Although he originally planned on working for the Bureau of Land Management or the Forest Service, when Trenton Smith started pounding stakes at FOCUS, he never looked back.

“I love being in the field,” Trenton discusses as he talks about the things he has enjoyed since entering this line of work. “Developing both soft and technical skills are important out there; you need to be sharp both mentally and physically because the work can be so demanding.”

Although Trenton’s average day is now mostly inside the office, his job is critical for the handful of two-person field staking crews he manages. He and his three support staff review all communications, scheduling, and coordination with clients, contractors, and the main office. Trenton makes sure that contractors and field crew are always receiving correct design information.

The department manager admits that developing a thick skin is essential to the job. “When something is messed up, we’re the person on site so we’re the fixer,” Trenton laughs. “But that’s okay because we want to spend our time resolving issues and moving the job forward.”

Construction staking is a job that requires precision. At Fairbourn Station near Valley Fair Mall in West Valley City, Utah, the construction staking measurements determine where a pedestrian bridge will fit between two buildings. “If it fits exactly the way it’s supposed to, we get the satisfaction of knowing we staked both buildings correctly, and we value those types of achievements.”

And precision is exactly what Trenton aims for. “We’re not interested in the bare minimum,” Trenton mentions. “We’re team players going for a successful project for our clients.”