Page 14 - BusinessWest August 4, 2025

Walt Tomala gives some instruction to Ben Harrington on a
job site in Westfield.
Staff Photo
from changing screen doors to large remodels, additions, new
homes, and even two Extreme Makeover builds.
“We’ve tried different strategies and different business models,”
he explained. “And one that I just kept coming back to is working
with our youth. Someone put some time and energy into me and
helped me along the way, and if I didn’t have that, I don’t know that
I’d be here and still loving the industry the
way I do, or as passionate about it.”
Ben Harrington will be entering his junior
year at Westfield Technical Academy this
fall and already has real-world construction
experience outside the shop environment at
school.
“I just like being out here, working on dif-
ferent things, learning new skills — and I feel
like being in this trade is very good for me,”
he said, adding that it’s beneficial to learn
from both teachers in school and construction
professionals on job sites. “It’s good to know
multiple people’s ways. If I ask Walt ques-
tions, he’ll give me different answers than
somebody else, but if I listen to both answers,
it helps me a lot. And it feels good knowing
I’m doing something right for Walt.”
And that’s one thing Tomala emphasizes
with his apprentices — the gratification of a
job well done and understanding the why as
much as the how.
“We do certain things all day, every day,
and it can feel like the same thing over and
over. But we take the time and make it our
mission to make sure everybody understands
why we’re doing this and why it’s so impor-
tant,” he explained.
“They have to understand the passion that we have,” he went
on. “No employee is ever going to be as passionate as you are
about your business, but they can be as passionate about the
industry. And it may mean they move on and start their own com-
pany or become a subcontractor. Or it may mean they just really
embrace our beliefs
and passions and then
stay with us for as
long as they choose to.
“Someone put some
time and energy
into me and helped
me along the way,
and if I didn’t have
that, I don’t know
that I’d be here
and still loving the
industry the way I
do, or as passionate
about it.”
Apprentice
Continued on page 16 >>
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413-726-9549 | [email protected]
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AUGUST 4, 2025
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