When Jeff Arthur joined ETS in 2014 to set up the company’s structural engineering division, he was already a seasoned professional, with over ten years of structural analysis work in tower engineering, oil, gas, electrical, and renewable energy distribution infrastructure. He wasn’t looking for a new opportunity when ETS founder Geoff Bost came knocking.
“I was very happy where I was at the time,” recalls Arthur. “Geoff and I had worked together some years previously, and he’s one of the straightest shooters in the business and a great friend. But the opportunity was real and exciting for me, so I said yes. I wouldn’t have said yes to anyone else in the telecom industry.”
Starting as a tower inspections company and now celebrating its 10th year in business, ETS grew rapidly with the 4G wireless build-out and added construction and engineering divisions in 2012 to become a leading full-service provider to the wireless infrastructure industry.
“When tower mount analysis became a new requirement in late 2014, we were quickly able to provide the engineering support services that helped establish our name and reputation within the broader industry,” adds Arthur.
Following a severe construction accident in 2016, a new phase of structural engineering oversight for the tower industry began. Tower construction contractors were required to have their Class IV rigging plans and gin pole designs certified by a licensed engineer. This led ETS to start offering these reviews and to create its construction engineering division.
“We did a lot for the smaller contractor doing sub work when Class IVs became a requirement. We set standard pricing so contractors could reliably bid for work, and we never charged for time when contractors called us to discuss a plan,” Arthur explains. “That focus on the needs of the smaller contractor has served us and the industry well, as most of our business today comes from repeat customers and word-of-mouth.”
Today, aside from the mountain of engineering work untaken by the construction engineering division every week, ETS is one of only two companies that certifies gin pole loading charts and is the only company that will visit sites to map gin poles and certify them for contractor use.
“This job is everything Geoff said it could be when I started back in 2014, and I get a great deal of satisfaction meeting and working with an extensive customer community, “says Arthur. “We have a great team here, and our customers appreciate what we do for them. It’s very rewarding.”
