About Us
Meet Troy Gardener
Troy Gardner
A perfectionist and research aficionado with a deep respect for the history of American property rights, Troy Gardner treats every project as an opportunity to discover and preserve the right boundaries. “Surveying involves so much more than mathematical precision and fancy tools, thought that’s certainly part of it,” Gardner said, “Surveying means being dedicated to finding facts and protecting the property rights of the public. Surveyors aren’t here to finagle lines for their clients; they’re here to find and report the facts, even if that means hours and hours of tedious research.”
Gardner is a Hattiesburg, Mississippi, native who has always had a passion for the outdoors and for finding facts. “As a kid, I spent a lot of time outside. I loved exploring, and I was engrossed in the prospect of finding hidden treasure,” Gardner said. After graduating from Columbia Academy, Gardner attended Jones County Junior College and simultaneously worked at an engineering firm. “That’s where I fell in love with surveying. We got to be out in the field, discovering boundaries and corners as old as the nation itself.”
Gardner then attended Mississippi State University, where he earned a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering. After working for several years at a civil engineering firm, Gardner became a licensed surveyor.In 2010, Gardner founded Southeastern Surveying and Mapping. “Here, I’m privileged to be able to put my love of problem-solving to good use. The evidentiary process of surveying forces you to consider the history of the land. I love digging deep to determine the right boundaries for each project,” Gardner said, “I’ve been accused of being too thorough, but, for me, spending a few extra hours doing research at the chancery clerk’s office isn’t being ‘too thorough.’ It’s adhering to a certain standard of care that the public deserves.”
When he isn’t surveying in the field or drafting in the SESM office, Gardner enjoys spending time outdoors and at home with his wife, Emily, and their three very active children. “At the end of the day, I do what I do for families like mine, who love the land and want to respect its long history.”