Celebrating Top Geothermal Companies: Midwest Geothermal

As the geothermal industry experiences unprecedented growth, finding skilled technicians has become one of the biggest challenges facing contractors nationwide. While many companies struggle to hire qualified workers, Midwest Geothermal has taken a proactive approach by launching a comprehensive registered apprenticeship program that’s giving them structure for their workforce development initiatives.

Founded in 2007 in Grand Rapids, Michigan, Midwest Geothermal has grown from a small regional contractor to a nationally recognized leader in geothermal drilling and installation. With nearly 100 employees operating 11 drill rigs across the country, they’ve installed approximately 7 million bore feet on projects ranging from coast to coast – from the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art in California to Microsoft in Seattle and Princeton University in New Jersey.

We sat down with Tony Brokaw and Kortney Lull, who have been with the company since 2008 and now lead its operations, along with HeatSpring instructor Ryan Carda, to learn about their innovative approach to building the next generation of geothermal professionals.

Building from the Ground Up

What sets Midwest Geothermal apart is their commitment to developing talent from within rather than relying solely on external hiring. “We’ve always trained within and promoted from within,” explains Tony Brokaw. “But as the industry’s grown so fast and so rapidly, we’ve had to adjust and grow fast with it. It just comes to a point where you can’t go find people to do what we do – we have to train it.”

The company’s philosophy stems from Tony and Kortney’s own experience starting at entry level and working their way up through the ranks. “There’s nothing inside the walls that she can’t do,” Tony says of Kortney, who began in the office and mastered every aspect of operations. “And there’s nothing that I can’t do outside,” he adds, having started with zero experience and learned through asking questions and hands-on work.

This ground-up perspective has shaped their approach to employee development. “Being that we started at the ground level, we understand the importance of every employee,” Tony notes. “The employees are the foundational piece of our company.”

The Apprenticeship Program Structure

Midwest Geothermal’s registered apprenticeship program is a comprehensive 2,500-hour program designed to take complete beginners and develop them into skilled geothermal professionals over approximately 2-2.5 years. The program is structured in progressive levels, each requiring both hour requirements and testing to advance.

Apprentices progress through:

• Site safety and basic job site operations
• Grouting processes and state regulations
• Equipment operation and maintenance
• Fusion welding certification
• Heavy equipment operation
• Drill rig operation and lateral tie-ins

The apprenticeship follows a unique outside-in approach, working towards the rig. Apprentices start as far away from the danger of a drill rig as possible, then gradually progress until they’re finally working directly on the equipment.

Each level requires apprentices to test out before advancing, with pay raises accompanying each progression. Apprentices must successfully complete both classroom testing and field evaluations, with ongoing feedback from superintendents, before they can move to the next level.

Addressing Industry Challenges

The apprenticeship program addresses several critical challenges facing the geothermal industry:

Retention Through Investment 

With the demanding nature of geothermal work – including extensive travel and challenging conditions – retention is crucial. “We have a lot invested in our employees, so to keep them here is very important to us,” Tony notes. The structured program with clear advancement paths and pay increases helps retain talent.

Quality Over Speed 

Unlike their previous approach of rapid promotions based on immediate need, the apprenticeship ensures thorough training. Previously, the company’s fast growth led to promoting people within days of starting—sometimes even putting someone on a drill rig after just days on the job. This approach eventually led to problems with turnover, safety issues, and equipment damage that became costly for the company.

Standardization for Growth 

As Midwest Geothermal expands nationally, the apprenticeship ensures consistent training standards. The structured program addresses the challenge of maintaining the same culture, terminology, and training base across multiple locations, whether they continue traveling from Michigan or eventually open satellite offices coast to coast.

Early Success and Culture

The program has already shown promising results. “So far, anybody that’s been in it, I think almost every one of them is a success story,” Tony reports. The company currently has 25 apprentices, with 15 new ones starting in their most recent cohort.

One challenge they’ve encountered speaks to the program’s appeal: apprentices want to advance faster than the structured timeline allows. Many participants are eager to progress more quickly and constantly ask how they can accelerate through the program. However, the company maintains that the hour requirements are in place for important safety and learning reasons.

The success stems from Midwest Geothermal’s strong company culture. “We’re hiring attitude more than skillset,” Tony emphasizes. “Make sure you bring the right person on, that’s like a sponge that just wants to learn everything.”

Ryan, who joined the company six months ago, confirms this culture: “The bigger reason that I joined was because of Tony and Kortney and just the company they’ve built. The culture is very, very real. They take care of their people. It is like one big happy family.”

Industry Impact and Future Vision

Looking ahead, Midwest Geothermal sees their apprenticeship program as a potential model for the entire geothermal industry. “We’re not opposed to opening our apprenticeship up to outside companies at some point,” Tony states. “We have to be able to grow this industry, and there has to be more contractors out there. The only way to eliminate the bad eggs is by better training.”

Their vision extends beyond their own company success. They hope to help open the door to systematic training across the industry and ensure that all geothermal contractors are maintaining high standards.

Kortney summarizes their philosophy perfectly: “All of this just means that we’re good stewards of the industry. We truly care about the future of what this industry is and want to make sure that it’s successful, because we know that we’ll get to be successful as the industry is successful.” 

Building the Future

With their comprehensive apprenticeship program, Midwest Geothermal demonstrates how geothermal companies can address workforce challenges through strategic investment in people. Their approach – combining rigorous technical training with strong company culture and long-term career development – offers a blueprint for other companies looking to build highly skilled, dedicated teams.

For an industry that requires specialized knowledge and faces ongoing workforce shortages, Midwest Geothermal’s commitment to “raising the tide for all ships in the geothermal industry” represents exactly the kind of leadership needed to scale this critical clean energy technology.

Interested in learning more about career opportunities in geothermal? Midwest Geothermal brings on new apprentice cohorts quarterly. Visit their website or contact them directly to learn about upcoming opportunities.