Q2 2023 Perspectives Newsletter

Jake Gresham, CMT-L, GISP in McDonough performing meteorological data collection

CEO’S PERSPECTIVE

SAM is Advancing the Industry

This is an exciting time for SAM. We have achieved our highest ENR ranking to date: ranked 88 of the Top 500 Design Firms. This ranking confirms that we keep pushing the boundaries and improving our client solutions. We are the most trusted provider for the complete lifecycle of infrastructure assets. Thank you all for your efforts to help us achieve this recognition.

As I discussed earlier this year, we remain on track for our long-term strategic goal to achieve $500M in revenue and $100M in EBITDA by 2026. Our overall growth strategy to accomplish this goal remains the same. We continue to grow organically in our existing offices while pursuing an aggressive acquisition strategy that strengthens our geographic footprint and service offerings. I would like to welcome our new team members from our 2023 acquisitions so far: Axis Survey & Mapping; Carolina Surveying Services, Inc.; GeoSolutions, LLC; MTPLS Surveying & Mapping; AXIS GeoSpatial and AXIS GeoAviation. Let’s make our new team members feel welcome and immersed in the SAM way.

In the first half of the year, we achieved $143.5M in revenue and $27.9M in EBITDA. While those numbers are higher than our performance last year at this time, we are still performing below the annual plan we set for 2023. It remains critical that we bill every dollar for all effort spent providing services and solutions to our clients.

As part of our focus to improve financial performance, the leadership team recently convened and identified five top tactical initiatives that will address areas where we have current challenges.

1. Accurate and Daily Timesheet Entry and Review

2. Project Set Ups

3. Proper Allocation of Equipment Costs

4. Improved Cost Management and Accountability

5. More Efficient Billing Process

We each have a responsibility to keep SAM financially healthy and on track to reach our financial goals, especially as we continue to grow.

A Digital Transformation

Technology has been at the forefront of SAM’s vision for years and has helped set us apart from the competition. Our emphasis on a digital transformation is setting SAM up for an even more powerful value proposition going forward. We are no longer competing with other firms. With proprietary technology like SAM Vantage™, SAM Inspect™, SAM Linewise, SAM Integrity™, and substation scanning, we are advancing the industry itself.

The key to our future growth and success is our ability to commercialize our technology. We have a talented Applied Technology team working with subject matter experts (SMEs) to improve upon existing proprietary technologies and develop new ones. As they partner together, I ask that you consider how you talk to clients. Rather than selling SAM’s services, I ask that you craft a message detailing the value, the benefit, and the how and why of our solutions. Explaining how and why our technology will benefit our clients is critical to SAM’s future. Our clients are interested in the outcome - the final deliverable. By understanding how or why a product or service works, our clients can assess quality, reliability, and the potential for suitability in other areas of their business. With this understanding, we allow our clients to make better-informed decisions. We become their trusted advisor.

Another ask that I have for each of you is to always look for ways for us to improve. Consider how we can be more innovative or more efficient in providing solutions to our customers. No idea is too small. Sometimes ideas that seem small at first evolve into a big idea that can help transform the company or even the industry. Please contact our Chief Digital Officer, Andy Scott, with any ideas and questions you may have pertaining to our current and future digital initiatives.

Sustaining Safety Standards

One area that we continue to improve is our safety behaviors and performance. This year alone, our field crews have submitted over 14,000 Daily Job Hazard Analysis forms. Our safety department, along with the Ops team, have conducted over 180 field visits through our CORE Observation Program.

To further enhance safety, we introduced the Good Catch Program in February. This program encourages our crews to identify and take necessary actions to eliminate or mitigate hazards in their work environment. So far, we have received over 285 Good Catches, and we have recognized many employees for their outstanding contributions through the Good Catch of the Week in Work Tango.

These combined efforts from SAM team members have contributed to our lowest Total Recordable Incident Rate in company history, currently standing at 0.16. Thank you all for your dedication to ensuring the well-being of your fellow employees and a big Thank You to Todd Baker and the entire Safety Department for helping keep us safe.

Let’s start the second half of the year with our best foot forward, thinking about our clients and the value we can bring to them, our people and how important each one of you is to the success of the company, and how technology can help us be better. Thank you for choosing to be on the SAM team.

If you would like to share an idea or would like to contribute, please contact the committee at newsletter@sam.biz.

Solomon, RPLS President & CEO

Contributors: Chris Solomon, Lorna Hicks, Kelli Howard, Shawn Dunn, John Braden, Avery Lloyd, Ethan Herbek, Ed Clow, John Watson, Emily Mitchell, Travis Bradley, and Matthew Foster

Newsletter Committee: Tammy Petrekovich, Alice Crain, Kristine Ritter Wilhelm, Laurice Yanar, Natalie Wade, Sarah Brown, Donna Josey

Chris

Welcome to our GeoSolutions Teammates

SAM is pleased to welcome all new employees from our acquisition of GeoSolutions, LLC on May 8, 2023.

GeoSolutions was a professional geomatics solutions company in The Woodlands, Texas with strong client relationships in the utilities, transportation, and local government sectors. The company’s thirty years’ experience delivering high-quality geomatics solutions in Houston has proved a great addition to SAM, and together we are leading the industry in providing spatial data solutions and intelligent deliverables to our combined clients.

SAM’s acquisition of GeoSolutions supports our strategic growth plan, to solidify our geographic presence and extend of our technical capabilities.

Welcome to our MTPLS Teammates

SAM is pleased to welcome our new teammates from our acquisition of, MTPLS Surveying & Mapping (MTPLS), on May 22, 2023.

MTPLS was a professional geomatics solutions company in Baltimore, Maryland with significant geomatics expertise, particularly in Unmanned Aerial Mapping, Inspection, and Geospatial capabilities in the utility sector.

SAM’s acquisition of MTPLS further strengthens our presence and strategic initiatives in the Mid-Atlantic region and will enable our teams to provide additional industry-leading spatial data solutions and intelligent deliverables to current and future clients.

