Meet Sam Polena of Land Technology; Lambert & Associates

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Today we’d like to introduce you to Sam Polena.

Sam, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
I became a licensed Professional Engineer in 2011. At the time I was working for a large engineering firm in Chicago but really wanted to become an entrepreneur and work on my own. I established a small company in April 2011 called Polena Consulting and worked on a few small projects outside of my full-time job. In 2013 I took a position as a Forensic Engineer for a national firm that allowed me to work remotely from home. Working from home, and having the freedom to manage my own workload, confirmed my desire that I wanted to pursue an opportunity to develop my own business.

At the end of 2015, I found that the owner of Land Technology was looking to sell and retire. I acquired Land Technology at the end of 2015 which at the time included 6 employees. Land Technology was established in 1992 and has a great reputation of quality designs although it is one of the smaller engineering firms in the Northwest Suburbs. In the beginning of 2017, one of the objectives of the company was to expand our services in the DuPage County area and increase our field crew capacity to allow us to provide more projects with a quicker turnaround.

In the process of looking for a remote office in the Glen Ellyn – Wheaton area, through industry sources, I found out that Lambert & Associates was a company where the owner was looking to sell and retire. Lambert & Associates was established in 1968 and is one of the premier Land Surveying firms in the Greater Chicago area. I acquired Lambert & Associates in July 2017, bringing the company-wide workforce to 12 employees, myself as the engineer in charge, and my wife Roena Polena as the executive administrator.

The two companies are combining services and increasing efficiency with a wider footprint and shorter travel distances to projects in the area by operating field crews out of both offices.

Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
It has been a busy and slightly bumpy road, with the biggest challenge in trying to balance project load with the workforce required. As a small company, I find it very important to provide benefits to employees that compare with some of the larger firms, while providing a family atmosphere that is unlike large corporations.

Please tell us about Land Technology; Lambert & Associates.
The company provides Civil Engineering and Land Surveying services for residential and commercial construction. Land Technology specializes in septic system engineering and design, and stormwater management engineering. Land Technology is well known in the area as one of the best septic system designers and has a reputation for completing designs that resolve complicated issues without compromising quality.

I am proud of the fact that Land Technology get recommended by other engineers as the firm to go to when complicated designs are required. Lambert & Associates specializes in residential and commercial Boundary Survey services. Lambert & Associates has been operating in Wheaton since 1968 and is well known as one of the best Land Surveying firms in the area.

I am proud of the fact that Lambert & Associates can provide one of the best products in the business while being one of the more competitively priced firms in the Greater Chicago area. Our honesty and quality of product is what sets us apart from other competitors.

If you had to go back in time and start over, would you have done anything differently?
I would not have done anything differently other than maybe have started earlier than I did.

Pricing:

  • Residential Land Surveys $425 – $475 in DuPage County, McHenry County, and surrounding areas.
  • Full residential engineering including all required field and design work $3500 to $5500.
  • Full Onsite Wastewater System (septic system) Designs for $1200 to $3600.

Contact Info:

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