Page 13 - BusinessWest August 4, 2025

CONSTRUCTION >>
Spark of Youth
Walt Tomala
Helps Students
Discover
Passion for
Construction
BY JOSEPH BEDNAR
[email protected]
ed in the construction field,
While he was already interest-
Matt Ganhao had never
actually been on a job site
before starting a co-op with
TNT General Contracting in Westfield, which
he procured through the Lower Pioneer Val-
ley Career Technical Education Center, or
CTEC.
“I was really excited — it was a new expe-
rience for me,” he told BusinessWest. “Once
I finally got to work out in the field and actu-
ally get to see what goes into building a deck
or building stairs, doing a roof, whatever, it
really sparked something in my mind that
maybe this is something that I want to do.
And then, as I kept working my co-op appren-
ticeship, I decided I want to go full-time.”
“Once I finally got to work out
in the field and actually get to
see what goes into building a
deck or building stairs, doing a
roof, whatever, it really sparked
something in my mind that
maybe this is something that I
want to do.”
That’s music to the ears of Walt Tomala,
president of TNT, who has brought a num-
ber of teenagers onto job sites for lengthy
co-op experiences in order to introduce
them to a career path that, both locally and
nationally, is in desperate need of young tal-
ent, as retirements continue to outpace new
workers.
Tomala understands a youthful passion
for this work; he started his company right
out of high school and has done everything
Walt Tomala (center) with apprentices Ben Harrington (left) and Matt Ganhao.
Staff Photo
Business W est
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