From Shop Floor to Small-Town Beacon: How One Summer Job Sparked a Legacy of Opportunity

What started as a summer job for a high school student has grown into a life’s calling, a family business, and the economic heartbeat of a small Ohio town. Chris Thomas, now owner of Tri-County Tower in Berlin Center, Ohio, is proof that with grit and opportunity the American Dream is still alive and well. 

“I was just the knockaround guy,” Thomas laughed, recalling his early days mowing lawns and sweeping the shop floor at the tower maintenance company his future father-in-law co-owned. That humble start led him to a career path that wound through military service, a stint in intelligence work in Washington, D.C., and eventually, back home — with a business degree and a dream. 

That dream was realized around a campfire in Virginia, where he and his father-in-law crafted a plan for Thomas to return to Northeast Ohio and eventually buy the company. In 2018, he made good on that plan. 

Now, Tri-County Tower is the region’s leading provider of tower construction and maintenance services — keeping cell networks, radio signals, and emergency communications up and running. But Thomas is doing more than keeping the lights on. He’s investing in people. 

When the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act passed, Thomas says it gave him the financial breathing room to act boldly. “We gave everyone an average 40% raise,” he shared on the American Potential podcast. “We built a new facility, bought new equipment, and ramped up training. That tax reform didn’t just help us — it helped our employees, our vendors, and our whole community.” 

Now, with those tax cuts set to expire, Thomas is urging lawmakers to consider what’s at stake for small towns like his. 

Beyond business, Thomas and his wife are passionate advocates for individuals with disabilities — inspired by their three children on the autism spectrum. “We’re not just trying to run a company,” he said. “We’re trying to build a future. For our family. For our employees. For every person who just needs someone to believe in them.” 

In a town of fewer than 5,000, Thomas’s impact is hard to miss — and it all started with a summer job, a strong work ethic, and a belief in something bigger. 

Check out the full episode here: https://youtu.be/JXxgRJ4jFuI?si=4BXP-088LnovV1OI