PLSO The Oregon Surveor September/October 2021

11 Professional Land Surveyors of Oregon | www.plso.org Member Spotlight home, it was only a two and a half hour drive to Eugene from OIT. “So if I need- ed a weekend out of town, I would come over to Eugene and see my friends,” Nel- son says. “And since I liked it here, I saw a job posting on the bulletin board for a summer gig. I was able to room with some friends during the summer work here. After graduation, I interviewed all over, but this company was still the best fit and they had history here.” That was Branch Engineering, the com- pany that he now owns. At the time of Nelson’s interview, the company’s sole owner was developing a succession plan to eventually retire and sell the compa- ny to a small group of owners with the knowledge and skill to keep the company going. “I knew that I could do it,” says Nel- son. “I had worked for another company where two younger people had bought it from the company founder, and I knew that’s what I wanted to do, so I made it known all along that I wanted to own my own business someday and that I would like it to be this business, or else I would go start my own company.” Right about the time that Nelson had to make a decision about starting his own company or not, he returned froma PLSO conference to find a letter on his desk about discussing the future ownership of the company. Nelson liked the idea of not having to start a company from scratch and looked forward to joining a business that was already successful. He’s now one of the larger shareholders of the company. Being a member of PLSO has helped, he says. “When I first came to the Eugene- Springfield area I got here in time to go to the last PLSO meeting before they took their summer break, so I did that for a cou- ple of years,” he says. “I got to know some of the surveyors that were in our area.” Nelson jokes that “he stood out like a sore thumb” for being in hismid-twenties while most of the other members were 50-plus. But, he says, those older surveyors be- came mentors. “They all were open and would talk to me, and because of that, I have been able to rely on them as men- tors and for advice,” he says. “They were very experienced and well-respected, so I was able to build relationships really ear- ly on inmy career that have benefitedme even now.” x