Welcome to our AXIS GeoSpatial and AXIS GeoAviation Teammates

SAM is pleased to welcome our new teammates from our acquisition of, AXIS GeoSpatial and AXIS GeoAviation (AXIS), on June 19, 2023, which collectively operate as a full-service professional mapping firm in Easton, Maryland.

AXIS specialized in processing and delivering customized, application-specific geospatial data, and utilized remote sensing, and measurement technologies for integration into civil engineering and Geographic Information Systems (GIS) applications. As part of the transaction, we acquired a fleet of aircraft equipped with advanced remote sensing instruments that acquire high-resolution, multi-spectral imagery, and LiDAR, simultaneously.

Perspectives has gone digital!

SAM’s acquisition of AXIS brings a diverse client base across a broad spectrum of industries, including the utility, transportation, forestry, environment, and federal and state government sectors.

Access the latest edition.

Stay Safe as Temperatures Rise

A fun summer means hot sunny days and outdoor activities. Whether you are working outside, playing (or cheering on) a sport, attending a barbeque, or hanging out at the beach, staying cool and hydrated is a priority in hot weather.

Overexposure to heat and high humidity can cause dehydration, faintness, heat exhaustion, and heat stroke. Some people are more susceptible to heat-related illnesses because of age, medications, or pre-existing health conditions. To protect yourself and others, you should learn to identify the signs of heat exhaustion and heat stroke:

• Heat Exhaustion - Symptoms of heat exhaustion include cool, moist skin, nausea, headache, dizziness, weakness, and a rapid pulse. If signs of heat exhaustion do not end, or if they worsen, go to the emergency room.

• Heat Stroke - Heat stroke is a medical emergency. If an individual suddenly stops sweating and feels hot to the touch, becomes confused, faints, or has a seizure, call 9-1-1 immediately. While waiting for help to arrive, you should place them in a cool, shady area, apply ice or cold compresses, and get the individual to drink water if they are conscious.

Stay Cool: Try to schedule exercise, walks with your pets, and sports early in the morning or later in the afternoon when temperatures are cooler. On a job site, take breaks in a shaded spot as needed. Wear lightcolored clothing, sunglasses, and a hat to protect you from the sun. If you must be outside for a long time, bringing a portable tent or umbrella to your outdoor gathering can provide shade. Because a sunburn can change your body’s ability to regulate temperature, make sure to wear sunscreen and stay in the shade.

Stay Hydrated: Keep yourself, and your friends and family hydrated by drinking water or a sports drink. If you start to feel thirsty, you are already dehydrated. Avoid caffeine and alcohol, which will cause you to lose water more rapidly, or alternate drinking water and alcohol or caffeinated beverages.

Stay Aware: Check on friends or neighbors and have someone do the same for you if you have a medical condition. If you are outside and start to overheat or feel faint, get inside immediately, drink a cool drink, and alert others that you are not feeling well. Keep your pets inside. If they must be outside for any period, make sure they have access to fresh, cold water and shade, and monitor them for excessive panting and signs of heat exhaustion and heat stroke, which can be similar to symptoms in humans.

Do not leave pets or people in parked cars for a long period of time. If errands or an appointment take a while, leave pets and other people at home, or bring them with you into the business.

When you enjoy outdoor activities during the summer months, you should remember to stay cool, stay hydrated, and stay aware. For more tips on how to stay safe in the heat, visit redcross.org and osha.gov

SAM CARES

SAM Employees recognized National Volunteer Month by participating in our annual Community Roots initiative in April. The initiative challenged everyone to volunteer their time between April 1st and 27th. For every volunteer hour worked and reported during that time, SAM planted a tree through the National Forest Foundation. We were excited to announce that our employees volunteered 888 hours which means 888 trees were planted.

Several SAM offices organized group volunteer events for their employees which included:

• Austin office picked up trash at the TxDOT Roadside Cleanup

• Charlotte office made signs and cheered on the participants of Girls on the Run

• Chicago office packed meals for Feed My Starving Children

• Cincinnati office did creek and trail maintenance at Big Bone Lick State Historic Site

• Columbus office did park clean-up and beautification for the City of Columbus

• Dallas office provided breakfast and served families at the Ronald McDonald House Dallas

• Denver office prepped food bags for refugees through Project Worthmore

• Houston office did beach cleanup through Texas AdoptA-Beach 2023 Coastwide Spring Cleanup

• Knoxville office wrote letters to seniors in nursing homes through the Greater Nashville Regional Council

• New Carlisle and Elkhart offices prepped a community garden through New Carlisle Community Food Pantry

• Raleigh office sorted clothing for Note in the Pocket

• Salt Lake City office filled sandbags for potential flooding through Cottonwood Heights Public Works

• St. Louis office packaged food for the St. Louis Food Bank

• Tyler office packed food for the Senior Box Program at the East Texas Food Bank

• Youngstown office landscaped for the City of Hubbard

In addition to group volunteer events, SAM employees also volunteered individually. These individual volunteer events benefitted 55 different organizations! We encourage our SAM team members to continue to support their local communities through volunteerism and to report any volunteer hours via our Community Volunteer Tracking Form

As we approach mid-year, we are looking forward to our 7th Annual “SAM Cans Hunger” canned food drive in the fall. We will be sharing more about that drive later in the year.

The scene was set. The time for talk was over. The anticipation that had been building for months had turned into excitement as gameday arrived. It was Slugfest time once again.

The smell of morning dew on the fresh cut grass set the scene on Saturday, May 6, as dozens of SAM employees and their family members made their way out to the Slugfest Softball Tournament in Buda, Texas to finally settle the months-long debate that had been running through the SAM Austin office.

WHICH DEPARTMENT/TEAM WOULD BE THE 2023 SLUGFEST SOFTBALL CHAMPION?!?!

