John Cowan, the founder of our company, was introduced to surveying in 1934 while serving in the Civilian Conservation Corps, and later gained experience working for Eby Engineering Company. He founded this firm in August of 1946. John Cowan was a charter member of our state association, and served two terms as a director of the same.
In the early years, much of our work was oil and gas related, and concentrated in East Texas, northwestern Louisiana and southwestern Arkansas. In time, this aspect of our work also included the staking of pipelines across Indian Reservations in New Mexico and Utah, as well as from the suburbs of Philadelphia to the suburbs of Chicago.
Through the years, our work expanded to also include many commercial and residential developments in the East Texas area. A few of our larger projects included the Fairway Field, the Martin’s Creek Reservoir, the Exxon Coal prospect, the Westwood Shores development on Lake Livingston, and Hide-a-Way Lake projects in East Texas and southern Mississippi.
John Cowan & Associates Today
While John Cowan & Associates continues to be involved in all aspects of land surveying, we have seen our clientele concentrate more in commercial and residential developments in recent years. Larger projects include a number of jobs for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, NASA and the Dollar General Corporation. And while we are a seasoned, mature company with a rich professional history, we are equally excited about the future of land surveying and make every effort to stay abreast of the many technological advances in our field.
Philip W. Cornett, President and owner of the company, is a 10 year Veteran of the U.S. Army. Mr. Cornett joined the company in 1983 and worked during the summers, before joining the military. Mr. Cornett started at the bottom in both of his careers, quickly working his way through the ranks. After his last duty assignment as a Drill Sergeant at Fort Benning, GA he received an honorable discharge and moved back to Tyler, Texas. Mr. Cornett continued his career at John Cowan & Associates attending Tyler Junior College and the University of Texas at Tyler. He earned his license to survey in 2002. Mr. Cornett has served as Vice President of East Texas Chapter 4 of the Texas Society of Professional Land Surveyors and is an active volunteer for Meals on Wheels. Mr. Cornett is known for meeting critical deadlines and his leadership skills.
Terry Cowan, President Emeritus, has been associated with John Cowan & Associates since 1977. He received his Bachelor’s Degree in Accounting at The University of Texas at Austin and went on to receive his M.A. in History at the University of Texas at Tyler. In 1983 he earned his surveying license in Texas and in 1991 he earned his license in Louisiana. Mr. Cowan teaches at the University of Texas at Tyler in the 4-year Surveying Degree Program and presents seminars regularly for the Texas Society of Professional Land Surveyors.
Omar Rubio, Drafting Technician, has been with the company since April of 2016. He studied Industrial Technology with emphasis on Survey Mapping at Tyler Junior College and graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree from the University of Texas at Tyler. He also minored in Business Administration. Mr. Rubio is known for his advanced survey mapping skills using CAD software.
Alissa Watson, Operations Manager, has been with the company since May of 2019. She started her career as a legal assistant and now has experience in managing operations in the legal and surveying fields. She is also an active volunteer with Meals on Wheels of East Texas. Alissa continues to gain experience with professionals and clients. She coordinates with the company’s team and clients insuring a seamless experience from project start to finish.
John Cowan & Associates | ALTA Survey Tyler TX (903) 581-2238