician III.

Describe what your day-to-day involves. My day-to-day responsibilities vary from designating and excavating utility lines, surveying data, and occasionally assisting with tool tracking runs. Additionally, I have begun taking on responsibilities such as mentoring new employees on the processes and procedures that are implemented at SAM.

What's your favorite part about being a Field Technician?

1. I love working outside.

2. I am grateful for the people I meet and the opportunities I have had to foster collaboration.

3. The ability to learn, grow, and perfect new methods within the geospatial industry.

As an employee with five years under their belt, what advice would you give to someone starting in the field?

Always expect the unexpected and be ready to adapt and pivot in a constantly changing environment. Working in the field imposes many daily obstacles, including unpredictable interactions with the public, sudden weather changes, and even stray dogs. Situational awareness is critical in this industry.

How would you describe your crew in three words?

Collaborative, efficient, and determined.

What's your favorite equipment to use?

Definitely the vLoc3 RTK-Pro. I enjoy its functionality and overall user-friendliness. With this piece of equipment, I can designate the specific location of the utility while simultaneously obtaining the utility's geographical location with survey-grade accuracy.

Do you have a favorite project at SAM?

What was your involvement?

The NiSource Massachusetts project is still my favorite project to date. I collaborated with various individuals across multiple offices within SAM to deliver GIS mapping services for our client's gas infrastructure. The project lasted around three months, but the relationships gained from working with such individuals will last a lifetime.

What are a few things about your life outside of SAM that others may not know?

I take pride in being from Ohio and am a huge Buckeye fan. I am a bit of an adrenaline junkie, and I love exploring the world's natural phenomena. On any given weekend, you can either find me exploring or trying new coffee shops and eateries.

Ryan Emborsky

Field Technician III Denver Office

IT ALL STARTS WITH YOU!

We are celebrating SAM being named a Top Workplace USA and receiving a Culture Excellence award in Compensation and Benefits, for the second consecutive year.

Thank you to our employees for your feedback, your outstanding work, and making SAM a great place to work. We review the feedback on the surveys and look for opportunities to continue to evolve and improve.

SNAPSHOT GALLERY

 Julie Uden & Andrea McMurray, Knoxville

 Colette Bellville, Stephanie Pettiette, and Brett Smith, Austin

 Asialena Bonitz laying out electric features, Austin

 Matthew Reinhart, Columbus

 Richard Riden, Nashville

 Austin North Office Open House

 Mike Rice & Manny Fernandez enjoying sandwiches in Austin

 Candy Shelton & Rebecca Hemme celebrating Valentine's Day in Dallas

 Henry Thomas & Paul Glenn, Moorestown

 SAM Spring Charity Golf Event benefitting Dell Children's North in Williamson County

 Winners, Colby Hough & Brian Belcher, Columbus Super Bowl Chili Cook-Off

 Robert Schurig teaching for the Boy Scouts of America, Austin

 Dylan Pelligrino setting gridline control for trades, Austin

 Robert Heath, Richmond

 Mandi Williamson, Dallas

 Raleigh office members celebrating Valentine's Day

 Terii Kirtos, Youngstown

For Christina Preas (AUSTIN, TX)

Lucia ChaeRhyeen Preas

February 11, 2023 // 7 lbs, 12oz - 18"

For Cody Niehus (DENVER, CO)

Taytum Renee Niehus

February 20, 2023 // 8 lbs, 5oz - 21"

For Ravleen Khalsa-Basra (AUSTIN, TX)

Mattie Rose Williams

February 23, 2023 // 8 lbs, 12 oz - 22"

For Dan Pollock (AUSTIN, TX)

Cody and Riley Pollock

March 5, 2023

JUST MARRIED

Taylor Spencer and Travis Nuckols (TAYLOR IN AUSTIN, TX)

March 4, 2023

NEW LICENSURE & CERTIFICATIONS

McKenna Swanson REDMOND — NOTARY PUBLIC in WASHINGTON

Bradley Dempster HOUSTON — PLS in TENNESSEE

Erika Montalvo AUSTIN — PLS in KENTUCKY

David DeBerardino RALEIGH — PE in KANSAS

Romeo Rosales, Sr. AUSTIN — ACI CONCRETE CERTIFICATION in TEXAS

Reuben Chandler CHARLOTTE — PE in SOUTH CAROLINA, GEORGIA & TENNESSEE

Daniel McMaken COLUMBUS — PILOT-REMOTE — NATIONAL

James Randall COLUMBUS — PILOT-REMOTE — NATIONAL

Philip Woodworth AUSTIN — PLS in ARIZONA

Reuben Chandler CHARLOTTE — PE in OHIO

Daniel Neer COLUMBUS — PLS in INDIANA

Talisa

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The goal of this publication is to provide relevant information across the SAM Companies. Perspectives exists because of employee contributions.

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