And that’s exactly what happened for 4 games during the double-elimination tournament that pitted several Austin departments against each other. It was Geospatial vs. Survey vs. Corporate Services in a battle royale that ended with the Corporate Services team taking home the new and improved SAM Slugfest trophy and title of Slugfest Champions for 2023!

The SAM Slugfest Softball Tournament had coworkers against coworkers (and even father against son). The Survey team included employees from the Survey, Fiber Engineering, and Construction Services Departments. The Corporate Services team included Austin employees from IT, Communications, Accounting, HR, and others and even included one IT member, Ryan Koliba, who drove in from Dallas just for the event. The Geospatial team was comprised of all Austin Aerial/ GIS employees.

When speaking about the tournament, Don Zdancewicz, Austin Survey Department Manager, said, “For the players, this was the epitome of a team-building event. We had to set a batting order, assign fielding positions, and trust the input from our teammates on how their abilities would best serve the team’s goal. It was a great opportunity to interact with SAM employees from other departments and their families, especially those we would not spend time with otherwise.”

The Geospatial team and Survey team led the way in a great Game One with Survey winning by a single point. In Game Two, Survey played Corporate, which took down the Game One champs in a nail-biting win in the final inning. It was a back-andforth exciting game that even had everybody in the bleachers on their feet, cheering.

All three teams, and the full-time umpires, Dwayne Williamson and Travis Nelson, needed a breather after Game Two.

Oliver “Ollie” Pollard opened the lunch line with some of his home-cooked BBQ and got the teams re-energized and ready to play the second half of the bracket. Alice Crain brought several delicious home-made sides and the players, and their families, had a mid-tourney feast.

Re-fueled and ready to play, the players took the field for Game Three.

The third game was the first elimination game with a re-match for Geospatial and Survey. The sun was high in the sky and the heat was up in the 90’s as the Geospatial bats stayed red-hot. The Survey group gave it all they had, but it was Geospatial that rose to the occasion, knocking the Survey group from the tournament.

So, the title game was set. Four hours into the tournament, the Geospatial team faced the Corporate Services.

The Corporate Services team came ready to fight in the final game and didn’t flinch as they jumped out to an early lead. A late Geospatial comeback was thwarted as the Corporate Services team claimed the victory and the trophy in a hardfought final battle, with Sarah Brown catching the final, winning ball of the day.

Don Z. was named tourney MVP!

If you’d like to be a part of a future Slugfest Tournament, reach out to John Braden, jbraden@sam.biz and let him know!

Slugfest Champions, the Corporate Services Team.

Five Steps to Help You Stay On-Track for Retirement

While we enjoy working and collaborating with the great people at SAM, accomplishing the goals put before us, and being on the cutting edge of new and innovative survey technology, we also look forward to the day when we can have that big retirement party and ride off into the sunset.

To make that dream happen, however, we must have a plan in place which includes saving for retirement. At SAM, we provide a vehicle, through our 401k Retirement Savings Plan, to help you on this journey. It can be easy to get off track on your way to retirement because of college debt, a health issue, or even the loss of a loved one. Thankfully, there are ways to keep your savings plan moving in the right direction.

These 5 steps can help you stay on track to retirement:

1 – Check the roadmap to see if you are on the right road

If you have not thought about your retirement savings lately, you should first check your balance. Login to your SAM Retirement Savings Plan, administered by Fidelity, at www.NetBenefits.com . You can also check your contribution rate, goals, and milestones, complete a financial wellness assessment, and access a wealth of knowledge to enhance your financial education.

2 – Update your profile and beneficiaries

Check your profile and make sure your information is up to date including your beneficiaries and security features. Protect this very important asset by enabling added security features such as a strong password and 2-factor authentication.

Often, we fail to enter a beneficiary when we initially enroll in the savings plan because we may not have all the beneficiary’s information readily available. It is important to enter this information into your profile and make sure that if your situation changes, your profile reflects your wishes for the proceeds in the account.

3 – Give your retirement savings account the fuel it needs to reach your destination

The SAM Retirement Savings Plan matches 5%, a tremendous benefit made to help you reach your retirement goal. If you are not contributing enough to get the maximum amount of matching contribution you should consider increasing your savings rate to reach the full match amount. If you need to take it slower, you can

start by increasing your contribution rate by 1% each year. Over the course of your career, you should aim to save an average of 15% of your pay, including any employer contributions. Even small increases can have a powerful impact on your retirement income.

4 – Check where you are invested

If you have not looked at your funds, you may want to confirm that your investment choices still align with your long-term goals. If this is not something that you have the skill, will, or time to do on a regular basis, you may want to consider a target date fund or seeking assistance from one of the professionals at Fidelity. You can reach them at www. NetBenefits.com.

5 – Ask for directions

The SAM Savings and Retirement Plan has many features. Most of us are not experts on all of the features and capabilities of the plan. Every question is a good question, no matter how basic you may think it is. Even if you don’t know where to start there is help available online or by phone at 800 835-5097.

a happy retirement.

Whether your retirement is right around the corner, or in the far distant future it’s never too early, or too late, to set the wheels in motion toward financial security and

MARKETING MOJO

Marketing

and Internal

Communications: A Change in Direction

To address SAM’s needs more effectively as we continue to grow, the Marketing and Communications functions have become two separate departments. The Marketing team reports to Shane Nichols, Chief Growth Officer, and the Internal Communications team reports to Vivek Arora, Chief Administrative Officer.

What distinguishes Marketing from Internal Communications?

Marketing is a metric- and data-driven function created to accelerate SAM’s growth strategy. This boils down to the following: communicating the SAM narrative (who we are) to the market, building the SAM value proposition aligned with our key stakeholders (customers, employees, and owners), and pursuing technology (Hubspot, Salesforce, SAM proprietary mobile app) and the integration thereof to build a demand-generation engine that is accretive to the SAM organization. The focus of marketing is to generate external activity aligned to the growth strategy, showcase our technology, people, and innovations, and generate quantitative and measurable financial results.

