The Flinner Story
When Ed Flinner first took a job at Frontz Drilling, he didn't anticipate he would one day own the company. When young Ed and Lori Flinner got married and started their family, they knew they wanted to move closer to home. The Flinner Family moved home to Wayne County and Ed was on the hunt for a job to provide for his family. Despite not having any prior experience, Ed found a home at Frontz Drilling. Frontz Drilling was established in 1938 and was run by the Frontz Family for three generations, providing well drilling, pump installations, water treatments, and more for both residential and commercial customers. Ed learned the business inside and out over the next ten and a half years. While he loved the job, an opportunity at the City of Wooster was presented to him in 2006. After some consideration, Ed and Lori knew it was the best decision for their family at that time. Before accepting the job as Utilities Equipment Operator, Ed jokingly said to his coworkers "boys, one day I'll come back and own this company." Little did he know he was right on the money.
While working for the city, Ed continued to receive calls from people he worked with during his time at Frontz. The level of trust he built with his clients was unparalleled in the industry. Clients were looking for help with water treatment and Ed wanted to help. Not wanting to back down from a challenge, Ed started his own business in 2015, Flinner and Sons Water Treatment. In 2021, Steve Frontz enlisted Ed's help to subcontract water treatment jobs. In December of 2022, Ed was preparing to leave the job at the city to focus solely on Flinner and Sons, but Steve Frontz had something else in mind.
Steve was planning on retiring and knew Ed was the right person to take over the business. He approached Ed with the idea on buying Frontz Drilling. After some time of reflection, Ed and Lori knew it was the right move for their family. It wasn't a linear path, but after years of hard work and dedication his career came full circle. Ed started his career with Frontz Drilling and now he's running the show under his name (now Flinner Drilling). Ed expands, "This is home. I started my career here and it just feels right. Before Frontz I worked a few other jobs, one being in a factory. The best thing they ever did was lay me off. Funny how life works out."
Ed didn't plan on changing much in the company when he took over. Instead, he kept the same employees, same policies, same standards, and same high quality of work. What did change? He brought the services from Flinner and Sons to deliver a wider net of water treatment solutions to both new and existing customers. With new services, the same commitment to the job remains, "no matter what service we provide, we back our work. If it's not right, we're going to fix it, but it's almost always done right the first time. We use the best materials and equipment. We don't cut corners to save a buck today because we know that will end up costing our customers thousands tomorrow. Taking care of others and doing things the right way pays off. I'm accountable to my employees, my employees take care of our customers, and our customers return the favor by sharing their experience with their friends and neighbors." In addition to staying up to date on all EPA and industry codes and certifications, Flinner Drilling offers 24/7 on call services.
One of his biggest challenges is finding enough qualified employees to keep up with the demand. Ed explains, "What we do is very selective and highly skilled. It's very hard to find well drillers. It takes 3-5 years to train well drillers the right way, and there are not a lot of people getting into the trade. We drill practically year-round and work outdoors. It might not be the most glamorous job to some, but I wouldn't have it any other way." Flinner drilling has about 90 years' experience between their drillers. One of the biggest joys for Ed is being able to work alongside his sons. Ed and Lori have two sons, Eddie and Hunter. Eddie followed Ed's footsteps and works at Flinner Drilling. In 2024, the company drilled over 140 wells. With plans to expand in both services and coverage area, Ed is thrilled to have family on board to help. For questions regarding well drilling, service, water treatment, and more, call the experts at Flinner Drilling!
