Growth Without Losing What Matters | Leadership in Utility Construction with Thomas Hall

**Andy Leake** (0:00)
The show where we talk about the people, the projects and the partnerships, without losing culture, people and purpose. So Thomas, before we get going, let's start with this. Take us back to the beginning. How did you find your way into this industry?

**Thomas Hall** (0:12)
Yeah, it's been a long time. It's where I was born and raised. It's this industry and the people in it and the culture that I have. Did I ever imagine it would be where I'm at today? I would say no. You know, maybe a couple of customers here or there, a few crews, maybe 15, 20 people. The funny thing is, it's the leadership meeting growing up at Hull Utilities with my dad on it.

**Andy Leake** (0:37)
Welcome back to the Grid Connection, the show where we talk about the people, the projects and the partnerships, building the infrastructure that powers and connects rural America. I'm Andy Leake.
Today, my guest is Thomas Hall. Thomas Leakes are Southeast Telecom Operations, and he's really carrying a lot of the operations that you see across South Carolina and Georgia, which means he lives at the intersection of doing the right thing in a growing company and wrestles with continuing to build, continuing to scale, and keep winning new work without losing culture, people, and purpose that make us who we are.
So that's what I want to get in today, growth without losing what matters, leadership, culture, workforce, and why infrastructure is the most important thing people will never talk about, but impacts our day-to-day life. So Thomas, before we get going, let's start with this. Take us back to the beginning. How did you find your way into this industry?

**Thomas Hall** (1:39)
Good morning, Andy. And yeah, it's been a long time. I feel like I started back in this industry officially getting paid to do this in 5
My family had been around this industry their entire life. My granddad did it in the military. We'll get into that a little bit later as we get into some of the other stuff that we're going to go over. But it's just been really where I was born and raised. It's this industry and the people in it, and the culture that I have, some of the customers I have that I still work with today, have been around since I was born. So it's a little bit of a passion of mine.

**Andy Leake** (2:16)
Nice.
So with that, you mentioned your family attracted you to this line of work. It's been kind of a multi-generational thing. Did you ever imagine in those early years that you'd be in the role you're in today, in the company size, and all the customers and impacts? Because really, you've had a really deep impact in your area there, and how did you think about that as you started out?

**Thomas Hall** (2:44)
So, you know, did I ever imagine I would be where I'm at today? I would say no. My ultimate goal when I started in this industry was to own my own company. That was, you know, because granddad and great uncle started in the 70s. My dad took it over in the early 2000s. When he got ready to retire, that was where I thought I was going to go. You know, I was owning the company, but I was not at the time. It was not the time or place to do that for me.
But the scale in which I am in control of now never fathomed it. It was, you know, maybe a couple of customers here or there, a few crews, maybe 15, 20 people. That was kind of what I was thinking my life was going to anticipate. Now, there's close to 100 guys down here working around on different projects, not to mention subcontractors. So the scale is immensely greater than what I ever thought it was going to be.
Yeah.

**Andy Leake** (3:36)
So you mentioned a couple I'd call them mentors, leaders, those who have helped you down the path in the family. So feel free to go with those or maybe any others that have come along and helped you down that path.
So as you think about that, any double-click into who they are, how they've impacted you, lessons learned, and things you've really brought into who you are in your career today?

**Thomas Hall** (4:01)
Yeah. So the two, I would say, most staple and standout mentors for me were my father and grandfather. My granddad was always a guide in how to deal with people.
I never saw him get mad at people. I never saw him get angry, upset. If he was upset, you didn't really know it.