The amazing technology that allows companies like Wightman to assist a wide array of clients in mapping services has become an invaluable resource on multiple levels. Thanks to their dedication to the technology and ongoing advancements, the Benton Harbor-based firm has earned recognition as a Silver Business Partner of Esri, the developer of ArcGIS. That is a mapping and analytics software used by Wightman in commercial, government, manufacturing, and utilities industries.
As a Silver Business Partner, Wightman is teaming with Esri to broaden its scope of services, connect with potential clients, and stay abreast of changing technological advancements in Geographic Information Systems (GIS). The partnership allows Wightman the opportunity to access cutting edge technology in GIS with the ability to develop solutions across multiple disciplines built on and supported by the Esri software platform. Wightman is one of only 20 Esri Silver Business Partners located in the State of Michigan.
Ryan Miller, GIS Manager at Wightman, says, “Wightman is constantly seeking new opportunities to further enhance our capabilities and provide a variety of quality products and services to better serve our clients,” and adds, “We are excited to join the Esri Partner Network to utilize its many benefits to support our clients and grow the use of GIS.”
The Wightman GIS team has several substantial projects in its portfolio. The team was awarded a 2019 American Council of Engineering Companies of Michigan Surveying Merit Award for its work on the Rose Park Veterans Memorial in Kalamazoo. Working with Wightman’s Reality Capture field staff, the GIS team generated a 3-D model and base map of the park. A database was then created to efficiently catalogue over 5,000 bricks and populate an interactive online map.
On another front, Wightman GIS is working with local municipalities to assist with pre-incident planning for fire departments. Pre-incident planning requires capturing potentially life-saving information – including building size and material, usage, average occupancy, type of furnishings, location and number of exits, location of any flammable materials, and such – to create an interactive, online map of the building that can provide critical information to public safety officials in the event of an emergency.
Esri is the global market leader in geographic information systems software. Their software is deployed in more than 350,000 organizations including the world’s largest cities, most national governments, 75-percent of Fortune 500 companies, and more than 7,000 colleges and universities. Esri engineers the most advanced solutions for digital transformation, the Internet of Things, and location analytics to inform the most authoritative maps in the world.
For more information about GIS services at Wightman, you can contact Ryan Miller at (269) 487-9658 or via email at: rmiller@gowightman.com.