Internal Communications focuses on developing campaigns and messaging that align with our corporate communications by highlighting key SAM initiatives, consistently engaging with employees, driving recruitment and retention, and maintaining brand integrity. The team is responsible for Perspectives and the samperspectives.biz website, and the Amplify podcast, among other employee-focused channels.

Who should I reach out to?

Below is a guide on who to reach out to for help or assistance on various areas.

MARKETING INTERNAL COMMUNICATIONS

For questions about Events or Conferences you are attending or wish to attend, contact: Tiana Magdamo

If there is a change needed on the sam.biz website, contact: Bob Williams

To request a social media post on the SAM Companies profile, contact: Natalie Wade

Any targeted campaigns for prospects or clients, contact: Rachel Dark

If you have a suggestion for external advertisements, contact: Bob Williams

For a web story on an award, project win, or successful project completion, contact: Bob Williams

To feature a SAM team member in an internal or external message, contact: Sarah Brown

If you need a magic screen graphic, or a poster for the office, contact: Sarah Brown

To be part of the Newsletter Committee, or provide an article, contact: Laurice Yanar

If you need assistance with email campaigns for SAM-hosted events, contact: Laurice Yanar

For any changes to samperspectives.biz website, contact: Laurice Yanar

Any questions you have about the Amplify podcast, contact: Sarah Brown

Marketing has new positions that will be starting in Q3 2023 including: a website developer, graphic illustrator and video production specialist, technical writer, and an inside sales position that will support demand generation, working closely with SAM’s Business Development professionals and Market Leads.

For any requests not listed above, contact both Bob Williams, Senior VP of Marketing, and Laurice Yanar, Internal Communications Manager, so that your request may be directed to the appropriate team member.

The Corporate Proposal team is not part of Marketing, or Internal Communications.

If you need help with a proposal, contact, Chad Kishick.

Support with Salesforce, unless pertaining to an email campaign or marketing event, contact Ethan Myers

Getting to Know our Office Team

Can you share an example of a project or accomplishment that you are particularly proud of?

The accomplishment I’m most proud of is doing 20 years in the Air Force. It was my first job, and after many deployments and years away from family, I was able to retire from the Air Force and come work for SAM.

What are you looking forward to at SAM?

leap of faith. It was everything I could ask for.

Can you tell us about your military experience?

What does your day-to-day involve as an Office Technician?

My day-to-day involves helping other technicians or project managers with license issues and sometimes hardware or software problems. As an Office Technician, I’m receiving and copying raw data from the field and ensuring we have all the required data for our projects. I also frequently assist with project setup in GeoCue and MicroStation 3D CAD software, monitoring and cleaning up old project folders to help with file space.

What is your favorite part about SAM?

My favorite part about SAM is how friendly and helpful everyone is plus there’s always food and employee engagement events! It’s amazing how relaxed everyone is, and they truly care about you. I know that sounds cliche, but I really feel like SAM truly cares. It’s also very flexible, and management wants to see you progress and succeed, which I appreciated and it excited me about working here.

I was an Aircraft Electrician for 14 years where I worked on five different types of planes including fighter jets and cargo planes. Afterwards, I was a Medical Administrator in the service for 6 years. My experience with taking on big tasks, working with teams, and managing people has prepared me for any role I take. I also think it’s amazing that SAM has their own core values. As a former service woman, I was a little surprised to know that they kind of correlate to some of the core values of the military, but I think what I like most is that it shows SAM cares about their employees. How do you think your military experience has shaped your work ethic and approach to teamwork, and how do you apply these lessons at SAM?

The military was the first job I’ve ever had; everything I know about work ethic and teamwork has come from being in the military. Integrity, excellence in all we do, and service before self are core values I still live by. Teamwork is always important, and it comes down to good communication and respect for your fellow teammates. There are probably over 100 veterans working at SAM. It's very important to me and to our communities that SAM hires veterans and helps them transition into civilian life, and especially providing them resources at every level of the process.

What excites me the most about my career here at SAM is the future. Even in my short time here, I’m already being asked what my career plans are and what goals I have. They’re always preparing you for what you want to do next, and honestly, I'm excited about that. I want to help the company in any way I can, so my next step is to look into continuing my education and training. In the military, my goals were always things like make rank, get those next medals, and stuff like that, and now that I'm at SAM, I feel like that alone was a significant goal that I achieved. Now that I am in civilian life, I couldn't dream of a better company to be working for.

If you could switch lives with anyone for a day, who would it be and why?

If I could switch lives with anyone for a day, it would be Meghan Markle. It’s a crazy story to me being an American girl in your 30’s and marrying a prince!

What's your favorite book, and what makes it special to you?

My favorite book would be John Grisham’s “A Time to Kill”. It’s my mother’s favorite author and growing up we would read all of his books, then spend all night talking about them. We had our own little John Grisham book club.

Avery Lloyd

Office Technician I

Austin, TX

PROJECT SPOTLIGHT

Leading the Vision of GIS and Storm Water Solutions

Where it all Began

The Pony Express was a mail service that used relays of horsemounted riders originating in St. Joseph, Missouri, for mail delivery to California. The Pony Express reduced the travel time for messages between the east and west coasts and became the most direct means of sharing news before the transcontinental telegraph took over.

In that same spirit, beginning in 2008, the City of St. Joseph needed some ingenuity to inventory its combined sanitary and storm sewer infrastructure. The City wanted to implement an effective storm water management system to assess its current storm water infrastructure, mitigate flood risks, and support cleaner waterways for the community. SAM’s Geographic Information Systems (GIS) team was prepared to deliver the results by applying modern digital technology.

City officials recognized that a GIS-based approach was the optimal solution for their envisioned storm water management system. SAM promptly initiated consulting efforts to meet the system-wide needs for the City with a population of 80,000. SAM planned a program that would help the City design, implement, and maintain a GIS database that could be continually updated.

Getting Started

What initially began as a condition-based inspection evolved into mapping the entire sanitary and storm sewer system.

