This National Surveyors’ Week, BHC would like to take time to celebrate those who set the boundaries. Surveying has a long and unique history. BHC hopes to take part in that history and encourage a new generation of job seekers to consider the surveying field.

As one of the oldest professions, Land Surveying has been an integral part of United States history. In colonial days, surveyors were among the leaders in the community. Members of this profession include founding fathers, George Washington and Thomas Jefferson, and of course, two of the most famous land surveyors, Lewis and Clark. In 1984, President Ronald Reagan proclaimed the third Sunday in March to be the start of Surveyor’s Week to celebrate the essential, yet under appreciated profession. The week of celebration was established for the sake of educating the public on the value of land surveying. It is an occupation necessary in almost any civil engineering project, so without their work the great cities of the United States would not be possible. Their job is to provide critical information used to ensure that essential tasks such as emergency services and mail delivery are possible in the area being developed.

BHC takes pride in honoring their Surveying Segment. The segment specializes in setting project boundaries and providing customers with fast and accurate surveying services. BHC has provided services for projects such as the Aspiria mixed-used redevelopment project and the Rehabilitation Institute addition to Saint Luke’s South Hospital. Though BHC’s addition of surveying occurred in 2005, the firm has an extensive history. Founded in 1966, Rhodes Surveying, Inc. was based in Kansas City, Kansas. The company and owner, Murray Rhodes were renown for pioneering the integration of surveying and local governments. Once merged with BHC, the surveying division was able to invest in new technology such as adding LEED accredited expertise and specialized 3D laser scanning surveying service, one of the first in the Kansas City area. The company’s growth, allowed them to expand their land records library covering counties in Kansas and Missouri, placing BHC in the top position of the largest land records owned in the Kansas City metropolitan area.

BHC hopes surveying will continue to make advancements in the future. Despite surveying being a unique field with a decent career ladder and quick progression, there has been a drought of young professionals seeking to become surveyors. Unfortunately, the average of a professional surveyor is over 55 years old. In the next 10 to 15 years, we expect to see a large number retiring, and will most likely leave a shortage of land surveyors. In effort to encourage job seekers to choose surveying as a career path, Wil Anderson, Vice President and the Surveying Team Lead at BHC, has been instrumental in establishing the Surveying Technology Program at the Kansas City Kansas Community College (KCKCC). With the help of Kansas Society of Land Surveyors (KSLS) and the KSLS Charitable Foundation, Wil took part in formulating degree and certificate programs for land surveying professionals and those interested in entering the field. BHC also lends a hand by offering employees opportunities to continue their educations as well scholarships for employees interested in pursuing a career in land surveying.

BHC invites you to learn more about their Surveying Services.