Their victory was a year in the making.
After earning a bronze finish in last year’s competition, tower technicians Chris Smith and Frankie Newman of FordCom Wireless in East Palestine, Ohio, returned to Tough Tower with unfinished business. The duo climbed, competed, and conquered their way to first place in the 2026 competition, besting six other two-man teams in a grueling two-day test of skill, endurance, and precision at Tri-County Tower in North Jackson, Ohio.
Their championship performance exemplified the grit and relentless pursuit of excellence that defines the telecommunications profession at its best.
Champions Forged Under Pressure
For Smith and Newman, victory tasted especially sweet. The pair had competed in last year’s Tough Tower event, finishing third in a field of eight teams. This time, they came back sharper, more disciplined, and ready to win.
The competition’s most demanding challenge — a tower-and-rooftop rescue exercise staged last Thursday — tested not just physical ability but also the competitors’ capacity to follow precise industry protocols under pressure. The rooftop challenge proved particularly demanding, leading to the most mistakes among all teams.
Rather than simply scoring and moving on, an expanded panel of industry experts conducted detailed post-challenge reviews after each round, carefully evaluating every aspect of competitor performance and leading impromptu educational sessions focused on the most difficult exercises — demonstrating best practices for all competitors in real time.
By Friday’s finals — four back-to-back challenges compressed into a single hour — nerves became the final obstacle. The competition remained fierce until the final scores were tallied.
Their win is a testament to more than athletic ability. Smith, a fourth-generation tower climber, got into the industry through his family. As a child, he would travel with his mother during the summers to visit his father at job sites. He eventually started climbing steadily in 2010 and has been with FordCom for two years. He’s highly motivated and loyal, and always strives to be better than the day before.
Newman came into the industry through the outreach of FordCom’s owners, twin brothers Brent and Brian Ford, who introduced him to the work. He said he genuinely loves what he does. For the past seven years, Newman has been building his career and is well known within the company for doing everything he can to be a guiding light for young tower techs starting out.
The Full Podium
| Place | Company | Competitors | Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | FordCom Wireless | Chris Smith & Frankie Newman | East Palestine, OH |
| 2nd | Sargent Electric | Matthew Hardenbrook & Jeff Sayer | Pittsburgh, PA |
| 3rd | All Telecommunications and Construction | Austin Loomis & Brandon Short | Ashtabula, OH |
| 4th | JOY Inc. | Peter Roth & Amado Manalang | Tacoma, WA |
Also participating were Brandon Penney and Matthew Casper of NextEdge, Raul Martinez and Steven Rodriguez of Ram Telecom, and Sargent Electric’s second team of Joel Pointer and Daniel Deneen.
After the final results were announced, competitors shared a moment of genuine camaraderie — handshakes and congratulations all around — a reminder that while Tough Tower is a competition, it is equally a celebration of a shared brotherhood in one of America’s most demanding trades.
“What impressed me most was Tough Tower’s commitment to the whole person,” said Clif Peterson, Founder and Chief Joy Officer of JOY Inc., whose team finished in the top four. “The emphasis on stretching, breathing, mental health, and wellness communicated that this event values people, not just performance. That kind of intentionality is rare and incredibly refreshing.”
“We were thrilled at the opportunity to support this year’s Tough Tower event,” said Brian Bicknese, NATE Director of Safety & Education .
He explained that NATE’s goal is to unite, support, and empower the companies and individuals who build, maintain, and enable the communications infrastructure that keeps the world connected.
“What we saw at Tough Tower showcased much more than technical skill. It highlighted professionalism, preparedness, teamwork, and a commitment to safety.
As the industry evolves, one thing remains constant: its responsibility to send workers home safely at the end of every day.
Events like Tough Tower help reinforce that mission by promoting a commitment to safety and quality.
FCC Chairman Carr: “America’s Tower Crews Are Simply the Best of the Best”
The presence of FCC Chairman Brendan Carr elevated the event beyond a skills competition and into a broader statement about the value of America’s tower workforce. Carr, who has made a point of personally climbing towers throughout the country as part of his hands-on approach to understanding the telecommunications industry, attended Friday’s finals and addressed competitors directly.
