Five years ago, Marling Surveying was a two-man operation. My father, Luther, held things down in our quiet, mostly empty 4,000-square-foot office building while I worked in the field as a one-man crew. It was a lot of building for two people, especially when one of us was gone most of the day. Finding room for another desk wasn’t much of a concern.
Today, we’re looking for workspace for new employees. We’ve grown to a team of 14, with three field crews and considerably more activity around the office. The building that once felt oversized is getting put to use. Getting everyone equipped, organized, and headed in the right direction takes a little more planning than it used to.
I’m proud of that growth, but the number alone doesn’t tell the whole story. What matters is the people we’ve brought together, the employees developing within the company, and what that combination allows us to do for our clients.
Among our recent additions are Mark Jones, P.L.S., and Eric Dryg, a Level III Certified Survey Technician. Mark brings professional surveying and project experience, adding depth to the research, planning, and review behind our work. Eric brings extensive hands-on experience in construction surveying and layout—taking what is shown on construction plans and establishing the locations and elevations that guide the work on the ground. His practical knowledge of construction and the demands of a jobsite strengthens our ability to serve those projects. We’re glad to have both of them working alongside the people who have helped us get here.
Their experience is valuable not only for the projects we’re doing today, but also for teaching the younger employees who will carry the work forward. Much of my own understanding of surveying came from working alongside Dad. There’s a difference between being told what to do and working through a problem with someone who can explain why it matters. Sometimes the lesson is in an old deed. Sometimes it’s in a fence corner that doesn’t agree with what you expected to find. Learning to stop, ask questions, and look more closely is part of becoming a surveyor.
We also have two student interns getting firsthand experience in the profession. That’s an important part of our investment in the future. Surveying brings together history, mathematics, technology, and practical problem-solving, but students don’t always get an opportunity to see how those things fit together outside a classroom. An internship gives them a chance to experience the work and consider where it might lead.
Our responsibility is to make that experience worthwhile. We want our interns and younger employees to learn more than how to operate equipment. We want them to understand what they’re measuring, why the records matter, and how their work contributes to a finished survey. That takes time and patient instruction, but it’s an investment worth making.
For our clients, a larger team means more field capacity and more support behind each project. Three crews give us greater flexibility to organize the work, while experienced people in the office help carry it from research through completion. That allows us to take on larger and more involved assignments while continuing to serve the homeowner who needs a boundary located or the family dividing inherited property. A project doesn’t have to be large to be important to the person who needs it.
Growth brings responsibility, too. More people depend on the business, and more work carries our name. My own day looks different than it did when I was the only field crew, but the expectations remain the same: do careful work, communicate honestly, and treat people fairly.
None of this would have happened without the support of our clients and community. To those who have hired us, recommended us, or encouraged us along the way, thank you. Your trust has given us the opportunity to build this company and provide opportunities for others here at home. We know that trust has to be earned, and we intend to keep earning it.
Above all, I’m grateful to God for His providence each day. Through busy seasons and uncertain ones, we depend on Him for wisdom, strength, and the ability to do the work in front of us. I want us to be faithful with the opportunities and responsibilities He has entrusted to us.
Dad and I are still involved in the daily work, but it takes all 14 of us to do what we do now. That office isn’t nearly as quiet as it used to be. We’re thankful for that—and we’ll figure out where to put the desks.
When it Matters, Make it Marling.
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