Utilizing GPS instruments, SAM’s GIS team ultimately designed and delivered a spatially accurate geodatabase, with the supporting network connectivity, along with the supporting attributes. Afterward, our GIS professionals assisted the City’s utility department in developing reports and maintenance processes to demonstrate compliance with federal consent from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

The City has now adopted this GIS database to store and manage all its infrastructure information, ranging from planning and zoning to mapping the utility infrastructure for the street department. Since then, SAM has been awarded an ongoing Master Service Agreement (MSA) with the City of St. Joseph.

Ongoing Work and Strengthening Relationships

The MSA has continued with an ongoing five-year program, introducing new opportunities and critical tasks as our partnership with the City has evolved. Once they realized the power of serving spatial data across several departments, supporting multiple engineering and planning functions, adaptation quickly took off. Maps and spatial analysis for decision support could be generated, and each stakeholder could easily maintain the GIS system layers.

Today, SAM continues to host and manage the City’s web GIS site through our proprietary technology, SAM Integrity™, offering additional support and program maintenance. We also quickly deploy subject matter experts to provide on-site consulting and over-the-phone support. We have found that using our implementation crews on-site is most effective in demonstrating the value of the resources at play and offers more inherent value to our clients.

Our partnership and contributions to the City of St. Joseph continue to evolve to this day. We recently collected spatial data utilizing mobile mapping technology of their central business district. The LiDAR and imagery were used for a sidewalk continuation program that helped the City document site conditions for grant applications. Currently, we are working on a new task order where we will inspect and re-analyze 25% of their sewer manholes annually.

“This is one of the first projects I ever worked on at SAM back when I was in the field,” said now Senior Project Manager, Ethan Herbek. The City of St. Joseph is an incredible success story for SAM’s GIS solutions, and it was a vision established nearly 15 years ago that we’re still fortunate to be a part of today. The City has GIS embedded in many of its daily functions, including work order management, utility inspections, community development, and engagement.”

The Power of Newforma Project Center Software for Efficiency and Organization

In the realm of project management, selecting the right platform that enables organization and quick access to relevant information is crucial for success. The Newforma Project Center (Newforma) software, SAM's preferred solution, offers remarkable functionality, simplifying tasks and driving efficiency. With powerful features like search and transmittal tracking, this software empowers teams to streamline workflows and optimize project outcomes while ensuring compliance and utilization.

It is important to note that all project communication should be centralized in Newforma instead of relying on Outlook as the solution. One of the standout features of Newforma is its exclusive capability to serve as the designated repository for all project-related emails at SAM. With its full-text indexing and search capabilities for all file types, including emails, the platform ensures that project teams can efficiently file, index, and store emails, deliverables, transmittals, contracts, and more. Newforma's role as the approved platform for storing and archiving project-related communication and documents as outlined above, is paramount, ensuring compliance and facilitating streamlined workflows.

Transmittal tracking is another vital functionality offered by Newforma. When managing complex projects involving multiple stakeholders and documents, tracking the movement of information is crucial. This software simplifies the process for employees by providing a centralized platform to manage and monitor transmittals. Teams can easily create, send, and track transmittals, ensuring that essential documents reach the proper recipients on time. This functionality minimizes miscommunication, reduces the risk of errors, and enhances collaboration across project teams.

The software also prioritizes SAM’s data security and compliance. It provides robust security measures, such as encrypted data transmission and role-based access controls to protect sensitive project information. Additionally, Newforma supports compliance with industry regulations, ensuring that our organization can effectively manage confidential projects without compromising data integrity. This functionality provides peace of mind and allows our teams to focus on project execution without worrying about data breaches or compliance issues.

Shared folders and the Info Exchange server in Newforma provide a centralized and easily accessible location for storing and organizing project documents and files. This eliminates the hassle of searching through multiple locations or relying on email attachments, ensuring team members have instant access to the latest versions of documents. Collaboration becomes seamless as employees can share, edit, and collaborate on files in real time, fostering efficient teamwork and reducing the risk of version control issues.

Newforma is an integral part of the SAM project workflow and should be used for all project-related tasks described in this article, ensuring seamless collaboration, continuity, and optimized project outcomes. You can learn more about Newforma in Pinnacle (SAM Library). Here you can find learning paths and videos covering some of the software’s basic functionality. If you need further information or help on using Newforma, please contact the helpdesk@sam.biz

Mandatory filing and indexing emails using Newforma include the following benefits:

• Improved productivity: Having all the project emails organized and easily searchable allows you to spend less time searching for information and more time getting work done.

• Reduced stress:

you know that you can easily find the information you need, you can relax and focus on the task at hand.

• Improved compliance: By having a system in place for filing and indexing emails, you can help ensure that SAM complies with all applicable laws and regulations.

When

Q&A with the Leadership Team

How would you describe your leadership style?

Lead by example is the best way to describe my style. Demonstrating ethics, integrity, and hard work builds trust and provides for a willingness of others to follow in those footsteps. These values also help a leader build character and confidence to successfully mitigate problems, which in turn creates a path to success.

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

Quality mentorship is critical and includes teaching, reinforcement, and communication. Opportunities for learning happen every day and thus, fostering those opportunities provide for strong mentorship. Investing in employees is so valuable for everyone. Moreover, maintaining an open-door policy allows for interaction leading to helping them grow in their careers. Further, accountability is critical for positive growth and development.

What activities do you enjoy outside of work?

Family activities of all types, including events, travel, movies, music, and sports. Playing sports is one of my favorite activities, especially when sharing with family. Our family usually goes “all-in” with sports like ice hockey, polo, and golf among others. When work is not taking priority, I am playing sometimes two-to-three sports at any given time. I also enjoy horsemanship, hunting, and other outdoor activities. On another note, I am a huge history buff, so I have an affinity for museums and reading.

