professional land surveyors of oregon

What professional land surveyors of oregon does

Professional Land Surveyors of Oregon (PLSO) is a nonprofit professional association headquartered in Portland, Oregon, founded in 1959 and incorporated in 1960. It is positioned as the only organization uniting land surveyors across the state, serving licensed practitioners, students, and affiliated firms through membership, education, advocacy, and community-building activities. The organization is led by Executive Secretary Aimee McAuliffe and operates with a small staff of 1–10 employees.

PLSO's core products and outputs include The Oregon Surveyor magazine (which has received the NSPS Best Editorial award), an online store offering publications, supplies, and merchandise, an annual conference, an education auction, scholarship programs, and continuing education offerings. The organization is affiliated with the National Society of Professional Surveyors (NSPS), giving it a formal channel into national surveying policy and peer-association networks.

The business model is a traditional nonprofit professional-association model. Revenue is generated primarily through membership dues, supplemented by online store sales, annual conference fees, and education auction proceeds. PLSO also received an NCEES Foundation grant in the 2024–25 cycle to support workforce development. Because PLSO is a member-driven association rather than a commercial enterprise, its customer base is effectively the licensed Oregon land surveying community, and its growth is bounded by the size and renewal rate of that community.

Name

professional land surveyors of oregon

Legal name

Professional Land Surveyors of Oregon

Website

https://plso.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1959

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Professional Land Surveyors of Oregon (PLSO) is a nonprofit professional association, founded in 1959, that serves licensed land surveyors statewide through membership services, continuing education, publications, conferences, and advocacy.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Portland

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: Annual membership fees providing access to professional development, networking, member discounts, legislative advocacy, and resources for licensed land surveyors in Oregon.
2. Online Store: Sale of merchandise (apparel, sweatshirts), professional reference books, and surveying supplies including The Land Surveyor's Guide to the Supreme Court of Oregon and Right of Entry Door Hangers.
3. Annual Conference: Registration fees for annual conference offering continuing education credits, vendor exhibits, and networking opportunities for surveying professionals.
4. Education & Outreach Auction: Annual auction raising funds for scholarships and education outreach programs. 2025 auction raised $22,058.64.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Professional Land Surveyors of Oregon (PLSO) is a not-for-profit statewide professional membership association that delivers membership services, continuing education, professional development, legislative advocacy, networking, and career pathway resources to licensed land surveyors in Oregon. It also operates an online store selling professional reference publications, surveying supplies, and branded merchandise, and runs member events such as the Annual Conference and the Drone Mapping Symposium.

Product overview

The Professional Land Surveyors of Oregon (PLSO) is a statewide professional membership organization, not a product company. Its primary 'product' is its membership program offering professional development, networking, legislative advocacy, and member resources. Tangible products sold through the online store include professional reference publications (The Land Surveyor's Guide to the Supreme Court of Oregon, A Casebook of Oregon Donation Land Claims), practical supplies (Right of Entry Door Hangers compliant with ORS 672.047), and branded merchandise (apparel with PLSO branding). Services include a searchable 'Find A Surveyor' directory, annual conference with continuing education, quarterly magazine (The Oregon Surveyor), scholarship program, mentorship opportunities, and specialized events like the Drone Mapping Symposium.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• PLSO Membership Program Annual professional membership for licensed land surveyors in Oregon providing networking, professional development, money-saving programs, discounts on national programs, legislative advocacy, and access to member-only resources including the mentorship program, resume bank, and job board.
• Annual Conference Annual in-person education conference offering continuing education PDH credits, vendor exhibitions, professional networking, and a live Education & Outreach Auction supporting scholarships. Previously held at the Sheraton Portland Airport Hotel.
• Drone Mapping Symposium Specialized technical symposium focused on UAS/drone technology and mapping applications for surveying professionals in Oregon.
• Professional Surveying Publications Reference publications for land surveyors including The Land Surveyor's Guide to the Supreme Court of Oregon Vol. 1 (1848-1892) and Vol. 2 (1893-1935) in print and e-version formats, and A Casebook of Oregon Donation Land Claims by C. Albert White, available for individual purchase in the PLSO online store with member and regular pricing.
• Right of Entry Door Hangers Door hangers sold in packs of 50 (one pack and ten-pack bulk options) that surveyors use to comply with ORS 672.047 when unable to contact landowners or occupants before entering property.
• PLSO Branded Apparel Branded merchandise including the NW Surveyor Carhartt Sweatshirt, Black Hoodie, Long Sleeve Tee, and the Eat. Sleep. Survey. Repeat. T-shirt with PLSO or NW Surveyor logos. Sold in the online store at member and regular pricing, with net proceeds from select items supporting outreach videos promoting surveying to high school students.
• The Oregon Surveyor Magazine Quarterly publication covering surveying topics, industry news, and professional articles. Won the NSPS Best Editorial award. Distributed to PLSO members and the broader Oregon surveying community.

