NORTH JACKSON, Ohio – Tough Tower has officially become the Tough Tower Foundation, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting financial wellness and suicide prevention efforts for workers in the telecommunications industry, foundation leaders announced Tuesday.
“The physical demands and daily pressures of tower work can have a serious impact on the people who keep our world connected,” said Mark Muzzana, Tough Tower Foundation president. “Our mission is to support those workers in meaningful ways and help create lasting change in their lives, both on and off the job.”
Muzzana, who also serves as founder and director of strategy for the STG Family of Companies in Columbiana, launched Tough Tower alongside Chris Thomas, owner and CEO of Tri-County Tower in North Jackson.
Now entering its fourth year, Tough Tower began when colleagues from STG Communications and Tri-County Tower started discussing how to create an event focused on the skills and experience required of telecommunications tower climbers. These professionals must combine physical endurance with technical expertise to install, repair and maintain critical communications infrastructure, a news release states.
“Tower technicians face intense demands every day, often working in difficult conditions while handling the challenges that come with the job,” Thomas said. “They play an essential role in our industry, and they deserve both recognition and real support.”
An event that started as a way to highlight tower climbers has grown into an annual, multiday program that promotes safety, training and telecom career awareness throughout the telecommunications industry.
As the competition expanded, Muzzana said it became clear the mission could grow as well.
“The construction industry continues to face one of the highest suicide rates, and tower technicians often work in high stress, high consequence environments,” Muzzana said. “Tough Tower has the reach and momentum to help break the stigma, start important conversations and remind people that help is available.”
Proceeds from the annual competition, which attracts participants from across the United States, will help fund the development and delivery of programs that offer short-term counseling, referrals and resources for mental health and financial challenges, the release states.
“We’ve already seen strong support from both the mental health community and leaders throughout the telecom industry,” Thomas said. “This need is real, and we share a commitment to supporting the people who make this work possible.”
The 2026 Tough Tower competition will take place June 10-12 at 8900 Mahoning Ave.