Robert remembers the early years fondly when technological help was almost non existent. “In the good old days we had to supply clients with reams and reams of paper when we presented our drawings and calculations. Many of our clients were also spread out quite far and we had to rely on the postal service to get the information there. This was way before e-mail or even fax,” he explains.

“Today things are much easier. We have email, fax and AllyCAD. Of course the work has increased ten-fold over the years and we are kept very busy. In the last year alone I assisted various land surveyors with numerous erven. Fortunately we can depend on modern day technology to produce faster output. DTM and aerial photo information is read into AllyCAD and the software is used daily to help with designs,” says Robert.

Robert’s role at Guthrie Business Trust is both varied and stimulating. A typical day in his life consists of interactions with land surveyors, town planners as well as extensive liaison with the Surveyor General’s Office. According to Robert, he performs most of the ‘behind the scenes work’ and describes his role in a typical township upgrade as varied.

"We do mapping and calculations of new townships. With a township upgrade we receive important ortho-photo information and use this information to plan the drawing. All the detail like the existing housing and fencing are indicated on the drawing and then sent to the Town Planner to add the finishing touches."

"The Town Planner then indicates where the schools, erven, businesses and vacant areas are and advises us on the road access points to the township. Armed with this information we are able to prepare the layout and perform the necessary calculations for the land surveyors so that they can peg the township,” he says simply.

"Once the final co-ordinates have been received, I create the General Plans, smaller diagrams and finally the Working Plan. We also do a full Surveyor General check before submitting the final drawings,” explains Robert, adding that they recently completed work for the well known Cosmo Project in Johannesburg as well as an erven upgrade initiative in Hamanskraal, both projects extensive in their own right.

With so much success at the doorstep of Guthrie Business Trust, it’s difficult to believe that the company hardly needs to market their service to clients. “It’s all word of mouth. Clients have come to rely on accuracy and a fast turn around time. There is no room for inaccuracies in this business that is why nothing leaves this office without being double checked by my partner Maude. We have been following this recipe since 1971 and it has proved to be a winning formula.” The Guthrie’s are clearly dedicated to the land surveying community, showing a strong optimism and passion for their work.