5th Anniversary

It is that time of the year again! Yes, Swift Geospatial has turned five years old.

However, this year seems different. I believe Swift Geospatial – has officially – fast-matured into a world class GIS and Remote Sensing company. Admittedly, the journey to get here has indeed had its ups and downs- but with these many invaluable wisdom-gaining lessons have been learnt along the way.

A scant five years ago, Swift Geospatial was conceptualized in a local pub, along with a hand drawn logo on a beer-stained napkin. We were cognisant of the fact that taking the risk into the unknown waters of actually physically starting the company would be the most difficult step; and this was initiated by an elaborate obstacle of several leaps of faith that eventually lead us to what we have proudly become today.

During those early days, having the support of family, along with sharing the load with close co-founders Douglas Bradley and James Saunders, was everything. It provided the fuel, energy and the stamina required to get up each and every day to purposefully build this company. Today, I am able to confidently state that our vision of bringing both GIS and Remote Sensing into the forefront of our industry and profession is now a reality!

I must confess that at times, doubt has crept in (normally around 4am when one’s mind is already racing about the day and week ahead) and I have wondered; ‘Am I doing the right thing?’, ‘What if nobody accepts our next proposal?’ and most often, ‘Where do we go from here?’. Running your own business will inevitably challenge you on many levels, bringing these thoughts to the forefront of your mind is the entrepreneurial caveat. Through the years, and with the support of our uniquely wonderful team, open communication, an awesome coffee machine and dogged determination, I have learnt to transform these doubts and fears into positive motivation for the day, week, month and year ahead.

I believe in the products and services we offer at Swift Geospatial. We strive to always listen to our co-workers, the industry, and most importantly, our clients. This enables us to push forward with new ideas and constant innovation, which is the underlying driving factor under the Swift roof. We acknowledge that whilst we may not always get things right the first time, we actively try our best to never repeat mistakes made in our company journey towards greater success.

We have learnt that starting a company is indeed very similar to starting a family – there will be happiness and fulfillment, but also tears, frustration and anger all rolled into one. Through mentorship, communication and guidance, I believe our company family will grow stronger, together.

Below are a couple points that I have learnt along the journey:

• Surround yourself with positive like-minded individuals
• Build the company on these individuals
• Allow for experimentation
• Allow for failure
• Always listen and learn from those who have been there before
• Never be embarrassed to ask for help

What I am now realizing is that five years is just a number. The real hard work begins now

Looking towards the future of GIS and corporate responsibility

We have witnessed the move of corporations and individuals towards a more sustainable future over the past couple of years, and we at Swift Geospatial are no different. As a company, we have seen the need to transform to a greener way of working, all the while being more selective with our direction of work and commitments.

As our company grows and embeds its roots into the environment; we have evolved from being a mere GIS and Remote Company to something more, something that takes sustainability to heart and the need to protect our planet for future generations to come…

We at Swift Geospatial would like to thank all our clients for the ongoing support and for pushing us to achieve greater heights.

– Michael Breetzke