Universal Technical Resource Services, Inc. (UTRS) has acquired Frank J. Smith Jr., Inc., an established provider of professional survey services in Marshalls Creek, Pennsylvania. This acquisition will supplement the surveying staff and capabilities of RKR Hess, the civil and environmental engineering division of UTRS, based in East Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania.
Frank J. Smith Jr., Inc. – launched by its namesake in 1976 and incorporated a decade later when John Ray Rogers became a partner – has spent more than 40 years building a stellar reputation as a professional land surveying company in the Pocono Mountain Region of Pennsylvania. The company is considered a pioneer in development of the region, including its significant partnership with LTS Builders, now LTS Homes.
Over time, Frank J. Smith grew the company’s client list from individual property owners, smaller local contractors, and regional businesses to some of the nation’s largest construction companies. In addition to providing services for residential developments and large commercial projects, the company surveyed more than 10,000 acres for land conservation groups in Monroe, Pike, Carbon, Luzerne, and Lackawanna counties. This included a major project for Pennsylvania American Water, which donated many acres of land for conservation.
During the state’s oil and gas boom in the late 2000s and early 2010s, Frank J. Smith Jr., Inc. surveyed more than 300 miles of mid-stream gathering lines in Bradford, Tioga, and Lycoming counties. This provided a significant boost to the company during the recession. The company also completed the steel layout for a new casino in the Poconos, as well as a sewage treatment plant and miles of gray water delivery lines with hundreds of sprinkler heads making up a spray irrigation system for a major pharmaceutical company in the Poconos.
Another notable client project was the Estates at Great Bear and the Great Bear Golf Club, a Jack Nicklaus Signature course in the Poconos. Frank J. Smith Jr., Inc. performed the survey and layout for the course as well as the subdivision.
The company’s founder and namesake – a National Guard Veteran and lifelong Monroe County resident – passed away in late 2021.
“Frank J. Smith Jr. built a fantastic legacy in local surveying. We look forward to continuing his high level of professional service for our regional customers,” said Nathan S. Oiler, P.E., Director of Land Development Engineering Services for RKR Hess, a division of UTRS.
Cherry Hill-based UTRS provides a wide range of engineering, manufacturing, and information technology services to the private and public sectors.