Uploaded April 2026 | Updated September 2026, 1 week ago
In this episode, we sit down with two generations of leadership from Associated Land Surveyors & Planners, PC to talk candidly about what it takes to make a family-owned surveying business thrive.
From labor shortages and rising demand to the risks of changing long‑standing workflows, ALS shares how and why they made a major shift in how their teams work − not just to keep up, but to be ready for what’s next − without losing the values that built the firm in the first place.
This conversation goes beyond equipment to explore trust, people, productivity, and what it means to prepare a legacy surveying firm for the future.
Mentioned in this episode:
🔗ALS - als88.com/about
🔗Leica TS20 AI-powered robotic total station + AP20 AutoPole - bit.ly/ts20ap20gti
🔗Leica GS18 T tilt compensating GNSS RTK rover - https://hxgn.biz/gs18tgti
🔗Leica Captivate surveying field software - https://hxgn.biz/captivategti
🔗Transit and Level Clinic - transitandlevel.com
Chapters:
00:00 – Open & Introduction
Introduction of Associated Land Surveyors & Planners (ALS) and the Baker family legacy
01:07 – Inside ALS: Markets, Services, and Coverage
Residential, commercial, boundary, topo and ALTA work across Western North Carolina and Eastern Tennessee
02:21 – Why ALS Had to Rethink How They Work
Labor shortages, rising demand, shrinking crews, and the shift to one‑person robotic and GNSS workflows
04:25 – From Mixed Gear to a Strategic Turning Point
When legacy equipment and disconnected workflows started holding the business back
07:25 – Testing Before the Leap: Proving the Ecosystem
Demoing Leica Geosystems total stations, GNSS, and Captivate alongside existing tools, and what stood out early
08:03 – Making the Full Commitment (and Convincing the Founder)
The internal pushback, research, and trust it took to standardise company‑wide
9:37 – Managing Change Without Losing People
Crew concerns, rollout strategy, and how ALS transitioned everyone to Leica Geosystems in days, not months
12:02 – Why Brand Confidence and Productivity Mattered Most
Maintaining output, scaling capacity, and choosing a platform built to be ready for the long term
12:38 – Tilt Technology in the Real World (GS18 T + TS20 with AP20)
Safety, productivity, and real site examples from wooded and challenging terrain
14:55 – Investing in Technology That Improves Over Time
Firmware, AI, and why future capability matters as much as features today
15:50 – Faster Than Expected ROI
Early productivity gains, faster staking, fewer trips, and real workflow wins
18:09 – One Platform, Better Information Flow
How standardising on Captivate changed field‑to‑office collaboration and client responsiveness
22:14 – The Future of ALS: Growth, Pride, and Legacy
Scaling smarter, next‑generation leadership, and closing reflections
In this episode, we sit down with two generations of leadership from Associated Land Surveyors & Planners, PC to talk candidly about what it takes to make a family-owned surveying business thrive.
From labor shortages and rising demand to the risks of changing long‑standing workflows, ALS shares how and why they made a major shift in how their teams work − not just to keep up, but to be ready for what’s next − without losing the values that built the firm in the first place.
This conversation goes beyond equipment to explore trust, people, productivity, and what it means to prepare a legacy surveying firm for the future.
Mentioned in this episode:
🔗ALS - als88.com/about
🔗Leica TS20 AI-powered robotic total station + AP20 AutoPole - bit.ly/ts20ap20gti
🔗Leica GS18 T tilt compensating GNSS RTK rover - https://hxgn.biz/gs18tgti
🔗Leica Captivate surveying field software - https://hxgn.biz/captivategti
🔗Transit and Level Clinic - transitandlevel.com
Chapters:
00:00 – Open & Introduction
Introduction of Associated Land Surveyors & Planners (ALS) and the Baker family legacy
01:07 – Inside ALS: Markets, Services, and Coverage
Residential, commercial, boundary, topo and ALTA work across Western North Carolina and Eastern Tennessee
02:21 – Why ALS Had to Rethink How They Work
Labor shortages, rising demand, shrinking crews, and the shift to one‑person robotic and GNSS workflows
04:25 – From Mixed Gear to a Strategic Turning Point
When legacy equipment and disconnected workflows started holding the business back
07:25 – Testing Before the Leap: Proving the Ecosystem
Demoing Leica Geosystems total stations, GNSS, and Captivate alongside existing tools, and what stood out early
08:03 – Making the Full Commitment (and Convincing the Founder)
The internal pushback, research, and trust it took to standardise company‑wide
9:37 – Managing Change Without Losing People
Crew concerns, rollout strategy, and how ALS transitioned everyone to Leica Geosystems in days, not months
12:02 – Why Brand Confidence and Productivity Mattered Most
Maintaining output, scaling capacity, and choosing a platform built to be ready for the long term
12:38 – Tilt Technology in the Real World (GS18 T + TS20 with AP20)
Safety, productivity, and real site examples from wooded and challenging terrain
14:55 – Investing in Technology That Improves Over Time
Firmware, AI, and why future capability matters as much as features today
15:50 – Faster Than Expected ROI
Early productivity gains, faster staking, fewer trips, and real workflow wins
18:09 – One Platform, Better Information Flow
How standardising on Captivate changed field‑to‑office collaboration and client responsiveness
22:14 – The Future of ALS: Growth, Pride, and Legacy
Scaling smarter, next‑generation leadership, and closing reflections
