Fenstermaker Named HAPL’s 2026 Company of the Year

Fenstermaker is honored to be named the Houston Association of Professional Landmen’s (HAPL) 2026 Company of the Year.

This recognition carries special meaning, coming from an organization we’ve proudly supported for decades and a profession whose work has been intertwined with ours since the beginning.

Professional landmen trace ownership, navigate mineral rights, and build the trust that allows energy development to move forward. Their work demands sound judgment and a deep respect for the people whose lives and livelihoods are connected to the land.

We understand the weight of that responsibility.

A Standard Carried Forward

Our story began in 1950, when Charles Howard “C.H.” Fenstermaker, Jr., a World War II veteran with a degree in civil engineering, left his surveying job at Texaco to establish his own practice in New Iberia, Louisiana.

In those early years, his office was a back bedroom of the family home. He earned his reputation through meticulous accuracy and a simple insistence on doing the job right.

Each generation at Fenstermaker has carried that standard forward. What began as a small surveying practice has grown into a firm serving the Gulf Coast and beyond, with capabilities in civil engineering, environmental services, and advanced technologies.
The work has changed since 1950. The principles behind it have endured: deliver exceptional work, embrace innovation, invest in people, and build relationships that last.

Decades of Shared Purpose

We recognize those same values in HAPL’s dedication to professional standards, education, and fellowship. It is a shared sense of purpose that has sustained our involvement with the association for decades.
From the HAPL 64th Annual Golf Tournament to the HAPL 70th Annual Executive Night, these gatherings remind us that lasting relationships are built by showing up, year after year.

Watching John Fenstermaker accept this honor on behalf of our firm was a moment of deep pride—a reminder that what began with one man’s determination has become the shared work of generations.

To HAPL, thank you for this extraordinary honor and for the work you do to strengthen the profession.

To the professional landmen whose judgment and integrity are so essential to our industry, it is a privilege to work alongside you.

And to the people of Fenstermaker, past and present, this recognition belongs to you.

We look forward to continuing our support of HAPL and the professional community we are proud to call our own.