Although industry observers had hoped Carr might use the occasion to address growing concerns over carrier pricing practices — particularly Verizon’s compressed, take-it-or-leave-it rate structures that many contractors say are making it increasingly difficult to remain viable — he instead chose to focus his remarks on celebrating the competing tower climbers and their contributions to keeping America connected.
“It gives you a newfound appreciation for the real work, the hard work you do day in and day out so this country can continue to have world-class connectivity,” Carr told the crowd. “Most people don’t really think about when they turn their mobile phone on or TV on, how it works, but it’s the hard work of crews like you that get it done. America’s tower crews are just simply the best of the best.”
Carr also used the occasion to recognize the legislative contributions of Ohio Representative Michael Rulli, a member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, who joined him in congratulating the winning teams.
“The work that he’s been doing in Congress is really delivering significant results, not just for Ohio and for the district, but for the country,” Carr said. “They passed really key legislation to free up more spectrum, which is the airways that you all use. If they hadn’t passed that bill, we wouldn’t be able to get you guys up there putting new radios and new antennas on. That’s really important work.”
Representative Rulli spoke directly to the value of trades careers in an era of rapid technological change.
“There’s a pivot to working with your hands again because that’s something computer AI can’t do,” Rulli said. “This is the cornerstone of society. This is a very noble profession. This is something they’re doing for the benefit of the good. You don’t need those fancy white-collar jobs anymore. This is where the real work is and where real society exists.”
Keeping the energy high and the competition moving with effortless precision was emcee Jim Tracy, better known to the industry as “The Grampion.”
More Than a Competition
Tough Tower President Mark Muzzano, founder and director of strategy at STG Family of Companies, and Tri-County Tower owner and CEO Chris Thomas co-founded the event with a clear-eyed purpose: to put a spotlight on the men and women whose work is invisible to most Americans but essential to all of them.
This year’s competition introduced new initiatives reflecting that broader mission. Climbers Stretch and Flex, led by Darrin Wagner of Power Mountain Coaching and Consulting, brought all participants together as a unified “team of teams” — a session designed not just for physical preparation but for community building and suicide prevention awareness, incorporating the newly formed Tough Tower Foundation’s commitment to the overall well-being of tower workers.
The judging panel reflected the breadth of the industry itself — eight professionals whose combined experience spans tower ownership, construction, navigation systems, safety equipment and training, and workforce development. They were Jeremy Darby of Crown Castle; Charlie Fields of SBA Communications; Jocko Vermillion and Sean Carey of CITCA; Brian DeGeorgio of SPX Aids to Navigation; Joey Deuer of Deuer Development; Aaron Paulette of Elevated Services; and Dylan Wagner of Power Mountain Coaching & Consulting.
The Tough Tower Foundation — which now has 501(c)(3) status — is actively developing financial wellness and suicide prevention programs that will directly support telecommunications workers across the industry. Organizers note that the rooftop challenge, which served as a valuable learning moment during this year’s competition, reflects the same philosophy: every mistake is an opportunity to improve, and every improvement can save a life.
While the competition has concluded, the Foundation’s work is just beginning. Details about upcoming programs and the 2027 Tough Tower competition will be announced in the coming weeks.
Safety as a Way of Life
For the competitors themselves, the emphasis on safety protocols is never a formality — it is a matter of life and death. Judges at Tough Tower — all industry volunteers — score competitors not just on speed and accuracy, but on strict adherence to safety procedures. Points are deducted for cutting corners, even small ones. That is by design. The competition is engineered to reflect the real world, where there is no margin for error.
A Growing Industry Institution
What began in 2023 as a single event co-founded by STG Communication Services and Tri-County Tower has become one of the most visible showcases for tower industry talent in the country. The National Association of Tower Erectors (NATE) is among Tough Tower’s most prominent supporters — and its backing was instrumental in bringing Chairman Carr to this year’s event.
The fourth annual competition in North Jackson stood as proof of what this industry can be when it takes the time to honor itself — hard work, shared purpose, and the kind of skill that keeps America’s communications networks running, and most importantly, secure.
To donate to the Tough Tower Foundation or learn more about the non-profit organization, visit ToughTower.org.