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

Back when I was a teenager in 1987, my friends and I had the privilege of meeting with then Vice President, George H.W. Bush, while on his campaign trail for president. At the time, he had not yet announced a running mate so we asked him if he would pick Richard Nixon as his running mate. He looked at us curiously and said, “Anything’s possible.” Of course, we all got a laugh out of it including members of his staff.

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

Never stop learning. One of the most important skills that we can always improve is communication. One must be able to articulate in numerous ways. Proper grammar, spelling, and language are vital and will reflect directly upon how one is perceived. Foster relationships with both similar professionals, but also allied professionals such as attorneys, business owners, and finance professionals. Further, one must learn from mistakes and make sure one applies that knowledge in the future.

What is one characteristic you believe every leader should possess and why?

Confidence; not false confidence or arrogance, but a true sense of belief in oneself. This belief is both humble and empowered by experience, wisdom, and compassion. Confidence allows for objectivity to understand different perspectives and it instills a belief that accomplishment can be had. Most importantly, confidence creates trust and empowers success.

John Watson Corporate Director Renewable Energy and Midland Office Manager

What is something you wish someone had told you in your career journey and why?

Don’t be afraid to ask for help. Often ego, along with fear of “perceived” failure, will drive one’s pride into overdrive, thus causing one to try and fix a major problem alone. This pride can make many situations worse. Asking for help opens doors to solutions. Being humble is so important in all aspects of any career journey.

What has been your biggest challenge as a leader and how did you overcome it?

Financial and economic situations out of one’s control can often be the most challenging. These challenges require ever evolving leadership stemming from learning, people skills, and hard work. That being said, the biggest challenge for me was overcoming my own pride. Once I understood the power of humility, solutions presented themselves and leadership became second nature.

As a leader, how do you work with your team to reach goals together?

First, one must clearly communicate client and industry expectations, along with internal expectations. Because of experience, I provide a methodology along with an open-door policy of consultation, training, and review. I put a strong emphasis on hard work, communication, and customer service. An allowance for evolving situations provides for the ability to pivot and manage resources within the group. The most important part is sharing the work and backing up each other as needed.

Let’s Call it a Career

Loren Stackhouse, Staff Surveyor in our Elkhart, IN office, is retiring after 60 YEARS, not counting the 3 summers he spent before college in the field surveying. Loren started working for Brady Land Surveying and stayed with the company after it became Marbach & Brady Land Surveying, and Marbach, Brady, & Weaver, Inc., and then still as it became SAM Companies.

Loren began his surveying career with an education at Purdue University, earning his Bachelor of Science in Engineering. Working those summers in the field, he gained experience with the company and acquired a position with Brady Land Surveying right after his graduation in 1963. In 1970, Loren became a Registered Professional Land Surveyor in the State of Indiana.

With over 46,000 drawings on file in the office, not including the ones after the acquisition, Loren leaves a legacy of boundary surveys, topographic surveys, land title surveys, location reports, route surveys, utility surveys, and elevation reports. In his career, he has overseen document research for land surveying and engineering projects and has consulted on monumentation and accuracy of deeds and records. He was also an active member of the Indiana Society of Professional Land Surveyors and the American Congress on Surveying and Mapping.

During his long tenure, Loren says he cannot point to just one great achievement in his career, but instead speaks highly of the people he worked with, “Every job is different. It sounds cliché, but it is true. What always remained the same were the great people I met along the way. That is what I take away with me. I want to thank them and call it a career,” Loren said.

Loren’s experience and expertise leave him with advice to pass on to the next generations. He believes research is the answer to many problems, the best thing you can do in your job is show up everyday and treat people well, but he also believes that if you do not like opening the office door in the morning, you need to find another door.

Loren got married in 1963, meaning his 60-year retirement comes with another milestone—his 60th wedding anniversary. He looks forward to spending more time with his family, two married children, three grandchildren, and some “adopted” great-grandchildren from the neighborhood who visit his house and garden, where they pick raspberries in the summer. Loren also plans to travel and visit some national parks with his wife, but mostly he will appreciate not having to wake up at 4:10 a.m. to go to work.

In admiration of the devotion to his trade, we congratulate and thank Loren for a remarkable 60 years.

“If you don’t like opening the office door in the morning, you need to find another door.”

Loren Stackhouse

RECRUITING NOTES

New Apprenticeship Program at SAM

Hiring experienced and skilled workers is one of the biggest challenges in the workforce, today. We recognize this challenge as the talent shortage, which refers to the disparity between what we, as employers, need and what candidates have to offer, specifically the desired skillset. Several factors affect this shortage, such as, low labor participation rates and declining birth rates, but the question remains, How are we going to address this?

Apprenticeship programs can be especially effective in addressing the talent shortage, as they are great ways to train and develop new talent.

At the end of March 2023, the Department of Labor awarded SAM approval for the Geomatics Technician (Survey and Mapping) apprenticeship program. The initial pilot of our program will only be available in Texas, but SAM will obtain approvals in other states as the program matures.

The apprenticeship is a two-year program at SAM, offering on-the-job training, competitive hourly pay, and a Journeyman Surveyor Certification upon completion, certified by the U.S. Department of Labor. Individuals are hired on as full-time employees, and current SAM employees are welcome to apply for the program as well.

We are still in the infancy stage of the program, but we are already seeing how fruitful this will be for, not just SAM, but the geospatial industry. Our apprenticeships will allow our employees to progress in their careers quicker, while obtaining the training and certifications needed for their roles. Employees can also gain college credit while in the program, thus reducing or even eliminating the burden of student loans.

Surveyors are in demand like no other profession, and the talent shortage is a real problem affecting companies across our industry. But the good news is there's a solution: Through apprenticeships, we can equip individuals with the skills and expertise they need to build successful careers and help drive economic growth for years to come. We're excited to see the positive impact our apprenticeship program will have on our employees and recruitment efforts.

