September 18, 2006 marked the day PLS opened its doors and began serving the Vancouver community as a civil engineering and land use planning firm. Founding principals Andrew Gunther, P.E., and Travis Johnson, P.E., started the company as a small, two-person firm specializing in subdivision planning and design. From the beginning, they focused on building lasting relationships with clients through trust, quality, and value.
In 2016, PLS expanded its capabilities by adding land surveying to its services and, more recently, transportation and traffic engineering. Guided by a commitment to quality and client service, the two founding principals have grown the firm from two employees to a team of 37 professionals representing a range of disciplines. PLS has also promoted from within, welcoming four additional principals to its leadership team.
Over the past two decades, PLS has been privileged to provide professional services to a variety of public-sector clients, including ports, municipalities, schools, and housing authorities. The firm has also played an important role in the planning, design, and development of numerous single-family residential subdivisions, apartment communities, and commercial and industrial projects throughout the Pacific Northwest.
“Today, what makes us truly competitive is our people,” says Travis Johnson, founding principal. “Our team is deeply committed to excellence, and the surveyors, planners, and engineers at PLS are among the best in the industry.”
As PLS celebrates 20 years in the Vancouver community, the firm looks forward to honoring this milestone with employees, clients, and friends at a special celebration on September 18, 2026, at Hotel Indigo/El Gaucho on the Vancouver Waterfront.
From its beginnings as a two-person firm to its growth into a multidisciplinary team of professionals, PLS is proud of its history and grateful to the clients, partners, and community members who have helped make the past 20 years possible.
