Business View: Investing in Technology, People, Communities, and the Future

From Business View Magazine, August/September 2018:

Geomatics has been defined “the science of measuring the natural and built environment.”

As one of the largest and most comprehensive geomatics firms in the U.S., McKim & Creed understands that complete and accurate data is the foundation—the building block—of every project. Whether it is new design, construction, or to just better understand the existing physical conditions of an area, the ultimate success of any project relies on comprehensive and accurate data and analysis.

But McKim & Creed also takes a broader view. They expand their definition of geomatics to include “the science of solving problems and discovering solutions.”

For example, when the Wilmington, North Carolina police were investigating an insurance fraud case, McKim & Creed hydrographic surveyors used multibeam technology to uncover vital evidence. “The multibeam survey technology was instrumental in obtaining a conviction in this case,” said William Van Trigt, Esq., assistant district attorney for New Hanover County.

And when our client needed an independent survey for volume calculations at a 185-acre reservoir site in Texas, McKim & Creed collected accurate data using unmanned aerial systems (UAS). The owner had been reluctant to use UAS due to poor past experiences, but was so pleased with the results that McKim & Creed was commissioned to collect volume calculation data every few months until excavation was completed.

And when a Canadian company needed to build temporary dikes that withheld water so diamonds could be mined, McKim & Creed configured, installed and provided training for a customized GPS position and monitoring system. This allowed crane operators to accurately track when, where and how much fill material had been placed.

“We use our surveying tools to do much more than collect accurate data,” said Tim Cawood, PLS, president of geomatics for McKim & Creed. “We use our tools to meet our clients’ challenges.”