If you have any questions, please reach out to Kelli Howard at khoward@sam.biz

Benefits of apprenticeship and how we will evaluate success:

1. GAIN PRACTICAL SKILLS:

The apprenticeship enables individuals to acquire practical skills and experience in the geomatics and geospatial industry. SAM has customized this training to meet the specific requirements of our services and projects. Throughout the program, apprentices will work with our geomatics team and get hands-on experience with a variety of tasks, including:

• Collecting angles and elevations used for construction and map making.

• Utilizing advanced technology and surveying equipment.

• Taking notes and learning how to sketch drawings and read plans.

• Drafting in AutoCAD and performing records research and quality control.

2. ENTICES APPLICANTS:

At SAM, our apprenticeship program has the power to attract new talent, especially younger individuals looking to begin or continue a career in a skilled trade. Full-time and paid apprenticeship opportunities can be a compelling point for job seekers. Offering this at SAM demonstrates our commitment to training and development and fosters a dedication to learning.

3.

IMPROVES TALENT RETENTION:

Apprenticeships also allow current employees to advance in their careers by helping add additional skills. SAM will continue to invest in our employee’s skills, and if this program interests them, we want it to be known that we’re prepared to provide the means for them to grow in their careers.

4.

BRIDGE SKILLS GAPS:

When candidates lack the qualifications needed to become something as specific as a land surveyor, it certainly contributes to our talent shortage. These programs can address the skill gaps in geomatics and the geospatial industry. With targeted skill training, the apprenticeship program at SAM will play a pivotal role in guaranteeing that we obtain the competent workforce necessary to accomplish our business goals.

Getting to Know our Field Team

Tell us a little bit about your background and how you became a Field Technician?

I’m Emily Mitchell, and I am a New England native. I attended the University of Maine to get a Bachelor of Science in Survey Engineering Technology and am currently pursuing a master’s at Southern New Hampshire University. I became involved in surveying a lot more once I joined the University of Maine’s chapter of the National Society of Professional Surveyors. At a competition I attended, SAM was a sponsor which made me interested in learning more about the company. The people I met from SAM were very nice and supportive of the students. So, I decided to apply for a field technician position.

What’s your favorite part about SAM?

My favorite part of SAM is the people and community! Everyone I work with makes everyday fun and worth coming in for. Participating in community events that SAM hosts or sponsors for offices are also fun.

What are some of the biggest challenges you face in your role, and how do you overcome them?

Some of the biggest challenges have been reacquainting myself with the equipment and learning how to use new tools as well. In school, I used a lot of older equipment that relied on hand calculations instead of software, like we use at SAM. To overcome this, I find similarities between them to make the confusion easier to displace. In addition, I always double-check my work if I need clarification, which has helped me get the hang of the tools and solidify the concepts in my brain.

Can you describe a particularly interesting or rewarding project that you have worked on recently?

An exciting and rewarding project I have worked on so far has been doing cross-sections across a highway in Destin, Florida. Our work was way ahead of schedule, and it was a lot of fun to see how the data all came together in the office.

What advice would you give to other women who are interested in pursuing a career as a Field Technician?

Don't be afraid of not getting the hang of everything at first. I still struggle with some things, but everyone can't be great at everything all at once. There's no harm in learning from mistakes. Plus, you'll always find groups at SAM that makes you feel at home.

Does your team have a tradition or favorite practice in place?

Almost every Monday (or Tuesday), one of our office members brings in breakfast for the entire field staff, and it gives everyone a couple of minutes to relax and spend time with each other before starting all the tasks for the week.

What’s your favorite equipment to use?

My favorite piece of equipment to use is the collector in Carlson mode. It really helps me understand and see where the lines connect, and I think it's cool that our software can do that. It's also fantastic to see the line art reflect the data points.

What's the most interesting place you've ever visited, and why did you love it?

It's hard for me to pick, but I must say Minerva's Temple in Bath, England. I was sick during the trip, and after visiting the temple, I was perfectly fine, so I consider that Roman goddess and her temple a lucky charm!

What's your favorite hobby, and how did you first get interested in it?

My favorite hobby is cosplaying, which I have been doing for nine years. I was introduced to it by a friend who wanted to also see about attending a local convention near Halloween. My favorite characters are ones from anime or from stories that I connect with. I am actually about to compete in cosplay crafting for the first time this year!

Emily Mitchell

Field Technician I Niceville, FL

ACQUISITION CONNECTION

Getting to Know Our New Team Members

Tell us about Axis Surveying and Mapping (Axis)?

Axis was started in 2006 by a group of surveyors who saw an opportunity, quickly becoming one of the region’s most trusted and reputable surveying-only companies. Growing from 8 employees in 2006, to over 30 in 2023, the original owners of the firm, many still with SAM today, built a strong culture that has led to fantastic employee retention and a positive work environment.

Our original president and one of the founders, Mitch Evans, was at the helm of the company from day one until his retirement in 2020. When I joined Axis in 2015, I stepped into an already established group of professionals that have a passion for their work. On January 1, 2020, I took over as CEO of Axis Surveying and Mapping.

What motivated you to considering, then deciding to sell to SAM?

During the COVID-19 Pandemic, there was lots of time to consider what the future of Axis would be. Understanding that to continue growing we would have to look outside of our current footprint, we wondered “what would we be when we grew up?”. The ownership group explored the idea of opening satellite offices throughout the region and even strategic acquisitions of other firms to grow. Looking to other regional and national companies (like SAM!) that had grown through acquisitions, led us to the idea that it might be the right time to sell Axis. The desire was to partner with a company that had a solid reputation in the industry and maintained many of the same core values of Axis. SAM quickly became the leading candidate for us. What we all wanted most was for our employees and their families to be well taken care of, and for them to have opportunity for career advancement and growth.

What are your main areas of expertise?

This group is filled with problem solvers. We were just as likely to be doing a small boundary survey for a homeowner, as we were construction staking for some of the largest companies in the country. The more challenging, the better. For many years, we’ve utilized 3D Laser Scanning to assist the Maritime Industry with retrofitting their large ocean vessels. This always required an outside-the-box approach with advanced knowledge to get the job done. Our team approach to all our work has gained us many loyal customers over the years.

