NYPA’s Supplier Diversity Small + Local Capacity Building program

Over the next several weeks, NYPA will be highlighting several businesses that have participated in our Supplier Diversity Small Business Program.

Our purpose is to build lasting relationships with diverse suppliers that fuel innovation and growth in New York State. We’ll do this by educating and preparing diverse entrepreneurs with the business skills necessary to increase procurement opportunities within NYPA and Canals.

Some of the program highlights include access to capital, help with accounting, certification assistance, bidding assistance, one on one consulting and best practice education taught by subject matter experts. There is NO COST to the diverse supplier. It is all FREE. The programs run from 7.5 months up to one year.

We’re committed to building upon a strong foundation in the environmental and social justice space as we celebrate 40 years of Supplier Diversity this year.

NYPA would like to highlight one of the NYPA Small Business Program’s participants, Benjamin Houston, and his company GroundPoint Engineering, PLLC GroundPoint Engineering. We thank Benjamin for his great participation and dedication in the program. Benjamin was able to improve his back office through his 1 on 1’s in executive coaching and procurement.

?

About the Founder:

Benjamin is a combat veteran from the war in Afghanistan; he completed a tour there in 2002.

As a United States Army Officer, Benjamin spent 12 years as a Topographic Engineer, Public Health Engineer, and Special Operations Team Leader before returning to the private sector. He is a graduate of the U.S. Army Combined Arms Services Staff School, the Defense Mapping School, and the John F. Kennedy (JFK) Special Warfare Center and School.

Benjamin has over 30 years’ worth of experience using high-resolution digital mapping and surveying technologies, ranging from military applications to environmental conservation and public works. Over the course of his career, he has been a pioneer in the field of high-resolution drainage mapping and digital geospatial data accuracy, providing regular continuing education training to both the engineering and surveying communities. A licensed professional engineer in New York, Benjamin has a broad background in public health engineering, utilities infrastructure, and storm water management. He has worked at both for-profit and non-profit consulting companies, and with various local government agencies, including County Departments of Planning, Public Works, and Public Health. Benjamin has always been passionate about the use of high resolution digital geospatial data to support hydrologic modeling and risk assessment as part of his overall mission to help improve our physical understanding of the natural world.

His focus for the past 15 years has been on using airborne LiDAR data for topographic mapping and raster-based terrain analysis, including land cover, impervious surface, and wetlands mapping. He was an early adopter in working with small drones and handheld 3D scanning technologies to enhance their value as tools for surveying and mapping activities. He is formerly an adjunct professor of Geomatics at the Bard Center for Environmental Policy and was elected to the New York State (NYS) Geographic Information System (GIS) Association Board of Directors in 2017.

?

About GroundPoint Engineering:

Founded by Benjamin in 2012, GroundPoint Engineering provides geographic information, nuisance flooding and drainage infrastructure analysis, as well as geospatial data accuracy services. GroundPoint’s recent focus has been on the application of 3D imaging technologies to support construction and infrastructure inspection, with the primary market to support other Engineering and Surveying companies. As a service-disabled veteran owned company (SDVOB), GroundPoint has been fortunate in providing subcontracting services to larger engineering firms on several New York Power Authority (NYPA) contracts, most recently focused on Erie Canal infrastructure inspection and dam failure analysis.

Benjamin's participation in NYPA’s Small Business Capacity Building Program has helped him to refine internal systems and improve efficiencies, while also helping position his company for future growth. The combination of NYPA Programs has not only reinforced and improved existing operations, but also gave Benjamin additional tools and techniques to enhance his business.

“The most valuable part of the NYPA Small Business Program has been the one-on-one coaching that has been available from a wide range of subject matter experts. Whether you are a high performing professional athlete or a small business owner looking to sustain growth in your business, I believe that everyone can benefit from individualized coaching that brings in a fresh outside look and helps keep focus. The NYPA Small Business Program has provided that for me and helped me hit the ground running in 2023 and be ready for growth into 2024 and beyond.”

-Benjamin Houston, Founder and CEO of Groundpoint Engineering