A year ago, I walked into Maurer-Stutz with a mission: to build something new, something purpose-driven, something lasting. That something became Maurer-Stutz Geospatial Services (MSGS). Now, 12 months in, I can confidently say we’re not just building a team—we’re building momentum
Read moreMapping for a Cause
At Maurer-Stutz, Inc., we believe in using our expertise to give back to the community. One of our on-going relationships is with Camp Big Sky, a nonprofit in Fairview, IL, dedicated to providing outdoor experiences for individuals with disabilities.
Read moreReinforced Attendance.
Earlier this March, I had the opportunity to attend the Esri Partner Conference (EPC) and Developer Summit (DevSummit) in Palm Springs, California. This marked my fifth time attending EPC. Every time I go, I’m reminded that while the sessions, product updates, and technical insights are invaluable, the real benefit lies in the connections and networking that happen throughout the event. It’s an experience that extends beyond the formal agenda—one that reinforces why attending these events is essential for any organization leveraging Esri’s technology.
Read more3275 Pixels is Plenty!
A recent project provided an unexpected yet valuable lesson in troubleshooting and understanding the limits of modern web mapping applications. In this post, we walk through our journey from a successful ArcGIS Enterprise 11.3 installation to unearthing a surprising resolution related to the Experience Builder’s map element size.
Read moreGIS for PLS at IPLSA in SPI
Earlier this month at the 2025 Illinois Professional Land Surveyors Association (IPLSA) conference, I had the opportunity to present What is GIS? in Springfield, Illinois. The session aimed at breaking down the fundamentals of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and showing just how much this technology does beyond simply making maps. My goal was to help attendees understand the real power of GIS in infrastructure planning, data management, and decision-making across industries.
Read moreIt's Official! MSGS and GEOGRAPH Partnership Announcement
Our Geospatial Services group is thrilled to announce a significant milestone—a strategic partnership with GEOGRAPH Technologies! GEOGRAPH Technologies is a leader in the fiber utility geospatial technology sector, known for developing CrescentLink, a powerful telecommunications asset management software add-in for ArcGIS Pro. Our expertise in Enterprise GIS and consultant GIS services complements their product, creating a collaboration that will amplify the value they deliver to their customers. Stay tuned as we share more about specific projects and successes stemming from this partnership!
Read moreIntroducing: Geospatial Solutions Plans
Maurer-Stutz Geospatial Services is excited to introduce our newest contracting solution, Geospatial Solutions Plans! These subscription-based, block-of-hours contracts are idea for organizations large and small that need the flexibility of a top tier geospatial consultant on demand.
Read moreShared Update is Shared Administration
Here’s the setup: You’ve carefully crafted a web map and application in ArcGIS Online. The data is perfect, the configurations are solid, and you’re ready to share it with your team. But then, you notice something alarming — edits are possible when they shouldn’t be. Despite your best efforts to lock things down, the data is still editable in ways you may not want. This was the exact situation we faced recently. Here’s how we untangled the mystery and discovered (via tech support) a hidden pitfall in group permissions that every ArcGIS Online user should know about.
Read moreArcGIS Earth Actually Isn't That Bad!
When I first explored ArcGIS Earth, I wasn’t expecting much—it’s a free tool from Esri that looks like a Google Earth clone. But after using it for a while, I’ve come to appreciate its unique capabilities, even if it’s not perfect. ArcGIS Earth is surprisingly good at allowing users to quickly visualize and interact with spatial data in 2D and 3D. It supports a variety of formats, including KML, shapefiles, and imagery, making it versatile for simple GIS viewing needs.
Read moreFrom Maps to Meaning: Celebrating GIS Day
Join us on November 20 for GIS Day, part of American Association of Geographers’ Geography Awareness Week, as we celebrate the impact of Geographic Information Systems in solving real-world challenges! Established by Esri in 1999, GIS Day brings together GIS professionals, students, and curious minds worldwide to showcase how mapping technology helps us understand and improve the world around us.
Read moreILGISA 2024 Recap
The ILGISA 2024 Conference presented a comprehensive slate of sessions, workshops, and panels aimed at advancing GIS practices, tools, and knowledge-sharing for professionals across sectors. A significant theme was the usage of Esri software to address real-world challenges in local government, environmental management, utilities, transportation, and infrastructure.
Read moreCity, Village, or Town? Is there really a Difference?
When navigating the landscape of local government in Illinois, it's essential to understand the distinctions between villages, cities, and towns. While these terms may seem interchangeable, they refer to different forms of municipal governance, each with its own structure and rules.
Read moreEthan Geisler Joins Our Geospatial Team
We are thrilled to welcome Ethan Geisler to the Maurer-Stutz Geospatial Services (MSGS) team. Ethan joins us as a Geospatial Specialist with a fresh degree in Geography from Illinois State University, and he's eager to hit the ground running. With a background in GIS software like ArcGIS Pro and ArcGIS Online, Ethan brings a well-rounded skill set.
It's Conference Season Already! (PART 2)
It’s September, which means the fall conference season is here. While our young team is still deciding which organizations to support and be a part of, there are a few that are a no brainer: ILGISA, IACE, EPN just to name three. Last week, Baylor and I both visited separate conferences to see if they would be good conferences to attend or even exhibit at in future years.
Read moreIt's Conference Season Already! (PART 1)
It’s September, which means the fall conference season is here. While our young team is still deciding which organizations to support and be a part of, there are a few that are a no brainer: ILGISA, IACE, EPN just to name three. Last week, Baylor and I both visited separate conferences to see if they would be good conferences to attend or even exhibit at in future years.
Read moreA Map, a Move, and a Mission
A map, a move, and a mission: MSGS Geospatial Engineer, Baylor Wagehoft, comments on the City of Chattanooga Tennessee and gives his thoughts on a historic, visionary map for the City's Park System.
Read moreAdvanced GIS Leadership
Last week, I had the opportunity to attend the URISA Advanced GIS Leadership Academy in Chicago, and it was a game-changer for how I approach both leadership and GIS. This intensive program brought together GIS professionals from across the country, each of us had unique challenges and insights, but all sharing some common experiences and struggles. It was a bit of therapy really. Among the many sessions, the ones on Value Stream Mapping and Personal Kanban really stood out to me.
Read moreCamp Ellis Becomes Ellis City
Nestled in the rural expanses of western Illinois, the remnants of Camp Ellis stand as a testament to a bygone era. This World War II training camp, located near the small town of Ipava in Fulton County, was a bustling hub of military activity with a population over 40,000 at it’s peak. We at Maurer-Stutz Geospatial Services have revived the old footprint of Camp Ellis and used it as a demonstration location for our GIS data, solutions, and applications. We call it: Ellis City
Read moreBaylor is Back
PEORIA, ILLINOIS (June 13, 2024) – The following statement was released today by Baylor Wagehoft, through his fake personal attorney and business manager Kart O. Graffee, Chairman of Mercator Acquisitions of Previous Staff (“MAPS”) located in Peoria, Illinois, in response to questions about his future career plans:
“I’m back.”
Read moreWe've got SWAG!
Lets admit it, we all go to conferences to get our own bags of stuff… and training, but really the stuff. Well, thanks to the great marketing strategy already established at Maurer-Stutz INC, We’ve got a whole storage room filled with SWAG to give away Plus some of our own.
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