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Don Tonyan’s career has a certain smell.
Imagine taking a whiff of grease, wood, paper, power tools, dirty metal and rubber-coated wiring at the same time.
That’s what a day inside the family-owned construction business smells like.
Tonyan has been a construction guy his whole life, and it’s a smell he doesn’t notice anymore. At 60, the McHenry native is president of family-owned and -operated Wm. Tonyan & Sons.
The McHenry Area Chamber of Commerce recently named Tonyan the recipient of its highest award – the Frank E. Low Award.
“I was flabbergasted,” Tonyan said about being honored for his commitment to serving the community. “I don’t dwell on, ‘Geez, if I keep doing it, I’ll get something.’ It was very pleasant.”
Tonyan joined the Rotary Club of McHenry in 1999 and has served as treasurer and president. He was a founder of the Blues, Brews & BBQ fundraiser.
The award recognized that Tonyan volunteered manpower and equipment to help the McHenry Baseball Association and high school students.
He also donated materials for the McHenry High School Class of 1964 Vietnam memorial.
Tonyan sat down with the Northwest Herald this month to talk about his life in the construction business, lessons he’s learned and advice he’d give to people looking to build successful lives.
On the importance of construction workers:
I don’t believe everyone should go to college. Growing up and doing some of that, you get to know all aspects of everything, and you can appreciate it all. Quite a few years ago, we were doing some strip centers with a Realtor, and he always had a suit on. Well, he had found an industrial guy, and we did more industrial, but we were meeting with him on a Saturday morning. He said, “Hey, this guy is going to come, I don’t want you to get freaked out, he’s got grease all over his jeans and dirt under his fingernails, but he’s a hard worker, and it’s his business.” He goes, “You can trust him.” I go, “Let me tell you something: I’d trust him way more than anybody I’d trust in a suit, because he’s hands-on, it’s his business and he lives it.” That’s what I come from.
On wearing a shirt and tie:
I don’t. I get enough dirt and grease on clothes. My wife’s always upset because “you ruined that shirt” or, “What’d you get on your coat?” We used to wear dress pants and tie – even a jacket if you had a meeting. It’s changed. I like the more casual. I don’t have to worry about ruining clothes.
On his philosophy about community service:
I’m a believer in giving back. It doesn’t bother me to take an hour or two out of my day and go do something extracurricular.
On what he admires about his hero – his father, William Tonyan Jr.:
He was never afraid to do anything or try anything. Very mechanical. Very ambitious and hardworking and worked a lot of hours. We all learned. We’re not afraid to tear down a snowmobile engine or something. He taught me how to work hard. He gave me a lecture in high school: “You got the last name. You’ve got to outwork everybody. You’ve got to be there first and last, and I don’t ever want to hear anybody complain. Don’t ever stand around.” I didn’t realize at the time, but he taught me a lot.
I was in high school, and I already knew how to do a concrete foundation as far as layout. We were busy and we had a small church addition, and we hired a couple other guys who had graduated from high school, and this was between my junior and senior year. So we all go – the two new guys, myself and my dad – we go to the job and start laying it out a little bit. And my dad goes, “I’m going on another job, you got all this, don’t you?” And now I’m telling two new guys how to do things. Hindsight, looking back, I was kind of running a job. It was a “throw you to the wolves”-type thing.
On his wife of 21 years, Mary:
My wife does so much in the background. I don’t have to worry about anything at home.
On making a marriage last:
This is my second marriage. This one is just natural as hell. We’re good friends. We stay out of each other’s way. She doesn’t have a lot of needs or demands of me. She supports me with everything and allows me to do what I do. For five days, we went to Florida, just the two of us. We just had a lot of fun, even just traveling in the car.
She’s just a good friend and very supportive and takes care of everything at the home base. That’s why I got married. I really wasn’t looking to get married a second time right away, but you run into this, and it’s like, “Oh my God, this is too good to be true.”
On advice he’d give to a young person trying to build success in life:
Work hard. Be honest with everything. Again, I’m in Rotary, and I love the two different things. The one is “service above self.” And I’m a believer in that. I like to give a portion back, and I think it makes for a better world, and it makes you feel some accomplishment. But then the Four-Way Test of the things we think, say or do. Is it the truth? Is it fair to all concerned? Will it build good will and better friendships? And will it be beneficial to all concerned? And if you think about those four statements, and – whether it’s your personal life, your marriage or your business – it’s almost like a religion to me. I’ve been in that about 20 years – about the same amount of time I’ve been married to Mary. The more I got into all this, the more I realized and believed that yes, if you follow this path and believe, it works.
On a valuable lesson he learned in the field:
One of my first jobs, it was like a million-dollar office-industrial-manufacturing over in Libertyville. Everybody was out of town in the office. The guy called over here and wanted to meet right away. Well, I was the only one left, so I ended up going and we ended up doing the project. It was like a year long, by the time you meet, budget it, design it, get it built. So we were all done, and he said, “Hey, I want to take you to lunch. I want to critique you on a few things, if you don’t mind.” I said, “No, that sounds great.” So we go out to lunch, and he goes, “You know, you’re a really honest, trustworthy guy, but I’m going to tell you something: I could tell you were BS’ing me.” And he goes, “I could always tell.” He goes, “You look away.” He goes, “If you’re going to sell something to somebody, stare them straight in the eye and tell them the way it is.” And he’s right.
On his ties to Green Bay Packers tight end Robert Tonyan:
That’s my cousin Bob’s son. So I guess second cousin?
On whether he’s a Packers fan:
No. Absolutely not. I’m a Robert fan. Perfect game? Robert would score a few times, but the Bears would still beat ’em. (laughs). Now, my wife got a jersey and my grandkids have signed jerseys, but my wife’s from Wisconsin. She’ll tell you she’s a Bears fan, but that green is in her blood, and I can tell you that.
• Note to readers: This interview has been edited for length and clarity.