Kaden McNeese first heard of Finish Tower while he was still a student at Linn Mar High School.

“I knew I wanted to enter the workforce right away because I wasn’t good in school, this led to boredom and I couldn’t imagine sitting through more classroom time in college,” said McNeese.

McNeese is a 2022 graduate of Linn Mar High School. After a quick stint at a job that felt too repetitive, he pursued an open opportunity at Finish Tower. He’s been with the organization since October of 2022 and loves what he does. McNeese is a Tower Technician. His role of tower constructing is different every day and includes building towers, working on lines and antennas, troubleshooting, maintenance and installing mounting hardware on towers.

“I feel Finish Tower has given me an opportunity to showcase my talents, along with loving what I get to do!”

Finish Tower is headquartered in Hiawatha, with remote locations in Des Moines, Stevens Point and Fond du lac, Wisconsin. The company works in all facets of the tower and wireless industry including tower and site maintenance, tower construction and civil construction, and microwave transport lines and antennas.

Each day McNeese arrives at the Hiawatha shop before 7 AM to prep and load his truck and trailer. His crew travels to the job site and begins with a pre-inspection of the tower to identify any obstacles. Rigging equipment is then installed to prepare for a climb. Safety is always a company priority, and the crew takes additional steps to anticipate potential hazards and ensure good climbing conditions.

“We suit up, attach ourselves to the tower and begin our climb, keeping two points of contact to the tower at all times,” said McNeese.

Travel has also been a fun perk of the job.

“We travel all over the place. It just depends on where the work is located at. You may be gone one day or on a two-to-four-week rotation,” said McNeese.

McNeese really enjoys the variety in the work and locations he gets to travel to.

“You don't have to go to college to be successful. Yes, some days in the winter will make you wish you had gone to college, but the hard work pays off and you can make great money as long as you put your best foot forward and try your best. Be coachable and because my body is young and I started early, I know I can move through the ranks in the tower industry trade,” stated McNeese.

Community Promise has tools and resources for Marion and Linn Mar students with any career interest to learn more about. Learn more about the role of a Tower Technician at Finish Tower.

Learn more about Finish Tower and Kaden’s role.