A Survey of Success: The Fenstermaker Story
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Charles Howard Fenstermaker Jr. studied civil engineering at Louisiana State University from 1934-38. He fought in World War 2 at the Western Front, including the Battle of Anzio, and returned home in 1945. He worked as a surveyor for Texaco before becoming an independent contractor in 1950. In 1951, he was called back into service during the Korean War.
After returning stateside in 1952, Howard resumed his job as a civil engineer, working from his home at 317 Allen St., New Iberia. The job of a surveyor was a physical one. It required a minimum of three people to make a crew. One crewman cut a line through the swamp or dense forest using a machete. Two men were required to hold two poles with a link of chains 66 ft long stretched between them. Howard used his level - a surveyor's tool with a compass and a level - to calculate the land's bearing, direction, height, and fall using trigonometry. They used USGS monuments as control points, building catalogs of their work.
Howard would gather his survey crew from a nearby bar at 3:30/4 in the morning. He would collect men who had been at the bar all night or knew to show up early seeking work. It was strenuous work and left the men exposed to the elements. There were snakes, hornets, sun, and humidity; it wasn't uncommon for the men to walk away with snake bites or stings. When they finished surveying for the day, Howard would return to his office and draw the data at his drafting table, often working late into the night to finish the job. He was known for his attention to detail and photographic memory, and his work earned him a reputation for reliability and excellence.
By 1954, Howard needed more space as his family and business grew, so he moved his office to three rooms in a commercial building at 127 Burke Street, New Iberia. The company moved twice more before settling its headquarters at 135 Regency Square, Lafayette, in the early 80s. In 1971, Howard's oldest son, William Fenstermaker, started working full-time with his father. Nine years later, William took over as C.E.O. and president of Fenstermaker. In 2019, Charles Howard Fenstermaker III, William's son, was named president of the company. The company has remained family-oriented, with three of Howard's sons and several of his grandchildren working for the company.
Howard Fenstermaker's incredible work drive and belief in development and growth built a company that has lasted nearly 75 years and will undoubtedly continue to grow over the next half-century. Fenstermaker has grown all across the South and it all started in the back bedroom of 317 Allen Street.
