About | History | Employment

HISTORY
HJW GeoSpatial, Inc. began as Hammon, Jensen and Wallen in 1949. Our founders, Alonzo “Lonnie” Hammon, Herbert “Herb” Jensen and Arnold “Swede” Wallen, a cartographer and a couple of foresters, had the novel idea to use aerial photography for forestry management and mapping. All they needed were airplanes, cameras and a photo lab.

After purchasing Pacific Aerial Surveys from Clyde Sunderland, a nationally recognized pioneer in the field of aerial photography, HJW’s business literally took off. Lonnie developed broader mapping applications for local governments, engineering firms and federal agencies. Herb created more sophisticated techniques for interpreting aerial photography; and Swede brought in state-of-the-art technology that would allow them to produce the most accurate maps possible.

The spirit of innovation upon which HJW was built has continued throughout our history. HJW was the first firm to complete a digital orthophotography project on the west coast. We developed proprietary software, OrthoView™, which greatly improved the quality and ease of orthophoto production; and we led the way in the use of airborne GPS.

Today, HJW’s innovation continues with the added services of LiDAR processing and terrain modeling, as well as the utilization and development of new production technologies.