PARTNER PROFILE: Geo H. Wilson, Inc.
January 6, 2018
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Sun. 4/29/2017 - Wilder Ranch[/caption]
Recently our friend and content volunteer, Guy Lasnier, offered to help interview our partners and key players in the industry. His first assignment was a no-brainer: Tom Wilson of Geo H. Wilson, Inc.
Tom, a stalwart volunteer for many years, has been very generous to let MBOSC store our tool trailer and stacks of wheelbarrows on site at Geo H. Wilson, as well as host BBQs and events, and even Trail Crew Leader training courses. Tom is a current MBOSC Trail Crew Leader and leads weekly Wednesday Evening Trail Work sessions. It's people like Tom that play a crucial role in helping MBOSC achieve our mission and goals. Please enjoy our first partner profile in an ongoing series below.
It was a day of trail work at Wilder Ranch State Park that got Tom Wilson hooked. The longtime mountain biker and vice president of Santa Cruz mechanical contractor Geo. H. Wilson, Inc. had wanted to give back to the sport and the environment so in 2010 he signed up for a California State Park volunteer day.
There he had the good fortune to land on Drew Perkins’ crew. Drew, at the time, was the trails officer for Mountain Bikers of Santa Cruz and also volunteered at Wilder occasionally while pursuing a master’s degree in forest hydrology while working at Cal Poly’s Swanton Pacific Ranch.
“I was impressed with his vast knowledge,” Tom remembers. “It made a huge difference and added to the production and the enjoyment.“
Since then, Geo. H. Wilson, Inc., founded in 1921, has become a key partner with MBOSC, providing storage for gear and equipment, a location for crew leader training, supplying welding repairs, and hosting social events. In October, the company hosted a tool maintenance party where two dozen volunteers cleaned, sharpened, greased and painted the tools used to build and maintain local trails.
Tom has become one of MBOSC’s most active volunteers, even being named volunteer of the month. After that first meeting with Drew, he became involved in MBOSC’s construction of the Emma McCrary Trail in Pogonip and completed four crew leader trainings himself. He was involved with the design and construction of the Soquel Demonstration Flow Trail, and has led MBOSC crews on countless “Dig Days,” the MBOSC-organized volunteer trail-maintenance events.
About a dozen of Wilson’s 65 employees are mountain bikers and avid MBOSC volunteers, as well. The plumbing, heating, and sheet metal contracting company was first established by Bert Izant and Tom’s grandfather George Wilson. The name was changed to Geo. H. Wilson in 1946 after Izant retired. Tom’s dad, James, came aboard four years later and continued to work until just a few weeks before he passed away last May. Tom joined the company in 1985. His brother Blue joined in 1984 and is president, sister Julie has also been involved in the family company.
In 2005, Geo. H. Wilson was the first plumbing company to earn the Monterey Bay Green Business Certificate. In 2009, it became the first Santa Cruz business to be recertified and is a charter member of Think Local First, promoting economic vitality throughout Santa Cruz County.
In its 97 years, the company has completed projects large and small including at NASA Ames Research Center, Hewlett-Packard, Stanford and Santa Clara University, Lipton Tea, Wrigley, Salz Leathers, Santa Cruz government center, most of the science buildings at UC Santa Cruz, Dominican and Watsonville Hospitals, and the Community Hospital of the Monterey Peninsula. A current project is constructing labs for UCSC at the former Intel and Synertek chip plant on the Westside.
Tom commutes by bike (Specialized Sirrus) every work day and rides the trails on the weekend (Giant Anthem), aiming for a 20-25-mile ride on Sundays.
“I’ve had so much fun volunteering,” Tom said. “The talent level of volunteers is high and working with others to improve trails for hiking and biking is a great way to give back to the community.
“It’s remarkable how it merges people from over the hill and Santa Cruz. Volunteers gain ownership of the trails while having fun working hard in the forest,” he said.
Tom’s ridden trails throughout California and the West, but his favorites are local including (no surprise) Emma McCrary Trail, Enchanted Loop in Wilder, and the Flow Trail in Soquel Demonstration State Forest.
“I’ve gained many new friends and perspectives since I first met Drew,” he said. “With a rebuilding board and Matt (De Young)’s leadership, the prospects for significant accomplishments are great.”
