Lives of Consequence
Thomas B. Poole '61, P'91, L.H.D. '06
Chairman, Hallen Construction Company, Inc.
HWS Trustee
“I’ve had hard days,” says Tom Poole, “but I’ve never had a bad day.”
It’s this positive attitude that has guided Poole, a self-described “people person,” through his time at Hobart and William Smith, his Navy service, and his years at the helm of Hallen Construction Company. It has made his life’s journey one of giving back — to his family, community and alma mater.
Founded in 1927 as the Hallen Welding Service, Poole’s father, Arthur, joined the firm as an engineer after his own tenure in the U.S. Navy and later bought the company, which has expanded and flourished in the decades since.
“He was a man with great vision who tried to bring things to reality before their time,” Poole says of his father.
From welding, the company expanded into laying natural gas pipelines and railroad tracks, and subsequently into steam, petroleum, sewer and water pipelines, electric conduits, telecommunications, site work, and station work.
Poole joined the company in 1964, following his graduation from Hobart College and his Navy service during the Cuban Missile Crisis, and in 1980 took a leadership role at Hallen alongside his twin brother. When his brother left the business for other challenges and Poole became president and CEO, he “knew that the utility business was a staple,” he says, “but if we were going to grow we couldn’t only depend on that.”
Under Poole’s leadership as Chairman and CEO, the company expanded into the structural steel business and has worked on every bridge in New York City in some capacity or other. With an eye toward the future, “always looking to grow and stay ahead of the curve and be the first to bring it to our customers,” Poole says he identified “a big push on Long Island for sewer work and expanded from utility and structural steel to sewer.”
The company also began designing and developing innovative equipment to streamline the digging process in metropolises like New York. Today, Hallen has returned to its roots in the utility and energy field and continues to grow in revenue, which increased tenfold since Poole took over — though he is quick to note that “all this work has been done by a family corporation.”
With his son, Shep Poole ’91, and generations of Hallen employees, Poole has led the company to its position as a major distribution contractor serving the New York Metro area’s principal utilities, National Grid and Con Edison, various pipeline companies, other private sector companies, and public sector agencies.
In 1992, Poole was elected to the Pipeliners Hall of Fame and in 1997 he received the Theodore Roosevelt Award for Outstanding Business Leadership in Nassau County. His civic commitment is extensive and among his numerous citations is the American Heart Association’s Distinguished Leadership Award.
An economics major at Hobart, Poole earned four varsity letters in soccer and two in lacrosse. As a senior, he captained the 1960 College’s soccer team that ended the season with a 6-1-1 record, the best in Hobart soccer history before 1992.
Poole has been a member of the HWS Board of Trustees since 1991 and, with his wife Mary Jane P’91, has provided leadership support behind renovations to the Poole Family Admissions Center and most recently the creation of the Thomas B. Poole ’61 and Family Sports Dome. He has served as director and president of the Statesmen Athletic Association, which experienced tremendous growth in memberships and donations under his leadership.
In 1995, he received the William Napier Memorial Award for his outstanding service to Hobart Athletics and to the SAA, including support for the Robert A. Bristol Field House, the AstroTurf Stadium, the Napier Leadership Seminar, the John Topichak Memorial Team Room, and the Bob Ford Basketball Team Room. He received a citation from the Hobart Alumni Association in June 1986 and was inducted into the Hobart Statesmen Hall of Fame in October 2002.
In 2006, Poole was honored by Hobart and William Smith with an honorary degree for his achievements and esteem as businessman, his devotion to his family, the loyalty he exhibits to his many friends and the extraordinary passion he displays for the Colleges through his longtime stewardship.