Business View Magazine July 2025 Telecommunications

The National Association of Tower Erectors (NATE)

July 30, 2025

The National Association of Tower Erectors: Elevating Safety and Professionalism in Communications Infrastructure

Celebrating 30 Years of Advocacy and Progress for Tower Contractors and the Future of Connectivity

The National Association of Tower Erectors (NATE) has been a significant contributor to the continued growth and amplified success within the communications infrastructure industry.

NATE’s deepened engagement in legislative and regulatory advocacy has strategically cultivated its influence within its industry. By proactively shaping policies that support the industry’s growth and sustainability, the association ensures a favorable operating environment for its members.

Fostering stronger collaborations with government agencies and industry stakeholders has simultaneously allowed NATE access to new opportunities and resources.

These opportunities and resources have translated into enhanced member value, which is paramount for the association.

“We added a lot of programming and objectives… but at its core, NATE was founded to bring professionalism, safety, and quality to its industry,” says Executive Director Todd Schlekeway.

NATE has expanded resources for workforce development, offers diverse training programs, and provides tangible benefits that directly address the needs of its predominantly small business membership.

As a growth strategy, actively supporting the professional growth and economic well-being of its members has allowed NATE to strengthen its foundation and attract an even wider network of participants over the years.

Furthermore, the association practices consistent communication and engagement with its diverse membership base, ensuring their voices are heard and their needs are met.

The result has been a stronger sense of community and shared purpose among all stakeholders.

Today, NATE stands as an organization with an ever-increasing and actively engaged membership, recognized as the leading authority on safety, professionalism, and quality within the tower erection and maintenance sector.

Its proactive advocacy has helped to create a supportive regulatory landscape that fosters innovation and sustainable growth for its members. The association’s dedication to progress has not only boosted the industry but also solidified its legacy as an indispensable partner for every tower that touches the sky.

A Foundation Forged in Safety and Professionalism

The National Association of Tower Erectors is celebrating its 30th anniversary, marking thirty years of unwavering commitment to upholding the sector responsible for wireless, broadcast, and broadband network infrastructure.

Founded in 1995 by four visionary tower contractor companies, NATE emerged in response to critical safety concerns that plagued the industry in the early 1990s. It was driven by a profound need to establish standards, training, and credentials to protect the workforce and elevate the trade.

The impetus for NATE’s creation was a tragic fatality in Arkansas, a turning point that galvanized the founding members to action.

Recognizing the inherent risks associated with working at height on cellular and broadcast towers, often involving bucket trucks and significant elevation, these industry leaders understood the urgent need for a unified body dedicated to safety.

Thus, NATE was established with the core mission of advancing professionalism, safety, and quality within the tower erection and maintenance industry.

This foundational commitment continues to drive the association’s initiatives. It remains its central pillar, even as its scope and objectives have broadened over the years to address the evolving needs of its members and the industry at large.

Safety remains the bedrock of NATE’s mission. “Safety is always our core pillar, and we’re really pleased with some of our initiatives and the success we’ve had,” Schlekeway says.

A key initiative exemplifying the association’s commitment to safety is its long-standing and productive collaboration with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA).

For nine of the past eleven years, NATE has received the Department of Labor OSHA Susan Harwood grant, which has enabled the development and delivery of crucial safety training programs nationwide.

A key component of NATE’s safety efforts is the STAR Initiative Program, through which member companies submit quarterly site safety audit data.

This data provides valuable insights into industry-wide trends and areas where safety improvements are needed, such as rigging, RF safety, fall protection, and vehicle compliance.

This data-driven approach allows NATE to tailor its training and resources to address the most pressing safety challenges. “Oftentimes, we’ve been able to receive a federal training grant and offer training on identified deficiencies to try to move the ball and enhance our industry’s safety standards,” Schlekeway adds.

Furthermore, NATE is a vital partner in the NATE-OSHA-FCC National Strategic Partnership, a collaborative effort involving regulatory agencies and industry stakeholders.

This partnership focuses on education and outreach initiatives to enhance safety awareness and practices across the industry.

By analyzing safety data from various sources, the partnership aims to shift from reactive measures based on lagging indicators to proactive strategies guided by leading indicators, ultimately fostering a safer working environment.

“The FCC and OSHA carry more industry weight because they’re regulatory agencies, so being able to partner with them and leverage their voice and platform to advance safety is a real positive,” Schlekeway says.

