Thomas Balkins

Thomas Balkins developed his career through hands-on experience and long-term dedication to the construction industry. He did not inherit a company or assume leadership without preparation. Over more than 40 years, he worked in the field and in executive roles, building practical knowledge that shaped his approach to managing people, evaluating risk, and scaling operations. Beginning as a trades apprentice in the 1970s, he learned the craft from the ground up and carried that perspective into every stage of his professional journey. Thomas is best known as the Founder, President, and CEO of Westurn Companies and its numerous subsidiaries. Under his guidance, the organization expanded from a local contractor into a national company with active business in 26 states and offices in over 40 cities. His leadership focused on establishing strong systems, maintaining accountability, and delivering consistent results across multiple regions. He founded Westurn in 1983 and personally performed duties that many executives delegate. He sold projects, hired team members, purchased materials, dispatched crews, trained employees, and inspected work. This involvement ensured that operational systems were built from direct field experience. As the company expanded, those systems enabled steady, measurable growth. Balkins led geographic expansion by creating national sales organizations capable of supporting annual sales of $28 million to $48 million per state or region. He often managed more than one high-performing market at a time. His method combined revenue generation with operational discipline to maintain performance standards. Thomas Balkins closed $400M+ in deals and managed 900+ national accounts. By the early 2000s, annual sales reached $48 million in Minnesota alone, more than $78 million nationally, and later exceeded $94 million. Cumulative company-wide sales across all Westurn companies and subsidiaries surpassed $1.8 billion.