Tom Garten

Tom Garten is the Vice President of Journey Steel Inc., founded in 2009. He is a native of Cincinnati, OH and was educated in the Princeton School District before attending the University of Cincinnati. After completing two years of college, he decided to embark upon a career with Cincinnati Milacron, as a machinist and prototype assembler. Using the skills, knowledge and abilities he learned during his seven years of employment, he accepted an opportunity with Victory Welding. This is where his love of steel fabrication and erection was birthed and nurtured.

During his thirteen years, Tom contributed to the success of the organization serving in a myriad of the following roles: design and drafting, purchasing, sales and project management. He rose through the ranks and as Vice President, he spearheaded many projects, including the design and completion of heliports for Good Samaritan and the University of Cincinnati hospitals.
 

Tom’s strong leadership abilities, in-depth understanding of project flow, and extensive knowledge of the workings of construction organizations are a few of his strongest assets. These strengths coupled with 38 years of steel fabrication and erection experience, positioned him perfectly to begin a new venture.  After almost 20-years of discussing, Tom and his good friend, Barb Smith, decided to begin their own company, Journey Steel Inc., which they continue to run today.  
 

Tom has a strong sense of community and family. He, along with his wife Sheila and business partner, Barb Smith, co-founded “Journeys Soaring Impact”, a non-profit state certified Pre-Apprenticeship program. The program is geared towards providing inner-city high-school seniors with year-round, paid hands-on training in the field of ironworking. The program gives back to the community they serve, while helping nurture the next generations’ love of ironworking; it’s a “win-win”!

He is devoted to his wife Sheila, three children and six grandchildren. Nothing
makes him more proud than to watch and support his grandkids in all their activities.

Tom is also an enthusiastic college basketball fan and loves attending March  
Madness games!