Expansive Workforce Development, Legislative Advocacy, and Membership Perks

While safety remains paramount, NATE has strategically expanded its focus to encompass workforce development and legislative advocacy.

Recognizing that a skilled and well-trained workforce is integral to both safety and professionalism, NATE has actively engaged in initiatives to attract and equip new workers for the industry.

“We’ve armed our members with resources that they can deploy at job fairs to recruit and raise awareness about the industry,” Schelkeway explains.

These efforts allow NATE members to even reach out to middle and high schools, highlighting the potential for a rewarding career path with opportunities for rapid advancement and financial success.

Furthermore, NATE has developed a Tower Tech One training program tailored for community colleges and technical institutes. This program aims to establish a more standardized and accessible pathway for industry entry.

This has resulted in a significantly amplified presence and influence in Washington, D.C., becoming a more visible and effective advocate for NATE members.

“We’ve really become a much more visible association and industry in Washington, D.C., due to our work. In the last six years alone, we’ve participated in events in Congress, had members testify at congressional hearings, been invited to the White House on numerous occasions, and developed a very active legislative and regulatory Council, which oftentimes hosts members of Congress on tower site visits in their district,” Schlekeway explains.

These efforts are coupled with close collaboration with government agencies such as the FCC, FAA, OSHA, the DOL, the NTIA, and the Small Business Administration.

With the added visibility, NATE has been able to effectively address critical regulatory issues and represent the interests of its members on a national scale.

The endorsement of legislation like the Telecommunication Skilled Workforce Act underscores NATE’s growing influence. According to Schlekeway, the Act was “a byproduct of NATE and other telecom associations educating Congress on why it’s needed.”

The heightened visibility and influence have stimulated significant growth in NATE’s membership, with the association recently surpassing the milestone of 1,000 member companies.

To cater to the diverse landscape of the communications infrastructure sector, NATE offers various membership categories.

While the principal contractor category forms the largest segment, the association also includes construction members, affiliate members (such as wireless carriers), engineering firms, and public entities like community colleges and government agencies.

NATE’s member companies, the majority of which are small businesses, recognize the strength in unity. They benefit from NATE’s collective voice and its ability to represent their interests more effectively than they could individually.

The association has also diligently worked to enhance membership benefits, offering discounts on events, safety resources, and exclusive training materials.

Additionally, NATE provides access to benefit programs such as health, life, and dental insurance portals and retirement plans, further enhancing the value proposition for its members.

Navigating Future Trends and Challenges Through Diversification and Adaptation

The tower erection and maintenance industry is characterized by constant technological evolution, requiring a proactive and adaptable approach.

“We’ve always promoted a message of customer diversification because there’s been a lot of consolidation of the number of major customers contractors have worked for over the years,” Schlekeway explains.

For example, within the wireless sector of the industry, which used to host four to six national carriers with numerous regional carriers, it has now been condensed to three major national carriers that contractors rely on for work.

NATE believes that the consolidated power of these national carriers has led to pricing structures that do not adequately reflect the increasing costs of deployment services.

The implementation of take-it-or-leave-it master service agreements and unit pricing that has not kept pace with inflation has created a difficult operating environment for contractors, leading some to pivot to other industries or even close down.

So, the association actively encourages its members to explore opportunities in adjacent sectors where their skills are transferable.

Examples include the burgeoning EV infrastructure charging station market, government projects such as the FAA’s 2,000-tower initiative, in-building public safety wireless (DAS), and the significant potential of the Broadband Equity Access and Deployment (BEAD) program, which involves fiber deployment and related infrastructure work.

“There are opportunities outside of traditional tower and wireless carrier work, and we’ve worked to educate our members about that,” Schlekeway says, highlighting the customer diversification workshop series offered at the NATE Unite conference as an example.

Despite challenges, NATE’s success is ultimately reflected in the thriving industry it operates in, one that embraces the highest standards, ensuring the reliable and safe deployment of critical communications infrastructure across the nation.

A hallmark of NATE’s 30-year journey is the transformation of the communications infrastructure industry. What was once perceived as “just” a job has become a respected and professional trade with clear career pathways.

As Schlekeway puts it, “Nate is here to serve small business contractors and industry workers” by providing the resources, advocacy, and support needed to thrive in a dynamic and critical sector of the economy.

By fostering professionalism, prioritizing safety, and facilitating growth, NATE continues to elevate the communications infrastructure industry, ensuring the connectivity that underpins modern society.