ORLANDO, Fla. – DRMP continues to advance its Subsurface Utilities Engineering (SUE) services with additional investments in staff and equipment to provide the most comprehensive, safe, and reliable underground utility information to help support the design and construction of projects.
The firm has promoted Tom Yocom, PSM, and Ryan Grab, CST II, to SUE Division Manager and Assistant SUE Division Manager, respectively.
“As we move more into 3D modeling of projects, precise and accurate surveying and mapping of utilities demand even more attention to detail to avoid errors and prevent costly mistakes during construction,” said Joe Di Benedetto, DRMP’s Senior Vice President and Director of Surveying & Mapping/Geospatial.
The SUE discipline assigns four quality levels of subsurface utility data that identifies the relative uncertainty of a subsurface utility feature’s existence and location to manage risks associated with utility mapping.
“Training new staff on quality level standards and properly deploying equipment and technologies will play a major role in the success of this team, and Tom and Ryan have what it takes to make it happen,” Di Benedetto said.
As defined by The American Society of Civil Engineers' (ASCE) Standard Guideline for Investigating and Documenting Existing Utilities, ASCE/UESI/CI 38-22, SUE is a branch of engineering used to manage the risks associated with utility mapping, design, coordination, and relocation.
According to the U.S. Department of Transportation Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), the inability to obtain reliable underground utility information has long been a troublesome problem for highway designers in the United States.
“Safety is a crucial aspect of surveying, designating, locating, and using subsurface utility equipment for every project,” Di Benedetto said. “Proficiency in using equipment, such as global positioning systems (GPS), ground-penetrating radar (GPR), electromagnetic locators, and mapping software are crucial for effective location and mapping.”
In his new role, Yocom will be responsible for improving internal collaboration to achieve successful resource sharing, consistent processes, and effective training and innovation development.
“Our vision is to become a recognized leader in the SUE discipline through innovative technical expertise, increased resource capacity, and to provide related service lines, such as Utility Coordination and Utility GIS to better serve both our external and internal clients,” Yocom said.
As SUE Division Manager, Yocom will guide the team to achieve the division’s goals along with operational management, business plan development and budgeting, growth planning, business development, and diversifying DRMP’s market sector share.
“With my primary goal of bringing DRMP’s SUE Division into becoming a recognized leader in the SUE discipline, I’m excited about the by-product of staff development and growth opportunities that will become available to help bring the next generation of DRMP’s leadership up,” Yocom said.
Yocom joined DRMP in 2017 and has played a major role in strengthening the firm’s SUE division.
“I’m grateful that my efforts since joining DRMP are being recognized and rewarded with this opportunity, and proves once again, that DRMP is a “People First” company providing these growth opportunities to our staff,” Yocom said. “I’ve enjoyed my 40-plus year career in this industry, and I’m excited to be in this leadership role feeling rejuvenated to continue with DRMP for years to come.”
As Assistant SUE Division Manager, Grab will serve as technical lead responsible for developing and coordinating training initiatives that will bring the firm’s SUE staff closer together and provide support for Yocom in expanding and diversifying DRMP’s market sector share across all its offices.
Grab joined DRMP’s Jacksonville, Fla., office in 2010 and worked alongside DRMP President Glenn Lusink, PSM.
“Not long after I joined DRMP and got to work closely with Glenn in the Jacksonville office, I knew that this was a team where people are engaged and determined to always make things work better,” Grab said.
“This mantra has led to many great improvements and continues to elevate our performance every year as we grow,” Grab continued. “I feel honored to be recognized in this new role as we go forward into the ever-expanding future. I feel very fortunate to have a great group of folks supporting our efforts to become the No. 1 surveying and engineering firm in the Southeastern United States and beyond.”
About DRMP
DRMP is a multi-discipline firm serving clients in the public, private and industrial sectors in the development of infrastructure and has been in business since 1977. DRMP currently employs 600 professionals in 21 office locations spread strategically across our service area. Today, DRMP is ranked among Engineering News-Record’s “Top 500 Design Firms” in the United States. For more information, please visit www.drmp.com.