Sun. 4/29/2017 - Wilder Ranch[/caption]
Recently our friend and content volunteer, Guy Lasnier, offered to help interview our partners and key players in the industry. His first assignment was a no-brainer: Tom Wilson of Geo H. Wilson, Inc.
Tom, a stalwart volunteer for many years, has been very generous to let MBOSC store our tool trailer and stacks of wheelbarrows on site at Geo H. Wilson, as well as host BBQs and events, and even Trail Crew Leader training courses. Tom is a current MBOSC Trail Crew Leader and leads weekly Wednesday Evening Trail Work sessions. It's people like Tom that play a crucial role in helping MBOSC achieve our mission and goals. Please enjoy our first partner profile in an ongoing series below.
It was a day of trail work at Wilder Ranch State Park that got Tom Wilson hooked. The longtime mountain biker and vice president of Santa Cruz mechanical contractor Geo. H. Wilson, Inc. had wanted to give back to the sport and the environment so in 2010 he signed up for a California State Park volunteer day.
There he had the good fortune to land on Drew Perkins’ crew. Drew, at the time, was the trails officer for Mountain Bikers of Santa Cruz and also volunteered at Wilder occasionally while pursuing a master’s degree in forest hydrology while working at Cal Poly’s Swanton Pacific Ranch.
“I was impressed with his vast knowledge,” Tom remembers. “It made a huge difference and added to the production and the enjoyment.“
Since then, Geo. H. Wilson, Inc., founded in 1921, has become a key partner with MBOSC, providing storage for gear and equipment, a location for crew leader training, supplying welding repairs, and hosting social events. In October, the company hosted a tool maintenance party where two dozen volunteers cleaned, sharpened, greased and painted the tools used to build and maintain local trails.
Tom has become one of MBOSC’s most active volunteers, even being named volunteer of the month. After that first meeting with Drew, he became involved in MBOSC’s construction of the Emma McCrary Trail in Pogonip and completed four crew leader trainings himself. He was involved with the design and construction of the Soquel Demonstration Flow Trail, and has led MBOSC crews on countless “Dig Days,” the MBOSC-organized volunteer trail-maintenance events.
About a dozen of Wilson’s 65 employees are mountain bikers and avid MBOSC volunteers, as well. The plumbing, heating, and sheet metal contracting company was first established by Bert Izant and Tom’s grandfather George Wilson. The name was changed to Geo. H. Wilson in 1946 after Izant retired. Tom’s dad, James, came aboard four years later and continued to work until just a few weeks before he passed away last May. Tom joined the company in 1985. His brother Blue joined in 1984 and is president, sister Julie has also been involved in the family company.
In 2005, Geo. H. Wilson was the first plumbing company to earn the Monterey Bay Green Business Certificate. In 2009, it became the first Santa Cruz business to be recertified and is a charter member of Think Local First, promoting economic vitality throughout Santa Cruz County.
In its 97 years, the company has completed projects large and small including at NASA Ames Research Center, Hewlett-Packard, Stanford and Santa Clara University, Lipton Tea, Wrigley, Salz Leathers, Santa Cruz government center, most of the science buildings at UC Santa Cruz, Dominican and Watsonville Hospitals, and the Community Hospital of the Monterey Peninsula. A current project is constructing labs for UCSC at the former Intel and Synertek chip plant on the Westside.
Tom commutes by bike (Specialized Sirrus) every work day and rides the trails on the weekend (Giant Anthem), aiming for a 20-25-mile ride on Sundays.
“I’ve had so much fun volunteering,” Tom said. “The talent level of volunteers is high and working with others to improve trails for hiking and biking is a great way to give back to the community.
“It’s remarkable how it merges people from over the hill and Santa Cruz. Volunteers gain ownership of the trails while having fun working hard in the forest,” he said.
Tom’s ridden trails throughout California and the West, but his favorites are local including (no surprise) Emma McCrary Trail, Enchanted Loop in Wilder, and the Flow Trail in Soquel Demonstration State Forest.
“I’ve gained many new friends and perspectives since I first met Drew,” he said. “With a rebuilding board and Matt (De Young)’s leadership, the prospects for significant accomplishments are great.”
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