Quantifiable outcome

• $22,058.64 raised in 2025 Education & Outreach Auction supporting scholarships and community programs
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core and secondary.

• NCEES FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 20 August 2024Awarded 2024-25 grant to support statewide workforce development initiatives including outreach to students, veterans, career seekers, and resources for small surveying firms.
• NSPS (National Society of Professional Surveyors)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational affiliation providing representation at federal level, access to national resources, certification programs (Certified Survey Technician, Certified Hydrographic Surveyor), and collaborative advocacy on national surveying policy issues.
• Oregon Community FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerManages PLSO scholarship fund which has grown to over $240,000, enabling distribution of approximately $18,000 annually in scholarships to surveying students.
• Oregon Institute of Technology (Oregon Tech)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerABET-accredited Geomatics program with Surveying and GIS options; prepares students for Fundamentals of Surveying (FS) exam and PLS licensure. Offers both in-person and online formats.
• Oregon State UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBS in Civil Engineering or Forest Engineering with 16 credit hours of survey electives; graduate studies in Civil Engineering Geomatics. ABET-accredited program.
• Clark CollegesecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerAssociate degree program preparing students for entry-level surveying work with evening and weekend courses for working professionals; transfer pathway to Oregon Tech.
• Umpqua Community CollegesecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerAssociate of Science in Civil Engineering & Surveying Technology with transfer pathway to Oregon Tech bachelor's degree.
• Clackamas Community CollegesecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerGIS certificate program covering software, geography, data analysis, cartography, remote sensing, and programming.
• Portland Community CollegesecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerGIS & Geospatial programs preparing students for entry-level positions in GIS, Remote Sensing, Surveying, and related geospatial industries.
• Portland State UniversitysecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerGIS certificate counting toward GISP and ASPRS certification programs for professional credentials.
• Southern Oregon UniversitysecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerMicro-credential in Geographic Information Systems for working practitioners and students in geospatial sciences.
• Oregon State Board of Examiners for Engineering and Land Surveying (OSBEELS)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerState licensing board; PLSO works with OSBEELS on licensure requirements, regulatory advocacy, and professional standards.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Texas Society of Professional Surveyors (TSPS): Texas state society of professional surveyors offering membership, advocacy, publications, and education events; a direct functional peer to PLSO's mission and service mix.
• Pennsylvania Society of Land Surveyors (PSLS): Pennsylvania state society representing land surveyors with similar membership, continuing education, and legislative advocacy functions as PLSO.
• Land Surveyors' Association of Washington (LSAW): The neighboring Washington-state professional land surveyors association; closest geographic peer with the same membership/advocacy/continuing-education charter as PLSO.
• Illinois Professional Land Surveyors Association (IPLSA): Illinois statewide professional association for licensed land surveyors with the same continuing-education, advocacy, and member-services charter as PLSO.
• Wisconsin Society of Land Surveyors (WSLS): Wisconsin state society of land surveyors offering conferences, publications, and legislative advocacy directly comparable to PLSO.
• Florida Surveying and Mapping Society (FSMS): Florida's statewide professional society for surveyors and mappers, providing continuing education, legislative advocacy, and conferences analogous to PLSO.
• California Land Surveyors Association (CLSA): State-level professional association for licensed land surveyors in California, with a directly analogous membership, advocacy, continuing-education, and conference model to PLSO.
• Michigan Society of Professional Surveyors (MSPS): Michigan state professional surveying society delivering membership, education, and advocacy services structurally identical to PLSO's.
• New York State Association of Professional Land Surveyors (NYSAPLS): New York state professional association for licensed land surveyors, offering advocacy, education, and member services that parallel PLSO's offerings.

Broad incumbents

• National Society of Professional Surveyors (NSPS): The national umbrella professional society for land surveyors in the U.S. and PLSO's Core strategic affiliate; comparable as the apex membership, advocacy, and certification body for the same profession, only at national rather than state scope.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/professional-land-surveyors-of-oregon

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about professional land surveyors of oregon