The Shadow
Tommy Garten was a man with many titles. Beneath his obvious badge of a successful businessman, he was a dedicated husband, devoted father and a loving grandfather. “When the grandkids came along,” Robert ‘Dizzy’ Garten said, “it was like he transformed. When we were growing up, he might not get home until midnight, but when they [Tommy Garten and wife, Mary Beth] were babysitting the kids, he’d leave work at 4 o’clock and nobody could find him. He was at the house with the grandkids.”
The Virginian Review sat down with Tommy Garten’s sons, Dizzy and Matt Garten, on the afternoon of Tuesday, Jan. 30, to get a more intimate glimpse of the beloved businessman who had such a positive impact on the lives of so many. “He [Tommy Garten] threw me and Dizzy to the side…for the grandkids,” Matt Garten laughed before speaking on how Tommy Garten became the man, father and friend he always was.
Tommy graduated from Covington High School in 1970 before going on to Ferrum Jr. College, back when Ferrum was a 2-year school. Upon obtaining his associate degree in 1972, he moved on to James Madison College—now James Madison University (JMU)—alongside the entirety of his dorm room.
“His whole dorm room got into JMU because they were boys,” Matt Garten said. “It was the first year for co-ed,” Dizzy chimed in, explaining the circumstances surrounding the dorm room’s acceptance into James Madison College. “It had been a teacher school for ladies until that year, so 72-73, they all transferred,” Matt Garten explained.
Tommy Garten graduated from James Madison College in 1974 with a Bachelor of Science in marketing and became a partner of “Greenway’s Real Estate and Auction Company,” that same year. After graduating from the Reppert School of Auctioneering, Tommy focused his attention on “Greenway’s,” as his love of auctioning continued to grow. “Greenway’s, the auction business, was the love of his life businesswise.” Matt Garten said. “…He loved the auction business. If it could be converted to an auction, he wanted to convert it into an auction.”
Since that time, he has owned and operated many businesses in Alleghany County, including co-owning Alleghany Motors with his father, George Garten, who sadly passed in 1986. Prior to his passing, George took Tommy under his wing, teaching him all he knew about running a successful business. It was a lesson Tommy learned well as he continued to grow his brand into another new business.
Tommy founded “Garten Trucking” in October 2010, which started with just three drivers running from the WestRock Low Moor Converting Plant to the warehouse in Raphine. Since then, “Garten Trucking” has expanded exponentially to include over 160 employees, according to their website. As a whole, the company employs 260 people. “It’s a family business,” Matt Garten said, “We’ve [himself and Dizzy] never worked for anybody else… and dad, he didn’t see anybody as an employee. Everyone was family.”
The Garten family also owns the Lumberjacks. “We’re the only team in the whole valley league that’s free,” Dizzy Garten said. “…We always felt like it [Lumberjacks games] was more for the community than it was for us.” The Garten brothers shared that their father was a huge sports fan, loved “anything with a ball,” and was a big supporter of local sports from both high schools. Tommy Garten also supported the school consolidation and was frequently spotted at ball games “unless he couldn’t find someone to go with him,” Matt Garten shared.
The plan for the Garten family moving forward is to carry on the legacy instilled by Tommy Garten himself. “The plan is not, in any way, shape, or form, to downsize or slow down,” Dizzy Garten said. “We’re definitely in a growth pattern. We felt like we were about at stage 5 and we have every intention of getting to stage 10 and we’re not looking to slow down.”
The Virginian Review appreciates all his years of unwavering support of the paper. As our community and his family continue to mourn the loss of Tommy, his leadership example instilled in his sons will continue to the next generation of Gartens.
