“This is going to be my 40th year in surveying. So hard to believe when I started, we used steel chains, plum bobs, and transits. It’s evolved into an electronic world now, full of drones, robots, and automated collection features. It’s been a great transition,” says professional licensed surveyor, Ed Jordal.
After four decades in the industry, he’s watched land surveying transform in real-time and has enjoyed every moment of it. He boasts about his time spent in the field, basking in the fresh air and sunlight while reminiscing on the different places his profession has taken him. Now, as the lead surveyor in our Wilmington office, he’s ready to share his experiences with newcomers.
Ed started surveying in 1983, and in 1997, he earned a degree in applied science with a specialty in civil engineering from Tidewater Community College. He ran his own business for roughly 18 years before joining Timmons Group.
Even after 40 years in the industry, his everyday work still excites him. “I’d love it if I could do this until I was 100. It’s an interesting job, and you’re almost never in the same spot. There’s no monotony in surveying; you’re working on different jobs in the field, at different locations, performing different tasks.” In 2021, Ed and his wife Debbie decided they were ready for a new adventure — So they sold their home, packed up, and moved by the shore to join our coastal team in Wilmington.
Our Wilmington office is located on Eastwood Road, a main corridor for city traffic and a primary route to Wrightsville Beach. “You’ve got the beach and the waterways, a big boating community — It’s just a great place to live and work,” Ed says. In less than two years, Ed has had the excitement of adding four professionals to his quickly growing team. He speaks fondly of his new crew and says he’s found a great sense of enjoyment as a mentor to his survey team.
Our Wilmington office is poised for growth, and our engineers are successfully planting seeds to nearby clients. “We’ve got a great engineer, John Wall, who’s doing a wonderful job at building up our client base and we’re tagging along, providing survey support for their projects,” Ed said. The team already has some interesting experience under their belt and they’re not slowing down anytime soon. Their most recent project in Hampstead, North Carolina involved instrument operators wading across a pond to collect ground surface elevations on an existing stormwater basin. Eventually, the team decided it was more efficient to use a small boat to finish the job. That’s what we like to call diligence!
Surveyors are the first on site when the land hasn’t been cleared yet and the last on site to collect data for the finished design. “We do the preliminary upfront work for the engineers, and then we typically do the final survey for the bank. It’s a good feeling, especially when you ride by and you get to say, ‘I surveyed that.’ In the end, we’re creating a better place for everyone around us,” Ed says.
After talking with Ed, it’s easy to see that he’s passionate about his work, he’s enjoying his new life by the beach, and he’s excited for the future of his team. “Timmons Group is a great company to work for, and its benefits are outstanding. Looking at what Timmons Group can offer a young person, it’s an incredible opportunity,” Ed told me.
Now that you know what 40 years of surveying looks like, are you ready to join Ed’s crew and begin your adventure by the beach? Our teams are looking for passionate people. Check out our current openings and filter for Wilmington!
