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SOUTH JORDAN — For Rob Newman and Nearmap, Utah is more important than New York City.
The CEO of the aerial imaging and geospatial data company says this in jest, but Nearmap continues to grow in the Beehive State while the company keeps expanding across the rest of the United States.
Nearmap has around 150 employees in the U.S. and the company is in the process of opening an office in Seattle, Newman said Thursday while seated at the company's new North American headquarters, at 10897 S. River Front Parkway in South Jordan.
"This is where we started with a small group of just about eight people, I think, initially," Newman said. "Now we've grown to a very significant operation here."
Instead of using satellites to create their imaging, Nearmap uses small aircraft to fly 12,000 feet above ground level to create highly detailed and up-to-date imaging maps, which can be used as a first point of contact for construction crews, urban planners and more.
Newman said the Nearmap software can be an important tool for governments and insurance companies, as the latter would be able to use the detailed mapping to keep track of things like the condition of a homeowner's roof, watching for potential damage before disaster can strike. Nearmap's software is precise enough to be able to map and measure a roof remotely, which is handy for contractors trying to make repairs or solar companies looking to install panels.
The company's website boasts that it captures imagery for areas that consist of 80% of the U.S. population, meaning the imaging can be utilized throughout the country.
The company, founded in 2007 in Newman's hometown of Perth, Australia, continues to use small aircraft to map locations. But Newman said the biggest development in recent years was the integration of artificial intelligence.
Leaning over a laptop, Newman used the Nearmap software to zoom in on the company's South Jordan office location, perched in a commercial area with several multi-story buildings surrounding it. With a few clicks, the screen slowly began to map out all of the buildings and parking lots in the surrounding area, as well as green spaces and the nearby Jordan River. The artificial intelligence can pick up things like trees in parking lots, which it displays as rows of green dots in a sea of orange.
Another feature that sets Nearmap apart is the frequency in which it maps out areas. Newman said the company maps out areas at different times of the year, which gives users a greater view year-round. The repeat mapping can also illustrate changes made to pieces of property over time.
Being in Utah presents a unique challenge for the mapping technology, Newman said, given the Wasatch Front's dramatic rise from the valley below.
"We actually use Salt Lake City as one of our key test places just because of the, you know, the fact that you got a valley and very steep mountains off to the side," Newman said. He added that large cities like New York present challenges as well, as tall buildings and comparatively narrow streets create urban canyons that must be precisely captured at certain times in accordance with the sun.
With the challenge of mapping the Salt Lake Valley comes a question: Why Utah for the company's U.S. headquarters?
Newman said the choice was easy due to the combination of a great living environment and a great tech environment. Being on the western side of the country is a necessity as well — given that Nearmap's global headquarters is in Sydney, Australia — but avoiding the busy nature of California helps allow a higher quality of life.
"Silicon Valley, Los Angeles, they're crazy towns, right?" Newman said with a laugh. "This is a town where I think you can get a nice work-life balance. It's a town where there's a fantastic tech community here. (It) just made sense for us to build our company here."