What do you consider the most valuable asset brought to SAM from Axis?

Without a doubt, our people. I have never worked with a more dedicated, well trained, and enthusiastic group. We function like a championship sports team. Understanding that we are only as strong as our weakest link and a “next-person-up” attitude will be a huge asset for SAM in the future.

How does the Axis culture align with SAM? How is it different?

Though we were a large firm for the area, Axis functioned more like a small business for many years. That’s not to say that we lacked expertise or technological know-how, but some of our processes were closer to a company of 5 than 1,500. What aligned us the best with SAM were our shared values: hard work, respect, and the flexibility for our team to bring their unique skill set, life experience, and attitude to the company, regardless of background. We fully understand that our people make us who we are, and SAM certainly understands this as well.

Why should SAM employees visit Redmond?

Ironically, come for the nice weather. Don’t tell anyone, but it doesn’t always rain here! The summer climate is some of the best in America. While the rest of the country is sweating it out in July and August, we’re enjoying a pleasant 85 degrees, low humidity, and 15 hours of daylight! In addition to Seattle and everything it has to offer, come to visit Mt. Rainier National Park or head out to Olympic National Park and check out the rugged coast of Washington and the Hoh Rainforest. The Hoh is one of the largest temperate rainforests in the US. Don’t forget to stop for world class seafood along your way.

What piece of SAM are you most interested in bringing to your team?

Technology and career advancement will be our primary focus moving forward. Looking at the advanced technology that SAM owns was a key component when we selected SAM. We look forward to using our existing knowledge of terrestrial scanning to help us bring mobile and aerial scanning into the Redmond office. Additionally, we’d like to bring more SAM tools to our area. I think the Pacific Northwest and the west in general are open for business when it comes to SUE, Aerial, GIS, and Construction Management.

Travis Bradley Office Manager Redmond, WA

Empowering Employees through Personalized Development Programs

Investing in our employees' development is crucial to the success of our company. However, employee development is not a one-size-fits-all approach. We recognize that each employee has unique talents, skills, and aspirations, in addition to different learning needs, goals, and preferences. The Learning & Development (L&D) team at SAM is committed to providing the resources employees need to grow and move up the ladder, based on their own desired trajectory.

SAM offers a wide range of career growth opportunities for employees. The SAM Library has a comprehensive list of specific career paths for each position that any employee can view and download. This year, the HR and L&D teams have created SAM Pathways. It’s an offering that allows each employee to reach out and discuss his or her own career opportunities within SAM. For many employees, the conversation can be as simple as what tasks or steps do they have to take to achieve the next level of the specified career path for their position. Other times, however, employees may want to understand other options within the company, ones that may not fit within the specified career path in the SAM Library. In the end, the goal is to continue building an environment where employees feel valued, supported, and empowered to reach their full potential. SAM’s initiatives focus on various aspects of professional and personal growth, including improvements with technical skills, communication skills, interpersonal skills, and leadership skills.

1 –On-the-job training

One of the ways we support our employees' development is through enhanced on-the-job training by using Skill Matrices. We have always encouraged managers to provide regular feedback and coaching to their team members to help them identify areas for improvement and develop new skills. In collaboration with management, we have established Skills Matrices that will allow greater focus on what skills are immediately needed while giving employees exposure to different areas they can develop based on what they find exciting.

2 –Training program, workshops, and seminars

In addition to on-the-job training, we offer formal training programs, workshops, and seminars to help employees develop specific skills. Our training programs cover a wide range of topics, including technical skills, software training, project management, and communication skills. All of which can be found either in the SAM University or the SAM Library.

Employees interested in learning technical skills can view various offerings from Trimble Access Series, to SUE Designator Series, and guided, self-paced workshop for CIVIL 3D or Bentley OR through SAM University or SAM Library. To learn about Project Management, the Effective Project Management is designed for new employees, or someone new to project management.

To ensure that the development programs meet the needs of all employees, we offer multiple formats and delivery methods. Employees may choose from instructor-led training, e-learning courses, on-demand training modules, and peer-to-peer learning opportunities. Team members can select the format that works best for them, whether they prefer to learn in a classroom setting or at their own pace.

3 –Coaching and mentoring

SAM also offers coaching and mentoring to help employees identify their career goals and develop a plan to achieve them. We encourage employees to take on stretch assignments and projects that challenge them to develop new skills and gain experience.

4 –Tuition reimbursement

Every employee at SAM has the potential to grow and succeed. Reach out to the L&D team at L&D@sam.biz with questions or for more information.

We also offer tuition reimbursement for employees who want to pursue additional education or professional licensures and certifications.

We believe that investing in our employees' development is not only beneficial for the individual but also for SAM. By strengthening our skills and knowledge, we can improve the quality of our services, increase efficiency, and drive innovation. These opportunities also foster a positive company culture where employees feel valued, supported, and empowered to progress in their roles, which leads to higher employee engagement and retention.

Here’s how you can get started down your L&D path:

 Dan Pollock at the Austin Blood Drive

 Randy Loveless at the Denver Summer Event

 Kansas City Office in a UAS Workshop for Kiewit

 Mike Wine grilling for the Columbus Office

 SAM Team at the AASTHO CRUO Conference in Burlington

 Knoxville Summer Event

 SAM-CS Team at the IH35W Ribbon Cutting Ceremony

 Levine Family at the Denver Summer Event

 Kansas City Open House

 Rhett Sloan and Dave Cole at the Youngstown Summer Picnic

 Maryville Office Lunch

 Troy Murphy & Edward "Chip" Atchley at the Jacksonville Picnic

NEW LICENSURE & CERTIFICATIONS

Jacob Lacey SALT LAKE CITY — PILOT-REMOTE — NATIONAL

April

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

For Michael Meredith (DALLAS, TX)

For Jesse Hancock (COLUMBUS, OH) Zoey