Tower technicians from across the United States went hard hat-to-hard hat in a close battle during the second annual Tough Tower competition June 8 and 9, at Tri-County Tower in North Jackson, OH. The two-day event began with seven teams of two tower technicians each competing in eight preliminary challenges with exercises ranging from simple and complex rescue to maneuverability and installation.
Winners of the overall competition were Joe Hayes and Ethan Preston of SBA Communications (Pennsylvania region) with Robert Merrihew and Robert Moulton of Dan Combs Consulting out of Michigan taking second place. A father/son team of Mike Bryson and Cole Bryson of American Power Tower in Ohio earned the third-place prize.
Semi-final and final rounds took place to determine the winner. All competitors are professionals in the telecommunications field.
STG Communication Services and Tri-County Tower launched the event in 2023, to draw attention to career opportunities in the industry. “Being a tower climber is a very difficult job. It requires a special kind of person to take on that kind of challenging career,” STG Communications Events Coordinator Amanda Gonzalez said. “Every competitor exemplified the courage and skill that goes into being a tower technician.”
Tri-County Tower CEO Chris Thomas said industry support for the competition was remarkable.“The spirit of professionalism and camaraderie was strong throughout the entire event,” Thomas said. “We appreciate every sponsor, volunteer, and competitor who made this possible and we can’t wait to do it again next year.”
Reader Interactions