Seeka’s Early Days: Our Story from the Ground Up
As Seeka proudly celebrates its 18th birthday, we take a moment to reflect on our journey from humble beginnings to becoming a leader within the south-west for utility surveying as part of Kemp Engineering. 18 years ago, utility surveying was only just beginning to gain traction, with many clients uncertain of its advantages. Seeka launched a small team addressing one project at a time; advancing to today where Seeka has evolved into a highly skilled workforce, employing cutting-edge techniques and technologies for large-scale projects.
Founded to address the growing need for accurate underground service detection, Seeka started with a simple but vital project: locating a single gas main at Pennygilliam Industrial Estate for Dean and Dyball. Back then, our technology consisted of tools like the Mala Ground Penetrating Radar and the RD4000, which, while groundbreaking for their time, offered limited scope in comparison to now.
Fast forward to today with one of our most recent surveys in Truro, where we undertook a comprehensive examination of the A390 including both Highertown and Victoria Square. Utilising state-of-the-art equipment like the RD8200 and Stream DP. The integration of advanced technology not only allows for more accurate data collection but also facilitates surveying complex areas like town centres with precision. This evolution from a singular focus on a single service to the ability to conduct extensive surveys in bustling urban environments showcases the remarkable advancements in the utility surveying field.
The evolution of GPR equipment. An early model Mala ‘Easy Locator’ from 2006 and an IDS Stream C, a GPS guided machine which detects buried utilities in real time.
Major Milestones
From those early days, Seeka has taken on a variety of significant projects that have shaped our reputation in the industry. Key projects include our collaborations with the likes of Exeter and Falmouth Universities at their Penryn Campus back in 2008-2009 where our Seeka team completed a full site utility survey, and more recently, in 2022 returned to the site to complete an updated survey.
Another early project saw our Seeka team venture to RAF St Mawgan. This initial visit set up the team for the future providing security clearance and giving them the ability to work in restricted areas which there have been many occasions since then.
We’ve also been privileged to contribute to vital healthcare infrastructure with our surveys at Treliske and Torbay hospitals among many others. These projects have not only been about technical achievement; but also, about serving our communities and ensuring safety and efficiency in essential services. Since our initial visit to Treliske our Seeka team have been regulars at the site ensuring that all the utility surveys are up to date.
2008. Seeka’s original utility survey of the Penryn Campus
Training for Excellence
A key part of Seeka’s success has been our commitment to training and development. We recognised early on that to deliver the best service, we needed a skilled and knowledgeable team. From beginning with onsite training to now providing employees with the best-in-class training solutions.
Our Seeka team have access to industry leading courses including Sygma Solutions' two-day CAT training and the comprehensive Leica GPR Training, which spans both beginner and expert levels. Our team are also trained in confined space safety via Red One Training and CCTV survey techniques via the OS19X 5 day CCTV course, ensuring our team is prepared for any challenge.
Many of our team members have also partaken in The Survey Association (TSA) 5 day utility survey course with Sygma (ProQual level 3), with some members achieving ProQual Level 5 training as well.
Alongside all of this some of the Seeka team are also members of the Chartered Institute of Civil Engineering Surveyors (CICES) and RICS (Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors).
Josh Lockyear our Seeka Survey Manager says, “Expanding our skillset through professional training provided by the likes of sigma, Leica and The Survey Association has helped us stay at the forefront of the industry, as well as giving our clients peace of mind that the staff undertaking the surveys are well qualified for the job.”
2021. Marking buried utilities at Treliske Hospital
Looking Ahead
As we celebrate 18 years of growth and innovation, we are excited about the future for Seeka. We are committed to embracing emerging technologies and sustainable practices that will further enhance our utility surveying capabilities. Our focus will remain on providing exceptional service to our clients while creating an environment of continuous learning and development for our team. Together, we look forward to paving the way for the next generation of utility surveying, ensuring that we remain at the forefront of this ever evolving industry.