An Industry Leader for Over 100 Years

Corporate History

Sewall is founded upon solid business principles practiced for over a century. Established in 1880 by James Wingate Sewall and his brother Joseph, the company provided forest inventory, surveying, and mapping services to the lumber industry in northern Maine and Canada. With formal training in civil engineering and expertise in urban water system development, James W. brought new standards of accuracy, statistical analysis, and precision craftsmanship to the surveying, appraisal, and mapping of forestland. Early on the Maine firm gained a reputation for professionalism, innovation, and a commitment to quality.

During the first half of the 20th century, the company grew steadily under the management of James W. Sewall, Jr., providing forestry consulting, civil engineering, and surveying services to a broader range of clients throughout the Northeast and Canada. Known for intelligence, skill, and a strong work ethic, Sewall professionals established relationships with industrial firms, government agencies, and private interests that still exist today.

Under the leadership of Joseph Sewall, son of James W., Jr., the company diversified during the 1940s. Sewall purchased an airplane, aerial camera, and stereoplotter equipment, incorporating photogrammetric processes to produce maps. Aerial photography provided Sewall clients with an accurate yet lower cost source of data for planimetric and topographic mapping, timberland inventory, and parcel mapping.

In 1979 the firm acquired a computerized system to produce digital maps of forestland use and vegetative cover. Rapidly Sewall expanded the use of geospatial technology to include digital tax parcel and utilities infrastructure data. In the next decade, Sewall incorporated GIS for gas and electric facilities management and developed industry-standard pipeline software for integrity management.

In the 1990s Sewall implemented ground and airborne GPS and inertial measurement unit (IMU) technologies to reduce the schedule and cost of aerial mapping projects. Sewall is one of the first firms in New England to provide advanced image processing, including digital orthophotography and photogrammetric-quality scanning.

During the last 10 years, Sewall has made several key acquisitions, including a purchase of Park Aerial Surveys, a Kentucky aerial firm; Weiler Mapping, a New York municipal tax mapping firm; Surry Engineering, a Maine traffic engineering firm, and most recently Forest Technology Group, the South Carolina information systems subsidiary of MeadWestvaco. With these purchases, Sewall has strengthened its expertise and broadened its geographic reach. Sewall has also expanded its portfolio to offer web hosting, software as a service, and a secure geoportal for the collection, distribution, and resale of geospatial data.

For over a century, Sewall has implemented innovative technologies to meet the increasingly sophisticated needs of our clients, now international in range. Skilled in communication, craftsmanship, and customer service, Sewall personnel have delivered useful products that continue to set standards for quality and longevity. In the process, Sewall professionals have earned industry recognition for honesty and integrity. Established in 1880, these principles form the basis of the company’s business practice today.

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