Martin & Whitacre Surveyors & Engineers

What Martin & Whitacre Surveyors & Engineers does

Martin & Whitacre Surveyors & Engineers, Inc. is a privately held civil engineering and land surveying firm headquartered in Muscatine, Iowa, with operating roots tracing to the mid-1950s and current corporate form established in 1982 by Lincoln Martin, P.E. and Gary Whitacre, P.L.S. The firm delivers five integrated service lines: civil engineering design, 3D laser scanning, land surveying, bathymetric surveys, and unmanned aerial systems (drone) services. It serves municipal/public sector, commercial, industrial, and residential clients primarily across the Midwest region, with select federal engagements (e.g., U.S. Army Corps of Engineers projects in Louisiana and Mississippi River lock and dam surveys).

The firm's technical platform comprises advanced geospatial instrumentation including RTK GPS, robotic total stations, digital levels, terrestrial laser scanners (Leica HDS 360), single-beam echo sounders (Odom CV 100) with HYPACK hydrographic processing, and a proprietary WHIRRX hexcopter drone system with custom processing workflow achieving +-0.05' vertical accuracy on hard surfaces. Deliverables are produced in industry-standard formats including AutoCAD, MicroStation, Civil 3D surface models, and Infraworks 3D renderings. The firm has positioned itself as a regional technology pioneer, being among the first in its market to adopt field-to-finish systems (1984), RTK GPS (1995), terrestrial laser scanning (2004), multi-beam bathymetric systems (2010), and survey-grade drone systems (2020).

Revenue is generated through project-based professional services fees, with pricing determined by scope, complexity, and deliverables per engagement. Client acquisition is direct and relationship-driven, supported by a public website portfolio of 24+ case studies. The firm holds professional licensure in Iowa, Illinois, Missouri, Wisconsin, and Louisiana, and maintains BBB accreditation. Leadership comprises Gary W. Whitacre (50+ years experience), Michael W. Janecek, P.E. (30 years, former City Engineer), and Seth Whitacre (27 years), indicating a family-controlled ownership and management structure with no disclosed institutional investment, M&A activity, or external funding rounds.

Name

Martin & Whitacre Surveyors & Engineers

Legal name

Martin & Whitacre Surveyors & Engineers, Inc.

Website

https://martin-whitacre.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1982

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Martin & Whitacre is a privately held civil engineering and land surveying firm in Muscatine, Iowa, founded in 1982. It delivers civil engineering design, 3D laser scanning, land surveying, bathymetric, and drone services to municipal, commercial, industrial, and federal clients across the Midwest.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Civil Engineering & Land Surveying Services

NAICS

Surveying and Mapping (except Geophysical) Services (541370)

akta.pro primary industry

Aerial Surveying & Crop Scouting (Imaging, Mapping, Stand Counts) (AFACAIAJ)

akta.pro secondary industry

Navigation & Aids-to-Navigation Works (Beacons, Buoys, Markers) (IMAFAJAH)

Keywords

• Civil engineering services
• Land surveying services
• 3D laser scanning
• Bathymetric surveys
• Drone surveying

Headquarters

HQ city

Muscatine

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Professional Services Fees: Project-based professional services fees for surveying and engineering services including civil engineering design, land surveying, laser scanning, bathymetric surveys, and drone/UAS services. Revenue generated through direct client engagements for specific projects with pricing based on scope, complexity, and deliverables.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels2 records

Core offering

Martin & Whitacre is a Midwest civil engineering and land surveying firm delivering five integrated service lines: Civil Engineering, 3D Laser Scanning, Land Surveying, Bathymetric Surveys, and Unmanned Aerial Systems (Drone Services). The firm uses advanced geospatial technologies (RTK GPS, robotic total stations, 3D laser scanners, single-beam echo sounders, and survey-grade drones) to serve municipal, commercial, industrial, and residential clients across Iowa, Illinois, Missouri, Wisconsin, and Louisiana, producing deliverables in AutoCAD, MicroStation, and Civil 3D formats.

Product overview

Martin & Whitacre Surveyors & Engineers is a surveying and engineering services firm offering five integrated service lines: Civil Engineering, 3D Laser Scanning, Land Surveying, Bathymetric Surveys, and Unmanned Aerial Systems (Drone Services). The firm utilizes advanced technologies including RTK GPS, robotic total stations, 3D laser scanners, single-beam echo sounders, and survey-grade drone systems. Deliverables are produced in industry-standard formats including AutoCAD, MicroStation, and Civil 3D, with specialized hydrographic processing through HYPACK software. The services are designed to work together, with laser scanning and drone data supplementing conventional surveying methods, and bathymetric surveys supporting civil engineering design and volume studies.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Civil Engineering

Quantifiable outcome

• 6mm or better accuracy in 3D laser scanning applications
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration5 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• Stanley ConsultantsminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerConsultant role on City of Davenport Sanitary Sewer Diversion Tunnel project. Provided underground as-built survey and construction staking services as part of the project team.
• Jay Dee ContractorsminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerConsultant role on City of Davenport Sanitary Sewer Diversion Tunnel project. Provided surveying and construction support services.
• Russell Construction Co.minorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerDesign-build contract partner on Van Meter Inc. project. Coordinated civil site plans addressing parking, drainage, detention and landscaping for LEED-accredited facility.
• Orascom/Weitz ConstructionminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerSurveying services provider on $1.8 billion Iowa Fertilizer Company fertilizer production facility. Provided construction staking, as-built records, and topographic surveys for multi-year project.
• Tremain ArchitectsminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerCivil consultant to Tremain Architects of Minneapolis, MN on Lutheran Homes Association 40-acre campus expansion project. Provided civil site plans addressing parking, drainage, utilities, detention and landscaping.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Stantec: Global engineering, consulting, and surveying firm offering civil engineering, water resources, and surveying services — overlapping with Martin & Whitacre's municipal and infrastructure practice at a much larger scale.
• Kimley-Horn: National engineering, planning, and consulting firm with civil engineering, land development, and transportation practices that compete for the same municipal and commercial RFPs as Martin & Whitacre across the Midwest.
• Woolpert: National architecture, engineering, and geospatial firm with deep surveying, lidar, and UAS practices that overlap directly with Martin & Whitacre's specialty service lines and increasingly compete in the Midwest market.

Direct peers

• Westwood Professional Services: Midwest-headquartered professional services firm providing land surveying, civil engineering, and geospatial services with comparable UAS and laser scanning capabilities to municipal and commercial clients.
• Bolton & Menk: Midwest-based civil engineering, surveying, and planning firm with comparable service lines (land surveying, civil engineering, GIS/mapping) and similar multi-state reach, directly comparable in service mix and regional client profile to Martin & Whitacre.
• Klingner & Associates: Midwest engineering, surveying, and architecture firm with multi-office presence across IA, IL, and MO, offering similar civil/site development, land surveying, and municipal consulting services.
• Fehr Graham: Midwest engineering and environmental firm offering civil engineering, surveying, GIS, and water/wastewater design to municipal and private clients — closely matching Martin & Whitacre's horizontal professional services model across IA, IL, and WI.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/MartinWhitacreSurveyorsEngineersInc

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Martin & Whitacre Surveyors & Engineers