US Dollars
Today, August 25th, we're celebrating something truly special: Tom Griffin's 40th year at Spartan Tool!
If you ask Tom what's kept him going for 40 years, the answer is simple: relationships. He's been to his customers' kids' weddings and he's been to customers' funerals. A lot of the businesses he calls on today are being run by the next generation of the same families he started working with decades ago.
"It's the relationships that you build with your customers," Tom says. "I've always treated my customers as my boss."
How It All Started
Tom's Spartan Tool story happened on a whim. He was working independently at the time, selling industrial supplies, when he spotted a newspaper ad and sent in his resume. Four months later he got a call from Ernie Weber, who invited him to lunch. Before the meal was even over, Ernie told him he wanted to hire him on the spot. He even had Tom's wife join them for dinner that same night to talk through the details.
Building Territories
Tom’s original territory was upstate New York, a few counties in Maryland, parts of Pennsylvania, and West Virginia. At one point, after the New England states had been without a Territory Manager for a long time, Tom stepped up to cover those too. He was covering Maine all the way to West Virginia, and he built that entire territory from the ground up. It was a huge territory, but with a lot of road time and a promise to serve his customers the best he could, he made it happen.
A Legacy of Excellence
Tom learned the sewer and drain business from Dean, a longtime customer in Pittsburgh. Dean taught him something he's carried with him his whole career: never let anyone tell you Spartan doesn't build the best drum machine on the market. That pride in the product shaped how Tom has represented Spartan Tool for four decades.
His dedication was officially recognized in February at the 2026 Sales Meeting, when Tom received the Lifetime Achievement Award. A well-deserved honor capping off an incredible career.
More Than Just a Job
It's not just customer relationships that have kept Tom around. He'll be the first to tell you it's the people he's worked with too. Over the years he's made great friends within the company, and he loves seeing people on the team succeed and grow. When asked what's kept him at Spartan Tool for 40 years, Tom said, “The company has always been good to me and my family.” He's had chances to go elsewhere over the years, but he's turned them down every time. For Tom it was never about the money, it was about being part of a company that treats its people right.
Looking Ahead
As Tom heads toward retirement, he's looking forward to more time fishing, being outdoors, and visiting family, plus staying active with part time work and volunteering. He's also excited to help mentor the next generation at Spartan Tool. He’s currently helping onboard a new Territory Manager, carrying forward the same kind of guidance his own mentor, the great Al Lopez, once gave him.
Forty years is a milestone few people ever reach, let alone with the passion and heart Tom has brought every single day. When asked what advice he'd give to new Territory Managers, Tom didn't hesitate: get out there and build relationships. It's the same advice that's guided his entire career, and it's why customers keep coming back to him generation after generation.
Join us in congratulating Tom on this amazing achievement and thanking him for four decades of dedication to Spartan Tool and its customers.
Congrats, Tom. Here's to 40 years, and to all the relationships you've built along the way.
