Building a Community and a Life of Purpose
Tom Gerding’s grandfather opened a mercantile and feed store in Corvallis, Oregon, in 1921. The business was eventually passed to Tom’s father and uncle, and together with their wives and 12 children, the family operated the store. As the youngest of the third generation, Tom was introduced to hard work early. When he started first grade, he also began working after school, polishing apples, candling and sizing eggs, stamping egg cartons, and tackling whatever jobs a five-year-old could handle. As he grew, so did his responsibilities. By high school, he was stocking shelves and often working until midnight, or even two or three in the morning.
Work at the family store was only part of his routine. On the family ranch, Tom cleaned hog pens, repaired fences and corrals, cut firewood, and handled the daily chores. There was always work to be done.
Despite the workload, Tom remembers his childhood in Philomath as idyllic. He was surrounded by siblings and cousins, with 17 cousins spread across the extended family. The Gerdings spent countless hours together, learning the value of hard work from their parents while still finding plenty of time for sports and adventure. At one point, 12 Gerdings attended Philomath High School over a continuous 12-year span. The cousins quickly learned that if they weren’t participating in after-school sports, they would simply be assigned more work, so most participated in school sports.
As a junior in high school, Tom met Debbie Hass, a freshman who volunteered with the wrestling team. They began dating after the season ended and married when Tom was 20 and Debbie was 18. They just celebrated 45 years of marriage.
Tom excelled in the sciences and math and knew he wanted a career that would provide financial security. Although he initially considered wastewater treatment after finding a program at Linn Benton Community College, his science teacher encouraged him to explore engineering instead. Once he made that decision, attending Oregon State University was an easy choice.
Before starting college, Tom joined his brother on a 45-foot fishing boat in Alaska, harvesting Dungeness crab around Kodiak Island. While studying the Oregon State course catalog aboard the boat, he selected Construction Engineering Management because it required less calculus while combining engineering with business classes.
During his sophomore year, Tom accepted another lucrative fishing opportunity on a 94-foot crab boat, taking winter and spring terms off after finishing finals early. Debbie initially traveled with him, but after Tom’s boat disappeared for nearly two weeks during what should have been a four-day trip, the uncertainty became too much. She returned to Oregon before eventually coming back to Alaska to cook for the skipper and crew on the boat.
After returning home, Tom and Debbie experienced significant personal challenges that necessitated change. They committed their lives to Jesus Christ and became active in a local church, reset their priorities, and found a renewed sense of purpose that strengthened both their marriage and Tom’s commitment to his education and future.
After graduating from Oregon State, Tom and Debbie wanted to remain in the Corvallis area, but construction jobs were scarce. Determined to prove himself, Tom offered to work without pay until he could bring in a project that justified hiring him. His employer had little commercial experience, but together they secured bonding, won a small project at Oregon State, and later landed a retail center in Sacramento. Tom spent nine months managing the project on his own, commuting home to Corvallis each weekend. Several additional projects followed before the company relocated to Redding, California, prompting Tom to begin another search for work closer to home.
He joined Pence/Kelly Construction using the same strategy, working for free until he demonstrated his value. Two weeks became nine years. Tom thrived there, reconnected with AGC, and developed both professionally and personally. But the commute to Salem and the demands of raising two young children convinced Tom and Debbie that something needed to change.
At about that same time, Dale Ramsey approached Tom with an opportunity to join Dale Ramsey Construction and eventually purchase the company. The timing proved ideal. Within three years, revenue had increased tenfold, and the company became Ramsey Gerding Construction. Eight years later, Tom completed the buyout and renamed the company T Gerding Construction.
In 2011, the company built its headquarters and reorganized Gerding Companies as a holding company and created Gerding Builders as a general contractor. At the same time, they transitioned T Gerding Construction to TGC Structural as a specialty contractor focused on concrete and carpentry. In 2017 Tom transitioned ownership to the employees through a 100% stock ownership plan, and in 2021, he stepped away from day-to-day operations to serve as chair of the board.
Throughout his career, Tom built the company around a handful of core values, beginning with one simple principle: “Relationships are predominant.” He believes relationships outlast projects and that success depends as much on character as competence. He also embraces the idea that “to whom much is given, much is required,” believing businesses have a responsibility to care for employees, clients, and the communities they serve. His philosophy has always been to build a successful company, earn a fair return, and use that success to be increasingly generous.
Tom has long believed it is important to work where you live. During his years commuting to Salem, he often felt he was living two separate lives, his professional life at work and his personal life in Corvallis. Building his own company allowed him to unite those worlds, investing both professionally and personally in the community he called home.
That commitment led Gerding Companies to support numerous local organizations through financial and in-kind contributions, including programs serving children and families with special needs, the Humane Society, Boys & Girls Clubs, the YMCA, hospice organizations, and many faith-based ministries. Tom and his company have received numerous community awards recognizing both business leadership and commitment to service.
Tom has also devoted significant time to industry leadership. He has served for many years on the AGC Oregon-Columbia Chapter Board of Directors, becoming chapter president in 2013. He has received numerous chapter and presidential awards, particularly for his work as Legislative Forum co-chair. In 2018, he received the Oregon Stater Academy of Distinguished Engineers Award from the OSU College of Engineering.
During his career he served on numerous mid-Willamette Valley boards, including Santiam Christian School, Philomath Youth Activities, Mid-Willamette YMCA, the Oregon State University Civil Engineering Industry Advisory Board, and the Construction Education Foundation. He continues to serve on several boards, including Citizens Bank and Common Sense Institute Oregon.
Retirement has hardly slowed him down. Shortly before stepping away from daily business operations, Tom earned his pilot’s license and now enjoys flying, including backcountry east of the mountains. He spends time with his daughter, Megan, her husband Richard, and their daughter Kimberly, in Bend, and with his son, Jordan, Jordan’s wife Katie, and their son Everett, who live nearby. He enjoys fly fishing, bird hunting, and cheering on Oregon State football as a longtime season ticket holder.
Looking back, Tom sees a life shaped by family, faith, hard work, and relationships. From polishing apples in his family’s mercantile as a first grader to leading one of Oregon’s respected construction companies, he has remained committed to serving others, investing in his community, and treating people well. It is a journey his 10-year-old self could hardly have imagined—and one he would undoubtedly be proud of.