mission Statement

Kudzu Survey Associates was formed to provide superior service in a minimal amount of time to our clients. We put a premium on making ourselves available to the client. We return phone calls. We strive to complete projects in the minimal amount of time in order to reduce the carrying cost to the client. We will never be the largest firm in Asheville. We will be the best.

Steven Higley

Steven Higley
PLS #4702 (NC)
steve@kudzusurvey.com

Steven Higley was born and raised in Marion OH, a former manufacturing and transportation hub. His father worked for Eaton Corporation, his grandfathers worked for Marion Power Shovel and Tecumseh Products. All three plants are now closed.
 
Steven learned surveying in the US Army, in which he served from 1987-1990. While working on military construction projects, he also learned soil testing, becoming certified in the use of a nuclear densometer. Steven was stationed in Camp Humphreys, Korea and Fort Hood TX. The most unique project on which Steven worked at this time was lay-out of a foot bridge in the Demilitarized Zone at Panmunjom. Steven worked for CTL Engineering, in Columbus OH, from 1991 to 1993, as a construction inspector. His duties included compaction testing, concrete testing, and steel inspection.

From 1994 to 2006, Steven worked for Carlson Surveying in Baraboo WI. Here he learned property surveying and became licensed. The bulk of the work was either in the tourist town of Wisconsin Dells or vacation property to the north. Working twelve years in Wisconsin meant working twelve winters in Wisconsin. The coldest day in which he has worked is -22°F. This was necessary because the temperature had not climbed above 0° in nine days and it was impossible to defer the work any longer. The mentorship of Kenneth and Mark Carlson were critical to Steven’s professional success.
 
In 2006, Steven took a position as Survey Dept. Manager with Pesterfield Engineering in Asheville. The 2008 housing crash led to mass layoffs in 2009.
 
Returning to college, Steven earned a pair of BAs in History and Spanish at Fayetteville State University in 2011. He received an MA in History at Appalachian State in 2012, studying under Dr. Jeffrey Bortz. His master’s thesis examined the financial activities of the Spanish Falange in Mexico during the Spanish Civil War. In 2013 and 2014, Steven was matriculating in a history PhD program at The Ohio State University, studying under Dr. John Guilmartin.
 
Steven returned to the surveying profession in 2015, taking a position with WLB Group in Flagstaff AZ. After one year, he returned to Asheville where he established Kudzu Survey Associates, PLLC.